Paper Crafts

It’s holiday cookie baking and eating season. YUM! Isn’t the aroma of freshly baked cookies one of the best smells ever? It’s also the season for invitations to participate in cookie exchanges and swaps. I love these because I get to try a variety of tasty cookies that I normally would not have made or tried.

The great thing about a cookie exchange is that you bake a designated amount of one kind of cookie and swap them with friends.  After the exchange is completed you end up with an assortment of cookies to nibble on.

Typically when an invitation is accepted to participate in a cookie exchange there are some basic questions that need to be answered.
What kind of cookie will I bake?
How many dozens (or half dozens) will be needed?
When will I start making and baking them? (of course being a great procrastinator, I know I’d wait longer than I should have)
How will I package each set of cookies?

I’ve participated and organized several cookie exchanges over the years and some of the funnest ones I have participated in were not always just about the cookie.  Yes, you read that correctly, it isn’t ALWAYS about the cookie. Sometimes, it’s about the container the cookies are placed in that makes the difference.

As I was going through some Holiday Memory photos I came across some photos of a Holiday Cookie Exchange that I had participated in. One of the biggest factors involved in this particular cookie exchange was about designing and creating the container that each set of cookies were placed in. This wasn’t just a plate of cookies covered with plastic wrap and a bow or placed into a little box. No, the containers were unique creative designs. Not only would you bake the yummy cookies, but you were committed to create something that would be sure to get some festive cheers from all who were in attendance. Over the years the competition got pretty fierce. The bar was set high to be in the running for one of the fun prizes. And, YES there were prizes for best tasting cookie (of course), but the most coveted prize for me was for the best container and container display.

My submission for that particular year, I brought in a mini lighted Christmas tree and placed each set of my cookie presents under the tree.

 

My cookie box presents were inspired and designed around the 3D tea bag boxes that can be found by many creators online. I took the online inspirations and made some adjustments to the size of the box to fit the size of my packaged cookies. Each of the cookies were individually placed in a little bag along with a tea bag and a little Ande’s chocolate mint. I placed the stamped bag topper onto the baggie and stapled them individually shut. The lid came off so each individually wrapped cookies slid inside.  For each treat you would simply pull it out of the box for a little cookie, mint and tea time. I was really pleased with how these came out. There were a lot of great entries that year, but guess what? I won the prize for best cookie container/display that year.

I found a good tutorial over at Splitcoast Stampers, If you are interested in how to make these tea bag dispenser boxes.

Hosting a Holiday Cookie Exchange (Swap)

Determine which date you will host your cookie exchange. Keep in mind that December is typically a very busy month for many people due to holiday parties and gatherings. Because of these busy schedules, consider hosting the event at the beginning of December rather than closer to Christmas. Other things to consider is that weeknights are not typically as busy as the weekends because so many people work during the week, so keep all of these things in mind when deciding which date is best.

Logistics.
Determine the time and length of your event and how many guests you want to have in attendance, based on the amount of space you have available. If you are offering activities other than just the cookie exchange you will want to make sure there is enough room to enjoy the scheduled activities. Ask yourself if you will you be providing a full meal, appetizers, or just punch and simple nibbles.

If you are offering activities, what kind of activities will you offer?
Certainly you could play some Holiday themed games, sing songs, etc.
As creative individuals it’s always a fun idea to offer a make and take project that each of your guests can create and then end the event with the cookie exchange. This has always been a fun event for me in the past. Have guests bring their personal crafting tools.

Will you be offering prizes for best tasting cookie or any other feature of the exchange? If so, make sure your guests know so they can plan to bring their best game…

Consider setting a theme for your event.

Send Out Invitations. Whether you send out traditional invitations, make phone calls, send texts or create a special Facebook invitation page, it’s important to give enough lead time for people to sign up so that you can determine how many cookies each participant will need to make. Let the guests who have given a R.S.V.P to you, know as soon as possible, how many cookies are needed.

NOTE:
Typically guests make a dozen cookies for every attendee, but due to more and more people being so busy, it has become popular to request a half dozen cookies for larger group attendance.

