I found this expense ledger that came inside a box, both covered with material, at a church rummage sale for 25 cents.  When I saw it, I thought it might be great to make into an album.  At the time, it also had a big pocket that maybe held pens inside that I had to tear out.  There were expense pockets as well.  I thought I’d use the pockets and in the end, decided they looked bad and got rid of them.   I bought my paper from Amazon and it was from DCWV, and the paper was called Denim Stack.  I couldn’t find any other large amounts of denim paper, so settled for this even though it has a shiny finish, which didn’t thrill me and was harder to work with..  The bride’s theme was denim and lace so I spent more time with the lace theme than the denim since my paper covered the denim aspect.  The paper was primarily blues, reds and whites..    I used a Distress re inker of Frayed Denim and put seam binding, flowers and flower ribbon in the ink.  In the end, I only used the flower ribbon on the project.
I cut the paper and used Fabri-Tac from Beacons to adhere the paper with tear tape to the outside of the box as the box has a fabric outer layer.  The outside of the box has what looks like the top pocket of a pair of jeans and I added a piece of lace to the edge of the pocket and then added white buttons to it as well.  I used matching paper and cut a thin strip and threaded it through the buttons in an “X” shape then glued them where the rivets were on the paper. On the album, I found a piece of paper that had the & sign on it, so took chipboard and colored it with Chipped Sapphire from Distress Ink Stains and then adhered Mr. , Mrs. around the & sign on the front.  I covered the letters with satin Mod Podge as well to protect them.  The back spine of the album has a pull tab that I had to cut around and it was hard to keep it in frame as the album was so tall.  I put chipboard for their wedding date on the inside cover and on the right side I put chipboard letters of their initials and put big chipboard hearts that I colored with picket fence stain from Distress Inks and Mod Podged them as well.  I found buttons that were shaped like pearl colored hearts and had Rich cut the backs off of them.  I found Ide-alogy trinket pins (here’s the link to them)  http://www.joann.com/tim-holtz-idea-ology-1-1-4in-trinket-pins-15pk-antique-metallic/2035285.html#q=idea-ology&prefn1=prod_type&sz=36&start=37&prefv1=Product

and attached the buttons to the top of them and used them as pulls on the tags I put inside the pockets I created.  There was a page of pockets inside the stack of paper so I cut them apart and created pockets in my album with them.  For embellishments, I used buttons with matching twine and buttons with small strips of paper woven through them.  I used matching papers for the tags and used an ornate tag topper to cut the tops of some of them.  I used denim ribbon and decorated with it.  I made a small strip of paper and ribbon and attached it to the bottom of one page and added two pockets so they would stick inside and easily pull out.  I found small white flowers at Joanns and added them to a pocket with some small red flowers I had in my stash.  I had a cute tag that a woman had given me with hearts on it and I attached it to a craft tag so it would be more secure.  I used tiny pearls and layered them on the belt buckle and on the rivets.  I used pearls everywhere I could find spots that they worked.  I did put eyelets on each page where I punched the holes for the 3 ring binder, to stabilize the paper and make sure it won’t tear.  I made an envelope and filled it with punches of photo corners that match the papers in the album.  I lined them with double sided tape so the bride can put her photos in the album and hold them down with the photo corners.  I hope you like the album

Today was a really great crafty garage sale day.  I found Stampin’ Up things that I almost never find.  I also found a bunch of embellishment that I like to use, brads, buttons, etc. that were really nice.  I found some kids projects that I thought I would start another series with.  It seems like the YouTube channels that have the most viewership appeal to a broad audience.  I think it’s about time I made some children’s crafts so that I include them in my demographics.  Besides, there are a lot of kids with physical limitations that would benefit from a channel like mine.

I’m really excited because A C Moore called and said my watercolors are in.  You know I have absolutely no painting skills, but have always loved watercolors and have bought so many framed watercolors from artists all over the world.  One of the things we buy when we travel is art.  Not expensive art, but things that appeal to us.  The thing that’s great about it is that we have reminders of trips that will last our lifetimes.   I like the idea of buying things that take me back to a place when I look at it or smell it.  I like to buy colognes as well–one smell and you remember where you were when you bought it.  It’s fun for Rich as well.  He has colognes from different countries and even made his own personal scent at a perfumery we visited.

