Handmade Bookmarks for Little Free Libraries

Howdy, I'm happy you stopped by! 

One of things I love to transform from blah to TADA! are cardboard and scrap paper. With some glue and simple craft materials like washi tape, rubber stamps, and yarn, I am able to make different kinds of bookmarks:

Some bookmarks I keep for myself and the others I include in my snail mail as an extra surprise for dear friends. But there will always be extra bookmarks to share. 

So I put a handful of handmade bookmarks inside a deli container, topped it with a lid and a sticker label saying: Free! Take a bookmark. 

If I find a Little Free Library in neighborhoods that I visit, I make sure to leave a container of bookmarks so that whoever takes a book can take a bookmark, too.

Since I always have cardboard and scrap paper, I'll keep making bookmarks that book lovers can freely help themselves to and keep using for every new book they read...TADA!

Don't you just love crafting and reading?

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Five Things for May

 Hey, hey, it's May!

One of the things I look forward to is seeing peonies bloom! Peonies are one of my favorite flowers because they can be as big as cabbages and their colors are vibrant, they unapologetically declare, "Look at me!" When I see them in a neighbor's garden or as bouquets at the supermarket, I really stop and admire them...TADA!

On May 12, we celebrate Mother's Day here in the U.S. Above is quote from the book "The Expatriates" by Janice Y. K. Lee, a book I thoroughly loved reading (and is now a drama series). Doesn't this sentence capture the essence of a mother?

To all mothers and mother-figures, thank you for your deep love and sacrifice! You all deserve a long rest on Mother's Day.

Apart from Mother's Day there are many other occasions in May. Did you know that there is a Lost Sock Day, Paper Airplane Day, and Talk like Yoda Day? You can find the full list of May celebrations here. I wonder who comes up with these? They definitely turn an ordinary day from blah to TADA!

Do you like washi tape? I have a collection and I like using them for my paper crafts. I thought this was a clever idea to keep tape rolls organized (c/o Yoseka Stationery). It's a wooden rack for plates or cooking pan lids but repurposed to house washi tape...TADA!  

Speaking of washi tape, does it ever happen to you that the washi tape has stuck to the roll, the edges are ragged from the effort of detaching, and you don't get a smooth peel? Many of my washi tape rolls suffer this condition and I found out that you can loosen the adhesive with concentrated heat. In this photo, I'm using an embossing heat tool but you can use a hairdryer, too. Apply direct heat to the tape for a few minutes (I hold the washi tape with a pair of tongs so that my fingers don't scorch) and set aside to let it cool. Magically, they heat loosens it up and it will be good as new...TADA!

Wishing you all a memorable May!