My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software {GIVEAWAY & Free Printable!}

I have never really gotten into scrapbooking, but I have recently been interested in digital scrapbooking.  It seems so much easier and more practical when all my photos are digital, and there is no mess to clean up (I have plenty of other crafting messes to deal with!). 

I was so excited when My Memories contacted me about trying out their digital scrapbooking software!  It was so easy to download the software (you can download it or have it shipped) and get started!  My Memories offers lots of free and paid kits that you can download to get papers and embellishments.  You can also use any other digital scrapbooking kits you may have downloaded elsewhere!

In no time at all I had made this Christmas printable (that you can download for free! Just right click and save.) and page with my husband and I from last Christmas.   The software is very easy to use and doesn't take long to get used to!  They even have templates to use so all you have to do is add pictures (the snowflake page was a template)!

And in the Christmas spirit, My Memories is letting me giveaway a copy of their software to one of you all!  To enter you first need to be a follower of this blog (just click "Join This Site" on the right side).  And then leave a comment for each one of the following (for one entry each):

1. Visit the My Memories website and comment which digital scrapbooking pack you would download first!
2. Have a friend enter the giveaway (just have them comment who sent them)
3. Share the giveaway/blog post on Facebook
4. Follow the My Memories blog
5. Follow My Memories on Facebook

The giveaway will close on Saturday December 3rd, 2011 at midnight CST.  If you don't win the giveaway, you can still get the My Memories Suite software for a discounted price!  Just be sure to watch for the announcement of the winner...the code will be given then!   Just a tip..the My Memories software would be a great Christmas gift for the scrapbooker or crafty person in your life! 

Thanksgiving Recap

Wow! It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is now gone and Christmas is fast approaching!  We went back to KY for about a week and a half for the holiday.  It was a great trip back and we were quite busy!  We spent most of our time looking for a rental house (and we found one!), spending time with family and friends and eating lots of yummy food!  I also acquired a cold, so lots of rest was involved too.  I had planned on posting and crafting while we were there, but that didn't happen.  But I have some exciting things to share...including a giveaway tomorrow!!  So be sure to come back and enter (and share with your friends)!!

Fall Mantel {DIY Projects}

So this is a tad late, considering I am taking down my fall decorations this week and replacing them with Christmas decor!!  But better late then never, right?  Since we are only in this apartment for six months (less than two left!!) I haven't been big on decorating.  To me there's no point in pulling out all of my decorations (that I packed up reallllly well) to have to pack them up again.  But since we actually have a mantel (that doesn't have a TV on it) I can't leave that bare!  Here's what I did with the decor I have year round (that the movers packed up and unpacked).  I also added two DIY projects-the yarn wreath and fabric pumpkins.

To make the pumpkins I loosely followed this tutorial. But they are very simple to make.  Take a roll of toilet paper, wrap a piece of newspaper around that, stuffing the edges in the roll opening.  Take a fat quarter sized (18"x21") piece of fabric and wrap that around the roll the same way you did the newspaper.  There's no right way to do this, I just made sure to keep the fabric folds tighter so it kept a round-ish shape.  I did have to trim some of the corners of fabric off to get it all into the roll.  Now for the stem.  You could use a real stick, but I didn't feel like wandering around our apartment complex looking for sticks so i improvised!  I took 3 q-tips, hot glued them together and wrapped brown felt around that.  Then I finished them off with a green felt leaf!

Cost: $.88 (or FREE if you have everything!)  I had the fabric and felt on hand and picked up a 4 pack of cheap toilet paper at Kroger for $.88 (we use more expensive toilet paper so I wasn't about to use that for a craft project! haha!). 

To make the wreath I wrapped a wreath form with yarn, securing it with hot glue every few wraps around.  To cover up the wreath form I did some overlapping too.  Then I made some fall flowers out of felt and hot glued those on.   To hang it I wrapped some brown satin ribbon around the wreath.

Cost: yarn - $2.50 at Joann's + wreath form - $1.80 (normally $2.99 and used a 40% coupon at Joann's) = about $4.30  (I had the felt and ribbon on hand, and have yarn left over).

Up next, Christmas decorations!!

31 Days of Handmade Gifts: Day 31 {DIY Clocks}

Welcome to Day 31! You can find the other 31 Days posts here.

Well the last day is here!  I had planned on doing another gift idea, but it was something I wanted to make but I never got around to making it before today.  But I will be making it soon so stick around!

I don't know about you but I've seen quite a few DIY or revamped clocks out in blog land and they are too cute!  Here are some of my favorites that you could make for gifts to just about anyone on your list.  Everyone needs to know what time it is!

Landee See, Landee Do made this adorable photo clock.  Instead of the traditional numbers, she used family photos.  It's a great way to personalize a clock and make it a centerpiece on the wall instead of a boring wall decoration.  If you have an old clock you aren't using it would be perfect for this project.  Or you could find a cheap clock at a thrift store.

This photo clock by Rosy Red Buttons would make a great wedding gift or Christmas gift for a newlywed.  And it is pretty affordable too!  With the right coupons you could make this for under $10.

This clock by Le Petite Sweet was made using an old picture frame.  Once again, you could make this for under $10 and could be personalized in any way you want.  I think scrapbook paper would look great as a background!

Hope you all have enjoyed 31 Days of Handmade Gifts!  I definitely have.  I also surprised myself that I was able to post everyday (well some were scheduled, but I wrote 31 posts in a row!)  I have some tutorials to share in the coming weeks as well as finish up and share a few sewing projects.  So stick around!