Hang on to those books!

I wanted to show you a craft I have not seen before.  Great way to use up some of those hardcover books you have in your home that you have read and haven’t donated yet……

This is on an easel.  It is just a hard cover book that she folded pages, used some wonderful scrapbook papers and inks and added some really fun tags. 

Here are some photo of how it is done….so easy!!!!

See????  Now these were for Halloween, but think what you could make for Christmas gifts.  My cousin folded a whole book while we were talking one night.  I got an email from the crafter who made the one in the first photo and this is what she said:

Hi Sandy. I hear you were in Cranberry Cottage and liked my books! Thank you for the compliment!  The idea is actually not mine. I took a class and was taught how to make them. She used various scrapbook pages and images and I decided they'd be fun to do in holiday form. ( I do them for Easter,Valentines Day,Christmas and Halloween and have also tried one for 4th of July!)   I buy the books at Dollar stores or at Goodwill, etc. I try not to purchase ones with more than maybe 200 pages as they are time consuming to fold and can get too bulky.  I start by taking each page and folding the top corner to the center and then do the same with the bottom of the page. It makes a bit of an "envelope" to hold the "tags".   After folding all the pages,I use Tim Holtz's ink pads (sold at most craft stores) and rub the edges with the pad . Sometimes I do some of the inside pages as well just for a little more character.  The "tags" I just cut out of various scrapbook paper (usually I start with a solid color which makes up the back of each tag and then I layer with images I buy and then download from the internet. Look on Etsy or EBay for "digital  downloads. They can be bought for as little as $1 and once you own them you can just keep using the image over and over again!  I then just layer to my liking and rub the edges of the tags to finish them off.  The books look especially nice if they are put on a stand-as you would  an opened cookbook or a decorative plate. Again,these can easily be purchased at any discount or craft store.  I hope these directions help you get started! Good luck! 

I love this one, as it is already orange and black on the outside.  I found one with 240 pages with this color on the outside, I am going to tear about 40 pages out , throughout the book.

So many possibilities, don’t you think????? 

Also, I saw these online and couldn’t decide if these were a good idea or not…Christopher Radko has made Shiney Brites for Halloween!

 

 

 

 

What do you think about these?????  Have a great day!

So Much to show & to tell you all!

 

Well, as of today, I finally got through my pics from Eau Claire and Minneapolis and decided to start to share them. I have had a hard “reentry” so to speak, spent a couple of days just sleeping and resting.  I can’t possibly put all the photos in one post, but I am wanted to start with the visit to Deb and Tammy’s part of the world. If you ever get to Minneapolis, you have to meet these two women, they are both a couple of hoots! :)  And wonderful hostesses.  Linda and me felt so very special, and like we had known them forever….

If you read Tammy and Deb’s blogs, you already know about the fun, but I wanted to share a few photos I took…..we went so many places, and I have forgotten the names except the first one…The Pink Famingo!

This is Deb, the owner and Tammy, and a big stuffed pink flamingo!

And some of the goodies they had….

( If there had been a blue or green stripe, these would have come home with me!)

I got a photo of this to show my husband…..:)

This was a beautiful light in my favorite spot! ( What was this place called again, girls?)  Old and new all together and merchandised so beautifully!

I SO wish there was a way to get one of these vintage sleds home…notice the large Campbell’s coloring book, it was easily 2 feet tall.  Really cute, but again, how do you get something that large home where it doesn’t cost a fortune?.

This was one of their vignettes, isn’t it just so pretty?  Tammy and Deb hamming it up for the camera…lol

This is a lovely shot of Tammy’s dining room,

They both had wonderful goodie bags for me, full of fun items!  I will show you a few later as I haven’t taken photos yet, but one of the goodies is going on my vintage yellow/red table in my kitchen as a runner!

This trip was so fun, but with an almost 2 hour drive, to be there at 10:00a.m.  and staying until 7:00 p.m. ( I was right outside of Mall of America, I had to see Archivers, right?), both Linda and me had a bit of a hard time getting out of the car in Eau Claire…:)  Oh and Tammy, we totally forgot to look at your car!!!!  Linda and me were halfway home when we realized we didn’t go into your garage!  Next time!  I know I changed the plans a bit, but still wished we could have seen it.  That was one of the few nice, sunny days we had while I was up in Wisconsin.

Oh and the weather while I was there?????  A lot of…

Little town of Bloomer ( cold, grey and windy)

My cousin Jackie’s deck in Elmwood ( wet, cold, grey and windy)

Yup….fog and you could see your breath!

Un-huh….frozen bird bath!  The weather wasn’t being too cooperative, and fall was just about gone when I got there.  There were probably as many nice days and grey ones in the whole visit, it just didn’t feel that way. lol

I will be honest, it was really tough this time with the RA, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world! ( come on Orencia, start working!)  I just wish I hadn’t felt so punkie about four days in, that lasted almost until the day I left.  No matter what though, it was so good to be home with my family!!!!!

The Weary Traveler Returns

 

 

I’m back!  I have so much to share with all of you.   But for right now, I just wanted to say hello.  This trip took more out of me than ever before…..so I am still getting back up to steam, so to speak. lol

I will mention that I got to spend a lot of time with my family, enjoyed every minute……I miss them so much  the rest of the year.

As far as outings, by far the most fun day was meeting Deb and Tammy!  These two ladies are a hoot!  We had such a good day and next time we have to spend more time together!

I haven’t even opened the box I sent home from Eau Claire yet….but I will this week so I can show you the fun items Deb, Tammy, my cousin Linda and me found!!!!!

I got to hit my first Archivers also…..that was fun!!!!!

Have a great day!  Missed you all!

 

Rednesday at 521 Lake Street

 

I haven’t done this in a long time and I am not sure why….but because of that I have a few new red things to show you!

This is a recipe box I have wanted for years!!!!  Finally found one that wasn’t 40.00!

Literally brand new!

Red Santa's …..

Again, really reasonable….

A beautiful tablecloth!!!!!

Forgive me if I have shown this before, but I just love it!  Perfect with my Fiestaware!

I also got these a few months ago with the thought of redoing them, I am not….if anyone would like them, I will be happy to sell them to you. Just email me at sanjos333@gmail.com.  But please know that it will be awhile until I can ship them as I am going home!

That’s right, it is autumn, and I am headed to a beautiful place….Arizona is so lousy this time of year.  It is October and it is still hitting 100 degrees or close to it!  Family, and fall!  Can’t wait!  I don’t know if I will post while I am in Wisconsin….depends on if I can figure out how to do it from my cousin’s computer as I don’t use blogger to post,  I use Windows live writer…..Have a great two weeks!!!!!  See you soon…:)  Stop over at Sue’s to see all of the other wonderful red!