Just in Time, but too late

I finally altered this Target mailbox. I've only had it for over a month.

I also just came in before the deadline on one of my Yahoo groups for the February Challenge Project of the Month, which was a treat container.

Of course, Valentine's Day is over, so I blew that chance to make someone's day a little sweeter. Maybe if I take off the Valentine's Day greeting and replace it with a Birthday sentiment, or thinking of you...hmm, that would work. As I'm ruthlessly cleaning out my craft room, I just can't afford the space to store this little box until V Day rolls around again. So it's getting a makeover!

So Simple, so cute

A swapping friend (Hi, Patti) sent me an envie filled with these little PIFfing tags. PIF stands for Pass It Forward, and in swapping groups, can be anything from a paperback to a handmade layout ready for photos. When you send a PIF to someone, it's more than likely they are expecting others from other people, so PIFfing tags are really handy to ID the PIF you're giving.

Anyway, I thought these were so adorable in their simplicity that I made a few...and a few more...and, well, I didn't get to sleep early last night.

Mine shown here have a definite tropical flavor. It's a great little craft because a sturdy piece of cardstock leftover from a project, along with one of those stickers you just can't picture on a page, and a little black pen for the borders...voila, PIFfing tags! It's a great way to use up your stash. However, the backdraft of this idea is that now you won't want to throw away even the smallest of scraps, or the very last sticker, because look what you can do with them!!

Jumbo ATCs

I love ATCs. No matter if they are standard sized or jumbo, they make perfect pieces of art. I can use them as tags, on card fronts, even on my layouts.
I made these Jumbo ATCs (JATCs) for a swap on LuckyBug Yahoo Group. The challenge was to go green, or to recycle something on the card. The flowers used on mine are from my daughter's sheers she used to have in her bedroom. They were made up of long lovely strips of white sheer material, with these flowers sewn on every 6 or so inches.
When we redid her windows, I couldn't bear to give/throw away all those lovely flowers, so I spent one entire evening snipping them off the sheer strips. And people wonder why I often lose sight of my craft table, and can't find an open spot in my craft room. I guess I am a hoarder, but not quite on the same level as those poor people on TV.
And I do try to clean out. I used to name my years each January 1st, like The Year of Living Healthy, The Year of Organization. I gave that up because every year became The Year of Ruthlessness. I try to be ruthless in my cleaning out. Try being the operative word. Here I sit with my computer balancing upon a stack of 12x12 papers, my ScorPal and my paper cutter. There are two envelopes ready to be taken to the P.O., and my trusty tape dispenser, the heavy duty one used for taping boxes shut, lies on its side next to several stamp pads. Hmm, I think it's time again to be ruthless and at least atttempt to clean off my desk. I know it's around here somewhere. Later!

Quilted Cards

I am not a sewer. Not with material, not with paper. The way I make blankets is to buy two pieces of fleece, cut fringe on the ends and tie the pieces together. I've been known to use duct tape to repair a hem.
So being a part of this quilted card swap is a stretch for me. One of my 2010 goals is to learn or use new techniques (new to me, that is).
The stitching required for the swap did not have to be real sewing, so I used a zigzag stitch tape runner from Daisy Ds for the faux stitching. The dp is an assortment from DCWV, K & Co and others. I decorated the insides and envies for these cards as well.
Next on my list for the month is to finish some Jumbo ATCs that use recycled items. My daughter used to have the most delicious sheers in her bedroom. They were comprised of streamers with flowers on them. When her style and mood changed, I spent a whole evening pulling the flowers oh so carefully off the streamers to use in my crafting. I think they qualify as recycled items.
I want to give a shout out to my penpal, Sarti, from Finland. Hi, Sari!! We have been exchanging stamped images for a few months now, and I hope she enjoys the images I send her as much as I enjoy those she sends to me.

No time to craft

I have been working so much I don't even remember what my family looks like. Take today for example: Sure I got to sleep in this morning, but there's an 8th grade event that I have to work, and I won't be home until after 8 pm.

