Easy Girl and Doll Matching Shirts

I'm absolutely thrilled to be a part of Vinyl Palooza with 19 other bloggers this week!! There's also an amazing giveaway involved, so be sure to read all about it at the end of the post. Heat transfer vinyl from Expressions Vinyl is my favorite to work with, and I've created some matching girl and doll t-shirts with it to share with you today!!

My daughter loves dressing to match her 18 inch doll. Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy the matching clothes in the store. So by making matching t-shirts myself for the two of them, we can easily coordinate their wardrobe for not a lot of money! I also love using heat transfer vinyl to customize their outfits!

Introducing Heidi Swapp Minc Foil Applicator

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for this post. All opinions shared are 100% my own.

When I find a new craft tool that I absolutely love, I can't wait to share it with all of you.  Foiling was always something I wanted to learn to do, but was timid to try because of the large margin of error. I really hate when I have to waste materials because of personal error, and if something has too many warnings, let's be honest...it's just not going to happen.

The new Minc Machine from Heidi Swapp is seriously amazing, and extremely user friendly. The Minc is a fairly light weight and compact and measures about 19.5” x 5” so it doesn’t take a ton of storage space! The design itself convinced me I needed to have it, but when I also saw that the instruction booklet was only a few pages, I was all in. I'm really excited to foil ALL the things now and am even more excited to show you everything the machine can do!

Now, let's talk about the foils. From what I've seen before, the color range for foiling projects was pretty minimal. For the Minc machine, there are at least 10 brilliant colors including silver and gold!! Seeing all these gorgeous colors lined up makes me so happy and inspired to foil a project for every occasion!!

Before showing the process of how I foiled this card and envelope set, it helps to know how the Minc machine works. The machine heats up similar to a laminator. However, what makes this machine different is that it can fit projects up to 12 inches wide, and it uses four rollers (instead of two on most laminators) to evenly distribute pressure across a 12x12 surface. The machine also contains a heating element that covers the entire 12 inches, as opposed heat focused at the outer edges (also common in every day laminators). The heat activates a reaction in the toner printed on the project that bonds the foil to the surface. To bond the foil to a surface, you must use a pre-printed accessory or a laser printer (you can also visit your local copy shop).

**An inkjet printer does not lay down toner, so unfortunately it will not work with the Minc.

To get started, turn on the Minc machine and set the heat setting to 3. The adjustable heat settings allow you to foil transfer on materials from vellum all the way to chipboard and even thin wood veneer, but I found that the 3 setting has been perfect for most of my projects so far.

Using sharp scissors, cut a piece of foil to fit your project. Dull scissors do not cut the foil well.

Open the protector sleeve and place the project face up. Carefully lay the foil on top of your project (color side up) and lightly press down and make sure none of the black parts of the project are uncovered. Carefully lay the top of the carrier sheet down over your project and smooth it out with your hand.

Tip: Sometimes static on the carrier sheet can cause the foil to shift, so just work slowly and try to keep everything in place as best you can.

Carefully push the carrier sheet into the Minc machine until you feel the rollers grab it. Then just sit back and watch the magic happen! Once the project has completely run through the machine, carefully lift the top of the carrier sheet and you can pull out your project.

Start at one corner and slowly pull up the foil. Your project is now shiny and gorgeous!!

Repeat the same on both the envelope and card, and now your newly foiled project is ready for you to share with everyone you know!! After you get started and see how easy the machine is to use, you will be foiling everything you can!!

Once you’ve run a project with toner through the machine, the toner has been heat activated and will not bond with foil on a second pass. So, make sure you foil your whole project at the same time. However, keep your foil scraps! You can re-use those smaller pieces of foil on smaller accessories and tags!

I laid all the smaller projects inside the carrier sheet and ran them through all at once. They turned out great and will look SO amazing on cards, used as scrapbook embellishments, and more!!

As I mentioned before, if you have a laser printer, you can create your very own custom foil projects! Heidi Swapp and her team generously provided every SNAP! Conference attendee with their very own customized print with their name. The candy pouch was a make and take at the Minc booth, and was so easy to make. I just had to show these so you can see for yourself that the possibilities with this machine are endless!! You can create all kinds of amazing projects from metallic scrapbook pages to party favors and home decor.

