Paper, glue, scissors

That's basically all it takes to put together a special mini album for a co-worker who is retiring soon. We decided that it would be nice to have some room to write notes to her instead of trying to cram everything on a little greeting card. I threw this together using some upcycled file folders and Stampin Up paper.

 

 

 

 

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Time for celebration of 100th item listed in Eco Chique Boutique on Etsy!

I've been very busy taking pictures and replenishing the shelves in our Etsy shop and finally listed our 100th item! Well actually if you count all the sales we hit 100 a long time ago, however it was my goal to get 100 items listed at the same time and I finally reached that goal today. If you like EcoChiqueBoutique on Facebook maybe you've already seen the announcement, if not it will be worth your time to go read it now because there's a gift involved if you're not too late.

Challenge for the New Year

I can't believe it's been an entire MONTH since my last post! Where has the time gone??? Unlike some of you who have very busy lives with children and/or grandchildren running around the house during the holidays, it's just me and my dear husband and menagerie of dogs and cats. Sure we have an occasional visit with our daughter and son-in-law, sometimes along with one or two of their dogs; but for the most part it's just the two of us. I think that my mojo got sucked up in the thick atmosphere and blew away for a visit somewhere else!

What have I been doing? I dare not show any pictures because of the perpetual mess my craft room is always in, but I will tell you that things are moving along. Like some of you I am trying to use up what I have on hand in my stash. This MIGHT be the time for me to finally make the switch from paper to digital design, BUT not until I've gotten my stash down to a reasonable amount. Here are some thoughts I've had lately:

1. Create card kits to sell on Etsy.
2. Create scrapbook page kits to sell on Etsy.
3. Put stuff together for a swap with friends.
4. Donate a bunch of stuff to groups that make cards for charities.
5. Make cards to donate to Operation Write Home. DONE
6. Make cards to donate to a local church that in turn donates to homeless shelters (currently doing this one.)   DONE
7. Make card assortments along with boxes to put them in to have on hand for gifts.
8. Offer some blog candy (coming soon, so stay tuned!)
9. Make upcycled embellishments and other products for Zeleny Art Fair coming up in April.

So there you have it! The past few days I've been digging through my stash and pulling out all those assorted paper embellishments that I cut or punched out in bulk for who knows what reason (just because!) and am attempting to use them to make card assortments. Isn't it funny when you look at something that you've hung on to for several years and you can't for the life of you figure out what you were thinking when you made it??? The paper-hoarder in me finds it extremely difficult to throw anything away that might possibly be used on a card, scrapbook page, collage, jewelry or whatever. Don't you love seeing and reading about all the cool things people make out of what would normally go in the trash? Sorry folks, but I've actually begun throwing away those little bits of paper that are left behind when cutting borders with the scalloped border punch! Yes they make squares look like postage stamps, BUT if they haven't gotten used in over two years they're GOING BYE-BYE!

One last thing I'll kind of share with you is that I have a huge reason for needing to downsize, but am not quite ready to post in for the public yet. I guess I don't want the plans to get jinxed somehow, so will wait until time gets closer, but trust me, this will be a big life-changing and very exciting thing! No folks, I'm NOT pregnant (way too old and the plumbing's been removed since 1994!); but it DOES have something to do with family. Like one of my favorite movie characters once said, "That's all I have to say about that."

How to turn a big screen tv in to a desk protector

Being the perpetual upcycler that I am when it came time to dispose of our broken 52 inch tv I absolutely could NOT throw away all the parts. Like that pop-off lens cover thingy in the pretty see-through smokey brown color. What could I do with it? Well, combine one huge desk that desperately needed protection from a messy crafter with one equally huge hard plastic surface and VOILA! I have to warn you that unlike my idol Brittany over at Pretty Handy Girl I don't have the best tools or knowledge of which drill bits to use on plastic OR the excellent camera skills that she has, so if it's REAL tool skills you're looking for please hop over there because she's started an awesome series of video tuts for folks like me who aren't afraid to use a tool, just lack a tad bit of knowledge and need her expertise. So, now on with the sheee-ooooohhhh.....

My go-to tool is the Dremel. Mainly because it's the only one I can reach and it doesn't weigh a ton. Plus I bought a ton (no kidding, well not a ton in weight, more like a gazillion) bits and attachments for it that haven't seen the light of day since being slipped in to the fancy 3-foot tall rolling tool box I bought for it. First I laid the plastic on the desk (please note the completely empty desk because you will NEVER see it this way again!). 

Then I traced a line where the edge of the desk was so I'd know where to cut it.

 My handy Dremel with the tile-cutting attachment and the bit that said it was for plastic.

 After cutting only about 3 inches I brought in the reinforcements, ear plugs and the cotton swab to clean my ears before inserting the plugs. For someone with severe tinnitus you'd think I'd know better than to expose my ears to the extremely high-pitched whining the tool made while cutting the plastic!

 Here's what the edge looked like after cutting. The plastic actually melted to the drill bit. Sorry no pic of that.

 Ah, note to self, NEVER cut all the way to the end of something without supporting the piece about to drop off or you'll have a mess!

 Another view of the rough edge. Actually, come to think of it this picture should come before the one up there with the white edge. That other picture shows what it looked like after I sanded the edge.

 The metal sanding bit I used on the edge. Now go back up to the other picture to see what it looked like.

