Scraps!

I store my paper scraps in 12x12 drawers sorted by colors - white/cream/grey/black, pink/red/purple, yellow/orange/brown, blue/green, special paper, multicolor. I love my scrap drawers and use them all the time. Last month I did two projects with Ella using only the scraps. The projects were for the Fiskateer message board.

The first project is the corner bookmark. I first saw this idea in the kids craft book long time ago but recently it appeared again in the blog universe. After few hours of cutting, gluing and punching we had enough bookmarks for all our family members and friends.

Here is how to make a circle bookmark.

For the second project we made collage animals.

1. Print out animal shapes and find few scraps of pattern paper

2. Tear the paper into the small pieces

3. Use glue stick to cover the animal shape, don't worry about going outside the shape

4. Here is how the covered shape will look like

5. Flip the paper and cut out the shape. I did it just by holding the sheet of paper in my hand. You can use a light box to trace the shape on the back side or even trace the shape before you cover it.

6. Play with different shapes and textures.

To find the animal shapes I just googled for "animal silhouettes". Martha Stewart has great templates on her website. I used some from this website. http://karenswhimsy.com/animal-silhouettes.shtm

Because the shapes are solid it was easy to cut them out by just flipping the paper and holding it in hand. You can cut the shape before building the collage or you can trace the shape on the back of the paper.

We made 9 cats (my daughter made 3 and I made the rest). I bought a very inexpensive frame at Michaels, cut out the letters with my Revolution and made this poster. I will hang it in Eli's room (when he will have a room LOL)

Oh, and the most exciting thing? I finally used the scraps of the purple Chuck E. Cheese paper! I think it was one of the first patterned papers I ever bought LOL

Latkes and other stuff

Yesterday I finally finished my Christmas cards. Just need to buy stamps and mail them out. My Hanukkah cards were mailed some time ago already. Hopefully everybody will get them during the Hanukkah, not after.

The round Christmas cards are done using Cloud 9 paper, fiskars circle border punch and some cute reindeers from Michaels. I did the tree cards using the Jo-Ann kit that I picked up last year. I added Cloud 9 raindots and fiskars star punch. Oh, and I also played with the glimmer mist trying to spice up the background. The Hanukkah cards are just made from the strips of patterned paper by Heidi Grace.

Now latkes - we made some few days ago using the recipe in the book. they were good but not as good as my dad's latkes. So I had to call him and ask for the recipe. Here it is - the super-duper secret recipe:

1. Grate about 10 potatoes - very thin. I did it by hand.

2. If the potatoes give a lot of liquid add 3-4 tablespoons of flour. I added 3

3. Add salt. I added about one tablespoon.

4. Heat a lot of oil in the heavy skillet. wait till oil is hot.

5. Fry latkes from both sides till golden.

6. Add sour cream and enjoy.

What can I say - it was delicious! Just the way I remember them!

Don't you like this menorah with tall white candles? It's from Crate and Barrel. I need to stock on those candles - just love them!