Hello March :: A Simple Sewn Folder for Letters and Notes

Letter writing has been so fun lately. It’s liberating, personal, and gives me an excuse another way to be creative. As a kid, I would write to friends and cousins. When one particular friend traveled, I would write her “letters from the future” and make up games for her to play while she was sitting in the car or flying. When I started college, pen and paper sort of went to the wayside because we were all given e-mail accounts… DOS, even. No windows-based programs yet.

I thought I  would share some pictures of a paper folder I put together for one of my favorite pen pals of all time. She received it recently, so now I can “unveil” it. 🙂 A little paper, a little sewing, some washi tape, envelopes – all things I love playing with!


Inspired by oh, hello friend

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Folder front page

I love mixing paper and stickers. And I’m totally in love with my retro Dymo labeler.

Sewn binding in my paper folder reinforced with washi tape

Sewn binding in my paper folder reinforced with washi tape

I folded a 8-1/2″ x 11″ cardstock in half, and used washi tape to strengthen the fold before sewing the other pages in place.

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Envelopes and a postcard taped into place

What a fun way to use up bits of paper, postcards and little notes.

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Mis-matchy embellishments make me swoon

Mini-envelopes taped into place are perfect for holding tiny treasures.

Quick and Easy Easter Greeting Card in under 10 minutes

Okay, so it’s Easter tomorrow. If you celebrate Easter, I hope you’re all set with your baskets, food prep, and all things beautiful. Amazingly, I am not hosting this year. Still, I’ve been busy, you’ve been busy… I missed my Mugshot Monday this week. Boo.

Last Saturday, I had a chance to play around with washi tape and my pals at the Iannelli Studio. This is what we made, and now you can make it too. You can also see  card in last week’s cookie recipe post.

Quick DIY Easter Greeting card

Washi Tape makes greeting cards easy and fun

What you need:

  • Cardstock or pre-cut cards
  • Vellum or thin white paper (Vellum gives that see-through, stained-glass effect)
  • A variety of washi tape
  • X-Acto knife (or utility blade)

Washi tape Easter egg greeting cards

I just draw my eggs freehand. It’s totally cool with me to be all wonky and imperfect.

Washi tape Easter egg greeting cards

So, I learned this last weekend from my friend, Vicky, that by drawing inside, you don’t see the pencil lines on the front of the card. Again, if you don’t mind erasing lines, by all means draw on the front. And save your egg shape.

Washi tape Easter egg greeting cards

If you trace your shape on your paper, you’ll know exactly where your tape will need to go. Another “Vicky tip”.

Washi tape Easter egg greeting cards

Check this out… use the shapes on the washi tape and cut around them to get cool effects.

Washi tape Easter egg greeting cards

Last part, stick the taped-up paper onto your card!

Washi tape Easter egg greeting cards

For more quick Easter crafts, check out articles at GeekMom.com! You can see how I dress up some plastic eggs with a permanent marker and rub-on letters.

Decorate plastic Easter eggs featured on GeekMom.com

Monogrammed plastic Easter eggs

Enjoy your Easter, friends!

Making mini cards and a printable template

I made some mini cards just in time for Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. (Well, almost in time for Chinese New Year – it’s Sunday and I want to mail a couple out.)

Making mini-cards

Mini Valentine Cards with scrap paper and stickers

Rubber stamping for Chinese New Year cards: Year of the Snake

For that old-fashioned handcrafted card, just use what you have around your home, stickers, ribbon, glue. To make mini-cards, I took an 8-1/2” x 11” sheet of cardstock (this is Bazzill Pomegranate) and cut it in this manner to make six little blank cards. Just click on the picture below to print your own. From one sheet you can make (2) 3″ x 3″ cards, (2) 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ cards and (2) 2-1/2″ x 3″ cards. There’s a little 1″ scrap if you want to keep that for tags or tiny, homemade “Moo cards” (not a sponsor, just letting you know about them).

You’ll need to make your own envelopes. I think I have some doilies somewhere around here. Or maybe just tuck your cards with your gift, in lunchboxes, on the dining table… I’ll try to post a picture of the finished cards!

mini card template

Easy DIY Photo Card Stationery

DIY Photo Card Stationery

How are we in February already? And, how am I so behind in sending out thank you notes from the holidays? Am I the only one who falls behind? (Probably, because I’m the nutty girl who wants to make everything herself.) But these… these are way cool. I’ve thought about doing this for a while now.

The possibilities are endless with your camera, willing family members (i.e. children), blank white boards or cardboard, Sharpies and blank cards. I took about 10-15 pictures of the kids and picked my favorites. Uploaded and printed them out at the photo center for very little cost. If you print them glossy, you get the coolest effect.

Use Sharpies on glossy photos

I love my Sharpies. Use them and turn these blanks…

Use blank white boards or cardboard in picture

… into any card you want! For 4″ x 6″ pictures, you could purchase empty photo card frames. I have extra cardstock laying around so I just cut it to size for my blank cards. (See first picture.)  They measure at 4-3/4″ x 6-3/4″.  I get weird when it comes to the borders… I don’t like them too wide.
And to stick them on the card, use double stick tape or glue dots. If you want to get fancy, use photo corners or with an X-acto knife, cut slits on a diagonal at each corner and feed the corners of the photo through.

DIY Photo Card Stationery: Use permanent marker to customize picture

Don’t limit yourself to just saying “Thank you.” You can split it up like, “Cool! Thanks a bunch!” Or “Happy / Birthday”.

DIY Photo Card Stationery: Use permanent marker to customize picture

My daughter thought the pictures “freakishly” looked like the words were already printed on the boards.

DIY Photo Card Stationery: Use permanent marker to customize picture

Yes, I could’ve printed the cards out at the photo center as folded cards (for a whole lot more money), but what’s the fun in that? Enjoy… let me know if you’ve done this or if you might try it!

Valentine’s Day 2012

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends.

I’m running around like the crazy girl I am. Valentine’s Day comes between my husband’s and my daughter’s birthday… and I tend to put Valentine’s Day low on the priority list. It’s not that I don’t care, I really like all the red, pink, flowers, candy, love-fest. I wish I could organize myself better so I could do all the crafts and projects I aspire to do. A crafty girl can dream, can’t she?

Well, I’m off to the store soon, and I have to finish a few things around the house. Last minute (story-of-my-life) pick-ups for the afternoon Valentine’s Day party at my girlie’s school. OH, and I ought to finish these cards… take a look. My little personal greetings to you:

 

30 Days of Creativity: Day 28

This was way harder to commit to than I originally thought. Maybe I’m just not that great at sitting down for a good amount of time to do every challenge. Maybe I don’t like the restriction of topics, even though they’re fun topics. 30 Days of Creativity, I’m not going to give up on you yet. I appreciate those who haven’t given up on me either. Been trying to follow the other “30 Days” bloggers that linked to the original post on Craft Critique. How is everyone doing?

Day 28: Paint with your fingers.

I used gloves. Is that cheating? I think safety first. My paint is acrylic, but some had ingredient warnings on the label. You would probably wear gloves, too. This needed a little something more…

… okay, I likey now. Reminds me of my Nick Bantock-inspired card. Except there I used a brush and rubber stamps (instant artistic flair). I think I should explore more paint and ink projects – you know, when I have more time. *sigh*

 

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