Today I want to share with you a quick, easy and colorful project, one that you could easily enlist the help of children for.

(I made these for my daughter’s room, but now I kind-of want to keep them for myself!)

Let’s get started!

Here are the supplies you will need:

•  Three (3) Studio 71 3×3 inch Mini Canvases (white) (These come in groups of three when you order them at ConsumerCrafts.)
• Victoria Lynn White Pearl Floral Spray
• Queen & Co. Bling Pearls (white)
• Core’dinations Cardstock (white)
• Glue Dots Craft Adhesive
• Studio 71 Wooden Mini Easel (optional)
• 24 Count Crayola Crayons
• EK Success Large Butterfly Punch
• Multi-Purpose Heat Tool
• Scissors

The first thing you need to decide is your color palette. I chose the whole rainbow! I split the spectrum into three sections: Red/Orange, Yellow/Green, and Blue/Purple. I found it worked well to use 3-4 colors per canvas to get a good variety of color.

Peel back and discard the paper on the crayons you wish to use.

Take off and discard the plastic coverings on your canvases.

Place a piece of scrap paper underneath your canvas, to keep your work space clean.

Here we go!

Hold your heat gun over the top of the tip of your crayon, and allow it to start to melt.

Let the drips from the crayon cover the canvas as desired.

Keep in mind, the heat from the heat gun will keep the crayon on the canvas liquid, and the drops on the canvas will spread.

Add additional colors as desired.

This is where it starts to get fun!

Keep adding color, and let the colors mix and swirl.

While the crayons are still molten on the canvas, you can tilt the canvas, and allow the crayons to mix and drip. I let mine drip right off the side of the canvas!

Look how cool the texture of the canvas is with the melted crayons!

Let the canvas dry, and the crayons harden.

Then you can add color splatters to the canvas.

Heat the crayon away from the finished canvas. This will keep the color already on the canvas from re-melting.

When the crayon starts dripping, hold the dripping crayon over the canvas, tap it, and allow it to splatter!

Are you having fun yet?

Repeat with your other canvases, and your selected colors.

Let the canvases dry. It doesn’t take long.

Using white Core’dinations cardstock, and a large butterfly punch, punch two butterflies per canvas.

Trim the antennas from the butterflies.

(I would like to thank my eight year old daughter Mikayla, for assisting me. She was my photographer, and the hand-model in the next photo.)

(We both clearly need manicures!)

Take a glue dot, and stretch it out to cover the body of the (bottom) butterfly.

(Designer note: make sure your working area is free from stray crayon residue, or you will be punching a bunch of extra white butterflies to replace the ones that inadvertently got colored while you worked on them. Just saying.)

Trim two strands of the pearl sprays from the bunch, and place them in the (stretched) glue dot.

With your second (top) butterfly, bend the wings upwards at the body section, and adhere it to the bottom butterfly, using the stretched glue dot.

Add a strip of adhesive Bling pearls down the center of the butterfly body.

Adhere the finished butterfly to your finished canvas using glue dots.

Trim those pearl spray antennas as desired.

That’s it!

You can choose to display your creative, artistic, FABULOUS canvases on easels:

Or on the wall:

Either way, you might have to sign the bottoms of those canvases, because people aren’t going to believe you actually made them yourself!

Here is a gift bag, a card and bonus mini cards that will really show your Valentine how much you care!

Supplies:

• Core’dinations Ebony & Ivory Cardstock
• Gift Bag
• Felties Valentine Pink Owl
• Felties Valentine Peace Hearts
• Aleene’s Quick Dry Tacky Glue
• Red Marker
• Thickers Alphabet Stickers – Cherry
• Gingham Ribbon
• Fiskars Paper Trimmer
• Sizzix Big Shot Die Cut Machine
• Sizzix Polka Dot Embossing Folder
• Core’dinations Sand it Gadget
• Core’dinations Dust Buddy
• Clever Lever Scallop Punch

 Directions:

1.   Assemble the pink owl.  Adhere pieces together and set aside to dry.

2.  Cut black paper to fit your gift bag.  Cut pink paper to size  similar to one shown. The main card is 6×6″ and the small cards are 3×3″.

