you color my world

i made some coloring heart valentine’s day cards. it’s simple with adorable results and is a great way to recycle broken crayons. i followed the vlog directions from what's hot for tots.

i  heated up a pin with a candle + stuck it through the crayon to form a hole, strung a bit of yarn + attached the hearts to the cards on the inside. please click on an image below to download the .pdf file, print it out on card stock and cut.

a dual purpose card... a valentine + a mini coloring book!

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love is in the air notepad

you can download this notepad here + learn how to turn it into a notepad here. for personal use only please.

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valentine's day easy gift wrap

ah, paper bags + how to make them look cute...

here's how!

1: place gift in bottom of bag

2: accordion fold from the top of the bag until you run out of paper

3: wrap + tie a pretty ribbon around center

4: staple or tape the center together on back {creating the arc}

5. add a gift tag

6: give to your valentine with love!

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february 2010 cd calendar

february 2010 cd calendar
Originally uploaded by a craft a day

today i created february's calendar.

you can download it here...

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banana bread family recipe

banana bread is on the top of my comfort food list. mostly because my mom's mom recipe is the best. tried + true, straight from my personal cookbook, typed up by my mom {in dot matrix no less} way back in the day... here it is for everyone to enjoy!

ps: click on image to see recipe in full size.

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heart shaped pot holders

a craft for today {or the weekend}... heart shaped potholders. why not whip up a valentine pair for the chef in your life!

xo, me + martha

here is a link to the tutorial + pattern...

and here is my version. oh, i aspire to sew like martha's craft department does...

ps: i used a recycled felted wool sweater instead of the batting suggested in martha's pattern. plus, i added velcro to on side of the tabs so that i could wrap them around my oven door handle. easy on, easy off!

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rice water for your skin

today i fed my skin a healthy dose of rice water...

an ancient asian tradition for brides is to wash their skin with rice water everyday for three weeks until their wedding. why? because it gave them the most beautiful soft + translucent skin. in fact the hands of sake workers are some of the softest + wrinkle free you will ever shake.

so how does it work? all you have to do is to keep aside the water used to wash rice before cooking it. the water will appear ‘cloudy’ because you are actually washing off the starch. wash your face with your regular cleanser, pat dry + rinse with a generous helping of rice water letting the water dry naturally. for best results, follow this regiment twice a day {morning and evening}. you will soon notice a huge difference; your skin is lighter, smoother and softer.

ps: rice is rich in gamma-oryzanol, a powerful antioxidant that contains fats regulating collagen production.

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essential orange oil

i love the smell of a freshly peeled orange!

i also ♥ that orange oil is so versatile + can be used for the body, the mind and the home. speaking of the home, did you know how easy it is to make essential orange yourself? learn how after the jump...

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crepe paper roses

a rose by any other name... is a crepe paper rose!

learn how to make one + download the template after the jump...

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self mailing valentine

love is in the air!
i was commissioned to design valentine cards + here is one i made today for you all! enjoy ♥

it's a free download that you can easily print out on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper {front + back}. simply cut around the pattern and fold where indicated. i recommend using a medium weight cardstock to give it some substance when traveling through the mail.

Self Mailing Valentine Front

Self Mailing Valentine Back

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shrinky plastic pin tops

give life to your #6 plastics! i recycled some plastic into a pin top. all it takes is permanent markers, #6 clear plastic, a 300 degree oven, a pin {or thumbtack}, a little imagination and in the tradition of everyone's childhood favorite, shrinky dinks... you have a unique tack for your corkboard!

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cartoon yourself

remember the excess paper i trimmed from my scribble pad picture frame project?

well, for today's craft, i decided to make yet one more notepad.

with the help of befunky.com + photoshop, i turned my images into cartoons.

super easy + makes great little gifts too!

oh, did i mention that befunky's services are free?!

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personalized photo notepad

humm, do you detect a theme here? unintentionally i have turn this this into 'photo' week. well then, let's carry on today with crafting a photo notepad.

please check out the tutorial is after the jump...

