NotePads

Hi Everyone!

I try to keep a stash of cards, gift bags, cupcake boxes, and small gifts handy for hostess gifts and such.  A few weeks ago I saw a note pad displayed at Absolutely Everything and knew it would make a great little gift.  On the way home I stopped and purchased some 5" x 8" perforated writing pads from Staples. 

I cut a piece of 12" x12" doubled sided tag so that it measured 12" x 8 1/16" inches.  I scored my paper at 5", 5.25", 10.25" and 10.5".

I cut the leftover scrap from my original 12" x 12" paper so that it measured 5" x 2.5".  I used that paper to cover the header on the note pad.  Then I adhered the note pad between the 5.25" and 10.25" scores on my other paper and folded the double sided paper along the scored lines. 

I added some "cards" from Graphic 45 papers to the front covers to use as tab.  I also put "cards" inside the covers.  You could turn the card into a pocket.  You could also add a slash pocket to the inside.

 

 

Here are photographs of a couple of other notepads that I created.

 

 

 

Have a nice day!

Carol

 

 

 

Another Thank You Card

Hi Everyone!

I was standing in line at Michaels yesterday when I spotted the cover of CardMaker magazine.  I recognized the Lawn Fawn stitched leaves that were on a thank you card on the cover.  I decided it would be a great card to make for some Fall gifts. 

I used the card as inspiration, but didn't use the directions for it.  Instead of creating the woodgrain I decided to use some Lawn Fawn woodgrain cards that I purchased a few weeks ago.  Then I decided that I didn't like the size of those cards for this project so I cut the cards at the seams and mounted them onto some tag weight paper before I adhered them to a blank card. 

I don't own the Lawn Fawn stitched leaves dies, but do own some other leaf dies so I decided to use one of them.  There is some stitching in the middle of those leaves.

I used a Sizzix scalloped tag die to cut the tag.  I used VersaMark Ink when I stamped the sentiment and then used white embossing powder with my heat gun.  I tied some thin strands of hemp together to create my bow.

I've finally learned to create more than one of a card while I have the materials for it sitting on my desk.

 

Have a great night!

Carol

 

Lawn Fawn Scripty Thanks Die

Hi Everyone!

This humidity is brutal.  We have window fans, but no air conditioning.  Usually the fans keep us cool and comfortable, but that hasn't been the case in this humidity.  It's been too hot to cook and too hot to create, but I do have some cards to share with you. 

I love Lawn Fawn's Scripty dies.  I use them over and over again.  Recently I made a few thank you cards using Lawn Fawn's "thanks" die. 

There are 3 "thanks" stacked on top of each other on this card.  I ran them through my Xyron X machine to get adhesive on them.  Notice how the pieces in the middle reflect the scalloped pieces on the patterned paper.  I used my Nestabilities to create the scalloped circle and classic circle in the center of the card.  The apple was created with a Hero Arts wooden stamp. 

This time I cut one "thanks" from cream colored paper and one from a dark red paper.  I adhered them so that some of the cream colored sentiment showed to create a shadow effect. 

 

That's a shadow not an ink spot on the bottom of the card.  Sometimes it's hard to get good lighting when I am photographing my creations.

 

Have a nice night!

Carol

 

Happy Die from Mama Elephant

Hi Everyone!

I LOVE sentiment dies and am slowly building a collection of them.  I recently purchased the "happy" die from Mama Elephant and have been using it to build up my stash of birthday cards. 

Here are some of my favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cards are all rectangular, but the camera made them look wonky.

 

Let me know which one is your favorite!

 

Have a great night.

Carol

 

 

 

Envelope Mini Albums

Hi Everyone!

One of the projects I have been doing lately is creating envelope mini albums.  I've made some that may be used as recipe albums and others that may be used as photo albums.  All of them are open-ended so the recipients will decide how they will use them. 

I started out by watching some videos on You Tube.  One of the ones I really like is at this link.  My first album took longer than I would care to admit, but now I can create an album from start to finish in about an hour.

