Anna Griffin December Daily 5 More Pages

Here are five more pages for my Anna Griffin December Daily.  I have been waiting to have just the right project for the AG flocked Black and White card stock, and this is it!  And I am obsessed with any sheet music paper!

Above I cut the left page above, with my Cricut and Anna's Christmas Card Cartridge.  

For the page on the left above, I ran out of ink and this printed in blue tones, instead of grey, but I loved it!  And so, it was matched with an Anna blue item.

For the pages below, I embossed white paper and will add things as the page is made.  Sometimes, it pays to wait and see what the day holds that I use it for journaling.

Supplies

Anna Griffin Holiday Trimmings Card Kit

Anna Griffin Christmas Pop Up Card Kit

Anna Griffin Holiday Pocket Dies

Anna Griffin For the Guys Die Cuts

Anna Griffin Black & Ivory Card Stock

Anna Griffin Christmas Cards Cricut Cartridge
Anna Griffin Cherry Blossom Embossing Folder

Anna Griffin Laurel Emblem Frame

Anna's Holiday Luster Images Cricut Cartridge

Happy Woodland Animals Cricut Image

Red card stock

Silver Glitter Card stock

Grey Card stock

White Card stock

Anna Griffin Glitter Stickers

Anna Griffin December Daily Pages 10-15

I can't believe how quickly this December Daily is coming together using an Anna Griffin Card kit, dies and scrap paper!  Today I am sharing five more pages.  

The page below is made with one of the first Anna Griffin items I ever bought, the patterned paper.  Embossing folders, and dies are Sizzix.  The lace is from a card kit I got a garage sale.

For the pages below, I got out my Cricut and Cricut pens and Anna's Christmas Cards Cartridge.  I love to use the pens and sometimes add a bit of doodling.  I was trying to get the look of red work, for those of you who embroider.

I also tried a gold glitter pen and the picture doesn't do this page justice.  I will try and photograph this in the day light tomorrow.

Supplies

Anna Griffin Holiday Trimmings Card Kit

Anna Griffin Christmas Pop Up Card Kit

Anna Griffin Planner pages

Anna Griffin Rosette

Anna Griffin Snowflake Rosette Dies

Anna Griffin Gold Metallic Card stock

Anna Griffin Holiday Pocket Dies

Anna Griffin For the Guys Die Cuts

Anna Griffin Black & Ivory Card Stock

Anna Griffin Christmas Cards Cricut Cartridge
Anna Griffin Paper Doll Card Toppers

Cricut Gold Glitter pen

Cricut Red fine point pen

Sizzix Die and Embossing Set

Anna Griffin December Daily Pages 5-10

Here are the next five pages for the Anna Griffin December Daily I am making.  I want to enter this in the Cut it Up Challenge Blog's Tic Tac Toe challenge #188 as a scrapbook page, with my favorite color (blue) and a border or banner.

What a dramatic color choice!  If you can't go over the top for Christmas, when can you?!  The die is Anna Griffin Gatefold Jacket Dies.  The silver paper, silver flourishes and sentiment are also Anna Griffin.  I used some Kodak blue paper for the back ground.  

Here it is with it's sister page, a beautiful tone on tone look with all Anna Griffin.  In the page on the left I only used one side of the die.  I love to challenge myself when I have a mis-cut to use it anyway and make it shine.

It is wonderful to keep a little Anna Griffin for myself as I am always giving away the prettiest items to others.  So, I am so enjoying playing with all my AG favorites in this album.  Like the window card kit!

For the green polka dot and candy cane pages below, I used American Craft's Pow!  Glitter Paper (green polka dot) and the October Afternoon Falling Snow paper is the candy cane stripe.  The holly leaf and the heart die are both Anna Griffin.

The page below is made with The Robin's Nest paper, an Anna Griffin Pocket Holiday Die and K & Company journaling die cut.

For the last page shown today, I used an Stampin' Up die for the French Horn.  My youngest plays the French horn and will have a concert in the December, so I am planning ahead with my pages!

