Throwback Thursday - Journals and Writing

One of the first things I did when I was preparing for a fall craft fair and after my foray into paper crafting was cover a composition notebook. Since school days, composition notebooks were used to write down thoughts and work with writing prompts. Children on a daily basis continue to do this as a way to practice writing and grow as individuals.

In high school, my English professor required us to write daily as a way to reduce our stress and to talk about anything we wanted. It could be about boyfriend troubles. It could be about life. Or about our jobs. It could be anything under the sun. I didn't understand how very calming and relaxing writing without an audience was. I do now, which is why I am sharing some of the composition books I covered.

Each of these have their own qualities and match someone's traits. Thankfully, they were all purchased! It showed me that there are still many people who use the composition notebook as a portal to write their thoughts.

*Suggestion* Buy one of these for your child at home. Allow them to decorate it. And start writing a note to them each day with their reply on the back page. It will bring you closer and encourage them to confide in you.

Sarah

Make it Monday - Binding a Book - Photo Heavy

This project was done months in advance because it was created for my mother's birthday. Her birthday falls in December, close to Christmas. We had plans to go out for lunch, but I wanted to make something special for her. Something I took time on. I have the luck to have a mother who truly loves everything homemade or anything given to her. Her humbleness stuns me every time. In recent months, she had told me that she had been studying her religious text. So this Make it Monday project comes from the desire to help her progress.

Yep! I bound a book. Two of them in fact. And I would have to say that they are more along the lines of a booklet. The ones I have made are meant for note taking or other such things. You can obviously create larger books than the ones I completed. All you would need to do is puncture the paper a little at a time to accomplish this. And cut the designer paper larger to cover the added paper.

Materials

Paper cutter

Designer paper or colored paper

4-6 sheets of white copier paper

needle

thread

scissors

Here are the instructions on how to accomplish this project:

1. Take 4-6 sheets of white copier paper and fold them in half. Be sure to press the bent side with a straight edge or a bone folder.

2. Cut the designer paper to 8.5 x 11 to fit over the paper. You can also add 1/4 of an inch on either side to overcompensate. (Excuse my crafter's mess - This was around Christmas time.)

3. Fold the designer paper over the copier paper. Remember to press the seam with a straight edge.

4. Take your threaded needle and puncture the center of the paper from the inside. Leave a longer tail because you will need to tie the ends together.

5. When you bring the needle and thread out, puncture another hole about 2-3 inches away from the center. I went a little further on this one than I did my first one.

6. Take the needle through the paper and back across the center to the opposite side. I didn't measure. I just eyed the space to see what looked right. They are about equal distance from the center. Puncture the paper and pull the needle to the outside of the booklet again.

7. Finally, push the needle through the center hole. Pull tight. Then cut the needle off leaving a long tail to tie.

 8. Tie the two ends together twice and cut a majority of the excess. Fold the booklet.

Congrats! You just made a booklet. Here's the pictures of the two finished booklets I completed. I chose not to embellish them as I knew that my mother would love them, but you can embellish them with ribbon or stamps or whatever you wanted.

These are bookmarks I made to match the booklets.

Booklets and bookmarks together.

Finished and packaged. If you are wondering, I took a 8 x 10 cello bag I purchased from JoAnn's online (with a self adhesive closure), added the booklets and bookmarks, and closed it. I then took a piece of brown cardstock (scrap) and folded it over. I stapled it onto the cello bag. I used a scrap piece of the flower designer paper to cover the staples.

I hope you have found this tutorial informative and choose to do it yourself. It is relatively easy. It was super quick. I was able to accomplish it within ten minutes (minus the bookmark part since I laminated). A bit of that time was trying to thread a needle....because my threader broke. So, you can accomplish this project in less than 10 minutes without a doubt.

Take some time to create some homemade books and bookmarks for someone you care about! The gifts don't have to be expensive, especially when they come from your heart.

Sarah

Revealing the Theme - National Children's Book Week

From the age of nine, I had a desire to write. It was so important to me that my father suggested I start using the GED book to learn high school and college level words. I spent time studying and writing the words in the dictionary. I would have 10 new words each week. By half way through the year, I wrote a 16 page short story - romance of course. Nervously, I read it to my little sister who sat rapt at each word. I was sitting on the dresser and she was sitting on the bed. I remember feeling enthralled at her response and hoping that she would love the story I had to tell. Yes, had. Within moments of finishing, I waited for the response. When she told me that it was good and she loved it, I breathed a sigh of relief and celebrated internally with jubilation.

That feeling is something all children should have growing up. They should have a safe situation to express their voice even if the words coming out of them is not something we agree with. Sometimes...all someone needs is to be heard.

