Have you done any good in the world today?

Today was my Stake conference.  There were many wonderful talks all about "Hastening the work."  Lots of wonderful stories were given about missionary work and conversion stories.  It was really wonderful, and I took notes on little messages that really inspired me.  I decided to share a poster with you about one such message.  The words of the song... Have I done any good in the world today?  Obviously I took a bit of liberty with the last line, because I didn't want to use the entire song, but wanted to get the message accross.  I left Conference knowing what I needed to do to step up, and lengthen my stride and commitment.  This is a visual reminder of some simple things we can all do to make this world a better place.  If we ask ourselves these few questions, hopefully you too, will be inspired and motivated to do more.  Enjoy and pass the word along, oh and the poster too.  Katie G

If you want 2 be HAPPY (my new blog)

I wanted to share with you my new blog.  I have created some cute printables that are perfect for sharing with the sisters you visit teach, a friend, neighbor, or anyone you think might have a need for something to help them to have a HAPPY DAY!  It is called If you want 2 be happy  I will be creating some HAPPY things there almost every day and all of them are FREE, Free, free!!!

Please go to my new blog and follow me as I will have the very same cute things I offer on this blog, but just a little different. 

Have a hap, hap, happy day!

Mothers Day quote booklet

If you are in need of a quick Mothers Day gift for someone you care about, maybe even those you Visit teach.... hint, hint... then you can find a printable I just made called "Quotes from our prophets about wives, women, and mothers"  on my other blog. http://visitingteachingtips.blogspot.com

Two sided bookmark for Visiting teaching

I am in the process of creating a new little Printable business, and I had designed this cute little chick.  I thought it might be fun for a V.T. Bookmark, so here you go... enjoy!
Katie G.

April 2012 Visiting Teaching Message Card Printable

Here is a little gift for you to print off and take with you on your visits this month, or whenever you feel so inspired.  The message on the card is small so here is what it says:

"Visiting Teachers are earthly ministering angels sent to Love, Watch Over and Strengthen the heart of her sister!"

Just a thought I had... maybe you could write a note to your sisters inside the card of your desire to serve them and become friends.  Be sure to sign your name and add your phone number and let them know that they can refer to this card when they need you! 

And if you have not already read my message on the Visiting Teaching Tips blog, I think you may want to go over and read it.  I tell a wonderful story about serving our sisters that was published in the Ensign, and lived by my own Visiting teaching partner. 

Enjoy!  Katie G

Easter Bunting

I am really excited about how cute this turned out. The picture doesn't do it justice. I spent my morning today creating up this cute Easter bunting.  I have been really enjoying creating these, as I will have a bunch of different options for parties, showers, holidays, etc., on my new website.  (That is once it is up)  I thought I would share a last minute decoration for you to print off and make for your own.  It was so easy.  Print it off, cut it out, attach the ribbon to the flags, then add colorful pieces of ribbon or fabric if you like.  It is so springy and cute.  Wish I had made it before the day before Easter.  So... you can freely use the buntings that I am going to put up for only 2 days, and then they come down.  Hurry and get them if you like and please let me know how you like it and if you used it. Please don't copy it because it will be one of my copyrighted collection.. but because I am feeling Eastery, I wanted to share. 

Oh and I also threw in this name place setting page as well.  Print them off and write in the names of your guests and set them where you want them to sit at your Easter table. Enjoy!  Katie G

PS  my new business is called "Printables by Katie", but I have a ways to go to get my website up... but working on it!

Christmas Card/message

I have just posted a wonderful Christmas message on my Visiting Teaching Tips handouts and Ideas blog. If you would like to have access to it, go to that blog by clicking on the title of this post. Need a reminder how to print from my blogs???? I posted it at the bottom of the post you will go to.
Enjoy!!! Katie G.

Seed packet Gift/ template

I decided that instead of giving out thank you notes to the lovely friends of mine who remembered me on my birthday, I decided to design a template for a seed packed, and fill it up with seeds from my pretty yellow and orange flowers in my yard, and give it as a thank-you. They turned out darling and printed so very nicely. Very easy template, but be sure to score the lines around the packet where the folds go, as it looks so sharp and folds much nicer. I used glue runner tape as well. If I get a chance I will take a snapshot of the finished product before I give them out. On the back side, I left it plain so that you can add your own message, for a gift or in place of a thank you note, or for whatever reason you want to use it for. I also inserted it into a cellophane bag ( note card size ) and tied a yellow ribbon around it. VERY CUTE!!! Enjoy! Katie G.

