Printables: A Mama's Love

Recently, I saw the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time.

My gorgeous friend Brandee holding sweet Baby O, who was born at 28 weeks, weighing 1lb 12 oz.

Her hubby posted on Facebook how much Baby O seems to relax in his mommy's presence and it just reminded me all over again of the strength and power of a parent's love.  A quote came to mind that I'd seen on Pinterest awhile back, and I couldn't resist making this edited photo for her:

As I thought about the quote, I decided that I wanted a copy of it for Little Crafter; something he could put in his room or wherever he wants it to remind him, as I always tell him, that I love him to the moon and back.  Then, I thought that some of you might like to have a copy too or to share it with a friend.  So, here's a printable you can feel free to download; I made it in a variety of colors for you and you can choose from 8x10 or 5x7, whatever you like.  Enjoy!

                       Download 8x10                                                     Download 8x10

                       Download 5x7                                                       Download 5x7

                      Download 8x10                                                       Download 8x10

                      Download 5x7                                                         Download 5x7

Pin It  PS- I'd love for you to help yourself to one or all four of the printables I created, but please respect the privacy of my friend and her family by not pinning or printing her photo.   Thanks, friends!



Guest Postin'

Hey friends!

Today, I'm visiting over at While He Was Napping.  I'm sharing my bird nest baby shower ideas to help Krista prepare for the arrival of her own little miracle!

Come visit!

Festive Placemats

When I saw this Valentine Placemat project from Katydid and Kid, I immediately pinned it and decided Little Crafter and I needed to make it.  Right away.

Literally about two hours after I'd seen it online, we made our own version.  I already had all the supplies I needed here at home, so why wait?  We didn't have any doilies, but I figured scrapbook paper hearts would work just as well...and they did!

Here's ours and how you can make your own

FESTIVE VALENTINE PLACEMAT

Materials:

- transparent contact paper

- scrapbook paper cut into heart shapes {and/or doily hearts}

- glitter {most of ours was provided by our friends at Craftprojectideas.com}

-ribbon

-scissors

STEP 1: Cut a piece of contact paper slightly larger than you want the finished placemat to be and place it sticky-side-up on the table, or in our case, the floor.

STEP 2: Use ribbon to make a border for the placemat by sticking it onto the contact paper in a rectangle shape.

STEP 3: Place hearts wherever you want them to go and gently press down to adhere.  We had to have blue and purple hearts too, since LC is adamant that blue, red, and purple are his three favorite colors.

STEP 4: Sprinkle with glitter.

STEP 5: Remove backing from another piece of contact paper.  Place that second piece sticky side up.  Take your placemat and flip it over, pressing it onto the piece of contact paper.  Rub to get the bubbles out and make sure the two pieces seal.  Trim around the edges.

ENJOY!

Pin It

The beautiful thing about contact paper is that you can easily wipe it clean, it's waterproof, and this placemat is even reversible!  What could be more fun?  And since we had everything we needed, it was free!

I'm actually kind of jealous of Little Crafter...I may have to get him to make one for me!

If you try this, I'd love to see!

Happy Crafting!

Family is Love Wall Hanging

What, oh, what would I do without Pinterest?

Earlier this month, as I was scouting for festive Valentine crafts, I came across a great idea for a wall hanging using wooden hearts, originally from The Peanut Paintshop.

So, Little Crafter and I did what we do best.  We went to Michaels, bought us some wooden hearts, and got out our paintbrushes.

Here's how it turned out, and how you can make your own!

HEART WALL HANGING

MATERIALS:

- wooden hearts

- acrylic paint and brushes

- Sharpie permanent marker

- ribbon

- low temp glue gun

STEP 1: Paint your hearts.  You can use as many or as few hearts as you like; the original had four, ours has three.  We alternated between red and pink, but you do them all the same or you could also use colors more reminiscent of conversation hearts if you like.

STEP 2: Add words.  I used a black Sharpie, although you could paint them too. It's good to decide what you want to say before you buy your hearts so you know you have enough.  Originally, I was going to put one of our names on each of the hearts.  But when I told Little Crafter, he was oddly insistent that it needed to say "Family."  I said, "What about family?"  Together we came up with "Family is love."  How could I say no?

STEP 3: Hot glue hearts onto a strip of ribbon.  I suppose you could measure to make sure they're evenly spaced, but I just eyed it up...close enough!

STEP 4: Glue top part of ribbon so that it forms a loop for hanging.  Tie a separate piece of ribbon around as a bow at the top.  Hang and enjoy!

 This is a fun one because you can personalize it any way you like...colors, ribbon, words, and it can be done entirely as a big girl craft or with the help of little hands who like to paint!

Also, it's pretty inexpensive.  The hearts are about $1 a piece, and I had the ribbon left from when I made my wreath for the front door.  The paint was about $1 a bottle and has already been used for other projects too.  Cheap, easy, quick, and cute...that's right up this artsy mama's alley!

Happy Crafting!

