Last Change to Subscribe and get a chance for the Goodie bag

Hi Crafters

Today is the last day for anyone who would like the chance to win some crafted items shown on my blog. Simply click on the follow button at the top of the page to be added to the drawer. The drawer ends tonight at midnight. 

Although the blog has had 190 views in the last month only 2 of you have subscribed and so the chances of winning are currently very high. 

In case you were wondering the bag now has the following items inside

Shabby Chic Folder
Covered Book
3 Star Die Cuts 
Mini Album  with Santoro Gorjuss papers
2 x Matchbooks
Triangular Box
TeaTime Treat holder

Good Luck 

Dee

TeaTime Treat - Using up your Stash Project 8

Hi Crafters

Today I have a quick project for you in my series using up your stash. I came across this whilst clearing out some craft boxes and I had made a bunch for a craft fayre. I had originally used them to give jewellery gifts, but I think if I was going to make them again I would add teabags and a treat (biscuits or chocolate) as it would sit well in the little carton

As it uses 8 x 8 papers I thought it would be ideal for this series.

As you can see the front has a crossover section that takes a card 
The back is the same and this is where you can add the gift.

To make this you need one piece of 8 x 8 card
some scraps and decorations 
1 piece of ribbon


On the left side top corner Mark the card 1 1/4" & 51/4"  across and 1 1/4" & 5 1/4" down 
On the opposite right  side bottom corner mark 1 1/4" and 51/4" in  and 1 1/4" & 5 1/4" up

Put the card onto a score board in a diamond shape and score the marked 1/1/4" lines down either side of the top point 
Turn the card 180 degrees and score the 5/1/4" lines down 
Burnish all the score lines 
Putting the card down in a diamond shape again - fold in both sides . The points should sit on the scored line 
Once they are folded in, tune over and fold up the front and back, this will give you the cross-over front and back 
Punch a hole in the top of both sides  and thread through a piece of coordinating ribbon to hold it together and decorate 
Cut a piece of card 3 3/8" wide and 3" tall 
Decorate the top - this can be used to send your message
Use the flaps front and back to add your gift

Ideas for packaging
Brooches
Teabags and biscuits
Notelets etc
Dee

Envelope Folder - Using up your stash Project 7

Hello Crafters

Back today with another quick project to use up your stash.

I had A4 envelopes left over form some large cards I had used for some other projects, but if you do not have these you could use a good quality A4 envelope .

Required

A4 Envelope

2 sheets of 12 x 12 card

1 piece of lace to edge the flap

Measure front and back and cut pieces of card to cover , leaving a small border

Measure the flap and cut 2 pieces to match the shape, although they can be longer than the existing flap.

Glue one piece on and cut and glue with Pritt stick or hot-glue gun to the lower edge of the flap

Glue the lining piece of card over the top

It is easiest to use ribbon to close the envelope as this allows for some expansion and is less likely to rip than adding pins. You could use a large magnetic clasp but this needs to be added before completing the flap, to allow the back of the clasps to be covered.

 As I love pretty stationery, this will be a welcome addition to my writing papers or I may use it to store my store vouchers or bills.

As these can be made very quickly you could make half a dozen to store your craft stickers etc or wrap the stack with ribbon and give to a crafting friend. 

Simple Triangle box - Using up your stash Project 6

Hello Crafters

I have been busy making paper flowers and perhaps I will show some in another post but today's craft is a simple triangle box to use up your stash of card 
These can be made any size but the usual formula is 2/3 of the width as the length
So using a 12 x 12 paper cut to 8 x 12 
Fold in half along the 12" side and mark the half way (4") along the 8" side top and bottom Score from the centre fold outside edge to the marked middle at the top and bottom on both sides 
This leaves a diamond in the middle with 4 corner flaps

Fold in half and fold the side panels over each other to form your triangular box   
Punch holes in the centre of the side panels where they cross over and thread ribbon through as a closure.

Decorate the front
I have used paper flowers and ribbon that matches the bow at the top on a scalloped circle.

