~ Farewell to Me!

Here is my latest Bind-it-All project, a farewell book (for me, actually) that my NAVFAC co-workers from all over the world added their farewell messages in.  Some of the well-wishes were added in person while some were emailed and added to the book.

 

What is really great about creating a project for yourself is that you can make anything you want it to be.  I added little strips inside to show where I have been and when with Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

{Click on each of the photos below for a closer look.}

Supplies:

• Zutter – 1″ brown o-wire
• Clear Scraps – acrylic covers
• My Mind’s Eye – patterned papers, brads
• The Twinery – twine
• Tim Holtz – frame
• Making Memories – acrylic paint
• chipboard, fabric flowers, ribbon

~ New Fiscal Year Treats

Happy New Fiscal Year to those of you who follow the October – September Fiscal Year.  To celebrate our accomplishments in FY11 and wish everyone a good Fy12, I made Smarties and Dum-Dums-filled treat boxes for my and husband’s offices.  Just a little something to brighten everyone’s day. =)

Supplies – pillow boxes, ribbon, tulle – Michaels; cardstock – DCWV, Paper Source; baker’s twine – Timeless Twine; eyelets – Making Memories

~ OZZ Feb Proj #3 – Farewell to Janet

For more Bind-it-All inspiration, please check out the following links:

Original Zutter Zisters Showcaze

2009-2010 Design Team Galleries

{Click on each picture for a closer look.}

Materials:

• Zutter – Bind-it-All,  1” white o-wire, 8” Chipboard Covers, Cover-Alls
• K&Company – patterned paper, cardstock stickers, epoxy stickers
• Making Memories – acrylic paint
• Foof-a-La – buttons
• Martha Stewart – glass beads
• Stampin’ Up! – ribbon
• American Crafts – alphabet stickers
• ribbon

~ Photo Collage Holiday Cards

I was busy this weekend!  I finished 50 handmade photo cards.  Another 20 or so to go.  Usually we opt for a family newsletter each year but we decided we’d go with cards for a change, much less work (for my hubby anyway) than writing a whole newsletter of blah, blah, blah…

Twilight news – The family made a short stop at the mall today to drop of the “Team Paul” bracelet to one of our fave people at Hot Topic.  She gushed over the bracelet like it was the best thing she’s gotten.  I’m glad it made her happy! =)  See post below this one to see the bracelets I made this past week.  On the topic of Twilight-New Moon, my obsession has grown into viewing the movie 11 times now.  {{{Diehard Twi-fan.}}} 

Stuff:  PaperSource – cardstock; Making Memories – patterned paper, embellishments; Stampin’ Up! – ribbon

~ OZZ Nov Proj #1 – Trick or Treat

 

 

 

For more Bind-it-All inspiration, please check out the following links:

Original Zutter Zisters Showcaze

2009-2010 Design Team Galleries

Supplies:

• Zutter Innovative – 1” black o-wire
• Making Memories – patterned paper collection, glittered foam stickers, adhesive glass 
• 7 Gypsies – clipboard hardware
• K & Company – chipboard title
• Little Yellow Bicycle – chipboard frame
• Tattered Angels – cardstock checklist
• Bazzill Basics – chipboard
• Dymo – label
• Adirondack – acrylic paint
• Stampin’ Up! – ribbon, ink
• eFavor – organza ribbon

~ OZZ Nov Proj #2 – October 31

For more Bind-it-All inspiration, please check out the following links:

Original Zutter Zisters Showcaze

2009-2010 Design Team Galleries

Supplies: 

• Zutter Innovative – 1” black o-wire, Perfect Closure, 8” Acrylic Cover
• Fancy Pants – patterned paper
• Little Yellow Bicycle – rub-ons, stickers, epoxy buttons
• Making Memories – adhesive glass
• K & Company – chipboard sticker, rub-ons
• Tattered Angels – chipboard tiles
• Adirondack – acrylic paint 

~ WCMD Challenge

I issued a World Card Making Day Challenge in the Zutter Zisters Ning Board earlier this month.  Here is the card I made for inspiration.  The only requirements were (1) it was a card or card-like project and (2) that it used Zutter products.

 

Run-down on how I made this card –Instead of using the Canvas Cover, which I thought was a bit too thick for a card projects, I tore off the canvas from the cover itself.  I inked the canvas with two shades of orange and two shades of green then crumpled it up and inked a little bit more.  The patterned papers were sewn onto the canvas.  Once all of the other sewing details were added, I added the canvas to the Acrylic Cover with rivets.  Rub-ons, flower and foam letters were added and the ribbon was the last addition.  The little pocket will hold a tag and gift card.

