Repurposing for Christmas

Hello Everyone

Today I am sharing an item that I re purposed for gift giving.
I am not a coffee drinker, but those latte drinks at the grocery that are in those little 4 pack carriers, are perfect to cover. Then adding soaps or bath salts or candy or whatever in the bottles is so cool.

I carefully took the collar off the bottle and used for a template. Remove the collar and any labels off all bottles. Wash the bottles and let them dry. Using the collar from one of the bottles I made new collars and used a beautiful designer paper. Next I took the little carrying carton and recovered it with the same paper and look what it looks like now. Add a little something to the caps to cover and you are done. This would be cute to make for a little birthday gift as well.

OK, time to get started on your Christmas projects. You have about 46 days left 'til Christmas.(LOL)

Well that is it for today, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Christmas Card Idea

Did you know that in 47 days Christmas will be here.WOW!!! At this time of year, every year, I wonder where the time has gone.Today, I thought I would share with you an idea that you will love. And it enables you to save from year to year some of those special holiday cards you receive.

What do you do with all the holiday cards you receive?? Do you save them?? And then what happens to them?? Oh, they get stored in a box and they never see the light of day again?? OK, a lot of us are like that. Well here is a great way to show the cards off again and put then on display especially if you will be entertaining throughout the holidays.

Get an old book, go to the Thrift Shop in your area and pick up one if you don't have a book you want to part with. Any title will do. Next gather up the cards that you want to use.  Next count how many cards you are using and divide that number into the total number of pages in your book.The number will represent approximately pages you will have in each section. Next section off the number of pages per section, using binder clips or large paper clips. Now, using white glue, paint glue on the page edges of each section. You will want to get the page edges pretty wet but not drippy. Let dry. (I actually put waxed paper between the sections to keep the sections separated while drying.) I let this dry overnight. While your book is drying, cut the card fronts off the cards and anything else from the card that you will be using, make sure to keep all your card elements together from each of the cards. Maybe you want to use just the card front, that is what I did but I also used some of the sentiments too. After the glue on the page edges is dry paint the front and back of the book. I used acrylic paint in champagne gold, love this color. This gold color is soft and not too brassy. After the front and back of the book is dry, paint the edges of the sections in the same gold color. Let all the paint dry.

Now the fun begins. In this step I decided the order of the cards and painted the printed pages with a color that went with that card. It could be a contrasting color or a color that was the same as the card, but you want your card to stand out on the page not to be buried in the page.You will be painting the printed pages of each glued section. After the paint is dry I affixed the cards on their respective pages. Lastly I added embellishments to add further interest. You can see that I trimmed a lot of the cards to fit into the book to make the cards look like they belonged on that page. I had a few cards that I actually cut the card front in half because the card was just too big. I even stamped on some of the pages, but you could add stickers too if you wanted. Brads and buttons are also cool embellishments, as well as die cuts. Let your imagination go wild.

 

This is a great way to preserve special cards and to be able to display them the following year. You can even add the year to the front of the book so you can remember what year you received your special cards.

How cool is that.

Tomorrow I will show you another re purposed item that you can use for a Christmas package  or a birthday gift or whatever the occasion is. See you then.

Well, that's it for now, thanks for stopping by,

Barbara

Inchies and Inchies+

We all have probably made a card and added a small stamped square to the card. Well I needed to make a few cards with inchies on them so I thought I'd share my creations with you today. These cards are perfect for Valentine's Day. I know, that is a long way off but it really is right around the corner. Stamps used are: Sparkling Daisy 1040-211D and Tossed Hearts 1041-211B from set 221 and the sentiment Happy Valentine’s Day 3202-401B is in set 401

I really like the Nymph stamp I used on this card. She is really awesome isn't she. Here are the stamps I used on this card: Flower Nymph 1034-211E , Posy Cluster 1039-211A and Hearts & Stars Swirls 1036-211G are in set 221

This card that is appropriate for the fall season. The stamps used are: Swirly Maple 3279-410M, Swirly Oak Leaf  3280-410A, Swirly Acorn 3286-410A , Faith 3283-410B. These are all in set 410

All of the stamped images featured in these cards are from Sparkle N Sprinkle. Clink on the link to see the stamp sets and the other stamps in those sets.










That is it for now,thanks for stopping by, and I will see you soon,

Barbara

Throw away paper transformed into beautiful flowers

I use paper that I call "stamp off" paper. You probably do too. This is paper I use to make sure I have the stamp right side up. Trust me, I have made mistakes and this stamp off paper does help. I make notes on this paper, I test marker colors, you know, this is the paper that becomes a test spot. What do you do with your stamp off paper?? Probably throw it away. Well, I save mine and when it gets full of stamped images or has a lot of ink on it from brayered backgrounds then it gets set aside . When I am ready to re-use it for it's next life, I add Color Wash or Tattered Angels Mist to the paper to further enhance it. I add 2 or 3 different colors of the Color Wash and/or Tattered Angels sprays over both sides of this paper and then let it dry.

