Fun and Scrappy Ideas to Entertain your Kiddos over Christmas Break

Christmas Break is almost upon us, and though most of us love the idea of having our children at home during this busy season, the idea of bored children can also be maddening! Here are some simple scrappy activities you can do with your children over the break. Hopefully the right mix of these will help keep the doldrums at bay.

• Make old fashioned paper chains using all your scrapbooking scraps. Much nicer than the traditional construction paper chain!
• Make paper stockings. Simply cut a stocking shape out of two sheets of cardstock. Punch around the border and let kiddos ‘stitch’ them together with yarn, like lacing cards. They can decorate the stocking with festive stamps and Stickles glitter glue. Apply cotton balls to the top of the stocking for a fluffy ribbing. Have children write their names on the top of the stocking with the Stickles, and then hang the stockings in a special place. Ask each family member to write letters of appreciation to each other and tuck them in the stockings. Share the letters aloud on Christmas day, then scrapbook all those special sentiments.
• Set your kids free with the camera. Have them take Christmas and wintery pictures, then scrapbook them as a family in a special through the eyes of a child layout.
• Make paper flowers using the K & Company Paper Flowers Paper Crafting Pad (click on the title of this post to view this product). This may appeal more to the girls than the boys, but boys could still participate by making gifts for grandmas and teachers. This 578 piece paper crafting kit will keep them busy for hours!
• Make paper Chrismons. Chrismons is short for Christ Monograms, and growing up in the Lutheran church, these beautiful symbols were a staple on the church Christmas tree. I was looking for projects to keep Christ the center of our Christmas this year and found a great web site, http://www.paperchrismons.com/. They have Chrismon snowflake patterns that can be printed on white cardstock and cut out by older children. Children of all ages will have fun decorating the cut snowflakes with crystal, diamond, or icicle Stickles and gold sequins (traditional Chrismons are always white and gold to symbolize the glory and purity of Christ).
  

I hope that you find some activities in this blog that not only entertain your kiddos during this holiday, but help make it memorable. This is a busy time of the year, but we only have so many childhood Christmases, so make sure you take the time to make some memories with your kiddos!

You can find all the supplies you need for dozens of fun projects, including Stickles glitter glue, on our website, www.ScrapBugLane.com.

Happy Scrapping!

Lisa

Trimming Your Christmas Pages With Festive Borders

Hi there. This will be my last post this week, but be sure to check back next week for more fun ideas for making your Christmas scrappy. Features will include ideas for entertaining your kiddos over Christmas break and more!

For my last post this week I thought I'd keep it simple and offer up some Christmas appropriate ideas for trimming your pages. Jodi and I brainstormed a bit and came up with these ideas for your Christmas borders. Enjoy!

1. Ric-Rac - this old fashioned trim speaks of ginger bread men, craft bazzars, and everything Christmas! Glue down a single row, or multiple rows for a traditional (and fun) border.


2. Velvet Ribbon - crushed velvet, regular velvet, anything velvet is appropriate for gorgeous old fashioned layouts. Velvet looks especially nice with formal photos, but like the little black dress, it can be dressed up or down depending on your style!


3. Curly Ribbon - gifts under the tree and confetti on New Years Day make for lots of fun! Make a row of small clusters or single pieces. Its probably not archival safe, but it gets extra points for being so festive!
   
4. Sequin Trim - what says Christmas like glittering gold, or silver, or red, or green, or blue, or anything that sparkles for that matter! Premade sequin trim is simple and plyable and can be draped across your pages, or use it to trim out your photo mats.


5. Crocheted Lace - for a perfect vintage or Victorian look. It is reminiscent of lace tablecloths, doilies, snowflakes, and of coarse cookies and cakes laced with sugar!


6. Stickles! - we can't help but recommend Stickles glitter glue! Just doodle a free hand border across the top or bottom of your page and let it dry. Glit-teriffic every time!


7. Pom-poms - tiny little pom poms are fluffy and sweet, like snow men or Santa's rosy cheeks.


8. Beads - string them together and drape them across the page like a beautiful garland, or if you are extrememly ambitious, stitch them to the page.
   
   

Whatever you do to trim out your Christmas pages, have fun. If you have additional ideas, please post them in the comment section. We'd love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lisa

Tips for Photographing Your Kiddos this Christmas!