Here are some tips that might help you.  First of all you do not need to purchase expensive thick envelopes.  I learned that the hard way. The first envelopes I bought were from Staples and cost me $4.99 for a package of ten colored #10 envelopes.  They worked perfectly, but then I thought I would try some envelopes from another store that cost me about .75 an envelope.  Well, it turned out that those envelopes were actually too heavy to score perfectly and too heavy to lay flat in the album.  I didn't like the look of that album so I ended up tossing it out-happily before I had decorated it.  So all of the albums I have made are with the envelopes from Staples.  They come in a variety of colors, one color per package. I used pink ones for some baby girl albums, pale blue ones for some baby boy albums, green ones for some recipe books, and a red one for a Minnie Mouse album.

I cut all of my papers before I start to assemble an album.  I also put Scor-tape on the backs of all of those papers before I begin the album.  Once the envelopes are bound as an album I just keep turning the pages and adding paper to them. 

Here are some of the pages from the Minnie Mouse album.

 

That zig zag paper is the back side of the cover.  I did not use chipboard for the cover.   I just used heavy duty double sided patterned paper.  I am guessing the chipboard would be more durable, but I am happy with the weight of the covers I made.

 

 

See the flap to the right.  There's a picture of Mini Mouse on each of those flaps.  I cut up a piece of Disney patterned paper to get the images.

 

 

Here's one of those pictures. 

 

When I complete an album I flip it over and use a clear stamping block to hold it down for a while.  It helps the album flatten a little. 

 

That's all for tonight.  After the winter we had I shouldn't complain about today's humidity, but...oh, man...it is too hot!

 

Have a great night!

Carol

 

Minnie Mouse Birthday

Hi Everyone!

My friend's daughter turns 3 tomorrow.  She is having a Minnie Mouse party theme.  I made a Minnie Mouse gift bag.

I used some of my Nestability circle dies to create the Minnie Mouse silhouette.   I used a glue dot to adhere a fabric ribbon bow to the head.  I created a matching card, but didn't photograph it.

I made some Minnie Mouse thank you cards.

 

I used small Nestability circle dies to create the Minnie Mouse balloons on this card.  The bows were created with a Martha Stewart bow punch.  I trimmed them a little so they weren't too big.  I used foam tape to adhere the balloons to the card.

 

 

I used a Mickey Mouse paper punch to create the Minnie Mouse silhouettes on this card.

 

 

Used more Nestability circles, the Mickey Mouse paper punch, and the Martha Stewart bow punch to create this card.  The black strip with white polka dots is ribbon. 

 

 

I used a Martha Stewart balloon punch to create this balloon and added some ears to it. 

 

I used some dimensional stickers to create some other cards that I will share with you tomorrow.

 

Have a great night!

Carol

 

Pinwheels

Hi Everyone!

I started teaching in January, 1976,  For the first 10 years of my teaching career I taught first and second grade.  We used to make pinwheels for our students.  We used paper, pencils, and a straight pin to create those pinwheels.  We slid a pony bead onto the straight pin and then forced the straight pin into an eraser.  The pinwheels spun pretty well, but they probably weren't the safest toy for our students to use. 

Now I have been teaching preschool for many years.  Until recently I hadn't made pinwheels for my students.  That all changed about a month ago.  I received a newsletter that showed a picture of the We R Memory Keepers pinwheel maker.  I was curious about the tool and watched a couple of videos about it on Youtube.  Now I was more curious than ever and went off to the store to buy a pinwheel maker.  Turns out that We R Memory Keepers also sells packages of pinwheel attachments with long paper straws.  There are 10 straws and attachment pieces in the package.  The attachment pieces are the "secret ingredient" that make the pinwheels spin so easily. 

I came home, cut a pinwheel out of tag, and assembled it.  The pinwheel easily spun around and around.  Now I was beyond excited about pinwheels. 

For my students I cut pinwheels out of white tag.  They used markers to decorate both sides of the tag.  They were as excited as I had been when their pinwheels spun around in the wind.  I made them more pinwheels out of acetate paper that We R Memory Keepers sells in 6" and 12" pads.  We use those pinwheels in the sandbox at school.  Instead of straws I used 1/4" wooden dowels to support the pinwheels. 

Oh, by the way with the Pinwheel Maker tool you can cut pinwheels that range from 3" to 12".  My favorite size is 6".  You can make two double 6" pinwheels out of one sheet of 12" paper. 

Well, I am now obsessed with pinwheels.  I make bouquets of pinwheels for centerpieces and have my guests choose a pinwheel when they are heading home.

 

I use them for decorations when we have outdoor parties.

