Take This to the Fair

Hello and Happy Friday!

I've been making my own notebooks this week

using scrap paper and other blah things I

scoured at home.

Today, I'm turning this empty gift card holder

from blah to TADA!

Inside there are some pockets where the

gift card and a pull-out list of store branches

were snugly tucked in.

I covered it with left-over gift wrapper and glued on

random numbers cut out from a magazine.

Inside, I added ruled paper cut to size.

A wad of Post-its finds a place in

the inside front cover...just because

they are always handy.

I've given this notebook a mission.

It'll accompany me to different craft fairs:

I can make notes about the sellers, their

products and stuff that inspire me.

Then I can keep the business cards

I've collected in the slots at the back

or even store some of my own.

TADA!

Have an exciting weekend!

Something for Scribbles

Are there situations where you had to scrounge

around for something to write on?

The need to put a brilliant idea on paper or

list a phone number?

Today's blah to TADA! craft is for you.

Simply assemble all the scrap paper you have

{old reports, excess filler paper, etc.}.

Trim, punch some holes and bind together

with yarn or ribbon.

Create several stacks and make them available around

the house like the kitchen, home office & bedroom.

That way, you'll have it whenever you need it. TADA!

Tissue Box Transformation

So nice to see you today!

I have seasonal allergies and tissues are

something I keep within close range.

Because it's a necessity, I tend to choose

those that come in pretty boxes.

That way, when the box is empty and blah...

...I can turn the box into a TADA!

I made a notebook by cutting

two sides of the box & sandwiching

pre-punched scrap paper in between them.

Binder rings hold everything together.

The botanical print works perfectly for this

eco-friendly project.

Keep this handy to entertain the kiddies

while waiting at restaurants.

Have a great day!

Menu Makeover

Ever get these on your doorstep or mailbox?

These are delivery menus.

Sure they're handy but I get a new one

every time I order in -- there's a pile on my

kitchen table, someone can easily accuse me of either

hoarding or being the chief distributor of these menus.

What a blah.

Here's how I turn them into TADA!:

I make them into notebooks.

The menus serve as the cover & I put scrap

paper inside. These are then stapled together.

These are very useful for making lists.

Here's another version.

They are ready for scribbles or sketches.

Have an awesome day!

Nice Notebooks

What a sizzling weekend!

I hope it wasn't scorching hot in your part of the world.

The theme this week on blah to TADA!

is scrap paper and do-it-yourself notebooks.

A paperless lifestyle is still elusive

so might as well recycle, right?

Over the years, I've amassed quite a number of Metrocards

from taking the New York City subway. In fact, I have a

habit of keeping subway tickets as a travel souvenir.

But what do you do when you have too many?

Turn them into mini notebooks!

I made holes on the Metrocard and some scrap paper

with a hole punch and I used a spiral wire saved

from an old notebook.

Small & handy to jot down everyday reminders

and TO DO lists.

Power Words

One impeccable design idea I got from interior designer/

TV host Nate Berkus is to frame letters:

Ever wonder what to do with all of the notes that you

have hanging around your house from important

people in your life? "Frame them," says Nate.

"I have done it for years."

One-page notes are the easiest to frame.

Keep that in mind the next time you

write someone a letter or thank you!

I think this is a clever idea because words

can be very powerful & the hand-written ones

are hard to come by these days.

I made a mental inventory and here are

two letters I've received that I would love to frame:

In one of my previous corporate jobs,

my boss wrote me this note. It surely

lifted me up in ways you couldn't imagine.

I was overwhelmed with the volume of work,

I was adjusting to an unfamiliar process,

dealing with demanding clients and I was

just burnt out. This note, tacked right smack

in the middle of my cork board, was always

a reminder that things would get better

and that my work was appreciated.

This other one is a birthday card

from a longtime friend & business partner.

It's a pop-up card.

{He knows I adore pop-up cards}

He wrote me this message.

It reminds me how long we've been friends,

how he knows the little details of my life

and gives me a boost of confidence.

Isn't that what friends are for?

I hope you can find that perfect letter

worthy to be framed.

Have a delightful weekend!

A New York State of Mind

Some years ago, I went to a different kind of exhibit

in a unique location.

The mobile museum was this spacecraft-like structure

in the middle of New York's Central Park.

Inside, installations, sculpture & interactive

experiences inspired by Chanel bags.

{The travelling exhibit was put together to celebrate

the 50th anniversary of Coco Chanel’s iconic

2.55 quilted leather purse.}

I couldn't take photos inside,

but each guest received this:

A magazine showcasing the process of

building this Zaha Hadid-designed art space.

And because this was being held in New York, the

pages were filled with gorgeous black & white

photos of the city:

South Street Seaport & the buildings

surrounding Wall Street

The Brooklyn Bridge

The Empire State Building

I was so smitten with this image, I put it in a frame.

And because I already had the frame,

I didn't spend a thing. TADA!

FAN-tastic!

This week, I'm rounding-up inspiration to

dress up blank walls in any living space.

Today, it's all about items with a practical

purpose but assigned with a more

noble calling, of becoming art.

A dear friend sent me this card from her trip

to South Korea. It's a fan and I think it's pretty.

I positioned it in a frame and TADA!,

it's artwork!

Here's another fan made of paper that I bought

in Chinatown. It was only $1.00.

I like how it folds compactly to the size of

a pen. I also like the art on it

inspired by nature.

It deserved to be framed too!

Can you tell, I'm a big fan of fans?

Framed Greetings

Hello there!

Blank walls can be blah but there

are many easy and creative ways

to make them TADA!

I bought this greeting card from

Melanie Linder at the Renegade Craft Fair.

I really like the message.

Don't we all hope and work hard

to have a happy home?

It's so special, it's worthy to be framed.

Some experts say art should have meaning to you.

I couldn't agree more!

Affordable Art

Do you have empty walls in your home or apartment?

Let's face it, artwork can be expensive

and not a lot of us are ready to make

the investment.

This week, I have a some suggestions

on dressing up those blah walls.

This is a postcard I picked up at a department store's

carpet section. It advertises British fashion designer

Paul Smith's wall hanging called "Love Too".

If you're a fan of Sex and the City, you'll recognize

the actual wall hanging in Carrie Bradshaw's

renovated apartment {from the first movie}:

via my little boudior

Here's another one called "Love" also

by the same designer.

Here's a coaster I found at the Renegade Craft Fair

from the Sesame Letterpress booth.

Here's how I turned them from blah to TADA!:

I trimmed the postcard to fit a frame.

Same for this one.

I removed the glass from this frame and glued

the coaster on scrapbook paper. There's

a 3-D effect going on.

Arrange the frames on one wall for a "love fest"

or display them in different parts of your home...

because it's always nice to spread the love.

TADA!