posts in category #heidiswappatmichaels

12.07.2015

have yourself a Merry Little Christmas...photobooth!

It's less than 3 weeks away!

Christmas is less than 3 weeks away!

Are you ready?

I am not.

I still have a bunch of shopping and decorating to do...and I still have to pull together our Christmas cards...but things are falling into place, thank goodness.

One of the things I'm trying to do this season, amidst everything else, is trying to take more photographs. Now is the perfect time to get out those "big" cameras and snap a few for the album. But taking the same photos over and over...everyone side by side smiling at the camera...can get pretty stale.

So we're spicing things up a bit over here. I've set up a little impromptu photo booth, complete with the new Heidi Swapp Instax Photo Props (available at Michaels stores with the rest of Heidi's Instax products), and we're getting in the spirit with some fun photos!

These little props are so fun and so dang easy to put together...and Heidi's thought of everything you could possibly want to cheer up those holiday photos!

The sheets of props come just like this...all you need to do is pop them out of their sheets and attach them to the included sticks with the adhesive dots (also included).

Super easy.

Some of the props come with glittered accents that you can add...

And there are a number of little embellishments you can add as well! So so cute!

I recently painted a wall in our kitchen with chalkboard paint...and this makes the perfect backdrop for our silly holiday photos...I just stashed the props in a little metal bucket and placed them in the corner. Now they're easily accessible for anyone who feels the need to take a few pics! Plus they look pretty cute sitting there...

The kids had a great time posing for a few shots for me...

This one is my favorite...

I'm pretty excited to have the kids' friends over for a hot chocolate party and some photobooth craziness! And who knows? Maybe these little gems will find their way onto our Christmas cards this year...

SUPPLIES; Heidi Swapp Instax Photo Props - Christmas

11.02.2015

my "metal" snowflake...Christmas Marquee Love...

Hey hey everyone!

I'm back with another quick and easy Christmas Marquee Love project today!

This time I've used this adorable snowflake Marquee...and I've decorated it with spray paint!

Now this spray paint is a little different than some you may have seen in the past...this paint actually give the look of a hammered metal finish...and it's totally awesome.

This spray paint is made for metal surfaces...but it works just great on the hard cardboard that the Marquee Love lights are made from!

My Christmas decorating vibe tends to lean toward the natural/urban...creams and browns and greens with a lot of wood and metal...so I thought this snowflake would look awesome in this dark brown "metal" finish.

Here it is all sprayed up...

You can totally see that "hammered metal" finish...ack - I LOVE it!

I added the lights, and now it's perfect...exactly what I was hoping for.

This is probably where I will put this darling snowflake come Christmas-decoratin' time...probably.

But I'm thinking it may look cooler hung on the wall...with a few friends...painted the exact same way.

So what do you think? Is the faux-metal look something you think you'd try?

This little snowflake Christmas Marquee Love piece is making its way to Michaels Stores right this very minute...they've even already been spotted in some stores!

For a quick tutorial on how to decorate a Marquee Love light - click HERE...it's super-easy...and fun...and ADDICTING!

SUPPLIES: Heidi Swapp Marquee Love Snowflake, Rustoleum Hammered Spray Paint.

10.28.2015

Coming soon! Marquee Love Christmas...and a little "how to..."

With Christmas just right around the corner it's time to start getting some holiday crafting done!

The brand new Heidi Swapp Marquee Love Christmas designs will be in Michaels Stores any day now...and they are the perfect way to add a little light to your holiday decor...

Now in case you've never decorated one of these Marquee Love lights, I've put together a little step-by-step and a few tips on how to embellish one of these beauties...but first let me show you this darling little Christmas tree Marquee I put together earlier this week.

Here's what I started with...

...my "tree," some colored bulbs, white glitter paper and both 1" & 2" Marquee Love White Glitter Tape.

And here's how my little tree turned out...

Oh, I just completely love it! It's pretty hard to see the glitter paper behind the lights and the glitter tape on both the inside and outside edges...but it's there...and it's so pretty!

Now, every Marquee Love letter, number or shape comes complete with white lights and clear bulbs caps...but replacement bulbs (in a variety of colors, including this multi-colored pack) can be purchased separately.

I love the way these bulbs look with the white background...they look almost like candy, don't they?

I think I'm going to pick up a few more of these trees...and some more colored bulbs. Wouldn't it be so cool to have a whole forest set up?

OK...so now that I've shown you just how awesome these lights can be, I want to give you a quick run-down on how to put one together...

*Your Marquee Love light will come with the following: one chipboard (or plastic) light design; 1 design template; a string of lights & clear bulb caps (as I mentioned above), light string-placement directions & a small piece of double-sided tape.

*When you open the package and remove all the pieces, you will find your design template tucked inside your design. This template gives you the exact dimensions of your design, and can be used again & again.

