Congrats, You're An Aggie!

Not every scrapbook layout needs a traditional photo. For this page, documenting Trevor's acceptance to college, I treated the email that he received like a photo. The text of the email serves as the journaling. 

Congrats, You're An Aggie! (affiliate link)

I embellished the layout with two hearts, punched from the background paper, as well as the header of the email, cut like a flag. I'm happy with how this simple page turned out. 

A Very LEGO Christmas

Not too many years ago, Christmas in the deRosier house meant LEGO. There was always a LEGO Advent calendar and at least one (usually two) of our family members unwrapped LEGO sets or idea books on Christmas morning. We have LEGO ornaments for the tree and even a LEGO train. We’re big fans. So when I was asked to promote some of the newest LEGO products available this holiday season, I jumped at the chance. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy a product through one of these links, I will earn a commission. Since I haven’t taken on any freelance assignments since my cancer diagnosis, this is currently my only source of income. Thanks for supporting My Creative Life!

Now let's look at LEGO's newest Christmas releases. Check out Santa's Sleigh! Isn't this super cool?!

I adore the LEGO Christmas Tree. 

The LEGO Gingerbread Ornaments look like so much fun!

And this LEGO Poinsettia! How neat is that?!

The LEGO Nutcracker is new this year too. 

And I can't forget the LEGO Disney Advent Calendar. It's perfect for fans of Disney Princesses and LEGO. 

If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the Christmas tree. Or the poinsettia. What about you? Let me know in the comments which set caught your eye and if any will be wrapped under your Christmas tree this year. 

Rosie's Studio Bayfair Collection - 24 Cards (and Counting!)

On Saturday, I did something I've never done before: attend an ordination. I've been to an installation (where an existing pastor formally begins working with a new congregation) but never an ordination (where a seminary graduate formally becomes a pastor). It was a really neat ceremony and incredibly satisfying to see my friend officially become Pastor Rob. 

This is the card I made for him.  

I used paper and die cuts from the Bayfair Collection from Rosie's Studio (affiliate links here and below) plus scraps from a woodgrain paper by Echo Park. After I finished Rob's card, I made a few birthday cards. And some thank you cards. And some everyday cards. I've now made 24 cards using the Bayfair collection... and I still have a bunch of papers and die cuts left! 

Here are all my cards (so far!):

I'm particularly fond of the whale and lobster holding banners in this last batch. 

It's been awhile since I've made so many cards at one time. I had a lot of fun putting them together and it's good to see my card box filling up again. 

State Bird Window Clings Using Gallery Glass (American Goldfinch and Northern Mockingbird)

After making diamond art ornaments featuring two of the state birds, I thought it would be fun to use a different medium to make another pair of state birds. These window clings of the American goldfinch and Northern mockingbird are made from Gallery Glass. They're currently on the window in my craft room - that's our neighbor's tree you're seeing through my window. Aren't they cute? Affiliate links below. 

Gallery Glass - Bird Window Clings

Materials: 

• Gallery Glass leading - black 
• Gallery Glass paint - yellow, white, black, orange
• Gallery Glass workmat
• Gallery Glass toolkit (I didn't know it existed until I wrote this post, so I used a skewer)

Steps: 

Draw a simple bird shape onto a piece of scratch paper, then position it under the workmat. Use the black leading to outline the shape. Let the leading dry completely (overnight is best). 

Use the paint to flood each section, much like you would when decorating a cookie with royal icing. I used a skewer to create a variegated color in both tails and the mockingbird's wing, but it dried a solid color so don't bother with that. 

Let the paint dry completely, again overnight. When it is dry, carefully peel the birds off of the workmat. Now you have a window cling that that will stay on the window until you peel it off. 

Here's a closer look at each bird. The mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. 

The goldfinch is the state bird of Iowa, New Jersey, and Washington. 

It would be easy to adapt this project to make literally any bird. Give it a try!

