A Mommy's World

~*~Digital Scrapbooking~*~ Digital Scrapbooking Do you love all the scrapbooks that you have seen everyone make, but you don't have the time money or space. You should give digital scrapbooking a try. Digital scrapbooking is the art of using a computer and graphics software instead of paper scissors and glue. It is easier then you think and the results are amazing. Most of us nowadays have a digital camera or we have a scanner available to scan our pictures onto our harddrive. You can even have your 35mm prints put on disk so you can upload onto your computer. Equipment/Software Needed for Digital Scrapbooking ♥ Computer with at least 256 KB RAM; Mac or Windows operating system. ♥ Digital Imaging Software, such as Jasc Paint Shop Pro or Adobe Photoshop Elements ♥ Photos in digital format, either scanned into your computer or imported from your camera ♥ Photo quality printer and photo paper to print out your scrapbook layouts or design elements (alternatively, you can have them printed at your local copy shop) ♥ Optional : Simply Digital? Scrapbooking Template CDs Scrapbooking whether paper or digital is a way to record your family history. When you are gone and younger generations are going through the photos how will they know who is in the photo or why the photo was taken if they are stored in a box or a traditional type of photo album. There are benefits to digital scrapbooking. Computers are great for creating text for page headlines, photo captions, and journaling. Computer clip art can be used to embellish traditional scrapbook pages. Most graphics software programs come with special effects to help you enhance your photos and pages with antique sepia tones, torn or burnt edges, and digital picture frames. When you're ready to go one step further, you can use your computer to create entire scrapbook pages. The page background, text, and other decorations are all arranged and formatted on the computer, and then printed out as a single page. Visit the AMW Digital Scrapbooking Forum for more information. Contributed By : Mandy (gothickitty)

~*~Autumn Crafts For Kids~*~ Autumn Tree You'll Need: ♥ 1-sheet 8.5 x 11 white paper ♥ brown construction paper ♥ sponge ♥ red paint ♥ green paint ♥ orange paint ♥ yellow paint ♥ brown paint Directions: Cut the sponge into small, irregular shapes and set aside. Cut brown construction paper in the shape of a tree trunk. Glue the trunk onto the white paper. Let the children dip the sponges in to the paints and then onto the paper making fall colored leaves for the tree. Note: I give the young children only one color of paint at a time so that colors do not get blended. Also, as colors dry another color can be sponged on top of it for a nice effect. Fall Colors Place Mat You'll Need: ♥ white and black construction paper ♥ tempera paint ♥ paper towels ♥ fallen leaves ♥ clear contact paper Directions: In a sink or a water table, wet one side of a large sheet of white construction paper. Use paintbrushes to drop yellow, green and red tempera paint around on the wet side of the paper. Tip the paper back and forth so that the colors run together, you may want to add a little more water to get an all over effect. Let it dry on some paper towels. Place several collected leaves on the large sheet of black construction paper (do not glue). Trace around the leaves. Remove the leaves. Carefully cut out the leaves. When the color swirled paper is dry, glue the black paper on top of it so that the colors show through the leaf cut out shapes. This is a great effect. You can add a decorative edge to the placemat. When done, place clear contact paper over the mat, or laminate. http://www.theideabox.com Contributed By : Mandy (gothickitty)

