Are you looking for a quick and inexpensive gift for classmates, teachers, friends and neighbors for Valentine’s Day? These Valentine Crackers are so easy to make that my 6 year old is actually making them for her class herself in a simpler version. A bonus to this project is that you get to recycle at the same time!

I've used recycled paper towel tubes cut in half for this project, just covered them with pretty papers and added candy inside.
You can decorate the ends with doilies and tissue paper...

Or you can gather pretty ribbon like I did here and hot glue it onto the edges...

Add punched hearts to write the name of the receiver on, or add tags tied around them!

Visit the Pink Paislee blog to read more about these and see the full list of supplies that I used.

P.S. I might have to learn how to make these...how cute are these "conversational heart cookies" featured on www.pizzazzerie.com!

Excuse me while I go find a snack. Now I'm hungry for something sweet!

Yesterday Pink Paislee shared their fourth new line coming out next month called INDIGO BLEU and today they are sharing the fifth new line called PRAIRIE HILL. This is one of my faves! I love the yellows, oranges and blues.

Here I cut the patterned papers into tag shapes and added a new Prairie Hill Accolade Sticker, a stamped "flying high" from the Prairie Hill stamps and some punched stars.

On the XO card, I was inspired by the kite paper and cut around the design into an X.

I used a new Prairie Hill shipping tag and stickers to make the "o" in XO, also used Terracotta Tile and Aqua Mist cardstock. Love the punch that the Terracotta Tile adds!

I printed a little quote to go with it on the white cardstock.

I apologize for the somewhat blurry photos. I had to take quick photos before I mailed them off that day, and it was very dark and dreary out!

On the next card, I used the kite stamp in the background...

Added a kite sticker and made my own little tag.

And last, a layout of my girls when we went to Hampton Beach one year. I used a little bit of everything from the new line on this page.

See the little "clouds"? I punched two hearts and put them together to form the clouds.

Here you can see some of the stamping on the "kite flying lessons" and on the background...

Visit the Pink Paislee blog today for a chance to win this entire line. :)

Melissa Frances sneaks: day 2...

Today Melissa is sharing the new Attic Treasures line with you over at the Melissa Frances blog. Stop over and leave a comment today for your chance to win. This is Volume 3 of our popular Attic Treasures Collection. Beautiful with cream, ivory, white, brown and little pops of muted color, our Attic Treasures embodies a classic look.

 Here are the papers...

I love all of these. If you look in my last post, you'll see that the two layouts I made used some of these papers in combination with the C'est la Vie line. The big "Ledger Dot" is so much fun and pretty at the same time! And the script papers - ohhhh, gotta love them. On this card, I cut the script paper with a Tiny Envelope die...

These lines look so pretty with purples and shades of teal. Cardstock here is Aqua Mist. I added a C'est la Vie sticker and paper with a Melissa Frances resin frame and pearls. Loving the Postmark stamps lately, as you can tell. :)

On this Spring layout, I used the C'est la Vie papers, tags and stickers. I punched some stars from the new Attic Treasures text papers. I rolled up the Melissa Frances fringed crepe paper into a flower.

The photograph was trimmed into a tag shape to match the other tags on the layout. I didn't do a thing to this pretty tag below...it comes just like this! I simply sewed it onto my page on the right hand side.

Well, that wraps up the sneaks for Melissa Frances this week. Stay tuned for more Craft and Hobby Show projects by me with Pink Paislee, however...

Pink Paislee sneaks: day 3...

Pink Paislee is sharing their third peek today of a new line called London Market. This line is completely gorgeous in person!!!

I wasn't assigned this line for the Craft & Hobby Show, but I couldn't help making a card with it today. It's just so pretty. This gray paper is my favorite and is from the 6x6" paper pad, but it comes in a larger pattern in 12x12" too.

The Ephemera pack is to die for!! I cut the blue piece from the Ephemera in half and layered it underneath some of the other die cuts. "Sweet" is a stamp from the London Market stamps. The butterfly is also part of the Ephemera pack. The wooden button is from a new line you'll see tomorrow!

I trimmed the bottom of the gray paper with a Papertrey Ink die called Edgers #4 die collection, and used a yellow Papertrey Ink button from the Spring Mix buttons. I hope you'll stop by again tomorrow to see what's new, as I have more creations to share with you! xo

Melissa Frances sneaks: day 1...