So, with that in mind...this week's theme is going to focus on the act of writing. One aspect of most lives is literature. I remember creating my own book in fifth grade. It was entitled - Mighty Morphin Spider Rangers. LOL! Yes, after the Power Rangers. It was really huge then. What it did was allow me to use my creativity and mind to create a story I liked.

This week....we are focusing on National Children's Book Week.

But in a different light than one would think we would celebrate. So please join me this week on this blog to focus on Children's book and writing.

Before I finish this post, I will provide a list of the materials needed for tomorrow's Make it Monday.

Materials

Paper cutter

Designer paper or colored paper

4-6 sheets of white copier paper

needle

thread

scissors

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - Favorite Books and a Bookmark

As an adult and avid reader, I find myself drawn to the same authors over and over again. As a young child, you couldn't tear me away from books. I craved that knowledge. In third grade, my love of reading was cultivated by Mrs. Leihkauff. She opened my eyes through stories like The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrope and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. What I didn't know then is that these two books are classical novels usually taught at that grade level. But, that didn't stop me. We had the opportunity to have a classroom in the library with books surrounding us on all walls - literally. So once one book was done, we could turn around and grab one off the shelf. I found myself reading books way above my grade level just to read.

What it did was provide the backing to be a lifetime reader. That is something that most young people have lost among the many technological advances and cell phones.

How does this tie in with a book craft?

Well, I love reading and support reading through reading, advocacy, and making bookmarks. Just a few weeks ago, I showed multiple bookmarks made with scraps. What I am going to show on this Throwback Thursday is a crocheted bookmark. It is in the shape of a heart. I remember finding a heart pattern (free) and attaching a chain of 20-30 and a tassel. It's very simple to change any applique you have into a bookmark.

Do yourself a favor. Spend a little time with a book each day. You will be happier.

Make it Monday - National Book Week - Photo Heavy

This week is National Book Week. I chose to showcase this wonderful event because supporting literature, reading, and literacy is important to me. Reading and literature cultivates society to openness, caring, and compassion. Above that, it can teleport you to another world and provides a view from a different angle. What better way to celebrate books and literature than by creating a bookmark? Besides reading a book of course.

Bookmarks are versatile whether made with yarn, thread, or paper. For this project, I am using paper. I am using a technique that you have seen on this blog and will see in the future - pigment ink daubing. I am sure there is another term for that. I don't mind making up names for things!

Materials
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
Pen (if you don't use a paper cutter with a ruler attached)
One main color (backing)
A sheet of white card stock
A small section of ribbon (optional)
A laminator
A laminator sheet
A hole punch
Sponge Daubers
Pigment ink
A stamp if you want that
StazOn Jet Black ink (for stamp)
Acrylic block (for stamp)

Here's a picture of the daubers, stamp, and ink I used:

1. What you do first is cut two your base layer at 6 1/4 x 2 1/4. I used a light purple. This is not pictured; however, you can see the cut pieces further below. 

2. Next, cut two white pieces of card stock at 6 x 2. Adhere with temporary tape to a piece of white paper. You can alternatively just hold the piece of paper. This is what I do. 

3. Using the pigment ink and the sponge daubers, pick a color and begin moving in a circular motion in the spot you want. I usually choose the corners. My first color is purple. Pictured below.

4. Pick another color and do the same, but blend the color into the previous one. My second color is pink.

Here's a picture of picking up ink using the dauber.

5. Pick a third color (if you wish) and do the same as step 4. I chose blue and green to mix giving it a pale teal look.

And the 2nd layer is finished.

6. Cut two pieces of white card stock at 3 x 1 3/4. (Or, measure one to fit the stamp you use.) This measurement is for the flower stamp. If you are interested, I found this stamp at JoAnn's online and had it shipped to my house

7. With StazOn Jet Black ink, stamp the image onto both pieces of cardstock.

 8. Now, adhere the stamped images onto the 2nd layer by using tape. This is a Scotch Tape glider. I chose to place mine in the middle and at the top.

9. Attach tape to the back of the 2nd layer and attach them to the base color.  (Here's the purple base layers.)

10. When you have finished, send them through a laminator following the instructions provided by the machine. If you want to add ribbon, punch a hole into the top of the card after laminating and add ribbon. I chose not to do so at this time, but may add some ribbon when I find the right one.

From Dande Creations, I wish you a happy National Book week and urge you to get lost in a book after you finish crafting some bookmarks!

Revealing the Theme - National Book Week

Hello again! It is time for our second reveal week here at Dande Creations. This one is pretty fun and something that holds a lot of room in my heart. This week is National Book week. The essence of this week is to inspire others to read especially young children who are constantly bombarded with too much mind noise. Yep...mind noise! America has become pretty materialistic and full of advertisements. Take a look the next time you drive somewhere. How many advertisements do you see? Or when you watch something on television? These things are so distracting, which makes books a WONDERFUL thing. We can imagine the story with little to no interruption. It's quiet. Above all, it engages our mind.