~*~Creative Costumes~*~ Creative Costume Ideas for Kids As the years have come and gone, parents and children have become more and more creative in selecting costumes, from the adorable to the unusual. Here are a few to choose from. Flower green or brown hooded sweatsuit 2 sheets yellow or white posterboard green felt 2 plastic headbands craft glue small stuffed bumble bee From posterboard, cut out petals. From green felt, cut out long leaves. Glue petals to one headband and glue green felt leaves to the other headband. Put petal headband on head and leaf headband around neck. Glue a small stuffed bumble bee to sweatshirt. You can fashion one from felt or posterboard. Fairy Princess fancy party dress tiara dowel carboard silver spray paint craft glue and silver glitter (optional) Cut 2 large stars out of carboard and either spray paint silver or cover with glue then sprinkle with glitter. Spray paint dowel with silver paint, let dry. Attach star to top of dowel to make wand. Get dressed. Fisherman flannel shirt blue jeans life jacket rubber boots fishing pole (real or made from a stick or branch) floppy fishing hat cardboard silver spray paint black marker 12" piece of yarn hole punch Cut four fish out of cardboard. Spray paint silver on both sides, let dry. Use marker to draw an "X" in place of the fish's eyes. Punch hole near mouth of each fish and string from a piece of yarn. Carry fishing pole in hand and sling fish over shoulder. Artist red beret or other hat cardboard craft paint in several colors cape or smock paint brush Have child wear hat tipped sideways. Draw on a black mustache with eyeliner or face paint. Cut out an artist's paint palette from cardboard. Paint five or six circles in different colors around palette. Hot glue paint brush onto palette or hold in hand. Firefighter yellow or red raincoat rubber boots (yellow, red or basic black) toy fire hat cardboard aluminum foil stuffed Dalmatian toy Make an axe out of cardboard and aluminum foil. Get dressed and carry puppy! Farmer flannel shirt overalls galoshes straw hat or baseball cap plastic pitchfork (or fashion from cardboard) stuffed pig or chicken Very simple, just get dressed! Carry pitchfork and stuffed farm animal. Tired Woman well-worn nightgown well-worn terry bathrobe big fuzzy slippers curlers plastic coffee mug Get dressed. Put curlers in child's hair. Have her (or him) carry a coffee mug and hang a sign around her neck that says "I'm Not a Morning Person!" Pretzel brown hooded sweatsuit dark brown tights cotton batting or old pillow stuffing hot glue white packing peanuts Stuff tights with cotton batting or pillow stuffing. Fold into a pretzel shape and hot glue in place. Use white packing peanuts as salt and hot glue on. Teletubbies red, blue, yellow or green hooded sweatsuit 2 matching colored chenille sticks plastic headband thin cardboard silver spray paint Twist chenille sticks onto headband for antennas. Paint child's face same color as s sweatsuit. Cut a tummy sized square of cardboard and spray one side with silver paint, let dry. Glue to tummy of sweatsuit. Slice of Pizza 2 sheets of red, yellow or orange poster board yellow, green, red, and brown construction paper OR craft paint Cut the posterboard into 2 pie shapes (triangles). On one side of each piece, glue on red circles for pepperoni, brown splotches for sausage, green squares for green peppers, and yellow strips for cheese. You can use pieces of posterboard or construction paper, or you can paint them on. Then when you are done, use some more posterboard to connect the two slices, by cutting two long strips and attaching them to the wide end of the slice and draping them over the child's shoulders (imagine those signs that people where in the city streets, the walking billboards of yesteryear). Pizza! Patch of Dandelions green sweatpants or leggings light blue sweat shirt yellow felt big yellow buttons green felt white pompoms cotton batting or cotton balls Cut leaves out of green felt and glue or stitch onto green pants. Cut yellow felt into circles, slitting them to make fringe around the edges. Hand stitch on over green leaves with big yellow buttons. Hand sew white pompoms on to make dandelions that have gone to seed. Glue cotton batting or cotton balls onto blue shirt for clouds. Cut a large yellow circle from felt for the sun. Bubble Bath white sweatsuit small white balloons shower cap bath scrubby (with rope to hang from wrist) rubber ducky Pin small white balloons all over shirt. Put on shower cap, hang bath scrubby from wrist and carry a rubber ducky or glue him to the shoulder of the shirt. Bag of Jellybeans or Gumballs clear plastic bag (dry cleaning bags are great) balloons, several different colors bright colored scarf white posterboard black marker craft glue Have child step into bag to make holes for the legs and arms. Fill bag with balloons use a bright scarf to tie around the top of the bag. Cut a square of posterboard to create a sign that says "Jelly Beans 5¢". Glue it to the front of the bag. M&M black sweatsuit 2 pieces of cardboard craft or spray paint, any color of M&M's black craft paint or markers heavy duty string Cut two large circles out of cardboard. Paint. Draw or paint on "m&m" onto both circles. Use heavy duty string to attach the 2 pieces together and hang over shoulders, sign style. Table for One cardboard red checkerboard table cloth play dishes play food silk flowers plastic headband Cut cardboard into a circle, cut out a hold for your head. Put head into hole and rest on your shoulders. Cover with a red checkerboard tablecloth. Make your head into a centerpiece by gluing silk flowers to the headband. Glue play dishes and play food onto the table, add accessories (salt and pepper shakers, napkins, menu, etc.). Mr. Potato Head black sweatsuit burlap bag old shirt or rags white felt black felt red felt peach felt brown felt Velcro fasteners fiber fill red clown shoes white gloves Fill the burlap bag with old shirts or rags. Using felt, cut out the eyes (black and white), nose (peach), mouth (red), and mustache (brown). Attach Velcro to the backs of the pieces of felt. Use fiberfill to stuff each parts. Attach the Velcro backs to the suit. King & Queen of Hearts 4 pieces of white posterboard 2 pieces of cardboard (from nylon stockings package) gold spray paint red lipstick Draw the King of Hearts face on one side of the white posterboard, then just hearts on back side. Put a strap (scrap of material) stapling the two posters to fit over child's head on to their shoulder. Make gold crown out of nylon cardboard. Put a heart of lipstick on child's cheek. Repeat for the Queen. Grapes purple or green sweatsuit purple or green balloons double-sided tape or adhesive Velcro circles chenille sticks or raffia Stick balloons to clothing. If using tape, twist it around tied-off end of balloon and crimp tightly onto clothing. Velcro circles come apart. Each half can be attached to a balloon and the clothing. Make a "stem" by twisting together brown and green pipe cleaners or raffia and attach to hat. This works best as an indoor party outfit and should not be worn by children under five -- balloons are a choking hazard. A Highway black sweatsuit yellow craft paint or yellow tape small plastic toy cars Paint two solid yellow lines down the middle of the shirt, or use 2 inch pieces of yellow tape. Glue on plastic cars. Crayon any color sweatsuit matching color construction paper or posterboard black marker Paint the word "crayon" sideways in black, and use the same color construction paper to make your pointed hat. Staple a string on it and tie it under your neck to keep it secure, you can paint your face the same color too. Contributed By : Mandy (gothickitty)

