Happy Monday!!!

OK, we have two things for you today...

Just a reminder that this Friday starts the official Christmas Blog Hop!

It will start with Elsa at Just a Few Designs, and will continue with a lot of talented ladies.  Please join us!  I have three projects that I am going to share, one each day, that I hope you will like!

Now, I have to share this with you all!  I am swamped with projects that I have to finish.  I have mountains of kits and supplies bought, that are waiting to be assembled.  But, when inspiration strikes, you have to go with it, because you never know what is going to happen next.  So, that is what happened.  Instead of starting to make my Christmas cards, I made a Christmas album, with recycled materials that I came across.  This is cool!

It was our youngest son's birthday, and I was wrapping his present...

I used the whole roll, and this is what it was wrapped around....a huge piece of super sturdy kraft paper!

I made a "zine" fold out of it.

Then I got my Tim Holtz papers and supplies and went to town! The pages of the book are 7 1/2" wide by 8 1/2" tall.  I threaded ribbon through the center of the book to hold the pages in place.  I also turned it "upside down", so that I could fold pages down to make interesting pockets.

There are two diagonal pockets, and two huge page pockets.  Above is the diagonal pocket on the left.  On the right, I added a kraft envelope and a card for a pullout.

Two large tags in the diagonal pocket.

The card is gatefold...

Opened...

The back of the card.

I attached the envelope to the page with the flap to the back, then covered with papers, giving another interactive element.

The huge tag on the next page, and the other diagonal pocket.

This sticker I adhered on two sides, so that something could slip under if I wanted to.

The next page, another envelope and card.

I LOVE THESE PAPERS!!!!

This is the coolest vintage Santa!

The envelope flap opened.

The back of the book.

Top view. The papers, distress inks, charm, and Sizzix die is by Tim Holtz, the ribbon and bling are Recollections, the envelopes and cards are by Paper Accents, and the Kraft paper to back the tags is by Recollections.

So, ladies, when you are wrapping your presents, check to see if you have this kind of paper under the wrapping paper...if you do, make a book!!!

Stay Crafty My Friends!

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!