Father's Day Hand Print Project Party

I've come to really enjoy the project parties I've been holding at CReATE Studio in Westlake Village. So far, they've been adults-only evening events.  But last week I held my first "Mommy And Me" project parties where little ones got to create adorable Father's Day gifts.
We started with the Uppercase Living white square boards, applied the "Best Dad Hands Down" expressions, then added each child's hand print. That's when it got to be really fun. Not having really spent time with toddlers for a while, I had forgotten a few things about how they operate. They quickly reminded me.  From choosing paint colors, to sitting down at the table (or on the table, in one case), to actually opening their little fists, they are in charge. I heard little voices saying "I do myself!" more than a couple of times.
The project took the perfect amount of time: the kids were able to complete it, eat a cookie, walk to the park while the paint dried, and pick up their finished projects, all within about an hour.

Raven made three projects: one for her Dad and the others for her grandfathers. 

Mom adds names with a Sharpie. Someone is watching to make sure she's doing it right.

Colton was so proud of what
he and baby sister Sienna made. 

Liam wasn't too excited about
the paint on his hands, but he
sure loved his project!

Between the paint, spray bottles, and lots and lots of cookie crumbs, our projects could have been disastrous. But the moms (and a couple of grandmas) kept their cool, the kids rose to the occasion, and we ended up with finished projects that will make some lucky dads and grandpas very, very happy this on Father's Day.
Since I wanted to take each of those cute kids home with me, I'm going to have to come up with another Mommy and Me project idea pretty quickly.  Can't wait to create with this fun little people again soon!

Brand New Ideas For Father's Day

With Easter and Mother's Day behind us, it's time to think about different ways to honor Dad on Father's Day. Of course, Uppercase Living has some great ideas for unique, personal gifts. You'll love how easy and affordable these are!

The first idea is great for dads of younger kids. The "Best Dad Ever" expression is placed on our pre-painted square MDF board.  The fun comes when you paint the kids' little hands and apply a hand print to the center. If the hands are small enough, you can do both hands, or more than one child's. I've also done 3 hands on one board by layering the smaller hand prints over the larger. Just use different colors of paint, letting each dry completely before you apply the next. The darkest paint goes on first.

We've also just released 3 new expressions that are perfect for a simple Father's Day project that will become a treasured keepsake. The instructions are the same regardless of which expression you choose. You'll need:

• 8x10 frame
• 1 sheet of scrapbook paper, cut to size. (Choose a light color with a small pattern)
• Your Uppercase Living expression
• Mistick wet application spray (or water) optional

Clean the glass in the frame completely with a lint-free cloth. Apply the UL expression, using Mistick, if you prefer to do a wet application (I always do a wet application on glass), to the glass in the spot of your choice.

Have the kids, grandkids and other family members write messages on the scrapbook paper, being careful to avoid the part that will be covered by the expression. You can also add photos to the scrapbook paper to make it even more unique. Put it in the frame and wrap the whole thing up for Dad!

What I really like about the "I Love You Because" expression is that it's not limited for just Father's Day. In fact, I think I'm going to add it to some Chalkboard or Dry Erase Vinyl and find a home for it in my house. We can all use a little extra love in our day. 

May Project of the Month: A Double Duty Graduation Gift

Maybe it's because I'm a little wistful at the thought of my daughter graduating 5th grade and my son graduating preschool, but this month's project kind of calls out to me. I can see it used in so many different ways. As shown, it's a perfect personal gift or centerpiece for a graduation party. The colors can match school colors and you can change the name or leave it off altogether. But what's great about this design is that it's been applied to our Vintage Round Embossed Metal Charger so that it  doubles as a magnetic photo board, too. It's a great, lightweight graduation gift that can go to college or a new apartment and hold memories from Senior year (or Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, in the case of my son).
This same expression (or any of our other graduation expressions) can also be used with our Square Charger. Not only would it give a different look, but party guests can sign it with a permanent marker, such as a Sharpie, as a lasting keepsake for the guest of honor. 

June holds not only graduations but also Father's Day, and this idea would be also be a perfect gift for Dad or Grandpa. Magnets make it easy to change out photos so there's always a fresh batch of family pictures on display.  Or, if you choose the Square Charger, the kids can each write a message on it.

Of course, either of these designs would be a perfect teacher's gift. They can also be modified for bridal showers and weddings, two more of spring's big celebrations. However you modify these designs for your needs, keep in mind that all orders receive FREE SHIPPING this month. I'd love to help you create the ideal design for each of your spring occasions. Enjoy this month's project and share your ideas here too!

Photo A Day #6

Who among us doesn't know the a little girl whose room this expression would be perfect in? Whether it's to add to a grouping of girly girl photos on a wall or decorate a nursery or child's room, the scalloped edges of this expression make it extra sweet. Here, it's been adorned with some of our Dress Ups Gems for some extra sparkle. After all, Princesses must have bling. It would also be pretty with Mini Blooms. Since the Mini Blooms come in 3 colors, you'll be sure to find one that complements the color of your expression. And since all of our accessories are 20% off for just a few more days, you'll even save some money on the Blooms or Gems. Make sure to pick out an extra expression if you're buying this one because all of our expressions are Buy One, Get One FREE! So who's the lucky little Princess in your life who's going to be getting this expression?