Conversation Hearts Centerpiece

Wanna know what my favorite thing about the Shine on Fridays link parties is?

The way you inspire me.

Here's what I mean.  Today, I made this centerpiece for our dining room table.

Pin It

For about three weeks now, ever since we put the Christmas decorations away and I emptied the ornaments out of my hurricane vase, I've been agonizing over how to festively fill it for this season.  {In case you're new around here, I bought this vase about a year and a half ago, and I redo it every couple of months or so...it's totally cheap, and a fun crafty challenge!  You can read all about it in my Cheap & Easy Centerpieces post.}

Last year, I filled with with the Valentine standard, conversation hearts, plus my white candle.

Which I liked...as did the members of our Bible Study group who kept snacking on them.  You could see considerably more of the candle by the time February was over. 

But I wanted something different this time!

Then, at last week's Shine on Fridays party, I spotted this Conversation Hearts Jar Greene Acres Hobby Farm...

she had written conversation topics on these hearts cut from scrapbook paper and placed them in a jar.

What a great idea!  Immediately, I decided that was the centerpiece I'd been waiting for.  Pretty, festive, and it even provides quality conversation!  So, today I got to work. 

Here's how I made my version:

CONVERSATION HEARTS CENTERPIECE

Materials:

 red and pink scrapbook paper

scissors and black pen

heart shape to trace {optional}

hurricane vase

red filler

candle

STEP 1: The first thing I did was fold my 6x6 scrapbook paper in half, then in half again.

I found a foam heart that was the size I wanted and used that as a cutting guide.

STEP 2: I cut out 20 hearts, then wrote a conversation starter on each one.

Sample ideas:

"I love Mommy/Daddy/Little crafter because..."

"In the spring/summer/fall/winter I love to..."

"The holiday I love best is..."

"Some friends I love to spend time with are..."

"Places I love to go are..."

"The vacation spot I love most is..."

"One thing I love about Jesus is..."

"I love our home because..."

"On weekends, I love to..."

STEP 3: Fill the vase with red tinsel and place candle in the center.  Arrange hearts around the sides.

Quick.  Easy.  Cheap.  My kind of craft!  Although at some point I paid for it all, I feel like this project cost me absolutely nothing because I already had everything on hand from other crafting projects and holidays.

I can't wait to show it to hubby and LC and see how fun our dinner conversation is tonight with the help of our very own "conversation hearts!"  Thanks, Greene Acres Hobby Farm for inspiring me once again {the first time was our cool monster pillows} to actually make something really fun!  And thanks to everyone who links up at our parties and shares great ideas each week!  You never know, your latest project might be someone's newest inspiration!

Happy Crafting!

Shine on Fridays #12!

Happy Friday!

You know what that means...party time!

Last week, we had a whopping 272 projects linked up!

As promised, yes, I did a happy dance when we hit 200

 {with Little Crafter too!}

 ...then we hit 250 and I got really excited!

Here's a look at 5 of the top 10 most viewed links from the party...be sure to stop by Happy Go Lucky to see the others.

How cute is this Love Printable shared by one of my newest bloggy buddies Kelly, from Live.Laugh.Rowe?!  Seems to me I know someone else who recently made a printable using I Corinthians 13 as an inspiration...apparently great minds think alike! :)


Having a chocolate emergency?  Let Making Memories help with this great tutorial; she shows how to be super sneaky and fill a pull tab can with chocolate kisses...it's totally genius!  Check it out!

Cheap Crafty Mama shared a ton of fabulous Valentine's Day Ideas; this one was my favorite.

 I love this DIY Scarf from ...for Lauren and Lauren, and apparently so did you!  It's so fun and stylish!

In her post No Joke About Twine, brand new blogger Kimberly from Colors Mixed Together shows how a little twine put the perfect finishing touch on a chic upcycle.  Stop by to say hi and welcom her to blog-land!


Last week, we also had our first ever party giveaway!
{The winner of the SHINE pendant is Ami Allison; congratulations!}

Kara and I decided that giving things away is so fun we don't want to stop, so this week, Kara is offering one of these awesome year-long journal books she made...take a look!

A Year to Remember One Day at a Time A collection of words, quotes, phrases, and special memories. by K. Harvey | Make Your Own Book

Rafflecopter will walk you through the entry process, just wait for it to load...sometimes it takes a minute or two.

Good luck!

Now, on to the party!

<center><a href="http://oneartmama.blogspot.com/"><img alt="One Artsy Mama" src="http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc86/dancers4life/shine3.png"/></a><center></center></center>

Show off your fabulous creations with us and be inspired by what others have created!

   

Please link up crafts, recipes, home decor, etc.

We can't wait to see what you've been up to lately!!

If you're going to play along with us, pretty please:

- follow both co-hosts via GFC
- grab a party button and put it somewhere on your blog
- have fun and visit some other friends
- no commercial sites

Linking up your photos gives us permission to use them in features on our blogs and Facebook pages.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reader Survey

Hi, friends! Today, instead of "talking" to you, I have a favor to ask...I want you to talk to me! 