~*~Decorating Ideas~*~ 28 Simple Thanksgiving & Autumn Decorating Ideas For more info, go to http://home.ivillage.com/holiday/thanksgiving/0,,75hq,00.html Let the backdrop of autumn foliage, the golden hue of candles, the beauty of fall-inspired centerpieces and the comfort of family and close friends inspire you to have a Thanksgiving you'll remember for years to come. First, get inspired to create a space that teams elegance and earthiness with HGTV star Susie Coelho's Thanksgiving Feast Makeover (with before & after photos!). Set the mood with more down-to-earth holiday decorating ideas: an easy-to-make autumn candle or a quick harvest centerpiece made with rustic elements you can find around the house. Use natural elements of the outdoors, such as crab apples and rose hips, to decorate your Thanksgiving table. Stuck using a card table to entertain guests? No problem. Check out 7 cheap holiday table makeovers that'll show you how to turn an unsightly table into a seasonal gem. Like the idea of a holiday getaway? With a little wood, candles and a checkered tablecloth you can give your dining room a Rocky Mountain theme. Whether it's snuggling up by the fire or just relaxing with a warm blanket, bring in the element of comfort with 6 cozy decorating ideas. Adorn the front door with a wreath (or place one above the fireplace!) with 9 incredibly simple how-to's from the Virtual Wreath Gallery. Need last-minute table decorations? Try one of these gorgeous, easy and colorful 60-second centerpieces. If you have some extra time to spend on decorating, wow your family and friends by creating a live centerpiece to die for. Start with pears and pomegranates, add burgundy dahlias, then drape grapes over the side of your container. Your guests will love the dramatic effect. Try these easy fall-inspired adornments for your chairs to complement your harvest table. Created with yellow zinnia, cinnamon sticks, deep red roses and other fall beauties, get easy step-by-step instructions on how to create a preserved harvest centerpiece. You can put it on your fireplace as a striking decoration throughout the rest of the season! Looking for a unusual centerpiece? Make a rosemary topiary in four easy steps (the smell is incredible). Or go for the elegance of blooming white amaryllis bulbs. Just stick in a bowl -- and watch them grow! Contributed By : Mandy (gothickitty)