Quilled Cross Ornaments

Quilling is a great craft. It's inexpensive and easy to learn. The projects you make can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be. This simple quilled cross ornament is a great project for people who are totally new to quilling. Affiliate links below. 

 

Quilled Cross Ornament

Materials:

• white cardstock
• Taylored Expressions Big Cross die
• white quilling strips (5 mm)
• quilling tool
• craft glue
• paperclip

Steps: 

Cut four crosses from white cardstock. You will be using one whole cross plus three extra borders for each ornament. 

Glue the borders, one at a time, on top of the base cross. You’re forming a barrier that will hold the quilled shapes in place. 

If you are not able to find a die with a border like this (I wasn’t able to find this particular die for sale online to link to it), you can glue a quilling strip on its edge to form the border. This is the more traditional method for quilling. You can use that technique for any shape, which makes it a lot more versatile. 

Now start quilling rolls. You can make loose or tight curls, teardrops, marquise shapes, or a combination of them. As you complete each roll, glue it in the cross. Continue until the entire area is filled. 

You can get completely different looks depending on what rolls you use to fill the cross. The cross on the left has a variety of shapes arranged symmetrically, while the cross on the right has a single shape in different sizes. 

Open a paperclip to make a hanger. Attach it to the back with hot glue or a piece of tape. Your ornament is ready to hang on the tree or to display anywhere in your home. 

50 State Quarters: Coloring Pages Using Ohuhu's New Pupe

I was trying to decide what art material to use for my next batch of 50 State Quarter coloring pages when I got an email from the folks at Ohuhu asking if I'd like to review their latest markers. Would I?! Yes! I absolutely love everything that Ohuhu makes. Just read my reviews of the Ohuhu Honolulu and Ohuhu Kaala alcohol markers and you'll see! Affiliate links below.  

Ohuhu's latest set, called Pupe, includes 60 water-based markers. But these are not ordinary water-based markers. They are specifically designed to be paper-friendly, meaning they won't scratch or peel the surface of your paper, even if you color over the same spot repeatedly. This is a total game-changer!

The Pupe markers are double-sided, with a brush tip and a 0.4 mm fineliner tip. They're non-toxic, acid-free, and fade-resistant. They come in a handy carrying case. And best of all, they are extremely inexpensive. But how is the quality? Fantastic! The ink goes down beautifully and my paper held up to 3-4 layers with no issues. Both tips are comfortable and easy to use. The colors are vibrant. If I have any complaint at all, it's that I wanted a paler grey for shading. I'd happily trade one of the oranges or reds for another grey or a light tan. But other than that, I absolutely love the Pupes. Here are the pages I colored: 

 

I know I said I wasn't going to announce my favorite art materials until after I've done all 50 State Quarters, but I will say that the Ohuhu's Pupe set is near the top. Here are all of the materials I've used previously:

• Ohuhu Kaala markers (Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin)
• ink and Prismacolor colored pencils (Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Montana)
• Flair pens (Delaware, Indiana)
• Sharpies (Maine, South Carolina)
• Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 (Colorado, New Hampshire)
• Folk Art acrylic paint (Wyoming, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Michigan)
• Crayola crayons (Florida, Maryland, South Dakota, Vermont)
• Himi gouache (Iowa, New York, Utah, West Virginia)
• Derwent Inktense pencils (Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana)

A big thanks to Ohuhu for letting me test out the Pupe set. I'll be back to them soon, but for now I need to set them aside, find a different art material, and start on my next batch of State Quarter coloring pages.

Wisconsin 2022

It's hard going through all the photos from a trip to pick just a few to put on a scrapbook layout. I want pictures of us on the page, of course, but I also want images that will help us remember what was unique about that particular place. For this page about Wisconsin, I chose 12 pictures that give a decent overview of all the fun that we had and the only-in-Wisconsin things we saw. (Badgers. Lots of badgers.)