Let invitees know what they can expect during the event hours. Will food/snacks be provided? What drinks will be offered? Other than the cookies for the exchange is there anything else that attendees need to bring? Will it be a potluck as well?

Have each participant bring the cookie recipe of their creation. This is always a favorite of attendees, because inevitably someone wants to know how to make a certain batch of cookies.

Create guidelines.
Experience shows that setting some cookie exchange guidelines and rules is important.  These are not intended to be a downer on the event, but are intended to prevent any possible issues going forward. Here are some suggestions for your consideration (word them how you feel most comfortable):
– cookies should be made from scratch (no boxed or store bought dough or cookies are allowed).
– if you sign up for the cookie exchange you must follow through – everyone is depending on you following through with your commitment.
– if something happens and you can’t make it to the day of the event, make sure your bring your cookies ahead of time.
– each batch of cookies should be packaged separately.

Ideas for event set-up.
Make a list of every task that needs to get done for the day of your event. Mark things off as they are completed. This will help you stay on track

I’ts OK to keep your holiday decorations to a minimum This can help keep the holiday rush and stress to a minimum as well.

Set aside a special display table for the guest to place all of their cookies. The table should be a large enough area for all guests to place their cookies on when they arrive.

Do as much food and drink prep and set up as possible.  Prepare as many items as possible in advance. If some of your nibble items are in the freezer, set a reminder to pull them out in time

Consider asking your bestie to be a helper on the day of the event so you can do some of the last minute items that can’t be done ahead of time. Your friend can help greet and welcome guests and get them comfortable when they arrive.

The most important thing to remember when hosting a Christmas Cookie Exchange is…HAVE FUN and enjoy yourself alongside your guests.

 

With the Christmas and gifting holidays just around the corner there is so much that needs to get done. Holiday decorations need put up, getting the holiday cards completed and sent out and of course gift shopping. I have found that even if I know what I am gifting to my immediate family and friends there are always times when I want special simple gifts for co-workers, a visit to or from a friend, or for the host when attending a holiday party and other unexpected gifting needs.

One of my favorite go-to crafted gifts are created with Mason Jars. There are so many different ways that these can be used to create quick and simple gifts. They can be used for a variety of gifting themes. In this post I am sharing some ideas that I discovered while scouting around online, that I think would make great gifts that can be put together ahead of time so you can have them readily available throughout the season to give to others.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Christmas Potpourri

First up in this Mason Jar gift giving roundup up is something that will bring the fresh and rustic aroma of Christmas into the home without the full fuss of baking dozens of cookies to give away (however, there ain’t nothing wrong with a delicious batch of cookies, don’t ya know).

The details for this yummy smelling gift can be found at Yellow Bliss Road. Kristen, the founder of the site also provides an adorable printable that you can print out at now cost. I believe this is a unique gift that would be greatly appreciated to bring festive cheer to those who receive it.

Mason Jar Candy Wraps

This cutie was added to the list because it showcases a quick and easy gift that doesn’t take a lot of time to make and readily have available when needed. Laura from momenvy.co also provides fun printables that you can print and add to your creations. Though these don’t necessarily showcase as a Chritmas time gift due to the color scheme, simply pick up Christmas colored candies and a ribbon around the jar lid/neck to give it more of a holiday themed present. To make these a little bit more budget friendly due to the price of chocolate, consider using smaller jars. The thoughtfulness of this simple gift will be well received, because, well who doesn’t like having a bit of chocolate when the craving arises.

Winter-Fresh Air Freshner

Just the thought of smelling the Wintery Freshness of this air freshner brings happiness to my smell buds. Though this particular project may take a wee bit more time to prepare, I think the end result will be welcomed by anyone who it’s gifted to. These freshners are made with essential oils so I imagine the aroma will be amazing. It is mentioned that because the oils aren’t being diffused they are best for using in smaller areas to be most effective.  I would suggest that you make a little tag to add to the jar with the simple tips on how to best use these and refresh the aroma as needed.

