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Sunday, January 26, 2020

What my "roll" was all about.....

I'm finally getting a chance to do a (hopefully) quick post on the things I made right after Christmas when I was on my "roll" making stuff! I had so much fun and couldn't stop. Trouble is.. I didn't take as many pictures as I thought I did. But I think you'll get the idea.

The first photo that I showed on my last post, was a pile of Christmas card boxes.

I've been having a blast making all sorts of things from Dollar Tree Christmas cards! You get 18 cards in a box for $1.00 (here in Oregon) and they are mostly 5x7 cards and really nice quality.

I made all sorts of little post it note books and photo frames, which I showed on my blog post dated December 10, 2019 HERE.  Those were all given away as gifts. I also watched a gal on YouTube who was using the cards to make die cut embellishments, so away I went! I spent hours die cutting.  I have a Sizzix cutting machine and used my fancy oval dies, some star dies and a little lantern die to put together a cute lantern. I also cut some florals and doilies. I will use these on next year's cards. I mean.. the boxed cards are really pretty as they are - but that is too easy to just send out those!


These are some of the cards - so very pretty!


I cut some of sentiments on the insides of the cards, into fancy ovals.



So now I have the idea to go to Dollar Tree, and see what other cards they may have.. I don't think they have Valentine's Day boxed cards, but you never know!  

Next... my post showed a pile of Christmas fabrics. Here's what I made:



Draw string fabric gift sacks! I had used up all the ones I previously had in my stash. My sisters and I each try to make some fabric gift bags each year, and then they get passed around with gifts inside. This year, I didn't have very many (which sister hoarded them???) so I wanted to make some for next year. So I made about 15 gift sacks from Christmas fabric I had bought.  I also scanned in the fabric to my computer, so I can print it out as paper for cards or boxes, etc.  

It was such pretty fabric! I had bought it originally to make some fabric Christmas pumpkins.... yes.... pumpkins. I finally made a little fabric pumpkin AFTER Thanksgiving, and loved it so much, decided I'd make some with Christmas fabric.


But grand ideas just don't come to fruition sometimes, do they? So instead, they became gift sacks. Maybe next year I'll get pumpkins made BEFORE Christmas! As my mom used to say: "a day late and a dollar short"..... that's me.

I decided to make some of the red Christmas fabrics into Valentine's Day gift bags. I added some pretty floral fabrics and bows and lace.



A friend had given me some pretty Christmas fabrics, so that's what got me onto the roll to scan fabrics into my computer. I printed out some pages from the fabric paper, and made a bunch of Christmas tags. I then made up each piece of her fabric into a gift bag for her. So she got 4 gift bags and some matching paper tags for each! I forgot to take pictures of those sweet bags, but they were darling. She had purchased the fabric from the local thrift store.

Here's the fabric scanned:

Fabric that is now paper I can print out as many times as I want.

The cutest fabric - what cute cards I can make next year!

This made the cutest gift tags!  I made a TON of Christmas gift tags and gave them as gifts to everyone.
I have a new "all time favorite" on YouTube. Her name is The Posh Paper Lady. She is who inspired me to make many of my little gifts using the Dollar Tree Christmas cards. She also had a video while ago entitled Sweet Little Bags and I've made a ton of those darling little bags!  The finished size is 4-3/4" x 7-3/4" and they are the perfect size for so many gifts. There is also a little gusset on the side so something a little thicker can be put into the bag. 

I made this sweet little bag and tucked in 3 of my handmade Christmas cards, with envelopes - great gift!
The gusset on the side of the bag enabled me to put in candy bars or thicker items. I used my fancy cut scissors to cut along the top edge, and mostly use a little gold binder clip to close the sack. On some sacks, I punched holes on the top and strung ribbon through the holes and tied a pretty bow.



I got an idea in my head to buy some cheap (but nice) wrapping paper that I saw at our local discount store, and make some of my own little pink gift sacks to use to package my Etsy shop items. I just happened to see this pretty pink flocked paper at our local discount store.  It was $1.49 for 2 large sheets and I could make 8 bags from it.


