Hagner San Jose

Little Birdie Secrets: silhouette digital cutting tool review and giveaway!

2010-07-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

So cool! I never enter giveaways, but this one is amazing!

Little Birdie Secrets: silhouette digital cutting tool review and giveaway!

Nursing School!

2010-05-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Just wanted to let you know that I have been accepted into an RN program at College of San Mateo. I start in August and will be VERY busy!

New Blog!

2010-01-17T18:10:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I know I dropped off the face of the planet for awhile, and it might be a while yet before I make any new posts. BUT, you have to check out this new blog! My sister created it for a school project and it is quite interesting. It's about marriage: the good, the bad, and the ugly (and beautiful). ;) Its purpose is to have discussions and express "thoughts on how marriage got such a bad rap and what can be done to save it."

What Happened to Happily Ever After?

Check it out!

Halloween Treat Bags

2009-10-13T13:59:00.001-07:00

For Kids Club this year (an after school program I volunteer for once a week), I decided to make the kids a little treat bag. Each bag has tons of candy (sorry, Moms!), two Halloween-themed pencils, and two mini Halloween-themed note pads (jack-o-lantern and Frankenstein's Monster).

The cellophane treat bags are from Michael's and have little jack-o-lanterns, spiders, and other Halloween characters on them.

For the gift tag, I took an index card (white and blank on both sides) and made a ghost template. Then, I traced the ghost onto more index cards, cut them out, and drew a cute, non-menacing face on each one.

Here's the back.

I hole-punched an arm, and tied around the bag with purple ribbon. I think the kids will love them.

Giveaway!

2009-10-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Over at HomeSpun Threads there is a website called Tungsten Wedding Rings that is giving away a free wedding band to one lucky winner! Click on the HomeSpun Threads link for details!

Hem your own Jeans!!!!

2009-09-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

I happen to be one of those people who is ALWAYS between sizes. When I need to buy jeans, if I don't get a brand like Levi's that has different inseams, I am in big trouble. "Regular" is almost always too short, and "long" is always too long. So, I would take my jeans to a tailor to have them hemmed at $15 bucks a pop! Guess what? It is REALLY easy to hem your own for FREE! I just hemmed two pairs in 1 hour. You can't even tell they've even been hemmed! It was really easy and I was able to preserve the original hem. Check out this awesome tutorial at Dacia Ray.

New Luggage Handle!

2009-08-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

My poor little weekend suitcase's handle disintegrated. It was still functional, but it was ugly to look at and uncomfortable to hold. SOOOOO, using this tutorial from Little Birdie Secrets, I made a new CUTER one!

Here is a close up. To add more cushion and stability, I cut a piece of craft foam and glued it (with all-purpose glue) to the finished handle on the inside. No more uncomfortable hands using this handle! And it makes it easy to spot if I need to check it at the airport!

Don't for get to make a matching luggage tag!

Pesto Turkey Pasta

2009-08-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

A meal, from Betty Crocker, so simple and delicious that I had to share. It takes 20 minutes to prepare start to finish.

You will need:

3 cups uncooked bowtie pata

2 cups pre-cooked cubed turkey breast

1/2 cup basil pesto

1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (in a jar)

parmesan cheese (not pictured)

1. Boil your pasta.

2. Mix cooked pasta, turkey, pesto, and bell peppers until everything is heated through.

3. Sprinkle with parmesan LIBERALLY and mix in thoroughly.

Voila! Easy and yummy!

SOOOOO GOOD!!!

Money Soap

2009-08-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for unique gifts for my male teenage cousins. They are the hardest group to shop for! Money is always appreciated, but I hate just handing over the cash. Gift certificates are great, but I ALWAYS give those. So, I have a new idea...MONEY SOAP. It's money embedded in soap. Now those stinky boys will have to wash up to get paid!

To make this soap, you will need:

4 oz. CLEAR melt and pour glycerine soap

1 mL of lime essential oil

1-2 drops green food coloring

paper money (any denomination)

4 oz. soap mold (I got mine at Michael's)

rubbing alcohol in a spritz bottle

Fold your money and set aside.

Cut soap into cubes and put in heat safe container. Microwave in 20-30 second bursts. Add the lime oil.

Add food coloring.

Stir.

Pour a thin layer of soap into the mold (about 1/4 inch thick) and spritz with rubbing alcohol. Let cool until a thick skin is formed.