One of my early childhood memories is how my third grade teacher brought to life the stories of C.S. Lewis. They were magical and made me want to delve deeper into the worlds authors create. So this week, I am dedicating the week to celebrate the National Book week.

This week's Make it Monday utilizes a technique I love. I am not going to tell you what it is. You will have to come back tomorrow and check it out. What I can do is provide a list of the materials for the project and perhaps you can guess.


Materials
Paper cutter or scissors
Ruler
Pen (if you don't use a paper cutter with a ruler attached)
One main color (backing)
A sheet of white card stock
A small section of ribbon (optional)
A laminator
A laminator sheet
A hole punch
Sponge Daubers
Pigment ink
A stamp if you want that
StazOn Jet Black ink (for stamp)
Acrylic block (for stamp)

See you tomorrow crafters,

Sarah

Another Scrappy Project - Bookmarks 3

I feel this may become a theme in 2015 - Another Scrappy Project. It seems like an amazing concept that takes scraps and turns them into new items. So......

Oh yes, bookmarks. Number 3. LOL!

What I found interesting about this bunch is that I used the same background color. I took one piece of cream colored 8.5 by 11 paper and cut it in half long ways. That meant the paper was 4 1/4 by 11. I then cut each length into 2 inch pieces of paper. That made 10 bookmark size pieces.

The scrap paper I cut into 4 x 1 3/4 to fit. That gave a small clearance of 1/4 on all sides in most cases. Some I cut down to stamp. Here's the photos:

The green chevron paper did NOT want to be photographed. 

As you can see, the Thinking of You stamp has scrap paper a little shorter to allow for stamping directly on the base paper.

What would you like to see done with scraps? I am planning on doing a section with crochet and other such crafts. This new theme and concept will not be just paper crafts!

Sarah

Another Scrappy Project - Bookmarks 2

Apparently this is a new and exciting thing for me. Using up scraps has become a way for me to expand my mind into creating new unions. And, it is an AWESOME way to reduce unused materials. Here's the next batch of bookmarks. These are all varying in size and shape to utilize the most of the scrap paper.

These are the pretty papers I found in my scrap box. I was almost tempted to search through my pattern books for more just so I could make cards to match. I resisted the temptation since I wanted to just use scraps!

Here's the first batch of true Christmas bookmarks. I am sure these will make their way into some gift bags for my nieces and nephew this Christmas. 

What I love about making bookmarks and using scraps is that you can allow your mind to wander. It is a completely easy craft to do. I spent so little time actually piecing these together. I believe the longest part was making sure there was no tiny paper fibers on the outside because my paper cutter is weird. That means someone with a great paper cutter can whip these out quickly. If you don't have a paper cutter, feel free to do this with a ruler and scissors. It is completely do-able. 

Sending positive crafting vibes,

Sarah

Hosting a Giveaway - Tis the Season

Tis the season to be jolly...

That song has it right. I know that as we bustle to and from stores picking up gifts for our loved ones, we tend to forget to take some time out for ourselves. As a crafter, my free time is usually spent attempting to write, keep up my house, and enjoy the crafts I so love. Sometimes I am lucky. Sometimes I am not. So tonight I decided I am going to host a giveaway. The details are below.

Prizes

First prize - Knit in Comfort by Isabel Sharpe

A wonderful novel from Isabel Sharpe, the author of As Good As it Got, Knit in Comfort joins the women of Comfort, North Carolina as they come together to knit and make lace - and find that the intricacies of both echo the complexities of their own lives. A story that combines the popular pastime of crafting and a richly realized cast of unforgettable characters, Knit in Comfort is a heartwarming tale of love and friendship that every fan of Debbie Macomber, Kate Jacobs, and Ann Hood are certain to cherish.

Second and Third prize - A choice of one free pattern from Ravelry

Rules

1. You must leave a comment on this blog post to enter. Be sure to include an email address to contact you in case you win.
2. Blogger does not responsible for this giveaway.
3. Enter between December 4th and December 8th to qualify.
4. Any and all entries after midnight on December 8th will not count.

Good Luck,

Sarah

Announcing New Pattern

Good morning readers! This beautiful autumn morning gave me a great idea for a Christmas ornament. Most people don't know this, but I am a writer outside of designing crochet patterns with some writing friends. One has become a very good friend to me. This morning, I decided I wanted to send her a set of crocheted ornaments for Christmas, but the one thing I wanted to include was a book ornament. I was hoping to find one so I didn't have to waste brain power, but there wasn't one to be found.

What was a girl to do? Well, design her own of course! So I am introducing a new pattern available through Ravelry and Craftsy. This pattern is available at an introductory cost of $1.99 USD. Get it while it is on sale!

Where you can get the pattern:

Ravelry Link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/book-ornament

Craftsy Link: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/home-decor/book-ornament/118173