Debbie Krumpos has an absolutely fabulous website offering many scrapbooking supplies as well as links and various tips. Scrapbooking for Beginners really is an excellent place to start when taking the scrapbooking plunge. I have to be one of the least experienced scrappers around (I'm late to jump on that train), but her site has made it easy for me to find what I need and has given me some great ideas (now just to put those ideas to good use!).

At this site, I found step by step help with techniques and scrapbook layouts (I need all the help I can get!). Debbie also offers FREE downloads for digital scrapbooking as well as layout ideas for many occasions. There is a fantastic collection of supplies available from: Picaboo, Scrapbook Superstore, Scrapbook Max, Paper.com and Scrapjazz. It is the ultimate place to fill all your school-bulletin board, scrapbooking, baby, wedding, vacation, and holiday paper needs.

Debbie is a stay-at-home mother of three young children. She was a registered nurse for 20 years and decided the hectic run around for three active children was just not what she wanted. Because they're so active, she has had many opportunities for taking photos and has been doing a lot of scrapping to keep those photos out of shoe boxes tucked in the back of a closet. Thankfully, she has had plenty of experience with good (and bad) scrapping products and is willing to share that information with anyone interested to help them find the good and avoid the bad. Scrapping can be a pricey hobby, and Debbie's experience makes it all a little less painful.

She was kind enough to send two products for me to test and I have to admit, I absolutely loved them. Both of these products can be used for purposes other than scrapping, too (leave it to me and my active, non-scrapping imagination to come up with other uses, of course).



The first item I opened when I received the box was the Arccivo Scrapbook Page Saver. I have to admit, even though I'm not a scrapper, I am seriously in love with this product. I was so in love with it that I had to show my mother while she was here. If any one single product could make me more interested in scrapping, this would be it. Someone was really thinking when they came up with this idea. A zippered folder with magnetic sheets to cover each side so scrapbook pages stay in place while in progress, even if they're transported, is one of the most intelligent and useful products I have seen for scrappers yet. Sure, all the stickers and papers can lure a person in, but it's products like the Arccivo that will really keep me scrapping. What's really cool is it comes in four different colors!

My mother mentioned the fact that it would be useful for her as a quilter as well. She could see using something like that for all of her quilt blocks. I could also see how this might work for people who make cards (so close to scrapping anyhow). Having a dedicated space (or rather lack of dedicated space) is one of the reasons I have avoided scraping, card making, and quilting. The Arccivo would be an excellent work around for that issue, leaving money as my only issue (other than B getting upset with me for buying more "junk").



The other product I tried was a Xyron 150 (Create-A-Sticker). Talk about fun! Had I really had time and been able to plan a project, I seriously could have gone hog wild with this little item. As it stands, with Christmas right around the corner at the time I received the package, I pulled out the Christmas tree paper punch and all the green wallpaper samples (yes, wallpaper samples... I saved them from college, believe it or not) and went to town. After I had a few trees punched, I put them through the Xyron (so easy), peeled the clear plastic layer off the strip, and then stuck three of them on the little plastic case for my paper punch. What's cool about these little stickers is there are two types of adhesive rolls, a permanent and a temporary or movable adhesive. I love the idea of being able to make my own stickers. What a way to personalize! I'm very tempted to get one of these, although I might get one of the bigger ones since they're not terribly expensive. I suppose I'll wait until I go back to work, though.

Both items can be purchased by going through Debbie's website. For those of you scrappers, seriously, check out her website and these two products in particular. I really had fun with them!

Reader Participation:  Do you enjoy scrapping?  What are some of your favorite scrapping sites?  What's the most used item in your scrapping supplies?  Where do you purchase most of your supplies?  Please share photos of your favorite created pages.