Spray money liberally with alcohol. Spray cooled soap with alcohol again.

Pour the rest of the melted soap into the mold (you may have to microwave again) and submerge money with a toothpick. You may have to hold the money down so it won't float up. I set up a rig where I had the soap on my cutting board and I set a knife on the counter with the handle hanging over the edge to hold the toothpick in until the soap cooled completely.

Once cooled, remove toothpick by twisting then pulling out. Melt the last bit of soap and pour it over the hole. Let cool. Wrapping your soap is important to preserve it. Tear off a piece of plastic wrap and tightly wrap soap.

Cut any excess plastic wrap.

Use an embossing heat tool to "shrink up" the plastic wrap to create a nice sealed package.

You'll end up with a beautiful bar of soap that everyone will want!

A bagalope would be the perfect way to package this up! Easy and creative!

Check out more fun and easy projects on Poppies at Play!

Creative Gift Packaging

2009-08-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

So, this is my second tutorial, and I think I put too many pictures this time. But, it will be that much clearer for my readers. This is a tutorial for a "bagalope." It is a small gift bag made from an envelope perfect for small gift items and gift cards. It is cheap and easy, AND, it only takes 5 minutes to make! Perfect if you are running late.

You will need:

an envelope (I used a 5" x 7" but any size will work)

ribbon

stamp

ink pad

glue

self-adhesive address labels

scissors

bone folder

embellishments (I used a die cut flower and glitter paint)

First, seal your envelope. That's right. Seal it.

Decorate the sealed envelope on both sides with a stamp and ink pad. If you have time, you could emboss it.

Fold both long sides of the envelope in about one inch. Make the crease very sharp. Repeat on one of the short ends which will ultimately become the bottom of your bag.

Cut the top edge (the remaining short side) off. The more you cut, the shorter and stouter your bag will be.

Pop open your envelope...

And push in all the sides.

This is what it will look like when all sides are pushed in.

Fold the little "tabs" on the bottom in and glue into place.

Your bag will now stand on its own. Yay!

Now, cut two equal lengths of ribbon...about 8-10 inches long. These will be your handles.

Attach each end of each piece of ribbon to its own address label.

Stick the ribbon and address labels to the inside of the bag.

Now, you can glue on any embellishments.

The last think I did was decorate with gliiter paint. I added little "dots" all over on both sides.

Allow to dry and you now have a beautiful custom gift bag!

Enjoy!

Check out more awesome DIY at Poppies at Play!

My First REAL Tutorial - Luggage Tag!

2009-07-31T21:01:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this is my first tutorial AND my first luggage tag, so excuse the sloppy product. I've learned a few things that I will pass on and I'm confident my next luggage tag will turn out much better. Okay, on with it!

You will need:

3 pieces of fabric-

-8 in x 2 in

-13 in x 4 in

-5.5 in x 4 in

single sided fusible web - 8 in x 1 in

double sided fusible web - 12 in x 3 in

cardstock or thin cardboard - 6 in x 3 in

vinyl - 4.25 in x 2.75 in

button

Iron all three pieces of fabric to make them easier to work with. Then center your 8" x 1" single-sided fusible web on top of the WRONG side of your 8" x 2" piece of fabric. Iron.
Now, this may sound really weird but trust me... you need a glue stick to make life easier. :) Run your glue stick across your fusible web.
Fold each side into the middle, the glue will hold it, and iron it.
Fold in half again and iron.
Sew up both sides of your strip close to the edges.

Now, cut the corners of your cardstock so that it turns into a tag shape.
Iron your 12' x 3" piece of double-sided fusible web to the WRONG side of your 13" x 4" piece of fabric.

Peel off paper backing and center your trimmed cardstock off to one side.
Run your glue stick along the edges of the cardstock. Fold the edges of your fabric over.
Swipe glue onto the folded edges of the fabric.
Fold strip in half width-wise. Tuck in all corners EXCEPT for the top of one side. See pic for clarification. :)
Insert one end of the strip you made earlier, fold the remaining edge of the tag over and sew. Phew!
Now, sew a buttonhole at the top. Make sure it is big enough for the button, but not too big. You want the button to fit snugly so that it can't be pulled out.

Next, on the WRONG sides of your 5.5" x 4" piece of fabric, trace or draw a 3.5" x 2" rectangle.