These boxes are great for little gifts. this one measures 8" along the bottom and 7" on the sides and would hold nearly a small box of roses or several small bars of chocolate, a scarf etc, and I made this (without the decorations) in just 10 minutes.

Very handy to have ready to use for that last minute present as they can be stored flat.

This one will be added to the goodie bag, good luck to anyone who subscribes to my blog before the end of July. 

Matchbooks - Using up your Stash Project 5

Hi Crafty Friends

Just a quick little project today No 5 in the series of Using up your stash.

This is a little different as it really uses up those odd pieces of card you pop under the desk or in a box when you are making a batch of items,(because they will come in handy one day).
It is called a Matchbook as it resembles the card folders that hold matches and fits into pockets and handbags in the same way
This idea came from Scrimpingmommy.com via Youtube.

It really is a great way to use up the scraps in your box and to have something to give away, or swap with other crafters, or a little something to Hi, or thank you.

You will need: 

Some notepaper
Strips of card at least 6cm wide and 10 - 12" long (sorry but these were the measurements I used,  I flit from cm to inches all the time)
a small tag punch or die
some embellishments (again i used some items that had been in a caddy on the desk.

• Get your scraps out the box and sort into useful pieces for the matchbook base and then pieces that you can cut the tag from that will coordinate.
• Start with making some small notepads by cutting up your notepaper into strips approx 4cm wide the finished pieces need to be about 9-10cm long, I folded over strips from a  shopping list pad until I had 20 pieces to write on and then staples them together 
• Next cut the strips of card 25cm long and 6cm wide, and score at  10cm 10.5cm and 21.5.

Round all the corners 
Glue the base of the mini notepad you have made and stick to the middle section of the matchbook
Put dimension stickers to the top section of the tag  
Fold the bottom section up over the notebook and position the tag with the unglued area over the flap end 

Decorate the front with any bits you have in your stash 

You can do these quite quickly and it helps to tidy the craft room at the same time.
Oh and of course there will be a couple added to the goodie bag for anyone subscribing to my Blog before the end of July. Simply click on the FOLLOW button at the top of the page. Happy Crafting
Dee

Christmas Folder - Using up your Stash 4

Hello 

Today something a little different in the series using up your stash. This is an idea that came from Lyriclover on Youtube. You have heard me mention her so many times, so I hope you take a look at her videos on YouTube as her tutorials are very good.

Christmas Folder
This is a simple idea and easily made. I have addded some contents to  make it more specific to the season but you can alter that around to suit.

Take 4 sheets of 12 x 12 papers 
Score 3" from the bottom on each piece and then score/fold each sheet in half 
Burnish the folds well
Fold up the scored 3"piece and then fold in half to make a folder
Choose which pieces you want to have on the outside and then placing one on top the other glue down
Once the book is together glue the sides of each folded up section to secure them and finish the folder.
Decorate as you wish 

As I have decided to make my folder all about Christmas, (using up one of my First Edition Christmas 12 x 12 stacks, I have made the internal sheets to go with the theme
When you open the folder the first double page holds a small notepad on the left and the right side can be left blank to store any notes/receipts, although I have added a matching photomat, and a greeting on the base

The next set of pages I have added black photomats to the left and some Anna Griffin Christmas Trees that can be made into tags, or you could just make some tags from scraps of card  

The next set of pages I have added calendar pages for November on the left and Dec on the right, so that any plans can be noted and no-one doublebooks

And the last double pages have the all important lists for card sending and recieving and present giving and recieving, This way you can can prepared take advantage of sales and know what you given in previous years so as not to repeat yourself. 

Other items you could add:

Christmas cards

Thank You notes 

Gift Voucher holders 

With this handy Folder you can get prepared for Christmas and use your stash of papers at the same time.

This folder can also be made from 8 x 8 paper. This size is often sitting in the cupboard as you not quite sure how to best use them. I actually prefer the finished size, as they will fit readily into most bags. 

This one is 6" x 4" and has yet to have any embellishments added.

I think I will make these for all my family as little gifts to give at the end of summer, in preparation for the holiday season

So thank  you for Lyriclover for the idea.