Hi there! Today's post is authored by design team member, Shannon Garrity. As noted in her design team profile, photography is one of Shannon's passions. Since the holidays bring a lot of photo opportunities, we thought these tips for photographing your kiddos would be very appropriate. Hope you find them helpful.

To learn more about Shannon's photography, you can click on the title of this post and link to her site. You can also read more about Shannon in her profile posted on www.scrapbuglane.com, and watch for her favorite shots in her layouts, coming to our gallery very soon. A special thanks to Shannon for being out guest writer today. Hope you enjoy what she put together for you.

Lisa

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Tips for Photographing Your Kiddos this Christmas

The holidays are a magical time of year. A time for us to gather together with our friends and families and share in the joy of the season. Here are a few tips to turn your average posed holiday photos of children into “visual” keepsakes to scrapbook and share with generations to come.

One of my personal favorite subjects to photograph is my daughters. Each time I am able to capture an emotion, a moment or a second of their lives with my camera I know that when they are able to look back in my scrapbooks they will see just how much I loved them and cherished their part in my life. Below are some of my favorite photo tips for shooting pictures of children.

• Let the kids hang out and play for a little bit before the camera comes out. That way they will be more at ease and will not notice you’re snapping the pictures.
• Encourage the kids to say funny words or make funny faces at you when you are ready to shoot, it will bring out a natural smile more than not as you are letting them be silly.
• Always remember to take several pictures of the same scene when it comes to shooting children, some may be a little off center or blurry but you may have a gem in the middle of them all. Remember a child hardly ever sits still.
• Always try and shoot children at their eye level. It may mean that you have to get down on your knees to get the shot but the results will be worth it.
• Try and be creative by catching a child upside down on a swing set or in the middle of a yell as they are swinging on a swing. The more you and your camera do not interfere, the more you are likely to catch a child’s true personality on film.
• The use of a soft focus filter can add a romantic feel to your shots of children, especially babies and are available at a low cost. You can make one yourself with a UV or skylight filter and some Vaseline.
• Children are always moving and their moods and emotions are forever changing so if you get a child that does not want to cooperate, just put it off until tomorrow as it will not be worth it to force them to pose.

Fun props to use with shooting pictures of kids:

• A favorite toy or your child’s favorite blanket not only makes them feel safe but you will be able to catch a genuine look of love when they give it a hug.
• A mirror is always a fun prop to use when shooting pictures of children. They love to see their reflection and will enjoy making faces or smiles for the camera into the mirror.
• Hats are a usually a big hit with kids. When shooting babies and toddlers with hats you might need to snap a picture quickly before they decide to pull it off but it should make for a great picture even if the hat is half way off their head.
• Sports equipment are fun props to put in pictures. They make the child feel as though they are in the middle of a game.
• Flowers and ribbons are fun props to make a picture have a “girly” feel to it.
• Santa hats, presents, oranaments and more can add to your holiday pictures and the children will have fun with them.

New Fallen Snow

Good morning! I fell off the wagon yesterday and didn't get my daily post made. I'm afraid that with everything going on for the holidays, I may be a bit spotty about posting over the next couple of weeks. Keep checking back, because I have a lot to share and will continue to post, however irregular it may be!

Maybe it is the snow outside and this sudden cold snap that has taken the country by storm (no pun intended), but I have been in the mood to make some wintery layouts, and you can't have wintery layouts without the look and feel of snow!

When you think of snow, what words and images come to mind? Along with cold and wet, I think of glistening white, so if you are trying to create the look and feel of snow on your pages, it makes sense that products that are glistening and/or white can take you where you want to go. Here are a few simple ways to incorporate glistening white in your winter layouts:

• For beautiful, stark glistening white, try using the Wausau pearlescent cardstock in white gold on noble white. This shimmery paper is subtle and beautiful and is so appropriate for a wintery layout! You can actually stamp on the Wausau pearlescent paper as well. Create a subtle snowy background by stamping monotone snowflakes in white ink on the shimmery side of the paper. The shimmer of the paper will contrast just enough with the dull finish of the ink that the snowflakes will be barely visible.

• Like frost on the edges of a store window, a little white ink applied in a feathery fashion to the edges of dark colored photo mats can transport you to that little shop window on a snowy afternoon.