Then, draw another rectangle 1/4" SMALLER on all sides. Cut out this smaller rectangle, then cut diagonally from the small rectangle corners to the bigger rectangle corners. ***REVISION: To make life easier, make a cardstock window that measures about 4.5" x 3" with a 3.5" x 2" cutout and wrap this fabric window around it for sturdiness. your tag will look better too.

Glue edges of window and fold them up. Swipe with glue again. Place your vinyl on top of this.

Sew around edges of window. If vinyl sticks to your presser foot and makes your life difficult, put a piece of tissue paper on top of it and sew. Just pull tissue off after sewing.
Now, I will try to be as clear as possible here because I didn't document this part very well with pictures. Fold edges over the vinyl up to the edges of the window and glue. Sew ONE of the short sides of the rectangle. This will be the side that is next to the buttonhole on the tag. Leave other sides unsewn until the next step.

Line up window piece on the body of the tag

and sew around the TWO long sides and the ONE short side (this should be the bottom of the tag). Leave the top edge of the window open! Sew a button to the back side of your strip. Fold back and button. VOILA!

I hope this was clear. If you have any questions feel free to contact me and I will help out however I can. :) Have fun!

This was featured on Poppies at Play.

My Shop!

2009-07-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hi! So, the time has come where I need to sell my creations to fund my ever growing crafting addiction, Feel free to support my cause by checking out my shop! Or, click on the button to the left.

www.ehagner.etsy.com

Long Time No See!

2009-07-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

Wow! It certainly has been a long time since I've written anything! But, don't worry, I have been up to a lot of stuff! Today, my sister and I went to the Municipal Rose Garden and took a bunch of pictures of the beautiful blooms. It was such a gorgeous day that we had to get outdoors. Here are some of my favorites:

On another note, I have been quite busy crafting away! Here is what I have been up to:

I made two sets of custom tile coasters and had to make matching stamped candles to go with them!

I recently bought a sewing machine and made these adorable library tote bags for my sister and me.

And finally, I made this lovely little bird pin cushion for my bird-loving Grandma.

So, you can see, I have been quite busy! :) I've missed you all! Have a good day.

Busy Bee

2009-06-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today I have been quite busy. Nate is out of town for work, so I had some time to craft, craft, craft! I made about 100 wedding favor tags for my friend Karen out of Shrinky Dinks today! Luckily, I made the basic template a few days ago, so all I had to do was...

print...

cut...

shrink...

and seal!

That's all!

After all of that, I still had some energy left. I decided to make a Wedding Invitation Shadow Box for my friend Sandra, who, coincidentally, is getting married the same day as Karen so I cannot attend. :(

A few days ago, I found a tutorial on how to make a bagalope...so I did!

I sealed a white greeting card envelope, stamped a design on both sides, made the necessary folds, added ribbon handles, and finally added little pearl accents with puff paint. Since I had all of the supplies on hand, this was a VERY inexpensive way to make creative gift wrap. It's the perfect size for a gift card!

What have you been up to? :)

Creamy Berry Smoothie

2009-05-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

So, I've been trying to stay away from fattening sweets. But, I still want something to satisfy my sweet tooth. Why not get some nutrition out of it, too? This smoothie is low fat and packed with yummy fruit.

You'll need:

1/2* cup frozen strawberries (unsweetened)

1/4* cup frozen blueberries

1/2 banana

1/4* cup apple juice (no added sugar)

1/4* cup nonfat or low fat milk (you can also use soy milk)

Put it all in a blender and blend until smooth. I find that a Magic Bullet works the best. Pour into a glass and enjoy! Makes one serving.

*Amounts are approximate and you should adjust according to your taste.

For my Special Moms

2009-05-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

I made a HOMEMADE Spa Basket for my mom (raspberry), my mother-in-law (cucumber aloe), and my step-mom (strawberry). It included body lotion, body wash, bath salts, sugar scrub, bath fizzies, a bar of soap, and a decorated candle. (Click on items for recipes)

As an added bonus, my mom and mother-in-law got a HOMEMADE custom magnetic notepad.

And finally, Grandma got this nice glass jar with strawberry and vanilla scented soap cubes. It matches her bathroom decor.

My four moms are the best and I wish them a VERY HAPPY Mother's Day!

New Projects!

2009-05-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

These are glass pendants I made with a kit I got from Annie Howes on Etsy. They were super fun and super easy to make. Aren't they gorgeous?

