Thankful

Thanksgiving is truly my favorite holiday. As I have said before, it's the only holiday that I feel isn't focused on candy and presents, but truly being thankful for all that we have. And in my family, I feel so incredibly lucky and so incredibly thankful. My favorite tradition on Thanksgiving is when each person goes around the dinner table and says what they are thankful for. The responses are always surprising and interesting. What are your Thanksgiving traditions? What are you thankful for?

I am always a sucker for a good quote and a free printable. Today I am celebrating Thanksgiving with great verses, quotes and more about being thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Via The Pleated Poppy

Stay at Home Artist

Available on Etsy 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Thanksgiving Tree

Time is ticking away until turkey, but you can still create your own beautiful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving Day table.  I just love this idea from Heidi Ferguson at Honeybear Lane.   She's used stamps from PSA Rosetta and various ink cartridges by PSA Essentials loaded in her PSA Essentials Stamper.

Heidi stamped onto white cardstock, punched, and adhered to scallop punched cardstock.  She tied with twine onto a branch which she potted with moss.  It's a very organic centerpiece.  You could write what you are thankful for on the back of the tree, similar to this popular idea posted a few weeks ago on PSA Stamp Camp. 

The Rosetta stamp set is a very versatile set, you can use the stamps for a variety of projects and backgrounds.   Our retailer, Cyber Savvy Shop is selling this pack for just $10.50 (normally $15.00.) Head on over to get yours now!  And don't forget about our helpful videos on how to change your ink cartridge or Peel & Stick stamps here.  

Pilgrim Hat Place Card for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is next week! If you are looking for a great way to set the table, try this idea from Jennifer Holmes.  Jennifer created a pilgrim hat that can be used as a decoration on the table or make multiple hats to use as place cards.  It's festive and fun and it's also an easy project that you can do with your kids!

Jennifer cut the hat from black card stock and added a white trim and a yellow buckle.  She stamped from Hello Kitty Trick or Treat available at The Paper Clique for just $12.95 (normally $15.00)

To use as a place card, replace the stamp that says  “thankful for you” with the guest's name. Place on top of crisp white napkins for a real pop of color.  

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? It's hard to believe that it is next week! 

DIY Thanksgiving Place Mats

I've been eyeing some personalized Thanksgiving place mats on a few sites lately, but frankly, I just can't buck up to pay for them.  When Heidi Ferguson of Honeybear Lane designed these for us, I was reminded that with a little effort, I could make my own place mats for Thanksgiving. 

For this project by Heidi you will need: 

1. PSA Essentials Stamper 
2. Orange ink 
3. Black ink (comes in your PSA Stamper)
4. PSA Rosettas Peel & Stick pack 
5. Craft paper 
6. Taffeta paper 
7. A sewing machine 
8. A black marker to write your message ("give thanks" or "Happy Thanksgiving" - your choice!) 

Start by stamping all around the craft paper.  When it's dry, sew it to the taffeta paper.  Write with your marker your message. Really, it's a very simple project! Heidi added a pocket for silverware here for a rustic and homey touch. 

I love how this looks on the table and how simple it is!  It's also an affordable way to dress up and personalize your table this season.  Don't you love it?  Let us know your thoughts here and don't forget to enter our "what are you thankful for" giveaway! 

Thanksgiving Turkey Treat Bag

Do you have little ones coming to your house this Thanksgiving?  Here’s a great idea by Mae Armstrong.   She’s created seasonal treat bags to hang from kids chairs.  Fill these cute Turkey Treat Bags with toys, candy, activities, or little gifts from the dollar store.  Keep them busy a little while longer at the dinning room table this Thanksgiving and get extra festive with this idea by Mae.

Mae started by cutting a pear shape for the body of the turkey out of black felt.  Then she cut a bunch of feathers using a plain orange cloth.  Mae stamped the orange cloth with PSA Essentials Peel & Stick Rosettas to give the feathers a retro design.

She pinned the feathers and arranged them behind the turkey.  You can sew this by hand or you can use a machine.

 After sewing the feathers down, Mae heat bonded on the back of the turkey using her iron.

She created a simple 5X7 canvas pouch and ironed the turkey onto the bag.   She also sewed around the turkey to secure the felt.   She then added some googly eyes and a triangle orange beak to finish the design.

Mae picked a simple grosgrain ribbon to match the feathers. 

For those that sew, this is a relatively simple project!  And those PSA Essentials Rosettas look great on this project! Great idea, Mae.  

Thankful Tree for Kids

As we prepare for Thanksgiving in our household, Molly and I have been working on some seasonal crafts. By far, this kids activity for Thanksgiving is my favorite because it is interactive, ongoing, and a great teaching moment. It's a Family Thankful Tree!



We created a "thankful tree" by cutting strips of brown cardstock and mounting to the window with tape. We created leaves using green cardstock and scallop edging scissors.  Every day (or more than once a day!) we talk about what we are thankful for, write it down on a leaf, and put it on the tree.  

