We've never had this happen before. We had a great giveaway, and the winner of the prize didn't claim it. What??? Anyway, we're trying again. The new winner of the cookies from Grace, Sugar Momma's is:
Friday, May 27, 2011
And the NEW winner is....
Turning Blah into TaDa with a little Mod Podge
This is what I had to work with: 2 old chairs, an old table, and a TV stand. It was beat up, scratched, ugly, and not something I'd want in my house. I painted it all white, got out the cricut machine, grabbed pacs of scrapbooking paper, got a container of Mod Podge and a brush, and a can of Polyurethane to seal everything. Here's what I came up with:
The two chairs. "G" is for GraciAnn and "M" is for Mariella.
The table.
The front of the TV stand.
One side of the TV stand (and the top).
The other side of the TV stand.
See what a little Mod Podge can do? If you don't have a Silhouette or Cricut, you can cut shapes and still work wonders.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monogrammed Tote
I have an inexpensive gift idea for you that will make a big impression. Last year I made these totes as gifts for some friends. This year, I wanted to make them for Ryan's teachers as an end of the year gift. If you haven't noticed, I think Ryan's teachers are two very special loving ladies who took great care of my little man this year.
I'll give you the full tutorial, but first I wanted to show you the finished product with the gift I put inside. (I'll give you the clipboard tutorial another day).
Here is what you will need:
I am going to give you the tutorial for all those of you who don't have a Silhouette, but you can easily cut your letters on freezer paper using the Silhouette as well. Shannon has done this many times and suggests selecting "Vellum" speed 3, thickness 25. Make sure to use a mat that has plenty of stickiness left to it. Rub the freezer paper down well to avoid any bubbles, which could cause the paper to tear.
If you don't have a Silhouette, here is the tutorial for you!
1. Print off your letters or any design that you want to use. Cut a piece of freezer paper larger than the size of your letters. With the waxy side down, trace your letters or design. A typical monogram is your three initials. The first initial goes to the left, your second initial goes to the right and your last initial is the large one in the middle.
2. Here are all my letters ready to be cut out. If you make the freezer paper too small don't worry, you can add more freezer paper to the shirt so that you don't get paint where it shouldn't go.
3. Now take your exacto knife and cut out your letter. Make sure to keep any pieces that make up the letter (see my D and L as examples-they have little portions that will need to go back in).
4. Measure the rim of your tote bag with your ribbon and add about 3 inches to overlap the ribbon when you sew it on.
5. Heat up your iron to the highest or cotton setting. Turn off any steam settings. Iron your tote bag. Then cut out a large piece of freezer paper that will fit the inside of your tote bag. You want this piece to cover the entire inside so that you don't have paint bleed through. Place the freezer paper waxy side up and iron your tote again. This will help the freezer paper to adhere to the inside.
6. Take your ribbon and put it at the top of your tote. You are using to help gauge where to put your letters or design. Center the freezer paper of your large letter in the middle of the tote bag. Iron it down making sure it is flat and without any bubbles. Then center the freezer paper with your smaller letters to the left and right, iron down too.
7. If you use fabric paint, then you can go ahead and paint away. If you are using acrylic paint, you need to add textile medium according to the directions on the bottle and mix it. This makes the acrylic paint safe to machine wash. You can get many more uses of your acrylic paint by doing this as it is much less expensive than fabric paint.
8. Using a foam brush for each color, paint your letters. Make sure not to use too much paint as it might cause the freezer paper to bubble and paint to bleed underneath. I painted the large letter to match my coordinating ribbon and the small letters in black. I did two light coats on each letter. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the process if you get impatient. Just make sure that the first coat is completely dry before painting the second coat.
9. Peel off the freezer paper. If you have any difficulty, use your exacto knife to get under the freezer paper.
10. Using your sewing machine or just needle and thread, sew your ribbon to the top of the tote. I put my seam in the back and tucked the ribbon underneath for a clean look.
Ta Da! Finished tote bags that are personalized and special for the recipient. Ryan's teachers loved these and the clipboard that I included inside (the tutorial is coming soon).
Freezer paper stencils are fantastic and let you make inexpensive personalized gifts. If you have any questions, please let me know!
I'll give you the full tutorial, but first I wanted to show you the finished product with the gift I put inside. (I'll give you the clipboard tutorial another day).
