Some Post-It-Note Holders

A friend of mine, who lives in Joplin, Missouri, has requested that I make Post-It-Note Holders for him to give as Christmas gifts to his family and friends.

I’ve been working on these since Sunday and have made pretty good progress, so far.  There are large empty spaces that are being left to hold the name of the person he wishes to have placed on the holder.  These are all sports related and are masculine.  I have five of them finished.  Each base is 7″ x 7″ with the Post-It-Note pad placed near the bottom right corners.

I need to begin the feminine sets as well and I have some papers I’m really itching to get my hands on from Graphic 45.

SKIING:

Ski themed

I have attached resin boots, skis, and poles to the bottom left using E6000 adhesive.  These were originally buttons but I cut the shanks off.  There is wire mesh ribbon around the flap of the Note Holder with a sticker backed on chipboard attached to the front of the pad.

The papers, stickers, and resin items were purchased from Scrap Your Trip if you are interested in these items.

I have used Tim Holtz Glossy Accents and Stampin’ Up! Dazzling Diamonds on the snowflake stickers to give them dimension, texture, and sparkle.  You can see them at the top left of the holder.

Glossy accents and glitter over a sticker

Glossy Accents atop sticker

HUNTING:

More papers and stickers from Scrap Your Trip for this hunting themed holder.  It also measures 7″ x 7″.  Most of the stickers have been adhered to chipboard and cut out using a craft knife.  I have attached some brown and orange ribbon on the left side of this holder.

Hunting themed holder

GOLF:

The stickers on this Golf themed holder are the only thing I’ve used from Scrap Your Trip.  The papers are from my stash and from Club Scrap.  Wait, I do have paper from SYT…it is the grass paper.  The big plastic “Golf” piece I found at Big Lots.  This holder has a bit of ribbon on it also.

Golf themed holder

FISHING:

The fishing themed holder has both papers and stickers from SYT.  I enlisted the aid of Joe to attach the fishing lures to wire.  They now wiggle :D.  The lures are stickers I attached to chipboard and cut out with a craft knife.  I punched holes and added eyelets.  These are hanging on the Post-It-Note cover.

Fishing themed

This is Joe, winding the wire “perfectly” with his drill.  He never ceases to amaze me with the things he can do with his tools 🙂 and help me out.  Am I lucky or what?

Twisting the wire

FOOTBALL:

The final holder I have finished is a Football Theme.  The paper is from SYT (Scrap Your Trip) and only one of their stickers I have used.  Attached it to chipboard and cut it out, the one with the flaming football flying through the air in the bottom left.  The other two stickers are from Big Lots and are plastic see through type.

I needed some help from Joe for football terms.  I made the piece on the note pad flap using a desktop publishing program and jamming the words together in a “box” shape.  I had to reduce the size down quite a bit.  I’ve put my shoulder out of joint patting myself on the back for this idea :D.

Football themed

I have “signed” each one on the back of the holder with my special signature 🙂

My signature

It is so small I had to draw your attention to it.  Yes, I’m showing off 🙂

My sign

I sure do hope Tim likes these holders.  I’ve got several more to make.  I had to go to Budget Box and Bag to purchase more flat cardboard to use as the holder base.  The assembly line part works well in getting the bases made.  Personalizing the fronts takes a bit longer but I’m getting faster at it.

Check your stash and see what you can come up with as handmade gifts this Christmas.  Have fun creating.

Leslie

Stickers and Chipboard Embellishments

How many sticker sheets do you have stashed away somewhere in your craft space?  How many of the sheets have one or two pieces missing that have been used on projects while the remainder of the stickers are  on the sheet indefinitely?  I have several drawers with them.

What project are you working on now?  Are you making a mini album, creating a fabulous scrapbook layout, working on a special greeting card?  Gather your sticker sheets, take a look at them and see if any of the words or images can be used in your creation, then watch this video on how I altered a couple of stickers to take them from “hum drum” to “fabulous” 🙂

I don’t know about you but, sometimes I need an embellishment that is more stiff and thick than just a piece of card stock.  Plus there is the other problem of not being able to find a chipboard image or piece that works with the beautiful item you are creating.

