I recently set a challenge for myself.  I had a sheet of circus stickers in my stash and decided to try and create several ATCs using those stickers as the focus.

The cards came out really cute and each one is different…but they all fit into the theme.

I made a video showing how I created one of my cards and included many pics of all five ATCs.  You can watch the video HERE!

The first are Artist Trading Cards, otherwise known as ATCs.  They are 2.5 X 3.5 inch cards that can be made using just about anything.  The cards are meant to only be given or traded so they make perfect Valentine cards.  Because of their small size you can easily use any paper scraps, bits of lace, loose buttons, etc that you’ve been saving.

I made a few using the images from pattern envelopes, glitter, and buttons.  They turned out really cute and I can’t wait to pass them out

Check out the video showing how to make them HERE!

I also did a tutorial showing how I make my message in a bottle necklaces.  I wore one of them in a few of my styling videos and always get tons of compliments.  I like typing the messages on my dad’s vintage typewriter on old book pages, then roll them up and tie with thread.  It’s like carrying around a secret message that only the maker and the wearer knows.

See how to make the necklaces HERE!

Leave your guesses in the comments then check out the tutorial HERE to see if you were right

I was putting off buying washi tape because of the price (it’s not a lot per roll…but I would want to buy many, many rolls!)

So when I came across some washi type tape from elmers brand at Big Lots I jumped on it!  I picked up 3 or 4 packs of tape at 3 rolls for $1.  This was a great way to try out the tape at a great price!

I started by making a few small cards with craft cardstock.  The first had a washi tape bunting draped across the front.  Two other cards had a washi tape background with fussy cut dinosaurs glued on top.  To see more pics of the cards watch the video HERE.

Have you tried washi tape?  What are your favorite projects to use washi tape for?

I was in my teens and my mom had started working on a log cabin quilt using thrifted plaid shirts for the material.  I decided I wanted to try making quilt blocks, but knew my sewing wasn’t accurate  enough to make precise blocks.  So mom showed me what a string paper pieced block was.  It allows you to use scraps and sew as many together as needed to fill a certain sized square of paper.  (I did a tutorial on the technique a while back that you can find HERE.)

I liked the idea and used all of mom’s scraps to make about 80 blocks.  I eventually sewed them all together and used a plaid flannel sheet folded double for the backing, then quilted down each seam line.

It’s been about 10 years since I started the quilt project and I still need to add the binding…something I’ve never done before.

Please leave me a comment if you have tips on binding and also let me know what your first ‘real’ or big project was.

See more of my quilt HERE.

Since then I’ve had an interest in paper pieced quilting.  In the past couple of months I’ve really gotten back into it and even created some patterns to use.  After posting some pics on facebook and getting a lot of great response I decided to make a tutorial and share two of my patterns with you all.

The two patterns shown here are fairly basic, but paper piecing can be as intense as you are willing to try.

From what I understand paper piecing is an old style of quilting and was a way of creating very detailed quilt blocks long before there were many of the quilting and cutting tools we have now days.

I got started making mailers because during the past four and a half years while selling on etsy I’ve mailed a lot of items!  I’m always trying to keep shipping costs down as low as possible.  One way I do that is by sewing my own mailing envelopes.  It is especially cost-saving when needing to send rather large (but not heavy) items.

I have used everything from book pages to playbills and magazine pages to packaging paper to make mailers.  I love how unique the handmade mailers look when going through the mail!

In my most recent tutorial I show how to create your own envelopes using packaging paper.  I found my paper at the Habitat Re-Store for a super low price, but you can get the paper at Wal-Mart, Dollar stores, and many other places.

Below is a photo from every step of the process then a description for each numbered photo.  This was a super easy and fun project to make!  I hope you enjoy!

1. Rip the cover off the book so you are left with just the book pages.  Then take the upper right corner and fold so that the top side is now lined up with the inside spine.

2.  Take the fold the now runs diagonally across the center of the page and fold to line up with the inside spine.

3.  Crease the section that sticks out past the bottom of the book.

4. Open up the folded section and tuck the creased point inside.

5.  Refold the section and you should now have a folded triangle.

6.  Repeat for as many pages as you like.  I made one tree using an entire book, but for this one I folded the first 70 pages and left an area to decorate.

7.  Use mod podge (or a homemade version) to glue 3 or 4 pages together then decorate with scrapbook paper/photo/etc.