ScrapHappy

Because I have absolutely nothing else to do...

Christmas Countdown Project #Who knows?

I know you are dying for something to do with all your free time today. Who cares about the presents to wrap, the turkey to cook, the stockings to fill? Drop it all and hide out from the hordes of Mongol relatives and have some crafty fun instead!

You'll need:
*A couple of 12x12 sheets of chipboard
*A mini spiral notebook
*Several sheets of patterned paper
*Adhesive
*Embellishments (rub-ons, etc.)
*Paper trimmer

Let's go!

Step one. Measure your mini notebook (don't include the spiral, just the page size).

Step two. The challenge wtih these little notebooks is how flimsy they are. They don't stand up to the ravages of my purse, let alone my children. I combatted this by reinforcing the covers with chipboard. Cut two pieces of chipboard to fit your covers.

Step three. Trim two pieces of patterned paper approx. 1" larger than your covers. Exact measurements are highly overrated. Adhere to the chipboard and trim the corners so you can miter them. Repeat with the other sheet.

Step four. Adhere the chipboard to the covers.

Step five. Fold corners over and adhere. Rinse and repeat.

Step six. Now we've reached the point in our proceedings where you take a deep breath and admire what you've accomplished so far. Aaah! This may actually turn out to be something you can use! How fun is that? You may not believe me, but when I embark on these projects, I'm doing so with a great deal of faith and not a little doubt in my skills... I take pictures, assuming that there will be something worth documenting, but I don't have it all planned out beforehand. I'm just winging it. Or, as my husband calls it, "Using the Force." Usually it works; sometimes it doesn't. Everytime it DOES work, I say a little prayer of thanks and get unexpectedly giddy. Right about now is one of those giddy moments.

Step seven. Cut a piece of coordinating patterned paper slightly smaller than your cover, and adhere to the inner cover of the book. Smile -- it looks cute! Repeat for the back cover.

Step eight. I like dividers in my thicker notebooks. Cut as many pieces of chipboard as you would like dividers. I left mine about 1/2" wider than the notebook pages so I could make little tabs.

Step nine. If desired, trace and cut tabs on the dividers. Cover with patterned paper on one side (unless you are one of those overachievers I so mercilessly mock. In that case, go ahead and cover both sides. But rest assured I will mock you). After they're done, adhere to an inner page of the notebook. I simply used my adhesive to stick 'em on.

Step ten. Decorate the cover. I put "Lots of stuff" because I like really descriptive, clever titles. Haha.

Step eleven. Using mini label stickers (I used 7Gypsies), label your dividers.

Step twelve. Relax! You are now perfectly organized.

It's Beginning to Feel a lot Like Monday

... and that must mean it's time for another

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN BONUS PROJECT!

Bonus #2... Kickin' Card Holder

For some reason that I cannot fathom, I don't have a photo of the completed project on my camera. And seeing as I am at Starbucks, I cannot just run upstairs and take one for you. So you will have to use your own little imaginations to extrapolate what the final effect is... and then when I get home I will take that photo and add it to the post!

ETA: Here it is! I got one photo in before my battery died. Ah, such is life.

But in the meantime...

Here is what you will need:

*A dozen (or so, depending on how many categories you use) 6x9" manila envelopes
*Six (or so) sheets of double-sided cardstock (or 12 [or so] half-sheets of single-sided) (I used American Crafts)
*Rub-on letters (I used Heidi Swapp)
*Ribbon (I used American Crafts)
*Felt flowers (I used American Crafts)
*Brads
*Binder ring (you can get plain metal ones from Office Depot)
*Adhesive (I used my Cheetah to adhere to the envelopes, and a regular tape runner to adhere the embellishments)
*Stapler
*Hole punch (I used my Crop-a-Dile)
*Circle punch
*Paper trimmer

Let's get going...

Step One. Gather your materials. Cut each sheet of patterned paper to two, 6x9" pieces. Save the odds and ends because you will want them for embellishing.

Step Two. Adhere the patterned paper to one side of the manila envelopes. You COULD cover both sides, but then you would be a blatant overachiever and we would have to mock you.

Step Three. Using the rub-ons, label each envelope with what kind of card it will contain. I ended up with ten categories: Love You, Happy Birthday, Congratulations, New Baby, Wedding, Sorrow, Thank You, Thinking of You, Miscellaneous, and Blank.

