{Sweet Valentine Treats: Little Nugget 'Purses'}

I made these sweet little treat 'purses' for the staff at my preschool. I love how they turned out!

Although they really are more for chocolate nuggets, I just wanted to use Kisses.

I followed the tutorial (mostly) over at Chic 'n Scratch. She has a great site with TONS of free video tutorials. Whenever I'm drawing a blank in the creativity department I head over there for a little inspiration (and great directions, ha!). 

I embossed these with my Cuttlebug, stamped the heart on the front, and punched the circles. The ribbon is from one of those sets on the $1 Spot at Target. I think I might actually have had that ribbon for 3 years. It was time for it to GO finally! It worked great because those rolls are too small to do much with anyway.

I ended up adding 3 Hershey Kisses, although only 2 are shown in this pic. I used just a little Tombow Snail to hold them in place, but not make them permanent or hard to pull off. I don't want to have to "work" to get my chocolate! :)

These whip up really quickly and are fun to make. I love to mass produce!

I'll be placing these on a red platter in the workroom at my school, so each teacher can grab a 'purse' and go!

I have some super cute felt foods to share with you next time. Until then, have a great week!

{Santa Gift Card Holders}

I adore these!

NOT my original idea, but my tweaks. :)

I found this idea a few years ago, and I honestly believe it was floating around throughout the land of paper crafters at that time. I bought gift cards for my parents this year, and instead of just wrapping them in a box, I thought I would dig out some old ideas and make the presentation just a tad cuter. I tweaked this idea by adding the craft stick base, and by making it a gift card holder instead of a candy cane holder. I believe the original one that I saw was adhered to a candy cane, just as a treat holder.

This project uses mainly the Top Note Die from Stampin' Up (one of my favorite dies and so versatile!), and a few circle punches.  I popped up Santa's mustache with dimensionals.

Here's the back...the gift card holder part:

It's actually not the prettiest on the back (hence the 'Merry Christmas' sentiment I added), but it works for a gift card. I just cut another Top Note and trimmed it to fit before adhering it and adding the gift card. It works, since these weren't originally made to be a gift card holder!

If you'd like the full details, shoot me an email...but if you have the Top Note die I guarantee you can figure out on your own pretty quickly. :)

Ho, ho, ho!

Thanks for stopping by!



{Snowman Soup}

There are so many cute versions of Snowman Soup out there! I've only made a few in the past, but this year I decided to put one in the mailbox of each of my fellow teachers at the preschool. I absolutely loooooove mass producing! I got my original idea from Chic 'n Scratch , and then altered it a bit with the size of my bag and dimensions for the cardstock. I had this stamp set that I rarely use but comes in handy every once in a while.

Really...use whatever size bag you have or can find, and then cut your cardstock accordingly. The supplies are inexpensive, and make really cute little holiday gifts to stash in a stocking, on top of a gift, or {in a school mailbox}.

You need: hot chocolate packets, mini candy canes, Hershey kisses, and mini marshmallows. I stamped 20 images and colored them in. Then I cut all the coordinating cardstock and the saying, so everything was ready to assemble in a production line. :) I like working that way! Remember to staple your bags shut BEFORE adhering your sentiment/cardstock.

Here's the saying I used. I printed it from Chic 'n Scratch , but there are several versions out that, or you can make up your own.

I so enjoyed making these! I have wonderful scraps, too, that I used for good. :) I'll be posting those soon!

I can't wait to pass these out next week! Makes me smile!

Take care,



{Classroom Halloween Treats}

Well...not really treats I guess.

Won't they be getting enough junk to rot their teeth and minds right around this time of year? :)

So for my daughter's first grade class, we opted for a Halloween pencil instead...and possibly a Halloween fruit roll-up.

I picked up the pencils on the Dollar Spot at Target. I found something similar to this idea years ago, and just made it my own.

It's very simple, but you do need a few tools of the trade. How it comes out though is all up to you!

I cut the base rectangle with a Nestie. I used a slit punch (about $6 and although it's not used often, it's really handy when you do need it!) and put a slit in each short side of the rectangle. These are the slits where the pencil will go.

I hope you you can see them! It's a little tough on the black.

Then I took a favorite old Stampin' Up Halloween set, stamped 20 images, and punched them out with a circle punch. I punched a background for those images with a scallop circle punch. (Are you tired of hearing the word 'punch' at this point?)

Adhere your stamped (or printed) images to the pencil holder rectangle and you're all done.

I know they will get thrown away and crushed, so I didn't add ribbon. I've learned when making papercrafts for kids, it's best to pull back a little so you don't burst into tears when they destroy your pretty project! :)

Just a little classroom 'treat' to pass out at the Harvest Party, and they take very little time to make.

If you have questions, let me know!

(I can't wait until Halloween!!)

Take care,

Sundae Scoop at I Heart Naptime

{Treats!}

I love, love, love to make up treats for just about any holiday. I often have not NEARLY enough people to give them to, but darn it, I love to make 'em! Halloween is, of course, my fave.

I made up these really simple little treats for the staff at my school, as well as for my daughter's classroom teacher and teachers of specials (art, music, library, etc.). 

Really easy!

I used the little ziploc bags from the jewelry making section. MUCH cheaper than cello bags, and you get a million in a pack. They are the perfect size for a Reese's Cup, or a few Hershey's Kisses, etc. 

To make the tops, I die cut the Stampin' Up Top Note die, then folded it in half. If you don't have this die, get it...no, seriously...it's really versatile. BUT...if you don't have it, you can use a circle or square folded just as easily. 

Slide the die cut over the top, center it, and add a staple in the center to keep it on.

(You can also add the die last, and staple it on either side. I did a few of those and I think they look great with side staples, too.

