Share the love

In about a month, it will be the national day of love aka Valentine's Day.

Sometimes the holiday gets a bad rap - people say it was created for the sole purpose for card stores and other retailers to make an extra buck. That may be somewhat true. 

Regardless of its original intent, Valentine's Day can be a day you set aside to give more love. Send your spouse or significant other a card to say I love you. Let your children know that you are proud of them. Drop friends and relatives a note to let them know they are in your thoughts. 

Receiving a hand made card is sure to brighten anyone's day. Order your cards today. I will be accepting custom orders by Feb. 1. Cards can be sent to directly to the recipient.

DIY Clothespin magnets

Here's a project that's a lot of fun to make and super easy.
You only need a few supplies:

• paper
• clothespins 
• scissors (or craft knife or paper trimmer)
• magnets
• Mod Podge (or other decoupage)
• paintbrush 

This is a good project to get rid of scraps. 

Set a clothespin on top of the paper and measure how long and wide each strip should be. You'll need two strips of paper for each clothespin. 

Cut the paper.

Mod podge the paper to the clothespin with a paint brush. Press down with your hands to ensure it has a sturdy, smooth hold. If you have any paper hanging off the end, trim it. It's easier to do it now because after you put Mod Podge on top it will harden and be difficult to cut. 

Try not to have excess Mod Podge on the sides of your clothespin so that it will look neat as possible. 

Let your clothespins dry for a couple of minutes. Then, apply Mod Podge to the paper. Dry for 5 minutes. Then apply Mod Podge to other side. Dry for another 5 minutes. You can apply another layer of Mod Podge if you like. But one is usually enough for me. 

Apply a small magnet to the back of the clothespin with a dab of glue gun. When I first did this project, I used magnets with adhesive already on the backs. How horrific it was. The clothespins stuck to each other and when I take them apart, the paper ripped and my clothespins were ruined. 

Let the glue dry. I spray a coat of acrylic sealer on the front of the clothespins and let dry. I got this tip from Amy, who blogs about Mod Podge crafts. This also keeps the clothespins from sticking to each other. 

Here are some ideas I would like to try in the future with this project:

• spray painting the clothespins 
• using gift wrapping paper or old magazines or newspapers
• adding buttons for embellishments
• stamping days of the week or months for organization
• using rub on letters

I purchased my clothespins at Wal-Mart in the laundry section. I got 100 for $3 compared to 25 for $2.50 in the craft section. The clothespins in the laundry section are just as good if not better. 

I bought magnets at Michaels. Fifty or so for $4, I think. I used a 40% off coupon so I don't recall the exact price. When I first made these, I bought larger magnets. I think the smaller ones look nicer. 

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Crafting! 

New Cards at Coffee Grounds

These past couple of weeks have been overwhelming. My job as an Resident Advisor has intensified and I am at the point of the semester where it’s time to dig in my heels and step it up an notch. However, it’s also the time folks start their holiday shopping. This weekend was quiet - finally! I made a few new cards to take to Coffee Grounds, a St. Paul coffee shop where my cards are sold. 

Coffee Grounds is a neighborhood coffee shop near Como Park and Falcon Heights. A variety of artwork from local artists is featured like mittens and jewelry so stop by and do a some shopping and grab a cup of joe. Their address is 1579 Hamline Ave. in St. Paul. 

 I stocked several holiday cards for the approaching season. 

I have 24 types of cards from birthday to baby to holiday and I changed many of them out to give fresh inventory.

Stop by and pick up a couple cards. Support a local business. Get an early start on your holiday card shopping. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a splendid day. 

Yours Sincerely

Chasity

Support Breast Cancer Awareness

                                            

Most of you know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. This Sunday I am doing what I can to reduce the number of those affected by this condition. 

This Sunday, I will be participating in a craft and bake sale where money will be raised to support breast cancer awareness. The event is sponsored by The Breast Yet, which is a group of friends, family and sometimes complete strangers united in the fight against breast cancer. They have logged roughly 180 event miles and 1650 training miles per team member in addition to collectively raising over $50,000 since forming in 2009. 

In 2012, they hope to raise $3,300. Vendors will be giving a portion of their sales to their cause. I will be donating 15%. 

                                              

The event is Sunday Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at The Movement Minneapolis in Uptown: 2100 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite B, MPLS 55405. The event is free so bring a free and help be a part of a cause that saves lives. 

Visit their Website: http://thebreastyet.comto learn more. 

See you there!

Yours Sincerely,

Chasity 

Latest cards

Hello, Readers

This past week has been busy with school and work, but I wanted to update you with I've been working on lately. Today's post will be a photo blog of my recent cards. Enjoy!

Don't forget to stop by Etsy shop where you can purchase the cards you see featured on my blog:

www.etsy.com/shop/yourssincerelygifts

Thank You Cards = the Great Equalizer

It doesn't matter if you're 15 or 55. Single or Widowed. If you have a house full of kids or none at all. If you make $25,000 a year or $250,000. Male or Female.

We ALL need to say thank you at some point in our lives. William Bennett, a politician, said: "Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that thankfulness is a indeed a virtue."
Thank you cards are a tangible way of expressing one's gratitude and gives the recipient a keepsake.

Any occasion can warrant a thank you card: a job interview, help moving, a kind act or for a gift.

Thank you cards are also one of those things we don't always have on hand when we need them. Why not plan ahead to give thanks and have cards available?

Here are some thank you cards I made last week before I visited friends in Chicago. I kept the design the same but changed the color scheme.

Hope you enjoy. Tell someone thank you today.

Yours Sincerely,
Chasity

Oh Baby!

I have several friends who are having babies this summer. One friend is due any minute and another is due at the end of August. I wanted to start working on some cards for them.

Designing cards usually takes me the longest so I surfed some YouTube videos to get my creative juices flowing and came up with an original design.

I wanted this card to be simple and versatile. I took one design and did different twists to each card making it like an entirely new card. If you ever have to make multiple cards, it's a good idea to find one design that you like and use in different ways.

This card can work for other occasions as well. Change the footprints to a cupcake and you have a birthday card. The baby to a flower and you have a sympathy card. The possibilities are endless.

These cards will be listed this week in my Etsy shop, which you can find here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/yourssincerelygifts

Happy Crafting!

Yours Sincerely
Chasity