Envelope Treat Bag

So, I had to make an 'altered item' for one of my MW Express kit projects, and I figured what's more altered than making something out of something else?  This is actually an 'oldie'...I was shown how to do this about 10 years ago, and I think they are perfect for Valentine's Day. Here is the finished product:

Start by sealing the envelope closed, and cutting of one of the sides with decorative scissors, or a border punch:

Measure in 1/2 inch, score and fold (in both directions) on remaining 3 sides:

Push in bottom folds, and shape into a bag:

Tape down the little triangle tabs:

And...that is how you make an envelope into a bag! Embellish as desired :)

        TFSB!

My Favorite Pattern

I've enjoyed this sweater pattern from the Spring/Summer 2006 issue of BHG's 'Knit It!' I've made it about 5 times now, starting with one for my niece in these exact colors:

I've made it in these colors a total of three times:

Between those two color combinations, I had enough scraps from both to make this one:

When I first started, I was very skeptical that these colors would look good together...but, by the time I was half way done with it, I was loving it.  It reminds me of icecream.

I didn't even have to buy buttons for it, I had enough mismatched ones in my scrapbooking supply that matched the colors perfectly.

So, don't throw away those scraps...use them on your favorite pattern.  It is fun to see what you come up with :)

       TFSB!

Box Envelope

 Awhile back I made this card:

Find the original post here:
Handmade Flower Tutorial

It was a lot of fun to make, and very pretty to look at, but not very practical to send through the mail.  But then, I came across this over at Split Coast Stampers, and it is just too perfect:

Here is my version:

(Tip - I made my horizontal scores at 2, 3, 7 1/4, and 8 1/4 so it would overlap)

All of your bulky card problems are solved :)

       TFSB!

Unexpected Inspiration

 I recently completed this page:

 Inspired by this baby blanket:

I love everything about this blanket...the colors especially. If you find a pattern or something that you really love, take that opportunity to try out some techniques, instead of focusing so much on design.  The design of my page is pretty simple, I think, but it's colors, and texture that make it pop.  I cut some circles and put them in a polka dot embossing folder, and colored the dots with a white paint pen...and it ended up mimicking the blanket perfectly.  It's also a mostly cardstock LO, which I love, because I have a ton of it. So, if you are in a  slump, take a moment to glance around, and see what inspires you.

      TFSB,

Poinsettia Tutorial

This isn't my original idea, I saw it somewhere else, but I honestly can't remember where I saw it.  Anyway, I thought this paper poinsettia was really pretty, and so easy to make.

 I started with a 1.5 inch paper strip:

 Cut four pieces on the diagonal:

 Pinch each diamond together in the center, you'll have to play with it a bit:

 Hold them together and wrap the pinched part with wire:

 I used Prima leaves, but if you don't have any, you can make some leaves the exact same way.  Except for pinch the ends together instead of the middle, and clip off the end:

 Add several small buttons, or one large one to the center, and it's done:

Just in time for some last minute holiday cards.  Have fun!

DIY scarf tutorial

I came across this DIY scarf in a magazine, and thought it was pretty awesome. Especially, since I was going to try to knit myself a grey scarf this fall, but really didn't see it happening, and this was a whole lot quicker. Here it is, you start with an old shirt:

Lay it flat and snip of the top of the shirt with one horizontal cut under the arm holes. Toss the top half.
Now create fringe along the unhemmed side of what's left by snipping every half inch.
Ta-da! Presto chang-o: shirt to cute scarf. (I think it's cute, anyway.) And it only took 5 minutes.
( Picture courtesy of my daughter, Leah. Didn't she do a good job?) It would look cute from a shirt with a pattern, too. But, I didn't have one.

Tropical flower tutorial

I love tropical flowers, and instead of going bankrupt buying all kinds of embellishments, I found a way to make my own, here is a layout with an example:

It was pretty easy, let me show you how I did it. Please excuse the last three pictures, the battery in my good camera died half way through this process :) Anyway, here is what I started out with: 5 punched out labels, 2 small circles, and a die cut swirl.
I started by cutting the part of the swirl that I wanted to use for my center. Next, I cut the labels into kind of a heart shape, and then cut a very loopy heart out of their centers.
I taped all of the 'petal' ends together, and adhered a yellow circle on the top, and one on the bottom. Next, I taped the in the center.
I arranged the flower with a couple of leaves from Prima, and a tag. Here is the final result:
It came together pretty quick, I hope you can give it a try. Thanks for checking it out!