Remember this cute little goose?  It is a stamp that is part of the “Cherish Friendship” stamp set.  This cute little bowl of cherries is also a part of the set.  Can I just tell you that I was up until 1 am making a bunch of these?  Trust me, it’s a fun card to make!  Too bad our Thanksgiving plans won’t be very exciting this year.  I would have loved to have given them to my aunt as a thank-you for hosting us.  🙁

I’ve listed the supplies and cardstock measurements below. 

Supplies:

Cherish Friendship stamp set

Blender Pens

Watercolor Pencils

Well-Worn Designer Series Paper

Linen Thread

Watercolor Paper

River Rock card stock

Cajun Craze card stock

Stazon Ink

Stazon Cleaner

Measurements:

Start with a piece of 4-1/4″ x 11″ cardstock, scored at 5-1/2″

Do you have a Sizzix Big Shot?  No?  You need one!  If you had one, you could make this really cool candy holder for your Thanksgiving guests.

Click HERE for more information on the Sizzix Big Shot and the Top Note Die that were used to make this great little goody.

Today I am a very delighted mother for a few reasons!  First, my sixteen-year-old baby still wants to go trick-or-treating.  Second, she finally took it upon herself to plan, design, and MAKE her own costume.  Finally, and the best part of all, is that when she finished and showed me what she had done, she immediately asked, “Mommy, are you going to put this on your blog?”  (Woo hoo!  She is sixteen and she still calls me “Mommy.”  Pure joy!)

What does any of this have to do with a papercrafting blog, you ask?  Read on, and you shall see.

Earlier this year, before Adrienne left for college, both of my girls developed an addiction to the Doctor Who television series.  They became, and they remain, obsessed.  (On a side note, I have to say that I am a little sad that they didn’t choose to include me in their new addiction.  They probably figured I have enough obsessions already, and hey, they do need clean laundry every now and then.  A new addiction for their mom means less attention-time for them.)  Once again, I digress.  Back to the costume.

Erica (the sixteen-year-old) told me that she needed to go the mall to buy a blue dress for her Halloween costume.  You all know what that means.  Whenever you go shopping to find a specific item you can never find it.  Thankfully, the Halloween-Gods were on Erica’s side this year, because her costume came together so perfectly, without any hitches.  😉  The photo below shows what she was going for:  a “Police Public Call Box,” which apparently is a big part of the show.

This is what she came up with:

She found the dress at H & M for $19.95.  For the embellishments, she printed them out on regular ole’ computer paper and used good ole’ scotch tape to attach them to the dress.  (I was in total shock that she did this all on her own! Not that she’s not extremely gifted and talented :), but because I always thought my girls were ignoring me when I was in the eWillow.com studio crafting away!)

The pockets:

She wanted to use white duct tape for the windows, but instead she chose to use heavy white cardstock and scotch tape: 

When Halloween is over, she can just peel off the paper and use the dress again and again.  Brilliant!

*****

Now I’m going to take bets…how many of you think she will be like totally embarrassed by this blog post?  Like “Mom, how could you do that to me? Like take it down like now!”

P.S.  While she is at her bassoon lesson tonight, I’m going to try to find some type of thing-a-ma-jig for her to put on the top of her head for the lamp thingy.  You know I have to get my paws involved in this project somehow.  🙂

You can  make a bunch of these fun mini take-out boxes for your kids to bring to their friends in school on Halloween!  They will definitely win “most popular kid” for the day!

Click HERE for the template.  You can print it directly onto an 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of decorative paper.  It will be so much easier!

In addition to decorative paper, you will also need a Crop-a-Dial to punch the holes, and some wire and ribbon for the handle.

You can add a “Happy Thanksgiving” tag and place a box at each guest’s seat as a fun gift for your Thanksgiving feast.

I must admit that I had never heard of quilling until a few years ago, even though the fundamentals of quilling were something I did quite often.  Have you ever found yourself playing with a thin strip of paper?  Like rolling it around a pencil until the strip curls up very tightly?  And then do you unspin it to make a fun little spiral piece of paper? 

This, my friends, is quilling!  Who knew it was its own “thing?”

Here is a more technical definition of quilling, copied and pasted from Wikipedia.  Quilling, which is also called paper filigree, is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is wound around a quill to create a basic coil shape. The paper is glued at the tip and the coil shaped, these shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns.

During the Renaissance, French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to decorate book covers and religious items. The paper most commonly used was strips of paper trimmed from the gilded edges of books. These gilded paper strips were then rolled to create the quilled shapes. Quilling often imitated the original ironwork of the day.

In the 18th century, quilling became popular in Europe where gentle ladies of quality (“ladies of leisure”) practiced the art. It was one of the few things ladies could do that was thought not too taxing for their minds or gentle dispositions. Quilling also spread to the Americas and there are a few examples from Colonial times.

The craft has gone through many transformations and changes through the ages using new techniques, styles and materials. Dimensional quilling creates 3D items.

Today, quilling is seeing a resurgence in popularity with quillers (people who practice the art of quilling) on every continent and in every walk of life. No longer confined to the “upper classes”, this is a people’s art form and the beauty of the art is always expanding. The craft has become increasingly popular due to the low cost of the material. It is used to decorate wedding invitations, birth announcements, greeting cards, scrapbook pages, and boxes. Quilling can be found in art galleries in Europe and in the United States and is an art that is practiced around the world.

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Here is my question for all of you quillers out there…

How do you glue the pieces?  Is there a special tool?  A special technique?  A certain type of glue?

Please share your tips and tricks with us!