Airing of the Quilts Mini Album

I have to confess.  This project has been in my stash of unfinished things for a VERY LONG TIME.  When we moved I found it.  Then I decided it was the perfect mini to showcase pictures from a quilt show my mom and I went to in March.  It is a cute little mini I learned how to do from Kathy Orta of Paper Phenomenon.  She has a video tutorial on YouTube you can find here to see how to make one for yourself…It's a great little project, and goes great in a big album as a pull out or as an album on it's own.  The video is from 2011.  Yes, that's how long this has been in my pile to finish.  I had the bones made, and the papers applied.  I just needed finishing touches.

 I used the Sassafrass Lass line, "Mix and Mend" for the mini.  I love the sewing theme with all of the fun stitches and lace and layers.

 There are pockets on the inside front and back covers for tags.  I used the journaling stickers for these tags, and added a little lace on a couple of them.  Most pages I left unadorned because the papers are so darn cool!

 Several pages are pocket pages that have full sized tags for pictures.

 I added the  insert to this insert on the right side.

 I took a paper, cut it to size then scored it at 4", and 8". I folded it up, and slipped one of the 4" pieces into the pocket so it folds out and comes out.

 I had more paper to use up.  I had to do it.

 I love this paper!  I wish I had more of it.

 I think the inset turned out cool.

 More lovely papers, and so colorful!

 The back pages.

The back cover.  I added ribbon to it to close it, then layered a sticker over it.  Lovely.  Go check out the video tutorial.  It is a super fun little project with a clever way to add the pages inside of it.  You will love it.

Stay crafty, my friends.

Mini Mailbox

I saw a mailbox made by In My Blue Room Designs, and remembered I had something similar in my stash. She inspired me so much that I had to make one for myself.

 I don't remember where I got the mailbox, or how long I've had it.  The pedestal it is on is a ribbon holder that I got quite a while ago as well.  I used to store my Washi tape on them (I have several) until my stash outgrew my holders.  I used Graphic 45 papers Sweet Sentiments papers.  I also used lace from my stash.  The brad holding the flag on is by The Girls Paperie.

 I had the metal butterfly from Michael's, and bling by Recollections.

I used a variety of flowers for the base of the pedestal, including 7 Gypsies leaves, and flowers from Prima, Petaloo, and Recollections.

Thanks for looking.  I hope you liked this idea.

Stay crafty, my friends.

A Card and Mini Album for a Baby Boy

I made this album for a friend of mine who is having a baby.  By the time this is posted, he will be here.  I made a mini album for his big sister, and this one is for him.

There are a lot of pictures, I apologize in advance.  The base album is by Heidi Swapp.  I made the page inserts from the Echo Park paper collection, "Bundle of Joy".  I used all of the pocket pages that came with the album and made some card stock pages of my own.  Please enjoy.

 I had the medallion in my stash for a long time, and it fit the colors perfectly, so I used it to make a ribbon for the card.

 I had to add another ribbon (attached to the inside back cover) to hold the pages in place, otherwise they "sagged" down when you held the book up.  I think it also added just another decorative touch.

 The big mats fit a 4x6 photo.

She loved the album.  I can't wait to see the little man, and to see his pictures in this album.

Stay crafty, my friends!

Storage Solution for my Cricut Cartridges

I don't know about you, but I have a Cricut, a Gypsy, AND a Silhouette.  (Not to mention the manual paper punching/cutting tools in my stash!)  I needed a better way to store my cartridges.  I was on Pinterest and found an idea, so I adopted it for my own purposes.

Here is the original idea that got me started.  

 Here is my adaptation of that idea.  I made my own little boxes for my cartridges.  The funny thing is that I used my Silhouette to do it, not my Cricut.  Is that sacrilegious?  I don't have near as many cartridges as some do, but for what I have, this worked great.  The drawer is in a kitchen microwave cart that I am using in my craft room.  On the top shelf is my TV.  On the shelf above the drawer shown is my DVD player, and two of my smaller Xyron sticker makers.  Then this drawer, which fit my cartridge collection perfectly.

 In the cupboard under the drawer are my Gypsy machine, Xyron refills, my large Xyron, my Dreamcutz machine, and my Your Story book maker and laminator.

Right next to that is my desk from Ikea.  I organized the drawers to hold my laminating and book making stuff on the left, and my Cricut and Silhouette stuff on the right.  And, on top of the desk are my machines.   Everything is all in one place and works well for me.

Thanks for looking, and stay crafty!

My Upcycled Can Lazy Susan

 Here is my version of a tin can organizer.  Because of a recent illness, I have been restricted on what I can eat, so I have, unfortunately been eating a lot of soups.  I had an abundance of cans, and decided to make an organizer for my recipe area in my office.

 It has 7 cans total.  The middle can is elevated on a ribbon spool to make it taller than the rest.  I covered them all in plain white card stock, then I went stash shopping and just decorated the heck out of it.  I had a plastic lazy susan in my stash, and used that as the base.  I punched a paper doily to put on the top of it, and wrapped ribbon around the bottom edge.

The stuff I used to decorate this ranges from Prima flowers to Tim Holtz bottles, to various ribbons from my stash.  I used Recollections bling as well.  I LOVE how it turned out, and it will be really helpful when I sit down to cut out coupons or recipes, or to make labels for the mixes that I make on a regular basis for my cooking.  I have all of my most commonly used tools right there at my fingertips.

Stay crafty, and organized, my friends!

February and March Pages

If you all aren't tired of these, here are my February and March planner pages for your viewing pleasure.

I still love my Arc planner, and use it every day.

 This wasn't a very good page, but that's what happens when you are in the hospital.  :(

 This page is better…I liked it a lot.

 My dachshund, Ace, wanted to help...

 Here he is, ready for his close up.

I loved this page, I loved the October Afternoon line of 9 to 5!  It worked very well for my planner!

I have been doing a lot of sorting of things, and ran across these that I had in my stash, so used them.  It just felt right.

 This page was a hodgepodge of weirdness.  I put the Llama sticky note on it, and added the "I'm a Llama not a Narwahl" because of that commercial.  I can't get that song out of my head.  I guess I was trying to do that.

 Decorated for St. Paddy's day.  I had to do it.  I had a checklist on the right page for turning my brisket, that I was corning myself.  The unfortunate part is I totally spaced out and didn't buy it in time, so we ate it on Saturday after St. Patrick's day.  It was DELICIOUS!

These old Mrs. Grossman's stickers were in my stash, and I felt like using them.  I made the Treble Clef sticker on my computer, imported it into my Silhouette, and made the stickers with my sticker paper.  I also made the gnomes.  Can you see them?

Stay organized, my friends!

Hanging Embellishment Organizer

I was looking at Pinterest, and saw a remarkable and smart way to utilize space.

I have the link if you want to look at it for yourself, here.

This is my version of that organizing system.

I had several large wire mesh panels that you make cube organizers with.  My awesome hubby installed hooks into the wall behind my door and I hung them.  I zip-tied two together for the top organizer, and three for the bottom.  Then, I used book rings to group like items and hung them up.  It is a wonderful way to organize my collection and utilize the wasted space behind a door.

As an added extra for this post, the curtain hanging on my door (as it is glass) is a vintage tablecloth that  I can't use because it doesn't fit my table, but it does fit the door!  It works great! I used Command hooks to hang the curtain rod, since I didn't want to  put holes in my door.

Stay organized, my friends!