Step Four. Go ahead and take a little break right here to see how cute everything is shaping up. Appreciate your work -- Heaven knows my family doesn't! AHHAHAA.

Step Five. Punch out ten (or so) circles from the patterned paper scraps. Punch a hole in each, and add the felt flowers using the brads. I like to use a mixture of colors and not get to matchy-matchy, mostly because I am watching CSI and don't want to think about the order of things too much. Adhere the circles to your envelopes. Cute!

Step Six. If desired, cut 10 (or so) 6x1" strips of patterned paper and adhere to the top of the envelopes.

Step Seven. Cut a bunch of lengths of contrasting ribbon (I used three or four different kinds) and staple a tad to each envelope, varying placement. NOTE: You want to keep from stapling too far into the center of the envelope, or the cards will not fit after you are done. Just trust me on this one, it is the voice of experience speaking.

Step Eight. (NO PHOTO -- BAD DOBBY!) Hook all your envelopes on the binder ring, snap it closed, and call it a day. Whew, wasn't that fun??

Variations: Fill each envelope with a card or two of the category indicated and give it as a teacher gift... how cute would that be?

The Weather Outside Is...?

Definitely not too frightful here, but I am in California. So... understanding that many of you are living in colder climes, I figured you may need something to do to keep your hands busy (and warm).

I know you have all your Christmas presents done and wrapped and under the festively decorated tree... but here's a little something you can whip up for a last-minute gift or tuck away for Valentine's Day. You ARE getting ready for Valentine's Day, aren't you???

Christmas Countdown Extra-Credit Project #1:

Hipster Photo Charms

Supplies:

*Patera Deep Pendants in your choice of metals/sizes made by Nunn Design (click here for a list of online retail stores)

*Index prints (larger are better)

*Trimmer/scissors

*Diamond Glaze or UTEE (ultra-thick embossing element)

*Bead chain and fastener trimmed to preferred length

Step One: Using your choice of pendant as a template, cut a photo from your index sheet. You may need to trim a slightly larger piece of cardstock to mount the photo on, if the index print is too small.

Step Two: Mount the photo onto the cardstock if needed. A single swipe of adhesive is sufficient because the whole thing is going to be coated in UTEE or Diamond Glaze.

Step Three: Put a bit of a smear of Diamond Glaze in the base of the pendant. (If you are using UTEE, use a glue dot or something to stick the photo down). If you are the cautious type and are worried it will fall out, go ahead and use double-sided tape to stick it down (you are probably the type who insists on sitting bolt-upright on any  flight you take, for fear that the plane will plummet out of the sky if not for your constant vigilence).

Step Four: Pop in the photo.

Step Five: Coat the whole shebang with Diamond Glaze. Start at the edges and work your way in. As you can see here, the glaze will look murky when it is wet (I'm not THAT bad of a photographer!). It will become clear as it dries. Give it a good 12 hours to dry and harden. DO NOT (Let me repeat, DO NOT) try to speed the drying process by using your heat gun. It may seem like it is working, but the second your back is turned, strange things will happen, and when you look back again you will see weird globule-like things in your Diamond Glaze that will look like some sort of alien being has taken up residence. This will not be pleasant. So do yourself a favor and just let the darned thing dry. 12 hours isn't THAT long to wait!

NOTE: I recommend using Diamond Glaze instead of UTEE. For me, it is less work and gives a smoother finish (no loose granules to deal with). But if you insist... you will follow steps 1-4 above, then you will either heat your UTEE in a cute little heater thingy that Tim Holtz makes look so darned easy on his videos and then pour it into the pendant, taking care not to accidentally spill any on your fingers (which burns like the dickens)...

...Or you will pour a layer of UTEE granules over your photo in the pendant, and attempt to heat it with your heat gun, without spewing the UTEE everywhere. I was not successful in this quest, so now I have UTEE in places UTEE just should not be. I tried covering the pendant with a square of foil and heating through the foil, which provided a certain level of success, but not enough to make me say, "OH my gosh, this was so fun, I cannot wait to do it again!" Instead, I muttered, "Oh my gosh, why on earth did I buy this huge vat of UTEE? I will never use it again!"

But to each her own, so do what feels right. :)

Variations: Key chains. Kids' art shrunk down and sized to fit. New mom/grandma pendants... dried flowers, love notes, etc. etc. etc.

