Dollar Tree Small Frame/Stand with Clip and FREE Printables

 

I found this darling little stand/frame at the Dollar Tree and knew that I needed it. I thought about painting it but decided to leave it as it was. If I remember right, they had both a black and white one too. All I did was change out the bow.

I then made some cute calendars and quote pages on my computer. They are in this free download. Get them HERE or click on the Freebies tab up top.

The calendars are blank so you can use them year after year. Just write in the dates.

Do the calendar only, the quotes only or mix them together for a fun little desk accent piece.

You can print them on cardstock or any paper of your choice. I just printed mine on regular printer paper.

Have fun and enjoy!

•  These are for personal use only and may not be shared with others. Instead, please send them to my Etsy shop (link is below).

•  You MAY sell items you create using these images.

•  You MAY NOT alter and/or resize images.

•  You MAY NOT resell these images as they are now or claim them as your own.

Cleaning Pine Cones

 Even though we're right in the midst of the "dog days of summer", my mind is always thinking ahead towards Fall and Winter crafts! This past week my husband and I went on vacation to South Dakota! The Black Hills are beautiful and I found lots of pine cones. Well, my hubby got them for me.. I was just in flip flops *giggle*

Anyway, we brought the cones home but I knew I needed to clean them. I didn't want any stray bugs in my house *eek* So, I took them to my back porch and grabbed a few things.

I put about a cup of white vinegar and about 1-2 teaspoons of dish soap in a bucket then filled it up with water. I put all the pinecones in and had to keep stirring to submerge them all. I set a timer for 30 minutes and let them soak. I did stir them occasionally.

After they soaked, I let them air-dry a bit just on the sidewalk. I then took them inside and placed them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. I put them in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. I checked them a couple times. I hadn't ever done this before and didn't want to start a fire!

Now, once they're really wet, they close up all the way. They're not as pretty this way and I really hoped that I didn't ruin them. 

After baking for 30 minutes, I decided to keep them in the oven for another 30 minutes. After that, I took them out and just let them sit on the pan for a while. They hadn't started to open up yet and I was a little worried. They weren't completely dry yet either.

So, I let them sit there for a few hours and I could then see they were starting to open up. Phew! I tried to set them up on the bottoms as best I could. They weren't opening up as well on the side they were laying on. If the bottom wasn't flat enough, I leaned it up against the sides of the pan.

After a few more hours (and especially in to the next day) they were completely dry and had opened up. They're so cute and now they're ready for my Fall/Winter crafting. I've got a few things in mind for them. It'll be fun. I only wish we would've grabbed more!!

From Amazon Packing Paper to Crinkled Vintage Printable

 You know all that packing paper we get in our Amazon packages?! Well, I decided to experiment and see if it could be useful. It was and it is!!

I tore off a piece larger than an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. Then I scrunched it up really tight. I opened it some and scrunched it up differently.

I then, opened it up and flattened it out some with my hands. I placed some parchment paper on top and ironed it.

I cut it to 8.5" x 11" and then I taped it to a piece of printer paper. If you try this, make sure the top is taped well and both sides so the paper doesn't move or get jammed up in your printer.

And voila! How cute is this?!?! It will be great for decoupage projects. Now, I just got to decide what surface I'll be putting these on ;) I'll have some Spring images (tulips, bunnies and roses) available as a digital download listing in my ETSY SHOP soon!!

Time to start thinking "Back to School"

 I remember when my kids were small, about this time of summer, I was always thinking of what I had to buy for school, who needed what, how I was going to prepare and to top it all off - let's do Teacher Gifts too!! *sigh*

But here is a 13-page .PDF file packed with teacher gift ideas, teacher appreciation gifts and also "First Day Of" signs for grades K-6. Makes it super easy for you! Click HERE to see this bundle. And be sure to check out the links below the picture to find other school gift ideas and water-resistant stickers!

Teacher Water-Resistant Stickers

My Etsy Shop

FREE Christmas Bookmarks and Instructions

Here is another Christmas in July FREEBIE for ya :)

Click on the "Christmas in July" tab up top. There you'll find a link to download a .PDF of the bookmarks. It is one page and there are 8 on the page. There's also instructions and measurements of how I made mine below.

3 new Christmas listings!

 

Here are 3 Christmas listings I just added to my Etsy shop just in time for “Christmas In July”. I know it’s early to think about Christmas but why not?! It’s better to get things made and ready early instead of stressing about it last minute! Links are below the pictures!

