Lately I have been mentioning how lovely Spring time is, and how I enjoy watching nature busy at work like butterflies flitting about, but today was a little different. This morning I awoke to discover the weather had taken a turn for the worst, it was overcast, cold and raining.

Normally this wouldn’t bother me, but today I was feeling a little blue. To all my readers and passers by who are feeling a little blue, I hope Flower Borders will turn your frown upside down.

Frame Borders can be used for so many things, like cheering someone for example. To cheer someone up you can use printable Flower Borders as a frame border around a photo.

Just print off one border or many Flower Borders onto thick craft card and then carefully cut out the center of the border for the photo. To mount the photo just use a bit of double sided tape to adhere them together.

Use a group photo of family and or friends, an occasion like a Christening, New Birth, Birthday or perhaps of your nieces, nephews, cousins or even siblings. The choice is your. If you have a photo where someone is wearing the color orange, it will really enhance the overall look of this Flower Borders project.

At this point you can leave the photo mounted as is, and display it in your home by leaning it up against something or you might prefer to mount it into your Scrapbook and journal about the event.

I’m sure after using Flower Borders you feel like your blues have passed, and your smiling just like the flower is.

Flower Borders

I love this time of year, as all of your senses are awakened as Spring is in the air. The sweet smell of perfume fills the air from fragrant flowers such as Orange blossoms and Jasmine, the birds are chirping in song, the bees and butterflies are flitting about their business, everyone is busy celebrating Spring and that the weather is warming up nicely.

It’s a magical time of year the once dormant trees and plants awaken, with new growth in abundance, new life is being created, and it’s such an empowering feeling being a part of Mother Nature’s magically display.

If you love Spring as much as I do, help celebrate Spring and use my Spring Word Art design in your home projects. Bookmarks, maybe a Spring Clean – To Do List, or a two page Scrapbook layout about Spring or perhaps a cute sticker to brighten up a boring fridge door, as we all know this is one of the busiest doors in your house especially if you’ve got a growing family.

Remember to download Spring Word Art simply by clicking the Spring Word Art graphic once and then from the drop down menu choose the “Save As” option.

Spring Word Art

Spring has arrived in Southern Spain, although just to punish me for gloating, the weather has cooled down again. We’ve had a couple weeks of sunshine, and all the spring flowers are blooming, and the butterflies are fluttering around flowers, just like this sweet butterfly clip art graphic.

My cat, Lissie loves spring too, she loves to join me out on the patio as I tend to my container garden. Whilst I’m watering she enjoys laying amongst her cat grass and rolling around in it, until she gets distracted by a bee or worse a lovely butterfly, and wants to play with. What can I say, “She’s a cat”!

When she is stalking her prey, she normally starts making a funny noise, almost like a chitter chatter sound, like she’s taking to the butterfly, and then before you know it, she’s leaping through the air like a world class gymnast, and I’m running after her to rescue the butterfly that’s in distress.Just to let you know, mum won the battle, but much to Lissie’s disgust.

Isn’t it funny when cats give you the LOOK! I’m sure cat lovers know what I mean, if you don’t have a cat, it’s the look of sheer contempt. Oh well, she’ll just have to get over herself. At least I felt good saving the poor butterfly from being a play toy or worse lunch, but it’s a cats instinct, they like to hunt.

After entering the mini Olympics with Lissie, it was time to settle back with a nice cuppa on the patio, whilst looking at the flowers, and smelling the sweetness of spring in the air. So in honor of spring arriving, I hope this butterfly clip art finds its way to your next paper craft project.  

I hope you enjoy my butterfly clip art. Very soon I hope I’ll also have a premium butterfly clip art kit available to download.

Butterfly Clip Art

Emily’s Romance in Ronda

Emily is a hopeless romantic who’s always day dreaming about what if?, Jen is her BF, who has a hair brained idea, of trying to win an engagement ring for Emily, but they couldn’t be more single! The romantic story unravels as Emily meets her future boyfriend, who literally falls at her feet, which will leave you in stitches.

