The Crafty Cafe » Inspiration

My Week – As Presented by Etsy (and many ellipses…)

Jess — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:57:05 +0000

Promise me you will always remember… You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. ~ Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

Last week started out all like…

(countryworkshop)

And I was really…

(BarrelofMonkeys)

But work was all…

(sunnychampagne)

And soon that led me to feel…

(Indypendants)

And each day started off…

(SewCrossed)

And I was not quite my happy-go-lucky self….

(wiggletiggy)

But, given some time things began to get a little better when I remembered…

(jeanskipper)

And that…

(erinjaneshop)

Not to mention that…

(allisonstrine)

And I realized, you know sometimes you just have to laugh at the every day…

(DesignDude)

Stay positive…

(tylersworkshop)

And live by whatever mantra works for you…

(KeepCalmShop)

It’s been a week and a half. I’ve been through a big move and change at work but it’s been so positive. And with a 3 day weekend coming up? Get ready for some craftiness.

Aw yeah.

XOXO and see you soon,

10 Products I Love from CHA Summer 2010

Jess — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:27:28 +0000

And now… for more enabling.

There were so many things at CHA I wanted to get my hot little hands on.

I was making a mental Christmas list the entire time… Christmas in July that is.

However of course though some are available in stores now, many more won’t be for a few months, so we must wait. But until then I can day dream about my top ten must haves.

In no particular order:

1. All things Burlap from Canvas Corp, most especially the Stretched Burlap Canvas’s:

I got so excited looking at all these cute burlap elements but most especially loved that they have also created a stretched burlap “canvas”. I just think they will make for amazingly cute projects! Very country feeling. (P.S. love their canvas items too, all their canvas’s have no gesso, so they will make your art look very natural. I personally love that look).

2. The Teresa Collins Stampmaker:

This thing is SO stinkin cool! Make your own clear stamps… out of any image. If you can get it into JPEG form you’ve got a stamp. I so love it. Check out a video of it in action here.

3. Sassafras’s Paper Whimsies Cards:

Aren’t they cute? Loving everything Sassafras has to offer.

4. These “Trimmings” from Tim Holtz Idea-ology:

Ack! I need one in ever color. Just gorgeous.

5. Ephiphany Crafts Button Maker:

(Can’t believe I didn’t snag a photo!)

This little thing is just so cute. Make a button using clear epoxy shapes. The tool comes in several styles, some of which I think are more useful than others. But I love this simple button design.

6. Pink Paislee Parisian Anthology papers:

Looks plain in the photo I know… but what I love the most about this paper is that they each have a resist overlay that is meant to be altered. Ink it, paint it, chalk it… you can truly make these papers your own. Check out what I mean and some gorgeous layouts on the Pink Paislee blog here.

7. Cricut Imagine:

It prints.

It cuts.

It does your taxes.

Just kidding on that last thing – but technology seems to get getting close.

Do I need one? Um no, but that’s pretty darn nifty. And did you know you could win one from Craft Critique?? How cool is that?! Go here to sign up for the newsletter and you’re entered (and to see a video of this baby in action). It’s that simple.

8. The Large Family Tree from Kaisercraft:

I have such plans for one. Maybe two.

9. October Afternoon’s Modern Homemaker line:

I want the big pink vacuum for my wall.

I just do.

10. MyStik from Scrapbook Adhesives:

Another tape runner?

Yes but not just any tape runner.

The MyStik can be used “gun” style like an ATG, it advances with the turn of a wheel, and refills will be very affordable. Not too mention you can personalize it with your own paper or photo, which is just a great idea for crops. Check out a video on Craft Critique of this cute little bugger here.

Oh my gosh I have a crafty hangover. That’s of course not a bad thing, but after attending the Super Show today I am a little overwhelmed with the urge of wanting to just sit down and make my own stuff, with the ‘old’ product I still have hanging around . Stay tuned for one more wrap up post with some random CHA pics and thoughts, and of course keep checking Craft Critique for more thorough reports on everything you see above and more. Our CHA coverage will continue as we bring the “Best Of” to you for at least another week.

Have a wonderful day.

Over-stimulatingly,

Favorite Projects on Display at CHA Summer 2010

Jess — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:18:31 +0000

Ok I’ve come down a bit off my high from yesterday. I promised I wouldn’t squeal too much and am trying to hold true.

So. Much. Inspiration.

