WOYWW 291

Happy Wednesday and Happy New Year's Eve Everybody!!

As always, at the end of each year I am amazed that another year has flown by.  I don't know why.  It's the same 365 days each and every year -- year in, year out.  Yet, I'm somehow dumbfounded that it's time for another click of the year on the old calendar.  Resolutions?  Maybe.  Hopefully more like goals or things I would like to change going forward and have the wherewithal to follow through with.  We'll just cross our fingers and carry on smartly!


Sooooo.....what's on your work desk today???  It's time for the fun blog hop that Julia hosts over at Stamping Ground each week.  It's a blast clicking here and there and seeing what everyone is up to at their creative headquarters!  Give it a try....you'll be hooked like the rest of us!

This is how my craft desk looked before I trudged off to bed last night.  I'm embarrassed to show it.  I see so many things just laying about that need to be put back -- hanks of ribbon, a sweetener box waiting to be turned into a junk journal, another spool of ribbon.  Oh dear!  I have been a total slacker this year in keeping things tidy and put away.  That's a hint about those next year goals mentioned above.

I was working on the beginning stages of an altered tag for my linky party I'm going to be hosting monthly.  I'm also trying to get into more mixed media things, so I feel all official and stuff that there is matte gel and gesso and washi tape and stencils on my table.  At least I LOOK like I know what I'm doing!!

If you'd like to be part of my monthly altered tag link party, stay tuned.  I'll be posting all the details and the first theme on January 6.  I'm really looking forward to it and I hope you'll join in the fun!

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Twelve!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

We did it!  We made it to the last project in my Twelve Days series!  Group hug for everyone!




I really struggled with today's project.  I knew what technique I wanted to show you, but I had so much trouble coming up with the final finished project.  I'm still not 100% thrilled with it, but I'm running with it anyway!  I think I'm just a tad bit burned out.  At least, that's what I'm going to blame it on.

Today I'm showing you another great way to use up scraps.  We're doing a technique I call the herringbone quilt technique.

I used up quite a bit of all the pretty Christmas papers I've accumulated during this series.  All you need to do is cut them in 1/2" and 1/4" widths.

I used another image from Paper Trey Ink's set called Tremendous Treats:  Christmas.  Have I mentioned I'm in love with this set?  Yep...it's true.  

This technique is pretty easy, and once you get your strips cut, it goes quickly.  I took a piece of white card stock cut to 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" and ran it through my Xyron 9" Creative Station.  I love Xyron machines because you get edge to edge adhesive coverage without fail.  I use my 9" machine and my "X" Sticker maker a lot.

Cut your patterned paper or card stock in 1/2" and 1/4" widths -- or whatever widths you want.  I like the look of assorted sizes as it adds extra interest to the overall effect.  You'll want to take three strips to make quadrants on your sticky card stock.  In the picture below, I used the red dotted strip, the Christmas tree strip, and the bells strip on the left.  Place one strip diagonally across your piece, and then place the other two pieces perpendicular on either side of the first strip.  (Watch the video...it makes more sense then my rambling here.)  You'll then fill in each section with strips, changing direction in each quadrant as shown below.  Again...watch the video for a clearer explanation of what I'm trying to tell you here!  :)

I ran my finished quilted piece through my Big Kick with the Top Note die.  I don't know if anyone besides Stampin' Up! has that, but there are similarly shaped Spellbinders Nestabilities if you're looking for something comparable.

The picture below shows the pens and markers I used to add a bit of sparkle and shine.  I used the metallic Sharpie to go around the edge of the quilted piece.  I used my atyou Spica pens to add some glitter to my stamped image on the front.

I really hope you all have enjoyed my very first Twelve Days of Christmas series.  I hope you had fun and maybe even learned something new!

Here's the video of this project.



Be sure to stay tuned in 2015 as well.  I'm going to be bringing you a monthly altered tag linky party.  I don't want to call it a "challenge" because it's really not.  It's just a way to have fun, use our supplies, meet some new friends, and maybe learn a thing or two.  I'll be providing you monthly prompts or themes.  It'll be fun to see how everyone interprets those ideas.  I hope you'll join me!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Eleven

Happy Friday Everyone!

It's finally Friday!  Woot!  It's a dark and rainy day here and I've been awake too many hours already.  Some days it just goes that way, but talking about and participating in crafting will brighten things up!

