MY (UNCONVENTIONAL) PERFECT STORAGE FOR MOST USED SEWING TOOLS + MY FIRST ZIPPER PROJECTS

For most of my life, I had z-e-r-o interest in sewing or anything that required a needle and thread.  It seemed comical when I brought a sewing machine into my stamp/craft room years ago, but it was purchased for the sole purpose of sewing on cardstock.  I didn't do much of that because I knew I'd have to watch a video many times (or refer to the instruction manual) if the machine ran out of thread.  I knew nothing about sewing machines, and I didn't really care to learn.  Since getting my sewing corner set up several weeks ago, I have really enjoyed a few small sewing projects.  With each project, there have been certain tools that just needed to be out and within reach.  Thinking about how to have them within reach without having to dig around to grab what I needed, I thought it would be perfect to have a base that I could just stick them into that would keep them upright and a bit separated.  I ended up filling my wool basket with BBs.  See how perfect it is?

In the bottom of the basket, there's approximately 1" of tiny rubberbands.  I needed a few more BBs but, instead of buying more, I just used something that I had that provides a perfect cushioning and lifts the BBs closer to the top of the basket.  So far, I am LOVING this tool basket, and it seems to be taking care of my tools.

When I decided that I wanted a sewing corner in my stamp/craft room, I had a big interest in making projects that could be started and finished rather quickly, as well as projects for which I had a real need.  The same type of projects that first sparked my interest in stamping were kind of the same that sparked my interest in sewing.  I couldn't stop making boxes and 3D items when I was a new stamper, and suddenly I was looking for all kinds of baskets and zippered pouches/bags to sew!  Of course, it would be ideal to have a zipper foot when sewing zippers, but I have to do the best I can without one.  Following are a few projects that I've made.  Don't judge too harshly--I know that my sewing is far from perfect.

Below is the first zippered pouch that I made, and I was sooooooo proud that the zipper looked okay and worked perfectly.  The fabrics used on this project (exterior, lining, and strap) are retired from Stampin' Up!.  The pouch was substantially larger than what I had in mind, so I had to make another (smaller) one:

The smaller triangle pouch is approximately 3.25" or 3.5" on all sides, and it's really cute.  I don't know if I somehow pinched the zipper before taking the photo, but it looks normal in real life:

And then there's the popcorn pouch:

I was nervous and excited to make this pouch, and it's such a nice size.  This was my first project with binding, and there was a hiccup or two:

So this has been a little sewing update.  As for the tool basket, there are probably a lot of items that could have been used but, if you need a similar basket and don't have the perfect filler on hand, try BBs!

ANOTHER TRIPLE CUBE POP-UP CARD

 Tomorrow is aunt Betty's birthday, and this is the triple cube pop-up card that I made for her:

She had to have something special, right?

Decorating all of the panels on this card was so much fun, and I fell in love with it again and again along the way.

It's too bad that the flowers on the die-cut cake didn't coordinate with the designer paper, but I at least tried to make sure the coloring was a close match.

Aunt Betty loves flowers, and I suspect that she'll enjoy looking at this card.  I hope so!  Afraid that she might have a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with the card, I included a photo that showed how it should be unfolded and displayed.

Sing "Happy Birthday" to Betty.  And have a cupcake, too!

A FALL THANK YOU (TRIPLE CUBE POP UP) CARD

 

I have been a tad addicted to making Triple Cube Pop Up Cards.  Have you made one yet?  The one that I'm sharing today is a mini version that was designed to easily fit into an A2 envelope.  I used instructions that Dawn Griffith shared.  It's really easy to make . . . score a piece of 7" x 7-1/2" cardstock (with the 7-1/2" edge at the top of the scoring tool) at 1.75", 3.5", 5.25", and 7".  Turn the cardstock so that the 7" edge is at the top of the paper trimmer, and cut two strips that are 1.75" wide.  These two strips are the short cubes that get adhered to the tall one.  I adhered the DSP to the tall cube prior to assembly, but I waited until the sentiment corner strips were adhered before adhering DSP to the short cubes.  