OK, so you want to be a florist? I hope you are ready to be overworked and under appreciated. It sounds mean but it is true. You work long hours on your feet. You work 'til your fingers bleed (literally). You work 'til the work is done, no excuses. You have a wedding to put out? The bride doesn't care if you have a 103 fever or you are running to the bathroom every 5 minutes. All she knows is her bouquet better be perfect. You know, the one she ordered filled with roses and diamond studded stephanodis. The one she cried about being $150.00. That probably cost me $149.00 to make. The one that would have cost her $300.00 in a big city. Yes that's the one. After she pays for her limos, photographer, ceremony, reception, and cake, she comes back to you and has the nerve to say we have to cut some of the flowers. There is no money left. Can you believe that?

I love it when they ask "What can I get for 20 bucks?" I would love to just be able to say NOTHING! Just once would be nice. Or say, "How about cutting out the 12 limos instead?" The brides always come in to make cuts on the flowers to save money. I guess they don't realize that the flowers will be in almost every picture.

Maybe I am being a little harsh (not really). Not all Brides are Bridezillas. On occasion, we do get lucky with a bride that loves everything you make and will pay anything for it. We love that kind of bride. You don't mind adding a few extras for the people that appreciate it.

No one really knows how much work goes into making a floral arrangement, of any kind. There is a lot of preparation involved. All the flowers we receive in the shop have to be cleaned. Daisies need all their little leaves removed from their long stems so they don't mold. Everything has to come out of its wrappers and placed in water so it can open up. Roses need to be stripped of their thorns without injuring their stems. This is where the "bleeding fingers" come in. All flowers need to be cleaned and preserved a different way just about. There are some flowers that can't even be stored together. This is do to ethylene being produced by the flower and ruining other flowers in the cooler. Click here for more information on this subject.

Just loving flowers isn't going to make you a great florist. You really need to LOVE the flowers even after the long hours and sore backs and bleeding fingers, and broken nails and blistering feet and whining brides. Should I go on? I think you get the picture. Before you jump in and say HEY! this looks like fun, remember that it just "looks" like fun for the most part. It really is a lot of hard work.

If you really want to open your own shop, I suggest that you go work in one for about three months. You will learn flower arranging techniques and tips. You will learn to work with fresh flowers, dried flowers and silks. You will either love it or hate it by then. That's what I did. I went to buy a woman's shop and ended up working there for five years. I really LOVE the floral business. I would still consider opening a shop of my own some day.

Buying out someone else's business isn't always the best route to go. Customers love their florist and when a new owner takes over they don't think you can keep up with their needs. When word got out that this woman was selling her shop and I was their learning the business, a funeral director called and complained about the casket spray. He said the new girl doesn't know what she is doing and everything was a mess. The best part about this is that I didn't make the casket spray; the owner did. So loyal customers assume you won't do well. I think I would be better starting from scratch without someone else's troubles and building my own clientele. That way I can't blame anyone but myself if I fail or succeed.

Lastly, don't be discouraged. If this is something you truly love and can be dedicated to, you will do well. You definitely need to be positive and believe you can offer services someone needs. Make sure you also have a sound business plan. You can get in over your head quickly with bills. Plan wisely.  Think about it for a while before you jump in.

I love flower arranging. I love to do up a vase or a bouquet just to see the joy it brings someone. Fresh flower arranging is my favorite. The colors and the scents are magnificent. You don't have to be overly creative to do this as long as you follow a few basic tips. You can go to your local grocery store and buy a mixed bouquet with all you need to make a beautiful arrangement.

One of the first tips I will share is, make sure you always snip the end of the stems, at an angle, before you place them in your arrangement. This fresh cut allows the flower to drink up the water. Also, use a preservative in your vase. This usually comes with the bouquet. It helps them last longer. A little known fact; when florists receive their flowers from a wholesaler, they are often dry packed in boxes, and could have been in cold storage with no water for over a month. So be sure to hydrate them. Do this even when you receive a new bouquet.