Today's project is another quick and easy one with a recycling twist to it.  We're making a little treat/gift tube from toilet paper tubes.  These are great to tuck in a little candy, a small gift item, or just simply for decoration.  I think these would be super cute as a party favor or at each place setting for a special dinner with some nice after dinner mints in them.

I got this idea from Connie Stewart's You Tube channel.  Be sure to visit her, as she has a ton of great videos.

Here's what we're making:

I spritzed this one with gold shimmer spray, but I just could not get it to show up in the pictures.  It's so darned pretty in person!

As I mentioned in my video (below), I have generated quite a bit of scraps during this Twelve Days series.  In designing my projects as I go, I've tried to use up as much of those scraps in each project as I can.  This is another very economical project that you could mass produce for very little money.

All you need for this project is a toilet paper tube, a 6" x 6" piece of patterned paper or card stock, some ribbon or twine, and whatever embellishments you chose to decorate the tube with.  To start, simply flatten one end of your tube and staple it shut.

To get the antique scrunchy look with the paper and make it easy to wrap around your tube, spray it lightly with water.  Then crumple it up as much or as little as you want.  Before flattening it back out, I used my Vintage Photo Distress Ink and Ranger ink blending tool and inked all of the raised up wrinkles.

I then carefully flattened out my piece of paper and covered the back with my handy dandy Elmer's glue stick.  Just line up your tube on the center edge of your paper and wrap it around.  I'm normally not a big fan of using a glue stick, but sometimes it's just the right thing to use and gives you a bit of open time to move things around if needed.  I've also used this Thermoweb Super Stik glue stick in the past and have been quite pleased with it.

With the excess paper at the top of the tube, we're going to tuck that into the tube so the raw cardboard is covered and presents a little more of a finished look.

To make the bottom edge of the tube look neater and more finished, I added some pretty stitched satin ribbon to the bottom.  I adhered it with red liner tape to be sure it would stay put!  You could also add a punched card stock strip here, washi tape, or pearl or flower trim.  Make it your own!

For the ribbon hanger, I used my Crop-a-dile and punched 1/8" holes on either side of the opening.  Then I threaded through about 12" of the same ribbon I used along the bottom edge and knotted each end so it wouldn't pull through.  Then you simply need to have some fun and decorate your tube!

Here's my video on this project.  Enjoy!




Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Ten

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

We're on the home stretch of our projects for the Twelve Days of Christmas!  Woo hoo!

While we've been rather focused on making items that are gifts or to hold gifts, today we're focusing on thanks!  After the holidays, be sure to send a thank you note to those who were kind enough to remember you.  I can't stress enough how lovely it is to receive good old fashioned "snail mail" in this digital/electronic age.  Letter writing and sending cards seems to be a nearly lost art and practice today.  What a shame!

Today's card is a fancy fold card called the Criss Cross Card.  As with most fancy fold cards, once you make one, you realize they aren't that complicated at all.  Many of the Criss Cross cards you'll find on the internet are a square version, or they are made with 12" X 12" card stock.  I typically don't have much 12" X 12" plain card stock, so I was tickled when I found another You Tube video where they had used 8 1/2" x 11" card stock to make a standard A2 size card.  Her video is here if you'd like to watch it.

First, let's have a look at my finished cards:

 To begin this project, you need to cut an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of card stock in half the long way at 4 1/4".  Score each piece in the middle at 5 1/2".  You then need to cut opposite side pieces on the diagonal.  This is kind of hard to explain, so do please watch my video below for clarification.  If you're holding the two pieces next to each other, the two sections meeting in the middle will be overlapped and glued together.  The remaining flaps on the left and right are what you will need to cut on the diagonals.  These will form the pieces that overlap and create the criss cross look on the front.

For the decorative paper layers, you will need one or two pieces (depending on if you are using double sided paper or not) cut to 5 1/4" x 4" and then cut those diagonally.  Glue those to the card stock diagonal flaps (I used my ATG tape runner).  Run a 1/8" strip of Scor Tape  along the bottom inside edge from the left score line to the far right edge.  Fold over the left edge and press down, and then cross over the right flap and press it down.

For the tag/insert, cut a piece of card stock to 5 1/4" X 3 3/4".  If you want to add the decorative paper layer like I did, it is cut to 5" X 3 1/2".  Use whatever shape you like for the tag pull.  Be sure when adhering it you don't allow it to extend up beyond the edge of the card base.  You don't want it to interfere with being able to be mailed in a regular envelope.