I am so blessed to have been able to go I know. And I know every single one of us that love paper and crafts and scrapbooking want to go. Believe me I wished you were there too.

But… yay for internet… because those of us that did go and are still rubbing our feet can share tons and tons of pictures. To spread the word that cuteness and adorableness and loveliness and all sorts of ‘nesses’ are coming our way. And then we can all enjoy and partake in each others inspiring projects using the new tools at our disposal.

Love that there are so many of us that share in this wonderful hobby and art.

For this post I wanted to share with you some of the most beautiful projects that caught my eye. Not only are they inspiring, but I totally feel like we could make them too (which of course is the point to get you to buy the goods), but I love that kind of reachable inspiration.

This is a photo from yesterday’s post…but I have to include it as a fave. The Mad Hatter hat from Graphic 45′s Halloween in Wonderland:

I want to wear it.

To Comicon.

(C’mon, you can picture it)

I want to live in Hambly’s booth:

I adore what they did to the Ikea lamp.

My favorite Christmas project was this Advent Calendar using Kaisercraft’s new ‘Tis the Season line. The drawers are altered with stickers that come with the line that are perfectly sized, talk about easy!

Two projects at the Maya Road booth caught my eye. This adorable canvas album (I’m loving all the canvas everywhere):

Just look at the details! The little touches to the letters alone are so great.

Such a cute display for chipboard albums. (Dress forms were HUGE at the show – I swear there was one in just about every booth)

The award for totally simple yet totally cute goes hands down to these paper wrapped cans in the Melissa Frances booth.

Isn’t that great? Stacked up on a shelf like that? I love it.

Two projects at the Prima Booth that I adored (it was hard to pick!):

Here’s a Tim Holtz altered canvas at the Canvas Corp booth. They were one of my favorite vendors… for their products and sheer niceness. Stay tuned to Craft Critique for more on their products.

Sorry for the bad pic on this one, but I still had to share. Also I cannot for the life of me remember which booth this was at? Anyone? I just can’t believe how much time this had to take.

(Thanks to Michele Reed for letting me know the pumpkin was at the Petersen-Arne booth… P.S. Michele has an adorable Etsy Shop full of buttons that would make a project like this a breeze! Check it out here)

New this year were products from American Girl Crafts (from EK Success)… I’m going to need these owls. Several.

Cutie cute Cosmo Cricket card display:

Another of my favorite booths was Crafty Secrets. They have such wonderful vintage goods! Stay tuned for more of them on Craft Critique too, but here’s one of my favs:

Awwww.

This altered tray at the Glitz booth is just inspired! Totally making one of my own soon:

And finally, 7 Gypsies took the type tray fad and made it their own – literally made their own!

What a great idea.

Phew! So much to take in. I cannot wait to get some free time to get my own craft on and hope to just come close to the artistry these wonderful designers have shared with us all.

Hope you are having a wonderful week dear friends… next post… my favorite CHA products!

Wishing all the good ‘nesses’ life can bring,

10 Life Lessons from Scrapbooking

Jess — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:48:11 +0000

With the Summer CHA show just around the corner next week, all of us paper lovers are soon going to be inundated with tons of yummy new product lines that we simply cannot wait to get our hands on. In fact the sneaks out there already have me Uber excited to go and see them in person. I’ll be there reporting for Craft Critique to check out the new trends, see the new lines from favorite manufacturers, and hopefully get to meet a few new ones as well.

I am the first to admit… I am a product lover.

Me likey the goods.

I sniff glue.

But, with this in mind, I’ve been thinking about just Scrapbooking in general, because as excited as I get about it…I don’t do it every day.

In fact I don’t necessarily get to a layout every week.

I’d like to certainly, but there are other crafts I enjoy and actually find easier sometimes because they don’t involve having to find the right photos or decide on the right story at the time. But it’s always scrapbooking that will be my first love when it comes to crafting. I proudly say I’m a scrapbooker, even though I’m not sure that term means as much to non-scrapbookers as it does to those of us that do.

No of course it’s not just pictures and words and pretty paper, though that’s the mediums that are used.

That would be like saying films are just people, cameras, and dialogue.

No… films are artists, visions, and life stories.

Just like scrapbooking is captured memories, feelings, and artistic expression.

Yes I’m one of those that believe scrapbooking can be an art…read on or move on my dears.