This necklace was handmade for my sister, Neva. It is two pieces of shrink plastic joined together by a jump ring. The bottom piece was colored a solid color, and the top piece has a hand drawn image on it. After baking, both pieces were coated with Glossy Accents. Then, the pendant was strung on satin ribbon fitted with a clasp.

These are additional designs I made. I liked the one I made for Neva so much, that I made another! Here is my inspiration.

These pet tags were handmade for my cousin, Marissa. She told me what designs she had in mind and these are what I came up with. In Microsoft Word, I used the drawing features and some imported images to create the backgrounds. Then I used word art to superimpose her cats' names on the tag. Each was printed on Shrinky Dinks for inkjet printers, baked, and coated with a sealant.

Still to come, Mother's Day gifts. I have to wait until they all receive them before I post pictures!

Mother's Day

2009-05-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

So, as you know, I volunteer for a Kids Club through Church. They made Shrinky-Dink Pendant Necklaces for Mother's Day.

BEFORE

First, I had the kids draw on pre-drawn squares of shrinkable plastic sheets.

AFTER

Then, I took them home, shrunk them and put them on ribbon necklaces. Can I just tell you that putting the jewelry fittings on the ribbon was a big pain? But it was worth it because they came out great!

GIFT PACKAGING

I bought some cheap jewelry gift boxes, tied a ribbon on them, and added a card that I made with a stamp and glittery embossing powder.

Voila! Easy and inexpensive Mother's Day Gifts for kids to make!

Coming soon... the gifts I made for the important Mothers in my life. ;)

Privacy, Please!

2009-04-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

So, Nate and I live in an apartment where there are NO PETS allowed. As you know, we are the proud parents of two gorgeous kitties. Cats like to sit in windows, which is okay in our apartment, as they can do so without being seen, EXCEPT for in the kitchen window, which of course, they love. In addition to that, it is very easy for the whole world to see into our apartment from that window, so I decided to take action. I installed frosted privacy film. This serves two purposes:

1. No one can see into our apartment, but light can still come through. Now I can keep the blinds open!

2. The cats won't be able to see anything out of the window, so, hopefully, they'll be discouraged from sitting in that window. Yay!

It took me probably about an hour to install. The directions were very clear and easy to follow. I used Gila brand privacy film.

I didn't take pics of my windows, but here is a picture of the before and after of someone else's window. (Mine had the same effect)

BEFORE

AFTER

Cool, huh?

San Jose Sharks

2009-04-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 4/25, Nate and I were celebrating. We attended Game 5 of the series and the Sharks were back! Not so. They lost the series today against the Anaheim Ducks. We are mourning.

On the bright side, Nate can finally shave his poke-y play off beard!

Shadow Boxes!

2009-04-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is to make gifts. A really neat and inexpensive idea for a gift is to make a shadow box for a wedding invitation. I just use the invitation that was sent to me. I usually make them for brides-to-be and give them at their bridal shower (Yes, Cynthia, you will be getting one of these...Surprise!). Here are a few examples:

Flowers and Tulle

This box has tulle with silk flowers and pearls scattered on it.

Simple Elegance

You can't see it in this picture, but the back ground is a textured piece of scrap book paper. This is an easy way to add visual interest while keeping things simple. There are pearls scattered around the silk flowers.

Calla Lilies and Pearls

It's hard to see the embellishments, but there are little pearls all over this calla lily box.

Black and White Rhinestone

All the little dots you see are sparkly little rhinestones.

Flowers and Pearls

There is a back ground of tulle in this box.

Each box cost about $15 to make (includes the frame and embellishments). To make one of these, just get a shadow box, 8 x 10 is usually a good size, and a piece of scrapbook paper or card stock for the background. Make sure the paper you choose is compatible with the theme of the invitation. Then, you need embellishments. You can use things you have around the house, like leftover ribbon or scrap booking materials, or you can buy a few things. The clearance section of your local craft store is a great place to look. Silk flowers and beads are a great way to decorate these. Then, just glue it all together, put it into the frame, and Voila!

Maui, What a Wonderful Place

2009-04-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

So, this past week, the Hagners went to Maui! We had the time of our lives. We had an activity packed week. Here are a few highlights:

Haleakala National Park

That's a crater from the volcano!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached an altitude of 10,000 feet. You may now use your electronic devices.

