Time to Share Some Love

Happy Monday! I'm pretty sure most of you know about ETSY, the wonderful on-line marketplace of all things handmade. Well, I found out that they have this sweet Valentine tradition called:

They've joined hands with Citymeals-on-Wheels to provide nutritious meals, handmade greeting cards and companionship to the elderly in New York City. Isn't that TADA! especially in the brutal winter the East Coast is currently experiencing?

This is where we crafters come in! ETSY needs us to make the Valentine cards. You'll find all the details right here.

I've wasted no time and made a bunch of cards in true blah to TADA! fashion:

These are made from paper remnants

{scrap book paper, gift wrap & magazine pages}

Left over felt turned into miniature pillows

Crafted from felt scraps & string

Cards that double as bookmarks

Little greeters made from cut-out doilies

I hope these have inspired you to make your own Valentine cards for ETSY's Special Delivery Project. You'll never know how you can cheer up so many people with your handmade cards! Truly, these are a gift from the hands and heart. Don't forget, deadline is on February 9, 2011.

I Like 'em Padded

One of the things on my "to buy" list at the office supply

store are padded envelopes. I always have a need

for them throughout the year when I

mail small packages.

But I realized, "Why buy when I can make them?"

Blah No. 1: an old plastic bag in a pretty opaque color.

Blah No. 2: bubble wrap

{I'm reusing these from Christmas packages

& on-line purchases}

Cut the plastic bag & bubble wrap

to the size you need.

The plastic bag has to be bigger than the

bubble wrap {provide a one-inch

border all around}.

Seal three ends of the bubble wrap with

clear tape to form a pouch.

Add some glue on both sides of the

bubble wrap pouch & insert into

the plastic bag.

Gently glide your fingers on the plastic

to help the bubble wrap adhere to the

plastic covering & to prevent air bubbles.

Neatly seal the edges {use glue}.

Leave the top open, trim the sides

and attach some double-sided tape

on the "lip" of the envelope.

TADA! Easy-to-make padded envelopes!

{I think I want to make more in

different sorbet colors!}

Address the envelope using a peel-off label or

write directly on it with a marker.

Insert the gift, greeting card & go ahead and mail it!

Have an excellent weekend!

Via Air Mail

Shopping for office supplies relaxes me.

I always get giddy over the many options available.

New supplies also remind me of fresh starts &

the promise of an organized life.

Look what I found at a stationery boutique:

Air mail envelopes!

I can't help feeling nostalgic.

They're perfect for the handmade cards

I crafted last week & wrote on yesterday.

I'm pretty sure my lucky friend receiving this

will love the "retro" feel when she finds

this in her mailbox.

But wait! Let's add a finishing touch:

Blah: felt remnants from an old blah to TADA! project.

TADA! Easy envelope seals!

Free form cutouts using scissors and

attached with a glue gun.

Can air mail get any better?

My Favorite Writing Instrument

Happy Wednesday!

All this week, I've been telling you about the

basic supplies I keep & recently stocked up on.

This is my favorite pen -- it's a retractable gel pen.

I'm not particular about the brand, as long as it's

in black and writes well. I've met a few bad pens

in my life and what a nightmare!

These ones glide well, don't skip and I use

them from the important {signing documents}

to the mundane {making lists}.

And remember the Tada! handmade cards I've been making

from blah materials?

I like using the same pens to write heartfelt messages.

I use the pens to write on my gratitude journal, too!

I hope you've found your ideal pen...the one

that turns writing tasks from blah to TADA!

Markers are Magic

I went shopping for new supplies & I'm showing off my purchases.

Today, it's these brand-spanking new

black markers.

I don't really need that many, but there was

a deal at the store: six for $2.00!

They always come in handy when

labeling stuff & addressing packages.

I also like to use them to draw.

Wanna see?

Blah: a box from the mail

{it contained a Christmas present}

Tada! Same box but with whimsical patterns all over.

My instant design covers any markings on the box &

adds a little personality -- like it was a gift box.

I can reuse it for a new package I need to send.

On top are spaces for the sender's & addressee's information.

All that's needed is to fill in the blanks, seal the top

and send away!

Stocking up on Supplies

It's a New Year. And when I think of "new", I associate it with fresh office supplies. Do you remember when we were still students and a new school year would come around? We'd shop for pencils {that we'd enthusiastically sharpen} and paper {to be filled with notes & doodles}. Now that 2011 has begun, I promptly headed to the store to replenish some supplies that made an exit together with 2010.

All this week, I'll be sharing with you my new supplies starting with this one:

Watercolor Pencils!

They work like colored pencils but are water soluble.

Let's try them out.

I found these blah business cards -- from an old job,

from contacts who no longer work for those companies

and discount coupons that have expired.

Well, let's make this blah more useful!

Glue two cards together.

Make sure the printed sections are face to face;

this is where you'll apply the glue.

You'll end up with a thicker card that's

blank on both sides.

Draw a picture on the card using the watercolor pencil.

{I drew a necklace}

Then brush some water over the image & slowly,

you'll have a washed, watercolor effect.

Tada! A set of little cards with a girly theme.

I can make new business cards out of these!

Have a great day!

Cool Collage

We've made it to the end of the week.

I hope yours was fun & productive!

I've been having a ball reusing the pages

of this magazine.

The pages are almost like card stock,

the fonts are fancy & the pictures

are in full color.

I've read my entire collection

and it's time to let go of them.

But goodbyes like these are never easy.

Therefore I fashioned this collage using the magazine

cover and made cut outs using the pages.

Add this blah paper bag to the mix, and...

TADA! Instant environment-friendly gift bag!

Have a fabulous weekend folks!