Stuff:  Zutter Innovative/Bind-it-All – Acrylic Cover, Canvas Cover, rivets; My Mind’s Eye – patterned paper; Prima – flowers; American Crafts – foam letters; Making Memories – rub-ons; We R Memory Keepers – large eyelet; Stampin’ Up! – ink; eFavor – ribbon

~ Halloween BIA Post-it Note Holders

The road to recovery from my ACL reconstruction has been a sore but not -so-long journey.  I have great physical therapists and assistants who have helped me week after week.  Soon my time with them will come to an end so I wanted to make them a little parting gift to thank each of them for the time they’ve spent with me.  Here are the ones I finished today.  Four down, five to go.

Stuff:  Zutter Innovative/Bind-it-All – 3/4″ antique silver o-wire; Bazzill – chipboard, cardstock; K & Company – patterned paper, stickers; Making Memories – acrylic paint

~ 4th of July BIA Minibooks

I had so much fun on July 4th weekend that I wanted to share the memories with my two brothers and their families.  Here are a couple of 5″ chipboard books I made using the Bind-it-All (of course!), a tabbed chipboard album (that I split to make two books out of one) and pictures I took of the family.  A larger book I made for my parents will be posted to the Zutter Zisters site and on my blog at the end of July, so come back and take a peek then.

Jimmy & Karen’s Book

 

 

 

Michael & Jessica’s Book

 

 

 

 

Stuff:  Zutter Innovative – 1″ white o-ring;  Creek Bank Creations – tabbed chipboard album; Scenic Route – paper collection, chipboard embellishments and stickers; Bazzill – cardstock; Doodlebug – gems; Stampin’ Up! – ink, ribbon; Making Memories – acrylic paint

~ Mini Minibook, More Surgery News and Twilight

This little book is probably the littlest one I’ve ever made.  It measures about 3 1/2″ square.  I might actually make more of these to give to my hubby’s family members at a family reunion next month.  Clear Scraps has the cutest little kits now with chipboard and acrylic pieces.  I sandwiched the tabbed chipboard pieces with matching acrylic covers.  I printed the photos in wallet size and trimmed them just a bit.

{Click on each of the smaller pictures for a closer look.}

 

Just another week ’til the Twilight DVD comes out!  AAAAAAHHHH!  I’m so excited I can’t stand it.  Even my 10 year old son is looking forward to the Hot Topic DVD release party next Friday.  (So excited!)

Alrighty, for the more unsavory news–I need to have my gallbladder taken out.  I didn’t realize the various pains I had been experiencing for months now were all related to gallstones in my gallbladder.  Geez.  Anyway, I’ll post something again about it after I meet with the surgeon next week.

One last thing!  If you’d like to join my class on the All Moments Remembered member board, please sign-up before March 30.  If you are unable to make it, just drop me a line and I’ll send you the PDF file with full directions, supply and tool list.  Send your email to leasanders@yahoo.com with the subject line “Living Simply PDF”.

Stuff:  Zutter – o-wire; Clear Scraps – chipboard and acrylic pieces; My Mind’s Eye – patterned paper collection, cardstock shapes; Lil’ Davis Designs – stickers; K & Company – clear sticker, rub-on; Cloud9 – Rain Dots; Stampin’ Up! – rub-on; Making Memories – acrylic paint; ribbon 

~ Father’s Day Accordian Album

Here is my submission for the Fiskars Crafts Father’s Day Contest.  I made this one for my dear hubby, a wonderful father to our two children. 

I purposely wanted this to look busy and messy by painting over the smooth lines of the photos and around embellishments in a hap-hazard way and randomly adding fabric stickers at angles.   Alas, the album is too “fat” to stick into the little box holder that came with the album.  Not to worry, I’ll use the box for a different project. =)

Click on each picture for a better look.