Wisconsin 2022 (affiliate link)

I often use state colors (or colors from the state flag) when scrapping, but this time I took my inspiration from one of the most memorable places we visited in Wisconsin: the National Mustard Museum. I like the mustard-yellow background paper paired with the grey and cream. I added the pops of blue to draw the eye to the title and journaling. I've never used that color combination, so it was fun to step out of my comfort zone and try something different. 

Quirky Museums That Are Totally Worth a Visit

When you think of a museum, what comes to mind? Are you imagining dinosaur fossils and gemstones? Works of art painted or sculpted by the masters? Displays of historic weaponry and armor? Exhibits about cultures of the past, with examples of baskets, pottery, and tools? Maybe you're thinking of a museum dedicated to space travel or earlier forms of transportation. 

Or maybe you're thinking about potatoes. 

A museum does not have to address a big, important topic to be entertaining and educational. I have a special place in my heart for quirky museums and today I'll be sharing some of my favorites. 

Quirky Museums That You Should Definitely Visit

Idaho Potato Museum

A museum dedicated entirely to potatoes? Yep! And it's fabulous. Plan to eat in their cafe and don't skip the potato ice cream. 

National Mustard Museum

I don't particularly like mustard, but that didn't stop me from loving every minute at a museum focused entirely on this yellow condiment. The Mustard Museum was one of the highlights of that entire trip for me!

American Pigeon Museum

I knew very little about pigeons before visiting this museum. I left absolutely amazed by these fascinating birds! Pigeons are so cool. 

Red Wing Shoe Company Museum

When you get the chance to visit a museum boasting the world's largest boot, you go. It's the highlight of the Red Wing Shoe Company Museum, but there are plenty of other really interesting exhibits. 

Jelly Belly Museum

The Jelly Belly Museum is distinct from the Jelly Belly Factory Tour. Definitely do both. The museum goes into depth about the history and culture of Jelly Belly and has a lot of really interesting artifacts. 

National Museum of Roller Skating

This museum is jam-packed with artifacts and exhibits about roller skating. I learned so much! Roller skating is a fascinating mix of sport and cultural phenomenon. 

National Bobblehead Museum

This museum has over 10,000 bobbleheads covering all sorts of topics and genres. It is definitely something to experience! 

American Banjo Museum

I debated including this in a list of quirky museums because it's more specific than quirky. Ultimately, I decided to include it because it's such a great museum that the more I mention it, the better! No matter who you are, you'll learn a lot at the American Banjo Museum. 

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I'm always on the lookout for interesting museums to visit. I have a few on my to-do list, but if there's a place you know of that I definitely need to check out, let me know in the comments!

Quilting for Lutheran World Relief

In September, my church started making Mission Quilts for Lutheran World Relief. This is a new ministry for us at St. Mark's, but Lutheran World Relief has been sending quilts to people in need since it was founded in 1945. LWR provides an average of 300,000 quilts a year to be used as warm bedding, floor coverings, or simple tents following natural disaster or war.   

On Sunday, we dedicated 12 quilts lovingly made by our group. 

Church members and friends donated their extra fabric, which we cut and pieced together into quilt tops. Members of our group sewed the quilt tops together. (Not me - I'm terrible at machine sewing.) Then we layered the top over batting and the back and hand-tied the quilts together. (I'm good at hand sewing.)

Making these quilts has been very satisfying. Quilting is something I always wanted to try but figured I would probably never do. By working with a group, I can do the things I'm good at while others do the parts that aren't my strength. It's a lot of fun working and chatting with my fellow quilters, and it's wonderful seeing the random bits of castoff material come together to make a beautiful, functional quilt. We have decided to continue our ministry in 2025, so if you're local and have fabric or batting to donate, I'll gladly take it off your hands. 

Our quilts are boxed up and on their way to the LWR warehouse, to then be shipped to the area of greatest need. We hope they bring not only warmth, but comfort. 

Western Meadowlark Diamond Art Ornament

I liked my wood slice American Robin ornament so much that I made one for the Western Meadowlark. It is the state bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming and is easily recognized by the black V-shaped bib on its yellow breast. Beautiful! 

