Tag : scraps

83 posts

I was recently inspire to create some new journals. These are single signature journals.

I’ve never thought to create small journals such as these but I realized that these are going to come in very handy.

I used scraps of heavy fabric for the outside of the cover and recycled posters for the inside of the cover.

The denim cover is from a pair of jeans that my now college-aged daughter wore as a preschooler.

Since the embroidery was so cute on it, I saved the leg. Waste not, want not.

I used about 15 pages of various papers for the signature.

I wasn’t worried about them all being exactly the same size, in fact, I prefer that there is some variation.

The rose on the left is a digital creation of mine. I had a group of mine printed at Kinkos to make sure that they would print properly if I were to sell them as digital downloads. I have not taken that step yet but maybe someday. In the meantime, I have some fun and uniquely me pages to play with.

The right side has one of the tags I have created from the masterboards I’ve been creating with scraps. I like to stitch around them both for interest and to secure the edges.

Here’s yet another tag slipped in a side tuck on the page. The tuck is from my stash of mini colleges. Also a scrap busting project.

Both masterboards and mini colleges are things that I tend to do when I’m lacking that creative spark. They are quick, use lots of scraps and are great to have around for later projects.

Here is yet another example of both being used on one page.

Attaching an envelope to the edge of a page then folding it to the back creates a fun flip out that can hold a secret note or photo or whatever you want to tuck away for safe keeping.

I’m really having fun with these journals. They are quick, no pressure of strict theme, multi use and just really darn cute.

 

I feel like I should have a virtual loading bar on my activities. I have many things in progress and I’m excited about all of them!

Journal progress

I gutted a book from the 50s that I knew would never hold up to the abuse that I would put it through. I liked the orange cover and mid-century motif but it was a bit damaged on the back. I decided to cover it with some Tim Holtz tissue and go from there.

I used some transparent pink paint over top of the tissue for a little better color once I had picked out the inner spine fabric and end pages. Pink is a favorite of mine. I’m so not a girlie girl but I do love pink.

I stitched in my signatures….

and now I need to take it back apart…ugh. The book no longer sits nicely. Is it fine? It would work but it would bug me every single time I used it. I should have left more space between the signatures.

Plant babies

My seedlings are doing quite well. I’m just about ready to transplant the tomatoes into larger pots.

The nasturtium seeds I saved last summer are baby plants now! I started a few more plants just last week. So excited for those. I’m planning to try the leaves and flowers in salads this year. I’m also going to save some of the blossoms for tea. I have no idea if I’ll like it but I’ve heard it good.

Maybe I’ll use these fancy little cups that I can’t seem to part with. They are so pretty.

My radishes have  sprouted…unfortunately its been cold and there is snow in the forecast.

They are all tucked into bed now…so punny.

I also had to share my thrift store score. I got all of this paper for under $5. Stacks and stacks of good sized scraps and three paper pads. Crazy! I’m looking forward to making a bunch more cards.

Fan favorite- Marvin

This picture was just too cute not to share. He is laying on his “security bag”. It’s a reusable shopping bag that he immediately claimed. He gets upset when I move it to vacuum. So we have a bag that permanently lives on our living room floor. He’s not spoiled at all. But who could say no to that face.

What are you doing today?

My spring break was spent quietly at home catching up on projects and knocking items off the perpetual to-do list. Not very exciting but that’s ok.

My first major accomplishment was tackling all the scraps that had been piling up. Truth be told there are still more but these were the ones that were really bugging me as well as the ones that required no ironing before cutting.

I also went through my wardrobe and got rid of two grocery bags of clothes that no longer fit. This is a nice problem to have. I’ve lost over 25 lbs now and decided it was time to purge the old to make room for a few new things I’ve purchased.

As I mentioned last week I’m super excited about gardening season. The garlic I planted last fall is poking through the leaf mulch. My seedlings are doing well. I even planted carrots, radishes and beets straight into my garden box since they are cool weather crops. I’m hoping they do better this way…although it was 87°F today…crazy! We had snow flakes in the air just last week. 

I was inspired to create a little diorama with a coworker in mind after finding some of her favorite characters at the dollar store. I’ll share the completed piece along with process photos in another post after I give it to her.

Today’s hot weather and the first day back to school called for a nice cold one after dinner.

I’ll leave you with Marvin making sure the newly delivered box of toilet paper didn’t get up and walk away.

What are you doing today?

Two weeks in a row…can you believe it?!?! I really shouldn’t be that excited about that accomplishment.

I thought I’d jump in right away and show my crazy bad embroidery skill on my quilt label. Let me preface by saying this was completely freehand. I didn’t even draw with a pencil…just winged it…and frankly, it shows.

I decided to embroider directly on the backing piece so it was imperative that I did it before the putting the “quilt sandwich” together and quilting. Every time I get the backing, batting and quilt top out to square up on the floor and baste, my least helpful resident has to come be a pest. Needless to say I have not gotten it put together yet. Good thing I love that cat because he’s kind of a jerk sometimes.