So why do I feel so strongly about it? What exactly can you learn from pasting photos into an album with a bit of wording to go with? Oh so much more. As scrapbookers we learn life lessons. Yes we do. And here are just a few:

Pushing yourself to use the basics in new and imaginative ways can be 100 times more rewarding than constantly seeking out the bigger and the ‘better’.
Mistakes can lead to the most beautiful moments which you never would have realized without having been forced to try.
Sometimes there just are no words (and that’s OK).
The little every day moments matter just as much, if not more, than the big events.
Inspiration should be sought after, not expected to land in our laps.
Giving encouragement begets getting encouragement begets motivation to keep continuing on.
Surrounding yourself with those that ‘get’ you is important.
Sometimes… you just have to walk away and say you’re done.
You may have to make a great big mess in order to get anything worthwhile accomplished.
Possibilities are as endless as you allow them to be.

Thanks for stopping by today sweet friends and see you soon.

Seeking possibility,

Nobody’s Perfect (Or Quit Bullying Yourself Already)

Jess — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 05:13:07 +0000

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
That’s how the light gets in.
~Leonard Cohen

How much of your creative time do you spend second guessing yourself?

You just did didn’t you?

I don’t second guess myself… oh wait maybe I do…

So why do we do that you think?

I totally admit I second guess myself all the time…. especially in my creative endeavors.

You see at “work” I know what I’m doing… I’ve been doing it for 10 years, and I’m pretty darn good at it. But that’s different… there are rules at work, guidelines to be followed to get to a certain point or deadline. You have to (mostly) go through certain steps to get from A to B.

But my creative time… that is just so much different. There are no guidelines, no rules… in fact it’s better if you don’t follow any rules (mostly), and I struggle sometimes to quiet those second-guessing voices.

They say:

You know you don’t really know what you’re doing don’t you?
Really? You think those look Ok together? Um, really?
Their’s is so much more interesting than yours.
People won’t get that… weirdo.
DON’T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE SPENDING YOUR TIME DOING SOMETHING MORE PRODUCTIVE??

Nasty little voices.

But they are there.

It’s hard not to let those voices in… especially when there are actual voices on the outside that make statements like “OH, you’re a craft blogger” with as much emphasis on the “OH” as if they’d just figured out it was Ms. Scarlett in the Lounge with the Lead Pipe. (Or for our purposes, Ms. Bazzill in the Scrap Studio with the Crop-A-Dile Big Bite)

It makes you shrink a little bit, it just does.

And then know what happens? We get defensive.

I DO TOO know what I’m doing!
Of course they look good together! Yellow stripes and purple polka dots are fabulous!
No way… mine is soooo much better.
I am deep. People will gawk in awe at my deepness and totally get it.
NO! Laundry and real life suck! Ha ha!

Oh boy does that never work. Because as loudly as we scold those feelings of second guessing, they are always there, and we push them down and try to deny them access to our thoughts.

But see… I’m thinking that they are actually meant to be part of it.

I had a bully in middle school. She was pretty, had just moved to my small farm town from Australia, and I immediately wanted to be her friend. But oh, was this girl mean. I stayed home from school “sick” from not wanting to face her and her torments. Oh please don’t think I didn’t stand up for myself. I sure did, and loudly, but somehow she would always win. But then one day my Mom gave me some amazing advice that I still carry with me and apply… “You’re giving her what she wants” she said, “angry attention”. “Change how you react to her and you’ll see… it will change”.

So one day I did. When she made a joke at my expense I agreed and laughed, when she raced me to the top of the jungle gym I let her win, then reached out my hand for help up.

Confused the hell out of her.

But it worked. Mom was right, the “bullying” quieted, and we got along. And school was so much fun again. We certainly weren’t bosom buddies… and she moved away again not too long after that, but the playground became a much nicer place after I decided to change the way she shaped my feelings. Accepting the taunts, taking them in and making them come out positive gave me so much more confidence then any stellar come-back that my 10 year old brain could come up with.

“Well I know you are but what am I?!” just doesn’t have that certain zing you know?

So back to those second guessing voices… thinking of them like just a bully… they really aren’t all that bad.