  

And while I was at it, I made myself a new "logo" sticker to put on the front of these sweet little bags. I printed it on regular paper and vellum paper. I like the vellum (see 2nd photo below) as you can see the pink through it. Which one do you like?......the one printed on the vellum or the one printed on regular white paper, with the white border around it?  (Note: I did somewhat copy this logo from The Posh Paper Lady. Although I'm frilly and "girly" I loved the simplicity of her logo tag. Of course, I had to add some flowers to it!)

Some of these I will decorate with other embellishments I made, and paper flowers.

Vellum on the left, plain white paper on the right. Which one?
And while I was on a roll making these sweet little bags, I made a few larger flat fold gift bags from my older Christmas papers, plus some little post it note holders.

I LOVE this truck paper. I think this was my last sheet.

These hold 3x5 post it notes that I got............ where?.............yup............The Dollar Tree!

Hand doodling made it more fun.

And while I was using some of my older papers, I made a "rosette Christmas tree" - I found the video on YouTube, but now can't remember who it was. There are several tutorials out there.


The bottom "mat" is a crocheted doily I made last summer - I made several that are red and white or green and white, to use over the holidays.
In between all my making and creating, I've managed to put quite a few hours in working my (part-time) job for an attorney here in town. I only work from my home and mostly do his billings, but somehow he talked me into doing some HUGE projects of organizing large files and writing down all the work he did on them! It's horrible and I don't like it! I may have to put a "nix" on that type of work as it cuts into my crafting time!

I've made a few other cute papercrafting (larger and more time-consumming) projects, but I'll save those for my next post. This is long enough!

Have a good rest of January everyone! Oh... and my tree IS down and decorations put away. Phew............

~Marilyn~


18 comments:

  1. Hi Marilyn. I love all your crafty soul. You make the best stuff. I love the idea of using the Christmas fabric bags instead of wrapping paper for your gifts. That is so great. Have a great new week.
    Kris

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    1. Kris, yes I love the fabric gift bags. My whole family does and we use them alot! They are so fun to make and use all the pretty fabrics. I like them other times of year too, so I try to make a few to have on hand for other occasions. Thanks! Marilyn

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  2. You were certainly busy, Marilyn! Love all the goodies you made - especially the sweet Christmas Tree ♥

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    1. Thank you Carrie. It has been so fun but I've got to slow down a little bit and breathe! The little rossette tree is just darling. I love it too! Marilyn

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  3. Wow Marilyn! We are both sharing a post on the same day! How about that? I just LOVED all the amazing creativity that you have been up to! I recognize some of those beautiful items very well... they are even more beautiful in person... thank you again for sharing your beautiful craftmanship with me!

    I just love the idea of scanning in your fabric. I had not really ever thought to do that. It truly opens up so much possibilities with both fabric and paper! I've been having problems with my printer, it doesn't want to print on cardstock any more. I've contacted tech support, and they have no solutions... it appears to be a common "bug" in the software or something. What kind of printer do you have?

    I hope you are doing well there, and enjoying all this crafting! We've had a lot of foggy days here, and I hope to see some sunshine soon.

    I just love your idea of using the Christmas cards to create new die cuts out of! I do need to try that. I have a ton of Christmas cards from years past I was thinking of throwing away. This would make a great use for them! I hate to throw things away, so this would be a fun way to repurpose them!

    Many blessings to you, and I look forward to seeing what else you've been busy crafting!