As with the robin, you can make this with leftover drills from previous diamond art projects, buy a bunch of colors, or get just the colors that you need. I used a variety of greys to make my bird since that's what I had on hand. Affiliate links below. 

 

Western Meadowlark Diamond Art Ornament

Materials: 

• wood slice ornament
• DOTZ Stick diamond adhesive
• pattern (below)
• diamond art drills (8001, 8318, and a variety of greys - I used 8440, 8441, and 8444)
• dotting tools
• cornstarch / baby powder

Steps: 

Paint a thin coat of DOTZ Stick onto the wood slice, following the package directions. Don't use too much or the moisture can cause your ornament to crack. 

When the adhesive is ready, apply the drills. The stars on my pattern mark the center of each axis, so the plus sign is the center of the whole design. 

In order to center the meadowlark, put the center drill onto the center of the ornament. Then fill in the rest of the drills around that central one. 

Ordinarily, I'd suggest sealing your diamond art, but since these ornaments can crack with too much moisture, I wouldn't risk it. Instead, rub cornstarch or baby powder over the uncovered area of the wood. That will eliminate the tackiness of any extra adhesive not covered by drills. 

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Have you seen the Aububon Birds stuffed animals from Wild Republic that feature a realistic call? I love them! There are over 30 different birds. This is the Western Meadowlark. 

Interested in learning more? Read about the Western Meadowlark and hear its calls at Audubon.com. 

The Best Regional Sodas

I’m not much of a soda drinker. At home, I almost never drink soda and often go months without having any. I usually don’t have soda when we travel either… unless it’s something that isn't available back home. I can’t resist trying a local favorite, whether it's a food or a drink! Today I thought it would be fun to share the best regional sodas we tried during our travels to all 50 states. 

Faygo

Faygo is probably my favorite of all the sodas we've discovered on our travels. Every flavor we tried was delicious. I particularly loved Rock & Rye. Faygo is made in Detroit, which is where we found it. 

Foxon Park

My runner-up is Foxon Park. All three of us loved this Connecticut favorite and enjoyed it during our travels in the Constitution State. My favorite flavor is their lemon-lime classic, Gassosa. 

Ale-8-One

We were there on the wrong day for a tour, but we did visit the lobby of the  Ale-8-One factory when we were in Kentucky. Ale-8-One is lightly carbonated with a unique ginger citrus flavor that is memorable and absolutely delicious. 

Sprecher

Sprecher is a Wisconsin brand that we discovered during our time in Milwaukee. Their cream soda is fantastic and their root beer sensational. In fact, the New York Times named it Best Root Beer. 

Cheerwine

Cheerwine has been a beloved drink in North Carolina since 1917, which means it was 101 before we first tried it in 2018! Google tells me it's available to us locally now, but at the time it wasn't. I really enjoyed Cheerwine's cherry flavor - so refreshing on a hot day. 

That's my top five, but I do have to name a runner-up: Verners Ginger Soda. Like Faygo, it's also a Detroit brand. 

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I want to address the linguistic elephant in the room. I call any sweet, carbonated beverage “soda” but if you travel across the US you’ll hear it called “pop” or “coke.” Faygo, for example, calls itself pop. I'm fine with people calling it pop, but I'm not crazy about "coke" since Coke is a specific beverage and it's not like you can hear the capitalization in speech. Anyway, you may find this map, found at Pop Vs. Soda, interesting. I did. 

Have you enjoyed a regional soda? Agree or disagree with my choices? Let me know in the comments.

Ruizhi Pocket Watercolor Painting Book

I absolutely love the concept of a travel-friendly "paint with water" coloring book for kids. Unfortunately, the 1970's version from my childhood was usually disappointing: the paper was thin, tore easily, and dried slowly; the paints were barely pigmented; and the books themselves were not all that portable, especially when the paint was wet. Some were better than others, of course, but even the best ones were just OK.  