3.  Place cardstock in embossing folder and follow manufacturers directions on how to emboss.  Remove from embossing folder.

4.  Use the Sand-It gadget to sand the paper.  Use the Dust buddy to remove the dust.  (I like to tap my Sand-It gadget on the inside of the garbage can to remove the excess dust that can build up on it.)  Repeat this step for all of the cardstock you wish to emboss.

5. Adhere your completed owl to the gift bag and add the sentiment of your choice.

6. Adhere the paper pieces to the 6×6″ card base.  Adhere heart and add sentiment of your choice.

Use the scraps of the paper to make the mini cards. The circles are made with Clever Lever punches. Embellish as desired.

If you would like to see a photos on how to sand the Core’dinations card stock, check out this card.

Supplies:

• Core’dinations 12″ x 12″ Paper – WhiteWash Collection – Color: Barn Siding  – Pack of 20 Sheets (available through our customer service department at 1-888-552-7238)
• 10” Straw Wreath
• Poly Satin Ribbon in Ivory
• 6″ White Sparkle Tulle
• Hot Glue Gun & Glue
• Spray Adhesive
• Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter

I used my paper trimmer to cut the 12″ x 12″ sheets into four equal 6″ x 6″ squares.  I then made a template of a circle on each one (I traced around a CD, but it doesn’t need to be exact by any means).  I then tore out the circles by hand.  Because the paper has a color core, it gives a great antique look when torn.  For an even more antiqued look, sand the circle to distress it and reveal more of the Core’dinations ColorCore center.

To turn these imperfect circles into flowers you want to start at the outer edge and carefully rip them into a spiral.  It is helpful to keep the size of the spiral consistent, so you might want to pencil in the spiral shape before you start tearing.  This process took a while, but it’s an easy one to do while you catch up on some TV.

Next you can start rolling the roses.  Start rolling the flower beginning with the outside edge.  Roll as tightly as possible, keeping the bottom edge aligned at all times.  You can either roll the white or the deep red side toward the inside.  I did both and mixed them up.

When the flower is rolled completely tight, carefully pinch together, then let it go and it will spring into shape. 

You can experiment with how much you want it to open up and manipulate it to how you like.  When you get the rose to its desired size, hot glue the base together.  For more rolled paper rose techniques, click HERE.

Once you have all of your roses assembled, line them up on a piece of newspaper or a drop cloth and lightly spray with the spray adhesive.  While the roses are still tacky with the adhesive, sprinkle them with the Martha Stewart Glitter.  I love, love, love Martha glitter so I used a heavy hand.  Obviously the glitter is not necessary, but even if you don’t glitter them, you will want to give them a little spray just to keep the roses in place.

Next, while your roses dry (about 15 mins) wrap your straw wreath with the satin ribbon.  I like the one I used by Darice, because it is not slippery – it is more of a floral ribbon.  Hot glue the ribbon into place.  Warning- the wreath will shed some, don’t be alarmed.  The ribbon will keep it from continuing to shed. 

Start to assemble your roses onto the wreath.  This part is like a puzzle.  I just kept fitting them in and once I found a spot I liked, I hot glued it in.

Continue to place roses until you have the desired fullness.  You will be surprised by the weight of the overall wreath (that’s a lot of heavy cardstock!).  Overall I used about  75 roses on a 10” wreath.  I added a white tulle bow to hang and finish it off beautifully!

Voila!  This wreath is not only perfect for Valentine’s Day but versatile enough to stay up all year-round!

We love tissue paper crafts – they are cheap, fun and beautiful!  What more could you ask for in a craft, right?  So today, we have a step-by-step tutorial on how to make some super cute tissue paper pomanders. 

