A Picture Post

Wow, hard to believe another year is almost over, or that it has been almost a year since my last post.  Since there are so many projects I have been working on this year and haven't shared, I thought I would make this post mainly pictures.

There are so many new and fun products on the market, and I want most of them, but I've officially run out of room.  So, I've been very selective on what I have been purchasing lately and trying to use up the items that I have in my stash along with a few newer items.  Many of the projects pictured include retired SU product as well as newer items.

 My niece's wedding invitations and thank you cards. (sorry for the crummy pics)

The pictures don't do these justice, they were gorgeous in-person.  The colors are very vibrant and rich.

Cards

Tags

3-D items

Craft Fair items

These adorable snowmen, I just finished today and gave them to a good friend as a birthday present.  She collects snowmen. :)

They are made from mattress springs.  I saw these and decided to try and make them myself.  There were no instructions with the ones I saw so it was a bit of trial and error.  You would think they would be pretty self explanatory and easy to do, but not so much for the first one, or two.

You need some good industrial wire cutters to get those springs out and cut.  You also need a vice to bend the top of the spring in to get those little heads to be even and not slanted.  Hot glue is your best friend when making these.

I covered the styrofoam balls with liquid glue and then covered that in epsom salts.  I let them dry overnight before doing anything else. 

This is a great repurposing project.  The scarves are made with fabric from an old jacket.  I used retired Stampin' Up! buttons, but you could easily use buttons from an old shirt and old jewelry/gems for the face.  I used a combination of brads and large pearls for mine.

 Hope you have a wonderful day!

Kym

Amazing Opportunities & New Projects.

Well, it's been a busy and interesting few months around here!  I have so much to share with you.  I will try to make it as brief and as painless as possible so that we can get to the projects I want to show you.

He is doing fine now, but my Dad had a heart attack a couple of months ago.  If not for a quick thinking co-worker, it might be different.  Of course there have been a lot of changes for him, most importantly of which he had to quit smoking (YEAH!!), and so far he has been doing great.

I recently finished up the two annual craft fairs that I participate in and ended up with some surprising opportunities.

During the first event, I was asked if I would be interested in selling items on consignment at a local art center.  How could I turn that down?!  I now have several items on sale in the gift store at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City, IN.

It's a wonderful little place and the staff are friendly and so helpful.  They teach classes and hold special events throughout the year, as well as sponsoring and participating in local outreach programs.  If you are in the area, please stop in to check out the wonderful exhibits and the beautiful gift shop.  All items in the gift shop are made by local artists and, in my opinion, there are some fabulous pieces in there.  I am very humbled that I will have my little paper craft and mixed media pieces along side beautiful sculptures, handmade boxes and many other amazing pieces.

At the second event, a returning customer asked if I would be interested in teaching some classes at her new business, Harvest Circle Workshop.  The owner, Apryl, is also very involved with non-profit organizations and outreach programs.

If you've read this far, thank you.  I have some projects that I would like to share with you.

These are some of the gift tags that I made this year.  These little gingerbread men were very popular at the craft fairs. 

I used the Apothecary Framelits to cut the base for the tags.  I put the straight edge of the card stock up against the blade of the framelit so that I would only have the one half circle on the other end.  It was much easier than cutting off the other half circle on all of them.  I was able to cut through 2 sheets of card stock at a time.

For these tags I used the Two Tags Die to make the base of the tag from Soft Suede card stock.  Santa was stamped in Real Red and then punched out with the 1 1/4" circle punch and then popped up with dimensionals on a Real Red scallop.

These chalkboard tags have also been a big hit this year.  I can't seem to make them fast enough. :)

I found the shapes for these chalkboard tags at the local Hobby Lobby.  I punched the holes using my Crop-A-Dile and then spray painted them with chalkboard paint.  They do take a bit of time, as you have to wait for the paint to dry, but they make a fun little addition to any present.

The paint instructions say to use at least 2 coats; I used 4 on each side.  I still managed to get several sets of tags from one can of paint.

Here are the different shapes that I have made so far.

Thank you all so much for continuing to follow me, even with such random postings.  If you have just stumbled across my little blog I hope you will stick around. :)

As a thank you for sharing in my excitement for these new opportunities and for your continued support, I would like to give away come blog candy!  I will be giving away a set of the chalkboard gift tags.

Please leave a comment on this post by midnight (CST), December 13th.  If you'd like, share a unique or unexpected opportunity that happened to you. The winner will be chosen by random.org on Saturday, December 14th.  Please make sure to leave a way for me to contact you, otherwise I will have to select a new winner.