Here is what you will need:
- A tote bag (you can get these in a three pack at most craft stores)
- Decorative ribbon for top of tote
- Apple Barrel paint (cheapest at Walmart)- in black for small letters and matching color of ribbon
- Textile Medium (to make it washable)
- Foam paint brushes
- Freezer paper (found in the plastic wrap/foil aisle of any grocery store)
- Exacto knife
- Self-healing cutting mat
- Iron
- Pencil to trace letters
- Printed letters in your choice of font (I used Annabel Script 400pt for Large letter and 200pt for small letter)
- sewing machine or needle and thread
I am going to give you the tutorial for all those of you who don't have a Silhouette, but you can easily cut your letters on freezer paper using the Silhouette as well. Shannon has done this many times and suggests selecting "Vellum" speed 3, thickness 25. Make sure to use a mat that has plenty of stickiness left to it. Rub the freezer paper down well to avoid any bubbles, which could cause the paper to tear.
If you don't have a Silhouette, here is the tutorial for you!
1. Print off your letters or any design that you want to use. Cut a piece of freezer paper larger than the size of your letters. With the waxy side down, trace your letters or design. A typical monogram is your three initials. The first initial goes to the left, your second initial goes to the right and your last initial is the large one in the middle.
3. Now take your exacto knife and cut out your letter. Make sure to keep any pieces that make up the letter (see my D and L as examples-they have little portions that will need to go back in).
4. Measure the rim of your tote bag with your ribbon and add about 3 inches to overlap the ribbon when you sew it on.
5. Heat up your iron to the highest or cotton setting. Turn off any steam settings. Iron your tote bag. Then cut out a large piece of freezer paper that will fit the inside of your tote bag. You want this piece to cover the entire inside so that you don't have paint bleed through. Place the freezer paper waxy side up and iron your tote again. This will help the freezer paper to adhere to the inside.
6. Take your ribbon and put it at the top of your tote. You are using to help gauge where to put your letters or design. Center the freezer paper of your large letter in the middle of the tote bag. Iron it down making sure it is flat and without any bubbles. Then center the freezer paper with your smaller letters to the left and right, iron down too.
7. If you use fabric paint, then you can go ahead and paint away. If you are using acrylic paint, you need to add textile medium according to the directions on the bottle and mix it. This makes the acrylic paint safe to machine wash. You can get many more uses of your acrylic paint by doing this as it is much less expensive than fabric paint.
8. Using a foam brush for each color, paint your letters. Make sure not to use too much paint as it might cause the freezer paper to bubble and paint to bleed underneath. I painted the large letter to match my coordinating ribbon and the small letters in black. I did two light coats on each letter. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the process if you get impatient. Just make sure that the first coat is completely dry before painting the second coat.
9. Peel off the freezer paper. If you have any difficulty, use your exacto knife to get under the freezer paper.
10. Using your sewing machine or just needle and thread, sew your ribbon to the top of the tote. I put my seam in the back and tucked the ribbon underneath for a clean look.
Ta Da! Finished tote bags that are personalized and special for the recipient. Ryan's teachers loved these and the clipboard that I included inside (the tutorial is coming soon).
Freezer paper stencils are fantastic and let you make inexpensive personalized gifts. If you have any questions, please let me know!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Kale Chips Are Delicious!
Have you ever heard of Kale chips? I don't know how I learned about them. I'm really glad I did though! They are easy to make, extremely healthy, and they taste wonderful!
This is what you need:
A Bunch of Flat Leaf Kale
Olive Oil Spray
Salt
Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Wash the Kale leaves well. Then dry them with a paper towel.
Lightly spray the front and back of each Kale leaf and place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer.
Sprinkle the leaves with salt. You can use garlic salt too. Parmesan cheese is optional. Place the leaves in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The edges will just start to brown.
Here are the finished chips. They are crispy and have a very mild flavor. My girls LOVE them. They're a great alternative to potato chips.
We hope you enjoy them!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Yummy Pizza Dip Recipe
I am going to share with you a super easy and yummy pizza dip recipe. This recipe can be personalized to include all your favorite pizza toppings.
In a 8 x 11.5 casserole dish or a square casserole dish, spread 8 ounces of softened cream cheese over the bottom of the dish.
Spread a layer of your favorite pizza sauce over the cream cheese.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese to fully cover the sauce.
Top with chopped up pepperoni. We are simple and stop here. You can add as many toppings as you like.
Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and bubbly.
We like to serve this dip with tortilla chips. This is always a crowd pleaser and a simple appetizer to prepare in a hurry.
Here is the recipe if you would like it without the pictures.
