Hand Print Keepsakes To Create

Creating art as keepsakes is fun for your kids and sentimental for us moms - With Thanksgiving around the corner why not add a little craft time to your celebration and have the kids or each family member create a hand print keepsake that you can frame and display for years to come.


Here are a few ideas we discovered to inspire some creativity.




Double Turkey Fun

Create these adorable double Turkey hands with a little pain and creativity.

Finger Painting Fall Tree

Create a fall hand print tree to frame and display during the fall months. you could even have more then one child place their hand print on the tree.  For complete how to instructions click here and head over to A Little Tipsy

Native American Indians

Create these adorable Native American Indian hand prints with the simple steps from Handprint and Footprint Art.  Click here to go there now.

New Years MOM Photo Challenge - Start Taking Those Pictures

by: Natalie
Natalie Johnson Photography
baileyalec@hotmail.com

To all the women who find themselves called mom I want to put you to a challenge this New Year. I was recently sitting at a memorial service for the son of a friend of ours. They lost him way too soon at 22 years and it was heartbreaking. I watched video of years with him and it was a reminder to me as a mom I need to not only record my children's lives, but my life with them. We are one of the most important people in our children's lives and we are probably the least photographed. It is easy when our kids are little to get photos with them but as they age it gets harder. I will bet if you look at your Facebook albums you will see 50 photos of your kid's activity taken and not one of them includes you, the mom. We all are guilty of this and here are the excuses, I need a haircut, I hate my hair cut, I need to lose pounds-how many I really won't tell you, I didn't do my makeup today, who would take the photo if I didn't?. As a photographer I hear soooo many excuses, trust me I know, I have moms pull me aside ALL the time during a photo shoot and want me to help them look their best.

Ah-ha moment, life is what it is, and in this moment in time, the New Year of 2011, you need to record who you are with your children. You are the only mother they will ever have. So, the challenge is to take a minimum of 5 shots with you in them. You have until January 31st to accomplish this. The shots will depend on how many children you have. Shot one or two or three will be a photo at some point in the month with you and each one of your children individually, not a group shot. Shot two, you with all your children very close together, think close hugs. Shot three, a family shot with a non-distracting background so this can be framed. Shot four, you alone, yes, just you. There are very few moms that have a photo of just themselves to even use as a Facebook profile picture. Shot five, a photo of you and your spouse alone, one of the kids can take this one. I am putting myself to this challenge this month because I am usually on the other side of the camera. If you would like to post your challenge to Facebook it would be very fun for your friends to see you, their friend, instead of 50 photos of just your child. Wishing all you moms a hope filled New Year!

Scrapbooking With FaveCrafts.com

By: Caley Walsh
www.FaveCrafts.com
www.FaveCraftsBlog.com

As Editorial Director for the crafting website www.FaveCrafts.com, I see hundreds of craft projects every day. Our website publishes 1000’s of free craft projects from manufacturers, designers, bloggers and enthusiastic home crafters. With craft tips, videos, patterns and how-to techniques too, we compile all things crafty on the website and share these ideas for FREE on our daily blog, in downloadable craft eBooks and in our free email newsletters.

It Feels Sticky Scrapbook Page by Basic Grey

Trisha here at 24/7 Moms has asked me to tell you about the Scrapbooking resources at FaveCrafts. I’m very happy to talk about this fun craft category, which offers so many creative possibilities with all the different papers and embellishment. In our Scrapbooking category, you can find over 100 layouts, each with a complete list of materials and instructions. You can use the layouts as inspiration or follow the projects exactly.

Paper Bag Scrapbook by Terri O

Some of my favorite scrapbooking projects at FaveCrafts use inexpensive or recycled materials. For those with a tighter crafting budget in the current economy, these projects offer a great creative outlet. Craft celebrity Terri O shared this Paper Bag Scrapbook Project, used to chronicle her family’s fishing trip. The paper bags are the perfect basis for this rustic scrapbook. A scrapbooking video in our Craft Videos section shows you how to make a Soda Can Scrapbooking Layout.

