Kitten & Buttons Notebook

Howdy!  I had an urge to make a few more altered notebooks last night.  I don't know if it the fact that I had a few hours alone at home (aka: craft room) or that I got to work with a wonderful lady yesterday {smile}!  Either way, no matter the spark, I took advantage of the creative push!

I noticed that the wonderful ladies over @ Paper Ladybirds have a beautiful color challenge.  This challenge site is from Russia, but don't let that stop you!  This design team is very talented and inspirational!  Here is the color challenge board:

and here is what I made:

Beautiful, right?!  So, I selected papers from Tilda: Happiness is Homemade.  This pattern paper collection is just so gorgeous!  It reminds me of vintage wallpaper, and fabrics prints.  Just so calming, pretty, and very easy to use!  The button card is from Tilda, also.  The buttons are from Paper Trey Ink: vintage buttons: ripe avecado and sweet blush.   The buttons are actually stitched to the cover of the mini notebook.  I just love their button collections.  You get 150 buttons of a particular color in various sizes.  The saddle stitch ribbon is from Paper Trey Ink: sweet blush.  I just love the pale, sweet pink color, with the contrasting white stitching.  Just so sweet!  I also added a scrap of the pattern paper to the inside of the pen barrel, so that the pen 'belongs'.  

I added a neutral paper doily from Recollections under the button card.  I thought the open loop design added a feminine touch to the cover.  I also added a Junk Bow to the top of the button card.  I used some scrap pieces of lace, fabric, seam binding, and crochet trim to create the junk bow.  I added a single mini paper blossom to the top of the junk bow, to add a little more sweetness.  {smile}

Thank you for looking.  I hope you get a chance to play along with this current color challenge.  It's quite beautiful!

Foot Loose, Noted

Welcome.  I'm still crafting with supplies I have on hand.  While I was looking through my scrap box, in the search of pattern papers to use in my altered, decorated tins, I found these beautiful aqua blue pattern papers.  I need at least one scrap strip 1" x 12", for my tins.  These beautiful aqua pattern paper scraps weren't the length that I was looking for.  But they are beautiful!  So, I looked through other my other supplies, and I found a mini composition notebook that I could alter and decorate. {score!}
So, I am entering my little notebook in two current challenges:  Brown Sugar Challenge and Crafts 4 Eternity.  Both of these challenge sites, have an anything goes challenge going on.  For great inspiration, and some very clever crafting, PLEASE stop by both of these challenge sites.  You WILL be inspired!

I used some 'old' Authentique pattern papers.  The inside of the notebook is lined with the aqua and black polka dot pattern paper, that I used on the inside of the pen barrel.

I kept the cover of this notebook fairly flat, because these little gems are a favorite to add to a handbag or back pack.  And yeah, I added machine stitching!

Lately, I have been obsessed with cotton trim along one side, or to help 'hide' a seam.  The focal panel on the front of this little notebook, is actually a journalling block.  I trimmed it down to be better proportioned to the cover, and to fit inside the machine stitching.  I really loved the splashes of yellow throughout this pattern paper collection.  So, I made sure I added yellow accents: fabric floral trim, and papaya satin ribbon (by Amuse Studios).

Thank you for looking.  I'm still crafting! {smile}

Sweet Rose, Book

Welcome.  If you stopped by yesterday, then you know that I really enjoyed myself with the current sketch from Mojo Monday.  I layered strips of trim with strips of paper to create  'rectangle' shape.   And, I did it again!  This time I used only trim.  

The lovely ladies over @ the Shabby Tea Room have this great inspirational photo, to guide your creativity.  And I just love it!

This photo is very inspirational.  I just love the weathered wooden structure, and the bike.  It's so sweet.  The banner and flowers really add a softness.  So, I set out, back into my craft room I went, and crafted another piece.  {smile}

So, this sweet little piece isn't a card.  I altered a mini composition notebook.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  Because this item will most likely travel along with you, I kept the front cover as 'flat' as possible.  But you know me, I'm no good at CAS (clean and simple).  This is about as much as CAS as I get. (smile).

Recipe:  Well, like so many (ok, 95%) of my crafts, I started with the beautiful heavy weight card stock from Stampin' Up!.  This sweet, soft, grey-ish green, is actually called Moss.  It is a retired color from several years ago, and yeah, I still have a few large scraps!  Anyways, I used this color of card stock for the spine of the notebook, as well as the matt for my sentiment.

The worn wood, botanical pattern paper is from a new purchase, by Our Daily Bread, Shabby Rose.  The paper 'pad' is 6" x 6", so I only used two sheets.  Yahoo!  One sheet for the front and back covers and then another for the lining inside the covers. {smile}

I added three different lace trims to the right front cover.  The strips of lace I had on hand were a bit too long, so I did a fussy ruffle machine stitch to help shorten their lengths.  There is a cream lace trim on the bottom, then a white lace trim over that.  And finally, a thin cream crochet trim on top.  

I hand stitched a trio of pearls onto the lace.  Two at the top and one at the bottom of this lace strip.

For my sentiment, I stamped this definition 'original' in going gray classic ink (slate, is the new name for this color), by Stampin' Up!.  I stamped the sentiment onto very vanilla card stock.  I wanted some  softer than stark white.  I used my small scallop rectangle die to create the shape.  I matted in onto a scrap piece of moss card stock, and then onto rose red card stock.  I wanted a pop of color that is in the roses.

To help give my piece a rustic look, I did a simple criss cross stitch with cream twine at opposite corners of the sentiment piece.

Then to finish off my notebook, I added a pen nib.   But the metal pen nib looked to plain, so I tied on a multi-loop bow made from some strawberry bakers twine, and hot glued this piece to the front of the notebook.  [I used hot glue, to give this embellishment a bit more 'staying' power.]

I used some cream twill ribbon, to hold the notebook closed.  I think this textured ribbon helps give a rustic softness to the notebook.  And finally, I had to include a pen.  I had a scrap piece of a blue pattern paper laying on my craft table, that really 'matches' the blue in the main pattern paper.  So, I rolled up a piece and stuck it into the barrel of the pen.  Now, who ever carries this little notebook, along with them, will have a place to jot things down, and an instrument to do so.  {smile}

This little treasure will be for sale at this years Spring Craft Fair @ La Cueva High School, in Albuquerque, NM.  On the first Saturday in May, 2015.  Hope to see you there! 

. . . little things . . .

It's the little things, that matter most.

One of the hot selling items at my booth, at this years holiday arts and craft fairs, are these cute little altered notebooks.  I have added my own personal style and touch to these little cuties!  They have 80 pages of lined paper inside.  I have also added pattern papers to the inside covers (front and back).  The mini black gel pen that comes with it, writes wonderfully without smudging.  A super big plus to me!

I made another 8 this week, and they are available for sale at my booth:  Designs by Sharon

I am at the Tramway Community Church, in Albuquerque, New Mexico this weekend.  Friday 10a to 5p, and Saturday 9a to 4p.  Please stop by, I am sure you will be able to find a gift for just about everyone on your list!