Stuff:  accordian album – Creative Imaginations; paint – Making Memories, paper collection, epoxy stickers, sticker ribbon – Little Yellow Bicycle; gems – Doodlebug; rub-ons – Daisy D’s; extra large eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; grungeboard – Tim Holtz

P.S. Happy Belated Father’s Day

~ Mini-Mini (AKA Teeny Tiny Minibook)

 

Don’t let the pictures fool you!  This pretty little mini-mini is only 3 1/2″ square.  It is perfect to display small square photos from the Epson PictureMate.  This project made frugal use of the three sheets of Cosmo Cricket “Dutch Girl” paper that a great friend and Fiskateer, Lisa Falduto, sent me some time ago to play with.  Though the project is small, it packs a big punch!

Stuff:  paper collection and die cuts – Cosmo Cricket; chipboard squares, ink, ribbon, die cut flowers – Stampin’ Up!; rings – 7 Gypsies, extra large eyelet – We R Memory Keepers; paint – Making Memories

~ Engagement Mini Album

A son of a dear friend of ours from Naples, Italy, is getting married in a couple of weeks.  Instead of getting an impractical gift for the two young lovebirds, we’ve decided to give them a gift they can use (money always works, right?).  Along with the monetary gift, I wanted to give Manny and Nancy a small mini album to scrap and journal a few of their engagement photos.

 

Stuff:  paper collection, chipboard, chipboard stickers – Cosmo Cricket; rings – 7 Gypsies, extra large eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; grungeboard – Tim Holtz; flowers – Bazzill; paint – Making Memories

~ Funky Blinged-out Purse

Funky, huh?  My explanation?  I don’t know…I made this one in the dark last night.  (hee hee)  I was surprised when I got a good look at it this morning.  It is a bit different than my usual crafts but it is good to try something different once in a while.  This is my first project using Pink Paislee. 

Click on each of the pictures for a closer look.

 

Stuff:  purse – Creative Imaginations; paper collection – Pink Paislee; fabric flowers, hat pin and ribbon – Stampin’ Up!; bling – Heidi Swapp and Doodlebug; paint – Making Memories; rain dots – Cloud 9

~ Garden-themed Hanging Album

Using the pictures I took from our Botanic Garden trip, I made a hanging album using a Kaiser Craft wood product and K & Company paper collection.

Though the paper collection is a bit Christmas-y with red and green, I think it worked well overall with the theme of plants and flowers from the gardens.

I really like how this turned out!  It’ll probably end up another gift for one of the grandparents. =)

Click on each of the thumbnails below for a closer look at seach section.

Stuff:  wood hanging frame – Kaiser Craft; paper collection – K & Company; ribbon – Stampin’ Up!; felt flowers – Creative Imaginations; paint – Making Memories 

 

~ I’m back…sick, but back…

It was nice to have family over but not so nice that they were sick while they were here.  So, guess what–they left me with a parting gift of a horrible hacking cough and dizziness.  Oh well, those are the breaks!  The Cloud 9 Sunrise Smoothie paper collection used in these crafts are from a birthday gift given to me by my brother and sis-in-law. =) 

Here are two projects in one – a decorated wood cigar box and a minibook.  The paper on the box is mod podged on.  The minibook is 7″ x 7″.

Close up of the top of the cigar box.

Close up of the open cigar box with the minibook inside.

Close up of the minibook cover.

Stuff:  patterned paper, chipboard stickers, journaling tag – Cloud 9; felt flowers – Creative Imaginations; rings and book boards – 7 Gypsies; extra large eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; paint – Making Memories, wooden box – Darice

~ “Get Happy” picture frame

My latest Cosmo Cricket project, a Mod Podge-covered wooden frame in “Get Happy” patterned papers, rub-ons and paint.  Yeah, that’s me and my hubby from Easter time.  Not the best picture but it was lying around (hee hee)! 

Click on the picture for a better look. =)

Stuff – wooden frame – Michael’s; patterned paper and rub-ons – Cosmo Cricket; paint – Making Memories; ribbon – Stampin’ Up!

~ Is there a dinosaur in the house?

Well, maybe there aren’t any dinosaurs inside but there sure are dinosaurs outside the house!  Here is another boy-themed craft, a paper mache house covered in the Basic Grey “Archaic” collection of patterned papers and chipboard stickers.

 

Click on each picture for a closer look.

Afternoon P.S. —  Basic Grey chose my dino house to include in their online gallery!  Hooray – here is the link – http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/idea_gallery.php?cPath=81

Stuff:  paper mache box – no brand; paint – Making Memories; patterned paper and chipboard stickers – Basic Grey

~ Whatever!

I made this craft for Scrap Crazy Week on the Fiskateers site.  I covered an inexpensive wooden container with Making Memories paint, Cosmo Cricket “Get Happy” patterned paper and diecuts. 