~*~Duct Tape Wallet~*~ ◊Embossed Velvet and Duct Tape Wallet◊ Do you have teenagers on your gift list who are impossible to buy for? Are you short on cash and even on time? Never fear, I have found a great idea: Do it yourself duct tape wallets! These actually look great when they are finished! So get your supplies, sit back, and get ready to be nifty and thrifty.....you may even want to make one for yourself!! ◊Materials:◊ Hot Potatoes rubber stamps cutting mat craft knife straight edge duct tape acetate/rayon velvet spray bottle of water iron Note: To make any projects from duct tape, you will need to learn to make sheets first. The wallet is composed of several sheets. ◊Steps:◊ 1. To make the duct tape sheet: Cut 7 or 8 strips of tape that are 9 inches long. 2. Horizontally, lay down one of the strips with the adhesive side facing up (Piece A). 3. Lay a second piece (Piece B) horizontally over the first piece. This time the sticky side faces down. Place this strip halfway down piece A. So if Piece A is 8 inches wide, piece B will be placed 4 inches horizontally down from Piece A (figure A). 4. Fold the exposed side of Piece A over to cover half of Piece B (figure B). This has created one sealed side of your sheet. 5. Pull up the entire piece and flip it over on the cutting mat (figure C). 6. Lay a third piece horizontally to cover the sticky exposed piece of Piece B (figure D). 7. Pull up the entire piece and flip it over (figure E). 8. Repeat using all sheets until you have used all strips. Fold last exposed piece over on so there are no exposed areas of adhesive (figure F). 9. Cut the sides to be straight so the width of the sheet is 8-1/4 inches wide. This completes one sheet. The final sheet should be about 8-1/4" x 6-3/4." Call this Sheet A. 10. Repeat this process all over again to make sheets that will become credit card slots. Cut five pieces of tape 8 inches long and make a sheet using the instructions above. 11. Cut five more pieces of tape 8 inches long and make yet another sheet. 12. Cut the two sheets in half so that you have four pieces that are about 3-3/4 inches wide (figure G). 13. Fold two of the pieces so that there is an overlap of about 1/8 inch at the top of each (figure H). 14. Line the two pieces up one on top of the other, again leaving an overlap of 1/8 inch (figure I). 15. Hold these folded pieces tightly and flip over. Tape together on what will become the back side (figure J). 16. Repeat with the other two little sheets you just made (figure K). 17. Open the section between the two pieces and place a small piece of tape along the bottom to create a duct tape seam. Call these card slots. 18. To build the wallet: Take Sheet A and fold it almost in half, leaving about 1/4 inch at the top. This fold will become the slot for all your dollars (figure L). 19. Take your folded sheet and lay one set of card slots along one side. You can always grab a wallet to look at for a guide if necessary (figure M). 20. Cut a piece of tape about 4 inches long and lay it on the outer edge of the card slots and covering about 1/4 inch of the edge of the wallet. 21. Lay the set of card slots along the other side of the wallet and run another 4-inch piece of tape just like in step 3 above. 22. Cut one more 4-inch-long piece of tape and lay it in the center securing down both sets of card slots (figure N). 23. Cut two pieces of tape about 9-1/2 inches long. 24. To make the velvet insert: Mist velvet sparsely with water. Lay stamp down with red rubber facing upward. Lay velvet right side down against rubber. 25. Press iron down where rubber is under velvet. Hold 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat until the piece of velvet is completely covered in designs (figure O). The final piece should be about 8" x 3-1/4". 26. Flip the wallet over (figure P). Lay the velvet on top of the wallet. Fold over the pieces of duct tape with adhesive exposed (figure Q). You may have to cut a few strips to place over these last duct tape pieces to give your wallet a clean, finished look When you are finished, it looks like this: ♥ This came from the hgtv website, I actually saw it on one of there craft shows the other day. I'm going to make one with red and black duct tape! Contributed By : Faith (Huntersmom2006)

~*~Tote Bag~*~ ♠Vintage Fabric Tote Bag♠ The best thing about this bag is that you only need some fabric and yarn! This bag easily goes from purse to diaper bag, and suits every personality. It would make a great hostess gift as well, the possibilities are endless! ♠What You Need:♠ * 1/2 yard each of vintage fabric and desired lining fabric * Coordinating thread ♠Instructions:♠ 1. Cut two 15-x-18-inch pieces from the vintage fabric for the front and back. Cut matching pieces for the lining. Cut a 2-x-18-inch strip from each fabric for straps. 2. With right sides of the vintage fabric facing and using 1/2-inch seam allowances, sew around three sides, leaving top open. Turn and press. Press under 1/2 inch on the top edge. Repeat for the lining, but do not turn. Insert the lining into the bag so the wrong sides of the fabrics face and the raw edges are sandwiched between the two bags. 3. Press under 1/4 inch on the long edges of the handle pieces. Fold the strips in half lengthwise with wrong sides facing and press. Sew 1/8 inch from the long edges. 4. Insert the raw short ends of the handles into the bags between the front and lining, placing handles about 3 inches from the bag side seams. Topstitch around the top 1/8 inch from the edge. Stitch a second seam 1/4 inch below the first stitch line. This craft idea was found at www.bhg.com Contributed By : Faith (Huntersmom2006)

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