Layout of the Week #62- Using Vellum For Envelopes

     I've been doing some cleaning and sorting lately and I came across some vellum which I haven't used in a very long time! I thought it would be fun to use vellum to make an envelope on the Layout of the Week.

 

Here's the layout we'll be creating.

Yours will look similar, but not identical as you'll hopefully be using supplies that you have on hand.

Just follow these simple steps.

 

Here's what you need to make it:

one piece of 12"x12" cardstock

four pieces of coordinating pattern paper

letter stickers for the title

journaling card- I used an old label for a computer disc

small envelope

vellum

pencil

scissors

adhesive

paper trimmer

 

Trim the four pieces of coordinating paper to 2 7/8 " x 5 1/2".

Adhere them along the bottom of the cardstock leaving about 1/4" border along the bottom and sides of the cardstock.

 

Place two vertical photos along the right and left sides. Line them up along the top of the pattern paper. My photos measure "3 1/4x 4 1/4".

 

Now place two horizontal photos in between the vertical photos.

Mine measure 5"x 3" and 5"x 3 1/2".

The bottom photo will overlap some of your pattern paper.

 

 

Next, you need a small envelope which we're going to use for

a pattern to make a vellum envelope.

 

You'll need to open it up by carefully tearing it apart at the seams.

 

 

Trace around it with a pencil, then cut it out.

I trimmed slightly on the inside of my lines so you the pencil markings wouldn't be visible.

 

Fold the flaps. Use adhesive to seal the edges.

 

There's your vellum envelope!

If you don't care for this technique, you can find tutorials online for envelope patterns.

 

 

Place your envelope in the bottom right corner.

I placed my envelope sideways, so once the ends were sealed, I trimmed along one side. That way I had an open side to act as a pocket.

 

 

Place your journaling card so it overlaps the envelope .

Using letter stickers, place your title across the top of your journaling card.

My vellum envelope acts as a pocket to hold the gift cards that my hubby got for Father's Day.

 

     I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. You can use this method to make envelopes out of

anything-scrapbook paper, dictionary pages, sheet music. . .

 

     I do a Layout of the Week every Wednesday. Feel free to stop by and give it a whirl! I intend for the layout to be simple and easy to follow. I also encourage you to use supplies you all ready have rather than having to go out and buy something new. If I'm using an item that you don't have, replace it with something else. I intend for my tutorials to be generic enough that you can use them for any topic or theme. I'm hoping this feature helps you to get some of your photos scrapbooked and to use up supplies that you have.

      If there is some topic that I haven't covered that you'd like to see, please leave me a comment letting me know. If I'm not explaining it well enough, please let me know.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,

for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes

Romans 1:16

This post is linked to Ivy and Elephants, My Girlish Whims, Too Much Time On My Hands, and Balancing Home.

Recipe of the Week #78- Four Ingredient BBQ Smokies

Four Ingredient BBQ Smokies
1 pkg smokies (regular or cheddar)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp Heinz 57 sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Place smokies in greased Crock Pot. Combine sauces and powder. Pour over smokies.

Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 2 hours. Stir occasionally while cooking.

I made a double batch of these when my boys had friends over, and those boys scarfed them up! I couldn't believe how tasty they were. Easy and delicious. . . you know I'll be making them again!:)

I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.

Psalm 77:12

This post is linked to Between Naps on the Porch, Cheerios and Lattes, and Making the World Cuter.

Let Your Memory Be Your Travel Bag. . . Unless You've Got One This Cute!

      On Friday, I showed you how I followed this tutorial and used fabric to cover a vintage suitcase. Today I'm going to show you how I took that same suitcase and jazzed it up a bit.

 

I started by hot gluing some trim around the edges.

 

 

Here's a closer view.

I just love it when I get to use pink trim on projects- there's not much demand for that in our testosterone filled house:)

 

Well, I had the outside was looking pretty cute, but this is what the inside looked like.

I pulled out the nasty liner, but then I was left with this.

Pretty ugly.

I couldn't very well leave it that way.

 

 

So I wracked my brain trying to figure out what to do with it. Not fabric because it wouldn't hold up well. Not contact paper or scrapbook paper for the same reason.

I decided on paint. Not just any paint, but paint the same shade as blue as the blue flowers on the fabric. Of course I didn't have paint in that shade of blue.

So I got out my acrylic paint and mixed some up. (I didn't know for sure if I could make this work, but luckily it did work!)

 

Pretty close if I say so myself.

 

I painted the whole inside blue.

But still I felt something was missing.

It was definitely better than the original, but wasn't cute enough.

 

So I got out some pink paint and this handy spouncer and just used a little bit of paint to add some pink all over the blue.