Supplies:

• Tissue Paper – We Used the Red/Green/White Assortment Pack
• Floral Wire
• Styrofoam Balls (We Used 6″ for the Red and 4″ for the Green)
• Ribbon
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue
• Scissors

Using 7-8 sheets of tissue paper cut a plentiful amount of approximately 5.5” x 6” rectangles.  (Based on your preference, you can go smaller or larger, but the smaller you go the harder is it to pull the paper apart.

Fold the rectangle accordion style – about ¾” to 1” thick, then wrap the middle with floral wire.  Cut both sides of the paper in the shape of the top of a heart.

Fan out one side and gently pull apart the individual layers of tissue paper.  Do the same with the other end.  Fluff for desired look. Note: this does take a little bit of practice, so if your first rosette does not turn out perfect, just keep trying!

Cut a piece of ribbon at your desired length.  Make a loop and attach it to the Styrofoam ball with hot glue.  Flatten one side of your tissue pom pom rosette and apply a generous amount of hot glue.  Place on Styrofoam ball.  Repeat until the whole ball is covered.

The great thing about this project is that you can personalize this any way you like with the colors, shapes and sizes.  Be creative and experiment!

Left: The Inspiration / Right: Kim's Version

You will need:

• Styrofoam Cone – 15 inch
• 4 Sheets of Core’dinations 12 x 12 inch Cardstock in 2 Shades of Green
• 2 Sheets of Core’dinations 12 x 12 inch Glitter Silk Cardstock in Green
• Sequin Pins or Straight Pins
• Green Paint
• Paint Brush
• Glue Dots
• Sand Paper or Core’dinations Sand It Gadget Block for Easy, Even Sanding.
• 5mm Red Pom Poms, Plus a Single 1 inch Red, White, or Gold Pom Pom for the Top
• 1/8 inch White Ribbon

Step One: Paint the Styrofoam cone with green acrylic paint.  Use a paintbrush to apply paint and be sure to apply liberally and allow to dry fully before step two.  Note: it doesn’t need to be pretty, the paint is just to keep white from showing through.

 Step Two:  Cut the 12 x 12 inch Core’dinations paper into 1 ½ inch strips.  Cut or tear paper in ½ inch increments, leaving at least a ½ inch un-torn at the top of the strip (this is where it will be attached to the Styrofoam tree).  Kim chose to tear the solid green and cut the glitter paper for contrasting textures.  Sand Core’dinations paper to achieve distressed look, if desired. 

Step Three:  Attach strips to the Styrofoam tree starting at the bottom.  Secure with sequin pins.  Because of the heavier weight of the Core’dinations paper, use Glue Dots to ensure the paper is securely attached to the tree and does not “curl” off.  Alternate rows of paper in desired pattern or color, overlapping the un-torn ½ inch border – this will achieve the “layered” look and also cover the sequin pins.  Curl torn ends or leave straight, depending on desired effect.  Continue to layer paper around the tree with pins and glue dots, leaving 1 inch at the top of the tree.

Step Four:  Make tree topper to cover the remaining exposed Styrofoam by taking a final strip of paper and cutting into an approximately 2 inch strip.  Wrap ends of strip around each other and secure before putting over the top of the tree like a crown.  Note: there will be a hole in the top (this is where Kim attached the 1 inch pom pom).

Step Five: Decorate with pom-poms, bows or other embellishments.

Now, how adorable is that?!  No matter where you choose to display this cute little tree, it is sure to keep you in the holiday spirit!

Let me say that I’m generally NOT a scrapbooker but I am a lover of history. My favorite kind of history is family history. My family and lots of others. I like hearing or reading the personal stories. I feel a strong connection to women who came before me – how they lived, worked and mothered.

So with all of that in mind I wanted to create a keepsake book that will explain, long after I’m gone, where I came from.

This is a really great project to involve the children with, especially as family members they don’t see often gather together for the holidays. It’ll give them a sense of connection and help them understand HOW their mom or dad are related to all those people.

