Party Favors -- Hershey Kisses

Who doesn't love chocolate? Hershey's is the chocolate that everyone knows and loves, and so will your guests!

These little drops of yumminess have been putting a smile on people’s faces since the early 1900’s. Sprinkle these treats on tables to add sparkle to your occasion or arrange kisses in unique vases or bowls and use as centerpieces. However you choose to spread these little favors make sure you have enough……after all one kiss is NEVER enough!

An added special touch is to have your customized message printed on a Hershey's kiss. Follow these instructions to make your own personalized labels:

1. Download template from HERE.
2. Open template in Microsoft Word.
3. Insert your own personalized message and/or graphic into the label template.
4. Print labels using Avery label # 5408. I purchased mine from Office Max. There are 24 labels on each sheet.
5. Simply peel and stick to the bottom of Hershey Kisses.

The labels can also be used on Starlight mints, Mini Rolo's and individual wrapped Lifesavers.

Family Cookbook

Every year we take a family vacation to the beach. We have a large group of anywhere from 20 to 25 people. One of best parts of the vacation is the food! We save all our favorite recipes to cook on vacation and collect them into one journal. The journal keeps growing each year and now is stuffed full of clippings and notes. I wanted to find a way to compile them into something that is functional but still looks really nice. I thought about uploading the recipes to one of those websites where you can have your work bound into a book, but wanted to have the ability to keep adding to it. I found a really cool site that was perfect for what I wanted. It's called Taste Book. You can load in all your recipes, complete with photos, and even choose a cover for your cookbook. They print it and it comes in a binder along with dividers. I just got the finished product in the mail and I just love it! I'm impressed with the quality and look of our customized family cookbook. The site saves all your recipes, so you can share them with family members and they can order their own cookbook.

2 More Submissions Accepted!

I just found out today that 2 of my submissions will be featured in upcoming magazines. Check them out by clicking on the their blinkies (in left-hand column)!

August/September 2009 Ready, Set, Create magazine -- an owl greeting card

August 2009 Scrapbook News and Review magazine -- Playing Ball digital layout

Published Again!

These all seemed to come in at the same time. Very exciting! You just never know what will be accepted.

Butterfly Punch Card

Published in the March/April 2009 issue of
Scrap n' Art

Supplies:
5x7 blank greeting card
Sweet Life Papercrafting and Cardmaking
Fiskars 4-in-1 Embossing Corner Punch - Glory
Ecstasy Butterfly Clip Punch

Instructions:
1. Cut rectangle from pattern pattern a little smaller than 5x7.
2. Punch each corner using Fiskar corner punch.
3. Affix double-sided tape to back of rectangle and place on front of card.
4. Select die-cuts from Sweet Life Papercrafting and Cardmaking Pack. Affix to front of card with double-sided tape.

5. Punch butterflies out of orange paper using the Ecstasy Butterfly Clip Punch.
6. Clip around circle die-cut. For added security, use small glue dots to keep butterflies in place.

Published!

Ready, Set, Create online magazine accepted 2 of my submissions for publication! They were in the March/April 2009 magazine. Here they are:


This card was made from a recycled mini gift bag. I cut the front off the bag and attached it to a 3x5 blank greeting card. Punched 2 holes on each side of the card. Using the handle from the bag, I threaded the metal tags onto the cord and then through each side of the card. The black & white flower is the gift tag from the bag.

Papers and elements: Denim & Lace digital kit by Rachael Hudnall.
Title was handstitched and then scanned in.

Recycled Candle Holders

It's hard to stop the recycling kick once you get started. I keep looking at things in a whole new way. I made these candle holders out of small cardboard tubes.

1. Cut each tube to the desired height.

2. Spray with metallic paint and sealer.

3. Insert floral foam inside the tube, making sure the bottom is level.

4. Insert candle into foam.

5. Arrange silk leaves and butterfly as shown.

Obviously if you choose to actually light the candle, you would need to be careful as the candle burned lower, so as not to catch the leaves and cardboard on fire.

Recycled Flower Vases

For a friends wedding, we needed 20 very tall flower vases for the reception tables. The tall glass ones would have been great, but also very expensive. We came up with this economical version instead. I started with large cardboard tubes; the kind that holds plotter paper for drafting printers. I sprayed each with silver metallic paint and then a sealer. The sealer really is necessary. I learned the hard way when the paint began to rub off on my hands! Inside each tube, we placed a weight (it isn't seen, so it can be anything) and then arranged a few flowers and ivy.