I haven't had too much experience with "paint with water" coloring books over the years, other than a few really, really cheap versions that showed up in party gift bags. So when I received a modern version (Pocket Watercolor Painting Book by Ruizhi) to do while I recovered from my surgery, I was excited to give it a try (affiliate link here and below). 

I'm happy to report that I recommend it! It's aimed toward kids 4-8, but it entertained me as a couch-bound 52-year old unable to use my usual coloring supplies. 

The book is indeed pocket-sized; each of the 20 finished pages is intended to be used as a bookmark. The paper quality is good and the paint itself is quite pigmented. I was able to blend the six colors somewhat to get more shades. The book is backed with very thick chipboard, which not only acts as a convenient surface to work on, but also has a recess in it where the paintbrush fits when you're not using it. Clever! 

Here are the first two bookmarks I painted:

 

There are many different themes available, if insects aren't your thing. They offer farm animals, dinosaurs, mermaids, ocean animals, and flowers, among others. With holiday travel coming up, this may be just what you need to keep your child happy in the car (fill an empty applesauce container half full with water and put it in a cup holder), on an airplane or in the airport, in a hotel room, or at a restaurant.

American Robin Diamond Art Ornament

I've been wanting to make a bird ornament using my copious supply of leftover drills from diamond art for a long time. I'm so happy with how this robin turned out! Don't have leftover diamonds in the correct colors? Not a problem! Substitute with what you have, buy a bunch of colors, or get just the colors that you need. Affiliate links below. 

 

American Robin Diamond Art Ornament

Materials: 

• wood slice ornament
• DOTZ Stick diamond adhesive
• pattern (below)
• diamond art drills (8001, 8318, 8356, 8443)
• dotting tools
• cornstarch / baby powder

Steps: 

Paint a thin coat of DOTZ Stick onto the wood slice, following the directions on the package. If you use too much, your ornament can crack from the moisture. 

When the adhesive is ready, apply the drills. This is the pattern I made. The stars mark the center of each axis, so the plus sign is the center of the design. 

In order to center the bird on my ornament, I put the center drill onto the center of the ornament... as best I could. The wood slices I used are quite irregular. In retrospect, I could have moved my starting drill over a hair to the left to better center the design. It didn't bother me much, so I left it that way.

Fill in the rest of the drills around that central one. 

Ordinarily, I'd suggest sealing your diamond art, but not on wood like this. Instead, rub cornstarch or baby powder over the uncovered area of the wood to eliminate the tackiness of any extra adhesive not covered by drills. 

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The American Robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin, making this a great activity for kids (or adults!) in those states. But it's equally great no matter where you live. This interesting songbird is one of the most recognized and most widespread in North America. Pair your craft project with a shaped puzzle featuring the American Robin, then check out these fun facts about this beloved bird. 

50 State Quarters: Coloring Pages Using Derwent Inktense Pencils

I've completed four more of the 50 State Quarter coloring pages: Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, and Louisiana. This time, I colored them with Derwent Inktense Pencils and a blender pen. Affiliate links here and below. 

I'm relatively new to Inktense Pencils and there is definitely a learning curve. I found the Derwent Intense Pencils Beginners Guide by My Colourful Country Life very helpful. Once I learned the basics, it was so much fun to use the Inktense pencils on the different coloring pages. I'm eager to get them out again and practice some more.

This set of four brings me to 30/50 completed coloring pages. These are the other art materials I've used so far:

• Ohuhu Kaala markers (Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin)
• ink and Prismacolor colored pencils (Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Montana)
• Flair pens (Delaware, Indiana)
• Sharpies (Maine, South Carolina)
• Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 (Colorado, New Hampshire)
• Folk Art acrylic paint (Wyoming, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Michigan)
• Crayola crayons (Florida, Maryland, South Dakota, Vermont)
• Himi gouache (Iowa, New York, Utah, West Virginia)

On to the next set of coloring pages!

A New (Old) State Flag for Maine?