After the paper is dry, I get my dies out and cut the paper up in these great flower shapes.

Then, I work some magic and wind up with paper flowers that look similar to those ones you see in scrapbook stores or those big box stores. And by doing this, reusing that stamp off paper, you are being "green".

                                                                                                               

Look at the end results, beautiful aren't they!! You can use these on cards, scrapbook pages, gift bags , make a pretty pin, the list is endless. I am sure you will come up with other uses.

So, start saving that paper you throw away and re purpose it, make something beautiful out of it.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Christmas Ornaments

Christmas.... Ornaments.........OK, OK, I know, it is only the first week of  June. But you will probably agree with me, Christmas will be here before we know it. So if you have the time now, why not get started and you will have more time as the holiday season starts, to sit back and enjoy yourself and your family and not be stressed. It will all be done. Doesn't that sound great. You know these make great gifts for those special people also.
These medallions are from Sparkle N Sprinkle. There are 4 medallion sets, set 144, set 182,set 208,set 350. Click here to go to the page on the Sparkle N Sprinkle website for sets 144, 182 and 208. Click here for website page for set 350.
If you attended the West Springfield, Mass. Heirloom show, Sparkle N Sprinkle  had these on display. Hope you were at the show and got to see them. If not, well, the pictures here are the next best thing.

  

Can you just picture these on your tree?? How about when your best friend opens up one of the boxes you have given her, and there it is, this beautiful ornament. The moment will be priceless. Trust me.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

The Challange

A week or so ago I was given an image and asked to make a card using it. I thought about it for a few days and came up with my idea. I wanted to incorporate a few different things into the end result.

First I decided to copy the image onto a transparancy sheet.  I placed the transparancy onto the image and using a Sharpie fine tip pen, I traced the image. Next, I flipped the transparancy over and traced over the image with a glue pen. I worked in small areas and applied glitter. I did the leaves first. I let it dry overnight. Next I went back and traced the center with the glue pen and added blue glitter. Again I let it dry overnight.
I brushed off the excess glitter and that was a chore from the beginning because the transparancy has static in it and the glitter will cling to every area of the transparancy.

I flipped the transparancy over, now the glitter is on the back and I can see the sharpie outline . The glitter shines thru also and makes for a striking result. I decided the background needed to be something other that a plain color or just white. So next I cut a piece of glossy CS the same size as the transparancy. I then got my alcohol inks out and applied green where the leaves were and a blue where the center flowers were. Next I used the gold mixitive  over the leaves and silver over the center flowers. Where there was still white, I used butterscotch and filled in the last of the white areas, adding gold over that area as well. I trimmed the pieces and added brads in the corners to hold the pieces together. Lastly I adhered it to a card (5" X 7") and added the ribbon & button.
Sometimes photos just do not show all the glitter on a card. This card turned out fabulous, too bad the pic doesn't really show the glitter in all its splendor.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,
Barbara

Happy Mother's Day

Here is a card for all of you whether you are a mother or not.

The other day I posted watercolor cards and I wanted to do more, so I looked at a new set of flowers I received from Sparkle N Sprinkle and here is the result, using a water color technique. I stamped the image on watercolor paper, using a dye ink. Next, I used a watercolor brush and markers, and I watercolored the image. I actually did two different cards so, you get to choose your card for the day. Hope you have a great day.

Well that's it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

The Rose

I just recently received this stamp from Sparkle N Sprinkle. The stamp is really pretty so I decided to stamp it using India Ink and use colored pencils to color in the rose. I also used gamsol to shade the colors. Seems like every time I use colored pencils, I automatically get the gamsol out. I rarely use my pencils without the gamsol anymore. Gamsol allows the colored pencil to melt, so to speak, and gives you the capability to shade. I generally work from the outside to the center. You will need to work with paper stumps and I usually get mine at Hobby Lobby.

Added a little glitter some ribbon and now the card is done.

Have you tried any of those Martha Stewart corner punches yet??? They are great!!! I have quite a few an they really add a great look to the card.

Well, that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Medallions

Ever do a medallion card?? They are pretty easy but they do take some time. You have to stamp and heat emboss 4 or 5 times, the same image, and then you have to cut the images out. The technique is easy but time consuming. But, don't let that scare you away, the end result is so worth it. Here are a few medallion cards I just finished for the month of April. The stamps I used are all from Sparkle N Sprinkle. Make sure you stop over at their website and check out her stamps. There is a large variety to choose from. You're bound to fine something you will like.

