Another toasty day, warmer indoors than out! Luckily, temps will be cooling off this weekend, so I’ll get my yams and squash baked up. Praying the rain really does come this weekend, too.

This evening I did not feel up to cooking, so I had a banana split for dinner! I added one of my healthy cookies, Kind brand (non-dairy) ice cream, and hot chocolate sauce. Delicious! I’ll have some greens for my bedtime snack.

Here is a work in progress. Do you also have piles of paper that you don’t know what to do with? I decided to use up some old invoices, blacking out personal data with a marker. I covered the pages with images torn from magazines, painter’s masking paper, and one image that I downloaded from a Gi Kerr giveaway, overlapping the edges of the paper so that they are more sturdy. I will need to add embellishments to cover up some text that I don’t care for, and will finish and bind tomorrow. The cover is a fun piece of designer paper from my stash. EnJoy!

Invoice Journal 1

Invoice Journal 2

Invoice Journal 3

Invoice Journal 4 I used masking paper to cover this one

Invoice Journal 5

An invoice prepped for collaging

Today I decided it was time to hang the curtain that acts as a sunshade in front of my living/art room window. It also prevents the sun from creating rainbows in the room through the crystals hanging in my window–and I’ve decided that being a little cooler is more important as the temperature climbs.

The wonderful artist Gi Kerr, of Happiness in Crafting, gives a Friday Freebie every week, a nice image to download and print for us to use. I printed the pages from her week #100; just gorgeous! Here is the envelope I made this evening; the designs are so pretty that not much is needed to embellish.

Tomorrow I’ll finish the folio made with the other papers in the pack (5 different images this time!) EnJoy!

Floral Garden Envelope 1

Floral Garden Envelope 2

Floral Garden Cards

Today it was HOT! And tomorrow it will reach 90º. Hard to believe we had hail and rain (and snow in some places) just a couple of weeks ago! What is the weather like wherever you live?

I finally forced myself to dust off the blades on my two ceiling fans; I stood on my bed to clean one (with a sheet on top to catch the dust) and used my stepladder to reach the fan in my living room.  I also vacuumed all the floors, and the maintenance guy came to blow and rake leaves and other debris on my patio. Sadly, he was not paying attention to my plants and the leaves on my Amaryllis got badly damaged and bent. Sorry, plant!

This evening I created 3 little pockets from book pages, inspired by Pam of the Paper Outpost. I decorated and added tags in one; the other two are ready for embellishing another day. EnJoy!

Book Page Pocket 1

Book Page Pocket 2

Book Page Pocket 3

Book Page Pocket 4

Blank Book Page Pockets

Wow! I’ve been doing this daily blog post for 3 months now! Only 9 more to go. I can do this! Thanks to all who cheer me on.

Some exciting news: I now have both an Instagram account and a Pinterest business account! Go have a look at them please (linked above) and let me know what you think.

Did not have the oomph to make something new this evening, so please enjoy this lovely little trinket box I made last year, from empty ribbon spools and greeting cards. It holds small paperclips on my art table.

Important: Just one week left for my YouTube subscriber challenge! This ends May 30th, so go watch videos, like/comment on/shae them, and invite others to join!  Learn all about it on this video.

Ribbon Spool Trinket Box

Ribbon Spool Trinket Box 2

Ribbon Spool Trinket Box 3

A lovely day today, sunny and warm and just right for an evening walk. I got some new ideas for breakfast foods from another group I’m in; always a challenging meal for me, for some reason. I’ll try some new things and see how I like them.

This evening I made this pretty bird and egg tag for a swap in one of my art groups; I’ll be passing this on to my partner and receiving one in return. I could not choose between papers, so I put one on one side and the other on the reverse. EnJoy!

Bird and Egg Tag

Bird and Egg Tag 2

A very productive day today! I added lace and flowers to the cover of my  scrap journal, took a video tour and posted that on my YouTube channel. Watch the video here:

This evening I covered a little notebook from the dollar store with gorgeous papers from Graphic 45’s “Nature’s Notebook” collection, and added a couple of pockets on the inside cover. You could use the pockets for note tags, feathers, or anything else you might find in nature. EnJoy!