I love mine and wear it almost every day. I will be wearing it in Houston. You are coming to CKC Houston, aren't you??? Etta and Rachella will be there. :)

The Times...

  ...They are a'comin', to paraphrase  Bob.

And because they're coming so fast, we have

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN PROJECT #1

AKA the little darling "Reasons Why" book!

People often ask me where I get my inspiration. The truth is, I don't know! I will be walking around and something just grabs me. And one of my favorite place to troll for ideas is the dollar section of TCSTSNBN*. I saw this cute little calendar keychain (though why someone would buy a calendar so small you couldn't actually write anything on and hook it onto their purse or belt loop is beyond me... but who am I to ask why??) and I immediately knew I could create something cute. So I bought one.

*The Craft Store that Shall Not Be Named

Supplies:

-Silly keychain calendar

-Three pieces of coordinating cardstock (you will not need the whole sheet)

-Several sheets of coordinating patterned paper (ditto -- I used samples of the 7Gypsies papers they handed out at CHA. In fact, the ONLY free thing I've ever received from 7Gypsies, but I digress...)

-Rub-on alphas or stamps (I used American Crafts Minimarks)

-Rub-on numbers (I used 7Gypsies -- they came in a whole sheet and I only needed a few)

-3/8" circle punch

-Metal tabs (I used Heidi Swapp in orange and yellow)

-A variety of deco-edge scissors (I used Fiskars portable trimmer with changeable blades and Provo Craft scalloped scissors)

-Corner rounder (I used Creative Memories)

-2" square punch (I used EK Success)

-Adhesive (I used a plain ole' glue stick)

-Computer

Step One: Admire the lovely classic car on the cover of your calendar and bemoan the fact that you will be soon covering it up. Boohoo.

Step Two: Assemble your materials. Measure the cover and cut 12 squares of cardstock and 11 squares of patterned paper. (I ripped two months from my little calendar because I wanted to go with the "10 reasons" theme. You could just as easily do "11 reasons," or "12 reasons," or rip out half the book if you're making it for someone you really don't like all that much and you can't think of more than 5 or 6 reasons... but in that case you might want to reassess and make the book for someone else. I mean, it is a lot of work... but you decide).

Step Three: For the cover, use the pinking blade on the trimmer or your deco scissors to trim the bottom of the cardstock and adhere to cover.

Step Four: Adhere patterned paper and cardstock through the book, putting cardstock on the left-hand side and the covers. The right-hand side, through process of elimination, will be patterned paper. I bet you figured that out already.

Step Five: Realize that you got so wrapped up in the CSI New York episode you are watching (the one where the construction worker is killed from a frozen "poopsicle" falling from a plane on its descent into La Guardia) that you forgot to take pictures there for a minute. Rectify the situation by taking a cute -- though pretty much worthless -- "beauty" shot of the book all spread out.

Step Six: Go through the book and trim the pages to different lengths using the deco scissors, the corner rounders, and the trimmer blades.

Step Seven: Work on the cover. I mounted a small square of Scenic Route patterned paper and used the rub-ons to add the title (very original, don't you think?).

Step Eight: Using the circle punch and the metal tabs, add one tab per page and label with the rub-ons. Realize you got carried away for a minute again and forgot to take photos. Darned CSI.

Step Nine: Put CSI on pause and run into the other room to use the computer. Create a 2x2" text box in Word ("Insert" --> "text box"), choose a font and size you like, and type in your ten (or 11 or 12 or 6)  reasons. While you are there, resize corresponding photos to approximately 2x2" and print everything out.

Step Ten: Cut everything out. I chose to leave a white border on my photos so they would stand out a bit from the patterned paper.

Step Eleven: Adhere photos and text squares to corresponding pages.

Step Twelve: You're done! Put the keychain back on if you removed it and smile. Another present crossed off your list.

Note: I purposely kept this simple because it's for my husband. I was thinking about adding tags, ribbons, etc., but I want this to be something he can toss in his briefcase or suitcase while he's traveling, so I kept it really plain. No, I wasn't wimping out on you. It was a design decision! ;)

Variations: Just brainstorming here... a cute teacher book, new mom shower advice book, coupon book, etc... I am sure there are a million more uses but my brain is tired and my husband is leaving for Boston in less than 12 hours, so I'd better go downstairs and give this to him.

