Washi Tape Meets Keyboard

 Washi Meets Keyboard

When I first heard of washi tape, I wasn't impressed. When I first saw washi tape, I still wasn't impressed. Until I found this tape: 

I fell in love with this on the spot and only bought one roll! What was I thinking? Especially since I cannot remember where I bought it, who makes it and cannot find it in any of the local crafting stores. I have one small 6" piece left. :( If anyone knows where to find this tape, please let me know!

Fast forward a few months later and I now have a pencil box full of various washi tape rolls. The only place I really use them is in pocket letters so they do not get used much. This morning when I sat down at my desk, I remembered a photo I saw of a washi-ed keyboard. Of course, I had to try it! Here is the result:

As you can see, the pink argyle tape does not like to stay put. I have a feeling I am going to have to replace at least the space bar piece. 

The keyboard looks great but functionality is only so-so. I keep feeling the edges of my fingers catch on the edges of the tape as I type. I may need to trim a few pieces a little more.  Thankfully, I learned how to type correctly (Thanks Mrs. Novotny for your insistence on that in middle school!) so I'm not having to hunt and peck or look up a keyboard map. Hmmm...I think I may just do this to all the kids' keyboards...

Happy crafting!

Parisian Feline Pocket Letter

Oh, the joy that is Pocket Letters! And cats! Two of my favorite things!

After creating the PL for Billie, I came across a post on a PL Facebook page from a lady looking to swap a cat PL she had made. Being the cat lover that I am, I jumped on it. Or, shall I say, pounced on it. :)

I had a few things in my stash that could be used for a cat PL, but not enough to complete one so I went shopping. I had to go to the next town over and it has a Joann's so I stopped in there on the way home. I found only a few things but it was enough to create this PL.

A couple of weeks after I sent this PL, I was in my local Hobby Lobby. I saw sooo many cat items that I was kicking myself for not shopping there before I created this. Oh well, I'm sure there will be another cat PL in my future.

This is the front:



I love bright colors and funky and blingy stuff and this PL catches that essence. The two cats are actually iron on patches that I picked up from Joann's (then found in Walmart for less than half the price I paid - grrr).

The tiny clothes pins are covered with the letter "I" from the same stickers that the word "CAT" is from in the middle pocket of the top row.

The paw print stickers are actually dog paws, I believe, but I used them anyway. The local high school's mascot is the Wildcat and cat paws are huge around here. So, I associate paws with cats more than dogs. (Guess that could also be because I'm a cat lover...)

A note about my design method: I like to design the front as a work of art and fill the back with reusable goodies but some people like to put goodies in the front of the PL as well as the back. Most people collect their PLs and like to look back through them and this is why I design my PLs the way I do. This way, when someone looks at them, they still have complete front pockets to look at. Just remember - PLs are YOUR thing. Design them how you want and the way you want. There is no right or wrong way.

This is the back:



It's full of various supplies that match the theme, color and materials I used on the front. The pocket on the right in the middle row contains a small envelope that I made using the WRMK Envelope Punch Board (I'll post about this later). It holds a small bag of various colored skittles.

Skittles are little colored domes that can be glued down and very similar to the domes in the top left pocket. They were all the rage in the papercrafting and scrapbooking world a few years ago though I have not seen them in use since I started learning about PLs. The  pockets in the middle of the top and bottom rows also have envelopes in them but for the life of me I cannot remember what I included inside the envelopes! Maybe nothing? Maybe my letter in one? Who knows. My memory is not what it used to be.

This PL went to Canada and the recipient is the one who named it, "Parisian Feline." Very appropriate, don't you agree?

Check back as I add more PLs. Happy crafting!

My Very First Pocket Letter Ever

So...I spent much time reading about PLs - what they were, how to create them, what to put in them, what their purpose was. I kept wanting to jump into a swap but I was afraid! Having never created a PL, I wasn't exactly sure how to go about it.

I finally decided to create a PL for a dear friend from church. Her name is Billie and she is crafty. I have had the pleasure of working with her on a couple of large projects as well as seen her work throughout the congregation from time to time. I figured she would appreciate a PL and could put the goodies to use.