Supplies

Anna Griffin Holiday Trimmings Card Kit

Anna Griffin Christmas Pop Up Card Kit

Anna Griffin Planner pages

Anna Griffin Rosette

Anna Griffin Snowflake Rosette Dies

Anna Griffin Gold Metallic Card stock

Anna Griffin Holiday Pocket Dies

Anna Griffin For the Guys Die Cuts

Anna Griffin Black & Ivory Card Stock

K & Company Journaling Die Cut

American Crafts Pow!  Glitter Paper

October Afternoon Falling Snow patterned paper

Kodak Blue Paper

Glue Dots

Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

Anna Griffin December Daily

I have been getting emails about a certain December daily that has been tempting me to make one this year.  My boys are currently both Sophomores, one in college and one in high school.  Our college age son commutes to school and lives at home, but I know they will both soon on their own.  So, why not document this holiday season while they are still at home!?

But I really would like an Anna Griffin December Daily, and she doesn't have one!  So, it occurred to me that I could use my AG Christmas card kits for a scrapbook!  Here is my December Daily cover and the first 5 pages.  See below for supplies and instructions.  And I have to show you a close of of the AG Snowflake die!  

December 1, 2019

December 2, 2019

December 3, 2019

December 4, 2019

December 5, 2019

I have been an Anna fan for a long time and some of these items are no longer available, so I am including general links for the two sites I shop for AG items.  Shop for Anna Griffin items at her site here, or at HSN here.  

I will try and blog more of my pages, and if time allows include the finished page details with my photos and journaling.  Wondering about the Eiffel Tower on December 3, 2019?  I hope to book some travel on that day and it is Travel Tuesday and I hear there will be some great deals!

Supplies

Anna Griffin Holiday Trimmings Card Kit

Anna Griffin Christmas Pop Up Card Kit

Button

Bi-colored twine

Anna Griffin Planner pages

Anna Griffin Rosette

Anna Griffin Snowflake Rosette Dies

Anna Griffin Matt Metallic Card stock

Anna Griffin Holiday Pocket Dies

Anna Griffin For the Guys Die Cuts

Anna Griffin Black & Ivory Card Stock

The Robin's Nest Love Birds Dew Drops

The Robin's Nest Alpha Glitter Stickers

Karen Foster Designs Sparkle Burst Brads

Glue Dots

Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

Ink Storage for Ikea Shelving Using Cricut Paper & Cardboard

I love the the Stamp-n-Storage organizers for the Ikea Kallax shelving, but as a Mom on a budget, it is on my Christmas wish list.  So, I am reorganizing my craft room and want all my ink pads on one place.  So after searching Pinterest and see the SVG and Silhouette files I decided to see what I could use in my Cricut cartridges to organize.  I made this organizer with white cardstock, chipboard left over from Creative Memory purchase and adhesive. 
Below you can find the how to's and link to the Design Space file.
This is for an organizer with three boxes on every shelf and 11 shelves high (holds 33 ink pads).

Find the Cricut Design file here.  You will need the Tags Bags, Boxes and More 2 cartridge.  I have sliced the file to take of the top of the box and stretched it to accomodate Stampin' Up Ink pads.

Supplies:
17 Sheets of White Cardstock 12 x 12 
6 Sheets of Chipboard 13 x 13 
Glue or adhesive of choice

Instructions:

1. Cut 17 sheets (two boxes each) in the White card stock using the Cricut file in the link.
2. Cut each chipboard into two 13 x 4 3/4" strips.  From the left over card board, cut 4 strips to 4 3/4" x 1".  You will need 12 of the 13" x 4 3/4" and 44 of the 4 3/4" x 1" strips.
3. Assemble three boxes for each layer of ink pad shelves. 
4. Mark the center of the 13" x 4 3/4" inch piece of chipboard along the long end and measure out two inches.  Center one of the assembled boxes on the chipboard and glue with your adhesive or liquid glue.
   
5. Glue 1" x 4 3/4" strips at the sides of the box for ink storage.
   
6. Glue on another ink storage on each side of the center box, being sure to face the box opening and boxes in the same direction.
   