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    1. Hi Marilyn... yes I read your nice long post last night! I'll go and answer it soon.Your photos are just GORGEOUS (as usual!). My printer is a cheap $100 HP Officejet Printer Model 4650. It works OK but I've had better. It won't take real heavy cardstock, but will take up to 85 lbs. I tried the 110 lb. which I wanted to use for embellishments that I can fussy cut out, but it just wouldn't take it. Darn! If yours took it in the past, then maybe something got bent or tweaked a little bit. I've fiddled with mine before to make it work as sometimes the cardstock will get stuck, but if I fiddle enough, it works. I like the HP's but I think a better quality one would have been better for my printing as I do so much and it doesn't really do photos that well. I hear that Canons and Epson are good. I love that this one scans though as I use it all the time. I like to scan in cute gift bags that I buy from the store also (sometimes) as they make cute "paper" too. I'm going to check at Doller Tree for Valentine's Day cards, as having lots of reds and flowers to die cut would be fabulous. Their cards are nice and thick and sturdy, at least the boxed ones were. I too have many older cards I've saved and sometimes use pieces for gift tags, but may die cut some too. Have a great week and get some crafting done! xoxoxo Marilyn

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  4. These are all so pretty!!! Such creativity is amazing! I love the new logo in either color but the white seems to 'POP'.

    I'm watching The Posh Paper Lady's video on making journals. Wow. Just wow. I'm going to have to try this. Thanks for the link to her YouTube!!

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    1. Thank you Anne! Sometimes I do just get on a roll and it's hard to stop! That only happens about twice a year though, thank goodness, or I'd get nothing else done! I'm glad you are liking the Posh Paper Lady. I've watched all of her videos from Day 1 when she started! I love her ideas and how she brings it "up a level" to fabulous! Marilyn

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  5. Marilyn, you are always so creative. I love the little Christmas tree and all your equipment is wonderful. You can make so many pretty cuts and edges. If I were as creative as you I would never get anything else done..Happy Weekend, my friend..xxoJudy

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    1. Thank you Judy! I love that little tree too. And I don't get alot done either, when I'm on a crafty roll! hugs.. Marilyn

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  6. Marilyn you amaze me with your gifted talent with paper. You should be teaching classes . . . might be a fun way to make a little extra money. I have never seen a "rosette Christmas tree" and I find it very delightful :)
    Well, we know you're ready for next Christmas, but are you ready for Spring, LOL.
    Thanks you for the sweet comments you leave on my blog and for your kind and loving blogging friendship.
    Connie :)

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    1. Thank you Connie for YOUR sweet friendship too! I have a "thing" for rosettes and am always searching YouTube (or elsewhere) as to what I can use them for! The tree was so perfect.. and fun. A few years ago, when I discovered rosettes, I went into a rosette frenzy and made hundreds of them! That's what made me open up my Etsy shop.. just so I'd have a place to showcase them and have others use them and enjoy them. There are still some left there from my original frenzy! I've made more over the years, but not as many as then. I still love them to put on packages and gift bags. And NO.. not ready for Spring at all... not the outdoors type anyway. I'm already looking at and enjoying all the beautiful Spring papers that are out there.. also the fabrics! Have a good weekend dear friend.... Marilyn

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  7. Marilyn, what a creativity, you are so admirable! Loved the gift sacks, bags and tags among others. The cards are one level beyond awesome you know! You have been thoughtful to scan fabrics into computer. That's a clever idea to have unlimited fabric paper whenever needed. Keep doing what you do best, in the meanwhile please share how you made the gift sacks, they are so cute, I'd love to make them just like you did.

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    1. Thank you Andrea! I do love playing with paper! The paper sacks, if that's what you're wanting to make, are from a You Tube video by The Posh Paper Lady. Go to her channel and then search for her "Sweet Little Bags" under the date of 1/17/19. They use a piece of 8 x 12 inch scrapbook paper (or thinner if you want). I love them so much and am finding I use them for so many different things! Sincerely, Mariliyn

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  9. Hi Marilyn. I liked your Christmas card collection. The idea of using Christmas fabric bags instead of wrapping paper for gifts is great. Thank you for sharing the lovely pictures with us. This Christmas, I am planning to give Christmas gift bags to my friends and I trust they will enjoy the goody filled bags. Much blessings! Have a great weekend.

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    1. Thank you so much! Yes.. fabric gift bags are so great.. you can give a set as a gift or put a gift in one to give to someone. They can be decorated with appliques, lace, ,fabric flowers, etc. No end to the possibilities! Marilyn

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