Just wanted to say...

We wish you all a 

wonderful, 

happy, 

fun-filled 

New Year!  

A Recipe Book for my BFF!

I made this mini recipe book for Jackie as part of her Christmas Present.  It went along with a set of decorative (but functional) measuring spoons that she can hang on her wall...they say "Queen of the Kitchen".  She is the Queen, she loves to cook, and makes some incredible stuff!

 This book is a combination of two different tutorials I watched.  The pages were by Lisa on Mini Album Scraps, and you can find her video here.  She called it the "Coin Envelope Mini Album Page", and the cool thing is that each page is  made from one piece of 8 1/2" x 11" paper, and it forms the pockets and everything!  The binding is from Laura from Following the Paper Trail, and you can see her binding method here.  She called it the "Stack the Deck Binding" and it is a pretty nifty way to bind a book.

 So, I made six pages in all, each page has two pockets and two flaps.  This shows the pocket, where I put two index cards for her recipes.

 Turn the page, and you get the first flap.

 Open it to reveal a pocket.  I put a 3"x 8" index card, folded, for a recipe here.

 Then it opens again!

I didn't decorate a lot, because I didn't know if she wanted to add recipes or pictures or both to the pages.  She loved it!

This is what she gave me, and there is an excellent story behind it...

A long long time ago, I saw this WonderFILE and told her I needed it to organize some of my stuff!  She laughed, I laughed and we went on from there.  A couple of weeks ago, we were discussing some of the things we used to get every Christmas in our stockings.  I always got Loves Baby Soft perfume, Lip Smackers lip balm, and my Dad always got a box of chocolate covered cherries.  SHE REMEMBERED!!!!  She actually found these things (I didn't know that they still made Loves Baby Soft) and got them for me!  THIS ROCKS!!! I have to think about the perfect thing to use the WonderFILE for!  (I already used the lip smackers and I ate some cherries already!)  The perfume is so soft and sweet smelling! It totally reminded me of Junior High and High School.  That was the stuff to wear! I Love it!  Thank you, Jackie!!!

A Found Paper Junk Journal

I was playing around with a bunch of wonderful collage papers that I got in grab bags at the local stamp store.  One of the awesome finds was this book cover, torn up, spine removed.

 I decided to fill the book with found papers, and turn the spine into a bookmark.

 I had advertising pages,

 and shorthand pages.  Ledger pages,

 an old text book page, and a page from a yearbook.

 Even a cool old map made it into my book.

 I used 75 pages in all.

And I used one scrap to cover the back of the bookmark.  I am thinking of all kinds of things I could do with this.

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Just want to say...

From Jackie and I, to you and your families...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  

We wish you all of the fun and wonder 

of the season!!!  

Also, we wish you the most

awesome NEW YEAR!!!

December Junque Update

I just wanted to share a couple of pages from my December Junque Journal.  I am using it as a mix between a December Daily Journal and a junk journal or "Smash Book".  I am taking lots of pictures of various stuff, but I am adding in lots of other "stuff" to it.  Well, you'll see....

 It's getting full, I am having a fun time with it.  I bought a basket to put it in with the pictures and other stuff, and all of the extras to decorate it with.  That way I can carry it to wherever I am and work on it as I can.

 I put pictures of my card making this year.  I also added the plans I drew out in pencil to the pocket.  I hinged the pictures with folded pieces of scalloped punched circles for a little interaction.

 I also took some pictures of dinners that we have had that turned out particularly well.  I blogged about it in our Creative Kitchen, too.  We have put a couple of our favorites there...it is a site in progress!

 I participated in a swap on Split Coast Stampers a long time ago, and finally was able to put the books together for my daughters.  I did three different cards, so I could have two for them and one for me.

 Just a little star I made for my son's tree at work.  I had a leftover snowflake so I used it as part of the decoration.  Some shopping receipts are in the envelope.  I also added the tags from some ornaments we bought.

And this page is a cool one.  I bought an Oregon Ducks Gnome Ornament to stand with our Iowa Hawkeye Gnome.  It is little, but it looks cool!  I also put some pictures of our decorations.  My husband and I bought the Christmas Dancers when we first got together.  He has had this chipboard Nativity scene since he was a kid.  We put it up, and I used some battery operated tea light candles in it so that it lights up and glows.

