Prairie Scraps

 Tonight I worked on a Father’s Day gift for my hubby. This is a bucket light for when we got camping.  I did a video on it- so you can see how it works. After Father’s Day I’ll get a better picture to share.  Watch here:  Father’s Day Gift Idea

For over 15 years, I have been an avid scrapbooker.  I was constantly working on getting my albums finished and up-to-date.  I was even a consultant for 11 years, until the second bankruptcy of the company I was with.  Digital has really made my scrapbooking different and hard to stay consistent in.  I don't get my photos printed very often, and don't really want to print everything, to cut them up and paste them into books when digital versions are so much easier.  So, some of my photos make it into digital albums and for the last three years, my photos from my walls, Christmas cards and other miscellaneous printed photos have been laying around my house, waiting for me to do something with them!  I decided to organize and get all of these pictures put into my album before I completely pack away my Christmas things this years.  I save all of the pictures from Christmas cards, as well as the Christmas letters.  Here, my picture on the left ...

I am busy getting ready for our MOPS meeting tomorrow.  I coordinate, but I love to do the creative activities for our group.  Our theme tomorrow is of course Loving our Husbands, so we have planned to write our husbands love notes.  Well, I just can't leave it at plain scrapbook paper for the notes!  I was looking on Pinterest and found a lovely post and video on how to make Origami Hearts HERE.   It's a great idea and well put together blog post, but the video moves so fast and the girl left out some of the steps in her editing, so I watched that video several times, before I figured it out.  Then I called in my son, who went on exchange to Japan to help me figure it out too.  He had to watch it several times too. Since it took me so many times to watch the video, I thought I'd do my own step-by-step picture tutorial so you can do it before Valentine's Day!  Once you get the hang of it, you will enjoy giving little notes around the house f...

I was a first born child, so my Mom spent many hours making a baby book for me.  Now, back then, they didn't take quite so many pictures, but my Mom had everything there, all the prices she paid for a layette (down to the price it cost to buy a nursing bra!), what games were played at my shower, my first Valentine's Day cards and even my first haircut!  My second brother had a few things in his baby book, and finally, there was the baby, which I'm not even sure there were any pictures of!  Although I wasn't the victim  like my younger siblings (Ok - I just thought my parents loved me more! lol) and not getting much for baby books, I remember thinking that I would never do that to my children: deprive them of childhood memories. So with each additional child, I have set out to get their first year of life into an album.    Now if I lost you, because you feel the pain of not having a baby album completed for your children, let me begin again! ...

Let’s send summer out in style with a sensational sale! Nearly everything in our Creative Memories catalog is on sale now through 10 p.m. CST on Aug. 27 – at savings up to 40 percent off. Go Here to Order Right Away!   I would greatly appreciate your support and orders! Here's the list of what's on sale: 40% off • Album Refills (all sizes of Pages, Page Protectors and Side-Loading Sleeves) • 12x12 Paper, Cardstock Packs, and Stack Packs • StoryBook Creator 4.0 and StoryBook Creator 4.0 upgrade (includes DVD and download versions) • Wall Print Posters (including product credits) 30% off • Albums (including 12x12, 8x8, and Album Sets) • Custom Albums (including product credits) • Digital Artwork Downloads and CDs 20% off • Power Palette Systems and Sets • Specialty Paper and Embellishments (12x12 Additions, Specialty Paper Packs, Scrapbook Kits, Album Accents and Storyboxes, Paper Embellishments, Embellishment Packs, Decorative Stickers...

I finally got my oldest baby off to Japan!  It seems impossible that he is old enough or rather, that I am old enough to have a child that is travelling the world! Whew!  It sure was chaotic getting him off.  We made all kinds of gifts to send with him, including these  Bottle Cap Magnets .  I haven't heard yet if his hosts have enjoyed them, but really I'm just thankful he's there safe and sound and having a great time! While he was still here, I was sending off cards to him in the mail, so they would arrive the first week.  I didn't want him to miss his Mommy, you know! lol.  (I know, it was really for my benefit, not his, but hey, I'm just doing my best here!)  To sneak off his card, I made cards for his host families to thank them for opening their homes to my son.  Here's a picture of the two cards for the families.  My son's was similar, but I was afraid he would see the picture before he left.  (He was on to me anyway...