Bring! Bring! Awoken from a hot dream, and in a half asleep state, she receives some incredible news. She has won second prize in the contest, a romantic weekend for two to Ronda, Spain.

Emily in her panicked state rushes to get ready, knowing full well her boyfriend, Brian thinks she’ll be late, so she try’s desperately to prove him wrong. What women wouldn’t! With no prize engagement ring, Emily is set on making Brian fall madly in love with her by the weekend and he’ll propose.

Trouble starts brewing on they way to the hotel, as a nightmare driver is out to destroy her plan. What a pig! With that man out of her life so she thinks, she can now enjoy some alone time with Brian.

The fun begins at the hotel, when Brian opens his mouth, and his spatterings of Spanish get him into more trouble than he bargains for. You will laugh as hard as Emily, as she comes to his rescue on numerous occasions, as she finds his vulnerable moments adorable.

Emily is excited about site-seeing but Brian and gravity, have other ideas, he sprains his ankle which leaves poor Emily conjuring up yet another plan, as her Brian is out cold, on pain killers in the hotel.

Determined to be engaged, and now Brian can’t walk, she has hired a car, and takes him and his crutches on a hilarious adventure through the white villages of the Serania de Ronda.

When you think nothing else could go wrong… they are in the middle of nowhere… it’s dark… late… they are lost… but see lights ahead and stop to ask for directions. With Emily’s plan ruined and no hope of reaching the hotel, they are invited to have dinner with a Spanish family, Mama’s celebration dinner. Download Emily’s Ronda Romance novel.

As most kids love to run around this cute Halloween ghost clipart paddle pop puppet, is designed to keep them busy for hours, as they whoosh around the room like little ghosts, making cute ghost noises oooooOOOOOOoooooo. Kids are very imaginative, and it won’t take long before they are creating other fun games using their ghost clipart paddle pop puppet.

To make this cute Halloween ghost clipart paddle pop puppet, I have enlarged the size of the ghost clipart for the kids to make this Halloween paper craft project.

Materials needed:

You’ll need one or several Halloween clipart graphics like Ghost clipart , Vampire Bat Clipart, Pumpkin Stencil, or spider to make your paddle pop puppet. You’ll also need paddle pop sticks, craft glue, paint brush, cardboard (I prefer to recycle and use the cardboard from cereal boxes) and safety scissors.

Start by printing off your friendly ghost paddle pop puppet or other creature of the night, and glue it to your cardboard. Wait for the glue to dry and then cut out your cute Halloween ghost by carefully following the outer edge of the black line. When they have the ghost cut out, get them to glue the paddle pop stick to the back of the cardboard, but making sure it’s at the bottom and in the middle as you need to leave enough paddle pop stick for the kids to hold onto.

Mum or dad if you prefer to use a hot glue gun to glue on the paddle pop sticks, this will really speed up the drying time, actually almost instant and you won’t have the kids asking nagging you every 5 minutes, “Is it dry yet”?

When it’s dry the kids and their friends can play with their cute Halloween ghost clipart paddle pop puppet, or perhaps keep it for Halloween night ooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooo.

Just remember parents this cute Halloween ghost clipart can also be used as a ghost coloring page or even as a black and white stencil. With so many options it will keep the kids surely entertained.

Cute Ghost Clipart

If you’re looking for a different Halloween page layout try using some double sided mounting tape underneath the vampire bat clipart. The tape will make the vampire bats look like their flying off the page.

Printing off your vampire bat clipart at different sizes will also give your page perspective. The smaller bats can be placed at the top of the page, to look like they are further away, and the larger ones in the foreground.

As this vampire bat has no eyes you can use a gold acid free pen, or perhaps a glow in the dark medium or sticker to create their spooky eyes. With your vampire bat clipart page complete, you may like to try downloading this Pumpkin stencil to make a fun but scary Jack O’ Lantern for Halloween.

Vampire Bat Clipart

To make your scary Halloween pumpkin or Jack O’ Lantern you’ll need: One orange pumpkin like the shape of my pumpkin stencil, a permanent fine tip marker, safety scissors, carving knife, carving tool, sticky tape, round container (to trace out the lid of the pumpkin), rubbish bag, pumpkin stencil, a soup spoon, candle, and something to light the candle with.

