Cute and Spooky Birthday Blog Hop

Today, I am helping my scrappy friend Kimberly celebrate the 1-year anniversary of her Etsy Shop, Polka Dotted Bliss. She has a spookalicious line-up of talented girls sharing polka-dot Halloween creations all week long on her blog! AND, she's giving away some blog candy each and every day this week. So make sure you stop in all this week, catch some inspiration and enter the giveaways! 

Day One: http://CreatedbyDonnaK.blogspot.com 
Day Two: http://karenskraftymoments.blogspot.com/ 
Day Three: http://www.kristaspapercafe.com/ 
Day Four: http://lilhoneybeestudios.blogspot.com/ 
Day Five: http://scrapyourworld1.blogspot.com/ 
Day Six: http://mywhimsylife.blogspot.com/ 
Day Seven: http://mypolkadottedbliss.blogspot.com


 I love  creating with paper and have an obsession with making mini albums and journals.     My first thought was to make an album as this is what I love doing, and am sure everyone expected me to make.  So I did the un-expected and created a gift tag instead.

  I used a re-purposed vintage layaway tag for my base, and MME's Wicked  paper.  I embellished it with a little touch of burlap, canvas border, a felt spider,  a handcrafted stick pin, vintage black seam binding ribbon, and a unique hand crafted skull button. Can you tell what I made the button out of?

I am all about the vintage look, and I hope that I captured it in this tag.  

Materials I used:
My Mind Eye's papers
Tim Holtz Black Soot Distressing Ink
Pink Paislee Hocus Pocus Canvas border and skull
Burlap
Felt spider
Vintage layaway tag
Vintage poker chip
Vintage seam binding


Here are the goodies Kimberly is giving away today. To enter the giveaway:
Head on over to Kimberly's blog here   for a chance to win this fabulous prize: 

**Giveaways Open to US residents only.

Twelve Days of Christmas Mini Album

Christmas will be here before you know it.  This mini album is perfect to journal and add those special pictures of your special memories of the holiday season, a great December Daily.

It is made to document the Twelve Days of Christmas.  The album is approximately 5x5 1/2" in size and made of 6 up cycled card board CD Protectors and beautiful Vintage Christmas themed patterned paper, from the 7 Gypsy collection. There is a total of 6 pages (12 front and back to include covers). The cover is adorn with a metal number "12" brad for a book handle, a stocking charm,, deep burgundy ribbon and hand stamped "memories" in the lower right hand corner.

There are 6 large pockets, (perfect for storing special keepsakes, and a perfect size to slip in a cd and or dvd), 6 mats (4 1/2"x4 1/2"), 12 hand crafted tags made from coordinating papers and recycled shipping tags...each of these tags have hand rubbed stencil numerals on them. They are perfect to journal and/or add cropped photos to. This album is linked up to the Just Because Linky Party..be sure to check out all the fabulous creations.  If you are interested in this album, you can purchase it in my etsy shop here.

All Occasion Paper Towel Mini Album

Here is another one of my paper towel mini albums. 

Again, like most of my creations it is vintage inspired. 

Lots of tags to add cropped photos to and or journal on. 

This album is linked up to the Just Because Linky Party...be sure to check out all the fabulous creations.

Travel Journal Made from Repurposed CD covers

I think like a crafter.  I can not go anywhere without looking at every item as an opportunity into making and/or using in one of my journals.  A few months back while in the electronic section of Walmart I came across these card board cd protectors.

Of course I had to buy them, not sure at the time what I was gonna use them for, but...the gears in my artistic (or crazy) mind were working.  I finally pulled them out yesterday and this is what I created.

I love how this little travel journal turned out.  If you are like me, you take hundreds of photos, and can't bear to part with any of them.  This journal is perfect  for you to add your favorite photos  then make a cd of all those extra photos and insert into one of the pockets.

I handcrafted tags and mats using coordinating papers....perfect to journal about those adventures and/or add cropped photos to.

The journal measures approximately 5x6", 12 pages (front and back) created from 6 cardboard cd holders and is spiral bound.

The front cover is adorn with a faux pearl brad for a book handle,  dark navy blue ribbon and two metal charms.

Like all my creations there is an embellishment pack included to add to the pages. If you feel creative you can make one of these special albums or you can skip all the hard work and purchase this one in my shop.

This post is linked up to the Just Because Linky Party....be sure to check out all the creations.

Here is a list of materials I used creating this album:
6x6" Teresa Collins "Far and Away" paper pad
Paper Studio Kraft tags
Vintage twine
Cardboard CD protectors by Guided
Zutter Bind it All 3/4" rings
Kraft envelope by Paper Studio
Misc. Charms/brads
Navy Blue Seam binding

Vintage Inspired Travel Journal

This journal is perfect for a travel journal and or a daily journal.  It is loaded with all the things I love to collect, tags, envelopes, notecards, journal tags etc...  This journal is available in my shop along with other creations of mine.  Be sure to check them out here. This post is also linked up to a great Just Because Linky Party....make sure you check out some awesome creations there.