My basic flower arranging instructions:

• Fill vase with plain water and any greens that may have come with the bouquet or that you may have purchased. This can include baker or tree fern, or other greens used as fillers. Tree fern is fluffy and looks nice to finish off the edge of a vase. Place them in one at a time at an angle, so they crisscross in the vase. This will act as a grid and allow you to hold your primary flowers in place. I used some Seeded Eucalyptus in my vase. I love this stuff

• Place primary flowers in vase first. A primary flower is usually your focal point, or the prettiest and largest flower you are using. Cut stems as you place them. If they are big, put them a little lower so the arrangement doesn't look top heavy.

• Determine at what length you wish to cut your flowers. You can easily do this by moving the vase to the edge of the table or counter, where ever you are working. Hold the flower up to the greens, where you want it to sit in the vase. You will see the stem lower than the counter top. You then snip the bottom, right where it lines up with the counter top.

• Next, use the smaller flowers to place in between the larger ones to fill in the spaces. Cut them to the right length as above.

• If you have tall flowers like Liatris or Snapdragon, use them in the top to give your arrangement some height.

• When finished arranging flowers, grab the bouquet tightly and remove it from the vase. This will allow you to dump the water and put fresh preservative water in the vase. If you have two of the same vases, arrange in one and display in the other. You do this when arranging in a clear vase. Flowers are actually pretty filthy and the water turns brown and nasty when arranging. Plus, little leaves and pieces of stems will be floating about.

The following pictures show some steps. This will give you an idea of how easy this is. You will want to give flowers to someone special every day, and they will think it came from a florist.

Wooo Hooo! It is time to start shopping and stocking up. Sales are amazing! Here are a few this week from my favorite craft stores.

JoAnn Fabrics: Prices effective Wednesday December 26th, 2007 to January 12th, 2008.  70% off Holiday Inspirations and Best Value Christmas Clearance. Included in this sale:

• Gift Wrap and Accessories
• Ribbon and Bows
• Indoor and Outdoor Decor
• Trim-a-Tree
• Gifts
• Christmas Trees
• Party Wear
• Floral
• Candles
• Reg $.49-299,99 each
• Sale $.14-89.99 each

Michaels': Sale begins December 23rd. Christmas Clearance, 50 to 70% off original ticketed price.
This sale includes the following:

• Christmas Trees and Lights
• Ornaments
• Holiday Baskets
• Holiday Floral
• Christmas Bows
• Cards
• Wrap
• Ribbon
• Picks
• Plus, Hundreds of other Holiday items.

A.C. Moores: Sale beginning December 26th - January 1st. Christmas Clearance, 60-75% off all Christmas merchandise.
Included in this sale:

• Christmas Floral
• Christmas Bushes
• Ribbon
• Decorated Wreaths
• Boxed Christmas Cards
• Baskets
• Plus many more.

The above stores also have many other crafting supplies for sale, not only for Christmas clearance. They include:

• Yarns
• Fabrics
• Beads
• Findings
• Kid's Crafts
• Art Supplies
• Scrapbooking

  So many things to enjoy. Be sure to check out their complete flyers. Have fun stocking up!

Here is a quick and easy craft for all ages. My cousin received one from a friend. I thought it was adorable. Her friend was making them for the Veterans that she visits. She made them in patriotic colors, I believe. The one I saw was made in blue with silver accents. She also had a little note, thanking the Veterans for their service. It was tucked in the bottom loop of the angel. These men and women are truly Angels to us, everyday of the year, not just Christmas. Volunteering for them is a great thing to do. Many Veterans Hospitals can use help, especially around the Holidays.

Well after checking out the angel, I came up with my own way to make it. Very simple, which I like. She sewed a few stitches in the ribbon to keep it together. I don't sew. Give me a glue gun and I rock! I have hot glued hems and ducked taped rips in jeans before. Don't get me wrong, I do sew some things and I do own a sewing machine. (My daughter uses it as a television stand in her room.) I just prefer not too use it. With a little patience, a pipe cleaner, and a glue gun, I had the angel finished in under 5 minutes. No sewing involved.  

You can make the angels in any color you chose. There are so many options considering all the types of ribbon out there. The best to use, no matter the color, would be a wired edge ribbon, about 2.5" wide. This helps the angel to hold its shape. You can also decorate it by adding a little floral touch right at the neck or a small bow.