Christmas Photo Booth Props - https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/listing/1754208773/christmas-photo-props-christmas-photo

DIY Christmas Gift Book For Mom, Dad, Sister and Brother - https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/listing/1740461306/christmas-gift-book-gift-for-dad-gift

Christmas Card DIY Kit - https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/listing/1738578634/christmas-card-diy-kit-make-your-own

#christmasinjuly #christmasprintables #etsyprintables #papercrafts #papercrafting

New Tutorial Listed on Etsy - Jr Legal Pad Cover/Folio

 Hey I just made this sturdy and handy jr. legal pad cover and folio and made up a tutorial for it as well. The tut comes with exact measurements, lots of pictures, detailed instructions, all the phrases/quotes and 12 months of blank 4.5" x 3" calendars!

I love writing up tutorials to the things I create and I sure hope it comes in handy to someone out there ;)

Click HERE to visit the listing!!

Birthday/Christmas Gift Card Album Book

Click HERE to visit the Etsy listing!

 This is a super great gift card book printable using a Dollar Tree 4” x 6” photo album and this printable. There are 29 pages total of a wide variety of places you can purchase gift cards from and adhere to the corresponding pages. You can make it up for Christmas gifts or Birthday gifts.

There are two birthday covers and two Christmas covers to choose from. There’s also a To and From page that has plenty of room to write your greeting/nice note on.

Each page is created using high-resolution graphics and vivid colors. There is something for everyone! You choose what pages you want to use and just how many of each. Maybe you want two or more of the Amazon gift card page. Do it! Maybe you have no need for the pet grooming page, so just skip that one. It’s up to you!

They would also make great Birthday cards and/or Christmas cards if you just want to give one gift card to someone.

All you need to do is buy one of the 4” x 6” plastic photo albums from the Dollar tree and print off your pages. Cut out and slide into each of the page slots. Write your nice greeting, purchase the various gift cards and voila! You’ve got a great gift!! Some are more geared for “Gifts for Her” but most can be used for both him/her and/or families too!

Included in this 15 page .PDF file:

• 29 gift card pages ( places such as - eating out, soda, coffee, movie, pets, cash, Amazon cart, donut, new outfit, new shoes, self care, cookie, pizza, new book, gasoline, groceries and MORE)

• 2 Christmas covers to choose from

• 2 Birthday covers to choose from

• A Gift Card Poem page for inside front cover

• A To/From page with space for writing a greeting (in both Christmas and Birthday)

New 3.5" x 5" Notepad and Calendar Folio Tutorial

 I just added a new tutorial to my Etsy shop. I used a 3.5" X 5" notepad (3 to a pack) from the Dollar Tree. It is a refillable one. I also made blank 3" x 4" calendars to print off and add inside as well. It has a pocket, and a decorative velcro flap on top. I also included a lot of phrases for the top flap and/or inside pocket flap. I hope you'll take a look :) 

Just click HERE to see the Etsy listing!

Paper Crafting DIY Tutorials I've Written

I love playing with paper! There are so many beautiful styles and the possibilities are endless. Paper-crafting for me, is therapeutic and relaxing. Maybe it is for you as well.

(This tutorial pictured above will be forthcoming)

I use others’ ideas and tutorials but I especially enjoy coming up with my own creations. Then I write a tutorial up to offer in my Etsy shop in hopes others will find them useful and enjoyable. Below are some of my most recent DIY paper crafting tutorials I’ve written. I do hope you will check them out.

DIY Chunky Scripture Advent Pocket Book

DIY Calendar and Mini Composition Cover/Folio

4.5” x 6.5” Album Folio With Lots of Pages/Pockets

4.5” x 7.5” Waterfall Page Photo Album/Brag Book

Skinny Notepad and Calendar Cover/Folio

Teacher Appreciation Sticky Notepad Cover

Sticky Note Calendar Easel Stand

Matchbook-Style Mini Photo Album

Stickers Galore!!

 Do you love placing stickers on water bottles, laptops or other fun things? I’ve got lots of stickers in my Etsy shop. I’ve had a ball making them lately! I’ve got hedgehogs, llamas, geese, succulents, flowers, sloths and Virgin River stickers for starters… I’ll be making more. They are water-resistant and have a protective laminate overlay.

Below are links to the ones I have so far!

Hedgehogs: https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/.../sloth-water-resistant...

Floral/Inspirational: https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/.../floral-water...

Succulents: https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/.../floral-water...

Silly Goose: https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/.../goose-water-resistant...

Virgin River: https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/.../virgin-river-water...

Llamas: https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/.../llama-water-resistant...

Hedgehogs: https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/.../hedgehog-water...