Melissa from Shaken Together Life shares all the ingredients needed to make these scented jars. Make sure you click on the additional link that also gives you an idea on how to make a Cinnamon Orange freshner as well.

Source: www.shakentogetherlife.com

Gift Card and Candy Holder

This idea is more of a unique way to wrap a gift card using quilted mason jars. I think this is a fun way to tease the gift inside. As you can see this takes two separate smaller mason jars, which will add cost to the gift, but, wouldn’t this be a fun way to wrap and give this to a special friend? I know I would giggle with excitement if this was presented to me.

Jen Causey from Something Turquoise provides step by step pictures as a tutorial on how to create these adorable gift card holders.

 

Gift Jar For Scrapbookers

This showcase of ideas wouldn’t be complete without a gift jar for crafters. The adorable jar showing below was created using scrapbooking supplies, but of course could be re-created using a variety of craft goodies pending the receivers craft of choice.  I love this idea, because it could easily be created using basic craft tools supplies from your own stash that you could gift to a fellow crafter.

Michele from The Craft Shoppe Blog offers simple tips on putting this fun gift together. She indicates that a special lid was used as a replacement for the standard mason jar lid, but has a link to another post on how you can add a little bauble and create a unique jar lid.

Hoping these ideas will inspire you to pick up some Mason Jars and create some gifts that you can make ahead of time so you can be prepared for unexpected guests or make those intentional gifts for loved ones.

Wishing you a Wonderful Holiday Season!

I’ve taken on a Challenge and I couldn’t be more excited!

I Dare Ya! I Double Dog Dare Ya! Do you remember saying that as a kid when you were challenged to do something that made you a little bit scared or heck….A LOT scared? It seems that we form our responses to those dares quite early.

I sadly was not one to always take on dares or challenges when I was younger, because of my fears. I ultimately have no real idea what those fears were. I imagine they were about not wanting embarrass myself or looking foolish, so I would opt to not take on a lot of dares/challenges. As I got a bit older and a bit more BOLD I started to be a bit more brave and take on some of those Double Dog Dares. Simply put, to “double dog dare” someone is to challenge them emphatically or defiantly, to take on the “challenge”.

Remember This Movie?

I chuckle a bit, because this reminds me of the Holiday Time Movie: A Christmas Story. If you’ve seen this then you may recall that in one scene, before class two of the characters ague over what would happen if someone stuck their tongue to a frozen flag pole. One of the kids is dared/challenged to stick his tongue to the pole to find out. It starts out with a Dare and quickly becomes a Triple Dog Dare.

All rights to this video go to WarnerBros.

Though this “Triple Dog Dare” did not necessarily have a great outcome, it does show that without taking on a challenge you just may never know what your outcome may be.  Taking on new challenges or dares can make us stronger and Bolder.

Challenge Made – Challenge Accepted

I’m super excited to be participating in a Marketing Challenge offered by my business coach, Kelly McCausey. Kelly is instrumental in getting me off my behind to work towards building dreams I have been only talking about for quite some time. In fact she is the cornerstone for many individuals wanting to throw their hat into the entrepreneurial ring.

Creativity Found Everywhere

So why am I sharing this here in our creative space?

Creativity can be found in all aspects of our lives. For too long I’ve allowed myself to be intimidated and overwhelmed to learn about how YouTube works as a source to share my creativity.

So, I have decided to take on the challenge of starting a YouTube channel for Create Scout, which will afford me more opportunities to reach out and share amazingly beautiful creative projects, ideas and tutorials with all of you.

This Stretch Yourself Challenge offers live interactive training that meets regularly. If this intrigues or interests you, please click this Stretch Yourself Challenge link (yes it is an affiliate link), or if you have questions, please reach out to me. I would love to help support you in your dreams as well.

I will certainly be making updates on how my challenge is going. Wish me success!

Hugs!
Lynn

Not all paper is created equal. However, knowing the differences between your available paper choices and how those choices effect your finished product can be invaluable knowledge.

As crafters, we don’t need to necessarily know all things about all paper types. But, having a basic understanding of the weights and quality of paper types can help. Knowing some basic attributes of paper options can give you an extra portion of satisfaction when choosing the best type of paper needed for making your creations.