Two of a Kind

My husband just told me last night that he needs to go to Boston for work the week before Christmas. Normally, I would have lost it... because he obviously has lost touch with reality.

But this is not a normal year. You know why? Because I've been keeping up with the

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN!

And seeing as this is Project #2, that means I am only a couple of weeks away from having all my Christmas presents purchased or made, wrapped, and under the tree that I have already set up in our family room.

(And if you believe THAT, I have a pack of self-adhesive chipboard to sell you...)

Seriously, he will be gone. And I will be quite ticked off. But that's love for you, right? I will keep my sanity by thinking of all the fun I will have handling pre-holiday cooking, baking, and card-making, all by my little lonesome.

Let me just say that he owes me BIG and I am expecting some GOOD presents (I am already working on my list).

In the meantime, let's get to our project, shall we?

Here we have one super-sweet tag book for a loved one...

Supplies:

-Tag template from Starbucks

-Scraps of patterned paper and solid cardstock

-One larger piece of krafty-colored cardstock for the book

-Several 3-4" lengths of ribbon

-Two 10" lengths of ribbon

-Alpha stamp set

-Stamp pad

-Monogram sticker

-Rhinestones

-2" square punch

-1-1/4" round punch

-Trimmer

-Hole punch (Crop-a-Dile is best)

-Adhesive

Let's get started...

Step One: Grab a Tazo Tea tag mini-book from Starbucks (they're free!). While you are there, treat yourself to a skinny pumpkin latte. Have a sip for me. I have had this tag book for AGES, wanting to do something with it. Today was the day!

Step Two: Trace the tag book onto a sheet of krafty-colored cardstock (say that ten times fast!).

Step Three: Once it's traced, cut it out. (Just a note -- I trimmed around the larger rectangle with my trimmer, then used my scissors to cut out the notches).

Step Four: Crease the folds. NOTE: for this book, you want a gate fold rather than an accordian fold. Why? Because I said so. No, really. The accordian fold won't work with the ribbon closure. Trust me.

Step Five: Ink all edges. This is great for covering up any stray pencil marks.

Step Six: Gather together some complementary patterned paper scraps and cardstock.

Step Seven: Cut eight pieces of cardstock measuring 2x3". You could use several different colors if you like. Heck, far be it for me to tell you what to do! You could even use tissue paper. Or toilet paper. Or wrapping paper. I can't guarantee the outcome, but do what you like. You're a "growing up," as my three-year-old says.

Step Eight: Adhere one of the rectangles to the bottom part of each panel, front and back. Any ole' adhesive will do.

Steps Nine and Ten: Punch 2" squares from four different patterned papers. For some reason, even though my punch is labeled 2", it cuts smaller than that. One of those mysteries of the universe, I suppose. Anywhooo, punch and adhere to the top part of the cardstock rectangle on the INSIDE only of the tag book. Then use the circle punch to punch four cute faces. Adhere (if you will note, I did not adhere the circles all in the same place. I do this so no one can accuse me of being anal-retentive. Also, because if I cannot get each one exactly in the center of the square, it will drive me nuts. Better to be intentionally imperfect than to strive for imperfection and be found lacking. Or something like that). 

Step Eleven: Using the alpha stamps, stamp an appropriate caption to each photo. I was very creative and put my kids' names.

Step Twelve: Fold up the book and punch a hole in the top part of the tags.

Step Thirteen: Fold in the outer two tags and write a sweet note to the recipient.

(Take a break here to watch the climactic final scenes of CSI New York, which is not anywhere near as fabulous as the original, but will have to do while waiting for the next season to be released on DVD).

Step Fourteen: Fold the book up and place the monogram letter on the cover.

Step Fifteen: Pause for another moment to take phone call from husband who calls you from the airplane to inform you he must be gone NEXT week as well. Realize he is calling you from the airplane so you cannot throw your Crop-A-Dile at him (your aim is not that good). Then take calming breaths and add cute bling-bling to the cover.

Step Sixteen: Using a hole punch or anywhere punch, punch two holes on the seam between the first and second tags, and third and fourth tags. Try to keep them level as this is where the ribbon is going to go for the ties.

