{Shape n’ Tape} Heart Art

Okay Friends!! You know how washi tape is all the rage right now and everywhere you turn all you see are projects done in washi tape???

Well, my friends down at Lifestyle Crafts came up with something just a little bit a whole lot better!

Lifestyles loves Washi Tape but liked the idea of taking the tape and using it to cut shapes even better – and so do I! Decorative rolls of tape just got a full size make over! With 6”x12” Shape ‘N Tape sheets, you have the freedom to cut out any shape using cutting dies or scissors. Have unlimited options to shape your creativity. Lifestyles offers 10 different colors of the sheets with all sorts of fun designs and a starter die kit with 18 fun shapes!!

I was lucky enough to receive some of the fun sheets and dies to play with to see how I liked and it let me tell you – IT IS AWESOMESAUCE!! The sheets are already the size they need to be for the epic so I simply rolled them through and peeled off the back – SOOOO EASY!!

Since Valentine’s Day is just a couple weeks away, I used the fun sheets to make some {Heart Art!}

I used red, black and silver sheets with some different designs, rolled them through with the heart die and peeled them off and stuck them on.

I wish you could see the total effect as the silver is really shimmery!

Hurry over and snag your sheets and dies at 20% off using my code “CREATIVEENDEAVOR” and have a great time using them for your projects!

White Tulle Winter Wreath

Before I decorate for Valentine’s Day I wanted to make some things for Winter/January. I thought a new wreath was in store and came up with this fun White Tulle Winter Wreath.

I love the burlap bubble wreaths that are popping up everywhere and the fun designs you can make with the fabric and decided to try it with some white tulle that I had. I cut pieces of tulle into 4-5” x 12” pieces, folded them over themselves and using straight pins, pinned them onto my foam wreath form. Then I puffed them up a little bit. I kept going until I had the fullness that I wanted.

I made and added a simple silver bow to add some sparkle and was done! I love how simple and pretty it is – just the look I was going for.

Just a little update….

It is 9:30 in the morning and I am sitting here at my kitchen table, scattered with remnants from the cinnamon roll breakfast I shared with my children, in my husbands gray soft robe. I am thinking about this blog, as I do most mornings, realizing that I have nothing to share with my wonderful readers this morning either. I have a plethora of unfinished projects lined up in my front room with a firm understanding from my children that they are not to touch. However, I have no clue as to when those projects will actually be completed.

Maybe when I lock my kids in their rooms?

These past few weeks our home has been filled with love and laughter and care for whiney, crying children who have a constant stream of boogers running down their face as their little bodies struggle to fight off illness that seems to be plaguing our family. Illnesses we have been fighting even though they have not even left our house (except for church ONE Sunday) in three weeks and the only place I have been is the grocery store.

Sometimes I live such a glamorous life!

We recently took our 3 year old to the doctor and was told he had blisters on his ear drums. Blisters?? I had never heard of that before. Apparently it is a sort of ear infection that is much more painful than just a regular old ear infection. Even my three month old was stuck with croup like symptoms and ended up with a “barking seal” cough that kept us up night after night.

Let’s add onto the top of that the very few hours I have seen my husband these past couple months. He is a slave to his job people – and some days are harder than others.

Being up night after night with my precious little ones has left very little energy or desire to create, paint or blog. I have had to sort out my priorities and naturally my family and children always take first place. So instead of sewing I am wiping booger noses and instead of painting I am rocking babies and soothing coughs.

I was going over some goals I had made last April and one of them was to be a bit more personal and share more stories with you – so as this year progresses I hope to make this goal more of a reality. I have some good stories to share and hope I can put them into writing.

The soft little baby cries coming from the crib are telling me it is time for 2nd breakfast so I am signing off for now but will be back – hopefully with the really fun winter wreath I have coming together in my front room!