So, let’s get started with some basic paper differences…

Cardstock VS. Construction Paper

Features of Construction Paper

Has a slightly rough surface due to the main source material being wood pulp which is often visible on the paper’s surface. This type of paper was originally used to make paper bags to store sugar, so is often referred to as sugar paper.

This type of paper is thicker than the average printer paper and comes in a variety of colors and used for a variety of general crafting projects.

Though it is thicker than printer paper, it is a bit more fragile and not as durable as cardstock and does not have the strength and durability needed to make quality hand stamped card bases that hold up.

Uses of Construction Paper

Used for layering and other card making elements, but is just not a good fit for a card base.

A staple in art classrooms and widely used for children’s crafts across the country.

Has different weights and styles. If interested in a few more details on the differences on the two types of Construction Paper, sizing and weights, visit here.

Distinguishing Features of Cardstock

• Sometimes referred to as cover stock
• Stronger and thicker than construction paper, but is not as thick as cardboard.
• Comes in a variety of textures, patterns and finish types.
• Distinguished by its weight, fiber, color, finish and size.
• Interchangeably spelled as one or two words.
• Biggest distinguishing factor between cardstock and other types of paper is the weight.

The WiseGeek.com explains that paper manufacturers use several indicators to describe paper weight:

Manufacturers describe paper in several ways: using point sizes that measure the thickness of a single sheet in thousandths of an inch; and by “basis weight,” a measurement in pounds of the weight of 500 sheets of the standard size of the paper. The size of different types of paper is not always consistent, however, making comparisons by “basis weights” complicated. Many manufacturers consider the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) paper industry standard the most consistent way to compare paper weights. The ISO measures weight in grams per square meter (gsm). Using this measurement system makes it much easier for customers and manufacturers to recognize cardstock and compare various types of paper.

Ultimate Guide To Cardstock (PDF link below)

After researching for quality information to explain and understand the complicated world of paper, I discovered an online paper and printing company, The Paper Mill Store .

They created a comprehensive 5 Part mini training called The Ultimate Guide to Cardstock. Don’t feel you need to read the series of posts line by line (unless you want to). The more nuggets of information you know could help you become a stronger paper crafter.

Here is an outline along with the post links for your crafting edification and knowledge:

• Part 1: Introduction to Cardstock – explains difference between cardstock and cover stock
• Part 2: Weights and Sizes – defines paper weights (this is probably the most important post of the series to take note of)
• Part 3: Finishes and Colors – takes a close look at the differences between textures and types of papers
• Part 4: Printing and Finishing Services – valuable if you are wanting to print digital images, digital stamps, digital scrapbooking papers and more
• Part 5: Uses for Cardstock – This post shares some great comparisons for which paper type to use for your different projects

Ultimate Guide to Cardstock overview page with valuable printables

Ultimate Guide to Cardstock PDF – I strongly suggest printing this out and using for future reference.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Hugs!
Lynn

In my lifetime, I have to admit I have found myself in many a meeting and or workshop trying to stay attentive and then my mind and attention span simply started to wander away thinking about anything other than what I was supposed to be listening to.  Admittedly this has happened to me if the topic or speaker has been agonizingly boring as well as a a topic or speaker I was truly interested in listening to. When my mind has had enough and is tired…it just turns off.

If correct, I’m pretty sure you may have experienced something similar, correct?

So when this happens, we instinctively look for ways to stay awake and find that our hand begins scribbling random things on a piece of paper in front of us? Right? Doodling can indeed help keep us from falling asleep, or keep us from staring ahead when our brain and attention span has turned off.

Generally a Doodle is a rough drawing or a scribble we do absent mindedly.
Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines, generally without ever lifting the drawing device from the paper, in which case it is usually called a “scribble”.

Doodles are created in a variety of different styles such as Mandalas, Doodle Art, Zentangles, and Zendoodling. Each style or type has its own specific characteristics and forms and all are equally beautiful!

