Springtime Bunny Coin Purse + a few tips!

Spring is finally here and I got inspired to make a springtime bunny purse! Papertrey Ink has released the best stitching dies and it has been so fun to do some hand stitching and make coin purses.

I used PTI's felt colors in: Aqua Mist, Harvest Gold and Vintage Cream. The ribbon is Berry Sorbet saddle stitch. I backstitched around the edges, used a running stitch for the hops, and whipstitched the bunny's tail (and thanks to PTI, a couple of weeks ago I wouldn't have even known the terms for any of those stitches!)

To create the hopping stitches, I taped a cut out stencil of the PTI Birthday Style confetti dies to the coin purse and used the negative as a stitching guide. (And then I'm using the positive cut outs of the confetti lines for another purse.) This technique could probably work with a lot of other dies too.

The zipper is a 4 inch Mango Smoothie zipper from the Etsy shop that Erin Lincoln (who designed the dies) recommended here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/zipit. It is so fun to stitch in zippers of all different colors!

I also used Erin's tip to add fabric tape to the inside of the purse to hide the zipper stitches. It's a cute addition, and you just have to be careful to apply the tape so it doesn't buckle.

Here are some zipper matches I've found so far with the Zipit zippers and PTI felt:
Mango Smoothie (lighter but coordinates) = PTI Harvest Gold
Copen Blue = PTI Blueberry Sky
Beige = PTI Classic Kraft
Mauve = PTI Autumn Rose
Ocean Blue (lighter but coordinates) = PTI Hawaiian Shores
Red = PTI Pure Poppy
Peach = Melon Berry

At least for me, there has been a learning curve for these purses and I thought I'd share a few tips for stitching the coin purses that seemed to work. Fortunately, it does seem to get easier as you do more purses.

Zipper tips:
1. To backstitch around the 4" zipper uses about 4 feet of floss.
2. It's easier to use a thin strip of sewing tape to attach the zipper then pins. It keeps the zipper in place and aligned and is much more pleasant to stitch. Just avoid putting tape under the actual stitching holes.
3. Align the zipper cut out and begin your stitching at the very start of the zipper (where the zipper head is located when the zipper is zipped), to ensure that it lines up properly. Otherwise you will have an open hole in your purse (learned this the hard way!)
4. Stitch vertically, not horizontally. You have more control if the stitch is facing towards you.
5. Stitch and pull slowly and gently, not only to avoid tearing but so that you have more control over how the stitch looks.
6. Sew the zipper zipped open for a 4" coin purse or closed for a 6" coin purse, to ensure the zipper lies flat properly (this worked for me anyway, is there a correct method for whether a zipper is open or closed?)

And if you are a sewer or have other tips please list them in the comments! :)

To make things a little easier, I also made a swatch ring by cutting a 1 inch swatch of each PTI felt color and diecutting a stitch line to use as reference when making new felt/floss projects.

I took the felts swatches to the craft store and found some good DMC floss matches for the PTI felt colors. Some of the felt colors vary from their cardstock matches, so it was helpful to find new matches with the felt. I will list the felt color matches and show pics of the floss and felt matches in my next post!

Thanks for stopping by today and hope your day is sunny! :)

Post-it Note Holder

I made these note holders awhile ago, but realized that I never posted them. They are super simple but fun to make, and they work great slipped inside your purse or bag. 

I cut these note holders out using Papertrey Ink's lunchbox note die (if you have been to my blog before then you might know that it's my favorite PTI die!), and then I stamped a simple design using PTI's Take Note stamp set. 

For the inside, I cut strips of post-it notes to fit inside, and there are 12 notes of each of the 5 colors (12 is the most that my trimmer can cut at one time, and the ideal amount before the lunchbox note gets too thick). The measurement of each strip is 1/2" wide x 2-1/2" long. You could also make them a bit wider and include just a couple of colors instead. These can be used as bookmarks, reminder notes or tags.

I bought a pack of 18 full size post-it note pads at Staples for $5 so it's very economical to make these and include as flat little gifts to put inside a card that you mail out. Just a little something extra to make someone smile when they open their card! :)

That's all for today. Have a great and sunny (and soon to be Spring) day!

Gift Set for my Aunt

Awhile ago I posted a patterned paper calendar I made for my Aunt. The calendar is here. I realized that I never posted on my blog the rest of the set that I made for her. So I thought I would share it with you today. :) 

I made her a coordinating set of goodies for her to keep on her desk.

It included a PTI notebook and RSVP pen with matching paper.

A desk calendar...

And a set of magnets. 

Using a circle punch, I punched out some circles and attached them to epoxy circles. Then I glued these epoxy stickers to strong earth magnets. I needed a way to secure them, so I attached the mini magnets to a long magnet strip and glued that to a bookmark diecut. It kept everything in place so they didn't go sliding around.