Fossil Friday: See Fossils and Meet a Paleontologist

I am so excited about our special family event for this book fair:  Fossil Friday!  Dr. Karen Samonds from NIU will be who works with National Geographic to find fossils in Madagascar is our guest speaker.  She will share her expeditions, show fossils and talk about how finding fossils can teach us when and where animals arrived and how they lived.   Stop by the North School book fair from 7:00-8:00 pm to see her speak, see and touch real fossils.

We also will have Dogman in person! Stop by the book fair tonight
from 7:00-8:00 and bring your entire family!   We are also holding a  North School Family Dance with Dinos 6:30-8:00pm.

Thankful Thursday: Parent Volunteers are the Best

My elementary school is small with only around 300 students, but our library is still a busy place always in need of some extra help.  Thankfully, I have some of the best parent volunteers ever!
They love to get involved with our book fair and volunteer to make and put up decorations.  They work shifts running the fair and help with cashiering, restock orders, helping shoppers and supervising students.  They help with book preview day, making sure the students are able to record their wish list details including titles, prices and locations.  I even have a mom who's a paleontologist coming to give a presentation for the students to match our book fair theme tomorrow, from 7:00-8:00 pm. Thank you Karen Samonds!

Beyond the book fair, I have regular volunteers that help with our library day.  One mom comes in early on library day and helps me check in and shelve 200-300 books so we're ready.  Another mom works the entire library day with me, checking out books so that I can help find books, make recommendations, or read a story.  Trying to get 20-30 kids to find a book and check out would be impossible without them!  I have two moms who come when they can or sub for regular volunteers. Thank you Melissa Smith, Cherie Hiland, Deanna Wray and Karen Weckerly!

And these fabulous volunteers are looking at planning a great future for our library too!  Karen Weckerly has written several grant requests for new shelving for our collection.  Melissa Smith has co-written a grant request for more money for non-fiction books.  And everyone is looking at their summer calendars to take out our old shelves and set up the new.  They'll be helping me pack up the books and unpack them.  

Beyond this core group, I have regular book fair volunteers and parents who show up when they can, parents who bring treats and prizes.  I am so thankful for you all, your help, and your love of children and reading!  Your volunteering not only helps our North Star Library, and students, but shows these students the importance of books and reading to you and for them!

Why Wednesday: 10 Reasons to Visit Our Scholastic Book Fair

Here are 10 reasons to visit the our North School Scholastic Book Fair BOGO Sale:

1. BOGO Sale:  It's a Buy One Get One Sale.  Purchase one book or item and get another book or item at an equal or lesser price free!
2. The Scholastic Book Fair App! 
   Features:
   *Reading levels (SRC!, Lexile, GRL, DRA, AR)
   *Age and grade levels
   *Book summaries and prices
   *Videos, podcasts, awards
   *Recommended titles
   *Filter to refine search results
3. Show your child you value books and reading!
4. You miss your local book store!  Because this is a BOGO sale, we'll have books for all ages.
5. Summer is coming!  Get your child books for the summer!  Set a reading goal like one book per week or month and shop the BOGO Sale.  One book a week sound like too much?  If your goal is to have them read 20 minutes a day, that means they should be able to read a book with 140 pages in one week.  Easy peasy that's one chapter book a week!
6. Teacher Appreciation day is Tuesday, May 7, 2019.  Just next week, so shop for your teacher's gift at the BOGO Book Fair.
   
7. Mother's Day is coming!  Sunday, May 12, 2019 is Mother's day.  The book fair will have more than just books:  tote bags, coffee mugs, cook books and more!
8. Special Guests:   Join us for a visit from Dr. Karen Samonds from NIU, who works with National Geographic to find fossils in Madagascar. She’ll speak about her expeditions, share fossils and how finding fossils can teach us about when and where animals arrived and how they lived. Stop by the book fair to meet Dogman in person! Bring your entire family! 
9. Make Reading Fun!  Today's child has many distractions from reading:  video games, smart phones, TV, youtube, etc.  Find ways to keep reading fun, by letting them choose their own books, taking them to book destinations like book fairs, libraries, and more!
10. Good books!  You buy them good food and a variety of food to keep them eating well.  Think of reading the same way!  Keep them reading with good books, variety of books and once and awhile a desert book!

