StarLitStudio

holiday gifts for school staff

A peek at a few gifts created for the school secretaries, school nurse, and so forth - Memory Box Country Landscape die, using white cardstock, and mounted with foam tape, backed with October Afternoon Holiday Style patterned cardstocks.  Circle Spellbinders dies used.

I started with whole spices - whole spices will last for years so I purchase them in bulk. Bay leaves, cloves, star anise, rosehips and cinnamon.

My workroom smells wonderful! 

Used these jars - short and perfect for this project.  Sourced at my local grocery store.

The progression of adding the whole spices from left to right. 

Using a Big Bite I punched holes all over the metal lid (device allows a long reach).  One could use a Crop-A-Dile and punch holes in as far as the unit will reach as well.  These holes will allow the spices' scents to permeate.

Peppermint Divine Twine and red burlap string were used to anchor a mother-of-pearl button (grlyhead on etsy), mini bells, and mulberry leaves around a narrow strip of burlap.  A dot of fabric glue anchors the knot on the bow.  Best wishes for a great week!

altered mini chest of drawers

This five-drawer mini chest was purchased at a local Michaels store, and I've covered it with October Afternoon Sidewalks papers.

The chest measures 4-1/2" in width, about 10" in height and is 3" deep, not including the protrusion of each knob.

I'll detail how I did this in tomorrow's post - here's her rear shot:

and a look down her front - oh I'm on a roll with the wordplay today...

The knobs are idea-ology's curio knobs.  Best wishes for the rest of the week!

The unit was first stained with Peeled Paint Distress Stain.  I'll have to show you how I store these stains in another post, as I use them frequently.  Hope your week is going well!

butterfly bag

I used Spellbinders' Wonderful Wings dies for today's project, and a Martha Flower Bed punch.  Inspired by Anabelle O'Malley's bags today!

Folded a brown bag in half vertically, adhered two English doilies, then trimmed off the top so it (along with a tag) would fit into an envelope I had on hand, then machine stitched three sides to form a pocket.

Centered the Martha punch along the opening and punched the bag top.

Tag was hand-cut to fit the bag; patterned paper used is Fly a Kite; turquoise cardstock is Robin's Egg (Memory Box).  The big white button on the tag insert is from Papertrey, adhered to the tag with Glue Dots and embellished with bling from Jolee's.

The butterfly body was created by wrapping 20 gauge silver wire around an idea-ology pen nib, then using Mini Glue Dots to adhere the body to the die cut...

...like I did with this butterfly back in 2008.

The bling 'trail' is leftover Zva crystals.

When the sewing of the bag is complete, you will actually have three pockets, due to the fold.  Ideal for inserting additional notes (for me - three kids = three thank you notes), thin chocolates such as Andes or Ghirardelli along with the tag - only possible to ship these chocolate goodies due to the now cold weather - wouldn't recommend this in the summer months!  Best wishes for a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

jazzy clothespins in tin

Thank you for your comments!  To answer the clothespins font question - I did run OA paper cut to 8.5x11 through a laser printer - the font I used is called Champagne - size 24 - and I found the font at www.1001fonts.com. 

Please know if I make these again I will increase the left margin to at least a half inch (and cut down as needed) as when the lid of the tin is closed one can not easily view the titles (hence the cardboard insert as explained in the post below).  Once the left margin is increased and the titles are positioned slightly more toward the center of the clothespins the cardboard insert will not be required.

I have a small stash of these nugget tins for teacher gifts, and used one to house a set of clothespins a la Michelle Wooderson!  October Afternoon Thrift Shop papers used, and a host of cute charms and doo dads from the store.

I covered (with patterned paper) a folded piece of chipboard cut to the inside measurement of the tin.  When inserted, this chipboard piece forces the clothespins away from the inside edge of the tin...so one can view the clothespin titles when the lid is closed. 

Next time I'll slightly increase the left margin when printing.  This is going in the gift stash for the holidays!

Charms and doo dads are adhered with E-6000.

teacher gifts for autumn

I enjoy giving a little something to the teachers (and school secretaries, nurse and so forth) at my younger children's elementary school.  I'll deliver these on Monday, Halloween, and I opted to create something related to the season versus the holiday.

Here's a close up.  I used up patterned papers and Prima flowers purchased years ago.  Burlap is from etsy.  Notepad and sentiment (Autumn Abundance) are from Papertrey Ink.  Large two inch diameter tags are covered in retired Daisy D papers.

This Altoid-style tin is for the lone male in the group - chocolate Reeses pumpkin enclosed.  Felt is Papertrey and die is Sizzix Tattered Leaves, and the honkin' brad is from Bazzill.  Best wishes for a great weekend and happy trick-or-treating!

sidewalks print tray

In digging out some old supplies I found this white, six panel tray from 7gypsies. 

Using October Afternoon Sidewalks I created this altered piece.  Getting my thrill out of this line before Farmhouse and Holiday Style arrive, and then those lines take over my creativity.

Other 7gypsies retired goods used, along with some idea-ology products.  This was a fun project.

It is what I look at when walking into the art room - and I love that photo of the five of us! 