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scribble pad picture frame

♪ every picture tells a story, don't it?

every picture tells a story, don't it? don't it? ♪

... if rod stewart says it's true then who am i to disagree!

let's doodle, come on you know you want to.

today's craft lets you design the perfect story for every photo.

check out the tutorial after the jump...

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paperclip photo hanger

i heart photo garland.

i heart rotating my pictures.

i heart how easy it is to do with just the twist of a paperclip.

see the how-to for today's craft after the jump...

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supersecret 'oh so fudgy' cream cheese brownie recipe

like 99.9% of the american population, this holiday season i also became an owner of the perfect brownie pan. okay, maybe i exaggerated a little with the percentage. but i was using my best guess based on the number of stores that were sold out.

do i like it?

sure.

does it make a better brownie?

it does when i use my supersecret 'oh so fudgy' cream cheese brownie recipe!

check out today's craft {err...food craft} after the jump...

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quilled heart card

the shelves on the breast of the post christmas days

gave the lustre of pink + red coloring to objects in trays,
when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a plethora of valentine's day merchandise already this year!
 
yep, santa is just a distant happy memory. and the retailers are stocking their shelves for the next 'big' holiday... valentine's day. just a bit early isn't it? geesh, we still have nearly 6 weeks to shop.
 
but this got me thinking, why just send love cards on valentine's day. and really, do hearts always need to be red? i love being in love {who doesn't}. so today's craft is a quilled heart card for my guy because he is loved eight days a week...
 
print out the template below + follow the instructions posted after the jump.

Quill Heart Card Template

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easy orange sherbet recipe

sherbet vs sorbet, is there a difference?

yep, and it is not just the 'sher' vs the 'sor'.
the two icy treats are very similar in their base ingredients {puréed fruits, sugar + water} but sherbet has dairy added {milk to be exact}.

sitting on my counter were three beautiful but slightly soft oranges, the last lone survivors from a floridian christmas citrus gift pack. while sherbet may seem like a summer treat... oranges are in season now! and because i am conscious about upping my calcium intake, i am all in for creamy sherbet.

so let's craft this icy treat...

skill level:
easy peasy
 
complete instructions after the jump...

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felt circle pin

Clairee Belcher: 'The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.'
'nuff said... let's accessorize!

materials:
wool felt {new or recycled sweater}
scissors
craft glue
seed beads
pin back {or safety pin}
needle + thread

skill level:
easy peasy

download template + instructions below
Felt Circle Pin

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recycled styrofoam silhouette prints

ever since i was old enough to hold a crayon, a post christmas tradition in my house was to write + send thank you notes for gifts i received. i have continued this ritual well into my adulthood. partly because it is a nice thing to do + partly because if i don't, i think my mom will secretly find out. so here is my craft for today... thank you cards!

materials:

paper silhouette

scissors

tape

ballpoint pen

exacto knife

blank notecards with envelopes

acrylic paint

foam brush

recycled styrofoam meat tray

skill level:

easy peasy

step1

find a styrofoam food tray, and wash it out well.

step 2
look for a flat surface + cut away areas that are not flat.
step 3
tape silhouette to styrofoam + trace around image. remember to draw in a mirror image to what you want the final picture to look like.

step 4
using an exacto knife, cut around silhouette. you can smooth out any rough edges with a nail file. using your pen, add text {ie thank you} backwards.

step 5
using a foam brush, paint over the the stamp.
step 6
press the painted stamp onto paper.
step 7
carefully lift the styrofoam stamp to reveal the print.
step 8
let dry + get ready to give thanks!

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my mission....

i am a crafter.
i am a procrastinator.
i never seem to finish what i start.
i am about to change.

each day for a year, i will post a craft a day {with the exception of the weekend because all craftistas need time away from their scissors}. can I do it? i am fairly sure i can!

this is my journey.
be sure to come along with me.
260 projects.... here we go.

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