Here's the whole set! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great sunny day! :)

ETA: I was emailed a few questions so thought I'd add some details about how I made some of this! The basic dimensions for the notebook and RSVP pen are on Kim's blog here. I bought the magnets from this ebay seller here and attached them with E-6000 glue. HTH!

Heat Embossing and Dry Embossing on Coasters

When I saw that PTI was selling coasters I was super excited. It seemed like it would be so fun to experiment with different coaster designs. It's also great to use for diecutting, but I wanted to see what I could come up with using them as actual coasters!

I ended up using some impression plates to create some gold embossed coaster designs. 

I stamped Versamark ink onto the impression plate then ran the coaster through my Cuttlebug. Then I heat embossed the dry embossed design with gold embossing powder. It created a vibrant and rustic coaster design. These coasters are still resistant to water, since heated embossing powder is waterproof. It has dimension and color but it's still practical.

My favorite design was the Sunshine impression plate. I love this pattern embossed! There were a few spots that didn't emboss, but I liked the rustic look of it. If you wanted to fix it, you could use a Versamark pen to color in the missing spots and then heat emboss again.

The coaster will slightly warp when you heat emboss it, but you can just place a heavy cup on it and it will smooth right out.

I also inked up the Music impression plate with waterproof brown ink and then ran it through my Cuttlebug. I love the rustic look it provides and the music notes are a fun and unusual theme on a dinner table.

Dry embossing and heat embossing the coasters can be a fun and simple way to dress up the table. You can emboss them in whichever colors will match your decor and change them very cheaply for the different seasons.

What things have you made with PTI coasters? Would love to see it! Thanks for stopping by and have a sunny day!!

Supplies (All Papertrey Ink.)

Impression Plates: Woodgrain, Sunshine, Music Sheet

Ink: Versamark

Embossing Powder: PTI Filigree gold

Other: Coasters

Book Lovers Set and new Etsy shop!

In early December I posted a set of book notecards I made for my uncle for a Christmas present. The original post is here. I was happy to find out that Caardvarks chose that notecard set as a winner for their final challenge. :)

I ended up making my uncle a book lovers set, which included notecards, bookmarks, book plates, pen, gift bag and tin. It was a lot of fun to make the set and he really liked it. So today I thought I would show you the rest of the book lovers set. I'm also very excited to be announcing today that I'm opening a new Etsy shop! (I'll provide a little bit more info about that at the end of the post.)

I made a set of 4 magnetic bookmarks, each using a 1-1/2" x 8" piece of PTI Kraft paper scored at 4". I rounded off the tops to coordinate with the notecards and to give it a finished edge. By stamping the sentiment at the very top, the sentiment peeks out from the top of the book when it's closed.

I attached adhesive magnets to the inside of the bookmark to secure it to the page, so it won't slide around.

A tip about alignment: glue down one magnet, then snap the second magnet onto the first magnet, remove the adhesive backing from the back of the second magnet, then press the paper down onto the second magnet. The magnets will be perfectly aligned on the bookmark this way.

Here are the other bookmarks.

I stamped the sentiments from the PTI All Booked Up set and then masked the lines from the PTI Journaling Lines set and the PTI Text Style set.

I bought some mini kraft bags from Michaels to store the bookmarks inside. I stamped the outside of the bag with another image from the Booked Up set. I thought that image was appropriate since there is a bookmark sticking out of the book. ;)

I also made a set of 4 bookplates using the same circle images from the notecards, then stamped "From the library of" so he can personalize his books. Then I tied them together with twine.

For the gift bag, I made an extra book plate and attached it to the outside. I used the "From the library of" sentiment again and then put my uncle's name. It just seemed more fitting than putting "To/From". :)

Inside the gift bag, I included a RSVP pen with PTI kraft paper rolled up inside, a set of notecards and envelopes in a cello bag and then packaged up the book plates and bookmarks inside a tin. Here's the whole tin set.

I still plan to make coordinating mini magnets and notepad and more and will try to post those at a later date.

I made a few extras when I was making them for my uncle and I will be adding them to my new Etsy shop. My new etsy shop is HERE. It has been a goal of mine for awhile to open one so I'm very excited that it is now a reality! Hope you'll stop by and take a peek. I will be adding new things often too!

By the way, I'm including this special note with any book-related orders from my Etsy shop:

It says: "Thanks for checking out my Etsy shop!" ;)

Thanks for reading through this post! Hope you have a great, sunny day!

All supplies are Papertrey Ink unless otherwise listed.

Stamps: All Booked Up, Faux Ribbon, Text Style, Journaling Lines

Ink: Graphite Black (Brilliance), Tea Dye Duo

Paper: Kraft

Other: magnets (Michaels), clear top tins, pens, gift bag (Michaels), mini kraft bags (Michaels)

Seasonal Holiday Calendar

Hi there! Today I thought I'd share with you a patterned paper calendar I made for my mom. You can find the other two other calendars I made here and here.