Dream Dream by Debbie Seyer for Spellbinders

Now that the days are growing warmer, we have many scrapbook layouts for spring and summer. Butterflies are a popular theme in My Butterflies Page and the Scrapbook Stencil Project. The beach is always a popular theme in layouts such as the Beach Day, The Beach and Surf N’ Sand. Use those sunny outdoor photos!

Sidewalk Arts Scrapbook Layout by Julie Johnson for Krylon

Whether you are new to scrapbooking or have been scrapbooking for years, you can find some clever tips and tricks in the Scrapbooking Tips category. Our resident craft expert Maria Nerius put together this Basic Tools of Scrapbooking Check List for those trying to set up a craft station. You can also download a free Scrapbooking eBook at FaveCrafts, 24 Simple Scrapbook Layouts. Download and save the eBook to your computer or print for access anytime.

Thanks for having me 24/7 Moms!

Say "CHEESE" - Tips on Taking Pictures Of Your Kids

from: Jennifer Tibbetts of http://www.jennifertibbetts.com/

- Find unique area's that compliment your style such as nursery's, farms, barns, etc.

- Use a toy that makes noise so that you are able to distract your child.

- Some of the best props can be found at your local thrift store and even in your own home.

- Don't take pictures in full sunlight, instead try to find a shaded area. This will keep your children from squinting in the pictures.

- Try not to have a lot of distractions in the background so that your photo will focus on the subject.

- Use coordinating colors for photos, especially family photos.

- Try to take natural poses of your children as this is the way you will remember them.

- Buy a zip drive to store your photos; a computer crash will take away your cherished memories.

- Try to have another person with you to help distract your children.

- Take pictures of your children during their happiest time of the day. Taking pictures during nap time or lunch time makes for a touchy session.

- Be patient and the captured moments will happen.

If you are looking for a great forum for beginnings, ilovephotography.com is a great resource to get your started.

Works for MOM - Simple Scrapbooking

Moms are known for being experts in the area of Juggling the many hats they wear in order to accomplish so much.

24/7 MOMS will feature Ideas and Tips that work for MOMS to help them as they juggle the many hats they wear each day.

What works for you when it comes to your mom world? 24/7 MOMS is looking for your mom tips to share with other moms in all areas from cooking, cleaning, organizing, shopping, scrap booking, working out, laundry, gardening, friednships, family time, and the list goes on.

Send your WORKS for MOM ideas to team@247moms.com


This weeks Works for Mom tip comes from Valerie White a self-confessed scrapbooker.


I am a self-confessed scrapbook addict. Really, if I am not scrapbooking, I am reading about it, looking at ideas on the computer or looking at a scrapbooking magazine. So, I actually stay pretty current with my photos and don't panic about forgetting a day or an event. However, for so many I know this is really a challenge.

A few years ago my friend told me how overwhelmed she was with her photos. She is never able to enjoy them because they are in boxes. But, at the same time she doesn't have the time to scrapbook them.

I recommended she go to Costco, purchase the albums where you slip the photos inside the albums, and then journal a little information on the side. The new ones even hold your photo DVD's. So, when you come home from having your photos printed, you just pull out your album (key here - keep extras on hand) and place the photos in the sleeves. Journal a little note about the date and anything special about the event.

If you have a lot to say and it doesn't fit in the space, journal on a 4 x 6 piece of paper and slip it into one of the spots. Then when the time comes (like retirement), you can sit down with these photos and scrapbook the ones you want in whatever order you want. In the meantime, you can enjoy the photos, have them sitting out for your kids to enjoy and not be overwhelmed by how long it is going to take you to "get caught up".

It took my girlfriend almost 20 albums to put all her photos away, but she was so pleased to know that now she could sit down and enjoy the photos rather than stress about when she was going to get time to scrapbook them.

Click here: Costco - Leather Photo Albums with 4" x 6" Memo Pockets 2 pack