You know you don’t really know what you’re doing don’t you? – Oh my gosh you are so right! But that’s the fun of it… if I knew what I was doing it wouldn’t be a creative process at all. Just, methodical work.
Really? You think those look Ok together? Um, really? – Well… ok purple polka dots and yellow stripes are a tad out there. But I’m feeling bold… and even if this sucks I’ll have it as a reminder of my trying something new.
Theirs is so much more interesting than yours. - I love her work. I love it. I am inspired by it but know it’s not me. I have to do what I can with my style or it won’t be genuine.
People won’t get that… weirdo. – Maybe not, but I’m creating for me, so really it’s only important that I get it.
DON’T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE SPENDING YOUR TIME DOING SOMETHING MORE PRODUCTIVE?? – No. This creative time lets me be the best I can in real life. Also, laundry sucks. But I’ll do it later.

Then before you know it, those voices will still be there… but instead of making you feel like you have to defend yourself loudly…

They will simply be a tool you use to reassert yourself creatively.

And second guessing will simply become self awareness of why you create the way you do, and make it that much more rewarding.

Because c’mon. Nobody is perfect.

But that’s what makes us uniquely beautiful. Purple polka dots and all.

Thanks for stopping by today sweet friends.

Now go make friends with your bully,

Play On

Jess — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:57:57 +0000

Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself. ~Michel de Montaigne

Do you ever just feel like you have too much going on at once?

Like you not only have all the balls in the air,

but are also spinning all the plates,

keeping all the fires lit in a rainstorm,

and at the same time keeping the beat steady so others can follow along?

Me too.

And not only are you accomplishing all of those things at once which in itself is amazing… you make it look easy.

Like you were simply born with the ability to be a rock star multi-tasker who gets everything done and then some.

Thanks to this, most people will not even notice how difficult that can be, and won’t give it a second thought.

That’s frustrating.

Especially when on the inside you’re longing for just someone, anyone to notice and say, “Wow”.

Or “Thank you”,

Or to drop everything and shout “HEY! LOOK WHAT SHE CAN DO!!”, and then promptly begin the round of applause.

But mostly that just doesn’t happen, because isn’t this what you’ve always done anyway?

So you continue on another day with all your balls in the air and your plates spinning wildly,

All the while humming a merry tune so as not to seem as frazzled as you may feel on the inside… because if one beat is dropped the whole orchestra will fall to pieces.

But the thing is…

Someone will notice… you may not see through your intense focus that they are saying, “Wow”.

Someone does think you are amazing… though they don’t exclaim loudly enough for you to hear, they are whispering to each other “just look at what she can do”.

Your incredible orchestrations make so many other songs possible, don’t forget to include in all you do some time to stop and listen to the music you’ve made along the way.

And then take the time to applaud yourself.

Complete with standing ovation.

Play on sweet friends,

(Photos taken on the streets of Chicago, June 13, 2010)

Project in Progress – Altered Type Tray

Jess — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:17:20 +0000

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Hello there friends! How is your weekend going? We had quite a bit of snow yesterday but it’s all melted and the sun is shining. It’s like we were given just one more quick taste of Winter before could finally breathe easy knowing that Spring is truly on the way. (YES! and YAY!)

The changing of the seasons always ignites something in me to create. It’s like my inner artist is ready to shake off the cobwebs of hibernation and wake up to all those projects I’ve been dreaming of doing for the past several months but just haven’t had time too, either due to the holidays, or focusing on resolutions (trying to anyway), or just plain old recuperating from lack of sunlight. Do you get that way too? Is it time to finally stop with the cards and gifts and make a little something just for you?

Awhile ago I shared that I found an old type tray during a stop at an antique store in Wisconsin, and it has been sitting in my craft space just waiting for me to do something with it. Until recently it had been holding my sparse collection of rubber stamps, however it’s time that it became what I envisioned when I squealed with glee and practically ran with it to the check out counter. (I did squeal… ask Alan… sometimes he worries about me). It’s much more than a weekend project but I thought I’d share some progress pictures of what I’ve accomplished this weekend.

It’s a project filled with photos of Alan and I over the years, I’ve had so much fun browsing my hard drive and remembering when and where the photos were taken:

I’ve carefully measured each little niche and used Photoshop to make the cropping of each photo a little easier:

Lots of fun memories… lots of hairstyles… lots of photos of Alan in his Transformer’s jersey tee (I told you we were geeky right?).

I’ve chosen my papers for the project… Cosmo Cricket’s Everafter set will go just wonderfully, and the colors will fit in well with the area in our home I’m thinking of hanging it (er, having Alan hang it, I’m not allowed to use power tools without supervision… it’s a safety thing… for our walls)

And I’ve gathered a little pile of findings to add too:

Now the fun part of putting it all together! I can’t wait until I get to share the finished piece with you. As soon as I click ‘publish’ I’m diving right in.