This paper collection has a bit of an attitude.  I gave my little boy the choice of “You make me happy,” or “Whatever it is – I didn’t do it!”  You can see which one he picked. =)

Stuff:  wooden container – Michael’s; paint – Making Memories; patterned paper and die cuts – Cosmo Cricket; permanent marker – Bic 

 

~ Mr. Roboto Revisited

Here are a couple of inexpensive wooden star containers that I covered in paint and one of the newer Cosmo Cricket lines – Cogsmo.  The patterns are very boyish, loud and fun. 

The robot prints remind me of that old song from the 80’s.  Good thing I got pictures of these.  Before I know it, my little one will swipe them and put them in his room to collect his boyish finds.

Are you channeling your inner Roboto?

 

Stuff:  wooden star containers – Michael’s; patterned papers – Cosmo Cricket; paint – Making Memories; ink – Stampin’ Up!

 

~ 2009 Calendar (yes, 2009!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on each picture for a better look.

I noticed that my last several posts have been flowers, mostly pink with a lot of curves and swirls.  Well, no more!  My latest project is a very square, earthy, travel-themed 2009 calendar.  Yes, it is a little early for 2009 but I had a yearning for something completely different than the flowery projects I’ve been doing lately.  Not to worry, I will return to my girlish style…I just needed to break from my norm.  Though you can’t really see it, the repeated words of each month are printed on transparencies I bought from an office supply store.  Scale – the calendar stickers are less than 2 x 2 inches and I trimmed the book boards down to 4 x 4 inches. 

  

Stuff:  book boards and rings – 7 Gypsies; patterned paper and embellishments – Making Memories; calendar stickers – EK Success; ink and ribbon – Stampin’ Up! 

~ Bugs & Flowers Minibook

Flowers and cute bugs are a great inspiration!  I made this project while I was home with sick kiddies yesterday.  (Today, I’m not feeling that great–I guess I caught my kids’ “bugs”.)  I took a pressboard occasion planner from Kaiser Craft and turned it into a minibook covered in flowers, bugs, ribbon and bling!  Couldn’t make up my mind which collection I was going to use, so I married both SEI Doodley-Do Girl and Doodley-Do Boy sets of patterned papers, stickers and tags and threw in the Fiskars Threading Water punch for design.

   

Click on each picture for a closer look!

   

Stuff:  pressboard occasion planner – Kaiser Craft; patterned paper, stickers, tags – SEI; bling – Heidi Swapp and Doodlebug; chipboard letters – Heidi Swapp; ribbon – American Crafts and eFavor; rings – 7 Gypsies; ink – Stampin’ Up! paint – Making Memories 

~ Felt Challenge

I decorated an otherwise ho-hum paper mache box and album last night with a bit of felt flair, Cloud 9 Chocolate Chalet page kit, Threading Water border punch and some felt flowers that were dying to be scrapped!  Just in time, too–There is a felt challenge on another blog.  See link here:  Felt Challenge.

    

Stuff:  paper mache – generic from Frugalities; plain chipboard – Grafix;  patterned paper, chipboard embellishments, rain dots, ribbon –  Cloud 9; twill ribbon and smaller felt flowers – Stampin’ Up!; large puffy felt flowers – Creative Imaginations; extra large eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; rings – 7 Gypsies; paint and button brads – Making Memories

~ Easter Purse and Mini Album

 

Happy Easter, everyone!  I was inspired once again by Fiskalead May’s Lovely Challenge.  This project is a small purse with matching accordian mini album.  I used Fiskars scalloped deco scissors and one of the newer embossing border punches – A Dozen Roses.  I must emphasize and give snaps–use Glue Arts High Tac adhesive to keep chipboard pieces adhered together.  I really like how this one turned out and I hope my parents like this, too, because I’m sending it to them filled with pictures as soon as I get to printing! 

     

Click each of the thumbnails for a closer look. =) 

   

Update 03/26 – Just finished putting the pictures and embellishments in the accordian album and it is heartbreaking to give this project away!  It’s okay though, it’ll stay in the family! =) 

Stuff:  purse and album – 7 Gypsies; paper, rub-ons, stickers and fabric-covered buttons – K & Company; ribbon – Stampin’ Up!; paint – Making Memories

P.S. Happy Birthday to my Mom – March 27! 