Pizza Dip Recipe
8 ounce softened cream cheese
Pizza sauce of choice
Mozzarella cheese
Chopped up pepperoni
Other pizza toppings of your choice
In a 8 x 11.5 casserole dish or a square casserole dish, spread 8 ounces of softened cream cheese over the bottom of the dish. Spread a layer of your favorite pizza sauce over the cream cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese to fully cover the sauce. Top with chopped up pepperoni. We are simple and stop here. You can add as many toppings as you like. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and bubbly. We like to serve this dip with tortilla chips. This is always a crowd pleaser and a simple appetizer to prepare in a hurry.
In a 8 x 11.5 casserole dish or a square casserole dish, spread 8 ounces of softened cream cheese over the bottom of the dish.
Spread a layer of your favorite pizza sauce over the cream cheese.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese to fully cover the sauce.
Top with chopped up pepperoni. We are simple and stop here. You can add as many toppings as you like.
Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and bubbly.
We like to serve this dip with tortilla chips. This is always a crowd pleaser and a simple appetizer to prepare in a hurry.
Here is the recipe if you would like it without the pictures.
Pizza Dip Recipe
8 ounce softened cream cheese
Pizza sauce of choice
Mozzarella cheese
Chopped up pepperoni
Other pizza toppings of your choice
In a 8 x 11.5 casserole dish or a square casserole dish, spread 8 ounces of softened cream cheese over the bottom of the dish. Spread a layer of your favorite pizza sauce over the cream cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese to fully cover the sauce. Top with chopped up pepperoni. We are simple and stop here. You can add as many toppings as you like. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and bubbly. We like to serve this dip with tortilla chips. This is always a crowd pleaser and a simple appetizer to prepare in a hurry.
Monday, May 23, 2011
GIVEAWAY-Tupperware-A Great Thing
Jill and I have definitely found some wonderful Tupperware items. We wanted to share a few with you.
Comment 1: Visit Frannie's online Tupperware store and tell us what you'd like to buy with a $20 gift certificate. website: my.tupperware.com/frannietaysavang
Comment 2: Subscribe to Our Seven Dwarfs via email (must be verified) or RSS feed and tell us you do.
Our all time favorite is the tumbler impressions. They do not leak and are so convenient. They are also very easy to clean! You can use any disposable straws and the cups and lids are dishwashwer safe.
Jill also loves the fridge smarts. She thinks it is easy to store things in these and it makes her fruits and vegetables last so much longer.
Shannon really likes the vent and serves. They stack so nicely, food warms evenly in them, and they are very durable.
We've both had great luck with Tupperware products. Jill had a really old rectangular cake taker. She got it out and noticed that the lid had split. She told our Tupperware Consultant, Frannie and she got her a brand new one at no cost to Jill! She just sent in her old one. That is fantastic customer service. Most businesses are not standing behind their products these days, but Tupperware goes above and beyond!
Frannie wants to spread the Tupperware love with our readers. She is giving away 3, $20 gift certificates for Tupperware.
Here's what you need to do to enter the giveaway:
Comment 1: Visit Frannie's online Tupperware store and tell us what you'd like to buy with a $20 gift certificate. website: my.tupperware.com/frannietaysavang
Comment 2: Subscribe to Our Seven Dwarfs via email (must be verified) or RSS feed and tell us you do.
You will have until Saturday, May 28th at 11:59 pm EST to enter. Good Luck!
Frannie is also giving our readers a special opportunity! She's offering free shipping on orders $100 and more! You will have to contact her directly for this opportunity. Just let her know we sent you.
Frannie Taysavang
tupperfrannie@gmail.com
Tupperware Director In Qualification
Tupperware Director In Qualification
website: my.tupperware.com/frannietaysavang
404-538-4137
404-538-4137
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Winner-Grace, Sugar Momma Great Things Give Away
True Random Number Generator 71
71. Salleefur/Jesslyn/Jesster said...
jessterlyn(at)aol(dot)com
Congratulations! Email us so we can pass on your information to Grace!
If you'd like to order from Grace, remember she's giving our readers a 15% discount at her etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/SugarMommaRocks . Just use the code OSD15 at checkout.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A "Daddy" Gift
I've found buying presents for men challenging! With Father's Day right around the corner, I wanted to share something that would work well for the Daddy in your life.
My friend, Jessica, was looking for a special birthday present, from her sons, to her husband. Together, we came up with this.
My friend, Jessica, was looking for a special birthday present, from her sons, to her husband. Together, we came up with this.
I took a canvas and painted it white. I dry brushed it with navy blue. We traced the kids hands and cut them out of scrapbooking paper. I Mod Podged the hands to the canvas. I cut the words (navy) and key (gold) from vinyl and transferred it on to the canvas. To make the canvas look framed, I hot glued navy blue ribbon, trimmed in gold, to the edge of the canvas. I was really happy with how it turned out and I think he liked it too.
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