A "New" Desk File

Hi all!  Ok, I am still working on the tutorial for the new paper bag mini that I came up with.  I am hoping to get it done for you by the end of the weekend.  Sorry for the delay!  I hate it when I tell you all that I am going to post something, and then life gets in the way from me doing it.  But, all is well here, just busier that I thought it was going to be!

I had this little project done for a while, and thought I would share with you today.

I love these folded books for filing things.  I made a recipe file using this technique.

I decided I wanted one for my new craft room.  So, I made this...

 I wanted to make a quickie project that I can use on my desk top for little notes that I write to myself.  I found a bunch of these weekly time books at the local thrift store, and I have used some of the pages for my junk journals.  I carry one in my purse, and do Zentangles in it when I am waiting somewhere and a little bored. I also draw in it on my lunch hour when I need a little "Time Out".

They are old, but I don't know how old, there is no date on the books at all.  Look at this wage table!

It made a cute, simple, and small organizer for my notes.  I jot things down, and now I have a little place to put them until I do them.  

Have a wonderful MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!!  Take a moment to remember those who have fought and died while serving our country.  

Stay Crafty, My friends!

A Super Awesome Little Mini

I finished this mini album in a box yesterday, and think it is the cutest thing!!!

 It is called a "Flip Top"mini, and I found the tutorial here, on the Gentleman Crafter's site.  If you haven't seen his site yet, GO DO IT!!!  (After, of course, you get done looking here! HAHA)  Jim is an incredible, amazing, talented artist, and you will love his work!!

 The box has a top that flips open to reveal little envelopes to hold tags.  I created a closure with a Tim Holtz hitch post and a ribbon threaded through an eyelet on the bottom of the box.

 I used G45's Curtain Call papers.  (I think I am going to do a mini journal on my top 10 favorite movies.)  I cut the top piece out of a scrap of the paper, I love, Love, LOVE how that looks when you open the top.  (I am sorry the pictures are a bit fuzzy, I have to do it at a lower pixel so that I can post them!)

Here is an example of my tags.  They are only 3" tall, as this is a true mini album.  I made my pockets out of the papers. In Jim's tutorial, he used coin envelopes matted with papers.  I made 10 pockets, and then 10 tags.  I alternated brown and black ribbons for the tags. I also used distressing ink from Tim Holtz throughout.

I hope you like it!  Now, go check out The Gentleman Crafter's site!!!

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

A new paper bag mini album!

Can you ever get tired of making these paper bag books?  I can't, especially when you find yet another way to use them to create another new set of pockets!  I love how versatile these little bags are, and how a few simple cuts can bring out a whole new way to have a mini album.

 I used a new line of papers I found by GCD called Antiquities.  IT IS GORGEOUS!  I love the color tones in it and the almost Steampunk style in it.  I made the flowers on the front with my Spellbinders flower die.  I used leaves by 7 Gypsies, and the bling is Recollections.  I also have a couple of Tim Holtz light bulbs in the flowers, along with rhinestone centers in the flowers.

 I made this stand for it.  I was thinking about putting the book in a box, but then I couldn't have dimensional flowers on the front.  So, I make this.  It is super simple, I just took a heavy piece of chipboard and covered it. Then I hot-glued it to the Tim Holtz box corners.  It holds the book ever so nicely, and the corners also create a kind of closure for the book as well.  The spine of the book has a new Tim Holtz faucet knob.  I added a watch from Jolee's and some buttons by Jenni Bowlin.

 The inside cover and the first page of the mini.  I used 3 paper bags for this book, creating 12 pages in all, with 9 pockets and 18 tags!  I did not use any extra pieces for binding this book.

 Here are two of the tags, using Tim Holtz new File Folder Tabs.  This paper is double sided.   There is plenty of room for pictures and journaling.  The flowers throughout the inside of the book are made from my Sizzix die by Tim Holtz.  Can you tell I love his stuff????

 Behind this pocket is the inner pocket.  I created two tags with cardstock.

 Since I am in a "Polaroid Phase" I made the fronts of these tags like a Polaroid picture...

...the back of these tags are layered with journaling paper.

 When you turn the page, there is an INNER POCKET! (Shown on the left side of the page.)

 These are the tags in this pocket.  I used bakers twine for the ties, and made hole reinforcements with the papers in this collection.

 On the left side is the back of the first set of page made with bag number one.  They repeat three times.

 Here are the rest of the pages.

 I had this tag (on the right page) from a long long long time ago, along with the paper clips.  I think they are K and Company.

 I bought the amber bling at Jo Ann's in the dollar bins.   The mini gears are Tim Holtz.

 The last page and the back inside cover.  I fussy cut the goggles on the right and layered them onto the cover with foam tape for dimension.

Top view here.  I am working on a tutorial to show how I made these pages.  Please stay tuned!

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Taa Daa! The Photo File is Ready!!

Well, here it is...my latest brainstorm.

 I bought this box from IKEA thinking I was going to store things in it.  I turned it into what I am calling a "Photo File".  It is just an average storage type box.

