Dollar Store Configurations Box

First of all, I just wanted to say that I am working on finishing the mini paper bag book that I posted the tutorial for on Wednesday.  I decided to use leftovers from my Counterfeit Kit Challenge kits for the months of February, March and April.  That will be posted soon, and I think it is turning out CUTE!

For todays post...I just want to start off with the fact that I love the Configurations Boxes from Tim Holtz.  I used some to make this...

I collect thimbles and I ran out of room in my other thimble display case.  I saw this box set and knew it would be perfect ford showcasing some of my favorite thimbles.  I used K and Co. papers, with Tim Holtz tissue tape and corners.  I used a 7 Gypsies door knob also.

Then, the other day I was in the local dollar store looking for a plastic platter and I found these...

 And guess what my brain said!

I used the bottoms of the boxes, because they had a deeper side, stuck them together with score-tape, inked the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink, and covered them with the same papers from K and Co.  I used some Prima ribbon around the edge.

I covered the back with papers, even though no one will see it.  The boxes themselves were a little flimsy, but once covered and wrapped with ribbon, they were pretty sturdy!

I had some vintage die cuts from K and Co. so I gathered up some and went to town!  I used pop dots and foam tape to add dimension to some of the pieces.

I had a K and Co. metal frame that I used to frame a butterfly paper scrap.  The picture was cut out of some paper, and I used dimensional glaze to go over the "frame" of the paper, then added a cardstock easel on the back to get it to stand up like a photo frame.

I was thinking of all sorts of ideas with these little jewelry boxes.  I still have the tops of the boxes to do something with.  What could you come up with?

Stay Crafty!!

April Birthday Bash Paper Bag Book Tutorial

As promised, here it is, but I apologize for getting it to you so late!  I made this book with my March Counterfeit Kit, and if you want you can see the whole post here...I think it turned out awesome, with lots of places for journaling and pictures!

I used grocery sized bags to create this book, three in all.  Two were for the pages of the book, and one was for covering the covers, which were made of chipboard, covered with grocery bags, and decorated with my March kit papers.  It created 6 pages with pockets in each, then with papers I created two more pockets on the inside covers.  To bind it, I punched holes in the pages and the spine and used ribbons to bind.  Because grocery sack are so sturdy, it made for nice thick pages.

Here is how I did it.  I used a smaller lunch sack this time for the tutorial...the concept is the same.

You will need three sacks, two for pages, one for covering the book covers.

For the pages, decide how tall you want them, and add 1/2".  I trimmed off the rough edge (recycle this), then decided I wanted my pages to be 6 1/4" tall (which fit this size bag perfectly), so I cut off a section that was 6 3/4".  This gives you the page size and the 1/2" you need to create the tabs forming the pockets.  Save the bottom of the bag, we will use this for hinges.

I cut the bag open on one of he existing creases to create one long strip.  It came out to be 6 3/4" x 21".  On one long end, score at 1/2" all the way across.   Each bag made me three pages.  If you want wider pages you can, you will get less pages per bag, but just add another bag to the book if you want.

I figured that three pockets with 21" of paper gave me pages of 3 1/2".  You will have six of them, because two make the pockets...does that make sense?  So I scored all across at 3 1/2" intervals, and accordion folded the paper.  At the 1/2" score mark, cut out tabs.  I angle corners to make them fit nice.

Once the accordion fold was done, and the tabs were cut, I just folded the tabs up to adhere to the next 3 1/2" page, and taa daa...the bottom of the pocket was formed.  Do this across and you will have three pages with three pockets.

Top view showing the three pockets.  Don't worry about the openings at the spine side...binding takes care of this.  If I allow 1/2" for that, I will  have a pocket that is 6 1/4" tall by about 3" wide.  Plenty for a journaling card!

Remember this bottom piece I asked you to save...cut off a 2" x 6 1/2" piece, recycle the bottom...

Then score at 1" down the middle...

Adhere to the last page to make a hinge...make another set of pages, and attach them to this hinge to create more pockets.

DONE!  Cover with your gorgeous papers of choice, make a cover, bind and you have a recycled mini album using grocery sacks!

Black and White Gift Bags

 I stopped by my local Big Lots store Friday and found these Black and White Alphas by Colorbok!  I paid a wopping .25 for these 1" chipboard letters!  So I bought about $3 worth!

 My daughters birthday was Saturday, so I grabbed a bag, inked the edges and voila!  Instant gift bag!

The Ultimate Recycle Project

I sometimes get weird ideas and come up with something that is kind of different.  I decided one day, while taking out the recycle, that I could, and should, make something pretty.  So, I gathered up a bunch of random things, and chose some Anna Griffin papers and embellishments that I scored at Ross's...and this is what I came up with.  The covers are from a box that a guitar pedal came in and some scrap lace that I had.  The medallion is made from a coaster, some scrap paper to make the rosette, and an embellishment that came with the paper pack.