Some of the  Makers  that I used All lined up and ready to add the Dimensional Magic! I'm sorry that I have been absent here so much lately.  I really had the intention of getting more up here, but I have been spending so much time getting my son ready for an exchange trip to Japan.  Now that he's off, I can share some of the projects that we made before he left. He had to bring 40 small trinkets or such for an International Bazaar at a camp he was attending.  The kids pay up to $1 for items and the money goes to charity.  Apparently, the American items are popular, so we had to send 40.  We made bottle cap magnets and pins, using the Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.  Also needed for this project were: Mod Podge Dimensional Magic Bottle Caps (can get them at the craft store or online) Scraps, buttons and beads for inside the bottle caps Magnets or pin backs Various Makers E 6000 or equivalent glue I cut...

We are frantically getting our son ready to go on an international exchange trip this summer and one of the things that he is supposed to bring with him are business cards.  I was going to buy the computer business cards to go through our printer, when I got to thinking that I should just make him one on my  Storybook Creator 4.0  and print it up as a 4x6 photo. I opened a new project up on the "Local Printer" option in the printer and chose to make a "4x6 portrait" card. I used the  Basketball Digital Additions  to make the basketball background and the basketball in the background.  (The star over his face is also from that addition.) For the State of Idaho and the state bird and flower, I used the North American Road Trip Digital Kit, which was only available to my customers enrolled in the  Rewards Club .  (The Rewards Club gives a 15% reward on all purchases and also has exclusive products and deals just for members.  Please check...

I tend to start projects and then get side-tracked or something comes up that is more important and can't get them done.  Well, I've been really guilty of this with my albums.  I often work through scrapbooking an album about halfway through before I actually get the  coverset purchased.  In this case, I finished all the pages last year for an album about our two foreign exchange students we had last year, but found the pages didn't fit in the album.  Well, I kept meaning to order the new sleeves and coverset, but of course, there they sat in my bag....waiting. I decided to reward myself for my Creative Memories Party I had a couple of weeks ago by purchasing a coverset I really loved.  This is the Enchanted 12x12 Coverset  that I fell in love with in the catalog and thought, why not?   My photo can't possibly do it justice in person.  Let me tell you - it is gorgeous!  I used a Quick Album kit to make this album and ...

Today is the day!  Cricut Cartridges are on Sale!  If you have a Cricut, you won't want to miss out on this opportunity to miss out on this sale from 9am-9pm Central Time at My Website Here.   When you purchase one Cartridge for $55, you get 30% off the second.  Creative Memories has exclusive Cartridges that can't be found in any craft store, so this is a great opportunity to get them!  (Of course, I would love it if you would consider purchasing them from me, since I am an independent consultant!) 'Tis The Season Traveler Cartridge Here are the cartridges we carry.  If you would like to go to the direct cartridge to see more information, please click on the title under the picture. My personal favorite is the Traveler Cartridge. I like to use them for my travel and camping albums!  Which ones do you need? Reminisce Accents Stork's Delivery This & That Divine Wedding Cheerful Seasons    

Making children's chore charts or job jars are not a new idea, but it seems that every few months, I'm trying something new to get the kids excited and motivated to get their chores done.  (I'm wishing I had someone doing the same for me, too! lol)  Well, we were due for a change with the move.  Our last round, we had a laminated list with clothespins to move down the charts.  They conveniently disappeared in the move (wishing the chores disappeared, too). I decided to dig into my scrap piles and make some chore sticks.  Here's what you will need if you want to make them too: Mod Podge Popsicle sticks Paint brush Scrapbook paper scraps Paper Trimmer Nail file Ink pad ABC Stamps Jars of choice Here's how you make them: Cut strips of paper that are as wide as your sticks.  I used the little sticks, but you could use the tongue depressors, too.  I just used what I had on hand. Using the Mod Podge and paint brush, brush the glue on the stick....

Be sure to mark the date: Monday, March 26th from 9am to 9pm for the Crazy About Cricut Cartridge Sale!  For that one day next week, Cricut Cartridges exclusive to Creative Memories will be on sale.  If you buy one Cartridge, the second will be 30% off.  Creative Memories Cartridges are normally only $55, which is lower than the cartridges in the stores, so getting two of them for $93.50 is a deal!  These are the full size cartridges!  Plan to visit my website at: My Site .