Teacher Appreciation Week

Found out tonight that this week is teacher appreciation week and each day is a specific gift idea 

Monday - sweet treats 

So because my sons teacher is male - I needed to think of something not too foo foo - and not the usual candy bar,  so we got him a gift card to Starbucks and the next task was I needed to find a pattern for a gift card holder.  

At 10:45 tonight I remembered that I needed to make the holder so I figured out my own pattern and made it using scraps of paper - 

This is the die & stamp set I used and the sidekick 

I love how small the side kick is - it really makes it more portable to pull out and now I use it all the time!  

I literally just folded up the middle to create a small pocket to hold the card but because the gusset I made to hold the card was too small I just added a glue dot on the back to hold it on which also  helps make it a pop-up too! 

Here is the front of  the card holder - I added a pop dot to the upper flap to hold the card shut and the back of this holder also has some of the teal paper which I left blank so my son can sign and date. 

& yes it came out so fun! Check out my Instagram for a cool boomerang of this idea 

Happy crafting 

Let me help you

Hey there - boy it’s really hard to keep up with this here old blog of mine but I definitely plan on working harder to get it done more often then I have been. 

I wanted to tell you that I Love Scrapbooking/paper crafts, in case you didn’t know.  Recently I had he pleasure of meeting a nice woman that saw my work at a craft show in Claremont, Ca. During my shows I meet lots of people and give my card out and hope to reconnect someday, but it rarely happens. THis January, she called and asked me to help her daughter make Valentine’s Day cards for them and 2 friends...so I went and we did and she was thrilled and learned she was a Doctor and she started telling me that she wanted to do more parties and I said sure anytime let me know. 

Fast forward to yesterday - she called and asked if I’d help her with her daughters school project. She needed an album that would showcase Costa Rica - I said sure and  I got it done - check it out 

Here is the cover - I covered up her name but I was able to find 1 piece of scrapbook paper with Costa Rica theme - only one!!! 

Inside pages 

I added these long mats for her to cut out her type writing and glue down on the yellow CS - helps it stand out 

These are the page headers - I made them and cut them out and inked them so that she could add them where she wanted to - makes it her project 

Anyway, I was happy to help. Sure an adult doing the project for the kid but some of the projects are so unrealistic and absurd to think a kid in 5th grade could finish it on their own. 

Trust me - we literally just did a project for our 5th grader for a science fair - that not only cost us 40.00 for supplies but was so detailed that it was impossible for our boy to stay focused long enough to finish it. I mean come on...make the projects fun and exciting but easy enough for them to get it done on their own. 

Well that’s my take on the whole school project idea...I sure hope that my friend likes it but more so that her daughter is proud of what she turns in! 

If you need me to help out with your kids school project or need help with a scrapbook - let me know and I’ll be happy to help you!! 

Have a beautiful day friends!!! 

xoT

NEW Photo Mailers

Most crafters can make something out of anything. Which is where this idea came from.

Awhile back I made this mini folded album out of a 6 x 12 sheet of paper...I had tried to make a fun velcro closure and used the stickie kind. Well it never really adhered - it was meant to easily open and close and when it kept sticking well I gave up. The paper was cute and the paper was fun but I hadn't figured out how to keep it closed.

That was last year. Fast forward to recently...like a month ago. I had sheets of 6 x 12 paper from other paper bag albums and wanted to try making one of those albums again - well guess what I figured it all out. 

Here are the NEW version of the old idea I had. 

I used left over papers from the Echo Park Bundle of Joy kit and made what I am now calling

PHOTO MAILERS

Here is the MAILER opened up once

Here is the mailer opened up twice.

I added more cardstock for the photo mats and used some die cuts & stickers from the kit to add the accents and embellish the inside photo mats.

Oh and how incredible easy was it to figure out this closure. Sometimes we crafters make things super hard - when the easiest way is usually the BEST way. 

Extra paper folded around the closed mailer to make a simple slip on and off belly band.

EASY!!!!!

Part of the reason for making these small photo mailers is that I like to have small priced items at my craft show - for people or even kids who don't have much to spend but still love giving handmade gifts. I have found selling at craft shows over the years that you should always have lots of different but similar items at varied price ranges to accommodate all your buyers. Just  a TIP!

Thanks for stopping by. 

this is my busy craft prep season so forgive the in and out of posting here on the old blog.

Ciao Tina

Quick and Easy

As you know and am sure it's the same for you - this past month has been beyond busy. With the holidays around the corner I have been trying to prepare for the upcoming hub bub that comes with the Season. Here's a quick idea: 

I have been making lots of holiday paper bag albums and have scraps as I am sure if you are a paper crafter you have lots of bits laying around, anyway I took out my plethora of paper punches and started creating these cute little bits - 

here are the supplies you need:

then use a sewing machine or perhaps use adhesive to layer your parts 

Then just use a tape runner and add them to bags and then you have your very own personalized gift bag and present

wrapper.

Cuteness any way you look at it...and its hand made!!

what's not to LOVE.

happy crafting

Never again

I know that we are all obsessed with Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram...and I am Pinning all these cool scrapbook albums I want to try, so I go on YouTube and find a few that look amazing and the videos are simple enough to follow so I try this one...its a folio type album

 

I used the coolest paper by Graphic 45 - the Steampunk Collection and created this cool album.

 

I got the how-to from #MySistersScrapper on YouTube - they have the coolest album how-tos and sometimes they just share a completed album and all the things they used in the album.

 

See the waterfall folio aspect - cool right?

 

So I went back to their YouTube channel and found another album which I wanted to try and appeared simple enough...

 

Well I had trouble with it...I mean maybe not trouble but I don't measure very accurately so it caused some hiccups...plus this album took me 3 nights to complete...much longer then I like to spend on one album...

 

Argh...definitely on my list of never again. It looks o.k. but not nearly as cool as My SistersScrapper

bummer for me - but I wanted to share it anyway...Here are a few photos:

 

this is the cover -

Lovely right?

made of chipboard and papers by Market Street by My Minds Eye

 

 

 

Here's the inside view: I used envelopes as the pages...so it was tricky to put them together and make them work out o.k. so that I can add the inserts later....

 

the pages flip upward instead of out like a book

 

ok I take that back they open and flip up....

 

Then I added some inserts into certain flaps as seen below...

 

It's cute right? But it took to long. I am an instant-gratification type of girl.

 

Anyway, this was my one hit wonder with these types of albums. Now on to the next Pinned goody!

 

Happy Crafting and may you have more patience in your next project then I did.

 

xoT