Hello! This is going to be a busy week for me showing you all of the new things coming out at CHA! Stay tuned to more blog posts and more projects all this week! 

Melissa Frances has a couple of new lines, one is called C'est la Vie... meaning "that's life". It's a beautifully, soft romantic line. This collection celebrates life in it’s imperfect, inherent messiness. Like our Thankful collection, these papers will have part proceeds donated to www.breastcancer.org, Melissa's charity of choice.

What are your favorites? I love the colors in the Aqua Doily and Hydrangeas papers. I have a few things to share that I made, but today I will show you one of the layouts I made with these pretty die cuts. I arranged them in a grid pattern, added some smaller photos (wallet sized) and some little lavender punched hearts.

I made the envelope with a Papertrey Ink die called Tiny Envelope. I also used a postmark stamp from Papertrey Ink's Postmarks set on the center die cut.

I love these die cuts. The floral one is so pretty. I cut out "you" with a Wonderful Words die by Papertrey Ink also with gray cardstock. I thought the gray and lavender would look so pretty with this line. The background paper I used is actually from the other new MF line. I mixed and matched, but the two lines go together so well.

We also have new banner stickers, which I've used here on this layout (thankful for you, sweet memories and hello beautiful). You are getting a peek at the other new line here as well! Can you tell what it is?

And check out these gorgeous cardstock stickers (floral above hello beautiful flag). This cardstock sheet is called "Victorian".

Visit the Melissa Frances blog each day this week for your chance to win the two new lines!

Pink Paislee sneaks: day 2...

Today Pink Paislee is sharing its second new line coming out soon, it's called Spring Jubilee!

Here are some peeks at the new SPRING JUBILEE line. I made a few cards...

This one's my favorite, I think, because of the colors! I used a Doily Details die by Papertrey Ink to cut the pink paper. On the background, I rubbed the darker paper with a Fresh Snow ink pad around the edges. Then I stamped with the Spring Jubilee stamps in red over the top - just on the right hand edge. "Time flies" is a rub on from the Spring Jubilee line, and I used the butterfly chipboard from the line as well.

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The next card uses a shipping tag from the Spring Jubilee line! Egads, these are gorgeous. I didn't do a thing to the tag, except add the chipboard butterflies/twine/stamped a postage stamp over the tag with the new Spring Jubilee stamps!

"Sunshiny day" is a rub on from the new line. I added a chipboard piece behind the tag also.

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On the "Wonderful & Kind" card, I used the Spring Jubilee stamps to create this background...

I started with stamping the pink flowers with Chewing Gum ink by Jenni Bowlin, then stamped some red flowers over the top with Pure Poppy ink by Papertrey Ink. I brushed the edges of the card with Vintage Cream ink by Papertrey Ink. The ribbon roses were made by me with Hawaiian Shores ribbon.

"Wonderful & Kind" is a stamp from the Spring Jubilee stamps as well, stamped with Hawaiian Shores ink. I rubbed a bit of Vintage Cream over the center of the card too.

Stop over to the Pink Paislee blog to see all of the papers and fun pieces that go with this line - chipboard, stamps, shipping tags, rub ons, etc., and leave a comment over there for your chance to win the whole line!

Pink Paislee CHA sneak peeks begin!

Today marks the day when one of my favorite scrapbooking companies, Pink Paislee, begins to share sneak peeks of the new lines they've created for the Craft and Hobby Show in California next week. We have 5 new paper lines this time, and they are sure to WOW you!

The first sneak is SHE ART, created by Christy Tomlinson!

Christy Tomlinson has been working with us to develop a paper collection that includes products she uses over and over again while creating her adored SHE ART canvas designs.  Now you can get her favorite items all in one place: Press ons, tissue paper, patterned papers, masks and of course paper bits and pieces.

What do you think of the first peek!?

Stop over to the Pink Paislee blog to see some BEAU-ti-ful projects made with this line and leave a comment over there for your chance to win this full line!

Cool Tools winner...

Hi everyone, thank you SO much for all of your nice comments during the Cool Tools blog hop! Congratulations to Brenda...please email me at dflanders71@hotmail.com with your mailing address!

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Timestamp: 2012-01-23 14:45:57 UTC

Brenda C said... 23

So glad I found your site - so much inspiration here! I love the cute tags. Very clever idea and it's so easy!

January 13, 2012 8:38 AM