You can hang them on trees or use as gift tags. I will be using them as napkin rings this year for Christmas Eve dinner. I will slip the napkin through the bottom loop and stand them on their plate. Everyone can take one home with them as a little gift. They also make great magnets for the refrigerator. I figured that one out when I stuck a magnet in her skirt to hold it while I took the picture. See, ideas just pop in your head.

I always begin by laying out my supplies and tools. This makes me laugh because it is the only time I am ever organized in my life. There is nothing worse than having to stop in the middle of working on a craft to get something. That drives me crazy.

Supplies:

Ribbon (large and small)

Small glass ornaments

Pipe cleaners

Small floral picks

Tools:

Glue gun

Scissors

I begin measuring and cutting my ribbon. You can make them as big or as small as you like. It's up to you. I made the body 10" and the wings 11". The first thing to do is to make a loop for the body, pinch the two ends together, place a dab of glue in there and wrap it with one end of the pipe cleaner to secure it.

Next, take the piece of ribbon for the wings and overlap it, then pinch the center, and again add a dab of glue, then wrap the pipe cleaner around the wings to secure them to the body. You can follow these steps in the pictures below.

We then add the head, the small glass ornament. Put some glue at the base of the ball by its neck and stick it where the wings and body meet. Wrap the pipe cleaner around the neck once, leaving the pipe cleaner end up in the back. When the head is secure you then take the remaining pipe cleaner and make a loop, then position this over the ball as a halo.

Final step is decorating. You can make a small bow and cover the neck to give it a finished look. I like to add a small floral pick under the bow. I always have to go one step further, I'm to fussy sometimes. Have fun with this part. The little touches make it your own. Everyone will love these and think it took you forever.

With a little guidance children can help make these too. They would be great for arts and crafts in school. The directions are easy enough for them too. Kids love to make things as gifts. They are so proud when you make a fuss over them.

Remember, everything I have made so far can be used for almost every holiday. All you need to do is change the color or theme. These angels would make great Easter gifts, or even favors for a wedding or baby shower. Share your ideas in a comment. I would love to hear what you are doing with them. Happy angel making!

I have a confession to make; it’s sad and embarrassing. So here goes, I will simply say it and be done with it, the sooner it is off my shoulders the better.

      *cough, cough*

      “Hello, my name is Beth, mother of two, and I have no ability, whatsoever, to wrap gift  gifts; birthday, Christmas, wedding, etc., none, zip and nada.”

I can take a roll of decorative paper, a dozen tape dispensers and one child’s scissors and at some point, hours later, there will be a heap of items resembling wrapped gifts. An entire roll of tape has been used, each gift has mushy corners with indiscriminate bumps and rolls across what should be a smooth surface and did I mention an entire roll of tape is used in the process?

I don’t understand it. I’ve two perfectly working opposable thumbs. I have studied gifts received with reverent awe. I have carefully watched my husband, yes, THE hub, wrap gifts with expert ease.  I come from a long line of women who wrap with perfection, albeit that they have a tendency to leave price tags on everything, but who cares amongst the smart, sharply wrapped corners and perfectly tied bows?

Yet, here I sit so close to Christmas, a mother of two, breathing deep into a paper bag as I prepare myself for the inevitable catastrophe that will soon be lumped under the family Christmas tree.  

So, for my sisters out there in the world, somewhere, wherever and whoever you should be, that also find themselves stricken with such inability as to wrap something as simple as a toy truck, a small doll or even, a bowling ball. I’m here for you, I sympathize and hey, there’s always the fabric gift bag to turn to for Christmas gifts.

You will need to following from your local arts and crafts supply store:

• Fabric scraps of various sizes
• Sewing thread, needle, and/or sewing machine
• Scissors
• Decorative garland, ribbon, string, etc.
• Tissue paper
• Safety pin

Depending on how big the gift will determine the size of your fabric gift bags. For me, I made several small bags for the Christmas ornaments made for the girls’ teachers at my blog entry Santa’s in the House.