Well that's it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Easel Cards

Have you seen an easel card lately. Well I have just developed two different easel cards using Sparkle N Sprinkle stamps.

This first card is a round easel card using stamps from set209, Floral Berry.

Look how it is able to stand up. What a nice way to display this card if you were the recipiant

After working the round card up, I went back to a card design that I was having trouble finalizing. Well, the easel card made me come up with the final design using a stamp set called Medallions -Flowers Set208 from Sparkle N Sprinkle.

Here is the card closed.

Here is a side view of the card opened.

And here is a front view of tis card opened.

I love how this finally came together. These easel cards are easy, fun and really make quite a statement in their own right. If you look closely, you will see the vase in the background, behind the medallion flower. That flower is mounted on a transparency. I love the way this finally came together, don't you???

Well, that's it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Making Your Own Background Paper

I have been in a mode to clean out and "thin the herd" so to speak. In my endeavor to clean out and rearrange, I ran across a stamp that I love to use to make a great background sheet. So I made a few sheets of background and then made a card using a piece of that background paper.

I start out using white or cream CS. Next I ink up the stamp using a shadow ink from Memories, then I take a darker dye ink and run it along the edge of the stamp.(Sorry the Fresco pad is so grundgy looking, this is my go to green. Love the Fresco colors and there are 30 different colors in all and they all remind me of Tuscany) The stamp I use is from Hero Arts, 2005, so, it's not available anymore but I bet you have something similar in your stamp stash.

So, when you stamp your CS you will get a rectangle with a darker edge. Getting started, I start in the center of the CS and stamp.

Next I reink the stamp in the same manner, ink the rubber in a softer color and then ink the edge in a darker color of the same color family, turn the stamp in the opposite direction and overlap the new image onto the stamped image already on the CS. You want to continue in this manner til the CS is totally covered. I find that right angle stamped images look better than randomly stamped rectangles all over the paper. But, you may find that you like that look, so try it and see which you like better. Next, cut your paper into the background size that you need and you now have a great background piece in whatever color you need. You can stamp an image onto it or layer over it.

Here is the card I finished,using my own background paper. This really lends itself to so many possibilities, don't you think??

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara

Is it an envelope??? (part 2)

Friday I posted a cute little box that I made from an envelope die cut that I own. Thought you would like to see how this is done. So here we go.

I started with 4 identical envelopes that I cut from an Accucut Die that I own.

Next, from only 2 of the envelopes, I cut off the sides that look like wings.(This particular die automatically punches holes in the top and bottom flap portion of the envelope.) I made the cut at the score line on the two sides.

From the remaining two envelopes, I left about 1/4" from the score line cutting off the rest.

So, now with the sides trimmed or cut off, this are what my pieces looked like.

On the two pieces that have a 1/4" left on the sides, I attached redline tape to the 1/4" tab, both sides, both pieces.

Next you will want to line up your pieces in an alternating fashion. Starting with a piece with a tabs then a piece with no tabs, etc. I removed the redline tape and attached each piece to the next piece at the score line until I had all 4 pieces attached to each other.

Finally to make the box shape. Fold at each of the score lines on the sides and attach that last tab to the side with no tab and your box has now taken its shape.

Finally, to finish the bottom, fold the flaps in at the score lines and add redline tape, this makes the bottom permanently closed. Since the envelope I am using has holes punched in the flaps I then cut a bottom using the same cardstock that matched the panels I added to the front to further finish off the bottom on the inside. However you can use cardstock to match the box if you prefer.

With the bottom completed, I wanted to change the top flaps, so I trimmed them down so they were about 1" from the score line. Next I took a border punch and punched the border on that smaller flap.

(I should have changed the top flaps before I attached the last flap to make the box shape, but you know, sometimes, we see other things to do after the project is almost done. At least I do. Now you know you may still be able to make the change to the top at this late stage in the process.)

The last two steps were to add a decorative panel to each of the 4 sides and add a handle. When I made the handle I used the border punch again and punched a strip and adhered it to the inside of the box and now you have a really cute box made from envelopes.

And who would have thought these panels started out as envelopes?????

(Sorry for the quality of all these photos.)

This box would be ideal for a treat box at a table for a kids party or for adults or whatever. If you leave the top tabs untrimmed you can fold those tabs, add a bow at the top and it will look nice for a beautiful gift inside. You know, part of the present is in the presentation.

Well that is it for now, thanks for stopping by, see you soon,

Barbara