Oh. . . Just One More Thing. . . .

I added a new feature to my blog - if you will look to the right at the top you will find a "Search" window. You can now type in a word or phrase and it will search my blog for any of the posts I have made with that word/phrase in it. So if you are looking for something in particular that you remember reading or seeing on here you can easily find it again.

I finished it!

Just like I said I would! I am so proud of me. Lately I have had a hard time following through on things. Anyhoo, this is what I was working on the other night when I shared my HUGE mess with you all.

If you click on it you can see the inside pages. This book was really hard to photograph. I hope you will get teh general idea. It is a gatefold album with lots of little spaces for tags etc. It is also made out of paper bags - something I never do, but I really enjoyed doing it. In fact I enjoyed it so much there is going to be a paper bag album class at the first of the year. I almost have the sample done. It is going to be called "The Ladies Home Journal". I think you are gonna like it!
Well, I don't have alot to say tonight, but I did want to share my finished book for Vegas! only 7 more days!!!!!
Have a great night!!!

The Late Night Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Well, Thanksgiving is officially over now - there is not one sliver of pumpkin pie left in the house! Not sure what I will have for breakfast in the morning now?

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving. Mine had it's ups and downs, but for the most part was very nice.

Now it is time to get busy with Lizzy's 21st Birthday (which is in 8 days!!!)

and of course Christmas.

I spent Black Friday not shopping, but in my studio. I am trying to get Lizzy's book ready before we leave for Vegas. I started it a couple of weeks ago and made a HUGE mistake on it and so I just put it away until I decided how I was going to fix it. I never figured that out! So, Friday I started a new one - totally different style and concept but with the same papers. Tonight I finished the book block and hopefully tomorrow I can get the covers made and get it assembled and ready to pack. I thought some of you might enjoy seeing the mess I make when I create. Most of you know how anal and organized I am, so this might surprise you. I must say that I make this huge mess but usually stop once or twice while I am creating and clean it all up and then immediately get it all back out and start again. It is silly I know, but this mess makes me CRAZY!!!!

So here's my desk area - it's under there somewhere!

Here is the floor - I really like working on the floor more than at my desk - so this is usually where you will find me!

Here's my desk again and part of the book I am working on for Lizzy

Here's an overview of it all!

I have been a busy little crafter lately. Besides Lizzy's book, I have been sewing like crazy (I will share pictures soon) I made all of the gifts for my little nieces & nephews this year. I made Doodle purses for the little ones and cloth books for the babies. I also made a few aprons (they turned out sooo cute!) while I had my machine out. Bryanna and I spent last Sunday making Money Books for her nieces & nephews and for my older nieces. They turned out so cute and were so easy to make that I decided I would have a little online mini workshop for you all. This is a fast project and a great way to give money as a gift. It could be changed for birthdays, graduations, weddings, anything really.

Here's what they look like - aren't they sweet!?!

You could really get creative with the embellishments on these, but we kept them simple with just a silver bookplate with their name on the cover.

Inside the book there are ten 1 dollar "pages". You could fill it with any amout or denomination you want, but mine got $10. They can pull out one bill at a time to use or take it all out at once. You can even refill it with more money after they spent it all if you wanted.

So here's how to make them. . .

Supplies:

2 pieces of bookboard 3.25"x3"

(you can use chipboard but I had plenty of scrap bookboard here)

1 piece of 2" wide Tyvek tape 5" long

1 piece of 2" wide Tyvek tape 2.75" long

(you could use any of the great colors of duck tape if you don't have tyvek)

26" of embroidery floss

(you could also use yarn or even waxed linen thread)

2 pieces of decorative paper 3.50"x4"

2 pieces of decorative paper 3"x3"

(I used scrapbook paper but you could also use wrapping paper, the funnies or whatever)

Favorite glue or adhesive

(I used my xyron machine - it's fast!)

Lay your cover boards on your biggest piece of tyvek tape .25" apart as shown above

(you want your book to be 3" tall and 3.25" wide)

Fold tape ends up over your boards

cover the gap with your smaller piece of tape

It should look like the picture above. Now run a bone folder (or popcicle stick) in the empty space between your boards.

Now you will want to close your book and form your "spine" with your fingers.

Cover the outside with your bigger pieces of paper, being sure to mitre your corners and leaving about 1/2" of your tape showing (makes it look like a real book that way)

Use your 3x3 papers to cover the inside of your book cover.

Lay your dollars inside your book and mark on the inside of your spine the top & bottom of your bills. Thread a needle with your floss and poke a hole in both of your markings. Starting on the outside of your book, sew into the spine (leaving a 3" tail), over the bills and back out your spine. repeat this 3 times pulling thread taught and ending up on the outside of the book. Tie the ends of your floss together in a knot and you are finished!

I hope you enjoyed our little mini class and I hope you will make a few and give them as gifts this year. I am hoping someone makes me one with hundred dollar bills in it!!!!

Well, it is 2:30 in the morning and I need to say goodnight!

Enjoy the reast of your weekend!

Thanksgiving Day Wishes

I have been trying to get here sooner to update on my goings on - but sadly have not found the time. But I am here tonight, taking a short break from cleaning and preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. We will be celebrating here tomorrow with family and new friends. Lizzy's boyfriend Addison will be joing us for dinner, as will his parents. We really like Addison and are happy to share our holiday table with him. We haven't gotten to meet his parents yet, but are looking forward to meeting them. Bryanna and Darwing and my Monkey will be away this year. They will be celebrating in Northern Calif with Darwin's family. I will miss the three of them terribly! Mom is dog sitting for them so she wont arrive until right before dinner. So there are new things happening at our very "traditional" Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. After dinner we will decorate our tree and eat pie and comissorate about how we all ate too much. It's tradition you know.

I hope you all will be enjoying your holiday with family and friends, old or new. And that you will be remembering ALL of the wonderful things we have to be thankful for this year. God bless you friends. I will be back soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

I'm Back. . .

Just one quick picture for you - Here is my Best friend and Husband of 25 years!!!!!! Yes, that's right 25 Years! We had a great trip - a bumpy start but a great trip once we got there. I will share more later. I hope you all had a great weekend and spent it with those you love!