YEAR BOOK JOURNAL MEMORY BOOK

THIS YEAR BOOK WAS MADE FOR MY NIECE FOR HER START AT BIG SCHOOL. HER MUM AND NAN WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO ADD THOSE PICTURE THAT YOU WANT TO KEEP AS REMINDERS AS THE TIME GOES SO QUICKLY. THESE BOOKS CAN BE PERSONALIZED WITH ANY NAME THEY CAN BE MADE FOR ALL AGES SO IF YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER OR GRAND-DAUGHTER ABOUT TO HAVE A LEAVING BALL OR GRADUATE IT WOULD WORK EQUALLY AS WELL THE INSIDE COVER HAS A STORAGE SECTION FOR PHOTOS AND MEMORABILIA THE MIDDLE SECTION HAS NINE PAGES PLUS SOME ADDITIONAL FLAPS SO WILL TAKE UP TO 15 PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE BACK PAGE HAS STORAGE FLAPS IDEAL FOR TICKETS AND TAGS THE PAGES CAN BE DECORATED WITH TEDDIES FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN OR BUTTERFLIES AND FLOWERS FOR TEENS A GREAT KEEPSAKE OR JOURNAL

EASEL CARD with DRAWER AND BOX

Another make over my couple of dayS off. I had seen it while checking out You Tube and thought I would have a go. Lovely idea if you want to give a small bracelet, earrings or little gift.

Check out http:papercraftbutton.blogspot.com for details of how to make this or see papercraftbutton on Youtube

NEW ALBUM WITH K & CO PAPERS

 I have just finished a great album, based on many shared videos on You Tube so thank you to everyone for their inspiration.
This one has lots of lovely added pages and hours of love putting it together. Like all my makes the joy is in making and  then there is the problem of storing or selling. I will do more fayres once I retire, but for now I am selling on Etsy and Ebay

Just a selection of 6 of the pages, For a description of each page layout check out my Etsy listing.

SMOOSHING with INKA GOLD

In April I posted about my love of Inka Gold by Decor. Check out the link to the You tube and the smooshing technique. These are the results (very simple to achieve this effect).

First try at smooshing

I then matted the result for use on a card

CARTON BOX WITH LID

Here is a picture of the carton box with lid and belly band, I talked about yesterday.
The whole box is made from a sheet of 12 x 12 card and then a band of ribbon slides over to hold it together.

An effective gift box. I find I make the best looking boxes when I coordinate all the different aspects of the box before I start. So whether you want to start with a piece of card and make the belly band from matching ribbon or card, or start with the belly-band & embellishment and match the card, an eye on the end look is where you want to start.

I started with the card and then matched the ribbon and flower 

Great scrapbook pages

So here I am on  a couple of days off work. Yesterday I spent a three hours with my sister and we crafted and chatted. My sister wanted to make boxes and needed a reminder of the carton box we make with a lid and belly-band, and then I showed her the flip-top boxes that I wrote about in April  

Today after going out shopping and to lunch with hubby I am hoping to finish my biggest scrapbook yet. I had made several pull-out pages and then discovered on You-tube a great demo on 10 different scrapbook pages each with storage sleeves and tag space. A big thank you to Faithful designs by Christy for sharing these 10 designs and how to put them together using 1 piece of 12 x 12  paper or card. I have added one of the designs to finish this album having already made a few other of the page layouts for a smaller album I am making in lunch breaks at work.

This is how it sits on the 7.5" square page of the album

When you open it up it has 2 sections for tags on the right that lift up for another 6" page and on the left side is a photo holder just slide the photo under the corners

Do take a look at Christy's You-tube video it is easy to follow with great results.

10 Things I would not be without in my Craft room Continued

A few days ago I gave you my favourite item to use
The Paper Trimmer by Fiskar

Here are items 2 -5

2. Sizzix Die Cutting Machine: I have the Sizzix Big Shot and the Big Shot Plus for the 12" A4 Platform. I have tried other machines such as Cuttlebug, Grand Calibur, etc I came back to the Big Shot as for me this seems to cut best first time around on most of my dies I do not need a shim, and after much research I went back to the Big Shot Plus for the large Platform.
When it came to purchase this machine I shopped around and went to several  stores to look at other machines and then to HobbyCraft at Bristol. They had a great deal on the starter kit with the BSP and thanks to a fellow crafter I was talking to in the store I ordered on line and got another 20% discount as a first time customer. I do  not use it unless I need the bigger platform, as a canny crafter I have an eye on the cost of the cutting boards, but I love my Sizzix machines and it would take a lot to get me onto another machine.

Sizzix Big Shot Plus and the  8"page with edge cut 

3. Heartfelt Creations stamps and die combo: The Floral Lace in particular but I have the Poppy and the Chrysanthemum set as well. Probably these are coming high on hte list as they are relatively new to my collection so a recent must have.

Flower made using the Floral lace die 

4. Tim Holtz Glossy Accents: would not be without this product in my stash as it  dries clear and is fast setting. It has a fine nozzle so is great for fancy die cuts

5. Crop A dile: Not the item I use most often but as it punches into a 12" piece of card stock and will make holes in anything from plastic, thin metal and leather as well as set eyelets, I woudl not be without it.

TIDY UP FIND

In my mad tidy up last week I have came across a lovely mini book I made some time ago.
This one has been made with plain cream A3 heavy paper going on card stock to produce a 4" x 4"
mini book

The book was then given a cardboard cover which in this case I have used K & Co papers and decorated it with a ribbon and key to hold it together.

You can make mini books with printed pages but this was made with plain paper to enable it to be used as a notebook/journal, autograph book or mini album.

10 Things I would not be without in the craft room

Over the next couple of weeks I will add the 10 most loved and used things in my craft room. Starting with the most used and loved.

1. Fiskar Paper Cutter

This is an old style and the numbers are wearing off, but I cannot find another cutter that allows me to cut and emboss folding lines as easily. Alas the new cutters have a wire in the groove so embossing is no longer an option. I hope FIskars will revert back to the old style at a later date to allow one tool. 

For instance making a pop up card is so simple with this cutter. Cut the A4card to 16cm deep, put it back under the ruler and score on hte long side, at 7,14,21, and 28cm
Turn and score at 9cm
Basic card made in a minute ready to decorate

PRETTY BOX FOR BANK HOLIDAY

A Bank holiday so the weather is awful, but that makes for a cheerful crafty day.
I was clearing my desk to try smooshing with Inka Gold and came across a kit for a pretty box I was making a few months ago. Smooshing done and card drying I decided to experiment with a smaller box to match the one I had cut out
  

Original template This box is 8cm Square and 4cm Deep

New Box is 6cm square and 2.5cm deep 

Although the two do not match having been made several months apart they look cute together and you get the idea

Kits for the bigger box can be purchased from my Etsy shop  Or if you would like to leave me a comment and contact me I will happily email you the instructions for the bigger box.

When I have some more time I will use the card from the smooshing session to make a card or other paper-craft item for you to see. Happy holiday. Dee