StarLitStudio

spring door knocker art & knockin the bag

Spring?  Heck here in NJ we just had snow.

Front door knocker art for spring - colors and layout inspired by Maile Belles' card and camera idea from Emily Leiphart's card.

Colored tags, MFT camera die, Doodlebug pearls, Hero Arts hello, Studio Calico wood arrow and patterned paper (Snippets).

Door knocker art for winter here and fall here.  Door color is Martha Stewart Zinc.  Wreath is from Ridgewood Designs online a few years ago.  

The colors above remind me of this:

I'm taking my first kickboxing class today - I've wanted to try this for a while now.  

Instead of Thursday's usual 2-mile run (just under a 9 min mile - yeah yeah I need to fartlek to get faster...working on it...) followed by a 3-point-something-mile speed walk (4.2mph - 20 min at 6 incline, 20 min at 3 incline - it's right at 60 min on the treadmill total) followed by an hour of weights in the technogym I'll do a 1.5-mile run then speed walk until the class...and see how it goes.  

Got the handwraps and have practiced wrapping a few times, and some most excellent gloves - no they are not pink (I am not a pink-type of girl) they are awesome black and red...gotta protect those hands so I can make more cards...ha...

Music I will run to today:  Levitate by Hadouken. 

bound 9to5 notebooks

De-constructed 5x8 lined notepads from Staples; used a Zutter to bind.  October Afternoon 9to5 papers and tin pins.

'bucket list' circle printing was done in MS word.  Linen thread (love this stuff - thanks Val!), bottle caps, hinge clips, English doilies, wood typewriters, white tags (Mish layout) and sewing machine stitching make these fun and practical.  I used Bazzill chipboard for the cover bases.  Hope you're having a great week!

spring teacher & staff gifts; easter card

My kids helped me assemble these quick gifts for teachers and staff at school.  Clear two-inch square cubes are from clearbags.com, and the kraft shred is from nashvillewraps.com. Cadbury eggs, some circle printing in MS word and a biggie pearl brad.  

The nests were well-received and the kids came home smiling - not sure if it is was from giving these gifts or the fact they are officially on spring break...

One of the Easter cards I made this year - sentiment from Pink Petticoat; carrot and bunny eggs are Jolee's.  Memory Box cardstock base.

I devised the interior based on the card's exterior...a stretch, but I think cute nevertheless - hoppy spring!

scraps to tags then tags to goods

From scraps left over after creating a host of projects from a Basic Grey Serenade Kit (only one left in the store) I made these:

stitched on these white tags.

A birthday card for my neighbor Alice, who loves butterflies (Fabriano card base):

Also created a few notebooks - 3x5 spiral bound, 75 lined pages - from Staples (sold in packs of 5) - cut off cardboard notebook cover and neatly housed the spiral-bound pages using covered Bazzill chipboard with various script papers.  A neodymium magnetic is concealed under the embellished tag on the notebook cover, and its mate is hidden in the wool felt flap.  

These measure 3.5 x 5.25 inches finished.  Idea-ology Foliage piece adds decoration to the magnetic wool felt flap.

An interior pocket is always nice.  Magnet mate can be seen on the right; used fabric glue to secure as I didn't want visible stitching.  

To compensate for the lump created by the felt closure at the notebook back, I added additional cardboard shims so the writing surface was comfortable and level.  I like a quality piece.

The neodymium magnets keep these books closed securely.  Opted to use these as they are (1) ridiculously stronger (hence more expensive) than the Basic Grey snaps, and (2) the Basic Grey snaps are on backorder until...gulp....end of next month!  OYE!!

Quick pocket card thanks to the finished tag; card size is 4.5 x 5.5 inches.  Handmade envelope.

Close up of the nifty Serenade embellishment.  Hope your weekend is going well! 

watch parts notebook

Altered 5x8 notepad featuring a 100-page lined pad inside.  Cover was cut, scored, pocket formed then adhered to lined notepad (Staples) - a piece of 4 x 7 inch Bazzill chipboard was covered (patterned cardstock papers are one of the idea-ology pads - believe this to be Crowded Attic), embellished, then adhered to notebook front.