~ Whimsical Chipboard Panda Card

My original inspiration for this came from Fiskateer #3405 Pinky’s Owl Card.  After visiting Washington, D.C. for a short day trip, I decided I wanted to make a panda today and not an owl.  The cherry blossoms are starting to bloom which made me think of pandas (don’t know why–they’re unrelated)!  I added a little more style to the pocket in the back of the card with the new Fiskars Threading Water punch. =)

I’ll post an attachment for the template to use to cut the different chipboard pieces later.  Just check back a little later.

P.S.  I needed to post these pics quick.  My kiddies were ready to run off with these panda cards. =)  I personalized them with stickers spelling out their names on the green pockets after I posted the pics.

 

Stuff:  chipboard circle and cardstock – Bazzill; medium weight chipboard – Grafix; paint – Making Memories; patterned paper – Basic Grey; ink and ribbon – Stampin’ Up!; eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; acrylic tags – my local LSS 

~ Quirky Acrylic Mini Album

Here is the second project I worked on yesterday.  I admit that it looks a little unusual–the straight lines of trimmed paper covered in paint and Perfect Pearls.  Not sure what possessed me to grab paint and a brush after I laid all of the tidy straight-trimmed paper to the acrylic pages.   The effect is…hmmm…I dunno how to describe it (kid-artsy) but in the end I really liked this quirky album. =)

Stuff:  acrylic minibook – Rusty Pickle; patterned and embossed paper, epoxy embellishments – Love, Elsie; ribbon – Stampin’ Up! – paint – Making Memories; rings – 7 Gypsies

~ Grunged-up Board Book

I made this book over the course of three nights — I adhered patterned paper, inked, stamped, inked some more, painted, stamped some more and added Perfect Pearls to both the pages you see and ones that you don’t see.  

Every page has pull out tabs for extra pictures or journaling.  Ribbons and eyelets are added to those pieces that pull out.  The last bit was adding the ribbon and grungeboard to the cover.  The eyelets in the grungeboard were filled in with a clear glaze.

Feeling very inspired from Tim Holtz’ glimmer mist concoction, I might try it this weekend on some white book board and see what results I get.  Yes!  Another board book. =)  We’ll see…I might end up making something else.

Stuff:  board book – Creative Imaginations; patterned paper – Basic Grey; ink and ribbon – Stampin’ Up!; paint – Making Memories; eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; Perfect Pearls; Grungeboard 

~ Extreme Makeover for Coasters – Part 3

I couldn’t resist–just one more coaster book to complete my set of 3!  I made this one a while back but didn’t get around to posting it until today.  I used the Fiskars sunburst border punch for extra embellishing.

Click on the links to see the first two coaster minibooks: Part 1,  Part 2 

Stuff:  paint – Making Memories; patterned paper – Basic Grey and Bohemia; extra large eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; rings – Staples; ribbon and ribbon charm – Stampin’ Up!

~ “Extreme Makeover” for Outback Coasters – Part 2

Well, all is not wasted with me being home from work with a bad tummy bug.  Not only did the friendly UPS guy deliver a large Stampin’ Up! order that I’ve been waiting for, I was also able to make another coaster minibook from restaurant coasters I mentioned in the previous post  (see the “Before” in the post below).  My hubby tells me that the Outback police are going to come and get me!

Stuff:  paint – Making Memories; ink and stamps – Stampin’ Up!; patterned paper – Basic Grey; extra large eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; rings – 7 Gypsies; felt flower – Creative Cafe/Imaginations

AFTER – Part 2

~ “Extreme Makeover” for Outback Coasters

BEFORE – just regular old Outback Restaurant coasters 

AFTER – sweet little minibook 

Oh, the places where you find your next inspiration…  The source of inspiration this weekend was Outback.  (Y’know, mate, the restaurant.)

As my hubby and I waited and chatted, I eyeballed a stack of 4″ x 4″ drink coasters.  I thought to myself, “Hmmm…this is thin chipboard.  I can do something with this.  A little bit of paint, paper, blah, blah, blah…”  Much to hubby’s dismay, I took a small stackful of the coasters and brought them home.  A little bit of paint, paper, ink, mod podge, hardware and new life was breathed into the previously lackluster coasters.

Stuff:  paint – Making Memories; ink – Stampin’ Up!; patterned paper – Basic Grey; extra large eyelets – We R Memory Keepers; rings – 7 Gypsies