 

This is how it turned out.

It certainly has character. And it matches the fabric on the outside.

Plus I think it will withstand use.

 

 

So that's the story of my jazzed up suitcase.

 

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

 

Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10

 

 This post is linked to Funky Junk, Today's Creative Blog, The Dedicated House, Craft-O-Maniac, and Skip to My Lou.

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

     Twelve years ago, I was blessed with a beautiful and tiny baby boy. He was hungry from the get go. He must've read the book on nursing before he came out because I didn't have to show him what to do!
     For the first eleven months, he was pretty quiet (except for some long crying jags), and didn't really have much personality. Then something happened. . . I don't know what, but he all the sudden was overflowing with character! He developed a sense of humor and loved being the center of attention. Oftentimes he'd do something silly and say, "See dis new tick?" (see this new trick). We never knew what he'd say or do.
     Around the age of two, he developed a licking habit- instead of giving kisses, he gave licks. I recall standing at the Walmart checkout and feeling him lick from one hip and across my bottom to my other hip. I can only wonder what the people in line behind me thought.
     When he was three, he decided that he could no longer wear socks with his shoes. Boy, did his feet stink! He took a stance on this and many other things, and it was usually opposite my opinion.
     At four and a half, he started writing notes to people- with a little help with his spelling. One day he asked for a snack and I told him to wait a little bit. He sat down with a marker and a pen, and after having me spell "Don't" and "Me," he handed me a note that said, "U don't love me." I laughed so hard, then got him a snack.
     I truly could tell you stories about this boy all day long. If you came over to my house, I could sit you down with scrapbooks and show you photos, too.:)

     I like to say that Ethan is like an exclamation mark. He's loud, he gets excited easily, and he's always moving. He's full of enthusiasm and he talks with his whole body.
     I love listening to his stories. I love watching him play his guitar. I love watching his expressions and reactions. I love that he's still a Mama's boy.
     I am so blessed to have this boy in my life. I am so proud of him.
     I love you to the moon and back and to infinity and beyond, Ethan.

     Thank you for stopping by and God bless.

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

1 Samuel 1:27

This post is linked to Be Different Act Normal and I Heart Naptime.

Fabric Covered Vintage Suitcase

     Last week I showed you a vintage suitcase that I picked up for $2 at an estate sale. I got it even though one side had a mar in it because I had a project in mind for it.

 

I covered the bad side of it with fabric.

All it took was some fabric and Mod Podge.

I followed the tutorial that I found here.

 

 

Kinda cute, huh?

Now you can't see the missing chunk.

 

Come back on Monday and see how I took it one step farther. . . :)

 

Well, now that I've got this cute luggage, I think I'm due for a trip.

 

If you like this idea, go here and check out what else I've done with a vintage suitcase.

 

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

 

 This post is linked to Happy Hour Projects, Five Days Five Ways, Too Much Time On My Hands, Glitter Glue and Paint, and Tatertots and Jello.

Thrifty Thursday #77

Hi, my name is Laura, and I love estate sales.

Do they have a group for this? Because I think I may have a problem:)

 

I get so excited when I see an ad in the paper for one. Usually, my excitement outweighs what I actually find at the sales, but I know that one day, I will hit the mother lode!

My dream is to get to pick through an old barn full of old, forgotten stuff.

 

Until then, I'll keep checking out local estate sales.

 

 

Recently, I went to an estate sale of a lady who was selling a lot of stuff that she had inherited from her mom several years ago. She wanted to buy an RV and head to Las Vegas and make her living playing poker. Brave lady.

Anyway, while I was browsing through her stuff, another lady walked up with an awesome old bottle, a piece of Jewel Tea China, and a couple of other things that I wish I would've seen first. She proceeded to ask the estate sale lady if she would take a dollar for it all since she didn't have any other money beside a twenty. The estate sale lady said yes. I wanted to shout out, "That's not right! That stuff is worth more than that! Pay with your twenty and let her make change!"

But I didn't. I thought about it, though. I went home and complained to my hubby. He said the estate sale lady could've said no. That they had a deal and my opinion on it wouldn't have changed it.

 I don't mind haggling over prices, but I draw the line at ripping somebody off.

 

I fell in love with this glass bowl- look at the flower on the bottom. So pretty. It was only a dollar. I got it for my friend who wants some more cute bowls. 

 

I have a good collection of mismatched dinner plates. When I spotted this plate and one in the next photo, I knew they needed to go home with me.

 

I paid a dollar for each of them.

I love any dishware with pictures of town scenes or houses on them. I always have.

 

 

Since I didn't get much at the estate sale, I swung by the thrift stores. It was like dish-mania!

I got this cup and saucer for a quarter each!