Chicken Fajita Soup

This Chicken Fajita Soup is one of my family’s favorites! It is hearty, and warm and pretty healthy and perfect for those cold winter days! It has been my go-to soup lately because it is so simple to make – and I love the flavor!! My husband loves it because he says “it’s all the goodness of fajitas without all the mess!”  Please cook it up for your family – If they like fajitas then I know they will love it!!

Chicken Fajita Soup

1 large chicken breast shredded
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 Jalapeño
1 small yellow onion
1 tsp. olive oil
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
2-3 cups water
1/8 cup fresh cilantro

Optional: avocado, pepper jack cheese, fresh limes and/or chips

Dice up all your peppers and onion and throw them in a pan to sauté. Once they are sizzling and soft, dump them into a medium-to-large pot. Over medium heat add your chicken broth, tomatoes and a cup of water to your peppers. Once the soup is boiling add in your cilantro and chicken. Depending on how thick or thin you want your soup – add the rest of your water. Using a ladle, scoop this deliciousness into bowls and top with avocado, pepper jack cheese, fresh limes and/or chips. Every time I make it we use all the garnishes. I just feel like it adds so much to the soup!

I like my soup to be more hearty so I don’t add a lot of water – if you like your soup more brothy – add more water and/or chicken broth. You may have to gauge it a bit differently depending on how large the peppers you used are.

I also like a little bit of “spice” so I totally haul out the seeds of the jalapeno and dice it up super small. If you like it more spicy, keep a few seeds in.

This is such a simple recipe to alter for more people.
Simply throw in an extra pepper and can of tomatoes with a chicken breast and you are good to go!!

Enjoy!

Cotton Ball Snowmen

It has been so cold here in Utah and it seems like everyone I know has been sick. The kids and I have been indoors A LOT lately – which can wear a lot on the mamma and the kids. Since my kids are getting a bit older I have started to make more little crafts with them to add variety to our day. One of our most recent crafts were these little cotton ball snowmen.

The little snowmen were so easy to make and turned out so cute and the most important thing is that my kids had a blast making them! I started out tracing three different sized bowls and cups onto white cardstock and cut them out. Then I glued them together for the form of the snowman. Using elmer’s glue I made a ton of dots all over the snowman and let the kids put a cotton ball on each dot.

Using paper scraps, ribbon and buttons we made eyes, noses, mouths, arms, hats and other fun embellishments. I helped my two-year old make hers, but my three year old son put his stuff on himself. I would add the glue and he did the rest. They aren’t perfect by any means but I think they are darling and will probably keep them forever!!

How could I not!!!???

Love Note Mailboxes for Valentine’s Day!

Hi Friends!! I have some fun winter and January projects coming your way – but first I wanted to post a fun idea to get you thinking about Valentine’s Day! Crazy huh? Sometimes I feel like all we do is jump from Holiday to Holiday – but it’s so fun at the same time! This year for Valentine’s Day (and really all of February) I thought it would be fun to make little love note mailboxes for our family to share love notes and treats with each other. Just some fun little reminders of how much we really do love and care for each other!

I found this little mailbox die from Lifestyles new line and knew it was perfect for the idea I had roaming around in my head. My kids are too little for school valentine boxes so we won’t be making any of those but these are perfect for our family. It will be so fun to open them every time the little flag is up and see what is inside!

To make them I used:

The Mailbox Die
White Brads
Pink Patterned Paper and white paper
Glue
and the High Rise Alphabet

I also used the small envelope for a “love note!”

I made one for each of us – well the ones that will know what is going on since Zachary is too young – and put our initial on the front so we know whose is whose. I am loving the contrast of the white with the pink and red! The mailboxes and only about 4 inches tall and wide so they are minis but  perfect for fun little dollar store treasures and simple treats for the kids and love notes (and chocolate) for the hubs and I. 

If you would like to make these fun little mailboxes as well – head on over to Lifestyle Crafts and pick them up! Remember that you always get 20% off your entire order by using the code creativeendeavor!

Happy New Year!