Floral Scrap Journal

Natures Notebook Journal

Natures Notebook Journal 2

Natures Notebook Journal 3

Today I baked another batch of cookies, had a consultation with my new marketing VA, and created a Pinterest business account, which my VA will be handling. Yay!!!

This evening I covered my scrap journal with this pretty fabric cut from a blouse that did not fit. Tomorrow I will decide which lace to add (some of the brown of the original cover shows through the gauze); which one do you vote for? EnJoy!

Scrap Journal Cover 1

Scrap Journal Cover 2

Scrap Journal Cover 3

Today I went to collect some raw sheep’s fleece that a local farmer was giving away; lovely! Now to get some netting to bundle it in for washing. I will use it for doll hair, maybe for stuffing, too. I’m not a spinner, alas.

I also received a roll of masking paper that I ordered, and experimented with stamping on it and using my border punches on the paper. I had planned to cover a couple of journals with pretty papers, but realized that my head is hurting and I need to wind down for bed, instead. So here is a tag I created some time ago, showing front and back. EnJoy!

Secret Garden Tag

Secret Garden Tag 4

Another day wherein I wanted to create while the afternoon light was good, but could not decide what to make! Sigh. I did get this cute little collage made this evening. I think I need to make a list of project ideas and what I’ll use to make them, so I have something to choose from when I draw a blank. EnJoy the collage!

Special Day Collage

I created another little tutorial today; this time I’m just sharing the photos and steps here, rather than on video. EnJoy!

Tea Bag Charm Tutorial

Roses Tea Bag Charm

Princess Tea Bag Charm

Bluebird Tea Bag Charm

Three Teabag Collages

You will need:


• Two empty and rinsed tea bags
• Scraps of your favorite paper
• Ribbons, lace, pearls, or other embellishments of choice
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Your Favorite Glue (I used Aleene’s Tacky and E6000)
• Clean chopstick
•

Tea Bag Charm Tutorial 1

Step One: First, cut the longer edges of your tea bags straight across, and dump out the leaves. Rinse the bags, turning while they are wet to rinse off remaining residue. Use the tip of a chopstick to gently turn the corners. Turn right side out again when clean, and hang to dry. Then press flat with a hot iron. They don’t have to be perfect!

Tea Bag Charm Tutorial 2

Step Two: Select a snippet of paper to decorate your charm. It can be a square or any shape you desire, even a sticker if you prefer. Decide where you want to place the paper, and glue in place onto one of the tea bags.

Tea Bag Charm Tutorial 3

Step Three: Begin embellishing as you wish. Here I added a length of pretty lace…

Tea Bag Charm Tutorial 4

…and some lovely flat-back pearls. Oops, I did not get them evenly spaced! Oh, well this gives it more appeal

Tea Bag Charm Tutorial 5

Next, I added a length of rose clusters to form a belly band. I discovered that the tacky glue does not work well with the lace and rose trim, as the glue soaks into the tea bag pretty quickly. So I adhered these with E6000.

Tea Bag Charm Tutorial 6

Step Four: On the reverse side, apply a bit of glue to hold a loop of perl embroider thread, ribbon, or hanging of your choice. Tie a knot above the cut ends of the loop and lay those over the glue. Then spread tacky glue over the rest of the tea bag, and carefully apply the second bag, lining up the edges as best you can (I had to trim one edge when done). This second tea bag adds firmness and durability to the charm. You may also choose to decorate the reverse side if you wish.

Tea Bag Charm Tutorial 7

Step Five: Add a tag inside the belly band, or a card if you wish. You could also create a pocket intead, or neither. Add stamps, beads, buttons, or whatever else you love. You can hang your charm as an ornament, or use it in a journal as a dangle charm or even a small bookmark.

Have fun creating! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Do let me know if you try it out, please.