Step Seventeen: Tie ribbon at the top of each tag, and then take your two longer pieces of ribbon and thread them through the newly created holes thusly (did you know that "thusly" is a real word? Dictionary.com even tells us, "Some speakers and writers regard thusly as a pointless synonym for thus, and they avoid it or use it only for humorous effect." Therefore, it's obvious I was trying to be funny. Isn't it fun, all the things you learn here at ScrapHappy?)

Repeat on the other side.

Step Eighteen: Fold it all up, tie the ribbons, and smile. Take an Excedrin and treat yourself to a scoop or two of B&J's mint cookies 'n' cream. 

Variations: This project would be a cute coupon gift book as well, or a grandma's brag book. I made this one for our former nanny, who is like one of the family. She watched my oldest when he was a baby, and came back and took care of Callie and Ford, my nephew, for two years. We love our Randi!

Three French Hens...

That is a hint. Today's post is

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN PROJECT #3!!!

AKA The Mini Matisse Thank-You Note Collection

Okay, I may not be as organized as I'd like, but I am a militant thank-you note writer. And my kids have their notes out (usually) by New Year's. They may dress like rejects from the Beastie Boys, they may eat McDonald's a wee tad bit too often, they may talk like sailors, but THEY WRITE THEIR THANK-YOU NOTES!

Of course, the little one is too small to actually "write," so for her I created these little masterpieces. YOU CAN DO THIS.

Supplies:

Scannable artwork from your mini Matisse

Notecards (I use pre-folded ones from Die Cuts With a View) (what is with that name anyway?)

A few sheets of patterned paper (I used scraps from Anna Griffin and Scenic Route)

American Crafts "Kate" rub-on Minimarks

Scanner

Letter stamps (I used KI)

Scraps of cardstock

Stickles

Stamp pad

Trimmer

2" circle punch

Adhesive

Dimensional foam adhesive squares

Step One. Choose a lovely piece of artwork from you child. If you are like me, you have BOXES of the stuff. What a great way to use it!

Step Two. Scan it into your computer.

Step Three. On my computer, I can select the scan area... that's what I am doing here. This is great if you don't have PSE or another digital design program where you can crop. I added this photo merely because it makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

Step Four. Open a Word document and create an entire sheet of your child's masterpiece. I resized the artwork to about 2x2".

Step Five. Print on cardstock.

Step Five. Trim!

Step Six. Trim your patterned paper to 4.25"x1" and adhere to the left side of the card. Punch 2" circle from coordinating PP and adhere on top of strip. Cut cardstock to approx. 3" x 1 1/2" and adhere to lower right corner. (This is the photo where I was laying everything out to make sure it looked good).

Step Seven. Place the rub-ons on the cardstock. (NOTE: I have not yet adhered the mini Matisse masterpiece. It's just sitting there for placement purposes. If you have already done so, you are getting ahead of the rest of the class and need to slow down and stay with us! I used to hate it when the teacher would say that -- but in this case, I have a good reason.)

Step Eight. Place foam adhesive squares in each corner of the mini Matisse masterpiece. Yes, you could just adhere it flat, but I think this looks so much cooler... don't you? This is why I didn't want you zipping ahead and adhering the artwork down. Because you're popping it up, it would be difficult to use the rub-ons AFTER the artwork had already been adhered. Now, aren't you glad you trusted me??

Step Nine. Stamp your child's inital in the upper right corner of the card. Immediately decide this was a mistake and try to figure out some way to save the situation. Decide to call on the old adage, "When in doubt, reach for the bling" and grab your Stickles.

Step Ten. Stickle it up. Decide that it looks MUCH better.

Step 11. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. You get the picture.

Variations on a theme: I could see these as a great gift for Grandma (How cute would that be -- a whole collection of notecards using her grandchild's artwork??) Or what about for a teacher? Or if you are like me you are totally loco and have volunteered to be your child's room mom... and when you are looking for a gift for the kids to make for Christmas, Mother's Day, etc., this would be perfect!

If you do not have a scanner, you could simply give your child a set of 2x2" squares and ask him to decorate them. You could use stickers, stamps, etc.

HOW long until Christmas???

...Well, if you make this lil' cutie, you'll know EXACTLY how many days until the Big Man in Red comes down the chimney...

Voila! The Lil' Cutie Advent Book, AKA

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN PROJECT #4!!!

What you will need:
*A mini (wallet-sized) magnetic closure photo album (I got mine at TCSTSNBN for $1).