It's incredibly interesting to see what Molly comes up with.  They are talking about weather and seasons at her preschool now so yesterday she was thankful for "the flowers that grow in the spring and summer." She was also thankful that "we don't have tornadoes, hurricanes, or floods in this land now." 

We are developing a nice collection of things we are thankful for as a family. 

Yesterday, I received some horrible news about a friend from high school passing away very suddenly.  My friends and I are shocked and devastated.  I wrote on a leaf that I am thankful for my friend Kristen who was in my life.  Her friendship made life in high school fun.  She was a wonderful person who will be missed. I am truly thankful for her friendship and being in my life.  

I'd love to hear what you are up to with your kids this Thanksgiving!  Share some happy news and link up your posts, pictures, or give some blog comment love. 

What are you thankful for? Enter to win!

Of all the holidays, Thanksgiving is my favorite.  It's not about presents and it's not about candy.  It's about coming together and being thankful for all that we have.  2013 has been one of the hardest years I have ever experienced.  Transitions with work, raising a 4 year old girl who can be very emotional, chasing after a very active 18-month boy (who didn't sleep through the night until he was 14 months old!), paying attention to my husband, and trying to balance it all has been hard.

But I have it so good. I am so fortunate.  When I really step back and look at my life, if this is "hard" then what do people who really have it hard go through?  And that's when I feel truly grateful for my life.

I have very supportive parents, in-laws that I absolutely LOVE, and some true friends that have been loyal and uplifting whenever I feel down. I have a roof over my head and plenty of food in the fridge (though Connor seriously eats a lot...)   And we are all healthy.   For all these things, I am blessed.

We want to know!  Share what you are thankful for and enter to win our giveaway below!

To enter to win, leave a comment and let us know what you are thankful for this season! (You can earn an extra entry by liking PSA Essentials on Facebook and also tweeting about this contest up to once a day!) By commenting, you'll enter to win a personalized stamp by PSA Essentials, 2 Peel & Stick packs, 1 alignment tool, 1 black ink, 1 2-color ink and free shipping to a U.S. resident. (International folks may enter but agree to pay shipping!)

At PSA Essentials, we hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving! We have some great posts coming up, stay tuned for great ways to celebrate the season.

Card by the talented Kelley Eubanks uses Hello Kitty Trick or Treat stamps by PSA Essentials

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at PSA Essentials.  Enjoy the day with your family or friends, we truly hope you have a great day.  I found this subway art print from one of my favorite designers, Monika Wright.  Her fabulous blog inspires me all the time. 

I love it all by Monika Wright: http://www.etsy.com/listing/60628073/thankful-family-rules-subway-art-print

Thanksgiving Cards

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!   If your plans include going to someone else's home, are you bringing anything as a thank you for hosting the dinner?  If you are lucky enough to be "off" and not cooking, crafters may consider a homemade card (coupled with a bottle of wine, perhaps!)  Here are two ideas by two talented ladies. 

By Jennifer Ingle - Stamps from Happy Holiday & Just a Note Peel & Stick by PSA Essentials

By Kelley Eubanks - Uses Hello Kitty Trick or Treat Peel & Stick stamps by PSA Essentials

Another great idea for a hostess gift is one of our "grab and go" Peel & Stick stamps for the cook.  We recently launched these 7 new pre-packaged, ready to go stamps.  Just pair them with a PSA Stamper or use with an acrylic block and stamp recipes, canning jars, treat bags, and so much more!  You personalize it at home. 

What do you think?  Which is your favorite.  I am partial to the pig!  You can get these great new designs at any of our retailers, or visit Cyber Savvy Shop to check out their specials.

Thanksgiving Hand Towels

Sometimes though rarely, it's okay to have decorative pieces in your home that are not functional.  Take for example today's project by Taylor at Taylor Made.   These hand towels look smashing hanging from the stove in her kitchen, though I am not sure they make the best towel.  (I fear the ink would get wet and come off on clean plates, or clean hands....)   Still want to see?  Look how cute! 

Taylor is a master seamstress.  If you have any inkling of talent with a sewing machine, head on over to her blog to check out some of her sewing tutorials.  I love her recent post about burp cloths, the tutorial is simple and easy to follow.   She followed the same steps for these great cloths.  

Sometimes purely decorative pieces have a place in your house.  And I think this is one of them!

Food Markers

Sometimes I think it's funny when people mark food with a sign on a buffet.  It seems like a lot of extra work to create markers and sometimes its pretty obvious what it is.  Do green beans really need a sign next to them that says:  "green beans?"  Well you have to wonder.   But it's one of the biggest trends I have been seeing in blogland and my favorite party planning sites like Hostess with the Mostess.  Apparently, food markers are a must have.  Even if it's just green beans after all.  