I used Stampin' Up!'s Plaid Tidings DSP to decorate this project.  I am in love with those plaids!  As you can see, I also used the Forever Gold Laser Cuts to embellish this card.  Two non-Stampin' Up! punches (which I have had for YEARS) were used to cut the tiny leaves from a scrap piece of mirrored gold that I didn't use from the laser cuts.  It's hard to tell from the photos, but I used one of the Greenery embossing folders on the Very Vanilla squares.

Those two leaf punches were also used on the DSP that I adhered to the back of the tall cube.  The other "back" section is where my message was written for the recipient of this card.

Lastly, I used Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, and Crushed Curry inks to color the envelope.  The stamped leaves are from the Forever Fern stamp set.  As you can see, this card folds as flat as possible for mailing.

FESTIVE CHIPPY PUMPKIN

 

I recently received a Chalk Couture order that included Pumpkin Cutouts (which you can see HERE or at the bottom of this post).  While they looked so smooth and pretty right out of the box, I was anxious to put some stain and paint on the tall one.  I had a design in mind, and it was 100% inspired by a pumpkin that one of my team leaders had created.  She had used images from the September Club Couture transfer ("Fall Blessings") in such a unique way, and I fell in love with it.  Following is a photo of the transfer:

Unless you have worked with Chalk Couture's products, you may not understand the thrill.  The good news is . . . there's a fix for that!  Do yourself a favor and visit my web site to see all that Chalk Couture has to offer.  While my pumpkin took some time, effort, and supplies, I normally just grab one of my framed chalkboards and some Chalk Paste when I'm ready to create a festive decoration.

And just for your viewing pleasure, following is a photo of the Pumpkin Cutouts as they arrived--naked and ready for dressing up:

Aren't they adorable?  I haven't completed the smaller pumpkin yet, but I'll either paint it or use one of background transfers to decorate it.

"FOREVER FERN" CARD + LITTLE BITS & LAYERS

 

A month or so ago, I was scrolling through Instagram (which is a late-night addiction of mine), and I came across this gorgeous card created by Helene den Breejen.  I liked the simplicity of the design with it's little bits of layers, so I decided to make something similar.

I used Stampin' Up!'s retired Brick & Mortar embossing folder (just because they retired it doesn't mean that I'm ready to stop using it), and I lightly sponged Crumb Cake ink on it.  I also added a strip of Mint Macaron cardstock to the left edge--but not before distressing it.  I really like that look and don't want to forget to use it again.  Images from Festive Post and Forever Fern were stamped onto scrap Mint Macaron cardstock with VersaMark ink and heat-embossed with white embossing powder.  I then punched the images with the Rectangular Postage Stamp punch and sponged the edges with Mint Macaron ink.  Finishing touches were the application of sequins and a twine bow.  All that was left to do was put the card in the mail to my parents!

"LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL" FALL CARD

 

It's the first day of Fall, and I love it!

We've been so fortunate to experience a few days with breezy, cooler temperatures.  Actually, it doesn't usually get cool this early, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  Not that anyone has ever asked me if the seasons get equal time in North Carolina, but I can honestly say that they do not.  It seems to me that Fall turns quickly into Winter, which turns too quickly into Spring and then, if you blink, you've missed the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Spring because . . . BAM! . . . it's Summer for the next 8 months.  I might be slightly exaggerating, but Summer (with it's heat, humidity, bugs, frogs, lizards, snakes, spiders, etc.) definitely seems to last longer than the other seasons.

To celebrate the beginning of Fall, I used Stampin' Up!'s "Life is Beautiful" stamp set to create a few cards to send to the elders.  

Other Stampin' Up! products featured on my cards include:

Cardstock:  Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake

Designer Paper:  Plaid Tidings

Ink:  Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Merry Merlot, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede

Embossing Folder:  Basket Weave (retired)

Punch:  Washi Tape (retired)

Stampin' Write Marker:  Pumpkin Pie

Before long, I'll walk around with a leaf blower, which will be very pleasing to Ramsour.  He LOVES a fluffy nest of leaves!

