Quick Gift Tags From All Those Paper Scraps!

I've been making a lot of handmade paper over the last few months as an Arnold Grummer Design Team member. I could never bring myself to throw out my leftover handmade paper scraps from all those wonderful projects, so I decided to turn them into gift tags!

Here's what you'll need to make your own lovely gift tags:

• Scraps from your beautiful handmade paper
• Scissor with decorative edge - I got mine at Hobby Lobby
• "To/From" stamp - Hobby Lobby again : )
• Ink pads
• Double sided tape
• Metallic markers, colored gel pens etc.

Grab your decorative edge scissors and trim some of your handmade paper scraps to just a bit bigger than your stamp. Then trim some scraps just a bit bigger than the ones you just cut. I used a scissor that gives the appearance of a deckle edge once the paper is cut.

Ink your stamp.

And stamp your gift tag.

Now use double sided tape, or a glue stick on the back of the gift tag you stamped, and stick it to the bigger paper scrap you cut. 

And just like that, you've got gorgeous gift tags made from handmade paper scraps. 

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My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey one project at a time, so I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 63 different countries... 

The United States, Israel, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Africa, India, Taiwan, Panama, Serbia, Latvia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

New Zealand, Japan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Chile, 

Romania, Hungary, Portugal, Indonesia, Guernsey, South Korea, Pakistan, Greece, 

Hong Kong, Poland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Ireland, Belgium, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Macedonia, 

and Trinidad & Tobago!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, 

and Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Cookie Mix In A Jar, A Fast & Fabulous Gift!

If the holiday hustle has you on the verge of a panic attack, take a deep breath because My Creative Mommy's got you covered! Everybody likes cookies right? So let's make a quick gift that is simple for you to prepare, visually delicious, and equally as easy to prepare for the lucky person you're giving it to.

Here we go, this is what you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces e.g. M&M's
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins - I used chocolate covered raisins e.g. Raisinets
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart food storage jar e.g. Ball canning jar
• Funnel - I used a paper cup and cut the bottom out
• Fabric
• Raffia, ribbon, yarn

Now, using the funnel (or not - I didn't need a funnel because I used a wide mouth jar), layer the ingredients attractively in any order into your 1-quart food storage jar. Pack each ingredient down a bit before adding another layer. 

I mixed together the flour, baking soda and salt because they're all white, and made them the last layer at the top of the jar. Even though I packed down each layer, I was certain the flour mixture was not going to fit. Trust me when I tell you, it fits. Just pack it down a few times with the back of a spoon as you're pouring it in.

Once your jar is filled, put the lid on tightly. Cover lid with fabric and attach with raffia, ribbon or yarn. You'll need to include an index card with baking instructions. When preparing these wonderful cookies the only additional ingredients needed are butter, eggs and vanilla. The baking instructions are as follows:

• 2/3 cup of butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1 jar Super Chocolate Cookie Mix

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until blended. Add cookie mix to butter mixture and STIR until well blended.
3. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. *I like to use parchment paper - it makes clean up much easier than placing cookies directly on the cookie sheet* Bake 11 to 12 minutes or until almost set (because ovens vary, you may need to adjust the time a little). Let stand on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

*Recipe was adapted from Gifts From A Jar series.

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My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey one project at a time, so I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 59 different countries... 

The United States, Israel, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Africa, India, Taiwan, Panama, Serbia, Latvia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

New Zealand, Japan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Chile, 

Romania, Hungary, Portugal, Indonesia, Guernsey, South Korea, Pakistan, Greece, 

Hong Kong, Poland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Ireland and Belgium!

Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Bird Seed Treats

I've always enjoyed watching the birds, they are so cute and colorful. As the weather grows colder and it gets harder for birds to find food, our family likes to feed them. We have a bird feeder in our front yard that is visible from our kitchen, dining room and a lovely little sunroom we have. We spend A LOT of time in these rooms so the birds are a big part of our everyday life. I hope you'll gather up your family and make these bird seed treats so bird watching can become a part of your life too : )

Here's what you'll need to make Bird Seed Treats:

• Birdseed
• Fresh or dried cranberries
• Peanut Butter
• Slices of bread
• Pine cones
• Cookie cutters
• Ribbon or yarn
• Large (darning) needle

Preheat oven to around 250 degrees Fahrenheit then put several slices of bread on a cookie sheet.