Now that you've seen what this machine can do, here are the details so you can get your hands on one and get creating! The Minc Foil Applicator and Starter Kit MSRP is $149.00, and the Minc Foil MSRP is $9.99 (foil is 12”x10’). Minc accessories MSRP from $2.99 to $12.99. You can purchase the Minc Foil Applicator and accessories at Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann, as well as locally owned craft stores and online shops.

I'm so excited to show you through the next few months some more crafts I'll be making using my Heidi Swapp Minc foil applicator. What would you create?

DIY Glitter Shoes

If there's one thing to know about me, it should be that I absolutely love glitter. Even though it's one of the messiest craft supplies out there, I just can't resist it. I bought a pair of glittery shoes a couple of years ago, and absolutely loved them. However, the glitter would shed and leave a glittery trail everywhere I went... I think it's pretty cool, but others will disagree.

Avengers-Themed Girl's Night

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AvengersUnite #CollectiveBias

My daughter really looks forward to our girl's nights together, and often plans the evening out with some kind of theme. In anticipation of MARVEL'S The Avengers: Age of Ultron coming to theaters on May 1st, we decided to have an Avengers-themed girl's night! Our plan was to watch The Avengers while eating snacks, playing bingo, and finishing the evening with some Hulk cake pops!!

Hulk Cake Pops

My daughter's favorite Avengers character is The Hulk. I'm not quite sure if it's because he's green and towers over his fellow superheroes, or if it's just because he likes to smash everything to bits. Either way, I must agree that he is pretty awesome. In anticipation of MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron coming to theaters on May 1st, we made some Hulk Cake Pops together for a girl's night!!

Free Printable Avengers Bingo

In anticipation of the new MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron movie coming to theaters on May 1st, I decided to create a free printable Avengers bingo game for you to play!! My daughter loves The Avengers, and has been having so much fun playing this bingo and seeing all her favorite superheroes!!

The Avengers bingo includes the entire Avengers team, Loki, and a few new characters and villains from MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron!! For the markers, we decided to use The Avengers Cheez-It baked snack crackers for more Avengers fun (and a tasty snack after)!

Download Free Printable Avengers Bingo Set

(Single PDF file includes 8 bingo cards and calling cards)

In case you have more than 8 people playing, or just want to let the kids make their own cards, I've created a blank bingo card set. All you need to do is cut out the 24 bingo images and glue them in place with a glue stick.

Download Free Printable Avengers Blank Bingo Set

(Single PDF file includes one blank bingo card, and bingo images, and calling cards)

Game Instructions
1. Pick some kind of object to mark your squares or use a dry erase marker.
2. Give each player a Bingo card and markers (or put your own together with the blank set). Have each player put a marker over the free space.
3. As you pass items on the road, call it out or have each child mark it as they see it. Each player will cover that item on their card with a marker. Once a player has 5 squares covered in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), they call out "BINGO!" and win the game!

Some things you should know before downloading:
*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.
*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.
*If you share this on the internet, credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama & linked back to this post.


To lengthen the life of the prints, I would recommend printing the Bingo cards and calling pieces on cardstock and laminating or putting in a plastic page. All files are 8.5x11 inches and put together in a single PDF format.

Have fun!! Would love to hear from you if you play using my printable!

Easy 18 Inch Doll Socks

Now that my daughter's 18 inch doll is all set with doll leggings, she now needs some socks! They are easy for anyone to make, especially if you have a child who wants to learn to sew! The socks take about 5 minutes to make, and can cost less than $1!! If your child has a friend with a doll, this would be a fun project for them to do together to end up with matching pairs of socks for each doll!

First, get a pair of adult crew socks. No ankle socks, no knee socks. Just the regular crew socks will do, and you'll only need one. I've been able to find all kinds of cute socks in clearance bins (especially holiday socks), and a ton at the dollar store. You can also use socks that have already been worn. This is a perfect way to use that sock with a missing match or one with a hole in the toe..

Lay the sock out flat, and cut straight across just above the heel. You can throw the foot section away. You won't need it anymore.

Turn the sock inside out and lay it flat. Sew the bottom of the sock closed. You can use a matching thread, or basic white or black work great as well. Once the bottom is sewed closed, fold the sock in half vertically. Unfold and mark the fold line with a marker or pins.

Next, sew on each side of the line about 1/8" inch or so. Now you should have two vertical lines sewn and still be able to see the marked center line.

