Snafty

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Getting crafty for the Statesman

Greetings Snafty lovers! So much as gone on since the last time I officially blogged for Snafty. I have definitely been crafting up a storm since the summer started. I have been writing for the Statesman Journal, the local newspaper here in Salem, OR. I’d like to share a couple of the posts I have written so far! 

I kicked off the summer with a couple of paper crafts just right for this time of year. The vertical paper banner was made from cardboard and a couple of regular scrapbooking supplies. Speaking of scrapbooking…the second craft is a mini book perfect for holding those pictures, post cards, and other memorabilia from your summer travels. 

In June, I made three Father’s Day gift ideas using wood. They are great crafts for gift giving any time of year. It’s also great to find a crafty gift that will work for guys. These are cute and still manly enough to be useful. 

For Independence Day, I created two fun crafts using items from my recycling bin. 

It has been a blast and an awesome opportunity, writing for the Statesman. I will keep you posted as I continue to share crafts there as well as right here at Snafty!

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Just when you thought life couldn’t get any better!

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#buyhandmade #buylocal #makesomething #diy

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#craftswap #salemor #christmas #getcrafty #handmadegifts #free

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Honeymustardlane.com went live today. Have you checked it out yet? #familymagazine #salemor #honeymustardlane

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Just finished making 25 #chalkboardwinebottles for next weeks banquet. That was so much easier to do in 70 degree weather. Better get your orders in while the weather is still decent. #success #completion

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Had a crazy morning so I had to go to my happy place and make a card. #cardmaking #boo #thanks #ghost #papercrafts

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Always check to see where your hardware is on the back before starting your masterpiece. #tipoftheday #happyfriday #chalkboard #happy #upsidedown #yellow

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Check Out My Yellow Pinterest Board

Something about the color yellow just brighten's my day and makes me happy. Can't you just smell lemons and feel the warmth of sunshine when you see yellow? That's why I decorate. Color makes me feel good, so I love to see it in my home. In my humble opinion, home should be the best place on earth. What color makes you smile?

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This is me getting on the Hey Girl bandwagon. These things are so funny to me! I couldn't resist making one for my MOPS meeting tomorrow. Have a great week!

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Upcycled! Mirrors turned chalkboards

Do you have a chalkboard in your house? I find they are versatile in terms of decor and function. For all my friends who just can't see having pretty for pretty sake, this is one for y'all. :-)

Making chalkboards out of old mirrors lets me take something pretty and change its use. If you were to go purchase a brand new chalkboard that was just a square or rectangle, you might get function, but it wouldn't look as cool.

At my house, we use them for fun quotes, games, and school work. The one pictured above was a large mirror from a dresser. It also doubles as a sign when I do outdoor events. 

I have some more coming to the online shop. Check back soon!

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Pretty Piggy Princess Party

I am obsessed with fun party themes. Lately it seems to be the only kind of crafting I am into. Last week, I had the pleasure of creating party decorations for a piggy princess themed party. This all made perfect sense to me until I told someone else and they were like, "Pigs and princesses?" But they are both pink, and both start with p and... and...

Anyhow, I was able to convince the 6 year old client that pigs and princesses went hand and hand and that's all that mattered. For the party I made a name banner, 21 tissue paper poms in three sizes, 18 cupcake toppers, and wands for crafts (because princesses are also usually magical). I made a tulle tutu for the pig princess, a well loved stuffed piggy that belonged to the birthday girl. It was a fun three days of prep and partying. I shared some shots of the process on Instagram. Rookie mistake again with the photos. I worked so hard and then was too tired to really focus on getting good pictures of the finished product. So of course, its like it never happened.

Banner tip pictured here. I used pieces of cardboard underneath the circles to give the banner more depth. The letters pop right out at you. It looks so much better than leaving it flat.

The smaller circles and crowns were used to make the cupcake pics. I made smaller ones this time instead of using the larger cake pop sticks. I like how these turned out.

Crown and wand crafts. The kids had a great time making these.

Cupcake picks!

My little prince! :-)

The princesses (and princes) in attendance had a great time making cardboard tiaras, decorating wands, and painting their finger nails. I was pooped after, but it was all good fun. 

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You gotta enjoy the process as much as the finished product. At least that's what I tell myself :-) #poms #pink #poofs #tissuepaper #partydecor

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Science Party!

Last weekend we celebrated my oldest son’s birthday. I got a deal on some science toys for his gifts last month and decided a science theme would be a fun idea. (Excuse the terrible pics, at the time we were having fun and not worrying about having a professional looking blog :-)

The decorations were simple. I made a simple sign for the front door. All of the guests received a Birthday Lab Access Pass upon entering.

They also got notepads and pencils to draw their observations down from the different experiments we tried.

I did a banner using squares. I was thinking periodic table when I came up with the design.

The first activity was a big hit. We created an acid-base reaction by inflating a balloon using baking soda and vinegar. Again, I was having fun and making a mess so I didn't get a picture, but you can check out the experiment here. 

Next my husband and the kids explored a Mythbusters project. They got to make rope out of toilet paper to test the myth that a prisoner could use it to climb out of a window. *Spoiler Alert! Toilet paper rope cannot hold the weight of a small child. The myth was busted!

Finally, we discussed mixtures and compounds while we mixed Kool-aid with white cake frosting and decorated cupcakes. Science is a big part of cooking so it was an easy transition. The different colored sprinkles were a good example of a mixture, while the dye in the frosting was an example of a compound that could not be separated.

The kids had a great time, made a big mess, and learned a lot. It’s always great when they can learn and have fun at the same time. I am definitely patting myself on the back with this one. 

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Origami Hearts

After five days of being snowed in with my boys, I finally have a moment to do a post. It seems there is origami for every season. I love it!

All you need is one square sheet of paper. I recommend using a sheet that is a color on one side and white on the other for the first try. It helps you keep straight which is the front and which is the back.

Step 1: Fold your square in half to a rectangle. Now fold your rectangle in half. Open the whole thing and lay flat with the back (white side) facing you. Fold bottom up to center fold line.

Step 2: Flip paper over so the printed side is now facing you. Take bottom left hand corner and fold up to center fold. Do the same with the bottom right hand corner. Flip paper over again. Now take top left hand corner and fold down. Do the same to the other side.

Step 3: TRICKY PART!!! Grab the top point and pull down to the bottom point. This will reveal two flaps on the other side of your heart and create a "superman shape." Fold the white triangles on both sides of your superman shape inward so the are "pointing at each other." Now take the flaps and fold them down creating two triangles at the top of your heart. Last fold each point down so that they are now the two "bumps" at the top of your heart.

A 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper will make for of these. The bigger your square the bigger you finished heart will be. Each heart is approximately a fourth of the original piece of paper. Enjoy!

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Congrats @summerbellies You won! Send your mailing address to [email protected] to claim your prize! Thanks for playing everyone!

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Owl always love you! I played with some paper scraps today. None of the pieces I used were much bigger than what you see here. I do this every once in a while to encourage the paper hoarder inside me that says it’s ok to keep scraps of paper. As long as I’ve had this particular cartridge, I hadn’t ever used it to cut out an owl. The frame was just an old 5x7 from the closet. It didn’t have a back or glass. I just used some cardboard from my stash to put a back it it. Easy peasy and I can change it out whenever I want. I drew all the words myself with a journaling pen. I love doodling and don’t do it nearly enough. Happy Friday!