Use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes from slices of bread. Then dry shapes in a warm oven for about 10 minutes. Remove shapes from oven and allow to cool completely. Shapes will feel crisp and light.

Once cool, spread with peanut butter. If there is a peanut allergy in your home, use another nut butter, or even seed butter like sunflower seed butter. 

Now decorate with cranberries, and birdseed by placing directly on the peanut butter covered shapes, or by dipping shapes into a bowl of bird seed. 

Finish off by threading a large needle with ribbon or yarn and pull it through the top of the bird seed treat.

Use any leftover peanut butter, cranberries and birdseed by spreading peanut butter on a pine cone then roll the pine cone in a bowl of birdseed mixed with dried cranberries. Tie a string around the stem of the pine cone and hang with your other birdseed treats.

Birds like to have a safe place like trees and bushes near their food source, just in case they need a quick escape. So keep that in mind when choosing a location for your wonderful bird seed treats. And put them near a window so the whole family can enjoy watching our feathered friends : )

My Creative Mommy is celebrating an exciting milestone this week...six months of blogging! I'm having an amazing time creating weekly projects and writing for you. Your response and support have been like rocket fuel for me and I really appreciate it. 

In just six months My Creative Mommy has accumulated some super cool statistics:

• 58 different countries reading my blog
• 3200 pageviews
• 78 Facebook fans
• 19 followers on Pinterest

Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeMommy and click the "Like" box to become a fan and receive regular updates!

Follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/mycreativemommy

My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey one project at a time, so I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 58 different countries... 

The United States, Israel, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Africa, India, Taiwan, Panama, Serbia, Latvia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

New Zealand, Japan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Chile, 

Romania, Hungary, Portugal, Indonesia, Guernsey, South Korea, Pakistan, Greece, 

Hong Kong, Poland, Slovenia, Lithuania, and Ireland!

Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Happy Thanksgiving, A Recipe, And A Fun Idea!

I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving! 

I know Thanksgiving is an American holiday, and that my blog is read internationally, but I think the premise of Thanksgiving is worthy of worldwide celebration - people coming together with thankful hearts, embracing peace, and sharing good food. 
I'd like to share a wonderfully tasty, and extremely easy breakfast to get your busy Thanksgiving morning off to a healthy start. I'm a big fan of plant-based foods, and this recipe from the Vegetarian Times cookbook, "Everything Vegan" for Slow Cooker Irish Oatmeal is one of my favorites:

Old-Fashioned Irish Oatmeal

Serves 8

There's no question that steel-cut oats are superior in flavor to instant oatmeal, but the extended cooking time, obligatory stirring, and sticky pot to clean can put off even the most loyal oatmeal enthusiast. Using a slow cooker eliminates the stove-top surveillance and mess. Plus, the oatmeal can be kept warm for late risers.

• 4 cups vanilla soymilk
• 1 ¾ cups steel-cut oats
• ½ cup dried cherries, dried cranberries, or raisins
• ½ cup plus 3 Tbs. maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground allspice
• ½ cup blueberries, optional
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans, optional

1. Coat 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine soymilk, oats, dried cherries, 1/2 cup maple syrup, salt, allspice, and 4 cups water in slow cooker. Cook on high 2 to 4 hours.

2. Turn off slow cooker, and stir in 3 Tbs. maple syrup. Add water as necessary to achieve desired thickness. Serve garnished with blueberries and pecans, if desired.

Fun Idea:

Here's an easy to make, absolutely adorable Thanksgiving treat made from Oreo cookies, candy corn, mini peanut butter cups, and chocolate covered malt balls. To put it all together, you can pick up some different color icing in a squeezable tube at any craft store or most grocery stores.

Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeMommy and click the "Like" box to become a fan and receive regular updates!

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My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey one project at a time, so I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 56 different countries... 

The United States, Israel, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Africa, India, Taiwan, Panama, Serbia, Latvia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

New Zealand, Japan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Chile, 

Romania, Hungary, Portugal, Indonesia, Guernsey, South Korea, Pakistan, Greece, 

Hong Kong, Poland and Slovenia!

Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Handmade Paper Gift Card Holder

I'm very excited to bring you this mid-week blog post! This is a blog hop and is a special project for me as an Arnold Grummer Design Team member. I am half way through my six month commitment with the Arnold Grummer Design Team and I'm loving every minute of it. The products are awesome, the folks at Arnold Grummer are super nice and supportive, and working in a design team has really helped me grow as a creative person. I hope when Arnold Grummer's Papermaking Kits & Supplies are ready to do their next design team call, some of you will consider submitting an application. 

*You can win great prizes in this blog hop by scrolling all the way to the bottom of this blog post and visiting (blog hopping)  the other design team members blogs, then post a comment on each blog and become a follower, and that enters you to win! It's that easy.*

Here are the materials you'll need to make a Handmade Paper Gift Card Holder:

• 4 sheets of gorgeous 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch handmade paper
• Template - I'm using a mitten, but a Christmas stocking, snowman, or Christmas tree would look great too!
• Scissor
• Glue
• Pencil
• Sharp sewing needle
• Embroidery thread 
• Gift card

Begin by tracing the template onto the paper of your choice.

Then cut out the pieces of your gift card holder.

Now place your mittens one on top of the other. I chose to use an awl to pre-punch the holes for sewing because handmade paper is very strong and my fingers weren't up to pushing that needle through two pieces of it. 
Use a whip stitch all the way around the outside of the mitten.

When you're finished sewing, you can glue the white collar of your mitten to the top of the mitten. Then punch a hole in the corner, lace some ribbon through it and insert your gift card! 
The gift card fits completely into the Handmade Paper Gift Card Holder, I kept it out a bit so you could see how it looks in the picture : )

Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeMommy and click the "Like" box to become a fan and receive regular updates!

Follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/mycreativemommy

My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey one project at a time, so I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 51 different countries... 

The United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Africa, India, Taiwan, Panama, Serbia, Latvia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

New Zealand, Japan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Chile, 

Romania, Hungary, Portugal, Indonesia, Guernsey, South Korea, and Pakistan!

Many Blessings,

Jana : )

Paper Casting Ornament

For this week's project, I am using paper casting to make an ornament. You can find a great selection of paper casting supplies on the Arnold Grummer website.

Here's what you'll need to make yours:

• Cotton Linter for paper casting
• Paper casting strainer
• Paper casting molds
• Sponge
• Bowl
• Terry cloth towel
• Blender

Tear off enough of the cotton linter squares to cover the image in your mold. Then blend the squares with 3 cups of water in the blender on high for 45 seconds.

Pour blended linter squares through the strainer. Save the water in a bowl for the next cast.

Plop pulp into mold and pat into image. Try to maintain uniform thickness as best you can.

Tilt mold over bowl and press water out of wet pulp with fingers. Yes, my little guy wanted to help even with paint under his fingernails!

Use sponge to remove even more water. Press pulp into every detail. Then blot with a towel to remove the last amount of water.

Now carefully peel cast off of the mold and dry on a flat surface.

You can leave the rough edges, or trim them with a sharp craft knife once dry. You can decorate your paper casting ornament with glitter, colored chalk, paint, or anything you like really. I used glitter while blending the pulp to make my snowflake sparkly. I'll attach a ribbon to the back either with glue, or punch a hole and run the ribbon through it so I can hang it on our Christmas tree!

*Stay tuned for a special mid-week project on November 15th! The Arnold Grummer Design Team is having a blog hop that day and I hope you'll check it out!*



Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeMommy and click the "Like" box to become a fan and receive regular updates!

Follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/mycreativemommy

My goal is to take the whole world on a creative journey one project at a time, so I want to offer many thanks to all my readers in 51 different countries... 

The United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Malaysia, Italy, the Bahamas, the Philippines, Sweden, Egypt, Columbia, the Netherlands, Spain, the Sudan, Turkey, Mexico, Moldova, Denmark, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Africa, India, Taiwan, Panama, Serbia, Latvia, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

New Zealand, Japan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Chile, 

Romania, Hungary, Portugal, Indonesia, Guernsey, South Korea, and Pakistan!

Many Blessings,

Jana : )