So to keep on trend, today I am sharing these adorable and simple food markers by Taylor at Taylor Made. I adore her blog and her creativity!  She's used the pumpkin stamp from our newest Peel & Stick collection here. And she's colored the pumpkins up to bring the stamp to life (a technique I always recommend.)

What's on your Thanksgiving menu?  Will you be doing food markers?

Give Thanks Décor

Ginger Bowie at Ginger Snap Crafts came up with this cute and simple thanksgiving décor   This would look great in a home entry way, on a desk, the mantel or in the kitchen.  It's a simple reminder of the season and what it's about.  Giving thanks! 



Ginger used her PSA Essentials Vanilla Peel & Stick stamps for this project.  

Most importantly, she used her PSA Stamper with the stamps here to achieve crisp and clean impressions.  Our stamps do work great with acrylic blocks, but as you may know - acrylic block stamping relies on your hand pressure to achieve the perfect stamp.  It's hard to get it right.   With our stamper, getting it right is easy!   (You've seen the video... right?) 

See how crisp and clean Ginger stamps are here!  Now that's some good stamping! 

I am loving all of these seasonal, thanksgiving projects.  Are you? 

What are you thankful for?

What are you thankful for?  Since I am thankful for so many things, a post about "what I am thankful for" was incredibly daunting. So I decided to write 10 quick things I am thankful for without editing them for content or over thinking it.  Here's what came of the exercise.   I am thankful:

1. My mother took tennis lessons at Port Royal Racquet Club, and I was introduced to her tennis pro, Mike O'Regan... now my husband. 
2. Molly is doing better on the potty.  I hate cleaning up accidents.  
3. My best friend Danielle has more time on her hands now, which means I can chat with her during the day sometimes.  
4. We live near the beach - so year round, we can go for a random stroll like last weekends picnic on the beach. 
5. Connor smiles at Mike so much and it makes Mike SO incredibly happy, because of this I think they have developed such a strong bond.  
6. We get to travel so much.  I am so excited for our annual family vacation in Cabo. 
7. My job at PSA Essentials.  I love writing, I love creating crafts, I love doing PR, I love spending time on Facebook, I love interacting with creative and talented designers, I love the thrill of chasing more sales, I love stationery and gifts, I love marketing.  So really, this job is perfect. 
8. That we have a roof over our head and we aren't under water.  The poor people of Sandy. I can't imagine all that devastation. 
9. Oh, I am thankful for electrical power!  Saw today that some people haven't had power in 17 days! And it's cold up there. 
10. I am thankful for May River Montessori, the school that Molly attends.  I had to look up the solar system and order of the planets the other day... it's possible that my 3 year old might be smarter than me now.   Good looks will only get you so far... brains will take you anywhere. 

And now, a project by Ginger Bowie at Ginger Snap Crafts.  Check out her DIY Dry-Erase board.  She's  done a full tutorial here on her blog for you to replicate it!

She has used her PSA Essentials stamper and Rosetta stamps to create perfect impressions every time. Take a peek at how crisp and clear these stamps turned out.  

Alright, what are you thankful for?  Link up your post if you have one!

Thanksgiving Countdown

The countdown to Thanksgiving is on!  I've been so busy with day-to-day life, it's nearly escaped me that Turkey day is next week.   Time to get crackin'!  If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year and want a festive table set up with a DIY touch, check out these place cards by  Jessica at Mad In Crafts.  She's done a fantastic tutorial on her blog, so you can replicate them step by step here.  

The pumpkin stamps comes from our newest Peel & Stick pack: Happy Holidays! Head on over to Cyber Savvy Shop for a major discount on these newest additions - they're selling for 25% off for a limited time only. 

Tell us what you think of these fun place cards today! 

Thanksgiving Treat Bag

Do you have little ones coming to your house this Thanksgiving?  Here’s a great idea by Mae Armstrong.   She’s created seasonal “treat bags” to hang from kids chairs.  Fill them with toys, candy, or little gifts from the dollar store and they’ll also have the bag to remember the occasion and keep.   The bags are super creative and by following her great tutorial, you can do them, too.   

Mae started by cutting a pear shape for the body of the turkey out of black felt.  Then she cut a bunch of feathers using a plain orange cloth.  Mae stamped the orange cloth with PSA Essentials Peel & Stick Rosettas to give the feathers a retro design.

She pinned the feathers and arranged them behind the turkey.  You can sew this by hand or you can use a machine.

 After sewing the feathers down, Mae heat bonded on the back of the turkey using her iron.

She created a simple 5X7 canvas pouch and ironed the turkey onto the bag.   She also sewed around the turkey to secure the felt.   She then added some googly eyes and a triangle orange beak to finish the design.

Mae picked a simple grosgrain ribbon to match the feathers. 

For those that sew, this is a relatively simple project!  Great idea, Mae.