*Two sheets of holiday-themed patterned paper (I used Cosmo Cricket)

*One sheet of punch-out cardstock elements (again, Cosmo Cricket)

*One sheet of rub-ons

*Number stickers (I used Heidi Swapp metallic chipboard letters)

*Ribbon scraps

*Adhesive (I used my Cheetah from Xyron with permanent adhesive. For the smaller areas, I used a regular tape runner or the Xyron sticker maker).

*Trimmer

*Stapler

1. Measure your little book OPEN. Make note of the measurements. (When measuring for a project, I always write the numbers down. I have no head for numbers. This may beg the question why on earth I chose to work in finance upon leaving grad school, for which I have no good answer other than it seemed like a good idea at the time. I suffered through 365 days on Governor William Weld's budget staff, servicing the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Then I quit and moved back to California. Please note that the Bay State's fiscal situation got WORSE upon my departure, making me wonder if I actually know more about numbers than I give myself credit for. Hmmm. Something to ponder the next time I'm stuck in an elevator with no reading material).

2. Cut a piece of your choice of patterned paper about a half-inch larger all the way around.

3. Miter the corners on each end. (At CHA, one of the Make-and-Take ladies asked the assembled class of store owners to miter the corners on their altered book project. They all looked at her with blank expressions. When she explained what she meant, they acted like she had just asked them to remove their own brains with a runcible spoon.)

4. Cut a small slot in the paper at the end with the magnetic flap. Adhere.

5. For the magnetic flap closure, measure and cut a small piece of patterned paper just long enough to cover the flap. If you are anal, you can trim and round the ends. Adhere.

6. Cut two pieces of coordinating cardstock or patterned paper to fit in the front and back covers. Adhere.

7. Do a little test run. Close the book up and make sure the magnet holds through the cardstock. If it doesn't, I'm not sure what to tell you. So just cross your fingers and hope that it works. At this point you may decide to add a couple of staples to hold the cardstock on the tab. I did.

8. Take your leftover patterned paper and your sheet of punch-outs, and create 24 tags or small squares of paper that will fit in the holders on each page. Also punch out the file labels and anything else that looks like it may be useful. This is a great way to use up a bunch of old leftover cardstock and patterned paper from Christmases past.

9. Pile everything up and take a picture, just for fun.

10. Using the file labels, stickers, tabs, and rub-on numbers, label each page appropriately. You can do the count-down thing (starting with 24 and working backwards) or the count-up. I did the count-up so the page will correspond to the day of the month (one less thing for me to think about).

11. On each of the little tags or squares of paper, write a Christmas-related activity. Some of our family's favorite traditions: Go to the Christmas parade. Put up the lights. Take Christmas cookies to the fire station. Go caroling. Read "The Night Before Christmas." Mail letters to Santa. Do a good deed. Watch "Jingle All the Way" (my favorite Christmas movie of all time). Visit Santa. Buy Mom a bottle of Jack Daniels (just kidding).

12. Insert the tags in their proper spots. Close the book and put the "24" numbers on the cover.

13. Finish by embellishing the cover with other little items like rhinestones (of course!), etc.

Variations: This would also be a terrific "12 Days of Christmas" book for a special someone with giftcards on each of 12 days (or 24 days, if you are really generous. And if you are, I will gladly be your best friend). This would also make a great keepsake album for future years if you developed 24 wallet-sized photos of the year's Christmas season. Fun!

It's Monday...

And you know what that means. Another week closer to Christmas, and another

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN PROJECT!

Now this one is a little wacky, so just hang with me here. The results will be worth it, I promise.

Because if you do what I say, you can end up with this:

Otherwise known as Christmas Countdown Project #5, The Really Neat Magnetic Memo Board.

Supplies:

1 wire baker's cooling rack (mine is from Wilton, and it measures approx. 14" by 20". I bought it at The Crafts Store Which Shall Not Be Named (hereinafter referred to as TCSWSNBN) using -- of course -- my 40% coupon, which made it about $8.

Spray paint in your color of choice (contrary to what you may think, "Florists Spray" that comes in a spray can and looks EXACTLY like spray paint is not, in fact, spray paint. It is for spraying silk flowers. So if you bought it by accident, just get over it and shell out another $5 for the right stuff, seeing as spray paint -- and FLORISTS SPRAY -- is not returnable to TCSWSNBN). Because I am such a rebel, I chose glossy white paint.

ribbon

That's it!