FALL FRAMED CHALKBOARD

 

I am so ready for Fall and was excited when I saw that the September Club Couture transfer was this:

Isn't it great?!?!  I especially love that the word "blessings" can easily be used by itself on other projects, and what's not to love about its script design?  

I created an ombre effect on my project by using my finger to swirl/mix the two paste colors (Shimmer Harvest and Fig).  Chalk Couture has several shimmer pastes now, and it's amazing just how much they actually shimmer--they're gorgeous! 

Have you heard about Club Couture from Chalk Couture?  It's a monthly subscription, and subscribers get an exclusive transfer (like "Fall Blessings" shown in this post) and three packets of Chalk Paste.  There are also other perks to being a subscriber, such as monthly promotions.  Learn more and/or subscribe HERE.

Ramsour didn't understand why I wanted to spend time playing with Fall stuff while there were plenty of balls in the yard that needed to be thrown, but wasn't he a good sport to pause and pose for a photo?

MY LITTLE SEWING CORNER

I believe my little sewing corner is all set up--at least until I discover that changes are needed.  When I shared photos of the perfect storage unit in this post, I mentioned that I was in the process of setting up a corner of my room for sewing.  I've had a few requests for photos of the finished sewing corner, so here you go:

If you didn't believe me when I said it's a "corner", now you can see for yourself that it is definitely a corner.  It's a small one, but it's also perfect!  So far, I have the perfect amount of space to move around, and it helps that everything is at my fingertips (or within reach).  My MacBook doesn't reside on the table, although I have used it a couple of times to refer to a tutorial.  Going forward, I will probably view YouTube from my TV, which is mounted on a wall across the room.

It just worked out that my homemade design wall (which hangs from what was originally purchased as a quilt hanger/holder) has been hanging on the wall by my new sewing corner for several years.  Presently, it displays some wool applique blocks that have never been turned into finished projects.  That's okay . . . I can still enjoy seeing them.

I have really enjoyed this new corner in my stamp/craft room!  The storage unit that I recently assembled and decorated has been SOOOOO handy!  See that little Janome machine?  It was purchased for the sole purpose (many years ago) of sewing on cardstock.  I can still remember the day it arrived and how I watched a Gina K video that demonstrated how to thread the machine and bobbin and how to use the machine.  When I say that I watched Gina's video, I didn't just watch it one time.  I must have watched it 20 times just trying to get the machine threaded!  I knew NOTHING about a sewing machine back then (didn't know much until about a year ago, actually) and pretty much viewed little J as the closest thing to a toy that sews.  Since that time, little J has done a little sewing on cardstock, a LOT of sitting on various cabinet shelves for a few years, and got to come out of hiding last Fall when I decided that I wanted to make a rag quilt.  I ended up making six (6) rag quilts!  Most of them were made with the Singer machine, but most of the blocks for those quilts were quilted on little J.  Just recently, after watching many videos of skilled ladies sewing through nylon zippers with their sewing machines, I wanted to try it.  I had made two zippered pouches but hand-stitched over the zippers and, since I want to make more zippered projects, I became obsessed with wanting to know what would happen if I sewed over the zipper.  I didn't want to risk damaging the Singer's needle (especially since my mother so graciously let me bring that machine home with me), so I apologized to little J for what could possibly happen to his needle as I guided it to, over, and beyond a zipper.  Well . . . little J surprised me once again by being a mini but mighty machine!  His needle just zipped across that zipper like a knife through warm butter, so he earned his place--and job--in the sewing corner.

Fortunately, I have floor space in front of my sewing table to set up a fabric-cutting table as needed, and I like not having to tie up space for that unless/until it's necessary.  I also have a long countertop by my stamping area (on the other end of the room) that has been handy a few times for cutting fabric, so everything seems to be falling into place.  I still have a LOT to learn about sewing but, for now, I'm enjoying small projects.  God help me if I decide that I need as many fabric choices as I have stamps and card-making supplies!  This room, which used to be a garage, is a good size, but I don't know where I'd store a lot of fabric!