I made a couple more videos today and Rich is falling further and further behind in uploading them.  I think he’s probably about ready to throw in the towel.  I’m not really sure why I’ve been making so many videos, but I’m hoping it’s because of the new medicine I’ve been taking.  I have more motivation when my arthritis is under control and if that’s the case, I will be thrilled.  Even better, I’d be able to go off the steroids I’ve been taking for almost a year.  They aren’t good for bones, eyesight, weight, pretty much anything you can think of.  I’d like to go off them because of all of the above, plus the fact that I get a really round face from them and people often stop and ask me if I’m on steroids.  I’m not really excited when it happens, believe me.  On the other hand, I don’t think I’d be able to do much of anything if I wasn’t taking them, so there’s the big issue.  I’m always willing to live with the side effects if my joints feel better.  Long story short, I’ll be really happy if my new meds are working.  Maybe I’ll turn into a great watercolorist if I feel good..  Wouldn’t that be something?

I decided to do a haul video with the things I bought yesterday at A C Moore and Michaels plus the Dollar Tree.  I had bought a large pad of lined post it notes as well as a set that goes with stationary like a small miniature post it note pad, and matching clips.  I decided to make a set to take to our friend who fell and is in assisted living until she heals.  I thought it might come in handy to have a pen, pad of paper and clips to keep by her bed to remind her of things the doctor says, or items she wants her daughter to bring her.  I think the set came out really cute and made a video combining the haul with the stationary set.

I also made a birthday card video and am pretty happy with the results.  Some days my videos come out a little off because I sound confused.  It’s not that I’m confused, I just can’t do two things at once.  Isn’t that typical?  So these two videos both sound like I’m very distracted, when I’m really just off my game.  Some days just go that way!

I really should stop watching Lindsay the frugal crafter, and I’m not kiddding.  She makes me think I could be a painter, a jeweler, an artist.  In general, she makes me think I can do things I probably can’t.  It’s not that I don’t want to do these things.  It’s that I don’t have the years of training she’s had.  She makes me think I can pick up a paint brush and voila, painter!  It hasn’t stopped me from buying tools she recommends or from giving some of these things the old college try.  Wow, there’s a saying that really needs some background info.

From English Language and Usage—A newspaper column by that title by Billy Sunday which has a 1917 copyright by The Bell Syndicate Inc. Appears in an Elyria Ohio paper October of 1918.

Actually, the evangelist puts the expression on the lips of the great Giants manager John McGraw who after watching an rookie outfielder just out of college miss a heroic catch which resulted in a homer. While the “sapient birds of the Giants gave the kid the cackle” McGraw is quoted as saying, “That’s the eye, young fellow. The old college try.”

 

So the phrase dates back 100 years.  Pretty impressive that someone (namely me) is still using it today even if it has nothing to do with sports.

Regardless, I drew an artichoke with oil pastels and wasn’t overly disappointed with the results.  But I would love to be able to paint with watercolors.  So based on Lindsay’s recommendation, I set out to A C Moore today to buy a small set of travel watercolors.  Did they have them in stock?  No, but I did find out that they would special order them for me but can’t guarantee an arrival date.  I made my order and am breathlessly awaiting the arrival of my new kit.  I plan on painting very small images so that I don’t feel badly when I have to throw them in the trash.  If I ever get to the point that I’m clear on the color wheel, I may even be able to blend colors on my own.  I’m not holding my breath for that. I know that Lindsay has been painting since she was a small child.  I’m 56, so if I’m able to make a color other than mud, I’ll be thrilled.  Hey I might even be happy if I make mud,–there’s a lot you can make with mud.  There’s mud, dirt, dirty things, brown things, the list goes on and on.  The bottom line is I need to give this a try or I’ll never know if I can do it or not.  Besides, I’ve got Lindsay to show me the way.