Thank goodness I just stocked up on Mod Podge and Glue Dots… and M&M’s.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and shaking off those winter cobwebs too. Are you working on anything in particular? If so I’m sending you mojo vibes and encouragement to keep at it. Remember sometimes just starting a project will get those creative juices flowing. No one says you have to finish it right away (but chances are once you start you’ll keep going ).

Have a wonderfully creative day.

Blogging My Passion

Jess — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:47 +0000

Will you come with me on a little journey dear friend? I’ve just read through the wonderful e-book above by the lovely Tara Gentile (aka Scoutie Girl), and it’s definitely given me the push and inspiration I needed to get back into both blogging and creating. Believe me I know things have been a little sparse around here too. It’s not from lack of ideas, it’s just plain old lack of inspiration to get them down.

But if we don’t get them down… they go away. (Unless that’s age…. shush you)

When I first started blogging a few years ago, my little cafe was not born yet. I actually had a blog called Rockin Paper and Scissors on Blogger which you can still visit by clicking here if you dare. I didn’t really know why I wanted to start a blog at that time other than everyone else was starting one, and as a result didn’t pay much attention to it. In fact my last post from October 2007 was a “bad blogger” announcement that I’d be back soon… and then I never went.

I don’t think I felt like I really had anything to say.

And then I decided to just start fresh with a new space, and new ideas, and a new me. It’s so easy to re-invent yourself online isn’t it? And I’ve loved this space… so much so I migrated to my own url (and thank you to those of you that came along) so I could really make it my own. I had weekly features that I feel guilty I let slide, time and life get in the way of course, but still I was neglecting my space (and my readers). I was trying to get myself and you excited with gadgets and gizmos and bells and whistles.

And then honestly know what happened? I went to BlogHer 09′, and I met other bloggers who were inspiring, and who made me cry with their beautiful and touching posts, and who had hundreds of readers, and were intelligent and witty and uber chic… and though I left feeling inspired by them,

Then I didn’t feel like I had anything relevant to say.

At the conference the hot question of course was “What do you blog about?”, and since I wasn’t feeling excited by my answer of “oh crafts, scrapbooking, and OK sometimes my cats” , I didn’t know why I expected others to be. I’ve never had a real clear vision (minus the catchy cafe related categories) of why I’m a blogger, other than I know I love it. I love the community, and the friends I’ve made. ( Of course we all blog for praising comments too… it doesn’t help to pretend I don’t).

So, without further ado, I am sharing with you what is my new Mission Statement for my blog, which is the first exercise in Tara’s book. I feel a little exposed to put it right out there, but it’s important to me for you that do come back again and again (THANK YOU!) to know I’m working on improving, that things are going to change just a little around here, definitely for the better. And I want you to know it’s because I want you to be inspired by what I write and do.

Because if I’ve learned anything from the day I started blogging to today, it’s that what I care about most is my readers, especially when we become friends.

So – here we go:

The Crafty Cafe is a friendly space where all who enter are encouraged to realize they are creative beings. Within, one will find easy step by step techniques or projects illustrated in photographs, shared stories of inspiration or laughter, and my own crafts and the reasons behind why I create them. Readers will feel like they have sat down with a friend over coffee for a chat, and leave feeling inspired to create.

My little journey will be behind the scenes though you’ll see it come through in new posts and new content, and hopefully you’ll find it just as enjoyable to read as I will to write. I’m ready to turn the page and stop trying to constantly grab new readers, just be better to the ones I have by really Blogging about my Passion. Because after writing the above mission statement and getting it out there… you know what?

I’ve realized I have LOTS to say.

Thanks for stopping by today sweet friends, and see you soon.

Weekend Etsy Inspiration – Carnivals and Fairs

Jess — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:00:03 +0000

(bomobob)

Don’t you just love a good old fashioned carnival? Oh my gosh the memories I have of anticipating the day we got loaded up in the car and headed to a dream land of rides, games, and FOOD! Oh my goodness the food. There is no where else on earth I was allowed to eat so much sugar and fried goodness in a single day.