1. Spray the top of the wire rack with the spray paint. Get in all the little nooks and crannies, and run like crazy when the wind shifts and threatens to spatter the paint on your new Polo sweatpants that you bought on sale at the outlet for $35. 

2. Flip the rack carefully over and repeat the process on the back side. Take a moment to appreciate how well you are doing, even though you have never used spray paint before.

3. When the sprinklers go on, grab the whole kit-and-caboodle and ask yourself why God finds it necessary to use you for his personal amusement. I mean, aren't there 6.2 billion OTHER people on the planet? Ask yourself what the chances are that the sprinklers (which are set to go off at 7 AM) have suddenly gone on at 2:20 PM.

4. Give up on existential questions and instead decide that it will make a good story on your blog. Give the whole rack a good spray just to make sure you got the whole thing, then let it dry (in a safe place, away from rogue sprinklers).

5. Once dry, retreat to your tiny (but sprinkler-free) craft closet. Grab some ribbon and begin threading it through the grid.

6. I am not sure why I have two of the same pictures here, but I will go with it. Please notice how I left extra ribbon at the ends so it can be tied in the corners. Cute, huh?

7. Decorate with additional ribbons, clips, etc. and add  your little doo-dads. The cool thing -- it's magnetic! Yeehaw!

I could see this as a great place to hang Christmas cards, display those cute little buttons you get and never know what to do with, tie on tags, etc. Ribbons (in a household with a mother who is more organized than I) could be swapped out and changed with the seasons. It would be a great present for a teenager. Have fun... and send me a picture!

Oh My @#$%!!!

Can it be true? Six weeks (plus five) until Christmas??? Well, time's a tickin'. But don't worry, I've got your back. That's why I've come up with this little doozy, otherwise known as

Christmas Countdown Project #6:

"The Little Things" mini-album

If you are like me, you have at least a handful of friends and/or relations who (gasp) DO NOT SCRAPBOOK. I know, it's strange but true. They have thus far resisted our attempts to convert them and fold them into the coven. Ah, well. There's always next year.

In the meantime, they might appreciate a little something to help them capture those everyday moments that might otherwise go undocumented. You know, the funny things the kids say. The way the hubby always turns the car on in the winter to get it all toasty warm before the family heads off to school. The way they always have homemade chicken noodle soup every Sunday after church during the winter. You know, all those things that usually won't make it in a journal or onto a scrapbook page.

This album is perfect for non-scrappers (or scrappers, too!) because it's small and non-intimidating. The journaling spots are concise, and photos can be added -- or not. It could be used to document a whole week, a collection of things from one day, or any combination. You know the drill.

One of the best things about it is that it could easily be made from scraps you have leftover from other projects. Score! A holiday gift that doesn't cost anything!! Woohoo! More money for Hambly!

Supplies:

1 sheet of 12x12 chipboard

2 sheets cardstock

Hole punch (I used my handy-dandy Cropadile)

Cardstock stickers (I used My Mind's Eye)

Letter stickers (I used American Crafts vinyl letter thickers and Scenic Route alphas)

Binder ring

Glue stick

Rub-ons and other embellishments (I used Stemma)

Ribbon scraps

Journaling stamps (I used Kelly Panacci for Sandylion and Technique Tuesday here and here).

1. Trim chipboard to eight 3"x6" pieces. Trim both pieces of cardstock to the same size. Due to the magic of mathematics, you will use all SIXTEEN pieces of cardstock. Wonder how that works? Two sides of eight pieces equals 16. (You still with me? I promise the math won't get any more complex than this).

2. Using the gluestick and your rear end, adhere the cardstock to both sides of the chipboard. Use whatever color order you want (both sides the same color, alternating, random, whatever). Want to know what I mean about your rear? The heat and pressure of your bum make the paper adhere better. Donna Downey calls this "using your assets." I bet you're wondering why I don't have a photo of this. Hahaha.

3. Punch a hole through the center of one side, where you want to join the book. Use the cardstock stickers to add a border on the opposite side of each "page." Again, alternate the colors and patterns however you want.

4. Take a break and admire your work. This is a good time to arrange the "pages" in your desired order. (Yes, I will allow changes later, but it may get a little dicey, so you may as well get it out of the way now). 