My mother loves holidays and I remember fondly when we were growing up how she would decorate for each holiday with lots of decorations set all over the house.

In Florida the seasons don't really change outside, so it was especially fun as a kid to have all of the decorations up in the house to mark the changing of the seasons and holidays throughout the year.

Even though all of us are grown now and not living in the house, she still decorates for every holiday and season and I'm so glad she does. :)

So I knew when making a calendar for her that I wanted to incorporate the holidays and seasons for her. 

A way to thank her for all of the warm memories from growing up! :)

I used various PTI patterned papers from several different pads. The months are stamped with PTI's Calendar Basics set.

And here are the remaining months...

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful, sunshine-filled day! :)

Peppermints Cookies in a Jar

Hi there! Today I thought I'd share with you one of the gifts I gave out this year: peppermint-flavored Oreo cookies in a jar. They were a simple, last minute project and were a lot of fun to put together.

I bought a bag of Oreos with peppermint-flavored icing and unwrapped about two dozen starlite mints, then scattered them inside a large craft jar from Hobby Lobby. The mints helped to add a splash of color.

The jar was filled to the top when I gave it to my mom, but by the time I took this picture someone in my family had already sneaked a few cookies (I suspect my little sis). :)

And here's the tag that coordinates with it. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the white and gold papers have a shimmer. The peppermint is from BB: Christmas and the tag is from PTI Everyday Treats (a wonderful set).

I made them for several friends and family and I love how they turned out.  I will be back later today with a list of Top 10 cards for the year. It's a fun blog hop being hosted by this blog. Hope you have a sunny day!

Supplies (All PTI unless otherwise listed)

Stamps: Everyday Treats, BB: Christmas, 2010 Holiday Tags

Paper: White Shimmer, Gold Shimmer

Ink: Graphite Black, Rocket Red (Brilliance)

Dies: Limitless Layers, Tag Sale 2

Other: Ball craft jar (Hobby Lobby), Gold string (Michaels)

A Gift for a Doctor or Medical Student

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Here is one of the Christmas gifts I gave my brother this year. He is in med school studying to be a doctor, and I usually try to think of medical-related things to give him. One year I gave him the game Operation and this year I made him a special tin of goodies.

When I saw this label stamp from the Waltzingmouse Rescue Remedies stamp set, I decided I had to make this for my brother for Christmas. 

I stamped the label onto white shimmer cardstock using Brilliance inks (both the paper and ink have a subtle sparkle), and then attached it to the tin with Scor-tape. The cold steel of the tea tin already looks kind of medicinal, like an old fashioned medicine bottle.

Here's the "medicine" inside the tin...

Peppermints! :) I lined the inside of the tin with Christmas parchment paper.

My brother thought it was fun and really liked it. Now I need to start thinking what I'll make for him next year!

I made a lot of gifts, tags and wrapping this year for Christmas. I'll be sharing more with you over the next few days.

Supplies

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Rescue Remedies

Paper: White Shimmer (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Rocket Red, Graphite Black (Brilliance inks)

Other: Tea Tin (Papertrey Ink), Labels 4 nesties

ETA: My grandma was readmitted to the hospital and I promised her I would send lots of prayers. If you have a spare moment, could you send up some prayers for my grandma, that she starts to feel better real soon. Thanks so much.

The Love of Learning...

I love to read. In my house we have a whole wall from ceiling to floor filled with IKEA bookshelves. I've been a big reader my whole life and so have many people in my family including my dad, grandma and uncle. It is so fun to constantly be learning something new and there is nothing better than a good book.

When Papertrey Ink released the All Booked Up stamp set, I was thrilled. To combine my two big loves: reading and crafting seemed like a dream come true.

I made this notecard set as a gift for my uncle. He is so generous and always surprising others with thoughtful books, so I thought he could slip these notecards into the books. I started with this card and then decided to make a series for him.

I am entering these cards into Caardvarks final challenge to make a monochromatic card. So sad to hear that they will no longer be around. I really like their challenges!

I stamped the images with PTI's gorgeous All Booked Up set. The little flourish image and the lines are from the PTI Faux Ribbon stamp set. There are several flourishes in that set that are perfect for corners! I stamped the flourishes first in the corner and then masked off the lines and stamped them between.

Each of the notecards is 4-1/4" x 4". I also inked around the edges with Tea Dye Duo to give it an aged vintage book feel.

And here is the whole series. I'm also planning to make matching bookmarks and bookplates to go with this too!
(ETA: The rest of the book lover's set is in this post: HERE.)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful and sunshine-filled day!

ETA: Thanks so much to Caardvarks for choosing this notecard set as a winner for their final challenge!


All supplies are Papertrey Ink unless otherwise listed.
Stamps: All Booked Up, Faux Ribbon
Ink: Graphite Black (Brilliance), Tea Dye Duo
Paper: Kraft