Try It Tuesday: Graphic Novels

Stop by our BOGO Scholastic Book Fair and try purchasing a graphic novel for your child today!  Let them have one to start reading today and put one away for Summer reading!  Or, get one graphic novel, one fiction chapter book! 

Graphic novels are a great tool for engaging the reluctant reader or a reader who has lost their drive to read!  They're like the comic books we read as children in a longer format.  Once they learn to love reading they will move on to more difficult chapter books!  

Book fair hours today are 7:45-8:25 am, 11:00 am -1:00 pm, 3:05 - 6:00 pm.

More for Your Money Monday: BOGO Sale on Books!

Today is the first day of our Scholastic BOGO Book Fair!  Buy one item, get one at an equal or lesser price.  Our theme this year is Dinomite Books.  Stop by North Elementary today to buy books for your North Star, your preschooler, your SMS and SHS students too!  

Today's special event is Muffin's with Momosaurus, before school 7:45-8:25 am.  Stop in with Mom to shop the book fair and have a muffin.

Want to pick up an eWallet for your child because you don't have cash?  Just visit our book fair home page and pick one up any day of the fair with your credit card here.  

Set Up Sunday; Dinomite Scholastic Book Fair

It's been a busy weekend setting up for our Spring Scholastic Book Fair.  The theme this year is Dinomite and all things dinosaur.  I got on Pinterest as soon as I had the theme last fall and began pinning all sorts of ideas, but I could not think of an idea to cover my ugly pole. 

At some point I had an idea to make a dinosaur leg coming out of the ceiling, and I got back on Pinterest to find images.  Above is the photo that inspired my leg.  

So, if you want to create your own dinosaur fossil leg, follow the steps below.

Supplies
Carpet Rolls from Carpetland (donation)
Shoe Boxes
10-12 Toilet paper rolls
6 Paper Toll rolls
4 Paper Christmas tree cones (Michaels)
News paper cut into strips for paper mache
Flour
Salt
Water
Paint
Glue Gun
Glue Stick

Instructions

1. Determine the size of your bones.  I took measurements from the photo and the length of my pole.  Using the photos measurements, I determined the portion and applied it to my pole length.
2. Cut the bones to length.
3. Cut any tubes you wish to hide a pole in, along the length to slip them over the pole when finished.
4. Cut toilet paper rolls in half and snip every half inch along the length about a half an inch deep on both sides.
5. Using a glue gun, adhere these to the end of the toe bones.
6. Cut the paper towel rolls in half and snip every half inch along the length about a half an inch deep on both sides.
7. Using a glue gun, adhere these to the end of the smaller leg bones.
8. Cut shoe boxes on an angle from the top of one side to the bottom of the other side.
9. Glue the cut shoe boxes to the largest carpet tube with the glue gun.
10. Apply newspaper strips to the bones, covering the ends with paper so they are not open for the toe bones, and the bone at the top of the toes, and the smallest leg bone.
11. For the bones that will be wrapped around the pole, try to cover most of the ends of the bones.
12. Allow paper mache to dry and make two coats of paper mache over the ends of the bones.  
13. For the claws, cut wedges out of one side of the Christmas tree cones every 1/2".
14. Glue the cone openings together, to create a curve to the claw.
15. Cover the ends of the claws with paper mache as well.
16. Paint.
17. Cut into the tops of the bones that will go around the pole so that there is a round hole and make snips from the hole to the edges.  
18. Begin assembling the leg using the glue gun.

Maker Space Monday

Have you heard of Maker Space?  This a newer trend in libraries, especially school libraries, where children are encouraged to work with tools to learn collaboratively and develop problem solving skills.