Billie absolutely LOVES pink. I've never seen anyone love a color as much as she does. She also love shabby chic. So, I made her a pink shabby chic PL. Or tried to anyway. I never did quite love this PL and plan on attempting another pink shabby chic someday.

Without further ado, here is the PL.

This is the front:



The background is a sheet of 8.5x11 scrapbook paper. The roses are a throwback to the first project we worked on together which involved French shabby roses. The four corners are a small pink doily that I cut in quarters. I added texture with the lace, bow, pearls and crocheted flower. The rhinestones are probably more my taste than Billie's. (I LOVE bling and glitter. I think I drove her and our other friends nuts with my want of glitter and sparkle in our projects.) The stamped image is one I bought from Hobby Lobby. It says:
"Some people strengthen others just by being the kind of person they are."
This quote is very true of Billie.

This is the back of the PL:



I packed it full of goodies that she can hopefully reuse on her many projects. There are doilies, crocheted flowers, stickers, lace and ribbon, stamped images and washi tape. The empty pocket eventually held tea and my letter to her. Since I already know Billie, in my letter I just told her about PLs and why I chose her as my first recipient.

I bundled it up all pretty (again, the packaging can be reused) and put it in her mailbox at church.



I had fun making it and have since made about a dozen more. I'll be posting more so check back!

Thanks and happy crafting!

Pocket Letters - My Newest Addiction

Hello, crafty world! I'm sure a lot of you have heard about Pocket Letters. They are fairly new to the crafting world but they have taken it by storm! Pocket Letters (or PLs) were created by Janette Lane as a cool, crafty way of sending pen pal letters via snail mail. The gist of a PL is to take a trading card sheet protector, fill the pockets with goodies and a letter, then fold and mail to your PL pal.

Of course, when you get a bunch of papercrafting people together, a swap is bound to happen. PL sites and fb pages have popped up all over the place. You can find so much inspiration on these pages as well as many swaps and swap partners.

If you want to know more about PLs, here are a couple of links:

• Janette Lane's post on PLs for the readers
• For those who prefer video, one by Lorrie Nunemaker

Check back often to see my PL creations!

Thanks for reading!

How Do You Forget About Your Own Blog?!

As you can see, the last post I made was the first of what was to be 2 or 3 posts back in June 2010. For some reason, I never finished the series of posts and I managed to somehow forget all about this blog. How does that happen?!

The only thing I can think of is that there was a lot going on in my life and family at that time. In fact, it's only been these last two years that I've managed to figure out some stuff and get a handle on it all. That's a post for another day, though.

When I first started this blog, I used my Cricut Expression a lot. I still have it and it still works but it's been packed away for about two years or so. Last Christmas, the Hubster gave me a Cricut Explore. I was soooo excited to get it. I unpacked that sucker, set it all up, figured out how to use Design Space and import all my cartridges then...it just sat there. And sat. And sat. And sat some more. At least, until a few days ago. I finally fired that puppy up and used it for the first time. I absolutely LOVE IT! Design Space is awesome and the machine is super quiet compared to the Expression.

I've been itching to get back into papercrafting and swaps. I love swapping and was excited to see what was out there now that the Explore was out. I was saddened to see that there wasn't much activity. Or, at least not like there used to be. And what was out there didn't interest me.

During my googling of swaps and papercrafting, I came upon something called Pocket Letters. I'm hooked! I've created ten in the last 2-3 weeks and there is no end in sight. Check back after Thanksgiving because I can't wait to post about PLs and show a few that I've created. Until then, check this out: http://janettelane.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-are-pocket-letters.html

Weeks 1-4 of the Twilight Swap

Week 1 - ATC

I made two ATCs because I couldn't decide on one. :) The first is called "Bound". I chose the title because Edward and Bella would forever be together. I absolutely LOVE the pic I used. I didn't do much embellishing because I wanted the emphasis to be on the picture and the quote.

