Kid Crafting with My Grandboy (Squishy Books)

My grandboys like coming to my house because I'm a paper crafter. They love going into my room and creating. My eldest grandson has learned how to use my photo editing program to prepare photos and save as a png (with transparent background). He then takes it into my cutting machine software, traces the images and prepares them for print-2-cut. Then, he procedes to make the proper printer settings, prints it with registration marks and cuts the images out.

He found some pdf projects and tutorials to make "squishy" books. He prints the project on regular printer paper, then covers the image area with packing tape, and then cuts them out. The base for the pages are placed in pairs, back to back, and are taped bottom and sides. He then stuffs them with batting and tapes the top closed.

Here's the first book he made. The Squid Book. I can't tell you where he got the patterns. It's in google docs and I don't know how to use it. Yeah, he's smarter than I am in certain things. The little suitcase on the top right opens and there are little letters and whatnot in there. You can reclothe the little guy on the bottom left. There's a game on the last photo, with a spinning wheel.

These books have pockets on the pages and small elements that have the packing tape on the front and back. Double-sided tape is placed on them, so he can move the elements from one place to another.

The next one is the "Burger Shop." This is fun because you can set the characters behind the table, use a dry erase marker to order off of the menu, and then build the burgers, soda drinks with tops and straws, and french fries in the deep fryer. Really cute stuff.

The most current one he made is a Game Book. There are actual games to play, including tic-tac-toe and a puzzle. There are party foods and blender drinks, so on the last page you can put your characters at the table for a party, wearing party hats, top hats and bow ties. This one is not a squishy book, but a regular flat book.

He does 95% of these projects all by himself. And, as a side project, he found this tiny chip bags that he made and stuffed with batting. They're about 2.5"-3.5" tall, and so cute.

What will it be next week? We'll see!

Way to Go, TG!

Sunny's Magic Explosion Box

We know by now that my youngest grandson loves boxes, basically anything you can put little things in and then move them into another container. So, for his birthday I made this little explosion box from Lori Whitlock (matchbox explosion box).

I made this with Disney-themed paper by Echo Park called Magical Adventures. I always use the digital version and print it out myself. I filled the little inside boxes with crafty fun, elastic braid for bracelets/necklaces , beads, pipe cleaners and a couple other small items.

When the box is opened, it reveals four slide-out drawers.

There's a little camera on top and I put my grandson's little face in it.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

Valentine's 2025

The following are some Valentine's I made for my youngest grandson's Kindergarten class. I found this free printable that holds two Crayons at SVG Nation. I resized it a bit and made a background piece to give it more stiffness. Also had to correct the grammar of a couple of the Valentine's.

I made this little box for my daughter for Valentine's Day and because she just had hip surgery. I filled it with See's Candy. The cut file comes from SVG Cuts (Sweets for My Sweet), made at 6.5" wide. The digital paper is by Gennifer Bassett, but reviewed in Affinity Photo using cute hearts from Liv-E Designs.

The hearts I replaced onto the background paper were individually cut and printed, and placed along the right side of the heart.

Happy Valentine's Day! Lots of Love!

 

Vintage Tri-Fold Birthday Card

I saw this card online and fell in love with it. I tried to find the artist to see if there was an svg file that I could buy. However, upon searching all I could find was a die for only the outside border of the panels. I could find nothing on the artist. So, I started from scratch. Made my own base and panels. Used digital paper that I either had or that I designed.

I scanned some of my mom's old recipes and printed to fit the card. I made some small pockets for gift cards, which close with Velcro.

I really love the way this turned out. I also made a little box for the card, since it is too thick for an envelope.

Happy Birthday, My Sweet Girl!

Sunny's Vintage TV Box

My younger grandson let me know that he really wanted me to make him a TV box. He's been asking for one for a few months. I found this one at Dreaming Tree. I believe it's a 1960s wood vaneer style console TV. 

The back even looks authentic. The black base you see is the bottom of the box. It's about 8" across.

The best part for my grandboy is that the knobs turn and, of course, it's a box. He loves containers, any kind of containers, more than anything.

Smile, You're in Sunny's TV!

12 Tags of Christmas - 2024

 Here we go again! I really do love this challenge. Each time I start it I tell myself I don't have to do all 12; even if I do five it's ok. But, in the end I normally get all 12 done. So, here we go.