 I lined the inside with this AWESOME paper from DCWV, called The Snapshot Stack.  I LOVE THIS PAPER!!!  I am also currently (or should I say continually) addicted to the whole instant photo thing.  I  had missed being able to see and touch your picture as soon as you took it.  It is just not the same with digital pictures.  I have wanted an Instax camera since the first moment I saw one, and I love it.  Yes, the picture quality isn't super terrific, but the ability to have pictures instantly is sooooooo cooooooollll!!

 I lined the inside of the box with the blue paper with a ton of instant cameras all over it.  The handles are ribbons that I attached with eyelets.  Then I created an inside pullout piece.  This came to mind because I am also currently very enamored with Rolodex type files.  I am sure there are more things to come from this obsession!  I had visited my LSS and they were having a clearance on the Tim Holtz binder rings.  Can you believe it!?!  I bought all of them.  HAHA!!

 That's what I used for the base of my photo file.  I wanted something that the pages could attach to, but could be added to.  I also wanted to give some wiggle room for embellishments.  I spaced the rings about 1" apart.

 I decorated the inside covers of the pullout.  The following pages are what I have created so far.

 I, of course, had to put a picture of my camera!  I took it with my digital, printed it, and put it on a polaroid frame that came in the paper pack. The page with the large heart is a pocket where three pictures and a journaling tag live.

 A few flowers and buttons, some bling, and fussy cuts from the paper pack.

 More pages.  I got a lot of flowers in the last couple of days.

 The page with my house is a flap that opens for hidden journaling.

 My dogs and my man's "Man Cave".

 I have many more pages to fill.  I think this turned out to be a cool idea.

This is the inside of the back cover.

So, what do you think???

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Just a little teaser...

What happens when you get this super cool and funky paper stack...

...and you have this box from IKEA...

...and your awesome husband gets you this new camera because you think it's cool and you just want it?

Do you give up?

You get a very cool and unusual way to store photos!

This is NOT your usual file box. I am still working on some things, but will be showing you this very soon.  You all are not going to believe it!  The idea came to me, and I think it is a very very cool and unusual way to store your pictures.

Stay crafty, my friends!

Raid the Stash Bracelet

I was looking around on Craftzine and I found this link to a charm bracelet tutorial.  She made hers out of coins that she had collected over her travels.  I was inspired to raid my stash and make a charm bracelet for myself!

I had all of the parts and pieces in my stash, I just had to put things together!  You may recognize some of these things...the pearls, gear and bird are all by Tim Holtz.  The butterflies and the dream tag are unknown.  Sorry, I had them in a bin of charms, and I didn't keep the packaging.  I think it turned out pretty cute.

What little treasures from your stash could you put on a charm bracelet?

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Stuff, Smoosh, Squish

 I made another homemade "Smash" type book.  The one I am working on is getting full.  I think I will need another one.  I also wanted to play in my "Mom Cave", so I decided to use up some of my stash.  {OHHHHHH, another "S" word for these books..."Stash"!!!}

 The book is made entirely of K and Company papers (except for the two pieces of kraft paper I used for the covers).  I had 5 stacks that I chose from.  I also made pockets for the book.  I have a tutorial for those at the end of this post.  For the binding, I chose the biggest O-Wires I had, since I plan on filling this book to capacity.  I made a dangle out of some ribbon from my stash jar and a wooden spool that I put some Tim Holtz tape on.  I put glue inside the spool to adhere the ribbons.  I used this bee charm also, and I believe it is from 7 Gypsies.  I also used some book binding tape from Memory Makers for the edges of the covers.

 Some inside papers.  They are all blank, ready to fill.

 Here, on the right, is the front of the pocket page...

...and here is the back.

 Here is how I made them. I took a 12"x12" paper and scored it at 7" from the left, and at 10" from the top, as shown.  Then I cut out the bottom as shown.

 I cut a diagonal slit to create two flaps at the corner I cut out.

 Fold the bottom left up, using the flap to close the pocket.  The binding will close the left side.

 Turn the paper over, fold the flap on the bottom up, creating the bottom of the pocket.  Then fold the top corner back diagonally, being careful to not get it into the crease.

This will create this pocket on the back of the pocket page.

This is the pocket on the front of the pocket page.

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

A File for my Quotes

 I have a collection of favorite quotes that I needed to put in a more beautiful and useable form.  I had written them in a plain old notebook, and then the notebook became hidden in my stuff.  I rediscovered the notebook in my recent craft room move.  So, I thought making this file would be more fun, and definitely it wouldn't get lost in my stash.  I used a 7 Gypsies mini library drawer and raided my stash for tags.  Then, I just wrote them down.

I made multiple divider cards, the above is an example, with an example of a quote card.  I am going to go through them, now that they are written, and decorate.  I think it will look lovely on my shelf, and I think I will be more apt to use them in my projects.

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Create

I made a banner for my new room!

It hangs above my ribbons, behind the door, so I can see it from my work space, no matter if the door is open or shut.  I used October Afternoon paper on the banner chipboard.  Then, I made doilies with my Fiskars border punch.  I then layered on top a rosette and then another smaller doily made with my Martha Steward corner punches.  My Cricut made the letters for me.  I added bling, and some Tim Holtz dangles.

Stay Crafty, My Friends!