Before seam allowance my bag measured a little over 11 inches in length, six wide, allowing extra length not only for seam but for turning over at the tops for looping ribbon. Use the gift as a guide for how large a square to cut. I suggest folding fabric, with the bottom of the bag running along the fold.

Once you have your fabric folded cut with like sides together and iron, then fold the top three to four inches back, iron flat.

I sew the top folds first, leaving enough room for the ribbons, strings, etc. that you plan to use as drawstrings to close the bag. Use your finger as a guide, one finger width is great, two is much safe.

Make sure that when you next sew up the sides you do not sew the top folds for the drawstrings.

Once sewing is complete turn right side out, iron if needed and string ribbon, garland, string or all three through the top folds. A safety pin is a great way to get ribbon through the folds. Fill bottom of bag with tissue or shredded paper, then your gift, and pull close.

Simple, easy, recyclable, and no tape required, though opposable thumbs is still recommended!

Don’t forget your gift tags and remember, I’m here for you!

 

The Kissing Ball is a lovely time honored tradition. It dates back to the eighteenth-century English and was made of mistletoe. The use of mistletoe dates back even further to the ancient Celtic Druids. Over time, the Kissing Ball has become a lovely decoration used for all occasions. You can find them anytime of the year decorated for the season or that special day, like a wedding. I have made these covered in daisies for little flower girls to carry in weddings. For this post I will be making one for Christmas, 'Tis the Season!



I can make a very easy one by buying a kissing ball already made of silk greens and just adding decorations to it, or from scratch so to speak, starting from the base. I chose to make it from scratch. That way I can truly say, "I made this all by myself," which gives me a sense of pride. It makes me feel good to know others are enjoying the things I make for them. I love to see the joy that a simple handmade item can bring someone. This particular Kissing Ball is going to be a gift for a friend of mine from England. I think she will enjoy having one here in the States. I hope it makes her feel at home.

Kissing Ball Supplies

1 Styrofoam Ball (4" in diameter. Chose the size of your Styrofoam ball carefully. They get big fast.)

Spanish moss

Greening pins

Evergreens (silk)

Christmas floral bush

Berries

Ribbon

Tools:

Glue gun

Spool wire

Scissors

Wire cutters

I was going to use natural florals for this project; but since I decided to give it as a gift, I don't want it to dry up and fall apart on her. To begin, gather up your supplies. We will be using a Styrofoam ball as a base, Spanish moss, various silk Christmas greens, ribbon, floral picks, and berries.

A tip to make it easier to handle is to place your ball in a glass or mug to hold it steady.This will keep it from rolling away from you so you can work on it. I cheat. After the ribbon is attached, I tie it to my bakers rack where it can hang while I decorate it.

 

 

First step is to make a loop of ribbon to be attached at the top of your ball. I like to glue it in and use the floral pins also, to make sure it is secure enough for hanging. After you add all your decorations, the ball does tend to have some weight to it. You don't want it to come off after you finish all that work.

Next step is to cover the ball in Spanish moss. Secure the moss in place using the pins. If you cover it in hot glue, it is next to impossible to stick anything in it when decorating because the glue gets very hard once it cools.

Begin adding your greens, spacing out the different types to cover the ball evenly. You don't need to cover it completely because you are still going to decorate this. You can make it completely round with every piece being the same length, or make it a little more stylish with different lengths of greens. I go a little more stylish. After you add all your greens, hang the ball up and make sure it hangs correctly and it has the look you want.

When finished adding your greens, you can begin to decorate your ball. If you are adding a bow, save that for last. It usually gets messed up and dirty from handling. Add your decorations one item at a time, placing them evenly throughout. This will ensure symmetrical placement of the items, and the ball will look fabulous when done.

After adding all your decorations to the ball, hang it again, making sure everything is balanced. If so, then you are finished. See. Easy. And you did it all by yourself. Way to go! Enjoy!

Check out the different steps below.