• Stickles glitter glue in Crystal, Diamond, Icicle, or Waterfall can add the perfect accent of shimmer to your pages. If you don't want a defined line, try applying glitter glue by smudging or smearing it on appropriate elements.

• Nothing glistens more that glitter, and the Essential Glue Pad can allow you to add shimmery silver or white glitter to your layouts in any shape you desire! Simply stamp images using the glue pad and then dust with glitter. What could be more wintery than glitter laced snow flakes stamped accross your page?

• Try stamping images with Encore Ultimate Metallic ink in either silver or champagne, or use a crumpled paper towel to sponge the shimmery ink onto white paper, then cut borders or accents from the inked piece.

• The Adirondack paint dabber "snow capped" is appropriately named and can be used to create a similar affect on your pages. Snow cap die cut letters or the entire edge of your layout by simply "dabbing" the paint on! These handy paints are equipped with a built in dabber for easy application!

Experiment with all these mediums and see what you can come up with for fantastic wintery layouts. If you have an idea not expressed in this post, please feel free to share it with us in the comment section. Hope you find one or more of these ideas helpful! See you soon at www.scrapbuglane.com.

Lisa

Using and Re-using Your Christmas Cards

Good afternoon! As I type this message, I am watching the snow fall. My house is mostly decorated and the Christmas cards are rolling in... at last, it is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Each day from now until Christmas, I will be posting simple tips and ideas to help make your Christmas scrappy! I thought I'd kick it off with some ideas for preserving and re-using all those Christmas cards you will be receiving in the next month or so (I usually don't get mine out until February). Hope you enjoy these simple tips as much as you enjoy receiving all the cards!

Lisa

Using and Re-using Your Christmas Cards

Behold the Christmas card! For most of us, cards are as much a part of Christmas tradition as the tree itself. It is that one time a year you hear from loved ones both near and far, and in hearing from them, gather them to your family celebration through the spirit of their well wishes.

If you are like me, all those wonderful photos and cards make for a big dilema at the end of the season - what to do with the cards! I do have friends (like Jodi) who are wonderful at saving cards. I, on the other hand, tend to end up with so many shoe boxes full, that at some point I break down and throw them out. Here are some simple tips for recycling and preserving your cards that I've found helpful through the years.

• First, remove all the photos and photo greetings from the cards. Create a special book that you preserve these photos in. Make simple layouts 2 - 4 pages in length where you display these photos each year. By having these photos in one book, you'll be able to look through the years and see your friends and their children grow and change. How fun it will be to reflect on their hair styles and clothing over the years;
• Use your favorite cards to make gift tags with. Cut the images from the card then punch a hole in one corner. For added fun, embellish the images and write to/from on the back side with stickles glitter glue. These simple tags, attached with a fabric ribbon, add a festive and scrappy look to all your packages;
• Use the images from your cards to fashion homemade cards with. Cut out images and mat them with Wausau pearlescent or metallic cardstock. Pop the images off of your card with a 3d foam adhesive tab. Outline designs with stickles glitter glue and stamp a simple message on the inside. If you don't wish to keep these cards for your own use, you can donate them to someone in the service, or bundle them up and give them as hostess gifts next Christmas;
• If "making" something out of your cards is more than you had in mind, donate the cards to a worthy cause. St. Jude's Ranch for children has a Christmas card recycling program that helps raise money for their programs. Simply cut the front of your greeting cards off and mail to St. Jude's Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude's St., Boulder City, NV 89005-1681. They also offer the recycled cards for sale. You can click on the title of this post for more information.

Hope that you find one or more of these ideas helpful. If you have something special you do with your cards each year, post it in the comment section. We'd love to hear your ideas!

Be sure to check out all our festive products on http://www.scrapbuglane.com/. Don't forget, our Basic Grey Mellow paper is on sale this month, so be sure to grab some before it is all gone!

All that Glitters

Hi there and happy Friday. Hope that it has been a productive week for all of you. I have been very busy decorating and preparing for Christmas this week, so the blog has taken a bit of a back burner. Not to worry - next week I plan on starting with my Christmas extravaganza. Tune in for all kinds of Christmas fun, every day until Christmas!