It's A Boy Mini Paper towel roll Album

So I am getting a little carried away with these mini paper towel roll albums. But they are super cute and so easy to make. You can purchase this unique, "one of a kind" album in my etsy shop here. This blog is also linked up to Just Because Linky Party...be sure to check out all the fabulous creations.

Hello Summer Travel Journal

This travel journal is screaming summer time.  Fun bright colors. The journal is perfect to document your summer adventures and great to use as a travel journal and or a daily journal.  It measures 5x7, with heavy chipboard covers and over 40 pages (80 front and back).  There are a variety of pages,  white journal pages, yellow card stock pages with unique envelopes/pockets, and double sided  pages (Hello Summer collection, by Echo Park Co.).  The size is perfect for adding 4x6 photos to, with little to no cropping.  I am always on the hunt for perfect additions to add to my creations.  This album is loaded with those finds...variety of note cards, journal tags, embellishments, etc.  This album, like many of my creations is available for purchase in my etsy shop here.  I have also linked up this blog to  a Just Because Linky Party...so check it out.  There are a lot of fabulous creations from awesome artist.

Travel themed Mini Paper Towel Album

This mini paper towel album is perfect to document that weekend getaway.  It was made using paper towel rolls.  It has 5 pages (10 front and back to include covers, 5 pockets, and 5 tags. It is spiral bound and adorn with gold ribbon and silver key charm.  It measures 2 3/4" x 6" (end to end).  The pockets measure 4 x 2 3/4".  I used traveled themed papers from the Wander Paper Pad (6x6) by Basic Grey.  In each pocket there are brown 2 1/2" x 5" Kraft tags, by Paper Studios, that I hand stamped one side and adhered coordinating papers on the other side. These tags are perfect to journal your adventures and/ or add cropped photos to. The front cover is adorn with a globe metal brad and a paper flower embellishment. Through out this mini I hand stamped pages with travel themed sentiments. If you aren't the crafty sort, you can purchase this album in my etsy shop here.

This blog is linked up to a Just Because linky party...be sure to check out other people's creations.

Paper Roll Mini Album

I have always heard of people recycling toilet paper rolls and making mini albums out of them.  I finally tried one of my own.  It turned out really cute.  I love the size, perfect for documenting a special event, ie...Birthday, Anniversary, and/or a weekend getaway.  Great size for a brag book too. This particular mini was made from 5 rolls.  All the edges were distressed with walnut stain.  There is a total of 5 pages (10 front and back) and 5 pockets.  I crafted 5 tags using shipping tags and coordinating papers and tucked them in the pockets.  There is plenty of room to add your favorite cropped photos to the pages and/or the tags.  I hope to make more soon.

Journals...Made from the old...

I know of 4 young ladies that will be making a trip of their lifetime.  They were selected to further their culinary careers and do a thirty day internship in France to work with French Chefs.  They are required to keep a journal of their adventures, and I thought some of my creations would be perfect for their journeys.  They all have a combination of card stock quality white journal pages, kraft brown pages with unique envelopes/pockets, and coordinating double sided pages, great for adding photographs.  Each of them have an assortment of hand stamped journal tags, journal cards, and yes even recipe cards to jot down their special recipes.   A few years ago at a thrift store, when I started creating my travel journals I had picked up these books at a thrift store.  My intent was to make travel journals with them as the titles were appropriate for traveling adventures.  At the time I got them, I didn't have the heart to cut them up...but finally I had a change of heart and just did it!!  I love how they turned out. Check out more of my creations here .

"As Long As I Live"...a journey of a lifetime, one you will never forget.

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this was made from a repurposed Nancy Drew mystery book that was in the free bin at the local thrift store.

Simple All Occasion Cards...

I am not much into making cards. I want to be.  There are so many beautiful handcrafted cards out there.  I have made some in the past and  I find it really hard to sit and come up with some creative and simple ideas.  My goal today was to make at least one card...well I made two!! Woohoo!  They are both similar, but super simple and great  for any occasion., The can be used horizontally or vertically. 

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Supplies:
Card Stock 8 1/2 x 11 paper, white and dark blue
ColorBok Friendly Forest Paper
October Afternoon 5 & Dime Buttons
Vintage string
Elmers Designer Masking Tape (washi tape)

Vintage themed Layout

I have been working on scrapbook layouts for boys, as I have a 3 year old grandson.  I am blessed to welcome a grand daughter into our lives in July.  So I have started working on "girlie" layouts.  Here is one of many I hope to create.  I love the vintage feel of this, and it can be used not only for a "girl" layout, but a wedding photo also.  The only thing missing is a 5x7 photo which will be added soon.

12x12 layout using Echo Park For the Record Collection.

crocheted ribbon and twine added

burlap...

I have entered this layout in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create:  Anything goes Challenge
Crafts and Me Challenge: #134 Lots of Layers
3 Girl Jam Challenge #19 Anything goes with Ribbon

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