Visiting Teaching Message September 2011

Here is a little handout that I created for you to take with you Visiting Teaching. It contains some of the quotes from the lesson. Enjoy! Katie G.

August 2011 Visiting Teaching message printable

Click on the image and you will be able to read it better. This is the handout that I made for Visiting Teaching for August 2011. I just about didn't get one done as I have been busier than a little bee this month and last month. Even if you have already gone out and done your Visiting Teaching, you can still use this for your sisters now, or for another month. It is a door hanger. Make sure to sign add your phone number at the bottom before you leave it hanging on their door nob or you can just hand it to them so that they have your phone number so they can reach you when they need a "Helping Hand".

One thing about this too is that many people won't ask for help, so be proactive and really let your sister know that you would love to be of service to them, so that they won't hesitate to call if they need you.

Enjoy!

Visiting Teaching Message June 2011- Strengthening Families through temporal self reliance

June 2010 Visiting teaching lesson focus on self reliance.  In my Visiting teaching tips, handouts and Ideas blog, I shared some stories about my own family and how they became self reliant in raising their families.  If you would like to read my personal stories, click on the title of this message and you will be whisked away to my other blog, where I will share my stories with you. 

One of my stories included my own experience of learning to bottle, or can fruits with my Mom  and my sisters.  I too passed on this wonderful talent to my own daughters and we get together every year to can.  So I went looking for some cute things that you can use for yourself, or give to your sister you teach to encourage their own self reliance.  I found some darling canning jar lid stickers that you can print out for yourself on sticker paper, or label paper.  Here are the cute things I found and the links to find them on the Internet.

1.  Round jar top labels can be found here:

 http://blog.worldlabel.com/2011/round-labels-in-a-vintage-style-design.html

2.  Cute vintage labels for bottles or whatever can be found here:

http://blog.worldlabel.com/2011/bottle-labels-for-your-apothecary-products.html

More really pretty vintage labels can also be found here and you know how much I love Vintage things...

http://blog.worldlabel.com/2009/free-fillable-suzee-que-vintage-labels.html

And I even located a few more cute labels here:

More really pretty vintage labels can also be found here and you know how much I love Vintage things... http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2009/03/free-downloadable-stickers.html 

  

And one more cute one made by Poppytalkhandmade is found here:

http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2009/02/free-downloadable-labels-from-us.html

Any of these can be customized to suit whatever you are canning.   This would be a cute way to encourage self reliance and learning how to can fruit.  Another idea would be to invite your sisters to come can or bottle with you at your house, and use some of these cute labels to adorn your handiwork!  Enjoy!  Katie G.

Spanish, Portuguese, or other languages.....I need your input.

I have had several request lately for me to translate my handouts and freebies into Spanish.  I don't speak Spanish so it isn't easy for me to accomplish this.  I would, however love to have anyone of any language be able to use my handouts, so I have thought about a way that I could possibly accomplish this.  I will need your imput to to know if this will work for you. 

My idea is that when I design something like the book mark to the left, for example, I will do my creative thing and make something cute, and type in the message, scripture or whatever, in English and post it on my blog.  Then I will also post a page of the same designed bookmark, without the message, leaving it blank for you to save to your computer and type in or insert however you can, the translation in whatever language you need to share with the sister you Visit teach, friends or whomever. 

So, I designed this bookmark for you to try to put your own message on, just to see if you can do it.  It is a cute Springy and Easter looking print from Shabby Princess, and you can see what you can do with it.  This time I didn't include a scripture but I am sure you can come up with one about Springtime, the Resurrection, Jesus Christ's atonement, new life, or whatever else you think of.  I know that not everyone will have the ability to do this on the computer but you could still print up the message, and type on it, or hand write the message. 

Please let me know if this will work for you and how you accomplished it.  I need feedback or I simply won't make the extra effort it will take to do this, as all of this takes allot of time.  You can either click on the "comment" button below this post and comment there, or email me directly on my blog email which is posted at the top right column of this blog.  If you just comment, please be sure to provide me your email address if you want me to reply because by default, no return email is listed.

Thanks for your help!

Katie G.