* Note: A parent must be present at all times when doing this Halloween project, therefore I’m not held liable.

To begin download and print the pumpkin stencil onto letter sized paper or if you want to make a really huge Halloween pumpkin, use this stencil as a guide and draw a bigger version on a sheet of A3 sized paper.

Figure out where you are going to carve out your Halloween pumpkin, as it’s going to get pretty messy and could stain items. Mum maybe it’s a good idea to dress the kids in some old clothing, or get them to wear an apron. O.K having sorted that out, let’s get busy!!

By now you should have cut out your paper pumpkin stencil. Am I right? Great! Now look at your pumpkin an find best spot for its face, as you want your pumpkin to look really cool and super scary.

Get mum or dad to help you position the stencil in the right place, and use your sticky tape to fix the pumpkin stencil to your pumpkin. Next grab your permanent marker and trace out the scary eyes and mouth.

Pumpkin Stencil for Halloween

With your marker pen use the round container as a circle stencil to mark out the top of your pumpkin as this is going to be the lid. Mum or dad this is where you come in, with the knife start to cut out the out line of the traced out evil face on for the Halloween pumpkin. Next move onto the lid of the pumpkin and cut along the stencil line of the circle, making sure to cut right through the pumpkin as you’ll be removing the lid.

Kids can you see your scary Halloween pumpkin coming to life? If you have carving tools help the kids to use them, but of course under your strict guidance.

This is the fun part kids, it’s your turn to get messy!!! Kids use your hands to pull out as much of the seeds and sloppy pumpkin as possible, and put it into your rubbish bag. Grab your spoon and scrape down the inside and scoop out the remaining loose pieces of pumpkin. You wan the inside of your pumpkin to look smooth and clean.

It’s almost done yippee!!!! Quickly wash your hands, and clean down the pumpkin with a damp cloth. Place the candle inside your Halloween pumpkin and get mum or dad to light the candle on Halloween night to scare off those trick or treaters that come to your door.

To make your scary Halloween Pumpkin or Jack O’ Lantern, do you dare to download my printable pumpkin stencil and scare a few people? mmmmmwwwwahahahahahaha

Kids you might need to ask your parents for some help to make this Christmas greeting card. To turn this greeting card into a memorable Christmas gift, you’re going to need a few craft supplies.

You’ll need: white or cream colored crafters cardboard, safety scissors, ruler, pencil, eraser, glue stick and SILVER GLITTER or silver glitter glue pen and this Christmas ball clipart of course * Remember to make sure your printer can print on the thickness of cardboard that you have chosen.

O.K Let’s start by downloading the Christmas ball clipart and printing it onto the craft card that you’ve chosen. Next measure your card to the size you would like to be, using your ruler and pencil. Parents this where you step in and help them to draw straight lines.

Next grab your safety scissors and cut the card out of the cardboard. If they kids find this too difficult, just go ahead and cut it out for them. Once the Christmas card is cut out, can you use the eraser and rub out the pencil lines around the edges of your card.

Here is the fun part yippee!!! With your glue pen or glue start putting glue on all of the white stars. Once they all have glue on them, sprinkle your glitter on all of the stars. Use a lot of glitter as you want these stars to really sparkle.

If you have a silver glitter pen, use it like a color pencil, and fill in all of the stars. When the stars are filled you’ll see a pretty red Christmas ball clipart card with lots of silver sparkling stars.

Now be careful as you need to put the card in a safe place to dry. When your Christmas card is dry, you can write a nice message inside,  and then give it to someone special.

To download this Christmas ball clipart for the Christmas greeting card you can simply click on the image and then right click again and click the “Save As” button. If you enjoy making Christmas greeting cards you might like to try this one too.

Red Christmas Ball Clipart

In the beginning, O Christmas Tree was not sung as a Christmas Carol, but it was based on a traditional German folk song from the 16th Century, by Melchior Franck, “Ach Tannenbaum”.