Supplies:

• Cinch Bookbinding Tool
• Cinch 8×8 Book Board
• Cinch Binding Wires - .75 inch Black
• DCWV – The Linen Closet 8×8 Paper Stack
• Chipboard Alphabet Letters – or any letter of your choice
• Peltaloo Chantilly Collection – Mixed Velvet Hydrangea – Blue - other embellishmens to fit your look
• Scrappy Cat Stamp Collection – Patterns
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink – Brushed Corduroy
• Darice Permanent Adhesive Double Sided Tape Roller
• Photos

The first thing you’ll need to do is scan and print several photos as you won’t want to use the originals. I printed an old one of what must have been a family reunion way back when, one of me, my parents on their wedding day, my father’s parents and my grandmother’s parents just to get me started (I created extra pages to go back in and add photos of my mother’s family).

For the cover I chose the paper I wanted for both the front and backside. I adhered the paper to the book binding board with the double sided tape runner. Then I added an area of light gesso to the front cover with a semi-dry brush. Once that dried I stamped a couple of areas with a Scrappy Cat Stamp and the Tim Holtz ink. I also added a page from an old Farmer’s Almanac (because my family were farmers) and some alphabet stickers. I gessoed over the plain stickers and then antiqued the edges with the Brushed Corduroy using a cotton swab to get the edges.

To create the pages I chose the papers and taped them, wrong sides together to make a sturdy double sided album page. I added photos, and aged papers keeping in mind not to get too close to the left side of the page where the Cinch coils will go.

Don’t get too fancy with the embellishments at this point as that’ll just make it more difficult to punch the holes in later. Just get a general idea of how the album will be laid out.

Now, it’s time to punch the holes so you can put the album together. I watched the WRMemory Keepers Video Tutorial on YouTube and read over the instructions first. Make sure to practice with a piece of paper before you begin punching holes in your pages.

The Cinch has an area that holds the wire for you while you put your pages on. Remember to put the back page on first – as seen in the video. You can pick it up once all the pages are on the coil to make sure it will close and be in the right order before you close the wire. It’s that old “Measure twice, cut once” mentality.

Then move to the back of the Cinch to close the coils (the inside back of the book is shown in the above photo).

All that’s left is to add names, birth and death dates, personal stories or memories… and of course, more embellishments.

And now you have a one of a kind, personal album to share with your family. This is a great project for remembering those who have come before us and to share with our children and grandchildren about the people who came before THEM.

The added bonus is that the older people in the family may remember those in the photos and you may have an opportunity to learn even more about your heritage. Be sure to keep a video camera on hand to capture any of those great stories.

TIPS:

Black Photo Corners would add a great antique touch to this album.

If you are worried about getting 8×8 inch paper lined up EXACTLY right when using permanent adhesive, go ahead and buy the 12 x 12 Paper Stack and once you have everything stuck together, THEN you can cut them down to 8×8 inches.

Core'dinations Christmas Card

Making your own cards can be very fun and rewarding.  Using Core’dinations cardstock makes it even easier.  The pre-embossed paper packs give your cards an added layer of texture and dimension.   You can take the added dimension one step further and sand the paper with the Sand It Gadget.  To remove all the dust you have just created try using the Dust Buddy to clean up.

To make this card, you’ll need:

• Core’dinations Tim Holtz  & Ranger Distress Pad
• Core’dinations Graphic 45 Pack
• Darice Cardstock – White
• Core’dinations Sand It Gadget
• Core’dinations Dust Buddy
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad –  Shabby Shutters
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad – Broken China
• Ranger Archival Ink Pad – Jet Black
• Stamp of Choice
• Ribbon of choice
• Adhesive of choice
• Decorative stick pin and pearl
•  Paint Dabbers with Foam Tip
• Spellbinders Nestabilities -Classic Scallop Circles
• Clear Mounting Block
•  Cuttlebug

Directions:

1.  Cut an 8×8.5 piece of cardstock and fold in half to form card base. Lightly sand the edges.  Use the Dust Buddy to clean up dust. Cut a textured piece of cardstock to 7.5×4  sand the entire piece lightly then go back and sand the edges heavily.  Cleanup  the dust then adhere to card base.  Tie ribbon around card. Place stick pin in bow.

