Tissue Paper Pretties (with Tissue Paper Crafts)

Maybe it’s because my momma's thumb is bright green, but when I think of Mother’s Day, I think of flowers. So even though I've been swooning over Klutz’s dreamy spring offering, Tissue Paper Crafts, since the day it came out, I knew I had to save this cute little kit for this most special occasion.

Thankfully, since Mother's Day is almost here I am finally free to take a crack at some tissue paper crafts! I was practically bouncing with excitement as I peeled back the cover of this pretty pink book to reveal a rainbow of tissue paper to work with. I started small, making a single flower with frilly pink petals. It was so darn cute that I potted up a pale green succulent with a pretty orange flower. But I still wasn't done! I made a colourful flower garland to play "ring around the mirror" and some branches upcycled with delicate white flowers. But the pièce de résistance? A beautiful gold birdcage made from pop-out pieces and a papery little bird to inhabit it!

I am pleased as punch with these tissue paper pretties and I just know my mom will love every one. And when Sunday rolls around, I’ll send her on a treasure hunt around the house to seek out her tissue paper treats!

Happy Mother's Day!

May is for Mothers (with Potholders)

 

Aren’t moms the greatest?

I was flipping through some old pictures and came across this gem -- my mom and I decked out in matching Halloween face paint to go trick or treating one year. Pretty great, huh? That’s my mom! She is happy and brave, and lives life with so much enthusiasm that you kind of can't help but love her. I know I sure do!

Even though Mother’s Day is still a couple of weeks away, I couldn’t wait to get started on her gift. Last year, I made Capsters photo jewelry and a Stamp Art card, but this time I wanted to try something a little different. I gathered up some girls for a Mother’s Day craft session and we made some pretty Potholders. We made ones for moms who like bright neons and pretty pastels, a yummy salsa coloured creation for a foodie mom, and we even made a potholder eyepatch (for the pirate mom?) with our leftover scraps.

But that’s not all this boxy kit makes… We whipped up a purse, a picture frame, and even a Loopy Chicken. When proud mama Christie spotted that crazy knitted chicken, she just had to make one for her special baby, Maeby.

When Mother’s Day rolls around, I’m going to wrap my potholders up like a little bouquet. They’ll live one life as colourful cotton blooms, then maybe another as a pretty art piece or a sturdy kitchen rag, or they could, of course, hold pots. Whatever she chooses to do with them, I hope my mom thinks of me every time she spots her Potholders.

Happy (early) Mother’s Day to my momma and all the rest.

Mother's Day Hooray! (with Stencil Art & Mini Capsters Jewelry)

 

Have you ever heard the expression "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree"? 

Well, that just couldn't be truer for my mama and me!

We're both absent-minded, artsy types with big hearts and our heads up in the clouds. It is why we love each other so fiercely (and why we can sometimes get so frustrated with each other too). When I think of where I got my penchant for arts and crafts, it’s easy to know who to thank. This Mother's Day, I’m celebrating my marvelous mama with a few of her favourite things to thank her for her love, hugs, unwavering support, and the aptitude for craftiness that has made me who I am today.

There’s nothing my mom loves more than looking at old photos. Whether pictures from her childhood, our baby years, or our family vacations, set her in front of a photo album or a slideshow and she’ll be busy for hours. I wanted to find a way to give her some pictures that she can take around with her whenever she’s feeling nostalgic. I first thought of the idea while making my cool Easter Capsters, but it wasn’t until I came across Mini Capsters Jewellery that the idea really formed. I dug into my baby picture archives, printed out my favourites (and some letters too), and set it all in place with a layer of glaze. Then I strung together these sweet photo necklaces and made myself a matching bracelet too, so that everybody will know just how much my mom rocks!

 

No Mother’s Day is complete without a card, so I pulled out Stencil Art to make my gift complete. With four pages of stencils in all shapes and sizes and a rainbow of ink to choose from, I blotted and dabbed out this pretty floral pattern to create the perfect card for my garden-maven mama. Then I glued it on some colourful cardstock, wrote a special message, and my Mother’s Day preparations were complete.

If you’ve got a mama as magical as mine, you’ll want to show her just how special she is! Find a Klutz kit that matches the things your mom loves, and show her how much you care with a thoughtful homemade gift that she won’t be able to resist!

Fabulous Flowers: A Springtime Nursery Rhyme

Lynn, Lynn, just can’t win,
when getting her to garden grow.
But with paper flowers
that don't need showers.
She'll chase away the snow.

It seems like forever ago that I was fighting off the early spring blues with paper pups and twisted critters. Now, almost a month later, we’re still bouncing back and forth between spots of sun and the threat of snow. Gosh, will the warm weather ever be here for good?!

As the old saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I’m still wearing a warm smile and finding little ways to let Mother Earth know I'm ready for spring. 

Paper flowers get a sophisticated twist with Klutz’s Fabulous Flowers. Bright colours, bold patterns and a little bit of sparkle make these faux florals hard to ignore! 

It's easy! Just punch out the pre-cut pieces and glue on the stems. Wrap, twist, or roll each colourful piece to give your flowers dimension. Then slide them on the stems and secure them in place with some glue. Before you know it, you'll have a beautiful bouquet that's sure to make Mom smile!

I've got another Mother's Day craft in mind for next week, so I've sprinkled my green garden with bright paper blooms. And, you know what? I think I can already feel the temperature rising!

Looking for more ways to make some fabulous flowers? Chicken Sock’s Paper Flowers is packed with bright, easy-to-assemble blooms for the ages four & up crowd. Or check out Fairies for an out-of-the-box way to use fake flowers to make tiny little petal people.