#stickers #virginriver #hedgehogs #llamas #sloths #succulents

Christmas Ornaments Using Walmart Wood Tags

 It's not too early for Christmas, is it? ;) When you're a crafter, you just have to make things all year long to have enough inventory for craft fairs in the fall. I made two of these today and will be making more. I think they're so pretty and the possibilities are endless. I still haven't decided how to embellish them... something rustic, I'm sure!

I bought the unfinished wood tags at Walmart. They measure about 4.5" x 7" and the inner, raised part measures just shy of 4" x 6.5". I printed these rustic images on Mulberry paper. It really gives it a vintage feel, I think.

I then mod podged them on to the middle part (making sure to get right to the edges) and let them dry. 

Once they were dry, I lightly sanded the edges to get all the extra mulberry paper off. This is when you would normally put a top coat of mod podge on but I didn't want the shiny look of that so I opted to go without. I really like it this way. I then painted the edges black. I was going to stain them a dark brown and will probably do some like that in the future.

Once dry, I sanded the edges to make them look more worn because that is the look I like, but it is optional, of course. After that, I took my sharp exacto-knife and cut the paper out of the circle. I then put some macrame cord in and that's it so far!! I will put some greenery, vintage ribbon of some kind and some rusty bells on later!!

Grandma Tees

 I just love the two Grandma tees I've recently designed and added to Etsy. Hope you do as well :) I posted them to my FACEBOOK PAGE so that is what the words THIS and THAT are on them. Click each picture to view the Etsy listing!

Darling Skinny Notepad Cover/Folios

 I took some 5" x 8" Junior legal pads to a local copy store and had them cut them at the 1" mark and the 2" mark. So I have two 2" long pads and one 1" pad. I will post later what I decide to do with the 1" pads but for this, I used the 2" pads.

I made these darling cover or folios for them. I wrote up a tutorial with lots of pictures, exact measurements and detailed instructions on how to make them. You should try it out ;) It's super fun! I'm making a bunch for a craft show. You can purchase the digital tutorial HERE

Mini matchbook-style photo album or folio

 I love how this turned out. It works up fairly quick but writing the tutorial was a little time-consuming ;) That's okay though! I've got it finished and it's added to my Etsy Shop!

Wouldn't this be fun to add small photos and notes to? Maybe some fun ephemera and/or decorative paper clips and added pockets. Would be so cute in a junk journal!! Would be fun in just about any paper design - Even Christmas would be darling!! I used Stampin' Up! paper and cardstock but you could use anything you have on hand. 

So check out my tutorial (digital download) by clicking HERE!

New Freebie - Reading Bookmarks/Reading Logs

 Hey, I just added some cute printable reading bookmarks to keep track of all the books you'll read this year. There's a variety of styles and comes in a .PDF file. Click on the FREEBIES tab above and click on the download link there. Enjoy!

Llama Lovers!

 Hello and Happy Tuesday! I've been loving playing with llamas lately and if you love them too, then check out these mugs and tees with adorable llamas!

https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/listing/1659351802/easily-distracted-by-llamas-unisex

https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/listing/1657288405/im-a-llama-fun-ceramic-mug-15oz-llama

https://mywhimsicalday.etsy.com/listing/1643108168/llama-lover-ceramic-mug-15oz-just-a-girl

#llamalover #llamas #llamatees #llamafan #ilovellamas #llamasonetsy #llamamugs

Christmas Clearance in my Etsy Shop

 Today through January 28th, I'm running 25% OFF on all my Christmas clipart and shirts!! Get these low prices while you can!

Click HERE to visit my shop!

Christmas Santa Tags - FREE Printable

 I needed new gift tags so I made some today. I love this little Santa graphic. He is so cute ;) I printed them and cut them out.

I then rounded the corners but if you'd rather, you can leave the square corners. Once cut, they measure 2" x 3". I cut out cardstock in greens and red at 2.25" x 4". Rounded those corners as well. Glued them on and then cut diagonals out of each top corner.

I then punched holes in the tops and threaded baker's twine in them. Super cute, don't you think? I love how they turned out! Click UNDER the picture below to download the free template with cut lines.

DOWNLOAD CHRISTMAS SANTA GIFT TAG

Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas!

Five Minute Weekly Journal

 Five Minute Weekly Journal

I sold a lot of these at the craft fair this past week. In fact, they all sold out and I wish I had made more ;)

I designed the pages and there's lots of cool journaling prompts and places to write goals for the upcoming week and also places to look back at the week prior and what you might've learned.

I think anything that helps us draw closer to the Savior is a win! If you want to make your own, I have the templates and complete instructions in my Etsy shop! Click HERE to check it out!