Arts & Crafts Archives - Page 8 of 16

Oribel introduces 2 new PortaPlay items {pre-order and save 15% off}

Do you remember my review of the awesome PortaPlay from Oribel that I posted last year? It’s still one of my most favorite “baby” items we’ve ever had, and I love it even more now than I did when it first arrived. See that tree NOT getting mauled by my 10 month old? Thank you, … Read more

American Girl GOTY Lea-inspired DIY walking stick craft

Remember my post about Lea Clark, the 2016 Girl of the Year from American Girl? If so, then you understand how excited we are for her release. She is an American Girl Doll who loves photography, starts a blog, and loves nature. Lea is basically everything we were hoping for in the new Girl of the Year, and then more. As excited as I was to see that Lea has an accessory pack with a camera, I was almost as excited when I saw Lea's Rainforest Hike Accessory Set that comes complete with an adorable walking stick. I’m a huge fan of hiking with a walking stick as it makes it so much easier to navigate rough or slippery terrain, and this is especially true for kids.

Pocket-sized ZINK Zero-Ink photo printing with the Polaroid ZIP

Oh teenagers these days. They just don’t even understand how good they have it with their smartphones and digital world. Do they even know what it was like waiting for our film to come back all those years ago? I’m guessing probably not.

But, while the teens of today take thousands of pictures, selfies, shots of shoes on sidewalks, and photos of creatively arranged food, they also don’t know what they are missing out on. They are missing out on the joy that comes from having an actual photograph of good times shared with family and friends.

Granted, they might own picture frames, but you certainly won’t find many that have been updated this decade with new pictures. In this an era of instant digital photos hidden away on smartphones, teenagers these days don’t have anything tangible that they can hang up and make them smile every time they see it.

What they need is an introduction to Polaroid. No, not the Polaroid film cameras of my youth, the Polaroid ZIP Instant Photoprinter is the newest technology – a pocket-sized photo printer that makes inkless prints utilizing your smartphone pictures.

The perfect gift for the artist on your list: Winsor & Newton Pigment Markers

Have you ever gotten a beautiful piece of art made with markers that you loved so much that you framed it and hung it up? Were you surprised when only months later the colors faded to almost nothing and it looked like it was decades old?

Whenever the kids draw or write me something that just makes me melt, I have to weigh whether I want to display it which ultimately ends up ruining it quickly with light exposure, or if I want to hide it away in their special box where it will just slowly fade away. Honestly, neither option is okay with me.The sentimental side of me wants to hide everything away and hope that it survives, but the mom in me wants my kids to grow up in a house where art is encouraged. That means that beautiful pieces need to be celebrated by putting them where they can be seen and enjoyed..

That’s where Winsor & Newton Pigment Markers come in. Rarely do I use the word “revolutionary” to describe markers, but that was before I heard about Winsor & Newton, the world’s first pigment-based, lightfast markers.

Scan your old slides and negatives easily with the Portable Digital Image Copier Deluxe

I have found the coolest new tool that every photographer of the 90s and early 2000s needs. Introducing the Portable Digital Slide and Film Converter from Hammacher Schlemmer that allows you to bring all those pictures you snapped on film into the digital era. If you know me, you know that I have been my family’s photographer since the nineties. This means that I got my start well before the digital age and I have a ton of pictures in boxes stored in random rooms and closets in my house… just in case.

25+ thoughtful and sentimental things you can do {long-distance}

Having a loving, close-knit family makes for an amazing holiday season filled with gatherings, events, and holiday traditions. But, if that family happens to live too far away to visit and celebrate, the holidays can be a really sad time. This year marks my sister’s first Christmas away from the family now that she’s living in Georgia for a few years, which has definitely been an adjustment for all of us. Normally, we’d be seeing each other a few times a week and enjoying the magic of the holidays together, so it’s been really difficult only being able to Skype and talk on the phone.

Knowing that it’s even harder on her being away from all of us, I’ve been sending her little presents to help her adjust to her new town, let her know we’re thinking of her, and give her something to look forward to opening on Christmas morning when her boys are tearing into their presents. I’ve been searching on Etsy, shopping local craft marts, hunting on Amazon, and have been busy having special presents made up just for her.

In the process, I have found so many great ideas to send to friends and family adjusting to the holidays away. Here are just a few sentimental gifts and ideas you can do to make long-distance loved ones get in the holiday spirit.

25+ thoughtful & sentimental things you can do {long-distance}:

Custom photo fleece blanket from Collage.com {on sale now up to 64% off!}

By now you know how much I love personalized gifts. Add in pictures of my kids, and it's basically going to be my most favorite thing ever. But, I've got a locket with photos, I have photo prints, photobooks, and even a plaque. So, what else is there?

How about a photo blanket, you say? I had always dismissed photo blankets as kind of grandma-y and never looked at them seriously, but when Collage.com sent me an email and asked if I wanted to see one in person, how could I say no? And, then I saw it in person and was in love. Seriously, is there anything cuter than this?

10 reasons why you should get a Lundby dollhouse

I’ll admit that I never really outgrew my childhood dollhouse. Even when I finally moved it out of my bedroom in my early teens and let my sister play with all of my miniatures, I was more than just a little sad. In fact, I think I spent more time that summer helping her paint and decorate her new dollhouse than she did, which at the time I chalked up to being an awesome big sister. Clearly, it was just an awesome excuse to redecorate a dollhouse one last time.As soon as I found out I was having a daughter, I knew I would one day share with her the joys of miniature building, decorating, and playing. And, I couldn’t wait. When the day came that our Lundby dollhouse arrived and was ready to be decorated, I realized just how much I missed playing with miniatures. Yes, it was still about my daughter and what she wanted from a dollhouse, but it was also about what we could build and do together that got me the most excited. I look back now to that day two years ago and I realize now why people thought it was crazy to bring such a fragile dollhouse into our living space with a 2 ½ year old and a 5 year old, but at the time I was too excited to care. In the years that have passed, I have not only grown to trust them with the house and all its little pieces while supervised, but about a year ago I started allowing them to play with it all by themselves. And, as soon as baby learns "gentle", she's going to be allowed to play with it, too.

OREO owl cupcakes were the hit of our Woodland-themed party

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiftDeliciously #CollectiveBias Do you love holiday baking as much as I do? With so many events, birthday parties, and more this time of year, I look forward to working side-by-side with my favorite little bakers and I plan all year for recipes I want to try. It just so happens that my birthday falls at the perfect time to kick off holiday baking season, so every year we use it as a great excuse to get creative in the kitchen while bonding with the kids.

This year, the kids and I created a fun recipe we like to call OREOwl cupcakes using some of our favorite brands, like OREO. Since we adore owls, this recipe was a huge hit for the kiddos, and it went over really well at my birthday gathering once guests showed up.

The HP Envy 5540 All-in-One printer with 6mos FREE HP Instant Ink!

Do you have tons of pictures you wish you would get around to printing out? How about pictures you are meaning to scan? If so, I’ve got the perfect solution for you in the HP Envy 5540 all-in-one printer.

This all-purpose all-in-one HP printer is a great compact solution for your home and office printing, scanning and copying needs. With scanning and printing resolutions up to 1200×1200 dpi, this machine handles even complex photo-quality projects with ease, and fast printing up to 10 ppm ensures jobs get done quickly. Because it is wireless, the HP Envy 5540 can be used by several people without complex networking, and can even be used from another room so you’re not stuck to your office for printing. Set it up as the printing hub for your busy family, or place it in a central office location for several co-workers to share.