I made these little Apron Recipe Gift Books for my daughter's "Cookin' Birthday Party." In each book there are five pockets. I put in the first pocket a friendship poem that I printed out from my computer on White card stock and adhered it to Real Red card stock from Stampin' Up!. The next four pockets had stamped recipe cards (What's for Dinner Stamp Set) with our recipes, we used at the party, written out on each card on alternating red and green card stock. The girls had made Sparkling Punch, Santa Sacks, Christmas Mice & . During the party I had taken a lot of pictures with Tiffy and the girls. With each girl I took one picture of just Tiffany and that girl. I had daddy print them out a little smaller than the size of the recipe cards. So, each book had a picture with Tiffy and the girl on the back of the friendship card and pics of the party on the rest of the backs of the recipe cards. We adhered them to the backs of the five cards. I also had slipped lollipops in the first pockets of each book. The girls took them home with them after the party was over along with white cotton chef hats filled with candy and tied with a matching ribbon.

Apron Recipe Gift Books

I started out with 4x6 pieces of thin cardboard. The top of the Apron is 2 inches wide and the side of the Apron measures 2 3/4 inches. The pattern paper is made by Basic Grey. I glued the pattern paper onto the cardboard and cut it out as close to the edge as I could then sanded the edges and edged it with a gold Painty pen. I did the same to the back piece of the book, also. Next, I punched out the holes for the spiral wire on the front and back pieces of the book. The Real Red card stock on the front (3 3/8 x 2 1/4) has been scalloped at the bottom and cuttle bugged with the Snowflake plate. I used the "Backyard BBQ" stamp set for the front of the apron. The Green paper measures 2 x 2 and the white "What's Cookin'" paper is 1 7/8" x 1 7/8". I stamped the "What's Cookin" image onto the white paper and rubbed the edges of the White paper with green ink. The five pages/pockets in the book are very simple, they are 2 3/4" x 8" pieces of card stock folded in half lengthwise to measure 2 3/4" x 4". 1" x 4" strips of coordinating paper are placed on top of the pocket at the bottoms edge and stapled across the bottom three times. At this point you punch the holes out for the spiral wire. Repeat for next four pocket pieces. When all of the pockets are finished and the front and back pieces are done you align the holes up with each other and with needle nose pliers spiral your wire through the holes and bend the ends of the wire in. To make the recipe cards, cut 5 pieces 7" x 3 1/8" rectangles of card stock, 3 red and 2 green. Stamp 4 recipe cards on white paper with the "What's for Dinner" stamp set and cut out and adhere to the 7" x 3 1/8" pieces of card stock. I printed out the Friendship recipe card with a border. It says:

Friendship Recipe

Mix kind words and a smile,

A little Pinch of niceness,

Then stir it up awhile.

Now put it in the oven,

And make it nice and warm.

The way you know a Friendship

Should always grow and form.

Finishing touches: With the Snow Blossom punch, punch out three in green cardstock and with a small snowflake punch, punch out three in white card stock. I used mini pop dots to attach them together and to the card. I used stickles in the center of the snowflakes. You could leave it just like that or you can punch two holes at the top of the fronts and backs of the aprons and add large eyelets with 2- 6 1/2" pieces of ribbon to make the handles.

Our ABC Class!

I held a "Christmas gifts" ABC class today. The first project on our list was a Sugar jar filled with "Peppermint Cocoa" with a mini whisk attached to the bow. I went to the Daiso which is the Japanese dollar store and found these cute little sugar jars and the whisks. We put 3/4 cup of Swiss Miss cocoa mix in them and layered mini marshmallows and unwrapped peppermint candies on top. The captions on the back of the jar were Snowman Soup and the directions. Here is what it says: "Was told you've been good this year, Always glad to hear it! With freezing weather drawing near, you'll need to warm the spirit. So here's a little Snowman Soup, Complete with a Peppermint. Add hot water, sip it slow, It's sure to do the trick! Place 2 rounded tablespoons of cocoa mix into a cup. Gradually add 6 0z. of hot water into mix. Add a peppermint and Marshmallows and you are done!"

The second gift was a peppermint candy bag with topper. Very simple project but always looks so cute. Remember to look at your candy wrappers or what ever you put in your bags and pull colors from them to use on the topper. Everything will match and you will look like a PRO!

The third gift was a coffee slide card that has a coffee stencil attached to it's pull string. Inside I used a packet of Godiva coffee. I tied a wooden coffee/cappachino stencil to the top (For stenciling powder sugar, cinnamon or cocoa on top of coffee) In Japan they have a chain of stores called "Daiso." They are Japan's dollar store. Some have 5 floors! They beat our dollar stores by far! I find the cutest things for my classes. I found the tie-on's for the slide card, the cute little glass sugar jar and the mini whisk at the one closest to me. I will really miss them when we leave! I used the Espress yourself retired stamp set for this project. The caption for the card says: We've shared a coffee and a laugh, as friends so often do. So when you brew this pot of Godiva, imagine I'm there with you! Merry Christmas!