Cotton Candy…

(applenoggins)

Ice Cream…

(kilsook)

(Hee Hee)

Candy Apples…

(SugarMohawk)

(YUM)

I have to admit I was never much of a roller coaster rider back then mind you. I preferred the round we go type rides for a bit, but then wanted to be sure we spent plenty of time at the games. Oh how I wanted that cheap little stuffed whats-it from China. And I didn’t care if we spent way more than it was worth trying to get it.

(Keepthesugar)

In fact I still don’t…. it’s the pride of winning the dang thing that makes it worth gold. Gold I tell you.

Yes Ok because what I really wanted more than anything was one of those goldfish! You know the game I’m talking about… where you toss the little ball into the little cup and then get to take home a forever friend. Thank goodness Mom always talked me out of that one. I’m sure he would have been belly side up by the time we got home and I’d have been crushed. Still, I’d have been ok with one of these too (maybe):

(Amy Gaines)

Growing up in Michigan meant fairs were serious business of course. I didn’t participate much… but many of my middle school friends were highly involved in 4H , raising their cattle and pigs and goats to be prize winners.

(bouldnart)

(snarkledark)

(bossyfeltworks)

I walked a goat once… on a leash down a gravel road.

There’s a whole chapter in my memoir right there.

One of my favorite rides was what we called the “Swings”… you could leave me on that all day long.

(serpentine)

But the highlight of it all was always the carousel. Getting to pick just the right horse… being old enough to ride alone….the hypnotic music… hoping upon hope that just this time the man operating the ride would let it go a few more turns to extend the joy…

(tweettheartwallart)

(Lovelyology)

(theblackapple)

Wonderful memories and good times.

Hope you have had a lovely weekend. Thanks for stopping by today dear friend.

Puffy Felt Hearts 1-2-3 (and what to do with them)

Jess — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:23:32 +0000

Hello there! How was your weekend? I mostly goofed around while Alan immersed himself in Assassins Creed 2 on Playstation 3.

It’s a good mix most Sundays… he plays, and I play. We go together well like that.

I’m getting in the Valentine’s mood and pulled out some felt to see what came of it. I ended up making several of these cute little puffy hearts. They are so super easy, you can whip some out well in time for the big love fest day too.

All you need:

Felt in your favorite colors – be it traditional Valentine’s or otherwise.
Embroidery thread and needle.
Stuff to make them puff… filler, scrap felt, dryer lint… you get the idea.
Scissors

Step 1: Start by cutting out several in whatever shapes and sizes you see fit.

The only requirement is that you need the fronts and backs to be pretty much the same size for sewing together. But they really don’t need to be perfect. A quick trick for doing so, is to fold your piece of felt into 4′s, and then making sure you cut along the folds, cut out half a heart shape. Then when you unfold what you have cut out you have two pretty much the same size hearts to sew together.

Step 2: Sew the majority of the front and back of each piece together using embroidery thread. Do so by simply sewing around the edges. Start your first stitch on the inside of the front piece so you can hide the knot inside the heart.

Step 3: Before you completely sew the whole piece together… leave a little room to stuff each heart.

Franken-heart. heh heh heh.

Once your heart is stuffed, finish up your stitching, and your done! Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Now, what to do with all these little cuties?

I made a magnet with mine:

To do so, hot glue to a piece of cardboard in whatever configuration you like, and then attach a magnet (hot glue works fine for that too) to the back of that piece of cardboard. Voila… your fridge is feelin’ the love.

Other ideas:

Use as a scrapbook page embellishment (you may want to fill a little less so they aren’t as bulky).
Fill with potpourri and use as a sachet.
Attach a ribbon to the top and use as an ornament for a Valentine tree.
Hot glue to a circle of corrugated cardboard and make a wreath.
Hand out a few to each family member and place an empty clear jar in a central location in your house for all to see. Each time someone tells another a reason they love them they get to drop a heart into the jar. Make it a goal that the jar is full of ‘love’ by Valentine’s Day in which case everyone gets a special treat.
Keep a few to pass out to those that need a little love, just because. I can guarantee they’ll keep it in their pocket all day and smile.
Fill with Cat Nip and become your feline friend’s favorite person EVER. (I may have to do that next).

You can of course use this basic crafty ‘recipe’ for so many other little puffy felt items too. Think flowers, butterflies, stars, you name it! Just cut out two basic shapes and get to stitchin’ and stuffin’.

Thanks for stopping by today…hoping for more lovey projects to come soon!

Or at least chocolate… by God there will be chocolate.