Here in the US, we just had national, state, and local elections. Many of the state and local contests went the way I hoped. As for the national results... well, I don't even want to think about it, let alone talk about it. What I do want to talk about is one of Maine's state referendums. On Election Day, Mainers voted on this question: "Do you favor making the former state flag, replaced as the official flag of the State in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, the official flag of the State?" 

I was hopeful they would vote yes. The current state flag is one of many state flags that features the state seal on a navy blue background. These flags are hard to differentiate from each other, are not especially attractive or attention-getting, and are difficult for crafting. Maine had the chance to vote in a flag with simple, eye-catching images (a single star and a pine tree). It would have been the only flag in the US with a buff background, making it immediately identifiable. And because it is the former flag of the state, nobody could complain about "erasing history" like you see in ignorant comments left online when other states have adopted new flags. I expected the referendum to pass. It did not. 

This is the current state flag of Maine:

The is the Pine Tree Flag, that would have replaced the current flag:

How would you have voted? Or how did you vote if you are a resident of Maine? Let me know in the comments. 

Grad Nite

In 1990, I went to Disneyland for Grad Nite with my high school friends. It was so much fun! 34 years later, Trevor went on the bigger and better version of Grad Nite, with 18 hours straight at Disneyland and California Adventure. I used the photos he shared (faces covered with fireworks for privacy) to make this page. 

Grad Nite (affiliate link)

Since most of the photos were taken at night and feature pinks and purples, I did my best to merge those colors with the traditional red, yellow, and black that all Disney-themed scrapbook supplies use. The pop of light blue from the supplies by PhotoPlay help bridge the colors. I'm really happy with how this page turned out. 

The Most Forgotten State Capitals (And Why You Should Remember Them)

I came across a really interesting news article that ranks all 50 state capitals by how many people can remember each one. I can name all 50, both because I taught states/capitals to 5th graders for many years and because I've been to almost all of them (5 to go!). But I recognize that most people don't necessarily know them all. Or they did when they were in fifth grade, but have since forgotten. 

Before I share the link to the article or reveal the most forgotten state capitals, take a minute to make your guesses. If you want, you can take the actual Sporcle US Capital quiz that was the source of the data. 

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Source

Let's start with the capitals that the most people remember. Here are the top 5, in order:

• Austin, Texas
• Sacramento, California
• Honolulu, Hawaii (we've been there multiple times, but before I was blogging about travel)
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Atlanta, Georgia

Moving on to the most forgotten. At #5 is Columbia, South Carolina. This is highly unfortunate, because Columbia is an awesome city. It's a college town, adjacent to Congaree National Park, and is full of interesting things to see and do. Don't miss the South Carolina State Museum. 

At #4 is Frankfort, Kentucky. I will admit that Frankfort is not as flashy as Louisville or as well-known as Lexington, but Frankfort is absolutely worth a visit. The capitol grounds are stunning, the bourbon-themed tours are plentiful and interesting (even for non-fans like me), and there are several museums I'm sure you'll enjoy. Eat the burgoo when you visit. 

At #3 is Charleston, West Virginia. Not only is it the capital, but it's the biggest city in the state. We enjoyed the day we spent there. 

At #2 is Concord, New Hampshire. To be perfectly honest, there isn't all that much to do in Concord besides visit the capitol. It's fine, but we enjoyed other places in New Hampshire more. 

The most forgotten state capital is Jefferson City, Missouri. This does not surprise me at all. It's small, only the 16th largest city in the state. There isn't a lot there besides the capitol, while cities like St. Louis and Kansas City are packed with many days' worth of fun stuff to do. It is, however, in the middle of the state geographically, and was founded to be the capital city. Fun fact: it is one of four state capitals named for a president. (Can you name the others?)

Here is the article about the most forgotten state capitals. It's quite interesting. Make sure to read to the end, where they highlight the most common wrong answers. For example, people who don't correctly name Lansing as the state capital of Michigan commonly guess Detroit. A cool city indeed, but not the capital.