For added interest without adding a ton of bulk, I cut a piece of kraft card stock to 5 3/8" X 3/4".  On top of that, I added a strip of decorative paper cut to 5 3/8" X 1/2".  I then adhered the whole thing to the card front with 1/2" Scor Tape.

I added a thank you sentiment to the front, using my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the sentiment on my die cut shape.  Glue this to the front of your card and you're done!

Here's my video on how to make these cards.  Enjoy!



Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Nine

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Today is the ninth installment of my Twelve Days of Christmas series.  I must admit that I have a new found respect for those bloggers and YouTubers who put out consistent daily content.  It's a lot of work and time coming up with the projects, doing the videos and editing them, taking pictures and editing those, writing up the blogs posts, and so on.  I suppose it's all in what you get used to doing and how far ahead you plan stuff out.  Not sure I'll do another long series like this.  I'm such a lightweight!  lol

Our project today is something a little different than what I've been doing.  Today I'm showing you some altered paper clips!

These little goodies make wonderful embellishments for scrapbook and journal pages, flags/tabs for marking pages in your planner or other books, take away embellishments on a card, and fun little gifts!  They're also the perfect way to use up your scraps.  I used hot glue on most of these, but you could also use e6000 if you were using metal pendant trays, cabochons or bottle caps, all of which would be adorable!  I will definitely be making more of these little bundles of cuteness.

This was a button I was gifted and only had one of.  What a great way to showcase Mr. Snowman!  Card stock layers are adhered with my ATG tape runner, and the button is hot glued.  Then the whole thing is hot glued to the paper clip.  I added another scallop shape on the back to conceal the glue.

You could always orient your design on the pennant to go the other way and use this as a side tab marker on a page.  This paper pennant does wrap fully around and is taped to itself but not to the paper clip.  I simply cut the pennant points with scissors -- nothing fancy.

Pinwheels/rosettes.....beautiful but deadly.  Watch my video and you'll see why I say that!  ;)
  Flat back resin rose is hot glued to the card stock scallop.

Perfectly simple for a journaling spot in a scrapbook or junk journal!
 I rounded the corners and inked the edges just to jazz it up a tiny bit.

It's pink.  'Nuff said!!

Another great little pennant to use as a decoration or a page marker in a book.

Another happy Mr. Snowman.  I did add a dab of hot glue on the back of the ribbons so they would stay put.

My personal little planner marker.  This little baby tells me at a glance where my current week page is in my planner.  I haven't used any glue at all on this and it stays put very nicely.

 If you search google, check Pinterest, or check out YouTube for "altered paperclips" you will find a ton of inspiration.  I will point you to a couple of YT channels that I got inspiration from:  craftyirina and TheScrappyBookworm1.  Both of these ladies have some really lovely creations.

Here is my video walk through of these altered paper clips.  Enjoy!!



Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Eight

Happy Monday Everyone!

How was your weekend?  Ours was pretty uneventful.  Hubby did get out the Christmas tree and put it up for me, but sadly, it's still waiting for me to decorate it.  Hopefully today!  I'm so far behind.

Today is the eighth installment of my Twelve Days of Christmas series and we're making another fun little gift item.  This time it's a cute little lip balm holder.  This is another item that's perfect as a stocking stuffer, teacher or co-worker gift, party favor and more.

I showed two versions of this in my video -- one with the patterned paper on the inside, and one (which I show you how to make) with the patterned paper on the outside.  I'll give you dimensions and directions for both (they're nearly identical but reversed).  As with most of my projects in this series , these are quick and easy to make and you can personalize and customize these to your heart's desire!

For the version I made with the patterned paper on the OUTSIDE:
Card stock base of 5 3/4" x 3 1/2".  Score at 2 1/2" and 3 1/4".
Patterned paper for outside:  5 1/2" x 3 1/4".
On the card stock base between the score lines, make two cuts that are 1 1/4" long, starting at the left score line and scoring left to right.  You can make these cuts at roughly 1 1/2" and 2 3/8" from the top.  This will be the pop out that you slide your lip balm through.  Make another cut about 3/8" up from the bottom starting in the MIDDLE of the two score lines, and score left to right 3/4".  This will make the little "shelf" that prevents your lip balm from sliding through and falling out.  Adhere patterned paper to the outside of the card stock, making sure you don't put any adhesive where your pop out cuts are.
Decorate the outside and inside as desired.  Secure with decorative ribbon.