Thank you,

Kym

Paper Scraps and Craft Shows

If you're like me, you have a nice little stash of paper scraps.  Well, in my case it's a rather large stash.  As you may have read in previous posts, it's an ongoing challenge for me.  I will get it cleaned up and organized and then when I start getting into craft fair mode or making larger projects, it just takes on a life of its own.

This year I was a little better about putting together projects were I would use up more of the scraps, or better yet, not have as many to add to the pile.

These emery board holders make great little stocking stuffers and sold really well at the craft fairs.  And, I was able to use up a bunch of scraps on the embellishments and even the holders as well.  I saw the idea on this blog a while back, but this is the first time I have made any.  Very simple and easy to do.

The paper for the holder measures 3" by 5",  On the 5" side score at 1/4"; on the 3" side score at 1" and 3".  Fold and seal.  I used a 3/4" circle punch to make the half circle cut-out at the top. 



The next item is a money/check holder.  The inspiration came from this.

The finished outside holder measures 3 1/4" x 7 1/2", and the inside slider measures 3 1/8" x 7 1/2".  You could trim the slider down to 7 1/4" tall, but I like out it peeks out of the top a bit.

I used SU's slit punch (retired) on the bottom of the slider.  Coupled with the circle at the top, the money or check will stay securely in place.  I added a piece of card stock on the back of the slider piece so that a message could be added for the recipient.

I was able to use up more scraps for the embellishments on these.  They were also a big hit at the craft shows.

When I wrote this post and added the link to the inspiration pic for the money holder, I was not able to access the blog anymore that she mentioned had the directions.  I will post a tutorial later this week.

Hope you all have a great day!

Picture Perfect Sewing

My mom is definitely the sewer in the the family, and is wonderful at it. She made all of our clothes when we were kids, which of course, we didn't like at the time. I kind of miss that now, because everything would fit us perfectly, and it lasted so much longer. Much to her dismay, neither I nor my sister, had the desire to learn the skills of a good seamstress; the extent of my sewing is refastening buttons and doing up a hem now and then, or adding some stitching to a craft project.

I do admire those that can create beautiful garments and projects with fabric though, so this is a little homage to them and my mom.


This fabulous idea was an online extra for Papercrafts magazine a couple of months ago. I thought it would be a fun and easy project to do for the craft fairs. Stampin' Up! fabrics work great for these.

The first one I made was the middle one with the Spice Cake fabric. As you can see, it's a little puffy; I overstuffed it a bit and it was a little tough to get back in the frame. :) The rest worked out much better. Simply remove the the back and the glass, cut your fabric about an inch larger (all the way around) than the cardboard piece inside the frame, glue three sides of the fabric to the back of the cardboard, fill with batting, glue the final edge down, trim any excess fabric, and then place all the pieces (except the glass) back in the frame.

The embellishments are simply clear buttons and a little ribbon or paper. Quick, easy, and inexpensive to make. But oh so cute, don't you think?

Make today great!

Paper vs. Tech

With all the cool new gadgets out there it's not surprising that many people keep their daily lives on these little electronic marvels. But some individuals, like me, still prefer to use pen and paper for our day to day task lists: the to-do list, grocery list, gift list....

Don't get me wrong, I love getting new gadgets, but there is just something about the process of writing out the list and crossing it off when complete that works much better for me.

Each year as Christmas approached I would get a wish list from each of the children in our family. So I would invariably carry around 6 different lists, and what a nightmare if one was left at home or lost. Trying to remember which niece wanted the pink iPod, or whether the game my nephew wanted was for his DS or the PS was frustrating.

So, I created a Gift Guide that I use for members of my family and friends that I regularly buy gifts for. It's all in one spot and can be updated or added to easily.

These handy little guides let you keep track of each person's favorite color, music or author; as well, as having a place to record sizes for clothing, hobbies, or any other miscellaneous information.

I made several of these for the two craft fairs I am participating in this month. I had made them a couple of years ago and they went over very well. Hopefully they will again this year. :)

Make today great!

Key Notes

Are you one of those people always looking for a scrap of paper to write down a reminder or telephone number and then losing it in the bottom of your purse or in the car? Me too! Well these little beauties are a great way to keep some paper handy.

They are key ring notepads! I received one from a stamping friend over the summer and thought it was the neatest idea I had seen in a while. So, I decided to make a few....80 to be exact. :) I will be selling them at some upcoming craft fairs.



The Big Shot does all the work, so you can make several of them in a short period of time. Each notepad has approximately 40-50 sheets of paper. I used one ream of standard copy paper to make all 80 notepads. I probably could have gotten about 85 of this size, but I messed up a couple of times when running through the big shot. Butterflies aren't so pretty when the tip of their wings are cut off. :( I do have enough paper left over to make some smaller notepads too, but not sure I will get to that.


