Someday I'll get round to them

I've been collecting business reply envelopes for a few years. I didn't have anything in mind when I started collecting. Just thought they'd come in useful one day. I wonder if there's a way to tell them that I don't need these envelopes since I don't pay by cheque. Anyway I think there're about a hundred of them and I took 15 to make 3 accordion files.

This is mine. I'll upload a pic of the side / inside when I take the pics tomorrow. I don't know how to use this camera in dim lighting as yet :-(

The envelopes were already sealed so I didn't have to seal them but just slit a bit off the top so they become pockets. Stuck 5 of them together, stuck them to the cardstock, strung the elastic and rounded the corners of the cardstock and voila! My new folder for vouchers. This way I'll keep all my vouchers in 1 place and hopefully won't let any expire like last time.

Have a good evening!

Afternote, the other 2 accordion files...

Something old, something new

Made this fruit sticker book a while back. The cover is the cover of a stack of cardstock that I have. It was too pretty to throw away so I kept it. The plastic pages inside were part remnant, part new stock from what I use to wrap DS' and DD's books.

This fruit sticker collection started 'cos DD's friend stopped collecting stickers. We used to contribute to her collection and when she stopped, we decided to start our own. We even had a fun time at the supermarket picking those 'discarded' stickers, to the dismay of DS. LOL!

This was supposed to be a milk carton wallet. We don't have any milk cartons at home. There's a granola carton but I made the flap too thick that the resin snap's prong was too short to secure it. This was made from the annual report of CapitalMall Trust. It has 4 slots and a resin snap. 

DS' using this! Yippee!

Have a blessed day!

Marking a mark

DD and I found these pens in an old ice-cream box filled with other writing utensils. These 3, in particular, can't be used for writing anymore and that's why they're great for....scoring!

Scoring or making pre-folding marks along thicker paper or cardstock is necessary for clean lines and, of course, easy folding. The creases guide where the paper will be folded and thus it makes for neater folds than those that are not scored.

Recycle, reuse, reduce.

I'm tempted to go make some cardstock items, LOL!

Have a blessed weekend!

Explorations

Sometimes I experiment and end up with stuff that I didn't think of making in the first place. Some turn out just great while some have been ripped apart or have long been discarded in the recycling bag.

I was playing with some jelly roll strips and decided to half them lengthwise and piece them together. Smaller pieces would be more fun, no? First was 6 thinner strips that were pieced together and then the whole thing was cut in half, flipped and sewn together. I did this twice more and ended up with the exterior of this. I decided to try out my new linen bias and thus needed a back so I used the other half of the thinner strips. I thought of finding a zip that would go round 3 sides but found this one instead. Two sides would be OK too, I guess. About this time, I realised that it was too narrow for a coin pouch. So I went to find a key ring with a chain and voila, a key pouch.

Have a blessed weekend!

After about a week

DS' patchwork blanket finally has a backing. I like the contrast of the ivory microfibre back with the brightness of the colours in front.

Have a blessed day!

Sneaks: Crochet bags

I made some of these recently and some months ago. I still have lots of the cream and denim blue yarn left. It's from a cone and I like yarn on a cone 'cos you can knit / crochet on and on and on and not have to join yarn. No loose ends to weave in and no unsightly bumps, well, none, if you do it properly :-)

Have a blessed day!

I want to go to the parade this year!

Every year, actually, but our ballots for the tickets didn't get through. There was a year when we managed to go to 3 shows with tickets given by friends, 2 at the grandstand and 1 at the Esplanade. It's different when you watch everything live. We'll go to the Fullerton Bridge if we don't get tickets. At least we'll catch the fireworks and some of the water events.

This is DD's latest clutch. It's replaced the green felt one which is probably the shortest-lived clutch though DD claims she'll use it still. This one was made from Jane Lee's design. There are 2 small pockets under the flap with the text at the side of the original bag - 'Live Our Dreams' and 'Designed by Jane Lee'. I didn't have red or white velcro but DD was OK with green velcro.

DS saw this and wanted the top half of the butterfly for his. We'll see.

Have a blessed day!

Afternote....DS' laptop sleeve.

When is a pouch a laptop sleeve and when is it a clutch?

Yesterday was Earth Day

I didn't do anything particularly green yesterday 'cos it was Earth Day. I did, however, make this as a response to an article in today's newspapers that the supermarts will be charging for plastic bags.

While I'm a supporter of BYOB, I wonder how I'm going to settle the problem of mandatory by law bagging of rubbish 'cos I've been using the supermart plastic bags.

Anyway...

I've had this Debi Hron for Timeless Treasures fabric for a while. It's a bit bright for me but I thought I'd use it for this fold-away shopper bag. It's unlined but with no exposed / raw seams. All stress points have been reinforced so that it can take heavy loads. The pocket is just right for folding the body and handles away and tucking into. I think I'll put up instructions later if there's a request.

Have a blessed day!

Cheapest clutch ever?

Few NDPs ago, I ripped out the velcro from the funpack. I can't remember which year it was, perhaps the 40th? The one with the Crumpler-like sling bag that had a velcro flap that you could rip off and exchange with another person for a different colour. That was how I ended up with brightly coloured velcro and that was when I realised that velcro can't be recycled for 2 reasons. The sides have too many holes pierced through the plastic and the furry bits get too furry to stick well.

Sadly, it was with this recycled velcro that I used in DD's earlier clutch. After constant heavy-duty use by her, it started to give way and she was asking for replacement of the velcro. Hmm. To do that, I'll have to find the hole that was hand-sewn, unpick it, flip it inside out, remove the flap or rather take it apart and the body too. That's just to get to the velcro. It's almost like making a new clutch.

So, in the meantime, I made this, while I contemplated replacing the velcro.

This is really simple and you can DIY.

Materials

2 pieces of felt from Daiso. I used lime green on the outside and forest green on the inside.

strip of velcro

Cut out 2 rectangle pieces of felt enough to fold over and cover the contents of your clutch. DD's is A4 papers so I used a stack as a guide. The Daiso felt is 60cm x 70cm so I just used 70cm for the length.

Sew on the velcro and then the top of the inside.

Sew the side and flap and then down the other side.

Blanket-stitch.

Have fun!

Maybe It's Alright

Once in a while, I take a break. Sometimes not by choice 'cos I was ill. Sometimes by choice 'cos I can stare at my pile of materials and get a mental block. I'm a mood crafter, prefering to craft when the mood arises. I can still craft sans mood but I can tell in the little details even if you can't.

While I was away, I worked on these 2 patchwork blankets. DD's done so you can see the minky-like backing. DS' still missing that part. 

Made from jelly rolls that I bought from Spotlight (DD's, 6 different patterns) and from a US fabric shop (DS', 24 different patterns). I don't know what type of block this is. I do know that DS' has 3 log cabins 'cos I didn't have enough material for the squares. Each blanket has 7 by 5 blocks.

Have a blessed day!

New life

These notebooks have familiar covers, no?
I like the Prima Deli ones for their thickness and lamination, Kellog's for the colour and Redoxon for it's brightness. Internal pages are all acid-free and bound with antique brass Zutter O-wire.

What do you do with your boxes?

Have a blessed day!