Then add a sentiment on top of the staple. I have a great older Halloween set from Stampin' Up that is really versatile. It's my go-to Halloween stamp set, because I can stamp tons of images and punch them out easily with my circle punches.

See? No staple showing.  :)

Now I just have to wait a few weeks to give them...which is the hardest part!

Happy Treating!

{Teacher Gift: First Day of First Grade!}

My baby is heading off to first grade in just a few days, and to say I'm beside myself is putting it lightly. I've been home for 7 years, centering my world around her, and it seems unreal that she is suddenly going to be in someone else's care for the entire day, every day. I was a teacher for several years, I always held myself to the highest standards in educating my students, but now...as a parent...it seems absolutely ludicrous that we put all this energy, thought, and time into giving our kiddos the very best start in the early years..........all to just send them away, essentially with strangers, masses of influences that I have not pre-screened, and the stresses of a standardized education. Ugh. I know there are others who feel my pain. 

But on a positive note, we have an absolutely wonderful teacher this year, which is a relief to my heart needless to say. Her classroom reminds me of my own, and for that I'm grateful. Engaging, positive, and brain compatible. So we're going to soak up that joy this year and I know that my kiddo will grow in all aspects as a result.

So I wanted to share the "little something" I made for her teacher for the first day of school. Inexpensive, very simple, and a positive gesture. There are tons of super cute back-to-school ideas out there in blogland, that's for sure, but here's what we did!

You need:

a plastic container from your recycling bin (mine is a Hillshire Farms deli turkey tub)

scrapbook paper or card stock

supplies to fill your tub

Here's what we chose to give Mrs. B:

hand sanitizer, rubber bands, band-aids (kid-friendly of course), Chapstick, candy, sticky note pads, hand lotion, & Crystal Light To-Go lemonade packets

First you need to trace the inside of your lid. It took me a few tries to get it just right. I used heavier scrapbook paper. I considered using mod podge to adhere it to the lid, but honestly, it's recessed into the lid a bit and I just didn't see the need. I used Sticky Strip instead. Then embellish any way you want! I printed the sentiment on cardstock and distressed the edges, then die cut the scallop with my Nesties. (I used smiley monster for my font).

I added a small note card that we put on the inside.

 

Really cute and simple I think! 

I'm taking Kleenex donations for the first day of school (for ME, of course!). I just have to make it out the door without tears, then I plan to cry the entire day! (Us Mama's are like that, aren't we?)

For those of you in a milestone year, how will you be coping on the first day of school?

Have a good one, regardless!

 

{Quick Teacher Appreciation}

Sooooo many cute teacher appreciation gift ideas out there in blogland! How to choose? Time and materials is sometimes the only way to do it, :)! I haven't been as involved with teacher appreciation as I have in the past. :( School issues this year, and quite honestly, my heart hasn't been in it with our experiences in our first year at this school. I'm a teacher, so I really can't imagine why anyone would be teaching if they didn't love it, can you?? But we won't go there.  My daughter asked to make a little something for her teachers, and I was delighted that she thought of it. So...I whipped up these little "wallets". I have one myself that I keep in my purse strictly for my craft store coupons! I was never able to find them and this is the perfect solution. Very quick, and I used fabric I've had for FOREVAH! I'm trying to use stash and not buy new every 3 days, which I have a habit of. I'm sure I'm the ONLY one like that of course

This little pouch started out as 11.5 x 6.5, including seam allowance. I also added a piece of fusible interface. Basically, put right sides together, so 3 sides, and top stitch the rest. I didn't add a snap to these, because mine doesn't have one and I actually prefer it that way.

We added a travel lotion, a couple of chocolate bars, and a handwritten card from my kiddo.

I made one for the teacher as well as the assistant, to be delivered tomorrow. I hope they can put them to good use!

On another note...hubby and I were married 13 years in March..YAY! But the weather and other weekend plans kept us from actually celebrating until this past weekend. We had a BALL!! We saw "Spamalot" Thursday evening (best show I've seen and I've seen a lot!!), and then spent the weekend hiking together at a nearby state park. (Our fave thing to do.) We enjoyed every minute of it, and were thrilled that somehow we managed to work in our hikes in the ONLY 2 days in what seems like forever that it didn't rain!

I'm such a lucky girl! It's an amazing thing to be married to your best friend on Earth and the love of your life.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Catch ya later!

I'm linking up over at:

{Recycled Valentines}

I've made a TON of treat bag Valentines over the years, but there's nothing like the ones in a tub, jar, or container of some kind. There's just something about using a container that gives it a really finished look. You can spend $$ on cute containers, and by all means, have at it! But I've found that I can get the best containers right out of my recycling baskets.

These are Ragu spaghetti sauce jars. After washing the jar and lid, I used Goo Gone to remove the sticky label, soaking and scraping with my trusty Pampered Chef pan scraper about 3 times. Then I primed and painted the lids red. The date on top still wouldn't cover completely, but I knew I'd be covering that anyway. Sorry I don't have before pics. They turned out super cute, and will be a Valentine treat for my daughter's teachers.

My hubby has to use Visine eye wash wipes religiously, so I have a stash of leftover containers. I use them for storage, but never for treats, and now I'm wondering why? They were perfect and no prep at all!

The labels all the way around and on top, and are REALLY stuck down tight. But honestly I knew I would be covering them up so I didn't even bother to work on removing them. I'm sure it would come off with Goo Gone, so go for it if you must. :) I just measured my belly band to make sure it would cover the label. Loving this one, too! I'm envisioning Halloween treats in these...maybe spray painted orange or black? Hmmmmmm...

Now I may have to make one for the paper carrier, the mailman, my hairdresser.... :)

Enjoy. And go through your recycling. It's full of cute potential, I guarantee it!