***These next few steps are optional...chose all or none of these decorating options to make your Marquee Love light totally personal!***

*Trace around your design template.

TIP: Make sure to trace around the holes in your template...these mark where your bulbs will be placed. You can use a long-reach hole punch (I use a Crop-A-Dile Big Bite) to punch your holes, or you can just make a little snip with a pair of scissors to mark them.

TIP: If you are using dark or highly decorated patterned paper inside your Marquee design you may find it hard to see trace marks over the pattern. In this case, simply put the template behind the patterned paper, turn both pieces over and trace. Make sure your template is facing the correct way...especially if your Marquee light is not symmetrical!

*Use scissors to cut out your design...again, make sure to either punch or snip those holes!

*Next, I like to add 1" decorative tape to the inner edge of my lights. Heidi makes a TON of these tapes in all different colors and patterns...and there is a whole huge selection of glitter tape, too! That's what I'm using here - white glitter tape...and it's gorgeous.

TIP: Start your taping in an area of your design that is not easy to see, like a corner. Your finished project will look much neater if you can't see overlapping tape or cut ends.

TIP: I find that using a straight edge, like a ruler, helps me to push the tape into places that aren't easy for my fingers to get to - like right angles or sharp bends in the design.

*Once I'm done taping the inner edge of my light, I like to move on to taping the outer edge. Again, Heidi makes a huge selection of 2" tapes that are just perfect for decorating the outside edges of the Marquee Love lights. I chose the 2" white glitter tape for this tree...

Again...begin your taping on an inconspicuous area of your design.

*When you are finished with your taping, slide your decorative paper onto the top of your light.

TIP: I have found that cutting my design just right inside my trace lines assures that my paper fits into my light without bubbling up.

*Then push your bulb caps through the holes you've made in your decorative paper. This may take a little work. The bulb caps are designed to fit snuggly and you may need to apply a good bit of pressure to get them through.

*Your next step is to add your light string. Each box contains a diagram of how your lights should be strung so that they fit properly...turn your light over (front side down) and simply push each little light into its bulb according to your design's directions.

You may choose to do this next step before you add your light string...but either order is fine...

*Finally, find the little piece of double-sided tape included with your set. Add this tape to the battery box on your light string and tape it inside the back of your light. Make sure you can easily access the battery pack's on/off switch.

And that's it! So fun, no?

One of the best things about these lights is that you can replace the bulb caps and patterned paper as often as you like! It's a little harder to replace the decorative tape, though...so you may want to make sure your are happy with your initial choice...(smile).

I would LOVE to see how you decorate your Christmas Marquee Love pieces! Make sure to tag #HSMarqueeLove on Instagram & Facebook so we can all be inspired!

***All of the supplies I used to create this little Christmas tree will be available at Michaels Stores in the next week or so. Michaels also carries Marquee Love letters & numbers, as well as a number of Marquee Love patterned paper packs, Marquee Love decorative tape & replacement bulb caps.***

10.25.2015

A Fun Addition to Our Thanksgiving Table...with the Heidi Swapp Instax Collection

I love Thanksgiving...

I think it's my favorite holiday next to Christmas.

I especially love setting the table each year...I love to try something new each year...and I especially love to use non-traditional colors in my decor.

This year I'm using something a little different to create my place settings...here's what I'm starting with...

The brand new Heidi Swapp Instax Card Kit and a number of pieces from Heidi's new sticker collection (both available now at Michaels Stores).

And here's what I've created...

Personalized place settings for each of our Thanksgiving guests!

I started by asking each of our guests to send me photos of themselves...then I printed them out using the FANTASTIC Instax Printer (also available at Michaels) and placed them inside the little cards that come in the kit.

But instead of then folding the cards up and putting them into their adorable little envelopes, I folded the cards backwards and turned them into these little tented frames.

A small piece of washi tape helps the cards keep their shape...

I decorated each one with a few pieces from the Sticker Collection and added a little monogram so that each of our guests would know where to sit...

A piece or two of washi tape (also from the sticker collection) helps to keep the photos in place...

...and when the evening is over everyone has a little memento to bring home. They just simply have to fold their cards up and tuck them into their envelopes...

So easy...(really, soooo easy), but fun, right?

I love the idea of giving something a little personal to each of our guests...

And now I'm getting so excited to decorate for Thanksgiving!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

SUPPLIES - (all supplies shown here are available at Michaels Stores): Heidi Swapp Instax Card Kit, Heidi Swapp Sticker Collection - alpha stickers, washi tape, enamel dots, acetate words; American Crafts Mini Metal Stapler, American Crafts Precision Pen Black .01

10.08.2015

giving the gift of memories...with Instax and Heidi Swapp

Wouldn't it be awesome if we could give people the perfect gift? One that is beautiful and meaningful...one that they'll cherish?