There may also be one added to the stash of goodies to win by following my blog in July.

Dee

Using Up Your Stash Project 3 Wallet Mini ALbum

Hi Crafters

Here we are with Project 3 of the series
Using up your stash.
This time a mini album in wallet style

I have used an A3 piece of card and then for the papers on the first album I used a 6 x 6 pad from a Santoro Gorjuss pad
The second pad was a very pretty 6.5 x 4.5 pad from Die Cuts with a View, called Mariposa. This is the perfect project to use this size pad. I have another one the same size and will probably finish that one as well. They were pads that were so pretty you take them out the cupboard and put them back to use another day, but now 7 years at least since I bought them it is probably time to use them up, rather reluctantly as you cannot get DCWV pads in this size very easily, (or in fact any size without paying a premium)

This is the Santoro Gorjuss papers they are so sweet, with night skys and Fly Away prints
Plus there are lovely tags on the inside of the box of papers that you can embellish with.

The DCWV wallet is pretty pastels with embossed butterflies and bird cages, so I have added the charm to match.

Both the Wallet Albums are for sale on Ebay, so you can see more pictures there on Happy-hippo03-2007

The summer is just getting better so I know a few of you will be doing less crafting for July & August, but keep popping back for new ideas and let me know what you think, I would love to get some comments. 

Dee

Using Up Your stash Project 2

Project 2 of Using up Your Paper Stash

Accordian Mini Album

This album uses

1 sheet of A3 card 
1 sheet of A4 card
6 x 6 papers from your stash

If you do not have any A3 card you can use  2 pieces of 12 x 12 instead

Score the A3 card at 6" down through the middle of the long side
Fold in half lengthways and then fold each half into the middle so that you now have a sheet of card with 8 sections. 
Cut up through the middle along 3 of the sections leaving the last one attached 
Fold accordian style from the right side ( the cut end, when you get to the uncut end fold over and continue accordian folds . 
Glue down the end pieces that you folded over to make an accordian book 
cover each section with your papers cutting the sheets 1cm smaller on both sides than the card panels 
Do  not cover the back page as this will be glued to the folder
With the A4 Card Score along the 12" side at 5.5" and 6.5" Fold over
You can cover the card if you wish with coordinating papers or choose card stock that goes with the paper stash you are using. 
Stick the accordian panels to the right side of the folder and make a pocket for the left side 
If unsure how to make a pocket cover an old envelope or add a pretty paperclip and some tags 
Decorate the front to complete a pretty mini album that uses up your stash and can be used to capture an event or hold holiday photos.

NB if you are using 12 x 12 papers score at 3.75", 7.5", 11.25
Turn and cut at 6". Use the end 3/4" to join the 2 pieces together
You may not want to use all 4 pieces as this will give you 12 panels and 24 sides to cover but you can stop at 9 how ever many you want for the album

Here is my completed mini. I had a stash of Santoro Gorjuss to use up and have made 2 albums, the other is wallet style and I will post this soon 
You can see on the left side I have added a flap and inside I made a mini book with the strips I had after cutting the panel pieces. It is small and cute and just right for keeping little secret notes 

This album will  be in the goodie bag 

Dee

Pretty Gift Box from Bargain papers

Hi Crafters 
As promised here is the first item made from the £1.99 12 x 12 pad bought yesterday

A simple but effective little gift box made from 2 squares of 6 x 6 card so 2 can be made from one sheet.
Plus as they are double sided you benefit from a pretty internal look as well.

The embellishment has been cut using a die from my AliExpress haul shown shown in my last post.

This makes the box perfect for a small birthday gift, or a celebration gift.
I will add 3 sets of the die-cuts to the goodie bag, so  why not subscribe to my blog before the end of July to be in with a chance to win the goodie bag.

Dee

New DIes from AliExpress

HI Everyone

Today I thought I would share my latest delivery from AliExpress.
I love buying this way as it is like Christmas.
Buying from China means great prices but having to wait for them to arrive. The good news is it is like Christmas throughout the year as the items pop through the door.