Tag #1
I got this idea on Pinterest, then added the wording labels and snow falling. I made the holly berries with glossy accent with red glitter. The rest of the cuts were made with basic shapes in SCAL.

Tag #2
The middle image is from Creative Fabrica, with layered backgrounds.

Tag #3
Images from Creative Fabrica. 5 different layers print-2-cut. Merry Camping!

Tag #4
Another image from Creative Fabrica. The ornaments and the star on the tree are print-2-cut.

Tag #5
This one cam from the front of an SVG Cuts card.

Tag #6
Designed this one myself with images from Creative Fabrica. Digi paper from Carta Bella. Base of tag is from SCAL library.

Tag #7
This one is a Christmas cracker ornament. Panels made print-2-cut, and trees added on the top of them.

Tag #8
I made this tar from an oragami youtube I saw. I made it into a cut file, and then adhered the two four-point stars on top of each other.

Tag #9
This cute little cardinal cut file came from Simply Crafty SVGs (Critters Christmas Block Box Set). I made it a bit more narrow to make it more tag shaped.

Tag #10
This little gnome image cut file is from Creative Fabrica. I removed the trees in the background and added a separate svg strand of lights. I combined some of the svgs and ended up with about 5-6 pieces total.

Tag #11
I got the idea of this one from Pinterest. It's a simple one, but cute. The fern is cut from SVG Cuts' 3D Wintergreens.

Tag #12
This is another Pinterest inspired tag. Image in Circle is extracted from digi paper and designed in Affinity Photo, then saved as png and traced in SCAL. The  writing on the scalloped circle was typed on a path. Digi paper is from Sherry K Designs.

Merry, Merry Christmas!

 

A Couple of Christmas Crafts - 2024

This is what I made for 15 great nieces and nephews. It's a little tag that I designed in Affinity Photo, each with the kids names on them. I used one of the  plastic lipstick hang tag holders. I rolled cash in each one.

I bought some small muslin bags in a bunch of sizes to personalize for some Christmas gifts. This is a sample of the ones I made.

Merry Christmas, Kids!

It's Movie Night with EB!

 My early Christmas present was a TV that I could set up in our guest room (formerly our daughter's room) as a movie room for the grandboys. I made some fun elements to enhance our movie experience (that's a bit dramatic...ha ha).

I had some vintage movie images that I bought on Etsy. The first thing I made was this white board/marquee. We can write what we're watching when we have weekly movie nights with popcorn.

I made some fun signs to dress up the movie area. There's a clapper, movie camera, popcorn this way sign, concession stand, seating this way sign and a film strip with some of the series/movies we watched.

I got Emmett his own soft blanket because he was always trying to take mine. So, here we are with our reusable popcorn boxes with our cozy blankets ready for movie night.

This way to the restroom!

Our movie screen, with the marquee, some movie tickets and our Movie Night sign. Oh, and the movie film reel.

And, the goofy little man with our marquee sign showing the movie fare for the evening.

Just Go to the Movies, Just Go to a Picture Show Oh!

Halloween Lanterns - 2024-plus Simple Treat Boxes

Here are three simple Halloween lanterns that were made with free files from, I believe, Creative Fabrica. It doesn't require much glue, if any, but I did use some to prevent movement of the tabs.

Here are a few treat boxes I made just for fun. My printer was running out of ink, so printed in pink. I thought they were still cute so I left them. These were a free printable, but I can't remember from where. I converted it into an SVG print-2-cut file.

Happy Boo!

Summer Birthdays - 2024

The idea for this card, made for my  sis-in-law, came from Simply Simple Stamping. I'm not a stamper. I use Affinity Photo for designing images and then trace and cut them using my Solo cutting machine and SCAL6 software. 

This is a pretty easy pattern, and it was fun making the patterns.

This next card was made for another sis-in-law. She's an amazing crafter who makes gorgeous cards and incredible photo books. I put this card together without any pattern. All patterned paper I use (on most all cards on my blog) were made with digital paper that I printed myself.

The last one was for my bff. It's a simple little enclosure card. You can find the free pattern on Simply Crafty SVGs, Perfect Together.  I altered it to read Happy Birthday. This birthday is actually not until November, but wanted to group it in here.

Happy 2024 Birthday!