This album will be fun to go over in years to come.  I have so many more pages to fill.  There will be lots more pictures to take with the holiday festivities.

Stay crafty, my friends!

An Upcycled Recipe Index System

 I love to cook, and I have collected a ton of recipe books, as well as the clippings and printouts from the internet.  I recently decided that I needed a system of indexing my collection.  When I find a recipe I like, I flag it in the book.  That seems like a great idea, until you can't remember which book that particular book was in.  So, I need one place where I can write down the recipe name, and where it is, so that I can find them easier.  I found this huge book at the Goodwill for 3 bucks!  This is perfect.

 Just wanted to show you the pictures in the book...these come into play later.  I found the binder mechanisms at a scrapbook show for 50 CENTS EACH!  I grabbed up several of them, and this project is a perfect opportunity to use them.  I wanted to be able to add and remove pages from my index as needed.

 I didn't have the screws and acorn caps to attach the binder mechanism to the book.  So, after removing the pages of the book, and figuring out where the holes needed to be, I punched the holes, and used these brads that look like screws...

 I used hot glue under the mechanism where the brad would come through, then glued it down, and then set the brad.

 Then I had these little baubles that are perfect to glue over the tines of the brad to cover them and give a finished look.

 After I took out the pages of the book, I covered the spine with another piece of chipboard to strengthen it, then covered that with one of the books index pages.  I added a mechanism to the left and to the right sides of the book...

 The rings are not very big, and I wanted to be able to have as much space as I could, so I made a double-three-ring-binder!  I did have to cut the pages a bit to make them fit, but the filler paper is still 10" tall by 6 1/2" wide.  I got the paper with the reinforced hole edge, because I wanted the pages to be able to take some wear-and-tear.

 It closes perfectly!

 I tore out all of the pictures of the book, and used them for divider pages.

I punched out tabs from the index pages, then used scraps of manilla folders to punch out labels, and wrote all of the categories I wanted for my index.

I then rummaged through my stash and came up with this little bit of dangle for the spine.  I looped them though an eyelet that I set in it.

Well, what do you think?  Now I have to just sit and add my recipe names to my index, and remember to keep it up, and I will never spend an hour trying to find that perfect cocktail sauce recipe ever again!

Stay Crafty My Friends!

Recycled Envelope Mini Notebook

I have seen lots of people recycling security envelopes in a lot of different ways.  I was feeling punky (I have a cold) and I wanted a quick little project to keep my brain occupied a bit, and here is what I decided to do with the hundreds of envelopes I have saved.

 I used a manilla file folder for the cover of the book, and a simple pamphlet binding technique.  I used some stickers and actual pieces of envelopes for the decoration on the cover and on the inside. In all the notebook is 8" tall and 4 1/2" wide.

 I used another piece of the folder to create a pocket.  I simply took security envelopes, sealed them, then cut three sides off to open them up.

 I stacked them, I used 10 envelopes, and did the pamphlet binding.  I then went back and covered up some of the writing on some of the envelopes with pieces of other envelopes.

 Some of the windows I covered from the back side so that they would show through.

I am putting this in my purse and am going to use it to jot down those notes you need to jot before your brain forgets them.

Stay crafty, My Friends!

Winter Wonderland

I was at my local scrapbook supply store and found a little mini album kit by Little Yellow Bicycle that was on clearance.  I then got an idea, bought some extra stuff, and this is what I came up with.

 The book didn't come with a cover, so I made one with chipboard covered in papers.  Some of the supplies I added were from the same company, some by Bo Bunny's new line.

 The pages are all different sizes and shapes, and there are some pockets and envelopes.

 I added some extra pages with another paper packet I picked up.  I also bought some Bazzill flowers to go with the papers.

 I love this color scheme!

 I made a pocket page, and added huge tags to them.

 I also added this mini page on the right.

 The rosette is from a kit by Little Yellow Bicycle.

 Lots of space or pictures and journaling.

 The icicles are by Jolee's.

 I loved making this...I had so much fun.

 These envelopes are from a set that was supposed to be "Five things I love about snow", but I decided to make it whatever I wanted to, so I left that sticker out.

 I sure hope that we get snow this year so I can fill this up!

 I wrapped a journaling/picture die cut around the envelope...

 ...so I can have some on each side.

I sure hope it snows this year so I can use this!

Stay Crafty My Friends!