I didn't keep them though. I gave them to a friend who has asked me to be on the lookout for these.

 

 

I found this beauty for my dinner plate collection. I think it's so cute when we sit down to dinner and everybody has a unique plate:)

This one was a dollar- I think it's one of my favorite ones yet!

 

This is a saucer I got for a quarter. I got this one. . .

 

and this one at the same thrift store.

I'm wanting to make another wreath like this, and I thought these two would be a good start on that project.

 

So, yes, I like secondhand shopping, and though I may have a problem, I'm not always buying for myself. Not all of my treasures make it back to my house! (Excuses. Sounds just like a junkie, huh?:)

 

If you get a chance this weekend, go to an estate sale. Maybe I'll see you there!:)

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

 

For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.

Psalm 86:10

 

 

This post is linked to Ivy and Elephants, Cheerios and Lattes, and Junkin' Joe. 

Layout of the Week #61- Cropping Your Photos

      This week, in order to fit lots of photos on one layout, we're going to crop a lot of excess out of our pictures. Many times when we take a photo, we don't pay attention to the background which can be distracting to the main focus.

 

Here's the layout we'll be creating.

 

To make it, you'll need:

one piece of 12"x12" white cardstock

letter stickers for the title

journaling card (mine is just from a notepad)

12-14 photos

adhesive

photo trimmer

 

Choose one photo to be the focal point. This one will not get trimmed.

Lay the rest of your photos around the edge of the cardstock so you'll have an idea of where each photo will go.

Now you can start trimming photos. Keep the focus of the photo centered and trim off the excess. It's ok if you trim off somebody's arms or legs; it won't affect the integrity of the picture.

The pictures that will go along the left and right sides need to be trimmed to 2 1/2" wide. You'll have to determine how tall they should be by spacing them out.

The ones that will go across the top and bottom need to be 2 1/2" tall. Once again, space them out to see how wide they need to be. This way your border will have a symmetric look.

  

 

Once you trim your photos, adhere them around the edge of the layout.

 

 

This should create a photo border.

 

Using your letter stickers, adhere your title above the bottom row of photos.

 

Now place your focal photo in the upper left corner of the blank part of the background.

 

 

Finally, adhere your journaling paper next to the large photo. Mine measures 2 3/4"x5 3/4".

That's it! Look how many photos you can fit onto one layout! I got 13 to fit!

 

What do you think? Is this something you can see yourself doing?

 

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

 

Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

 

This post is linked to 52 Mantles, Embracing Change and The Shabby Creek Cottage.

 

Recipe of the Week #77- White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add  eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in the oats and chips.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes.

These are some tasty oatmeal cookies! My younger son said he thought they'd be better without the white chocolate, but this is the same child who sat down and ate a small bowlful of those same chips as I was baking. :) My older son ate them up like they were going out of style!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore!

1 Chron. 16:11

This post is linked to My Girlish Whims, Between Naps on the Porch, Ivy and Elephants, and The Dedicated House.

May I Have Your Attention Please. . .

 

I, or rather, my hubby has added a new feature to my blog. . . a Pin It Button.

Just hover over the photo and click the Pin It Button. Yay!

Tell me what you think.

Feel free to pin away:)

Please Stay Seated. . .

     This post has been a long time in the making. Right before summer started, I showed you an awesome roadside find. . . two black chairs. Right away, I knew just what I was going to do with them. It took me much longer than I thought -not the actual work on the chairs, just finding the time to work on them- but without further ado, here they are!

 

I used a hand sander along all the edges.

 

I don't know what kind of paint was originally used on these, but it didn't come off easily- especially on the seats!

 

Here's a close-up of Chair A.

 

 

Here's Chair B.

 

And a close up of the back.

 

 

This is what they started out looking like.

Can you believe somebody just threw these away?

 

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

 

If you're stopping by from Roadkill Rescue, I am so excited to have you here! Please become a follower!

 

 

In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.

Psalm 86:7

 This post is linked to Funky Junk, Miss Mustard Seed, Craft-O-Maniac, Skip to My Lou, Today's Creative Blog, and Making the World Cuter.

Let's Play Ball!

     Boy, do I have some funky bracelets to show you today!

 

 

They're made from old baseballs!

 

Here's what one looks like on.

 

Here's the back- it hooks on with a toggle clasp.

 

I made one with a cameo and

 

this one with a green pendant on a blue flower.

 

So, what do you think? Would you wear one?

If you saw one in a shop would you buy it?

 

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

 

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:8

 

This post is linked to Happy Hour Projects, My Repurposed Life, Tatertots and Jello, Cheerios and Lattes, Six Sisters, Sunday View, Funky Junk, and Five Days Five Ways.