So this was me this evening: I picked out a gutted book that I thought to cover with pretty papers and fill with new pages, then selected my pad of “Portrait of a Lady” papers to do the job. However, the main image I wanted to use does not fit the book cover nicely. Hmmm. Shall I cut it down, or use a larger book? Sat and stared into space for a while. Picked up a much larger book that someone discarded, a piano teaching book from the International Library of Music, pub. 1959, containing 207 pages of lessons. Stared at that for a while as I flipped through. Put it back where it was stored. Stared into space some more. Went to collect my mail and stopped to chat with a neighbor for a while. Made dinner, took a walk in the dusk, then decided I had to make something small for my post today. I cut up a butter box to make a couple of little mini notebooks and folded and cut some lined paper for pages. Realized it was 10:15 and I just don’t have the inspiration to start something new, however small. How was YOUR day?

Here is another creation from a couple of years ago, a pretty paper tote with a feather boa for decoration.  Better luck tomorrow!

Lisette Tote Pink Roses and Butterflies

Did you know that the oldest living person was a French woman named Jeanne Louise Calment, who lived for 122 years and 164 days! I heard about her in a novel I’m reading, in which one of the three main characters is a 104 year old woman, who with the encouragement of an 11 year old boy who does some weekly chores for her, decides to become the oldest living person! We shall see if that comes true.

As for Jeanne Louise Calment, she “married a wealthy man and didn’t have to work for a living. That may have played a part in her extraordinary longevity: she was free to swim, play tennis, cycle (she was still cycling until the age of 100) and roller skate, all of which promoted excellent good health…Her diet was good too, rich in olive oil (which she also rubbed into her skin), and she restricted herself to a modest glass of wine every now and then. But she also had a sweet tooth, with a particular fondness for chocolate: she ate almost 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) of it each week. And she loved her cigarettes…” ~Guinness World Records. Amazing! We should all be so fortunate.

Today was a productive day for me. I made Strawberry Fool (chopped strawberries with a little brown sugar and vanilla folded into whipped cream) for a friend who came to tea, and took a walk after supper.  I also glued a postcard from Graphic 45 onto a refrigerator magnet, made a tiny bag from brown packing paper, and turned an old savings account record into a little booklet. EnJoy!

Alice Tea Party Magnet

Scrappy Paper Bag

Savings Record

Savings Record 2

Wildlife Booklet

Wildlife Booklet 2

Wildlife Booklet 3

Wildlife Booklet 4

Wildlife Booklet 5

Wildlife Booklet 6

Wildlife Booklet 7

Today I finished the Sea Shells folio that I started a couple of days ago. The cover is a recycled box and I used Ocean Blues papers from Graphic 45, along with some plain cardstock to beautify the folio. Lots of little cards and tags in the pockets to write or draw on. EnJoy!

Sea Shells Folio

Sea Shells Folio 2

Sea Shells Folio 3

Sea Shells Folio 4

Sea Shells Folio 5

Sea Shells Folio 6

Today I got a couple of things done, one a repair and one a new experiment. The first is a light pull that I created using an empty wooden spool, various beads and lacey seam binding. The velvet around the spool is actually dark green, though it’s hard to tell in the photos.

The second item is another collage–using a butter wrapper (washed and grease-free) as a pocket! I got this idea from Charlene in the Grand Central Crafting group; thank you! My wrapper got torn in a couple of places so I lined it with the wax paper lining from a box of tea bags. Smells like a blend of butter and tea! EnJoy!

Spool Light Pull

Spool Light Pull 2

Unsalted Collage

Unsalted Collage 2

Finally got the video made of the finished “Mary Rose” journal! Watch it here (and scroll down for more).

This evening I started making a journal cover from a box that my rubber gloves came in! I used the gorgeous Ocean Blue papers from Graphic 45 and some bright yellow cardstock. I will have to finish that tomorrow. EnJoy these first shots of it.

Sea Shells Journal

Sea Shells Journal 2

Sea Shells Journal 3

More rain today, yay! I keep praying for a cool, wet summer! We sure need it.

By the time I got my laundry and shopping done, it was time to eat dinner and prepare for my evening massage, and now it’s too dark to make a video and too late to start another project. So I’ll share the lovely Fantasy Surprise Box that I made last year. You can watch the video tour here: 

Just for fun: I have made 90 new products since I began this year-long adventure! Several of them have been made over a number of days, hence there are fewer projects than days at this time. Must move some products out to make room for new, so be sure to shop my boutique!

Fantasy Surprise Box SOLD

Fantasy Surprise Box Sold

Fantasy Surprise Box 4″ cubed. $197 plus shipping

Fantasy Surprise Box 4″ cubed. $197 plus shipping

Fantasy Surprise Box 4″ cubed. $197 plus shipping

Fantasy Surprise Box 4″ cubed. $197 plus shipping

Fantasy Surprise Box 4″ cubed. $197 plus shipping

I finished the Mary Rose Journal today, will take a video and post that tomorrow. This evening I made two tiny notebooks, using up scraps of paper from pages I cut to use in the previous journal. These measure
about 2.25″ x 2.5″ EnJoy!

We got a little bit more rain this evening, yay! I wish for much more, too.

Paisley Tiny Journal

Paisley Tiny Journal 2

Wish Tiny Journal

Wish Tiny Journal 2

Today I completed the pages of the mailer journal that I started yesterday, and bound them into the cover. I still need to embellish and cover up some text on pages; that will have to wait for another day. EnJoy!

Mary Rose Journal

Mary Rose Journal 2

Mary Rose Journal 3

Mary Rose Journal 4

Mary Rose Journal 5

Mary Rose Journal 6

Mary Rose Journal 7

Mary Rose Journal 8

Mary Rose Journal 9

Mary Rose Journal 10

Mary Rose Journal Back

It’s been 100 days since I started this project! Wow! Two hundred-sixty-five left to go. I can do this!

Today I decided to re-use this padded mailer, which got a bit torn in opening the parcel. However, I cut it in half and folded it to form a journal cover, then lined the inside with painter’s masking paper to cover up the rips. The outside got covered in packing paper that I had previously ironed. Then I covered the front and back with ad pages from a magazine, sooo pretty!

I started working the journal pages, but ran out of time. I will finish and bind the journal tomorrow. For now, here is the cover so far. EnJoy!

Padded mailer journal front

Mary Rose Journal Back

Padded mailer

Today I went to my chiropractor, thankfully! I’d been out of alignment and feel better now. Looking forward to getting a massage on Sunday, too!

I was inspired to make something with part of a tissue box, so I decided to make an expandable pocket. I used the “Classic Christmas” collection from Stamperia to cover the pocket and make the gussets on either end–and then kept going and ended up with a loaded pocket! Lots of cards and a couple of tags to write on, an altered Santa pop stick, and three circle cards to decorate or be used as tags. It was a very fun project. EnJoy!

Loaded Christmas Pocket

Loaded Christmas Pocket 2

Loaded Christmas Pocket back

Loaded Christmas Pocket Gusset

Loaded Christmas Pocket 5

Loaded Christmas Pocket 6

Loaded Christmas Pocket 7

Loaded Christmas Pocket 8

Loaded Christmas Pocket 9

Loaded Christmas Pocket 10

Loaded Christmas Pocket 11

Loaded Christmas Pocket 12

Loaded Christmas Pocket 13