My secondary workspace is beginning to be more cluttered, I need to work on that. You can see a small stack of fabrics that have been cut 2 x 3.5 inches. I’m still thinking that is too small to want to deal with. Time will tell. I have seen a couple really cute scrappy patterns using that size pieces. Maybe it’s just the cutting that is driving me crazy. So small…such a pain but I think it definitely could be worth the effort in the end.

Using my tea set pincushion as my drink reference for the day.

You may also notice another stack of cards…

I am still plugging away at my paper scraps as well. I did sort through and toss some junk though. I really thought I’d have made a bigger dent in it by now. I guess the takeaway there is I have a lot of stuff.

This week has us in a polar vortex. The week is packed with nose hair freezing, the air hurts my face, ice on the wall, tell me again why I live here kind of weather. The following week should be better. I’m looking forward to going snowshoeing in PE with the kids when they return to in-person learning. I’m probably more excited than they are. I love snowshoeing! So yeah…I guess I know why I live here…I love the seasons…all of them!

What are you doing today?

In my ongoing effort to get rid of things, I decided to challenge myself to use up scraps to create a bunch of greeting cards. Most of these, if not all, will be donated to Cards for Kindness.

I sent in a couple dozen cards a while back but recently saw they have a need for some specific categories. With that in mind, I set my creations in that direction.

I still have a couple pounds of scraps…it’s a serious problem. I’ll keep plugging away at them. I’m sure some scraps will make their way into some journal pages and master boards as well.

Until next time…stay safe and go create something!

Wowsers! My ADD is in full gear. I want to try everything. So many irons in the fire but not much getting fully finished. Its a self-diagnosed condition and I am not making light of those who struggle with the medically diagnosed form. I’m with ya…I get it!

Where or where to start….

These seem like the perfect way to begin to explain how my ADD is working these days.

I pulled out my sewing box looking for a needle and button thread to reattach a button on J’s shorts. Yes, this would have been the optimal time to teach him this skill but I didn’t think of that until I was done. Perhaps I’ll have to snip a few threads on another one. *insert evil laugh*

Anyway…I noticed a few completed yoyos and several circles ready to sew. Of course, I dive full in and begin sorting through my scraps for pieces big enough to cut circles, then sit down and sew all these. I decided to exhibit a bit of self-control and actually began to tackle my to-do list.

I canned my spicy beans…although 2 jars never properly sealed so those are in the fridge for immediate consumption.

I also made Kimchi for the first time. You can see that I sampled quite a bit from one jar before thinking to document. It is so good! I sort of cobbled together a few recipes since I didn’t have the exact ingredients for any of them. I wasn’t sure if it would taste as good as the local brands I picked up at the co-op but it did! Now I have my fingers crossed that we get another Napa cabbage in our farm share box this week.

Sticking with the food theme…

The summer squash is beginning to ripen, We really enjoy these grilled. I use the grill as much as possible to cook with during the summer. No use heating up the house if at all possible not to.

I came home from my walk yesterday to find this…looks ok since you didn’t see it before. The deer ate a good 1/4 of the plant leaves and stems in addition to EVERY SINGLE tomato on the vine. There had to have been at least 15 maybe closer to 20 tomatoes in various stages of ripening. UGH!!!!!!!

Moving on…no use crying about what is already done.

My walk yesterday morning took me to the lake where I would take the kids swimming when they were little.

The water was so calm. Even the boat launch made for a pretty scene.

The rental craft are always a pretty picture but I was honestly very surprised that they are renting them during the pandemic. HMM…

This week after much deliberation, I decided to reopen my Etsy store. Mini-me said that she’d help me in exchange for a sales commission. I think that is fair and savvy on her part.

I have only gotten a few cards listed so far but its a work in progress.

More works in progress are masks for the family. J will need a bunch for school. They are required to wear them on campus while outside of their rooms. The dining center and any classrooms that require other protective gear are the exceptions. Mini-me will also need more if she will be attending community college as part of the PSEO (post-secondary enrollment option) program. She’s been accepted but her counselor quit two weeks ago. We’re kind of stuck at the moment. She may be starting her senior year at high school then transition to the college classes…who knows?!?!

Too soon? LOL I indulged in a cold beer over the weekend in my Corona glass.

Today I’m attempting to get some of the chores I really don’t like doing so that I can do a few fun crafty things I’ve been wanting to try. I’m dangling the carrot for myself…we’ll see if it works or not.

What are you doing today?

This page I created for A Stitch in Time didn’t start out with this in mind. I was creating a masterboard of sorts to cut apart into postcards, tags etc. Its one of my new favorite techniques.

It is also a great way to use up scraps. A real non-thinking activity. I will often listen to a podcast or YouTube while gluing down my scraps. Its therapeutic really. 

After completely this masterboard this section spoke to me. I decided to cut a 7 x 7 square to fit in my scrapbook journal. I’ve been kind of obsessed with butterflies lately so it doesn’t surprise me that one found its way onto my page.

We have one more day left of June and A Stitch in Time

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