Cut along the marked fold line, being careful not to cut through the lines you just sewed.

Once the sock has been cut, turn them right side out, and your socks are done!!

Try them on your doll, and they should fit like knee socks. They are thin enough that your doll can still wear shoes, and it's easy enough to make lots more socks in different colors and patterns. The fashion possibilities are endless!!

Free Printable Road Trip Word Search

We are planning an RV road trip soon, and we're so excited to see all the amazing stops along the way! I'm working on putting together a binder of activities to keep my daughter entertained on the longer stretches of driving, including this road trip word search!

Easy Organizing Tricks with Elmer's Freestyle

This post is sponsored by Elmer's. All opinions are my own.

The best part about spring cleaning is finally getting your home organized again. I often feel overwhelmed with just the thought of spring cleaning, so I'm often looking for ways to make it easier. I recently found out about Elmer’s® Freestyle™ collection, and absolutely love them! With different products like Repositionable Hooks, Repostionable Stick 'ems, and Stationery Clips, you've got all kinds of ways to solve organizational challenges. I've been able to easily organize my home, craft room, and even my daughter's bedroom without a sweat.

Elmer's Freestyle products will stick to most non-porous surfaces including stainless steel, finished woods, glass, metal, plastic, tile (does NOT typically work on dry wall). For best sticking results, clean the surfaces before use with a damp cloth to make sure that it is clean of dirt and dust. Freestyle uses no glue, so there’s no sticky residue. You can reposition Freestyle organizers over and over on multiple surfaces with no damage left behind, so they're great for general home use (kitchen, bathroom, closets, laundry room), offices, lockers, dorms, and classroom use, too!

The Elmer’s® Freestyle™ Repositionable Stick ‘em Squares are some of my favorites. I'm a list maker, so I've got scraps of paper and post-its all over the house creating clutter. The 4x4" Repostionable Stick 'ems come in a bunch of different patterned borders to bring a little design and creativity to your space. They also come with a dry erase marker that sticks on a little magnet so you can make notes as you need to. They are easy to put on and remove, and don't leave a sticky residue behind or damage your walls or doors.

I stuck a Repostionable Stick 'em on the inside of my craft room cupboard so I can keep track of what supplies I need to get next time I go shopping. Craft rooms and spaces can get cluttered quickly, and something as simple as a memo board inside my cupboard has really helped.

I also stuck a Repostionable Stick 'em on the door going out to our garage. That's the door we use most often, so writing things down we need to remember (like my husband not forgetting his lunch) so that you can see it right before you head out. I also write important reminders like activities we have going on.

The Elmer’s® Freestyle™ Repositionable Stick ‘em Circles are much smaller at 2.5", but work the same as the 4x4" Stick 'ems and also come with a dry erase marker. I like to use these on my craft room drawers to has a designated space for my craft supplies and to help keep me organized.

The Repositionable Stick 'em Circles also work great in kid's rooms! My daughter is folding and putting away her own laundry now, so I put some on the front of her dresser drawers so she can remember where the clothes need to go.

My daughter is also drawing and painting non-stop lately. It's fantastic, but we have ended up with piles of pictures that are cluttering things up quickly. Our fridge is already full of pictures, so putting up a few of the Elmer’s® Freestyle™ Stationery Clips in her bedroom and in my office have given her a place to easily display her favorites (like this drawing of her Unicorn Valentine's Box). The clips would also be great to hang bills, important papers, and reminders.

Last, but not least, the Elmer’s® Freestyle™ Repositionable Hooks have unlimited uses and come in a variety of colors (including clear) to match any decor!! The hooks can hold up to 10 lbs, so there are lots of things you can hang up! Our dog leash has been hanging (and falling off) a door knob for the past few months, and I was tired of the dog getting it and ripping it apart. So, I used the Classic Hook to hang the leash next to the door, but high enough that the dog can't get it anymore.

My daughter has loved having a jewelry stand to organize her ever-growing jewelry collection, but we've noticed a few of her necklaces getting tangled up. So, I stuck an accent hook next to her jewelry stand so she can now hang her necklaces and also put them on display.

Hopefully these little tricks can help you get a jump-start on your spring cleaning and organizing. You can purchase the Elmer’s® Freestyle™ products at JoAnn’s, Meijer, and Kmart. I'd love to hear how you would use the collection in your home!