 



 

I put them on packages as a bow.  Can't wait to do that at Christmas!  The pinwheel bows coordinate with the boxes that I make.  I use a brad in place of the pinwheel attachment pieces when I am decorating a box or gift bag.  Those pinwheels do not spin, but look adorable.







 

I put them on the front of gift bags.  I make a coordinating border at the top of the gift bag.

 

 

 

They're fun, easy to make, impressive looking and adorable.

 

Have a great day!

Carol

 

 

 

 

Birthday Cards

Hi Everyone!

I just noticed some birthday cards in my picture files that I haven't shared with you.  I cannot remember where I saw the idea for them.

Here are a couple of the cards.

 

 

 





They were so easy to make that I created a stack of them in a very short time.
I used a large circle Nestability die to cut the balloons.  I free cut the knotted end of each balloon.  I dipped some twine in Glossy Accents to stiffen it and then arranged it on the card to create strings for the balloons.  It dried and stuck to the card in the shape I created. 

I ran some white tag through a Swiss Dots embossing folder and then used my Fiskars cloud punches to cut clouds from it.  The balloons are attached to the card with foam tape as are some of the clouds.  Sentiment was stamped with a clear stamp from The Stamps of Life.

Have a great day!
Carol

Birthday Explosion Card

Hi Everyone!

I was out shopping a few weeks ago and saw a sample graduation explosion card and kits for making explosion cards.  I thought it would be a fun card to make for my sister Paula.  It turned out that the stamps and dies that were used to create the sample card were out of stock so I didn't bother buying a kit.

When I got home I couldn't get the card out of my mind so I googled "explosion card" and found a variety of links.  I especially liked the way this video was done and decided to create a card based on her directions.

I ended up creating several cards because they were so easy to make.  I'll share one with you today and the others after I send them. 

I cut my papers to the sizes suggested in the video.  Then I looked through my collection of birthday stamps and stickers and found ones that fit on the papers.  I used a Martha Stewart balloon punch to create the balloons that are "exploding" out of the middle of the card.  I used jewelry wire to create the strings on the balloons. 

The cards are easy to make and come out "very cool."  I suggest you used a padded envelope if you mail them.

Have a great night!
Carol

Mason Jar Thank You Cards

Hi Everyone!

One of my co-workers is getting married on Saturday.  She's having a country theme wedding.  Each day she tells me about her creations from the previous night.  Among other things she made her own table number cards, centerpieces, banners, photo collage that they'll hang around a tree, bridesmaid gifts, etc. 

She clearly loves and appreciates handmade things so I decided to make her a set of thank you cards and a gift bag for them.

The guests will be using mason jars as drinking cups so I used the PaperTrey Ink friendship jar die to create the focal point on the cards.  I used Lawn Fawn's "Let's Polka" petite paper pad to decorate the bag and for the jars and the background papers. 

Here's the gift bag.  The green polka dotted paper is from a Martha Stewart paper pad.





Here are the cards.

 

I added a lacy border to each card and adhered a twine bow to each jar to add texture to the cards.  The jar lids and hearts are adhered with foam tape to add dimension to the cards. 

 

I forgot to take a picture, but I lined each envelope with additional papers from Lawn Fawn's "Let's Polka" petite paper pad. 

 

Have a great night!

Carol

 





Red, White and Blue Berry Trifle

Hi Everyone!

I have to post this tonight.  Today Robbie and I made the most amazing red, white and blue berry trifle.  I found the recipe in an email that I received.  I opened up the recipe and clicked on the video.  You can watch the video at
this link.

Since we aren't huge raspberry fans we substituted strawberries for raspberries.  We used about 2 pounds of strawberries to get the 5 cups that are called for in the recipe.  My spring form pan is about 8.5 inches, but that was fine.  I had a little trouble with the parchment paper so I sprayed the bottom of my pan before I placed the circle of parchment paper there.  Then I sprayed the sides of the pan before putting the parchment paper there.  That worked perfectly. 

Our cake chilled for about 5 hours.  When I released the sides of the pan the cake went perfectly onto the platter I had grabbed for it.  I pulled off the parchment paper that was wrapped around the sides of the cake, and my cake looked just as beautiful as the one in the video. 

Look at it!  Isn't it beautiful?!?  And it tastes even better than it looks!

Try it.  Let me know if you like it!

Have a great night!
Carol