Unsanded Core'dinations Edge

Sanded Core'dinations Edge

2. Die cut a white scallop circle and stamp image in Archival ink. Use paint dabber and Distress Ink to add color to the edges of  scallop circle.  Die cut a larger scallop circle out of the same cardstock as card base.  Sand the edges.  Adhere white scallop circle to larger die.  Set aside.

3.  Print sentiment on white cardstock.  I used Duetica Lettering Art Studio to create my sentiment.  Trim the cardstock down to size and  adhere to card as shown.  Adhere scallop circle on card front slightly overlapping the sentiment strip.  Add a decorative pearl on edge.

You will need:

• Tim Holtz Adirondack ColorCore Collection
• Paper Trimmer
• Star Craft Punch or Template
• Circle Craft Punch or Template
• 6″ Circle Template
• 4″ Circle Template
• Scoring Board 
• Darice Polka Dot Embossing Folder
• 1 to 1 1/2″ Wide by 8″ Long Ribbon of Your Choice
• Sanding Disc
• Adhesive
• 8×10 Photo Frame, with a 5×7 Photo Opening

Select three colors of green cardstock from the Tim Holtz Adirondack ColorCore Collection.  From the dark green cardstock, cut a 6″ circle. Cut a 4″ circle in the center of the 6″ circle to create a ring.  Set aside.

Using a template or craft punch, cut several 2″ stars from all three colors of green cardstock.  Adhere part of the stars to the cardstock wreath to cover.

With remaining stars, score a line from the top of each point straight down to the inside point, as shown. Repeat for each of the five points.

Sand each star to reveal the lighter core.

Pinch each star tip to create a 3-dimensional star.

Adhere 3-D stars to wreath, applying adhesive to each corner on the underside, to allow stars to remain 3-dimensional when attached to wreath.

Select dark red cardstock from Tim Holtz Adirondack ColorCore  collection.  Using a circle punch or template, cut several 1/2″ circles.  Adhere circles as desired on wreath.

Tie an 8″ length of ribbon into a bow, and adhere to wreath.

Select dark brown cardstock from Tim Holtz Adirondack ColorCore  collection, and cut it to fit the entire back of the photo mat.  Cut a second piece of dark brown cardstock slightly smaller (approximately 4×6″) than inner opening of the photo opening.  Using the polka dot embossing folder, emboss the smaller piece, and sand it to reveal the lighter core color underneath.  Adhere this second piece to the inner opening of frame.

Adhere wreath to outside mat.  Place inside frame, with the glass removed.

To make a version of this wreath yourself, we’d suggest:

• Scrapbook Paper- like the DCWV “The Natural” Paper Stack
• Button Assortment
• Martha Stewart Scoring Board (to make the rosettes)
• Cricut Expression and Paper Doll Dress Up for the cute images
• Dry adhesive for the rosettes (like a Darice tape runner)
• Glue Gun and glue Sticks to make put the wreath together

I think that you could have so much fun with this idea- Thansgiving, Christmas, and even Spring/Easter would all be super-cute! If you need a tutorial on how to make the paper rosettes, we have a nice post for you to read here.

A big thanks to Cathy for posting this idea on our wall- and we invite YOU to join our crafting communities on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Let’s keep inspiring each other!

"Where Has The Time Gone?" Card by OkieLadyBug

"A Moment In Time" manly card by OkieLadyBug

Time Flies Card by OkieLadyBug

"Captured in Time" card by OkieLadyBug

If you interested in the products she used in the cards, just click on the image to see the full post- and make sure you leave her a comment telling her we sent you!