The original lyrics of this song was not in reference to Christmas, but how a Fir Tree stood green all year round, evergreen. Melchior Franck, felt that these qualities of a tree was a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.

Later another writer Joachim August Zarnack, was inspired by the same folk song in 1819, and wrote a tragic love song, however replacing the lyrics “faithful” fir tree with a faithless lover.

In 1824 a talented organist, teacher and composer, Ernst Anschütz based on what we know today as “O Christmas Tree” on this 16th Century folk song. O Christmas Tree, only became associated with Christmas when, Ernst Anschütz wrote two verses and added them to the first verse of the original folk song.

By the early 19th century the Christmas tree started to become somewhat if a tradition, and soon after that this song, “O Christmas Tree” became a household Christmas Carol.

You may have even heard, or even sung part of “O Christmas Tree“, but in the German version, “O Tannenbaum” (“O Fir Tree”).
The word Tannenbaum means “Fir Tree” a type of Pine tree or a type of Conifer for us plant lovers.

Below you’ll find a lovely piece of O Christmas Tree clipart, and the lyrics to the English “O Christmas Tree” and German”O Tannenbaum” version.

O Christmas Tree Clip art

O Christmas Tree

1. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
O tree of green, unchanging.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
O tree of green, unchanging.
Your boughs, so green in summertime,
Do brave the snow of wintertime.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
O tree of green, unchanging.

2. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You set my heart a-singing.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You set my heart a-singing.
Like little stars, your candles bright,
Send to the world a wondrous light,
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You set my heart a-singing.

3. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You come from God, eternal.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You come from God, eternal.
A symbol of the Lord of Love
Whom God to man sent from above.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You come from God, eternal.

4. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You speak of God, unchanging.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You speak of God, unchanging.
You tell us all to faithful be,
And trust in God eternally.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
You speak of God, unchanging.

O Tannenbaum

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren:
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Das soll dein Kleid mich lehren.

O Tannenbaum. First verse attributed to August Zarnack, 1820; second and third verses by Ernst Anschutz, 1824.

With the kids sorted, you can keep your sanity in check for this years festivities, especially if you’ve been chosen to be the host/hostess with the mostest.

This green Christmas tree is a simple piece of clip art, but it’s designed this way so that kids can use a variety of art supplies to decorate the green trees to give them pizzaz.

To discover the four fun ways to use green Christmas tree clip art, just read below and soon they’ll be well on their way to making all sorts of Christmas gifts for family and friends.

Undecorated Green Christmas Tree

Here’s a few green Christmas tree ideas:

1. Make a Christmas card, but decorate the card with a range of art materials. Lots of mess but lots of fun!!!

2. Print out ten green Christmas trees, but half the size of my downloaded. We want them smaller in size as they’re going to be transformed into Christmas decorations for the tree. Having printed them out glue the printed sheet to a sheet of cardboard, and wait for it to dry.

Once dry, get the kids to cut them out with safety scissors, and make a hole near the top of the tree for a piece of string to pass through. Once they’ve been decorated and are dry, thread the string through the hole, tie a knot and there you have it. Cute green Christmas tree decorations for the tree.

3. Making gift tags is another fun project and all they need to do is to follow the same steps in Idea 2, but turn the green Christmas trees into gift tags for everyone. All they need to do is write the persons name on the back of the tree, and not only does the person receive a gift but a beautifully handmade Christmas ornament that can be re-used every year.

4. The last but a goodie. Print your green Christmas tree onto some sticky adhesive paper and use it as a label on a jam jar. Maybe the kids can collect some shells from the beach, or make some yummy Christmas tree cookies. They can decorate the jar with a nice green ribbon. This a perfect  handmade gift that comes straight from the heart.

Parents let’s help the kids by downloading this green Christmas tree clip art and see there little hands turn this paper project into a Christmas magic.

Remember it’s very easy to download this green Christmas tree clip art or other Christmas related graphics, like Star Clipart, or a Christmas Candy Cane by simply clicking on the graphic and right clicking again, and choose the “Save As” option.