As you can see this haul brought me 2 sets of stamps 
and 4 sets of dies

There are 2 sets of die and stamp combo's 
1 Birds on a branch and the stamps have frienship sayings 
2 Happy Birthday with a star burst die. You cannot see it here but I will show it to you decorating a small box 
3 We have a cute Reindeer die which I will mostly use for tags 
4 A really Pretty set of Vintage Oval dies that I can use for topping cards and projects or for tags and the inner section can even be used to make hinges. 

These items were all ordered in June and delivered within 3 weeks. 
If you have any questions about the items please email me or to comment on my posts subscribe to my blog by pressing the FOLLOW button at the top of the page

I will be adding 3 of the Reindeer die-cuts to goodie bag

Dee

Bargain papers for those summer projects

Hi Crafters

Today I thought I would share a surprise bargain I have just picked up.

In Home Bargains  (my first visit to the Bridgwater Store), I picked up a 12 x 12 scrapbook pad for £1.99. It has 24 double sided sheets, okay they are not subtle but good enough for many projects

• Summer crafting with the children
• Large paper flowers to decorate the garden for a party
• Bunting ( although the Range sell bunting packs for £1 so check that out first)
• Making your templates
• Trial runs, I have just finished a new project and it took 4 pages of 12 x 12 before I had the right measurements and then the project itself uses another 4 sheets

Making boxes, there are 2 of each design so perfect for making gift boxes
Making cards simple cut in half and fold to make a 6 x 6 card, line with copy paper. 

Hope this gives you some ideas for summer crafting.

I also spotted mail bags A3 size 6 for 89p
Cheap Exercise books if you want to make junk journals and a note set that included a "Notes" pad "To Do List" pad and Sticky notes for 99p

I will be back with some items made from the pad over the next few weeks

Don't forget to subscribe by clicking on the FOLLOW button at the top of the page, to be in with a chance to win a goodie 
bag.

Dee

Using up your Paper Stash 1

Hi Crafters

Today starts a mini series of ideas to use up your paper stashes.
If you are anything like me you have masses of 6 x 6, 8 x8 and 12 x 12 pads in the cupboard, some partly used and some brand new, because they are just too lovely to use.

Well I hope to inspire you to get all your pads out, sort them and then have a go at making some new items, perhaps something you have not made before.

I was inspired by Lyriclover on YouTube, who is running a series on using up your paper stashes, I have no doubt she will be running her series for a while and there are already eight  videos, so why not check her out on YouTube for even more ideas.

Project One is a simple one to start with, Find a simple Journal book and cover with papers. I bought 2 standard Rhino Journals and covered them with quite heavy papers from Crafters Companion, it was actually an A3 sheet, so I did not need to join papers.

• Glue the back cover of the Journal on the outside and lay on your paper with the book open  cut around the paper allowing  2cm all the way around to fold over.
• Glue the front cover and fold the paper over so the binding seam has not glue on it and can remain flexible.
• Cut the corners at angles and cut v notches at the binding seam to allow the paper to fold in
• Fold all the sides over the edge of the journal and glue down
• Open the book up and measure the insides to cut matching papers to line the inside pages cut these 1cm shorter on both sides 

• Decorate as you want.

You could make these books into Junk Journals or Memory Books by stamping and adding items to the inside

On   the left hand book I made a flap to close the book and decorated it with a 3D flower from the K & Co range of stickers (using up more stash, it really is great to familiarize yourself with your stash, its like having Christmas in July) The flap holds with velcro, and I have added a pocket and tag 

The book on the right has a belly band and another 3D sticker from K & Co. Inside I have covered an A5 envelope with the lining paper, so there is a pocket to hold your memorabilia or photo's etc.

These make pretty gifts for a young person to write about their summer break and keep their memories, or for anyone who, like me, enjoys pretty stationery and making lists. 

Why not check back for more ideas throughout July and I will be adding some of the new makes to the stash of items to be sent to the winner of the drawer for new subscribers. If you want to be in the drawer click on the FOLLOW button at the top of the page. You have until the end of July.

Dee