A host of idea-ology products - light bulb, hinge clip, mini and sprocket gears, filmstrip ribbon.  Paris clock, watch part innards are loosely housed inside Ranger's 2x2 Memory Frames utilizing an Inkssentials Memory Capsule insert.  Glossy Accents was used to adhere the metal gears.

Simple, interior pocket.  Hope you're having a great week!

altered notebook

Masculine themed notebook - assembled using a de-constructed 5x8 lined notepad (Staples).  Pad covers are thick, Bazzill chipboard cut slightly larger than lined pages then covered neatly using papers from an idea-ology pad.

Knob and escutcheon are from Graphic 45, clear clock Heidi Swapp; tiny compass is from the store, light bulb, filmstrip ribbon and Journaling Tickets are idea-ology products.  Happy Monday!

post it notepads part deux

More Cherry Hill papers and stickers, along with an Adage Ticket.  Pattern for these 3x3 post-it pads can be found in this post.

Doodlebug Braddie (cherry) and more Cherry Hill papers.  Fun times.

Seaside papers; metal-rimmed tag, Philosophy Tag and pearl is a Bauble attached with a jump ring. 

Last one:

More Seaside papers and stickers, shell is from my stash, mother-of-pearl button from etsy.  Source for mini gel pens: overstock.com.  Thanks for stopping by and it's almost Friday - yippieee!  Hope my friend Karen won big in Vegas!!

post it notepads and packaging

Adding the participation in a weekly artisan market to my schedule has been keeping me out of trouble.  It forces me to create new goodies (to replenish what sells), and has taught me to use my crafting time during the week wisely.  

Post-it notepads are pretty popular - these are 3x3 inches square with a mini-gel pen.  Pattern can be found in this post.

Mini grapevine heart wreath, October Afternoon Cherry Hill papers & stickers.  Doily and metal-rimmed tag; mother-of-pearl button is from etsy.

Another one with same basic materials/layout; Adage Ticket and wood heart button.  These go for around $6 each.

I recycle my strip scraps (and extra pages from October Afternoon's Flashcard Books) - notch one end, adhere vertically and randomly to a horizontal, narrow (one inch wide typically) scrap of cardstock that is slightly shorter than the width of the bag.  Run unit through sewing machine.  Adhere unit to bag.  These bags with handles are for multiple card purchases (I wrap purchases in tissue paper first, then insert into bag) or larger items.  Bags are roughly 8x10 inches.

These bags are non-gusseted, and about 6x10 inches - for single card purchases.  It's a great way to get rid of scraps quickly and effectively, and customers absolutely love and rave about them.  Hope you're having a great week!

goodies from 'the dish'

I've been experimenting with creating handmade flowers over the last few weeks - I would make one, get bored and toss it into 'the dish'.  Couple of days would go by and I'd find another flower design, and repeat.

Flowers represented are: crinoline zapped with a heat gun (makes it curly), muslin die cut into circles then folded into thirds, and a spiral cut then loosely rolled one from scrap linen fabric.  Fabric brads are old 7gypsies.

'The dish' on my worksurface is a glass dish from my great-grandma - the grandma that would make rum raisin ice cream that wouldn't freeze.  Ha.  It's my catch-all.

Anyhow, when 'the dish' gets too full I dump it out and make something or a bunch of somethings with some or all of the doodads.

Glass vial - also from 'the dish' - is filled with chunky glitter, Swarovski crystals, and butterfly scraps from Memory Box's Butterfly Delights.  Script paper is from the darkest corner of an ancient paper stash; other cardstocks are from 12x12 idea-ology Lost & Found.  Zva flourish; Prima leaves.

Notebook base is from Staples - finished size was 7 x 9 inches.  One of the first things last week to sell at the artisan market.  Thanks for stopping by!