Do you have a rubber stamp with an image that is just right for your project?  Do you wish you could find a chipboard piece just like the stamped image?  Well it is here!  Only you have to do a little work to make it happen 🙂

Take a second look at the stickers and rubber stamps you have in your stash.  Go shopping in your bins, drawers, cupboards, and boxes.  Your wallet will thank you 🙂

 

A Magical Santa Key

This report is coming to you from Oklahoma City.

As you know, this is the beginning of the Holiday season with Thanksgiving only days away.  Christmas will be a few short weeks later.

In my neighborhood there is a growing concern around Santa visiting homes this year.  Children on the streets have been seen gathering in little clusters.  The looks on their faces is one of concern, and could be interpreted as near fright.  My curiosity has gotten the better of me and I felt it necessary to see what the trouble is.

As I draw nearer to a small group of four children, who attend a local elementary school, I can hear part of the discussion.  It seems of the four only one child has a fireplace with a chimney.  The other three live in apartment buildings or mobile homes which do not have the requisite fireplace and chimney for Santa’s expected arrival.

One child is in tears as I approach the group.  When I ask if they need assistance the little girl who has been crying suddenly bolts from the group and runs away sobbing.  The three remaining children have their heads hung low and are moving towards one another in a group effort to support each other.

After a few moments of coaxing I finally draw out from a young boy what the problem is.  With the housing troubles the children’s families have had to move into homes with no chimneys.  No chimneys means no Santa visits this year.

All but one of the children will not be visited by Santa this year, it seems.  One boy had chosen to be the spokesperson for the group.  He has offered his home for the families to gather on Christmas Eve.  He knows that Santa knows where each child is when the toy deliveries are made and his home has a good fireplace and chimney for Santa to come.  He is sure it will be alright with  his parents if they all come and stay the night with him.

Three sets of eyes peered up at me for an answer to this problem.  Sadly, I had no fit answer to give them.  My heart went out to them as they all turned away and headed home with their heavy hearts.

What can I do?  How can I help?  What is the answer to this problem?

Just as the last child turned the corner and was out of view my cell phone rang.  It was Santa.  He had the answer to this problem.

It seems all that is needed is a very special key that will be hung from the door knob of the homes with no chimney.  This Magical Key will have to be long and shaped like the keys from long ago and only Santa can open the door of the home where it is hung.  Santa will be able to use that key to gain entry to the home, leave his presents, and just before he leaves the home….after eating a cookie of course…..he will leave the key hanging on the Christmas tree.

I have been asked, by Santa, to create the Magic Key.  When I asked for instruction on how to do this he only said “You will know what to do”.  Stumped, I returned home to find Joe and ask him what he thought I should do.

Joe and I went looking for very special keys.  We searched many stores before we finally found the right ones.  At least the type that fit Santa’s description of being “long and old”.

Skeleton key

After we procured the proper keys I went into my studio and began the work of creating a very special key to be hung from the door knob, as Santa had mentioned.  Once Santa used the key to get in the home, he would then hang the key on the Christmas tree so the family would know he had been there.  This  means the key will need something to keep it around the door knob and be in plain sight for Santa when he comes to the child’s door.

Santa key

The key tag is strung with a good strong corded ribbon to stay on the door knob just in case there are strong winds blowing on Christmas Eve.

Corded ribbon to hang from the door.

Since I have never seen Santa in person and don’t know what he looks like I have had to rely on Tim Holtz for that.  I’ve used a Stampers Anonymous set titled Christmas Collection for the image of Santa.

I have flocked Santa’s coat and hat using the red and white flock from Doodle Bug Design.

Doodle Bug Design flock

Raised texture using the flock

To attach the key I’ve used Tim Holtz ball chain with clasp.  I’ve cut a length of the ball chain to allow the key to hang from the tag.  Decorative ribbons have been attached to the top of the key.

Ball chain and clasp

The Santa Key comes with a coordinating tag that can be used as a tree decoration also or as a gift tag.

Santa key and coordinating tag

The tag and key fob are signed by me on the back.

Signed by me

Key tag signed by me

Now I need to get back into my room and create more of these Santa keys.  Keep watching this blog.  I will have a link to my Etsy store soon for you to purchase my handmade Santa Key and coordinating Tag.