I printed the picture and the quote on glossy photo paper. The photo was cropped at shorter width than a typical trading card so that I could use the patterned paper behind it. The picture is adhered to the paper with 4 small brads. The quote was printed in a script-y font and reads:

"The bond forged between us was not one that could be broken by absence, distance, or time. And no matter how much more special or beautiful or brilliant or perfect than me he might be, he was as irreversibly altered as I was. As I would always belong to him, so would he always be mine."
Bella Swan, New Moon, Chapter 24, p.527

I pop-dotted that up above the photo to give the card some depth, then added 3 skittles in Currant (can be purchased from Jamie) along the top.

The second ATC, entitled "Two Thoughts", didn't turn out quite like I imagined. I liked the idea behind it so Erica received it anyway. :)

The pic is printed at full ATC size (2.5 x 3.5 inches) and the quotes are printed at...I can't remember! The pic is of the Cullens in the cafeteria. As you can see, Edward is staring (or glaring according to Bella), at Bella. The quote on the left is from Twilight and says:

"He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase if looks could kill suddenly ran through my mind."
Bella Swan, Twilight, Chapter 1, p.24

The quote on the right if from Midnight Sun and says:

"I could hear nothing but silence from the place she was sitting. Nothing at all. I felt a moment of unease."
Edward Cullen, Midnight Sun, Chapter 1, p.6
Download file from www.stepheniemeyers.com

The quotes are pop-dotted up and a red, sheer ribbon between the quotes. Two sets of three red-colored skittles finish it off. (I think the skittles are a color called Chili Pepper and are also from Jamie.)

I really like the contrast of Edward and Bella's thoughts at this particular moment in time. He is frowning because he can't "hear" her while she thinks he is glaring at her.

I sure wish Stephenie would finish Midnight Sun!

Week 2 - Altered Item

My altered item for Erica was a wooden box that I purchased from Hobby Lobby.

I took all the hardware off of the box and painted it with a couple of coats of dark red acrylic hobby paint - inside and out. The hardware received a coat of flat black spray paint. After the box dried, I wrapped it in a length of lace material (also from HL), tied it in a knot at the bottom, then spray painted through the lace with the flat black spray paint. Some areas I applied the paint heavier, others lighter. You can see the detail in the above pic. I then coated it with a couple of coats of a clear spray paint, the reattached all the hardware.

The inside bottom and top of the lid is lined in a cranberry felt that I purchased from Hobby Lobby. I added a chipboard swirl and Erica's initials to the lid, then lined the perimeter of the lid in a a length of this jeweled-like stuff I bought from Hobby Lobby. It doesn't have a name on the spool. The bottom of the box is lined with ribbon as well.



Erica's initials were cut out of a manila file folder using the Winter Woodlands cartridge. I painted the letters with a black acrylic paint with a little pearl paint additive mixed in. After that dried, I used the same pearl additive as ink to stamp the swirly pattern on top. The E & M are adhered directly to the lid, but the K is pop-dotted so that it sits above the E & M. I used extra glue on the pop dots.

I finished the box off by adding the black lace around the lip and adding the swirled rhinestones to the top.

Week 3 - 2 ITTs

2 inchies, 2 twinchies and 2 trinchies - I used Photoshop to create all of these. Each has a quote from the books or saying associated with Twilight. All of the hearts and the apple are pop-dotted.

Week 4 - Paper Bag Album

This was one of my favorite items!! This is a waterfall paper bag album. I really didn't know what I was doing, and I can't remember exactly what I did! I couldn't really find directions on the web for one, so I winged it. Hopefully, I'll be able to recreate it.

I'll let the pictures do the talking:












Weeks 5-8 will be posted sometime soon.

Twilight Swap!!!

Did I have fun completing this partner swap hosted by TheSilentScrapper from the Cricut message board!!

I'll post details of the individual items later. For now, here is a list of what we had to make:

* An ATC (Artist Trading Card)
* Alter an item
* 2 each of ITTs (Inchies, Twinchies, Trinchies)
* Paper bag album
* Charm bracelet
* 5 cut outs or embellishments
* T-shirt
* 5 greeting cards
* A game
* A journal
* 2 bookmarks
* A surprise item