I found this lovely old wicker rocker at a garage sale. It didn’t have a seat anymore but that didn’t bother me. There is an “X” in the base that was all I needed to take something old and make it new again. This rocker is supposed to be 80 years old, but you can be the judge of that. It was in excellent condition (other than the missing seat), and I thought it would be perfect as a planter for on my front porch. I took a large plastic planter and filled it with a variety of plants and good potting soil. I dropped the plastic planter into the spot where the seat would have been, and rested it on the “x” below. I took moss that you can buy at the Dollar Tree and placed it around the pot to cover the base of the chair and something old is now new again. Since I paid $20 for the chair, I didn’t think it was too expensive, considering you can spend more than that on an inexpensive planter, and this looks much better. I strongly recommend you looking for chairs like this one at flea markets, garage sales, thrift stores or your grandma’s attic. I also think a child’s chair would work well for this project and already bought a chair to make for a friend. I hope you’ll check out that video as well.

Some days you just want to hang out and do little or nothing, so we went to see “Jason Bourne.”  There’s nothing like watching a good action movie on a Tuesday afternoon and eating so much popcorn, you feel kind of sick.  Of course as soon as we got home I started thinking about my next video and some cards I need to make.  I need to make a couple more sympathy cards, a birthday card and a thinking of you card.  I didn’t want to make any more sympathy cards until I got a new set of sentiments.  I think it’s important when you are making cards for someone’s loss that you really say something that shows how much you care.  I don’t really like “with sympathy” or “for your loss” as neither really says much in the way of “I am so sorry for your pain and for the heartache you are experiencing.”  Isn’t that what they should say instead?  I found a stamp set that had a lot more “heart” in it and it finally came today.  I’m going to get serious about making the next two cards now and get them mailed.

As for the birthday card, it’s for a friend who is in his early thirties. I have this funny herd of animals stamp that will make a great card for him.  I even think I’ll be gluing some googly eyes on it.  I’m rolling my eyes even considering the use of googly eyes, but I guess I’ve finally turned into my mother.  Yikes!  I think I’ll watercolor the animals and make them really frisky.

The last card is a thinking of you and it’s for our friend who has been extremely ill.  I’ve been trying to send him cards every couple of weeks so he knows we are thinking about him.  We’ve been friends since college, 1978 is a really really long time ago.  He was so much fun and so full of life, that I can’t even begin to imagine him ill.  I have so many photographs from those days and he was always doing something fun in them.  I’d like to have the chance to visit and remember some of those crazy times with him. One of his son’s is 20, and  I think he would love to hear all about some of the things his dad did when he was young.  I think we all love to hear stories about our parents.  Although it was a lifetime ago to his children, to us it seems like yesterday.  Life is funny that way, isn’t it?

I thought it would be fun to make a project that I could make and stamp a bunch to give to my local library for a kid’s art project.
My card stock was 8 1/2″ tall x 3″ wide and I used a variety of colored 65 pound card stock.  If you use tape runner, you can attach two of them together to make a thicker book mark as well as ensure the alcohol ink doesn’t bleed through to the back of the book mark.  I used a monster stamp from Woodware as well as a giraffe stamp from Penny Black and a To and From stamp.  I used a variety of alcohol ink markers from Spectrum Noir, as well as Bic and Sharpie markers to color my monsters.  I also used a white Uni Posca paint marker on the teeth of my monsters and the eyes of them.  I used a black gel pen and drew around the edges of all of the monsters and outlined their teeth and eyes.   I cut a piece of clear contact paper about 3 1/2″ wide and the length of the width of the contact paper then pulled enough backing off of the contact paper to lie the length of my bookmark on it.  Then I laid the bookmark on that contact paper and started pulling the backing off of the rest of the contact paper and carefully covered the other side of the bookmark with my contact paper.