This leaves little to no time to craft, to make dinner for everyone, to wash clothes, to have fun in general. I will have to insist on a comp day, hopefully Friday, because next Saturday I am going cropping at my sister's house, and I haven't planned one thing to do there. That would give me all the day before the crop to plan and pack!

Meanwhile, here are a couple pages I did a long time ago (last month) when I was young and carefree. I finally got my daughter's Homecoming Dance photos scrapped. I was lucky enough to have the girls over to our house before the dance, which meant I took all the photos! Although you can't see them very well, I used a lot of rub on flourishes and words to decorate the pages, and a fantastic shaker box I received in a swap (get this) a couple years ago (!). Yes, I have a problem with hoarding, just not as bad as those people on the TV show.

Altered Notebook

I have been so busy lately, that my craft room has suffered almost irreparable harm in the form of this that and everything else thrown all over the place. I have had to clean off my desk in stages. I finally found the top! And so I created this altered notebook. The pad of paper is 5x8. I used DCWV Green Stack papers as well as embellies, except for a small piece on the inside, where I added a leftover piece of vellum to tone down the blue of the two-pocket folder I used.

I have a crop coming up at the end of the month, and am getting layouts together for that. So I may make some new cards and an altered piece or two, but no new pages until the crop. Of course that doesn't include my 365 Days of Me album. I have been able to keep up to the day with my album, and am proud of it. I relish the day a year or two from now when I crack it open and rediscover what the year 2010 placed on my plate!

Garden Journal

Looking out at the foot and a half of snow out my living room window, I ponder the meaning of the seasons---no I don't, I just wish Spring comes early this year. While the snow is practically glistening in the sunshine today, my son was up at o'dark thirty to blow it off the driveway, so hubby and I can drive to work, and I have to slosh through it all because I know the parking lot won't be plowed yet.

So my mood nudged my muse, and I altered this notebook into a Garden Journal. I used papers from the Earth Girl Altereed Notebook Kit from "Hot Off the Press". The notebook was a $1 find at Target I think.

Next up I have a photo cube that's whispering in my ear "Alter me, Pat, you know you want to do it..." My big dilemna: Valentine's or Easter theme??

Easter Cards with Card FOlder

Had some time finally to relax this weekend. Worked a killer week, hubby took me out to dinner last night after work. We went to Fridays and really enjoyed our time together and alone.

So this afternoon, after groceries were bought and put away, I snuck into my craft room and was about to throw away a couple altered school folders I had made for my daughter last year and she no longer wanted. Then I thought why throw away an already decorated folder, why not make somethinf from it? So I came up woth this card folder, which of course needed cards in it! I had leftover Easter foamies to add to the fronts, and cut the cute bummies from patterned paper. The cards are embellished on the inside as well.

So going green can be(come) a beautiful thing!

Easter Cards

I just made four new Easter cards for a friend. I used my stash and embvellished with flowers, brads, ribbon and a couple pieces of chipboard. The dp is from K & Co, and the images were given to me in a swap. I recognise a House Mouse image, but can't ID the rest (and I really want to, they are so cute!). Colored some with my Copics, and glitzed them up a bit.
I haven't had much time to make cards, and was surprised to find myself in my craft room after a late night at work. Now the creative juices are flowing through my brain and I can't get to sleep. We'll see what other crafty items I can finish tonight! I've always said, sleep is highly over-rated!!

Valentine Candy

The Project of the Month on Scrapbook Place is to make a treat box/bag/container. That's all--easy, peasy!

The first one I made is a Ribbon Pull Treat Box. By looping the ribbon inside the box, then adding the treat, the candy automatically comes up when the ribbon is pulled.

I used Basic Grey dp, and the image is SU that I colored with Copics. I colored two mice, and attached one on top of the other with dimensional dots.

The candy is one of my faves, peanut M&Ms-yum!