Celebrating Dad (without going broke)

Dads love a good deal, don't they? They love to tell you about how they shopped around, did their research and finally negotiated a deal that the salesperson admitted he wouldn't even give his own relatives. As you think about how you'd like to honor the dads in your life on Father's Day this year, take a lesson and get yourself a great deal, too.

By know you should have seen my earlier post on these great kits. Each one comes with a painted Foundations piece, in this case the Metal Board and the 12x12 MDF board, which is already painted and ready to go. You choose the color of the expression, quickly put it together and give Dad a sweet and unique gift.

Now, during Summer Splash, these kits (and all the others in our Celebrations catalog) are 20% off!


If the dad you're shopping for is a golfer, here's the perfect expression for him.

Put this on the back of his car, on an office wall or in his Man Cave. Throw in a gift certificate for a couple rounds of golf and you've made his day. Search my website for more golf ideas.

If you're shopping for a dad who prefers fishing, here's a great choice:

This expression really brings to mind the peacefulness of spending a day fishing out in nature. This would be equally beautiful on the wall or on Dad's boat.



This is another great fishing expression that would look equally great on the wall or on a board for Dad. Coordinate the color of the expression with his boat, truck or cabin. Of course, you can always get Dad both of these expressions because they're now Buy One, Get One FREE!!


As usual, I've saved my favorite idea for last. This time it also happens to be the most affordable. Dad's favorite gadget, be it a laptop, iPad, Kindle or even a Nintendo DS, can be easily embellished with Uppercase Living. In this case, Dad's name is Own and he loves basketball. With Buy One, Get One FREE this whole design costs $6 or so! There are so many fonts and designs to choose from that you can find something perfect no matter what Dad's into.


Non-Father's Day Tip: Use UL lettering to put the kids' names on their hand held gaming devices to prevent endless rounds of "he's playing with miiiiiiiiiiiiiine."

As you make your choices for Father's Day gifts, don't forget Buy One, Get One FREE makes every purchase a great deal. Whether you tell Dad or not is up to you.

Quick Projects for Father's Day

Now that Mother's Day has come and gone, we all have one thing on our mind (no, not how to return those ugly pajamas without the kids finding out): what to get dad, or our kids' dad for Father's Day. Hopefully, all you moms got spoiled on Mother's Day. Now it's time to repay the favor with something thoughtful,. personal, and because you have 43 kabillion other things to do, QUICK! Here are a couple of ideas that fit the bill:

Both of these projects are from our Spring Celebrations Mini Catalog and both come with everything included to complete the gifts. The "Best Dad Ever" kit is just $21.95 and would look so cute hanging in Dad's workshop.

My favorite kit for Father's Day is the "Memories of Dad" metal board. The gorgeous blue color sets of your choice of vinyl color beautifully. Best of all, it includes 3 magnets so that you can continually update the photos that it displays.

You can find more Father's Day ideas on my website by simply searching for Father or Dad on the product search page. Don't limit yourself just to those, though. If the dad you're shopping for has a favorite hobby or pastime, use that as your search term. You'll find ideas under "golf," "fishing," "grilling," and many more.

Perhaps the best idea isn't even one that you'll find in our wide range of products. Simply create the custom expression World's Greatest DAD in our MyDesign Suite and surprise dad by applying it to the back of his car before he gets up on Father's Day. Unlike yet another tie or pair of cuff links, that is one Father's Day gift he'll be proud to wear, day after day.

DON'T FORGET: All of these ideas and more are 20% off when your order reaches $50. This great deal goes away on May 19, so don't wait too long to order.

Good, Better, Best....Saving Money with a New 20% off Promotion

GOOD: Uppercase Living expressions, custom designs, accessories and a whole ton of great ideas for gift giving and decorating. Not to mention, a brand new catalog full of kits for spring occasions from Mother's Day and Father's Day to Graduation, Baby Showers and awesome ideas for Weddings!

BETTER: 20% off all orders of $50 or more starting tomorrow through May 19th. Woo hoo! All the good stuff at a great deal! Now it just got more affordable to get gifts for Dad and Grandpa, that Graduate, a Baby Shower, those 2 weddings this summer, and something for the kids' teachers too. You'll save so much money that you might decide to treat yourself to something for your own house.

EVEN BETTER: Up to 3 FREE EXPRESSIONS with your qualifying order.

BEST: Sharing the savings with friends by hosting your own UL party. They'll be thrilled to learn how to use these great products to decorate their homes and give as gifts. They'll love you for helping them save money as they do. And you'll earn FREE products just for hosting.

It doesn't get better than that.