 Since the edge was still a little sharp I dug out my handy-dandy rubber shelf liner, cut strips and laid under the plastic. Go figure, had to protect the desk from the desk protector!

The finished product! Ta da! I'll post another pic when I get my stuff put back on the desk, but for tonight I've got two get well cards to make (mom's in the hospital) and you know what that means. Yup, messy desk!

 Oh, if anyone reading this has advice for the right bit to use or method for smoothing the edge please let me know. Thanks!

Upcycled Envelope Mini Albums

Here's a sneak peak of what I've been working on the past couple of weeks. They are all made out of junk mail envelopes and decorative paper from my stash. No two are alike and they were a blast to make. There are more than what you see in the picture, but I'm having brain freeze about getting the flash to stay on while taking closeups. The one closeup is of a double-embossed cover that's made to look like leather. First it's embossed on the Cuttlebug, then with extra thick embossing enamel powder. What do you think? I saw a tutorial somewhere using this technique to make wallets and thought it would work equally well as an album cover.

Steampunk Mini Album

I've been very busy for the past few weeks trying to get inventory ready for the craft show in Lawrence next month. Emily and I are so excited about finally being in a venue that really appreciates the concept upcycled crafts and jewelry. I keep hearing about this thing called Steampunk (or is it Steam Punk?) and figured it was high time I got on the bandwagon and try my hand at creating something along that line. I went to my favorite site for finding free vintage graphics, The Graphics Fairy and grabbed a bunch of steampunk and vintage graphics for this project. I used cereal boxes for the covers and embellishments, upcycled junk mail envelopes, keys and metal washers from  the garage (actually I think the keys came from my father's old collection), my new favorite purchased embellishments from K & Company and paper/cardstock from my stash. Here's a look at the finished product. I'd love to hear what you think of it!

The grunge flower on the front is done using a technique I learned while at an awesome Stampin Up retreat held by my favorite demonstrator Shelly May. I happened to pick up some 2 inch wide rolls of floral ribbon on clearance at Hallmark and was able to cut a strip 15" x 1" for this project.  Then I cut slits all most all the way through at about 1/2" intervals, wound it around in a circle on to some sticky tape and zapped it with the heat gun. The finished product was just perfect for this album, don't you think? Oh and that button in the center is one of those spares that came with a jacket that has long since gone bye-bye. I tucked a bit of lace around one half of the flower to stay with the vintage feel.

I love this little graphic of the fireman running with a ladder. I colored him in with red pencils just to make him pop, then found some red ribbon studded with clear bling (the stuff is great to mimic dog collars in the pet albums!). The tag is held in place by some clear acetate.

One of my favorite keys from the collection is this one from Sears. Paired it with a Graphics Fairy pocket watch and an old rusted metal washer.

Yes that really is a picture of a young girl peering through some paint on the junk mail envelope page. She was just far too cute to paint over completely and makes me smile every time I look at her!

The envelopes are sewed together in groups of three (called signatures I think?), then attached with black cardstock which is held together with a binding made out of some leather-look cardstock/paper (thin adhesive cardstock from Sizzix).

Don't you just love the eye peeking through the window envelope on this page? It is enhanced with a metal washer over the eye and another very large washer serves as the tab for the tag.

I used platinum UTEE on the edge of the tag below, then embossed it quickly with a border stamp.

Here's some of that K & Co I told you about. The clock is a Graphics Fairy, the rest is K & Co exept the picture of the book cover for Lady in the Attic (more junk mail, although the book does sound interesting!)

I just had to show you the page below which I so fondly call my lemonade page. You see that upside down bicyclist? Well that was totally unintentional, but when the tape ended up in the wrong place (gee, can't imagine how that happened!) I decided that it was perfectly ok, no beyond okay, it was awesome!

Well that's all for now. I am currently working on mini albums made out of #10 junk mail envelopes and will post pics of those later. Like I said, I'd LOVE some input. What would you expect to pay for something like this?

My project is featured on Scrapbook News and Reviews today!!!

This is such an honor to have my embossing folder holder featured today on Scrapbook News and Reviews! This site is a great place for tutorials and reviews of all things scrapbooking and paper-crafting. If you haven't been there yet please go take a look and I'd really love some lovin. Who said public displays of affection were a bad thing? Not me! :-)

Kombucha and Kefir, altering clothes and other projects

What is it they say about the best laid plans? Well I am happy to say that I did manage to get a few things done today, just NOT in my craft room YET. I still have two more hours before bedtime, so will head in there as soon as I post this slide show. Just a few words to explain the pictures. First I show you my new batch of Kombucha and Kefir. I got starts from someone on Freecycle and thought I'd give them a whirl. I used to make Kombucha tea all the time, but haven't in quite a few years. I've never tried Kefir, so anyone with hints please pass them along. Next I show you what I call my dungeon. It's my sewing room and is a horrible mess. The projects that I show hanging up are clothes that I got at the Salvation Army. The pants are all too short, so I needed to lengthen them. One shirt needed the cuffs cut off the too-short sleeves and the other needed stitch-witchery ironed on the front sections to keep them from folding back on themselves with each washing. I discovered that by "welding" the facing to the fabric I wouldn't have to iron the front every time I washed the shirt. Oh the last project is a repurposed towel I want to use to clean my stamps. Baby wipes are great, but they tend to fuzz up too much. You'll also get to see two of my dogs, Libby and Katie, who were hanging with me down in the dungeon. Enjoy!