I decided I’m going to start making projects for the kids at my local library so I made a bookmark and stamped a bunch of them to give to the library.  I’ve given them a lot of markers and colored pencils and scrapbook paper, but never anything they could use to keep kids occupied.  I love the library and donate money there in memory of people who have passed away instead of flowers.  If they designate where they want gifts to be sent, then I send the money there, but otherwise, it goes to the library.  Rich and I really enjoy spending time at our local library and I’m crazy about reading.  Rich reads a lot on vacation, but normally, reads magazines at home.  I only read magazines on vacation and always take a lot of books with me when we go on trips.  I have a Kindle but prefer reading the old fashion way.  I love the smell and feel of books and hope that libraries do not become obsolete in my lifetime, but they probably will.  I remember when we were in school and had to write term papers. It seemed we would spend forever doing research in the library.  I wonder if kids do anything but use the internet for research today.  Probably not.

At least little kids still read books the old fashioned way and my bookmarks will go to good use. I’m going to stop by and ask if there are any other projects they would be interested in having me make for the kids who spend time there.  It’s a great place for kids to go, especially when it’s hot and they don’t have air conditioning in their homes.   It’s also a great place to donate craft supplies that we no longer need or  want.  Libraries are always looking for crafty ideas to occupy young minds.

I made another sympathy card today and had one complete fail and then a card that I think will be ok.  I’m starting to think that my cards look a lot alike.  I like to mix the medium I color with, but generally, my cards are fairly straight forward.  I think a lot of card makers have a distinctive style.  I’m not sure exactly what my style is, but I think it usually involves layers, fun foam, a large open stamp that I can color, and some type of coloring medium. Oh, and of course, ribbon.  I need to break out of my box and make different cards that don’t resemble anything I’ve made before, but the times I’ve tried to make a change, the card isn’t worth sending and ends up in the scrap pile.

I do admire other card makers and their styles and especially Lindsay, the Frugal Crafter, because her cards are never the same and that really impresses me.  She tries all kinds of techniques and layers things you wouldn’t think would go together, but when she tries it, they do.  I realize that she has been making cards for a very long time, but I wish I had more of her creative vision.  I’m going to need to break out of my comfort zone and try something new and different.  It could be soon!

I’ve been looking for new ideas for a background for my YouTube crafting videos and found this roll of wallpaper for 25 cents at a yard sale.  You can always find wallpaper at thrift stores as well or ask friends and family for their old wallpaper..
I used my old background as a base, but a poster board from the Dollar Tree for 69 cents will work, as would a piece of cardboard (chipboard), or nothing at all.  Just folding a piece of wallpaper in half and gluing it together should work just find.

Measure the length of wallpaper you want for your project.  In my case, the width of the roll of wallpaper is perfect for my needs.   I attached a piece of 1″ wide double sided tape (you could use wet glue or any other type of adhesive) across the bottom of the front of my poster board and across the top of the back of my poster board.  I wrapped the wallpaper around the back of the poster board and  folded a couple of inches around the bottom front and made a fold at the bottom.  I removed the backing of my double sided tape on the bottom front of my poster board, and pressed the wallpaper into the tape.  I then lifted my poster board and removed the backing from the double sided tape that was on the top back of the poster board and keeping the wallpaper straight, pressed it into the tape and made another fold at the top of the poster board.  I added another piece of double sided tape across the top and middle of the poster board, removed the backing off the top piece and pressed the wallpaper into the tape, then did the same with the middle.  I ended by putting double sided tape over the wallpaper at the bottom of the poster board on the front, removed the backing, and pressed the wallpaper into the tape.  I then cut the wallpaper so it was even with the bottom of the poster board.
The thing that is great about this, is that wallpaper won’t reflect the lights and would be perfect for photographing things you want to sell on ebay, act as a background for any kind of smaller photography, as well as act as a background for YouTube craft videos.  I think it’s a great use of a product that normally ends up in the trash.
Best prices I have found on double sided tape are at Punch Place Plus. com for 30 yard rolls and Ebay.  On Ebay, I like the seller named my_1989 as his prices are low for 10 yard rolls.  The only drawback is waiting for their tape to come from China.