Just in case your not in that Christmas spirit yet, I'll start us off easy this Friday with my all that glitters section. I did a quick survey of our site for those especially glittery and shimmery products that are perfect for all your holiday projects. Here is a special salute to all that glitters (and it isn't all gold). Hope you enjoy!


Lisa


All that Glitters at www.ScrapBugLane.com

1. Stickles glitter glue! I am loving this festive glue for cards, wrapping, decoarating ornaments, and of course for all my Christmas layouts. Especially wintery are the Christmas Red, Icicle, Eucalyptus, and Waterfall colors. Fun, fun, fun...
2. Florals Glitter (a.k.a. glitter flowers) by Heidi Swapp. Check them out in wintery white, or the fun and funky kiwi color. For a very rich and very traditional Christmas look, the Crimson is a must have!
3. All the beautiful papers in the Wausau Pearlescent and Metallic Cardstock lines. Particularly suited for winter are the Lunar Blue and White Gold color combos. For Christmas, you can't beat the deep green in Empress Emerald, or the dark plum found on Sparkling Merlot. Re-entry red is also really fun, bright, and spirited with a frosty feel.
4. Mardi Gras Jewel Round brads are shimmery, shiny, and festive no matter what the holiday. Available in two sizes, they are sure to give you a lot of bling for your buck!
5. 12 x 12 handmade Indian Paper in Burgundy with Gold stripes. You'll find this beautiful and inexpensive paper hiding in our handmade paper section. You can't really do this beautiful paper justice in a photo, since much of its beauty comes from its shimmery stripes and heavy texture.
6. Encore! Ultimate Metallic ink pads by Tsukineko. These metallic inks are very glittery and very fun. Available in blue, bronze, champagne, copper, gold, purple, and silver, at just $2.29 per pad, why not buy them all?

Hope you have fun checking out all these selections on our site. Click on the title of this post to link to the stickles glitter glue, then explore the site and see what you can find that glitters and shines!

A Big Thank You to all who attended the Workshop and Open House!

Good morning! What a busy weekend it was at ScrapBugLane. We hosted our first workshop on Friday night, and then followed it up with an open house the following day! It was a very successful weekend and we want to thank everyone who came out to support us.

At the workshop, we talked shop and laughed a lot, and at the end of the night everyone left with three fully decorated jars of hot cocoa, perfect for gift giving! I hope everyone that attended it enjoyed it as much as Jodi and I did.

At the open house, we were able to preview much of our new product that hasn't hit the site yet. I don't know about you, but it sure got me in the Christmas spirit. It was great seeing old friends come out to support us and great to meet a few new ones too!

Because it was such a busy weekend, I didn't have a lot of time to think about what I was going to post to the blog. Several of you wanted the White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe from the workshop, so I thought I might divert a little from scrapbooking today and use the blog to post the recipe.

Thanks again to everyone that came out and supported www.ScrapBugLane.com. We appreciate each and everyone and are happy to have you as a part of our scrapping community!

Lisa


White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 1/2 C. - crushed gingersnap cookies (about 32 cookies)
1/4 C. - butter, melted
3 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 C. - sugar
3 - eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. - vanilla extract
5 - 1 oz. squares white baking chocolate, melted
3/4 C. - canned pumpkin
1 tsp. - ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. - ground nutmeg

Almond Topping:

1/2 C. - chopped almonds
2 Tbsp. - butter, melted
1 tsp. - sugar

In a small bowl, combine gingersnap crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9" springform pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in white melted chocolate.

Combine pumpkin and spices; gently fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour over crust. Place pan on baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the topping ingredients; spread in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring twice. Cool.

Carefully run the edge of a knife around the springform pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer and then refrigerate overnight. Store topping in an airtight container; store in the refrigerator. Add topping just before serving. Enjoy!


By the way - I wanted to mention that Jodi has released her project for the January workshop. We will be making a "LOVE" word album from BoBunny, a matching box filled with chocolate kisses, and a coordinating gift bag and gift card. You will make an entire Valentine's gift for just $35. In addition, you will receive four clear acrylic stamp singles from Imaginisce. The class is scheduled for January 25th. Seating is limited and we've already had several sign-ups! Mike will have the new info posted under upcoming events soon. Hope you can make it!