Here's a little attempt at how I've tried to do just that...

So, my 12-year-old daughter recently decided it was time to start redecorating her room...making it a little more mature...a little more "her."

And while I'm happy to let her do most of the work herself (let's face it...our tastes aren't exactly the same...and I've been trying to pick my battles...grrrr...), I did want to have some input on what's going on the walls.

She's at the age now where her friends are becoming increasingly important to her...and taking photos of EVERYTHING (especially herself) is something she loves to do...

So I decided to surprise her with a fun little Instax wall...filled with her favorite photos. This is where it started...

This Light Banner Kit from Heidi Swapp was exactly what I needed to get started on giving Kinsley the gift of memories. Seriously...glitter, tassels, gold foil and lights? Yep. Perfect.

I grabbed a few other things I needed...some baker's twine & seambinding - to help mount photos, some extra clips, and some washi tape and stickers from a few of Heidi's other collections and some of the stickers from her other Instax collections.

Next, I used my Instax Printer (which I'm pretty sure I could no longer live without) to print off some of the photos I'd taken from her phone.

**Side note: honestly - if you're looking for a gift that will be used over and over and over, consider an Instax Printer. It prints photos from your smart-phone gallery (using a downloadable app that works with the printer)...so they can be fully edited and cropped...but it prints them on that amazing Instax polaroid film. There's just something about that little plastic card-size photo...OH! And you can even add text to the bottom of your photos before you print! It's so awesome...**

And then the fun part started. I took each of my photos...one at a time...and decorated them using the items from the Light Banner Kit and the other stickers and stuff I grabbed. This was so fun. Dressing up little tags like this is the best...it's like creating little mini-layouts...

You can see in the photo on the left above how I added the title "Beauty & the Beast 2015" to my photo before I printed (so awesome!). Then I added that little strip of washi - "THAT ONE TIME..." - from Heidi's washi packs at Michaels. And finally I covered the photo with one of the gold glitter frames from the Light Banner Kit. Easy peasy...and QUICK!

For the little tag on the right, I simply layered a few of the mini pennants (again from the Light Banner Kit) on the larger pennant and added a little mint-foiled paper bow (from Heidi's Color Story Sticker Collection at Michaels).

For the rest of the photos and pennants I did basically the same thing. I took a photo, added a sticker or strip of washi, layered on a pennant and DONE!

I headed up to Kinsley's room and got to work putting up the banner. She already has these great framed corkboards she's putting up...they made adding photos super easy. And I love the way they look.

**Another side note: the corkboards were really fun to put together. We built a few, but there are some we bought - like the one shown here - at Home Goods. I covered the cork with a window shade I found at Goodwill (it had been from IKEA and was basically a roll of this beautiful dark textured paper). I LOVE the dark background on her light walls...**

I started by hanging the light string/baker's twine/seambinding...and then I just grabbed my little decorated photos and tags and got to work adding them...

The light string that comes in the kit works on batteries and comes with a little strip of double-sided adhesive foam. I stuck mine to the side of the corkboard frame...it's easy to get to here, and it's out of the way.

Because I had so many photos I decided to fill up one of the corkboards as well. I strung some more baker's twine and added a few to that. And the rest went up with pushpins.

I even rested one of Heidi's new Instax Wood Blocks on top of a large picture frame and added a photo there.

I'm so happy with the way this turned out! I think what I love most is that nothing is permanent. The photos can all be changed out...and in most of the cases, I didn't adhere the embellishments to the actual photos (I used the bulldog & paper-clips to keep the pieces together), so they can be used again, too.

I think Kinsley loves it, too. When she walked into her room after school I heard her say "YES!!!" I'm so happy she's happy with it. It was the perfect gift from me to her.

And working on this kind of got me thinking...maybe I should start focusing on giving all the people I love gifts that are more meaningful. Maybe instead of impersonal, over-priced stuff I should work to give people the gift of memories...

That is going to be my personal challenge...and it's something I challenge you to think about doing as well. We can't forget that our memories, no matter how goofy, silly, fun, scary, sad or awesome, are vitally important.

I'd love to see how you're giving the perfect gift...tag your photos #givethegiftofmemories on social media so we can all see and be inspired...

SUPPLIES: (all supplies now available at Michaels Stores) Fuji Instax Wireless Printer and Film, Heidi Swapp Instax Light Banner Kit, Heidi Swapp Instax Planner Kit, Heidi Swapp Instax Flip Album Kit, Heidi Swapp Instax Wood Blocks, Heidi Swapp Instax Sticker Set, Heidi Swapp Sticker Collection (bows, washi tape, wooden words), Pink Paislee Cedar Lane (feather paperclips), striped paperclips, seambinding, baker's twine.