jumbo diy donut piñata

Last week I had the chance to share some DIY Donut Decor ideas on a local lifestyle talk show, Studio 5. I shared some of those ideas in a 2-part series on my blog. You can catch those posts HERE and HERE. One of the show-stopping pieces in this party decor set is the giant donut piñata that I made. When I first decided to make it I was worried it would take too long and be too complicated, but I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was and with how quickly it came together. Didn't it turn out cute?

diy donut decor | part 2

On Wednesday I shared part 1 in my DIY Donut Decor series. I shared some ideas for dressing up and serving goodies at your donut party. I also included some free donut party printables, which you can find on the original post HERE. Today I'm sharing some donut party decor projects that you can easily make yourself.

diy donut decor | part 1

Donuts are super trendy right now in design and decor, and donut parties are taking the blogosphere by storm. Not only are these little guys cute and yummy, they're sure to bring a smile to just about any face. Whether you prefer to purchase your party decor and supplies, or DIY them, using a donut theme for a party is an easy and versatile way to go.

geometric paper apples

Yay for fall! Last week I shared a roundup of some fun fall decor ideas I found on the interwebs featuring apples--paper and real. You can check that post out HERE. Today I took some of that inspiration and created my own project. Check out my geometric paper apples!

owl papercrafts for fall

In addition to juicy apples and plump pumpkins, owls are a great way to amp up your fall craft projects. There's something so appealing about those big eyes and beautifully textured feathers. Today I'm sharing two ideas for owl papercrafts that are perfect for fall gift giving!

fall apple decor ideas

We have some fruit trees in our yard, one of which is an apple tree. Our apples are ripe and ready to harvest in mid- to late september, so I always think of fall and apples together. Apples are a great item to include in your early fall decorating, so today I've got a roundup of some cute and easy fall apple decor ideas using paper ones as well as the real thing. Whether you're a paper crafter, or just a home decor enthusiast, you're sure to find something that inspires you!

easy gift tags

This weekend my youngest daughter was invited to a Disney birthday party. She was so excited to dress up as her favorite Disney character and spend some time with her favorite girlfriends. We were particularly busy with musical performances and family get-togethers, so we were lucky to fit this party into the schedule. I had bought the present earlier in the week, and we already had a leftover gift bag, but when it came time to put everything together I didn't have much time to make a cute gift tag. Then I remembered some leftover journaling cards I had, so I pulled out my Typecast typewriter and seconds later I had the perfect custom gift tag!

DIY memorabilia file folders

Often when we think of memory keeping as crafters, we think of photos and albums. But memories aren't just preserved through photos. Memorabilia helps preserve our memories as well. Including ticket stubs, pamphlets, receipts, notes, etc tells our stories just as well as including photos does. I love to keep bits and pieces from travels, school, etc and I keep them in a large archival safe box. But they're really not well organized and I often struggle with remembering to include them in my album. Enter the Template Studio File Folder Guide!

smash your stash | embellishments

Happy Monday everyone! I hope my U.S. (ETA: and Canadian) friends are enjoying the Labor Day holiday. If you've got some free time on your hands today, hop on over to Big Picture Classes to check out the latest scrapbooking class in my quarterly Smash Your Stash series all about using up the embellishments in your craft stash.

typewriter quote journal

This week was Typecast Week on the We R Memory Keepers blog, and all of our designers shared some inspiring projects featuring the new Typecast typewriter and paper collection. My contribution was a Typecast Quote Journal. Take a peek!

confetti punch layout

Recently I shared another Tools Today post on the Scrapbook & Card Today blog. If you haven't had a chance to check out those monthly posts, I feature a cool crafting tool in each post along with a project, instructions, and a video. You can see all the past Tools Today posts HERE. This month I featured the DIY Party Confetti Punch from We R Memory Keepers along with this fun scrapbook page.

"sweet" 16 donut party decor

My oldest daughter recently celebrated her 16th birthday. She's a fairly laid back girl that's simple in her style and taste. As a new high school junior it was a little tricky for us to nail down a party theme that she felt comfortable with for her girl and guy friends, but we finally settled on donuts. Who doesn't love donuts?

school photo frames

I love looking over my Facebook feed the last week or two in August to see all the fun back-to-school photos. Every year I do the same--make my kiddos pose for a photo on the first day of school. It's fun to look back over the years at all the "first day" photos to see how much they've changed.

Then, of course, shortly after that it's picture day and all the school photos and order forms start coming home. What do you do with all the fun school pictures of your kids or grandkids? Why not make easy photo frames for them and display them in your home!

storing and organizing school papers

One of the questions that has come up repeatedly over the years that I've been involved with memory-keeping is what to do with all the assignments and school papers that kids bring home? Do you keep all their school papers? If not, how do you decide what to keep and what do you do with it?

With the start of the school year I'm sharing my personal system of school paper storage and organization. This storage system may not work for you, but hopefully it inspires some ideas to help tackle all those school papers and get them organized.

framed photo display

Last spring I shared my new craft room gallery wall with you. One of the pieces is a clip frame where I hang some family photos and journaling cards with inspiring words and quotes. I love having those photos on display to remind me of the things that I love most, but I wanted to create a more finished look to it. So I pulled out my new Frame Punch Board from We R Memory Keepers and added some simple frames to my photos.

back-to-school project roundup

It's that time of year again! My kiddos go back to school next week and we've spent this entire week shopping, getting haircuts, and filling out registration forms. I love the excitement of the new school year, and I love back-to-school crafts, so today I thought I'd share a roundup of some of my past school-themed projects. Are you ready?

3 typewriter projects

As I mentioned in another post, I've been looking for a typewriter for a while for a few reasons. First, I love the look of typewriting. Second, my handwriting isn't very nice so I prefer printed text on my projects. And lastly, I've been wanting one to use as a decorative piece in my office.

Photo credit: We R Memory Keepers

While I love the look of a typewriter and typewriting, what I'm mostly excited about is being able to conveniently add typed text to my projects. I mean, how awesome is it that this typewriter fits a 12x12 sheet of paper? I don't have a large format printer, but now I can totally roll my scrapbook page through my typewriter! In celebration of this exciting news, today I'm sharing three projects that are made easier by using my new We R Memory Keepers Typecast typewriter.

summer new releases part 2

Monday I shared some of the new releases from We R Memory Keepers this summer. If you didn't have the chance to catch that post, you can view it HERE. Today I'm sharing more of their summer new releases. Don't you just love this time of year? Scroll down to see them!

DIY folding ruler clock video tutorial

Last spring I shared how to use the folding rulers from the We R Memory Keepers Ruler Studio collection to create a DIY clock. It was a favorite project of mine, so I decided to make a few more. And, I decided to make a video tutorial with my friends down at American Crafts headquarters showing how easy it is to make them.

typecast typewriter and paper collection

It's no secret I love new releases. There's something so exciting about new and innovative craft supplies, tools, and products. So fun! Once in awhile those new releases coincide with something on my crafty wishlist, and that is double the excitement! Well friends, this is one of those times. I have been on the hunt for a typewriter for a few years, and guess what my brilliant friends at We R Memory Keepers released this week exclusively at Michael's stores? Yep. A typewriter. (Cue the fireworks!)