5. Using letter stickers, spell out "The Little Things" on the page deemed "the cover." (Other possible titles: Everyday Moments, Our Life, Stuff, etc.)

6. Embellish cover and inside pages with stickers and rub-ons.

7. Use journaling block stickers to add journaling spots to each page.

8. Repeat.

9. Repeat.

10. Etc.

11. Add the binder ring. Smile -- this is looking pretty cool!

12. Add ribbon.

13. And if you are daring, add this cute little stamp on the back. Enjoy!

Other options: First day of school album, holiday journal, friends scrapbook, etc. Go with it!

 

Can It Be???

I know what you are thinking. There is no possible way that there are only seven weeks to Christmas. And you are correct... there are actually TWELVE weeks. There, doesn't that feel better? But still, today's project is

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN #7...

The Oh-So-Cool Door Hanger!!!

Now, the coolest thing about this is... get this... it's reversible!

Here's what you'll need to bring this little slice o' heaven to your household:

*Creative Imaginations door hanger

*One two-sided or two one-sided (say that three times fast) sheets of cardstock (I used Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater from Piggy Tales -- love those colors!).

*A few scraps of coordinating cardstock.

*Xyron Cheetah or other permanent adhesive

*Laminating machine (I used my Xyron)

*Sandpaper

*Scissors

*Kelly Panacci for Sandylion clear stamps

*Brown ink for distressing (mine is from Memories)

*Alphas (I used Arctic Frog and Chatterbox)

*Velcro

*Embellishments (I used Heidi Swapp Bling, Glitz Frosting, and Sandylion 3D flower stickers)

*Dry Erase marker

Now, let's get to it:

1. Assemble materials. This is not really a step, but I had this photo and wanted to use it. I hate wasting things.

2. Trace the doorhanger onto the BACK of the patterned paper. (I am always tempted to trace onto the front, but then I am left with little smeary memories of where my pencil or pen slipped. So just do it on the back. It's easier that way.) Trim out using scissors (remember how to cut with scissors?). Repeat for the other piece of patterned paper.

3. Using the Cheetah or other permanent adhesive, adhere the patterned paper to the door hanger. (If you are using the Cheetah, the adhesive will not roll onto the doorhanger directly -- so put it on the paper instead. How do I know this? Trial and error, my friends, trial and error. Emphasis on the error.) Repeat for the other side.

4. Using sandpaper or a sanding block -- or ideally, that cool tool set from Basic Grey that I am hoping they will send me -- sand the edges, getting rid of all those "hanging chads." (By the way -- do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own hand?? I do not really sand like the photo shows, but I ran out of digits to hold things.)

5. Cut two pieces of cardstock to coordinate with your patterned paper. I trimmed mine to 3x4", to fit nicely on the hanger. Get out your stamp and inkpad and get ready!

6. Stamp lines about 1/2" apart on the cardstock. They do not need to be perfect. Let me repeat: THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE PERFECT! Repeat with the other piece of cardstock.

 

7. Using your laminating machine, laminate both pieces of cardstock and trim. (You might think this photo looks surprisingly like the one above, save for the awful glare at the bottom. I left that in so you could see that it has, indeed, been laminated.)

8. Using letter stickers, spell out "Do This:" on one side of the hanger and "Buy:" on the other. (Please note how I used the clear ruler trick to get my letters lined perfectly. Every once in a while, even I feel the urge to show my perfectionist side -- just because I can.)

9. Attach the laminated cards to the hanger using snippets of self-adhesive Velcro. Hint: To get it in the right spot on the back of your laminated card, put the "comb" side of the Velcro on first. Then cut a smaller piece of the "loop" side (so I don't have to be so precise when I replace the card on the hanger), stick it on the "comb" and remove the adhesive backing. Then place the card on top and push down firmly. Voila! Perfect placement! Repeat on the other side.

10. Embellish as desired.

I totally love how you can grab your lists right off the hanger and take them with you. As I near the big 4-0, I tend to forget things more and more, so this is the perfect remedy! I am giving this to my sister (hope she doesn't read my blog!) with a Dry Erase marker tied onto it. How cute is that??

Adaptations: A chores list for your kids (though that wouldn't make a very good Christmas present). A Honey-Do list. Show me what you do with this and I'll add you to our gallery!