Mothers day early (2 printables)

I designed a book insert, or bookmark if that is what you would like to call it to go with the lesson on A grateful heart.... BUT... I thought it would be really cute for Mothers Day too.  The little kids on the bookmark are the early years "Campbell Soup Kids".  I think they are so very cute.  Anyway.... here it is...

I am asked all the time what program I use to create my printables and such. I am almost embarassed to say because it is one that I have used for years, though it has changed and improved. Nope, I don't use photoshop... though I do use Photoshop Elements to do some things, but I am not very good at Elements, so I use Print Shop Professional for mostly all of my graphic design.  It is limited so that is why I use Photoshop Elements and that does the rest of what the other program doesn't. 

I have a son who is amazing on Graphic Design and knows all the programs that there could ever be.  I had him sit down with me for a few minutes and asked him to show me how to do a few things using Elements.  I am a visual learner, so when he showed me what to do, I felt so empowered.  Elements really has most of all the things I would ever use for my designing, I think, and it is a fraction of the cost of Adobe Photoshop.  So... I think I will just continue to use my Print Shop Pro and keep learning more on Elements.  It is a fun hobby for me and I certainly enjoy creating!  Katie G.

P.S. I made these M&M bag toppers up originaly for my sister for a need she had, and changed the words to fit for Mothers day.  Follow the directions that are printed and they would make cute little gifts to give to your sisters on Mothers Day or for a new little Mother who has just had a baby.  Maybe there is someone you see in church that could use one of these as well, and so there are lots of applications for this little idea.  Fill the bags with colored M&M's and print on colored paper.  Enjoy!

Bookmark



Here is another bookmark that I created, actually for my daughter
but I  like to pass things on, so here you go to use as you like.  My
daughter wanted 10 per page, and that saves alot on ink if you are
doing the printing on your own home printer. 
Enjoy!  Katie G.



Printable Valentine Card

I needed to make some cute Valentine cards to go with the heart shaped bowls filled with candies for my husband's Home teaching families, so I thought I would share with your too.

Just print them of on 8.5 x 11 cardstock (in Color), cut and fold them in half.  You can buy the exact note card size envelop either at Walmart or Office Maxx or Depot, as that is where I buy mine. 

Happy Valentines Day and Enjoy!  Love, Katie G.

More Cute Valentine Ideas

I usually make up my own Valentines, because I can, so I try to come up with a Valentine that has a message that is specific for either the gift I am giving, or for the person.  Here is my little gift idea that i am giving to the ladies I Visit teach and I hope that none of them come look at this post before I get their Valentine to them.  Well.... if they do, then they will have something to look forward to..... do you think?

Click on the image and it will make it larger for you to see in better detail.  I love vintage so I took an old Vintage Valentine and added some other do dads, and turned it into a Valentine, that is color coded to match the little gift I am giving.

I went to Target and in their $1 section, I found some really cute black, red and white note pads that have a magnet on the back side.  They also had some really cute matching pens so I bought them and taped them to the front of the note pad.  I then found some matching pencils too, and did the same with them.  I bundled all of this up in a Valentine Cellophane bag and tied the top off with a red ribbon.  It turned out so very cute.  Now... Notice what the Valentine says right at the top..."PLEASE NOTE" ... get it?  Note pad and please note.  Pretty cleaver and very cute. 
These Valentines will print two per page and they are note card size.  Walmart sometimes carries the note card size envelop, but if they don't have any, then Office Max or Office Depot or any other office store should carry them, but unfortunately in bulk.  I do allot of card making so, I buy bulk most of the time. 

Sending a Package to someone in the mail for Valentines Day?  I made these up to send my Valentine Package to my son's family who lives in Wyoming.  These can also be used as gift tags too, for cookies or other goodies that you make up to give to someone for Valentines Day.  Enjoy!

I found a cute old Popcorn themed Valentine here:  http://vintageholidaycrafts.com/ that I used to create one of my own, to put on a box of microwave popcorn to give to my sons and sons-in-law as part of the Valentine packages I do for my children's families.  This Valentine (at the bottom) would be cute to use in many different ways.  Today at my local Target store, I found these darling large heart shaped bowls in pink or red, and I thought how cute it would be to pop some popcorn and fill up those bowls. (and to make it extra yummy, add a bag of Valentine M&M's) I would wrap the popcorn filled bowl in cellophane and tie the top with a beautiful bow, and of course I would attach this cute Valentine to tie in the Popcorn message.