Doodling is the easiest way to reconnect with your creative side. It’s fun, easy and cheap. You can do it anywhere, even if all you have is a pen and scratch paper. But it does more than just stimulate you artistically.

7 Benefits of Doodling and How to Get Started

Though sometimes doodling can be a last-ditch attempt at staying awake and keep you from falling asleep, studies have proven that this form of fidgeting has real life benefits, not only during those sleepy/boring moments, but also in your day to day life.

Doodling has been proven to relive stress and tension. It also improves memory and can make it easier for you to focus. Best of all, it can leave you feeling relaxed and revitalized.

In her blog, Marelisa from Daring To Live Fully, states that:

Doodles are spontaneous uncensored marks that are made quickly and can take many forms, from abstract patterns or designs to images of concrete objects. However, these marks are far being the mindless scribbles of a distracted mind. Doodling has cognitive and emotional benefits.

7 Benefits of Doodling

1. 1. Doodling Helps You Concentrate.
   2. Doodling Can Help Spur Creative Insight.
   3. Doodling Can Help Process Emotions.
   4. Doodling Alleviates Stress.
   5. Doodling Can Be A Creative Outlet.
   6. Doodling Can Help You Learn Better.
   7. Doodling Helps Big-Picture Thinking.

How exciting! We now have official permission to doodle during boring meetings and long workshops to help us concentrate, alleviate some stress, and help us to learn. LOL!

Learning some basic doodling techniques can help make your doodling time more enjoyable. Below are some tips that Marlesa (mentioned above) shares on how to get started doodling.

How to Start Doodling

1. Learn the 12 Basic Shapes. 
2. Use Stencils.
3. Follow Along With a YouTube Video.
4. Get a Doodling How-to Book (see list below).

Choose Books to Guide You

When it comes to doodling, you can grab a sheet of paper and start right now. But it can also be helpful to use doodling books. These are books filled with designs and doodles that will inspire your own pen.

The Notebook Doodle Go Girl! activity book is a written for the tween in mind, but I feel there are some really good things that the novice doodler of all ages can learn. Combining lettering and simple outline drawing art doodles can offer a great creative outlet. Think about learning to doodle letters and combine them with fun flowers and color them with bright joyful colors and add them to a card front. This would be a wonderfully creative way to share joy with others as well as yourself.

You can learn how to mix and match different patterns to create stunning images. Begin with a book like Zentangle by Jane Marbaix or Zendoodle: The Art of Mediation through Drawing

Zendoodle: The Art of Mediation through Drawing by Ardely Dorn. If you’d like to commit to doodling daily, then you might like One Zentangle A Day: A 6-Week Course in Creative Drawing by Beckah Krahula.

Use Prompts to Inspire You

Once you’ve spent some time learning more about the art of doodling, try out a few prompt books. The ideas on these pages will get your hand moving and are simple enough that you can enjoy a quiet conversation or listen to a conference call while working.

A good one to start with is Draw, Doodle, Design by Parragon Books. It contains hundreds of prompts and the high-quality pages are perfect for markers, pencils, crayons, and more. Another beloved title is Creative Doodling & Beyond by Stephanie Corfee. You can practice your doodles inside the book, making it easy to implement each prompt.

Doodle with Different Tips

You can doodle with just about any pen or pencil you want to. But make sure to choose one that has a comfortable grip and doesn’t smear as you draw.

A gel pen might have a vibrant color but if it leaks all over your work, it can be upsetting.

You also want to pay attention to the size of the pen tip that you’re using. Ultra-fine tips give more control and make your lines thinner, perfect for doodling small objects. Bigger tips will give you thicker lines and can be great for doodling with bold swipes. Get a set of pens with a variety of nib sizes like this versatile Sakura 30062 6-Piece Pigma Micron Ink Pen Set.

Doodling with Purpose

Once you’re done with your doodle, don’t think you have to throw it away or keep it locked away in your desk drawer. Instead, challenge yourself to use your doodles in new and exciting ways.

You could take the bird you doodled and turn it into a card for a sick friend. Try putting the heart you doodled into your child’s lunchbox, along with a quick note. You can even take your doodles and use them to mod podge an old item.