Rump...A Must Read!

I am thrilled to announce that one of my good friends has published her first novel.

Liesl Shurtliff

 Her book debuted on April 9th, and I just purchased it at one of her book signings.  I've read it and I'm happy to say that my friend is very talented.  She has created a book that I will read to my kids many times over.

It's the charming story of the heroic Rump who goes on a quest to find the rest of his name.  In most cases, Rumpelstiltskin is the nemesis, but this new twist is playful and makes you root for the boy with the awkward name.

If you loved Ella Enchanted, The Princess Academy, or The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, this will be the new family favorite.  I read it in two days and am reading it a second time with my kids.  It's charming and clever, and the writing is easy and impeccable.  I couldn't imagine a book that would retell the story of Rumpelstiltskin that would convince me that his side of the story was better and a lot more fun.  I loved it and I can't wait for her next book.

Check out Liesl's website here!

Girl's Camp "Flashlight" Devotionals {Flashlight}

#4 - Flashlight (the vessel)
This was the testimony evening and the bishop is in charge of the devotional.  I asked him if he had anything in mind and then asked me if there was something that I would like him to focus on.  I know that I said that there were three components, but there's a little something extra.

The flashlight itself is each young women, who when she has all of the three components, is able to shine.  But there is someone who presses the switch and someone who holds the flashlight.  That person is our Father in Heaven.  When we have our batteries charged, when we have our testimony and example, and have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we...wait for it...become instruments in his hands.  That night I gave them these.  You can purchase them on Amazon, here.

Girl's Camp "Flashlight" Devotionals {Switch}

 
#3 - The Switch
The third component is the switch which represents the Holy Ghost.  You may have studied and prayed, you may have your testimony and are serving others, but your light won't truly shine without the Holy Ghost to inspire you in your endeavors.

For this handout, I made these.

The thing that I needed to do first was to call each mother and ask what type of light switch cover they had, single, double, etc (some light switches are shaped differently so be sure to double check).  I bought them at Home Depot and they are super cheap.

Then I purchased some wrapping paper from Hobby Lobby.  Because I was making so many, it was cheaper than buying a bunch of scrapbook paper.  FYI - wrapping paper is VERY thin.  You have to be careful not to tear the paper and beware that it can bubble more easily when applying the Mod Podge.

(I'm sorry that I don't have the completed one for you to look at.  I only made enough for each of the girls and forgot to get pictures beforehand.)

Girl's Camp "Flashlight" Devotionals {Light Bulb}

#2 - The Bulb
The second thing you need for flashlight to shine is the bulb.  The bulb represents the light that each Young Woman shines forth.  This is their testimony, their service, and the example they give to others.  It is the component that actually admits the light.

Here's what I did for the handout.

You can buy these adorable bulbs at Hobby Lobby for $1.49 each.  I also got them with the 50% off glass promotion, so hold out for that.

Then I went to the local candy store.  Where I purchased pearl Sixlets.  Do not try lemon heads, they are too big.  I wanted them to be white, but yellow would be great too.

Then I simply filled them with candy and made this handout.

Girl's Camp "Flashlight" Devotionals {Battery}

#1 - The Battery  
First you need a battery which represents the things we need to do to keep our spiritual batteries at full charge.  These things are scripture study, prayer, and Personal Progress.

Here is what I did for a handout.

I bought these containers from Walmart.  They are called 'Darice Organizer Jewelry Design Bead Storage System 12 Containers'.  These containers were the perfect size and shape for my battery handout.

Then I made and printed this to go around!  I looked at the Duracell battery really closely to make it look as similar as possible, but in cuter paper.

Inside I put this necklace, but you could also do some candy.   Then I taped the paper around it so that it could be slipped on and off.

Girl's Camp "Flashlight" {Shirts}

Well, now that summer is way over, I better return back to posting.  It's been pretty busy with that move and then a few projects that I started, but I guess that I should start with where I left off; Girl's Camp.

So next up, the camp shirts.  The previous year, they had done two shirts.  This was good because some girls wanted pink and some wanted blue, so we got both.  This was bad because it was a little overwhelming until I saw that Jodi had made an adorable bleach shirt, and I just had to try it.  But first, the printed shirts.

Shirt #1:

I made this image and sent it to a shirt printer.

I love how it turned out.

Shirt #2:

(Note: You must use 100% cotton to give the splattered effect.  These shirts are from Hobby Lobby, but only the Fitted Shirts were 100% cotton.  The normal t-shirts are 50/50 cotton/polyester.  This doesn't produce the same effect.)

I made this image, cut it out, and pinned it down to the shirts. Make sure that you place a towel or liner inside the shirt to prevent it from bleeding through the back as well.

Then spray it with bleach.  A little can go a long way, so be sure to keep it light and wait to see how it looks.  You can always do more later.

 All in all, they turned out great, and the girls were wild over them.

YW Value Necklace {Giveaway}

Yes, it's a giveaway!  What a way to kick off from summer break.  I made these necklaces for my Young Women for Girl's Camp.  As with any jewelry project, there is usually leftover supplies.  So, I made a few extra.  Two I gave to the leaders who came to camp with me.  That was such a huge help.  And then I decided to make one for a giveaway!

 

This necklace has a each color representing the Young Women Values.  All the beads are generally  the same size, but there are a few different styles within them.  It will come in this clear, screw-top container.

To enter this Giveaway, you must:

• be a follower or become a follower
• post this giveaway on Facebook, blog, website, twitter, etc

NOTE - Becoming a follower counts as 1 submission. Posting on Facebook counts as 1 submission.  Posting on your blog counts as 1.  ETC.  You can have a whole lot of submissions :-) just be sure to leave a comment for each submission.

Giveaway closes September 15th!