 This is the side view...I closed with a ball and chain scrap I had with a bulldog clamp.  All of the lace, ribbons and buttons are from my scrap stash.  The only thing "new" used on this project was the paper and embellishment packs that I had purchased some time ago, and used for this project.

The inside cover, and on the right, the page is made from cardboard from a Halloween package.  I used a CD envelope and a CD as a tag.  The embellishment came from the papers I bought.  When you take out the CD, the inner envelope was covered with the backing from an embellishment package.

 The right is the back of the CD Envelope page.  I made a pocket with a bookmark insert that comes in packaging from stuff we use at work.  The tags are from the paper pack I used.  On the left, I used a mini business reply envelope, and made tags from fake credit cards that you get with credit card application offers.

The back of that envelope...the embellishment came from the paper pack.  The left page is made from a cardboard insert from the nursing support hose that I buy, I scored and folded it to make a flip out page.

This is the open view.  The tag was punched from the papers, and the mini envelope was a button envelope I got with a shirt purchase.

The back side with another button envelope pocket.  The next things are a TP roll pocket with a tag made from more packaging from work stuff.  The bottom pocket is a soap box with a tag made from a brad package piece.

The backs of those pocket pieces.  The right, is a fold out page from some shopping bags.

 This fold out page is made from two paper bags from World market that I put together and made a trifold page, and inserts from packaging from work that I made tags and pockets from.

On the left, this pocket was a return envelope cut to make a pocket, and a Tombo adhesive package made the tag.  On the left, the small pocket page is made from a powdered drink box, and the tag is from a Sizzix package that I ran through the Cuttlebug.

 A closer picture of the tag.

 The drink package on the left again, and on the right, a medication envelope from the vet with a piece of file folder attached to make a fold out, and...

 a glue stick package made the tag.

 The left, the back of the envelope.  On the right, the page was from a Ziploc container package.  I used a bill envelope for the pocket, and the embellishment came with the papers I got.

 The tag booklet is made from file folder scraps that I sprayed with a glitter spray after stamping with some stamps from Autumn Leaves.  The ball chain came from a clothing tag.

 This page is the back of the Ziploc container page, the tag is made from a file folder covered with papers from the packaging from the Anna Griffin embellishments.  The pocket is a plastic wrap from the embellishments.

So that's it.  What do you think?  Stay Crafty!

Spring Mini Album Page Tutorial

Okey Dokey, Crafters...Good Morning!  I have the tutorial for how I made the pages in my Spring Mini album!

This is an open view of the pages.

This shows the first flap lifted to reveal another pocket.  The scoring and cutting follows...

Oh, Yeah, it is also confession time.  I don't know how to get a PDF on the blog.  So, I made this lovely diagram on my computer, took a picture of it, and imported it that way.  If you click on it, it will enlarge, and you should be able to read it.  Ahhhh, technology!

 I hope this makes sense.  The purple lines are scored, then the line that the red is hovering over, is the only place to cut...just that one 5" line.

Fold up the bottom 2" score, burnish well.  You will glue on the two sides of this 2" piece and in the 1/8" space to create the pockets, but wait until you read the whole post and do all of the scoring so you can really see what it will look like.

Fold over the left side, burnish well.  You will have two scores here, it give you a 1/8" space for more room so your book will lie more flat.  This back side here will also be how you attach it to the previous page (or to the cover).  Open back up.

Fold the top part down...burnish...

Then fold that piece over...

Then fold the little 1 1/2" piece back again.  This little strip is glued on the top and the bottom creating the little pocket, glue the 3 1/2" piece on the top and bottom, creating the other pocket.  This flap lifts up to show the big pocket underneath.  The left side is glued on three sides (on the back side) to attach to the previous page, and also has a pocket!

I sure hope that made sense.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Stay Crafty, my friends!

We Were A Family of 5

In March of this year, I traveled back to my home town in California to spend spring break with my kids.  I wanted to show them the house I grew up in.  I remembered that back in 78' my family put our hands in the cement on the side of the house.  I first knocked on the door to make sure they wouldn't care if we looked  and went over to see if the impressions still remained.  My hand sat under a down spot and wasn't very visible but my two sisters, Mom and Dad still remained.  

 I snapped a few photos as I remembered that moment vividly in 78'

 Many changes have occurred since this.....  

I hid my personal story of my family in this journal spot, one sister going her on way and a father leaving many years ago.  Although this layout didn't come without pain, it felt nice capturing all our hands together again, when we were a family of 5.