In just a little less than two months, One Artsy Mama will be celebrating its first birthday! {ps: I'm looking for lots of folks who might be interested in hosting some birthday bash giveaways...}  Anyway, as I reflect on what this blog does and is, I wanted to get a little input from you.  I know we're all more than a little bit busy, but if you have the time, I'd love for you to fill out this survey.  It would mean a lot!  There's a spot where you can put your name, but that's optional if you prefer to be anonymous.  You can answer all the questions, or just the ones you have opinions about...ie: if you don't link up at the parties and therefore don't have anything to say about them, just skip those questions.I'm looking forward to "hearing" your feedback so that I can make One Artsy Mama even better!  

Valentine Cards...Choices, Choices...

I have a Little Crafter on my hands who is getting VERY excited for Valentine's Day!

We've been crafting up a storm {watch for some fun tutorials coming soon!} and we've also been thinking about what kind of valentine cards he'd like to give to his little buddies.

I was so pleased with how our Christmas cards from Tiny Prints turned out that when I heard they had photo valentine cards, I hurried over to check them out.



I quickly identified my top four favorites, well, actually the ones I thought would be his favorites, then called Little Crafter over to take a look.

First up was this "To Infinity" card...how fun is it to put your face in an astronaut suit?!

Along the same lines, we liked this "To The Moon" card where you can "drive" the rocketship!

My personal favorite was this one with the "Cute Little Monsters"...as much for the inside as the outside!

Ba ha ha...How funny is that?!

But the ultimate winner ended up being this "Dessert Train," since it was Little Crafter's favorite, and they are, after all, his valentines to give out.

I'm not surprised he chose it since he still loves trains, and he's absolutely crazy about lollipops.  He actually suggested taping a real lollipop onto the card as a treat for his friends, which I thought was a great idea!

I can't wait to see Little Crafter's cute little face in there as the engineer!  I think it would be cute to use a profile shot so it looks like he's really driving...

There are lots more Valentine's Day Greeting Cards to choose from, and each one is just as cute as the next! Which one is your favorite?  What kind of valentines are you/your kids going to hand out?

Tiny Prints on Twitter

Tiny Prints on Facebook

Tiny Prints on Pinterest

Five Reasons I'm Smiling

Ok, ok, I admit it.

I'm still pouting.

That dropped touchdown pass followed by a missed field goal that meant my Ravens aren't Super Bowl bound totally bums me out.  I keep telling myself "It's just a game," but so far it isn't working...although this comment from Little Crafter did make me crack up.

LC: "Billy Cundiff missed a field goal.  Next time I will have to do it for him.  How do I get into the TV?"

Classic.  That's the good stuff.  I decided that to cheer myself up and get out of my end-of-the-season funk, I'd focus on five reasons I have to smile today.

5. We had 268 links at this week's Shine On Fridays party!  Yes, that means I did a happy dance...with Little Crafter, no less.

4. Yesterday, while we were having a "treat date" at the local coffeehouse, Little Crafter and I started playing a new game.  It's called "I love you more than..." and it went something like this.

Me: I love you to the moon and back.

LC: I love you to the stars and back.

Me: I love you more than ice cream.

LC: I love you more than cookies.

Me: I love you more than going for treat dates.

LC: I love you more than going for breakfast dates.

Me: I love you more than movies.

LC: I love you more than movies.

Me: I love you more than Elmo.

LC: I love you more than Elmo.

Me: I love you more than Starbucks.

LC: Wow.  That's a lot.

3. I have two couples already signed up to start taking dance lessons in February, and another who is supposed to get back to me with a date!

More and more, I keep feeling God confirming that He is blessing this!  Hooray!



2. A surprise iTunes Gift Card!

A few weeks ago, Tracy from Wickeddreamdesign on Etsy contacted me about doing some wire wrapping for me.  She sent me eight briolettes she wanted to use for making some gorgeous belly button rings.  The holes were reallly tiny, so I had to go get some super-thin wire, but I liked how they turned out.

Apparently, Tracy did too, because she surprised me by sending me an iTunes gift card above and beyond the payment we'd agreed on.  Woohoo!  You know a dancer can always use more music!

1. Baby M.

Remember our good friends, the M family?  Our crafting buddies?
Both Mr. O. and Princess E just celebrated their birthdays and we got to go to a fun monster themed party at their house.  

But the best news is this...their mommy, who was due with baby #3 in April, had an emergency delivery on Monday due to the fact that there was no amniotic fluid left.  Little Mr. Miracle was only 1 lb 12 oz and at 29 weeks gestation, but he started crying and breathing on his own right away!

He's a tiny little guy, which means there's a long road ahead of him and a lot of time in the hospital while he gets big and strong enough to come home, but his mama says he's still doing well.  If you, like me, believe in the amazing power of prayer, please say one {or lots} for this sweet little man and his mama and daddy.  God obviously has big plans for him!

What about you?  What's your reason to smile today?