Friday's Feature {From T Shirt to Necklace} and Summer Break

 We've had a lot of changes this year.  Camie had a baby, Jodi moved to Utah, and I will be moving to Utah next month.  After some thought, we decided that it would be great to take a break for the rest of the summer.  This will give us a chance to get things settled, get the kids back in school, and then return to the fun!

Posting will resume September 1st.  But don't go anywhere, our first post back will be a Giveaway!


Since we will put a hold on our Friday Feature/Link Parties as well...here is the pick from last weeks submissions.  From T Shirt to Necklace by ..CreaCtive..

Girl's Camp "Flashlight" {Flag}

Shortly after I called to a Beehive Adviser, I was also called to be the Ward Camp Director.  I LOVE Girl's Camp.  I have been wanted to serve in Young Women's for a long time mostly so that I could go to camp.  I just wanted to kick back and enjoy it, but that doesn't happen when you need to get paperwork, collect money, and come up with all the fun ideas and devotionals.

The Young Women's theme this year has been "Arise and Shine Forth".  So, it wasn't surprising when our Girl's Camp theme was "Ignite the Light".  Our stake assigned each ward a light source.  Our ward was the flashlight.  When I first heard it, I thought "BORING!"  But when the wheels got turning, things started coming together and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

The best thing about this, is that it is totally something that would work for any Girl's Camp because you always have flashlights.  This would be a great idea for mutual as well.  I will totally use this sometime in the future.

First off, I would like to show you the design for the ward flag.

Flag:

With a projector and a sheet, we blew up the image and penciled in the lines.  Then all it took was a little fabric paint and some gems to turn it into something fabulous!  And yes, we used a little bit of glitter fabric paint.  Glitter fabric paint is a little more opaque, so you need to do several coats.

Friday's Feature {Bandana Dress/Paper-Bag Popcorn} and Link Party

Okay, I'm sorry for the longest title in Cookie Nut Creation's history, but this week I had a dilemma that turned into a wonderful solution.  I couldn't decide between two submissions.  Luckily they were from the same site, Babblings and More!

Bandana Dress

I am so going to make this for my daughter.  A few bandanas and you're ready to go!

Paper-Bag Popcorn

Great solution to the store bought microwave popcorn.

Rules:

• Any creative idea will do
• No selling or promoting, so no etsy stores
• Giveaways are now permissible ONLY if they are a handmade object
• Grab a button to link back to this blog
• Start sharing!
• And don't forget to check out other link party projects.

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Entry Table Update

Before

After

We moved to Texas a little over a year ago.  While we love the size of this house, it was lacking in storage...namely a coat closet.  So we purchased this entry table from Ikea.  It's perfect because you have 8 compartments.  We bought some baskets for the kids shoes and the upper cubbies we used for the kids to put their schoolwork.  But it was the first thing you saw when you walked into the house.  It needed a facelift.

Project #1

This one was pretty straight forward.  I simply printed of our wedding date.  (Yes, you are seeing it right!  We got married the day after Christmas)  Take a candlestick and a picture frame and glue it together.  Very easy.

Project #2

Again, pretty simple.  I took the other candlestick and added a glass container to the top with some gorilla glue.  I had purchased some wooden balls and I painted them the colors I wanted.  I filled it with the ball and some floral arrangement fillers I got from Michaels.

The End Result

I obviously purchased a new picture of the Salt Lake Temple.  I got it at Deseret Book.  They were no longer making them, so I got it on clearance for 70% off.  It was a steal and it was the perfect colors.  Now, if only I wasn't renting and could paint the wall a different color.

Friday's Feature {Craft Trifecta}

This week, I wanted to feature Delicate Construction - Craft Trifecta.  I have seen string art before and I have seen ombre before, but I love the combination.  I think that this would be adorable as Artwork in a girl's or boy's room.  So cute.

Rules:

• Any creative idea will do
• No selling or promoting, so no etsy stores
• Giveaways are now permissible ONLY if they are a handmade object
• Grab a button to link back to this blog
• Start sharing!
• And don't forget to check out other link party projects.

Recycled Leapster or DVD Case

This year, my son needed to complete a recycled project.  I didn't want to just make a piggy bank from an old container or some other thing I would just throw away later.  So thanks to wonderful Pinterest, I found this great solution.  She used a DVD case.  I used a Leapster case because it was a little wider and could fit more colored pencils.

This project wasn't as fast as I thought it would be but part of that is because I probably took some unnecessary steps.  Here is the tutorial of how I did it!

 Take out the cover and save it.

 Remove anything from inside.

 Cut out anything that isn't flat.

 

 Be careful not to cut the outer sleeve. 

Pick out two coordinating fabrics and cut them out.

 Find a piece of something hard and flat.  This was a thick clear sheet.  You could use chip board, cardboard, etc.  Cut it down to fit inside the case.

This is where I could've made this simpler.  I tacked it down with tape.

 I did it with the other fabric as well.

Then I sewed around the edges.

To make the front a little more taught, I sewed a dividing line.  You may not need to do this if you make your fabric tight enough, but I left enough room to do it because it would keep the colored pencils from moving around so much.

 Then I super clued the back down.  BAD IDEA.  It didn't work very well.  Use hot glue!

Then I weighed it down so that it would adhere properly.

Then we took the leftover case and drew on the back of it. 

 

We slip it back in and this was the end result.

Place in the colored pencils and paper on the opposite side.

Let the kids color!

I loved this project because now I have something that is portable and fun for the kids to do.  I want to make one for all my kids now.  It's perfect for church, for the doctors office, road trips, etc.  You could also make one as gifts.  It would be great for Christmas, for Easter baskets, etc.

This one is a lot of fun.  Hope you enjoyed!