The Winter Blahs

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a TADA! weekend,

and for you sports fans out there,

a super Super Bowl Sunday.

Today, let's talk about the

weather, shall we?

Where I live, it's been snowing every week.

And while falling snow is just magical,

mountains of dirty snow are forming

on every sidewalk, the roads are

slippery and it's freezing!

This is not Alaska.

It's the Hudson River!

{The seagulls don't seem to mind.}

Since it's too cold to play outdoors,

I'll tell you how I turn this

blah situation into a TADA!

I make me some hot chocolate!

I poured it into a bowl so

both my hands are warmed

when I take a sip.

TADA!

This is one of my favorite brands.

It's thick, rich and not too sweet.

And what's hot chocolate without

marshmallows?

These ones from Trader Joe's

just have the right hint of mint!

Have a wonderful day!

Please Send a Valentine

I'm thinking that many of you dismiss Valentine's Day as just an ordinary day. I'm with you on that one, I must admit. I don't expect flowers or an evening on the town. But I don't mind sending out Valentine cards. Especially if it's for a worthy cause.

As I've told you last Monday, ETSY and Citymeals-on-Wheels will share the love to elderly New Yorkers by providing hot & healthy meals, heart-warming greeting cards and friendly fellowship. This project is called:

And ETSY wants us to join in! All we need to do is to make a card (or more) and send these to the ETSY Office. You'll find all the details and FAQs here.

I've been taking advantage of my time indoors (due to the wild winter), turning blah materials into TADA! greeting cards. I just can't stop! In my mind, I imagine that an elderly lady or gentleman's day will be brightened because of something simple as a Valentine card.

Here are the new ones I made:

Using gift wrap scraps

Reusing brown paper circles that once held truffles

Look what shiny stickers & a silver pen can make!

Plain card stock + decorative puncher = TADA!

If you have some time, please make a Valentine card

{enlist the whole family, too!} and send these

to ETSY by February 9, 2011.

It will make you feel good, I promise!

Have a crafty weekend!

Warm & Fuzzy Heart

Howdy lovelies! For those of you sending cards or handmade gifts for Valentine's Day, I've been sharing a few ideas since Monday. I hope these will give you that spark of inspiration to create that special something for your special somebody.

Cardboard boxes, whether big or small,

I encounter them every day.

What a blah.

But when I was reading through Patricia's blog,

A Little Hut, I was hugely inspired!

She made these wrapped hearts

out of cardboard.

So pretty, I had to try:

Cut some hearts out of the cardboard.

Maybe you'd like to use Patricia's

heart template for rounder edges.

Hot glue one end of the yarn to the cardboard.

Keep wrapping the yarn around & around...

...until the entire piece is covered in yarn.

Neatly hot glue the end of the yarn to

the cardboard to keep it from unfurling.

TADA! An ornament for your

home or office.

Or one that you can give away.

Or one to embellish a card or gift with.

Hooray!

Oh-rigami!

Okay, here I am again, reusing pages from an old magazine.

Blah

Cut them into squares

{these are 6 inches by 6 inches}

TADA! Turn them into these paper origami vases!

Add a witty one-liner.

Then add something small & sweet

like these chocolate balls.

Or turn the paper vase into a basket by

hot gluing some ribbon.

Add a little toy like a rubber frog

{he might just turn into a prince!}

You can also use gift wrap remnants or

origami paper for a touch of color.

Throw in a few kisses.

Or tuck in some handmade paper flowers.

Wasn't that TADA!?

Heart on a Stick

It's the first day of February & Valentine's is just

around the corner. So I'm starting early with some

blah to TADA! ideas for the day of Happy Hearts.

Blah: unused chopsticks from

those evenings when you ordered in

but decided you'd rather use a fork.

I know you have a few lurking in

your kitchen drawer.

Take out the felt

{fabric scraps or old shirts will do}.

Pair them up, secure with pins and

cut them into squares.

Cut the paired-up squares into hearts.

Seal the edges by sewing or with hot glue.

Leave a small opening.

This is where you'll insert some

fiber fill {or cotton from an old pillow}.

Insert one end of the chopstick into

the fabric heart.

Seal the opening with more hot glue.

Add some accessories.

TADA! Hearts on a stick ready to be shared.

Time to Share Some Love

Happy Monday! I'm pretty sure most of you know about ETSY, the wonderful on-line marketplace of all things handmade. Well, I found out that they have this sweet Valentine tradition called:

They've joined hands with Citymeals-on-Wheels to provide nutritious meals, handmade greeting cards and companionship to the elderly in New York City. Isn't that TADA! especially in the brutal winter the East Coast is currently experiencing?

This is where we crafters come in! ETSY needs us to make the Valentine cards. You'll find all the details right here.

I've wasted no time and made a bunch of cards in true blah to TADA! fashion:

These are made from paper remnants

{scrap book paper, gift wrap & magazine pages}

Left over felt turned into miniature pillows

Crafted from felt scraps & string

Cards that double as bookmarks

Little greeters made from cut-out doilies

I hope these have inspired you to make your own Valentine cards for ETSY's Special Delivery Project. You'll never know how you can cheer up so many people with your handmade cards! Truly, these are a gift from the hands and heart. Don't forget, deadline is on February 9, 2011.

I Like 'em Padded

One of the things on my "to buy" list at the office supply

store are padded envelopes. I always have a need

for them throughout the year when I

mail small packages.

But I realized, "Why buy when I can make them?"

Blah No. 1: an old plastic bag in a pretty opaque color.

Blah No. 2: bubble wrap

{I'm reusing these from Christmas packages

& on-line purchases}

Cut the plastic bag & bubble wrap

to the size you need.

The plastic bag has to be bigger than the

bubble wrap {provide a one-inch

border all around}.

Seal three ends of the bubble wrap with

clear tape to form a pouch.

Add some glue on both sides of the

bubble wrap pouch & insert into

the plastic bag.

Gently glide your fingers on the plastic

to help the bubble wrap adhere to the

plastic covering & to prevent air bubbles.

Neatly seal the edges {use glue}.

Leave the top open, trim the sides

and attach some double-sided tape

on the "lip" of the envelope.

TADA! Easy-to-make padded envelopes!

{I think I want to make more in

different sorbet colors!}

Address the envelope using a peel-off label or

write directly on it with a marker.

Insert the gift, greeting card & go ahead and mail it!

Have an excellent weekend!