Last year, when we had 40 minute library special, every grade has time for maker space.  We were able to create maker space lessons for kindergarten building letters with Duplos and teaching them letters and CVC word reading.  We used Legos to create clock faces and teach telling time skills, and had building challenges for our older students.  We often centered the maker space challenge around the read aloud book.

This year, our 20 minute library special has made checking out a priority for Kindergarten through 3 grade.  For 4th and 5th grade we have limited maker space time and teachers send in students during walk in hours for checking out books.  I do like the walk in hours, as this gives me more time for individual time to help students find books, and make suggestions for new authors and series.

Single Saturday: One Hit Wonder Children's Book

You know those music hits that are one hit wonders?  The song you wish had a been followed up by more hits by the same artist?  Well, today, I am sharing an author whose book writing should continue!  Robert Hoge, please don't make this a single!

"Ugly: My Memoir" by Robert Hoge.  Currently on this years Bluestem award list, all of our Battle of the books students have read this and enjoyed it.  It starts off very sad, but stick with it and you'll find the reward of a wonderful story, well written.

Frugal Friday: Scholastic BOGO SALE is Almost Here

If you're like me, you woke up this morning and realized that it's Good Friday and you have nothing for your children's Easter basket yet. Well, I can help with that!  Get your child an eWallet for a 
Scholastic BOGO book fair!  We all love buy one get one sales, and we want something in the Easter basket that is good for our kids!  

Many of us miss having a local book store, so a Scholastic book fair is perfect for shopping for books!  Because this is a BOGO sale, we'll have books for all ages, so you can get an eWallet for your preschool, middle school, and high school students too!  And it will soon be summer, so you can prepare for their summer reading now at half price!  

You and your child will love the convenience of not having to carry cash or check to school.  Forgot to get cash for your child?  You can purchase an eWallet during the fair too!  And any money NOT spent, is returned to your credit card account.  North Elementary parents can find a link to our eWallets here.  

Thankful Thursday for My Scholastic Field Rep

I am a year and a half into my news job as a grade school librarian paraprofessional.   Along with my paid job, I have taken on the volunteer position of the book fair chairperson.  So, today's post will be about Scholastic book fairs and how thankful I am for my field rep:  Sharon Looby.

I am just under two weeks away from our next book fair and this is my third book fair.  Each fair get's easier, and I enjoy the decorations, planning and event.  I love my Scholastic Field Rep Sharon Looby and hope Scholastic knows what a gem she is!  She has a way of taking problems I view as obstacles and making them opportunities.  For example, we really need 3 registers in the morning before school.  This time is our busiest time for sales, but when the bell rings, I must send the students to class and they often promise to return and don't.  So, when Sharon said, we would only get two registers and I told her of my concern over lost sales, she gave me a solution.

Sharon told me to set up a third check out line for the new Scholastic eWallet students.  They can leave their books with a post it note that has their name, class room teacher and we can check those students out after the bell has rung and they have gone to class.  This will allow us to check out cash, check and credit card purchases before the bell. Now, if I can just get the parents to purchase the eWallet, I will be all set.  

Along, with her great ideas Sharon is my best volunteer on set up day.  Yes, she's paid by Scholastic for the day, but I'm not paying her.  She arrives for set up and is a wiz at merchandising the books and product to their best advantage.

She is a creative director for our décor.  This year's spring theme is dinosaurs.  I told Sharon about a vision I had to make a huge dinosaur leg coming out of the ceiling that was inspired by the photo above and found on Palentogy's Facebook page.  I have a very ugly pole in our library and I think it should be covered with something for our fair.  I then told Sharon, that I didn't know how to make my dinosaur leg on  zero budget.  She directed me to Carpetland USA for some carpet rolls and I began the process of paper mache to create bones.  At the top of the post you can see my dinosaur claws.  The final product has get to be revealed, but I am felling confident I will have a wonderful center piece to hide that ugly pole and create buzz.  Below you can see last book fairs center piece, created by some wonderful parents.  Stop by next Thursday to see how thankful I am for my parent volunteers!