Since I knew I was going to be making a large quantity of them, I used full 12 x 12 sheets for most of these. However, if you are only making a few at a time and have a pile of scraps that you keep ignoring, making these is a great way to use them up.

For the covers you want something a little stiffer than just DSP, so I used the thin cardboard sheet that comes in the DSP packages and just adhered the DSP to it before cutting. To save on paper when using 12 x 12 sheets, cut the DSP covered cardboard to a slightly larger square than your shape, then run it through the Big Shot. Do the same with your copy paper.


To continue to keep the cost down, I kept the embellishments simple. I again used scraps of paper or covered cardboard. You should keep the embellishments as flat as possible anyway so that they don't get caught on items in a purse or pocket and get ripped off. Even unadorned they look quite nice. I tried to make a few of them a little more masculine for the boys too.

The most expensive item to complete these was the o-ring. I bought mine at Staples in a pack of 16 and it works out to 26 cents per o-ring. Obviously, you can watch for sales or use coupons to get them cheaper.

I hope you are inspired to make some of these too. They would make great stocking stuffers or gifts for your children's classmates.

Kym

The rush of Fall and Pumpkin Donuts

The official start of Autumn is almost here, my all time favorite season! Of course, I love all the typical things about it-the cooler weather, the beautiful colors, and all the wonderful foods coming from the garden; along with the anticipation of the festivals, craft fairs and approaching Holidays.

However, one of my most favorite things about Fall is the pumpkin donuts from our local orchard. These are not the typical donuts with the orange colored faux flavored icing you find in the grocery store or local donut shops. No, no, my friends, these are made with the real goods-pumpkins right out of their fields. They are a light airy cake style donut with a wonderfully sweet glaze. And man are they addictive!! Yum...I may need to run out to the orchard after work!

Sorry I can't share with you, but here is something sweet to feast your eyes upon:

This little beauty is made using envelopes. The majority of the supplies are from the new Spice Cake suite in the Holiday Mini. This was a lot of fun to make and pretty easy too. I have several packs of fabric from SU, but this is the first time I have actually used any of it. I will definitely be breaking into those other packs now. :)

I am planning on making several types of these for some upcoming craft fairs. I think they will make wonderful gifts for friends and family.

The "tabs" for the inserts are made from strips of the fabric.

I thought the tags would be a great place for family members and friends to write down what they are thankful for, or a special memory.

The fabulous tutorial for this mini scrapbook can be found here. Sarah's tutorial is very easy to follow. Check out some of the other free project tutorials she offers too. I will definitely be CASEing more from her. :)

Stamps: Gently Falling, Tiny Tags, Holiday Best(retired)
Paper: Spice Cake DSP, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso, More Mustard, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Ink: Baja Breeze, Early Espresso, More Mustard, Old Olive
Misc.: Spice Cake Designer Buttons, Spice Cake Designer Fabric, Very Vanilla Envelopes, Linen Thread, Hemp Twine, Scallop circle, 2.5" circle, 1.25" circle, and Jewelry Tag punches, Baja Breeze Seam Binding, Mini Vintage Tags, Manilla tags, Retired Designer Buttons, Crop-A-Dile, Distress Tool (Cutter Kit), Sponges


Make it a great day!

Craft Fair Mania

Well, here is my weekly post. Barely! I have been using any extra minute I can to make items for the three upcoming craft fairs I am participating in. Yes, I said three...

One of them is coming up this Saturday. Yikes. Since I haven't been doing much else, I thought I would share some of my projects with you. Above is a tag box I created using a template from Andrea Walford.

I sprayed all the ornaments with the alcohol shimmer mist I created using rubbing alcohol and Stampin' Up!'s new shimmer paint. They look really cool up close.


These totes have a total of six cards included with them. I used a retired Simply Sent kit to get my inspiration going.

Well, back to creating more. Have a great week everyone.

Kym

Holiday Organizer

This Holiday Organizer was so much fun to make, and will keep all those little bits of holiday papers, like gift lists and receipts in order. The organizer was made from a manila file folder and Stampin' Up!'s Wintergreen double sided patterned paper.

The Gift Guide is a great place to keep track of everyone's sizes and favorites. (fabulous idea from JanTink) There is even a small notepad for shopping lists, or those little reminders to yourself.

On the back you can track your online and catalog orders by website and/or company name, date ordered and received, person receiving gift and cost.

I will be offering this as a class on October 27th. For full details, look here.