On my blog, http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/search/label/popcorn I even have a Mother gooses or Koolaid popcorn recipe that would be great to use for the popcorn if you wanted to get alittle more creative than just having buttered popcorn. Kettle Corn is really good too and that is easy to make as well.  I found a very simple recipe for Kettle Corn on the Rachael Ray site.  http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/appetizer-starter-recipes/Sweet---Salty-Kettle-Corn

I also found another site that did about what I did with this popcorn idea and here is their link http://keepingmycents.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-popcorn-valentine.html

Have fun and enjoy your Valentine giving!  Love, Katie

Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party Invitaion

This is the finished invitation.

 

All the materials cut out and ready to assemble the invitation.

I am inserting the invitation first followed by the other separate pages of the invitation.  I have posted the pages so that you can fill in the blanks, to customize for your own use.  I am using black card stock for the front and back cover for this book/card/invitation. Cut the black card stock in half which is 5.5 inches.  Fold each of those in half for the cover.

This image to the left is what you print off, cut out and glue to the front book cover.  Now you will need to paste the cute cover picture on the front of the black book card cover.  Make sure to center it between the binding tape and the right hand edge of the black paper cover. I used white duct tape to look like binding and to cover up the staples, but I think I am going to go to the store and see if I can find some cute decorated duct tape instead of just a plain white duct tape binding. 

The next step is to print the inside pages  1 - 4.  Cut them out.  If you are going to make a lot of these invitations, I highly suggest you purchase a cutter, as it makes the cuts straight and looks so much better.  Takes far less time than cutting out things by hand.  Then collate the pages 1 - 4 and insert into the folded black card stock cover.  Staple as close to the edge of the fold on the book cover as you can.  Using a strip of duct tape, place over the staples and over fold so that it covers both the front and backside.  (see the photo)

 

Now for the bookmark................... Print the bookmark page on white card stock.  I just my card stock at Walmart in a ream, because it is firm enough for cards, but not too firm to give me problems running it through my printer.  I wanted my bookmarks to be two sided.  The black and white printed paper below I found at Shabby Princess Paper and printed it on the back side of my bookmark page.  You might want it to just use solid black but either way it goes great with the invitation. 



Bookmark

 The next step is to cut out the bookmark, so that a boarder of black is showing all the way around and then punch a hole in the top.  I then cut a piece of Red ribbon, folded it in half and threaded the folded side through the back to the front side of the punched hole, then put the two ends through the folded ribbon loop and pulled it tight.  I slipped this completed bookmark in the center pages of the book with the ribbon hanging out.  I was thinking that a black and white polka dot or checked ribbon would be really cute instead of the red, but red is what I have.   



 The paper below was designed by Shabby Princess and Sara Carling called "Dinner Party." The link to Shabby princess is:   http://www.shabbyprincess.com/   At the Shabby Princess site, you need to stay for a while because she has great scrap booking products and offers a bunch of really nice looking ones for her blog visitors to use for free.  Very, Very generous!!! Just click on "downloads" and a whole bunch of complete digital packs will be displayed and you will really be amazed at just how pretty her freebies are!!!   I am using this paper as the backside of the  book mark as well as the page before page one and after page 4... just because it looks nice and gives an extra page to make it look more like a vintage book. 



I just wanted to tell you why I include on the invitation the link found on page 4 to Project Gutenberg's site that has several Alice in Wonderland books, with different illustrators.  I found out that the Young Women really love to read, and some of them read several books a week.  I personally am not fond of the Alice in wonderland book, but it is a classic, and Project Gutenberg has spent countless hours digitizing so many wonderful classics (vintage books) for people to access and read online.  We are trying to get the Youth to do productive things online instead of playing games, and just surfing the net, so I thought this would be a very worthwhile link to post on the invitation. I wonder how many parents know about Project Gutenberg?  Here is the link to this wonderful site loaded with tons of free ebooks to read.  http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page  I love to pass on good tips, so take this one and pass it on to those you visit teach and give them a bookmark while you are at it.

I will be designing some place cards, and a Mad Hatter Hat favor in the next few days, so come back and I will have the templates and images of them as well.

Enjoy!

Katie G.