Nate and Me at a Luau

Big Beach

Our Dive at First Cathedral in Lana'i

We saw Spinner Dolphins!

The road to Hana

Waikamoi Falls

Wai‘anapanapa Wayside Park

Two of our favorite stops on this amazing tour were the black sand beach...

and the Bamboo Forest on Pipiwai Trail!

We didn't want to leave. There is so much to see and do on this small island!

TOPS models his new tag!

2009-04-03T12:27:00.001-07:00

He looks so handsome.

More Shrinky Dinks!

2009-03-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am posting some of the other projects I have made with Shrinky Dinks.

A tag for our squirrel-loving Tops!

A refrigerator magnet for my parents to communicate whether they fed the dogs or not!

(Pictured from right to left: Angel, Ruger, Chandler)

Here is the other side of the refrigerator magnet. Also pictured is the tag I made for Tops, and the LA Dodgers earrings and necklace I made for my mom and sister.

I also made a San Jose Sharks necklace using this logo, but I did not have a chance to photograph it before I gave it to my Sharks-fan friend, Karen.

And for my newest adventure, I am taking up soap-making! I made my first batch today of Honey, Almond, & Milk soap.

Mmmmmmm!

On Monday, I am giving my kids in Kids Club their Easter Baskets (Pictured in my Spring Forward post). I think they'll love them.

That's pretty much it for now...

Nate the Grate!

2009-03-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

So, I realize that this is about The Hagners and not just Elsa, so today I am posting a blog about Nate. For those of you who don't know, Nate works for Knorr Systems, Inc. as a service technician. He services, maintains and installs commercial pool equipment.

Well to make a long story short, a new skill was added to his repertoire...SCUBA diving!

Nate hard at work

Knorr paid to get their service techs PADI Certified so that they could dive to the bottoms of pools and replace/repair grates to comply with The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act.

Nate holding a new grate...

...Nate replacing the old grate.

The cool thing is, even though he is working in pools, he is Open Water Certified and can go diving in the ocean!

We are going to Hawaii in a couple of weeks and we've already booked a SCUBA trip in Maui (I'm certified, too). Can't wait!

Changes

2009-03-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone. So, I am not as upset as I thought I'd be, but I was not accepted into Samuel Merritt's ELMSN program. Unfortunately, I didn't really have a back-up plan, so now I am wasting even more time before I go back to school. So, now, I'm at a crossroads...Do I try again?(with more than one school) Or, do I change my plan? I have a lot of thinking to do! Input is greatly appreciated! Love you!

P.S. I have more projects to post pics of! They will be coming soon-ish!

Spring Forward

2009-03-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! Spring is a time of renewal. And I, being quite the crafty girl, was inspired to create.

It all started when I decided to buy toasting flutes for my friend. She's getting married in June. The flutes she chose are cut crystal and are not engravable. So, I decided to buy some personalized wine charms with their names and wedding date on them. It wasn't easy, but I found a website that would make the charms for me and allow me to but only 2 (as opposed to a bulk order). Well, a few weeks later, I got the charms in the mail and was deeply disappointed when I saw them. I was actually too embarrassed to give these to my friend for her wedding!

That's when I had an epiphany. I am a crafty girl, I could make my own! I wanted to share with you all what I have been currently obsessed with...Shrinky Dinks! Here are a few projects that I have made with this incredible shrinking plastic (sorry for the fuzzy photos!):

Wine Charms

I made a design on Microsoft Word and printed them on Shrinky Dinks for Ink Jet Printers.

Easter Baskets

The bunny adorning this basket was adapted from a free project on the Shrinky Dink website! I also made personalized key chains (not pictured) the same way I made the wine charms.

Pet Tags

I got the idea for this project from a fellow blogger. She even provides a template to download and make your own! Check it out at Making it Lovely.

Finally, an Easter Jewelry Set

This project was adapted and modified from the free project section on the Shrinky Dink website.

I have a lot of new ideas to keep going. I'll share those when they are made! If you are interested in having something made, shoot me an email!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-04T18:01:00.000-08:00

2009... It came fast. The end of January came even faster! Now it's February and I want to take this opportunity to say Happy Valentine's Day to you all. As time goes on, without any regard to whether or not I am ready for it to, I neglect to tell my friends and family that I love them often enough. So, I want all of you to know, before too much time passes, that even though you may not hear from me regularly, you are all on my mind all the time and I love you all dearly.