Disclaimer

I created this blog so I would have somewhere to journal and share the things I make and do. I try not to steal other's ideas. Some of what I make I have seen in homes or in stores. Or I make a spin-off of something I have seen elsewhere. I will always try to give the proper credit where it is due.
~Mary

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Christmas brown paper bag Memory Book

All right. Here's the Christmas book. Again, 12 pages, but I can always add more later if I want to! These are small lunch bags, folded in half. The tops and bottoms of the bags are now on the side. With the fold being the 'spine'. I figured I can use one, maybe two pages for each year. Just a couple of pictures to remind us of that year's Christmas!
I'm not the fanciest scrapbooker. I don't like the front of this and will probably change it.



Where the top/opening of the bags are I added pull out tabs.

Cute pages of my little Christmas angel!




There are two ways to fold the bottom of the bags. This is one way. You fold the ends together, if that makes sense. Then, in the fold I added scrapbook paper and little one liners, from Christmas movies, songs, books, etc.
Example- Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow, I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year-Charles Dickens,etc.






This is the other way to fold the bottom of the bag. You just leave it how it comes and it makes a little flap you lift up to see a {future} picture underneath.





Another 'flap'.






Empty pages for future pictures...





I realized after I took the picture that I put a set of pages in upside down. I corrected it, but didn't take new pictures! :)






There you go! I have also seen these books done with recipes instead of pictures. I think that would make a cute Mother's Day gift, or something. Maybe I'll try it one of these days....
This has been linked to the following~

Thirty Hand Made Days





Thursday, September 24, 2009

Believe Block

I know, I know! We haven't hit Halloween yet! But when an idea hits me, I've gotta do it or I'll forget, no matter if it's still fall, and not even close to Christmas yet. Forgive me!

I painted a sanded block of wood a 'Barn red'. Then I just added the vinyl lettering. So easy, and quick!

{I might, just might have a couple more Christmas things to show you later...}

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Clipboard Picture Holder

My sis-in-law made these for my step-mom for Mother's Day one year. I think they are darling! I found these little unfinished clipboards {with a little peg in the back to help it stand up} at Porter's for $1 each!
I painted them an off white, inked the edges, and added some ribbon and buttons for embellishments.

Add a 3 1/2 x 5 inch photo and there you go!
Aren't they cute? {never mind the 'display for sale' sticker. That is for something else}. So easy and cheap to make! They look great on the computer desk or to give away to the grandparents!




Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Ribbon Butterfly Clips

Aren't these little hair clips darling? I made them last night while watching reruns of Gilmore Girls{yet again}. They were much easier to make then I thought they would be. My husband was impressed when I showed him the finished product!


Now, I'm not going to do a tutorial on these, because I followed one over at www.theribbonretreat.com. Go there and at the top of the page is a tab titled~ Free How To Projects. Click on it. She has a few different how to's on different bows. Just click on the Little Bug Bows. And have fun!


Sunday, September 13, 2009

Faith, Family, Friends blocks

Sorry once again for the fuzzy photo. I need to work on my photography skills so I can get some decent pictures on here!
These were something I just quickly made one night while watching t.v.{I was watching reruns of Gilmore Girls!}


These were so easy! I had my husband cut a 2x4 into square blocks and he also sanded them down for me. I painted them a Barn Red, and distressed the edges a little by sanding them. Then I just added the vinyl lettering.
I thought I would think outside the box and have the lettering arranged kinda crazy, as you can see in the photo. What do you think? Do you like the lettering like that? I'm not quite sure what I think about it... But I do like that it's a little different from what you usually see .

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Baby stacker

A good friend of mine had her first baby over the weekend. She had a little boy! I wanted to make something a little special for her. This is what I came up with!


The top block has the baby's first and middle name{I'm uncomfortable giving out kids names online, so I turned the block around}. The middle has his weight, and you could add the height as well. And the bottom has the day he was born. I tried to match the colors she said she had painted his room. Blue, cream and brown.
All I did was cut a 2x2 piece of wood into three different lengths. The bottom measures 10 1/2 inches and the top is 7 1/2 inches. I sanded the blocks down and painted them. Then just added the vinyl letters.