I just finished the name tags to be put on the table at the tea party and they turned out really cute as you can see in the picture.  They are so easy, so not template for these.  I have below this image the cute little tag that is hanging from the side of the favor box.  This box I found at my local $ store for 8 of them only $1.  They are pink.  They will be filled with "English Toffee" and set by each table setting.  This party is really going to be cute and fun.  Oh the teapot that is behind my cute little printouts, is one that I purchased online because I wanted a very special and very cute one to have tea parties with my little Granddaughters.  I think this one really fits the bill!

Enjoy!!!  Katie G.

 P.S.  So just when I think I am done creating things for this party, I remember the hostess wanted to have some 2 sided menus to be displayed on each table.  So below is what I came up with.  In keeping with the Alice in Wonderland theme, I named all the different foods, with names from the Story.  It turned out pretty cute. 

Your Hands are His hands.

Here is a handout to use either with President Uchtdorf's April 2010 General Conference talk if that is the one that you pick to use for your own Visiting teaching message for the month, or you can use it for a Visiting Teaching Centered  monthly Relief Society meeting.  One sister emailed me and asked me for ideas and I had come up with this one as I was rereading the General Conference talks.  Anyway, however you use this printable, enjoy and know that it was made with lots of love and hopes that you have a wonderful month doing your Visiting teaching.  The message on the bookmarks, comes from President Uchtdorfs talk.  For the R.S. meeting idea, go to http://visitingteachingtips.blogspot.com  Enjoy!  Katie G.

April 2010 Visiting Teaching Handout

OOOPSIES!!!!  Thanks to a reader, who pointed out that I had attributed the quote on this handout to the wrong person... it has now been changed and proper credit is now given to President Boyd K. Packer for his wonderful quote in this months visiting teaching lesson...... Now... read on......

If you will go and read the message on LDS.org you will find out that the April 2010 message is on Seeking and Receiving Personal Revelation.  I wrote a story about my daughter and granddaughter that goes well with this message on my other blog at this link http://visitingteachingtips.blogspot.com  The quote that I used to make this bookmark handout comes from President Boyd K. Packer that says "Prayer is your personal key to heaven.  The lock is on your side of the veil".  Don't you love that quote?  To me it means it is up to us and we hold the key to personal revelatio and communication with the Lord.  Once we insert the key into the keyhole, we unlock the door to the inspiration and guidance we seek.  Heavenly Father is willing to provide it to us, but He will never force it upon us, so we need to exercise the key we are given, which is prayer, and ask for His guidance and divine intervention in our lives.

Bookmark:   The top page is obviously side one and the next page is the paper to print on the backside of the bookmark.  I always print on white cardstock and then I cut them out and laminate them.  They turn out very nice this way!  This beautiful paper came from veralimdesign and the pack is called "Grateful".  I just love these wonderful designers that share their paper creations with all of us!  Here is one little tip from me... you can buy a ream of white cardstock at Walmart for cheap and it will last you through so many printings.  I can run this weight of cardstock through my personal HP photosmare inkjet printer, as well as my husbands big color lasar printer.  It looks best in lasar though, especially if you don't laminate them. 

Hope you will take advantage of this freebie from me to take with youVisiting Teaching this month. 
Enjoy!  Katie G.

How about a cute Easter Printable???

This would be such a cute printable for a little, thoughtful Easter gift for the sisters you teach, or your friends, kids, family or whomever you like.  I just found this as I have been searching for something for Easter dinner favor.  I found this already with a cute design that matches my Pastel Easter Table settings.  All you do is cut it out and score with a pen the dotted lines, then fold into a darling Easter Egg box.  Fill it with your favorite "candy eggs" such as jelly beans, Robin eggs, or whatever you want, and then punch the two holes at the top and tie it with a cute pastel bow.  If you wanted it to be a combo favor, and place setting, then just write the persons name on it and set it either on their dinner plate, or just above their plate on the table.  I was so excited that I found it at http://melissaesplin.com/home/2010/04/easter-egg-basket-printable
  They have lots of very cute things to print, make and fold. 

Another darling one that comes in different pastel color designs that would be just as cute can be found at a different site called "Don't eat the paste".  It is called Spiral dot box and here is the direct link
  http://www.donteatthepaste.com/2009/07/spiral-dot-box.html  they also have a darling pink one that is called a circle dot box. http://www.donteatthepaste.com/2009/08/circle-dot-box.html  These aren't the only ones they have but you will have to go to the site and find the rest of the cute printable boxes.  OOOOHhhhh so very cute for Easter and Spring!!!