For the version with the patterned paper on the INSIDE:
Card stock outisde of 5 3/4" x 3 1/2".  Score at 2 1/2" and 3 1/4".
Inside patterned paper 5 1/2" x 3 3/8".  Score at 2 3/8" and 3 1/8".
You'll be making your cuts on the patterned paper (instead of the card stock) on this one, just like described above.  Please note - when I made it this way, my patterned paper was fairly light and if you're not super careful when inserting your lip balm, the paper may tear a bit where you've made your cuts.  Decorate the outside as you wish.  On the blue one above, I stamped an all over snowflake pattern with VersaMark ink and then stamped a matching image to add to the front.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Here is the video for today's project.  Enjoy!



Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Seven

Happy Saturday Everyone!

I hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start.  We're looking at another day in the low to mid 70's, so it's all good here!

It's time for our seventh installment in my Twelve Days of Christmas series.  Today we're making another fun little giftable item -- a tea bag holder.  These are quick and easy and can be embellished to your heart's desire.  While the one I'm making is a Christmas version, these are great for a year round goodie, a get well item, and can easily be mailed to someone.

I used some images I had already stamped and colored from an adorable set from Paper Trey Inc. called Tremendous Treats:  Christmas.  I just love these little images and they're perfect for coloring.  These were stamped on Neenah Solar White cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copic Markers.

To make this project, you need a piece of card stock that is 3 1/2" x 10 1/2".  Score it on the long edge at 3 1/2" and 7".  (I used my Martha Stewart Score Board.)  You'll need to trim the right hand side panel diagonally to make the pocket for your tea bag.  Secure the flap with red liner tape, brads, or whatever method you choose.  Decorate the front however you want, add some pretty ribbon and you're done!  There's even a 3" x 3" panel on the left inside panel for you to write a little message.

Here's the video of this project.  Enjoy!



Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Six

Happy Friday Everyone!

Today is the sixth installment in my Twelve Days of Christmas projects.  We are making one of my go-to projects -- sticky note holders.  These are such great little (and quick!) projects that are perfect for all ages and genders.  They fit perfectly in a desk drawer, purse, briefcase, pocket and stocking!  These are also wonderful teacher and co-worker gifts, bridesmaid gifts, party favors, or even freebies with other sales for your customers.  There are many versions of these on the internet, but today I'm showing you a half-pack version that will stretch your sticky note pads twice as far!

These are a fairly frugal gift item as well.  Not only are you stretching how far your sticky notes go, you can get three of these from one 8 1/2" x 11" piece of cardstock.  Simply start with a piece that is 8 1/2" x 3 3/8" and away you go!  You could even use patterned card stock and forego the stamping if you wanted to, or add a piece of decorative paper to the front.  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

While I used a crimping tool on the folded edge, you wouldn't have to if you don't have that tool.  You could score lines there or add brads, eyelets or staples, or even do nothing at all.  It's totally customizable and up to you!

Here's the video with all the details.  I apologize for the glitch at the end.  Some message popped up saying the internal movie area in my video camera was full and it stopped recording.  That's on the top of my list today to figure out!  Times like this when you need a child to figure it out, since they all seem to now be born far more technologically advanced than adults!
 





Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Five

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

How is your week going?  Now that I finished up my weekend craft market this past weekend, I've been trying to get back in the groove of things.  Christmas is rapidly sneaking up on me.  I have no decorations out at this point.  Then this morning I realized I needed to do my next Twelve Days project.  Mercy -- it's always something!

Today we're going to be making a cute and easy little mini album from a single sheet of 12" x 12" cardstock or patterned paper.  Believe it or not, this little baby packs in eight pages and pockets for your photos, tags, journaling and memorabilia!  Amazing!

On one side of your paper, score at 3", 6" and 9".  Turn it 90 degrees and score at 2", 6", and 10".  Note - in the video I forgot that 6" score and had to go back and do it.  Thank heaven I'm getting the hang of editing videos!  lol

You'll need a coordinating piece of cardstock that is 4" x 1 1/4".  Score on the short edge at 1/2" and 3/4".  This will make the spine covering for your album.  Add some ribbon and a cute image to decorate the front, and you're done!  It really is that easy!

Please watch my video for all the details and to see how this little book comes together!






Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!