A Multi-Pocket Envelope

How are you guys doing?

If you're ready for some crafting, we will turn a brown paper bag from blah to TADA!

I'm using a brown paper bag with a non-gusseted bottom that I cut in half.  

I'll only be using the bottom part of the paper bag. 

Fold the paper bag in half and glue the bottom and outer edge together. Allow the glue to dry. 

We should have three inner pockets within the envelope.  

Decorate the envelope with collage and rubber stamps. 

Do the same for the other side of the envelope.

Because the envelope has many pockets, we can add different paper goods inside like bookmarks and handmade cards...TADA!

Write sweet messages or favorite quotes on the cards and tuck them inside the envelope. Don't you agree that this is one adorable package?

If you want to mail this, put it inside another envelope.

And that is how I turned a brown paper bag from blah to TADA!

*****

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Three Thoughts for October

Well hello October!

I know a lot of you are excited that this month has arrived, perhaps it's your birthday month or because of Halloween.

Maybe October is a month of rituals like apple picking or choosing the perfect pumpkin in the patch.  

via Terrain 

Maybe October encourages you to slow down for activities like decorating pumpkins with paint or gluing on pressed flowers.

October also means dressing up for Halloween. I really love this costume of Goldilocks with the Three Bears in her apron, easy enough to replicate using items in our closet.

Wherever your adventures take you, I hope your October will transform from blah to TADA!

Sketchbook Practice: Art Journaling with Megan Wells

Hi! I am pleased you're here.

I've maintained a sketchbook practice for several years now and I love learning new ways to fill its pages.

Today, let's learn some techniques from Megan Wells. She did this class on Workshop Week. 

Apart from a sketchbook, we will need: paintbrushes, watercolor paint, water, markers in different colors, white gel pen, black acrylic paint, white paint. 

To get rid of the blank white page, Megan suggests adding different paint colors all over the page.

When the base layer is dry, add some water on the page with a paintbrush, then add a drop of paint on the water -- see how the paint spreads like blots. Let this dry.

With the same method, you can tip the sketchbook to achieve some drips. 

Splatter is another fun way to add color to the page. Dip the paintbrush into the paint then gently tap the paintbrush above the page to get different-sized dots. Let this dry. 

With black ink and a paintbrush, draw some leaves and flowers randomly on the page. Work with odd numbers. Add flowers with a lighter paint shade (ex. blue or purple) for added dimension.

Megan likes to add black paint in certain areas of the layout. 

While the black paint dries, she adds more color to the flower petals and leaves using markers. She adds lines (using black paint) to add more depth to the flowers and leaves. 

With a white gel pen, add designs in the areas with black paint: lines, dots, crosses, mandalas, even words or phrases. These designs tame the black areas and are very meditative as the patterns are drawn repeatedly.

Here are other pages from Megan's sketchbook:

Here are two versions I made in my very own sketchbook:

I enjoyed the process and the many layers that emerged with just paint. This is such an inspiring way to turn a blank sketchbook page from "blah to TADA!"

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Postcards made from Cardboard Boxes

Hello everyone!

I love to repurpose materials that I find around the house and transform them from blah to TADA!

These were originally food boxes. Shaping them into birds and decorating them with acrylic paint gives them new life as greeting cards or classroom decor...TADA!

This little booklet is made of junk mail envelopes, dressed up with scrapbook paper and rubber stamps...TADA!

These envelopes are fashioned out of brown paper bags and the liners are magazine pages...TADA!

So you see, we can start crafting with items that we already have on hand. All we need is some imagination. Let's see how we can re-imagine these:

They are cardboard boxes and I think you'll agree that they look quite blah. 

But when we add a few coats of paint, they look more presentable.

Trim them into rectangles and they become postcards...TADA!

Here are several ways I gave them a new look: 

Adding some paint splatters and gluing on some hand-drawn fodder flowers make these postcards extra cheerful!

Apart from hand-painted fodder flowers, hand lettering, and handmade confetti, I used floral gift wrap tissue to decorate these postcards...TADA! 

Quotes and words of encouragement done in hand lettering or calligraphy can easily turn these blank postcards from blah to TADA!

And these postcards are made extra colorful using paint, rubber stamps, and flowers drawn with a pointed nib pen...TADA!  

That is how I turned cardboard boxes from blah to TADA!

*****

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Repurposing Floral Paper

A cousin gave me a thoughtful gift and it was tucked inside this floral tissue paper:

I love this paper just as much as the gift that came with it!

I'm used to plain gift tissue paper and I was surprised to see this very pretty print. I smoothed it out and folded it nicely with the intention of using it for crafting.

Let me show you what I made with it:

I cut around the sheet of gift tissue to make individual flowers. I then attached the flowers to a glass jar using white glue, a technique called decoupage.  I can use this as a pencil cup, mini flower vase or to hold votive candles...TADA!

This little gift box has an acetate window. I simply added some of the flower cutouts (held in place with some glue on the edges) to turn it from blah to TADA!

Every now and then, I experiment with origami. I made these origami dolls out of construction paper and the floral gift tissue...TADA!

Bookmarks are a very easy craft to make. I've made bookmarks out of junk mail, paper scraps, and watercolor paintings. I just glued the floral cutouts onto cardboard and added rubber stamp sayings and finished with a ribbon...TADA!

And finally, I added the floral cutouts to my handmade cards, using both decoupage and collage styles...TADA!

These are just some of the ways I repurposed the pretty floral gift tissue from blah to TADA!

*****

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Earrings Made from Paper Bag Handles

Thank you for stopping by!

Today, we're going to turn old paper bags from blah to TADA!

We're specifically looking for the paper bags with cord handles like this one. Remove the handles from the bag and save the bag for other projects like handmade envelopes. We'll use these cord handles to make jewelry.

This necklace is made from cord, a collection gathered from several paper bags, sewn together and embellished with faux diamonds and a gold chain...TADA! 

A bracelet is another cute item we can make out of cord...TADA! 

These earrings are also made from cord, embroidery floss, and jewelry findings...TADA!

 

All we need is a piece of cord. 

Cut it into two strips of equal length. Form them into teardrop shapes and sew them in place using needle and thread.

Sew on some beads and crystals. Add jewelry findings (ear wires) and secure them in place by sewing. Aim to get an identical look for the pair.  

Instantly, we've got a gorgeous set of handmade earrings!

And that is how I turned some cord from blah to TADA!

*****

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