Up since 5:30am - did not eat breakfast  - not hungry and body needed a run.  Plus I can't eat then run or - well, let's say that's not a good thing.  Plus with the braces on my teeth I gotta brush after I eat anything, so I just don't.

Got all kids on their buses, hit the gym, ran a 5K and did weight training.  Hit the steam room and showers.  Grocery shopped for the week on the way home.  Put the cold stuff away then shipped packages for the store - mailcarrier comes in late afternoons on Mondays - usually do this before I hit the gym. And it's only 3pm!

I love Mondays!

dull folder plus scraps is win

I had a pile of paper scraps from a paper line (Sidewalks) and since they were all from the same line they all coordinated - that made this project very easy for me.

A folder was needed in my attempt to stay organized, and a box of white ones from almost a decade ago are still here - my days as a Stampin' Up demo - we would use the (then new!) jumbo wheel rollers on these.

I collaged the Sidewalks paper scraps into this - now one could add ribbons, machine stitching and/or all sorts of embellishments to this, but it is unfortunately not going to be on top all of the time, so I kept the surface flat to allow stacking.

I love using scraps and random shaped paper pieces in projects like this.  But what I really liked was I didn't have to think about coordinating them - I was free to use them all and wasn't restricted by fear of what looked good next to what.

I saw this photo on Mish's post here and this inspired me to do this project:

I so want to try this.  Need to go make more scraps - ha.  Best wishes for a great day!

more pretty notepads

I've used 5x8 lined notepads from staples.com, and created flip-top style covers for some - side flip style for others. 

The teacher notebooks feature a cute holder for a mini mechanical pencil (also staples.com).  Paper is October Afternoon Schoolhouse; stamp (teacher's notes) is from Papertrey Ink.

The notebook top is a piece of 5-1/4" x 8-1/4" chipboard that I neatly and carefully covered with the pattern papers.  The chipboard (or cardboard - use what you have) adds heft and a quality of durability to the notebook.

Here's another one - using a ripped portion of my spare 1936 issue of Gone With the Wind.  Gotta watch the text though - don't want to use anything inappropriate, and with GWTW, well, you gotta watch the text.

October Afternoon Sidewalks used above, and some Prima flowers.

This notebook opens like this:

If you're a lefty like me, or are sitting in a meeting where seating is tight, you'll appreciate this style of opening.

Another one using Sidewalks.  And a jumbo metal rimmed tag.  Stamp is from Papertrey Ink, giant ric rac is from May Arts. 

I used Baby Blue Liquid Pearls on the flower image on the tag, and a Spellbinders die in Memory Box Gourd cardstock.

Another one:

This notebook is similar to this one I did last year.  The Want2Scrap pearl bling and the new Spellbinders (labels 22) dies kick this up a notch.  I am still in love with this Weathervane line from October Afternoon. 

I need to get over it cuz they just ain't makin' any more.

Close up of the lovely Lockhart image Basket of Leaves (5019).  Colored with Copic markers - coloring always puts me in a happy mood...something about coloring probably remind me of Kindergarten, and dang if those were not happy times...Kindergarten was and is the best!

I digress...last one - using Weathervane again...paper piecing is fun when using fun images like these...

And a close up:

This notebook uses the Weathervane die cut pieces - I sanded the edges to get rid of the hanging paper nodule and accented the edges with Walnut Stain Distress ink. 

I love me some notebooks!

miss you, opi and old keys

OPI has some wicked colors for fall 2011.

(l-r) Color to Diner For, and A Taupe the Space Needle are above.  The names of OPI colors are consistently entertaining in an of themselves.  I never would have bought the taupe, but after reading these reviews and viewing the color swatches I said yes.  Have not tried the espresso yet...maybe this weekend. Never been one for painted fingernails but they seem to not split (weather is getting colder) when painted.

Computer generated sentiment; papers are Memory Box Kraft and Licorice, and the lovely patterned papers and tag are from KaiserCraft.  Black brads on a metal rimmed tag from Staples.  Idea-ology game spinner. 

The KaiserCraft pad takes the guesswork out of matching up papers.  Saves me time and I likey that mucho.

I'm making these in bulk with 'I miss you..." in place of the 'we' for Operation Write Home, and omitting the cutsey lace borders...hopefully resulting in a more masculine appeal.

Old family keys finally found a home - some of these were my maternal grandfather and great grandfather's keys - used hot glue to keep them in place.  The shadowbox is from Exposures.  Need to locate a spot to hang these lovelies.  Best wishes for a great weekend!

tubing pens and matchbox for earrings

I created a few pens for the summer school teachers my son had these past few weeks. With his language processing disorder and speech delays the school developed a summer program for a few students - he benefited greatly and I am as always so appreciative of the two teachers, and two bus drivers.

The tutorial for these pens can be found in this previous post.  Those pretty blue dishes hold the kids vitamins (and soy sauce for sushi - their intended purpose) are from etsy seller M. N. John.

A pair of earrings I made for a friend - she saw them on my daughter and asked if I could make her a pair - love this style of packaging.  Paper is from October Afternoon.

The outside of the matchbox cover - images are PTI.  Best wishes for a great weekend!