"WHALE OF A TIME" FLOATING GATEFOLD

My great-nephew is 9 years old today, so I'm sharing the floating gatefold card that I made for him.  Stampin' Up!'s Whale of a Time designer paper collection was just perfect and full of color!  My inspiration and the overall design for this card was heavily influenced by one that Carole Baumgartner had made but, of course, I made a couple of fun changes, such as the fun shaker window on the front that gives a glimpse to the ocean scene on the inside.

Isn't it fun to see a little peep of the whale and sea turtle before opening?  I used the whale punch to cut the whale from the designer paper, and scissors were used to cut the sea turtle.  The images in this paper collection are so colorful and pretty!

And when the card is opened, there are two pop-up mechanisms that allow the whale and sea turtle to "float" in the ocean.  

It's a fun birthday card, huh?

ORNATE STORAGE UNIT

 

Last week, I started (yet again) attempting to purge some items from my craft room.  My goal was to create a neat and tidy sewing station/corner.  Anyone who knows me would think I'm lying about a sewing station, but it's true . . . I'm adding sewing/quilting to the other hobbies/crafts that are housed in my room.  I'm not sure yet how many hobbies are too many for one room, but I'll let you know when I decide.  Anyway . . . I had armed myself with a large trash bag and was mentally pumped to go into my room and start filling the bag with items that have not been reached for, thought about, or used for years.  Before the bottom of the bag had even been covered, I pulled out this brand new, unwrapped Kaisercraft kit and tossed it in the bag:

But then I thought that I should at least cut off the plastic wrap and just see if I might could use it to hold some items for my new sewing station.  And that's how I lost the first 1.5 days of my craft room purge.  Let me tell you . . . this kit was pretty much a flat package with no directions or suggestions.  That alone almost prompted me to throw it away, but I'm so glad I didn't!  I began to assemble the drawers and then chose papers to cover them.  Calculate for yourself how long it takes to choose papers and embellishments, and don't forget to imagine what a big mess that process creates! [my eyes are rolling] I still need to cover the inside of the drawers--if I decide that they should be covered.  Following are close-ups of the drawers:

The square drawers are 3-1/2" wide and 3-1/2" deep.  Nice, huh?

You should try to read some of the text on the "secretary" paper in these photos.  I found it amusing.

The two widest drawers are almost 12" wide and 2-3/4" deep!

See the little bundle of fabric?  How cute is that?  It and the spool of thread are from a Jolee's collection, I think.

Yes, I added small brads to the tires on that vintage chipboard car.

The drawers in the above photo are each 2" x 3-3/4".

All of the papers and most of the embellishments are from October Afternoon collections that I have had for several years.  I purchased them with a project in mind (creating a family recipe book--mostly my mother's recipes), but I never made time for that project.  The collections featured on my storage unit are Farmhouse, Modern Homemaker, and 9 to 5.  

In case you don't know, I was a secretary/administrative assistant before I stopped working (many  years ago) to stay home with my young son.  I 💕 vintage office and homemaker themes!  One of these days, I hope to own a vintage manual typewriter.  Heck, I'd like to have one of the first electric typewriters I ever used!

This is what the unit looked like when I thought I was finished, but then I went back and added some romantic rose trim by the top shelf and a dainty lace edge at the bottom (see first and last photos).  The photos that I took (at night) make the green paint look quite hideous, but it's really not as slimy-limey in real life.

I am so excited about this "new" storage unit and am so glad that I decided to give it a chance.  The drawers are quite spacious, and I know that they will be handy in my sewing corner.  

I realized once I put the unit together that I had omitted painting the ends of the connecting pieces.  As of this writing, I haven't securely assembled the unit and could paint those areas.  I'm thinking about covering them instead as I don't really want to make another paint mess.  It's a really cool storage unit, though, and I'm going to love using it!