new at spazmade: tree bird scrapbook

I just added the tree bird scrapbook I made to SpazMade, my Etsy shop. This is the front cover...


and these are 3 out of 4 inside spreads...








And the back cover...




This project took me quite some time. I started out with a 10" x 10" Ready-to-Go! Blank Board Book and painted each page with acrylic paint. I then sanded the pages with a very fine sand paper, so as not to distress the pages, just even out the coverage and blend in any brushstrokes. I cut pieces of cardstock in complimentary colors to size and glued them into each right hand (or odd-numbered) page. Next I added a variety of nature-themed Hambly rub-ons - birds, trees, and simple shapes.

I am tempted to add a coat of mod-podge to each page as a finisher/ sealant so as to prevent scratches or other forms of damage. But I'm afraid that will make the pages more difficult to write on, should a buyer want to journal their photo captions or notes. So I'll be experimenting with writing on some sample mod-podge sealed pages and I'll update the description on the project page if needed. I can't wait to do more like this - I really enjoyed the process and am happy with the result. Yay!

15-minute gift project for Mom

Mother's Day is tomorrow so you may wonder why I am bothering to post a Mother's Day gift project at the eleventh hour. There's three reasons this post still makes sense:

#1 I know there are others like me out there who aren't quite satisfied with what they've done, bought, or made so far for mom

#2 Late is better than never and this project only takes 15 minutes from beginning to completion - even if you don't pull it off in time for Mother's Day you should mail it to her on Monday - she'll love getting a surprise in the mail later in the week.

#3 Although I am showing off what I made for my mom, this gift will work for almost anyone (think Father's Day is just around the corner). Really, who doesn't like trees?

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The Project: Nature-themed Card-keeper with Cards and Envelopes


Supplies:

(1) Ready-to-Go! Blank Board Book Card Keeper from C&T Publishing. Don't have this product in your stash but want to give the project to mom today? Skip the card keeper and just bundle the cards with a pretty ribbon and present to mom that way. (Then buy a card keeper for your stash for your next gifting emergency.)

(1-3) sheets Mod Trees or Mod Flowers rub-ons from Hambly Screen Prints. Don't have these either? then use any appropriate rub-on in your stash and make the most out of them by keeping your design minimal!

(10) sheets cardstock in colors of your choice from your favorite manufacturer

(1) popsicle stick for applying the rub-ons

(1) spoon or other pressing tool for making a nice crease in the cardstock



Instructions:

#1 Cut your cardstock into 6.5" x 9.5" pieces

#2 Fold each piece of cut cardstock into a card 4.75" x 6.5"

#3 Choose your rub-ons and get to rubbing a nice design on each card cover. Sparingly add rub-ons to the insides of the cards and the envelopes. Keep it simple!

#4 Add some rub-ons to the outside of the card keeper itself. I added a rub-on to the outside of the clear window, as well as a few on the back side of the card keeper.

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That's it! By keeping it simple, you end up with a versatile set of notecards that have a really casual feel. These can be used by your mom (or your dad) as thank you cards, hello cards, thinking of you cards, and gift cards. And you finished in 15 minutes, right?

My First Completed Quilt

I have to toot the horns of Alex Anderson and Liz Aneloski. If it wasn't for the straight-forward no-nonsense approach found in Super Simple Quilts #1, I may have never made my first quilt. Now that the quilt is finished, it will soon be delivered to its new owner, who is a 1-month old very important delivery herself.

It took me three years to approach quilting because I didn't think I had the discipline or perfectionism to get a project done properly or without losing interest along the way. I am the queen of quick, easy projects – in the past my crafts had to accommodate my short attention span and desire for somewhat instant gratification.

There is a myriad of explanation missing from Super Simple Quilts which is precisely what makes it such a great book for a beginner like me. It tells you what you need to do to create a quilt you like the quick, easy, and stylish way. The hardest part is choosing your fabrics! And that's still really fun because you don't even have to decide which of the three quilts in the book you're going to be doing until you start cutting. I used fabric from Piece O'Cake's fabric line, Elanor's Picnic. As to which fabric would go where - I changed my mind a hundred times and had to consult a few of the experts in my office. Despite lots of mistakes - some i fixed, some i didn't - I am very happy with my final result. (And I am already working on my next quilt top!)