Here in the South (where I happily reside) we have a tradition of giving friends and family "searcies" -- little gifts for no reason other than just because. Here is a quick little searcy I put together that would be great for giving someone in order to brighten their day. Gifts for no reason in particular are the sweetest of all and this is so easy to make you'll want to whip one up for everyone!
You'll need a mason jar, some trail mix, nuts, or candies, and an SEI collection of your choosing. I'm using Furry Friends. The Furry Friends sticker sheet has the cutest little sentiment sticker that says "I'm NUTS about you" that works perfectly with my gift of chocolate covered peanuts.
Cut a two inch strip of paper and wrap it around your jar. I used a star shaped punch to create a little window in the paper so some of the candy peeks through. I used the Furry Friends Sundries pack for the twine and tiny bow. Those awesomely cute flocked chipboard shapes are from the Furry Friends collection, too. I used some foam tape to attach them to the jar which gives them little more dimension. A circle cut of coordinating paper and a heart sticker from the Furry Friends sticker sheet on the lid brings it all together.
Of course, I couldn't resist making a matching card. An SEI doily provided the perfect backdrop for my sweet little bunny. And, of course, the bunny is holding a little acorn to go with the nut theme.
Give this project a try -- it's quick and fun -- and bring the searcy tradition to your friends and family!
Hi Everyone! Laurie here today with a cute and easy craft that will help you keep your life a little more organized. If you're like me, your fridge is covered in little notes that remind you of all the things you're supposed to be doing during the week. It works, but it certainly isn't pretty! That's why I decided to make a magnetic message board (which can also be displayed on a stand!) to help prettify my life a little.
For this project I used SEI's Furry Friends collection. Even though it's animal themed it's still very versatile! I love the bright colors and that cute cat die cut!
You can see on the back of the frame I glued neodymium magnets. These are small but super strong. A dot of gorilla glue keeps them in place nicely. Now I can attach the frame right to the side of my refrigerator!
Because of the glass in the frame, you can use a china marker or a dry erase marker to make notes that will later wipe off quickly and easily. Much cuter than post-it notes or a whiteboard, don't you think? I love the cute little gemstones from the Furry Friends Sundries pack; everything is better with sparkle!
You can do this project with any of your favorite SEI collections -- and I would love to see it if you do! Leave me a comment below so I can see what you're up to!
Time is flying by and I'm working furiously on my December album. I am using the SEI Chalet collection and let me tell you, it is a treat! There are foil papers, flocked papers, even corrugated papers and embellishments which I adore. Everything is heavy weight and a dream to work with.
I'm working in a 6x8 format this year with single and divided style page protectors. I cut a little tree shape out (I just drew it by hand and cut it out with scissors) and stuck it in a pocket with a few sequins before sewing it shut with my sewing machine. I love the festive look it gives my page!
The doily behind the tree photo was painted with a light coat of gold paint to tone down the brightness of the red - it works wonderfully. I love SEI's collection of doilies. I could use a doily on everything! The square card in the other pocket is from the tear-apart sheet in the collection package. Isn't it adorable?
The Chalet Sundries package is so fun. It has the most adorable little tags, brags, gem stones, and corrugated stars in several sizes. The stars are my absolute favorite. As you can see, I used them a lot!
I hope you are having a fabulous holiday season! I'll see you in 2015!
Hi Everyone! Laurie here with a quick and easy gift you can make that will surely impress. And best of all, it's also really useful!
This holiday season you can make and decorate cute little bottles of vanilla extract! This makes a great gift for neighbors, teachers, friends, co-workers -- anyone who deserves a little gift this December.
You'll need small glass bottles (I bought mine off Amazon), whole vanilla beans, either vodka or bourbon (I used vodka) and your favorite SEI winter collection to jazz up that plain glass bottle to something totally gift-worthy!
First, you'll need to take your vanilla beans and slice them long wise. Place one or two beans in each bottle and cover them with the alcohol of your choosing. Let them sit and -- like magic -- you'll have vanilla extract in no time! Since that was easy-peasy and took no time at all, now you get to do the fun part -- DECORATE!
I used the SEI Chalet collection on my bottle. The Chalet Sundries pack even comes with small little tags that are perfect for gifts. Who wouldn't love to get one of these little cuties in their stocking this year?
A little foam tape helps make the stickers really pop off the tag with extra dimension. A few gemstones add that holiday glamor. And that foil printed craft paper that wraps the bottle? Well, it's simply divine! I love how this turned out and I can't wait to give it to a special friend.
Thanksgiving is this month and what better way to get in the mood for a day of thankfulness than to work on a month-long gratitude journal? I love doing this every year; it really helps me focus in on all the simple and good things that my life is filled with.
I used the 5x7 Spiral Bound Notebook for my base this year. It is filled with different types of lined paper and several cute pockets to fill with little mementos that remind you of how thankful you are. I decorated the cover in a pretty simple manner using a doily from the Joyful Mix doily pack and some pieces from the Envelope Album Kit. I wanted to keep the cover basic -- this is all about gratitude and not decoration, after all!
I loved the vellum pocket in the front of the journal, so I put a dimensional heart sticker on it from the Furry Friends collection and used markers and a gold paint pen to create a sunburst pattern on the first piece of paper behind the pocket. I think it turned out pretty fun!
My album is a work in progress all this month, but here are a few pages that I've completed so far:
As you can see, I'm using more doilies (I can't get enough of them!), pieces from the Furry Friends sticker sheet, some more of the envelope album pieces, and even a tag from the Chalet collection.
Are you keeping a gratitude journal this month? I'm loving the process so far; I might even be inspired to keep a journal the entire year. The more you record the more you realize you have to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!
Hi Everyone! Laurie here today with a fun, easy project for your last-minute Halloween costumes. I don't know about you, but I'm always running around at the last minute looking for something to wear when I answer the door on Halloween to hand out candy.
I was able to put this cute cat mask together in about 15 minutes using my silhouette and SEI's amazing velvet paper. The paper is fuzzy with a durable backing that is soft enough to wear on your face all night long. Gotta love that!
Even if you don't have a die cutting machine, you could easily make a mask like this freehand. The cute velvet paper is quite forgiving and is the perfect material to bring out your inner animal! A tiger, a zebra, a lion -- the possibilities are limitless! If you're running out of time before trick or treating, this is a great quick project. Give it a try; I bet it'll turn out BOO-tiful!
