Altered Tray

Another GIBBS2 item - I found this tray in Bed Bath and Beyond but didn't like the weathered wood look it had because it was too dirty looking.  I loved the grooved texture though so I bought it anyway and figured I'd just give it a new look.  I painted it a fresh ivory color and then added some cardstock borders and K&CO papers to the inside.  I mod podged the entire thing three times so deb could actually use it for drinks and snacks while watching tv if she wanted to. 

Coffee Collar Mini Album

Another GIBBS2 creation - our task at hand was to create a mini album using coffee collar sleeves, and I was amazed how cute these things could be.  Some folks cut the sleeve open and use it like a cover, others seal them flat and use them as pages while others seal only the bottoms to make pockets in each page which is what I chose to try. 

I used the theme Live, Love, Laugh and added Dream.  Papers are from the big K&Co 360 collection pads and I borrowed my pal Diana's fancy SU punch  for the bird on the cover (ohgosh I LOVE this punch!).  Tags were punched with my CM tag maker (LOVE LOVE LOVE this punch too!) and the brads are from Making Memories.

Mini Tag Album

I've always loved anything miniature ever since I can remember and mini albums are no exception.  I made this tag album using a sizzix tag die and chipboard from some paper packaging, and papers are from K&Co's big 360 pads.  The title on the cover was cut with my Silhouette and then I used Crackle Accents - gosh I always forget I have this but I absolutely love the effect!  I found friendship quotes online and used them for each page and added tiny mats for photos.  To bind it all together I just used some ribbon because the O-ring I had was a smidge too small and the pages didn't open easily.  Another fun GIBBS2 item!

GIBBS Cards

Here are cards I made for deb in the GIBBS2 swap.  Until recently, I had only used my Silhouette for a few projects and was still very intimidated when I needed to make something in a short time frame.  So I  challenged myself to use my Sil for the 8 cards we needed to make and not let myself take a familiar route by using my cuttlebug or stamps.  These buggers really threw me for a loop in this swap, LOL!  But I did it and I have to say it was not easy but by the end of card #8 I was feeling so much more comfortable with my machine and the software!  woohoo!!  They are simple really, with few layers, but I needed to get a good handle on the cutting settings for different papers and the setup in the software and such, so I am very happy with the results.  Thank you deb for letting me use you as my guinea pig while I made it further along the learning curve of my machine, lol!  I hope you enjoy them!  (and btw that tree is one of my favorite cuts so far!  Enjoy!)

Paper Bag Album

Another GIBBS goodie for deb!  There are so many different styles of paper bag albums to make, just google or search youtube for it and it will just boggle your mind what you can do with simple lunch bags!

I chose to leave my bags full size and glue down the bottom flap, then I covered the pages with K&Co papers from their Tim Coffey Blossomwood collection - OMG if you have not seen these papers you need to google that too because they are just AMAZING!!  I added some little pockets and tags to a couple of the pages (string was added to the tags too but I took pics too early)  and I left the rest of the pages plain so that deb could decide what size pictures she would add.  **Ok, so I just couldn't bring myself to cover up the gorgeous designs, but shhh!  let deb think I was catering to her needs, LOL!!**

I added large double sided tags for additional pictures or journaling and tucked them into the ends of the pages where each bag opened.  A narrow piece of paper covers the ends of the bags where I punched holes and used string to tie it all together.  The front cover has two of the flowers cut from a second sheet of the same design and then overlayed and popped up a bit to add some dimension.  I also added a bit of distress stickles for a little bling ;)

More fun goodies I made for the GIBBS2 swap!

Altered clock -
This was so much fun!  I painted the wooden clock and then papered it with Graphic 45 papers and finally added some stamped images - I wasn't originally planning on the whimsical style but I really like how it turned out.

Altered coasters -

another fun item!  I've been wanting to try stamping on tiles to make coasters but I just never got around to finding them in the hardware store.  Then one day I saw a bunch of coaster sets designed with pretty pictures on clearance in WM and right in the middle of the display I found the only set that was plain.  It just screamed my name to buy them, so I did!  lol!   I stamped them with one of my favorite stamps using Stazon ink, then I added some color with chalk and gave the whole thing a couple coats of Krylon spray sealer.  Super easy!!

Crochet flowers -

I can't knit for beans and can only do a few simple crochet stitches, but I found a super easy pattern online for these little flowers and decided to try them.  I don't count stitches very well, and I can't keep an even tension on my yarn so every flower is "unique", lol!  And they are very loose and lacy, which I do like, but when my super crafty mom tried making one just for ha-ha's, it came out half the size of mine and had tight even stitches and perfectly formed little petals.  How the heck can she do that?!?  We used the exact same string and same size hook!  OMG I made myself crazy for a few days trying to get mine to match hers but then I gave up and decided that the loose and lacy look was perfect,  lol!  These would look cute on a card or layout with a pearl brad or a button in the middle!

Here's the pattern if you want to give em a try! 

  Ch 5; sl st together; ch 1

  sc 10 (onto the ring of ch 5); sl st together; ch 1

  in 1st st; sc 1; dc 3; sc1; skip stitch.

  Continue around chain until 5 petals are completed.

  sl st together; chain 1

Wooden signs-

These little signs are fun to alter - they came painted but I painted over them, added some K&Co papers and a bunch of little embellishments and ribbons and I really like the look!

Altered Clip Board

The GIBBS swap was extra fun for me because I tried making a lot of different craft items that I'd always said someday I'd like to try.  I had tried altering a small wooden clipboard a few months ago and it was fun, but this is my first full size one - and it won't be my last either.  LOVE it!

I used mod podged to glue the papers and then seal it all when done.  I cut chipboard scraps to form a holder for the sticky note pad and also glued a scrap piece of cork for a mini bulletin board.  A Basic Grey ribbon was added on the bottom for trim and that was it!  I decided not to add a bunch of tied ribbon on top like I see so often and kept it as more of a clean line look.  Black is not often in any of my projects but this paper line is so pretty I could not resist.  I hope deb loves it as much as I do!

My first word book!

I made my first word book for the GIBBS2 swap on the cricut mb.  This was so fun!  I dreamed of a girly, frilly, lacy and just simply pretty style, but I did the actual designing around 2am one night and I guess from being tired I somehow I ended up with this version!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this cat! ROFL!  He makes me snort from laughing so hard!

I filled the book with cat quotes for my partner deb - she has a new kitten and each saying was very appropriate.  My Silhouette doesn't cut chipboard so I cut each page 3 times, once from craft paper and twice from gorgeous papers from the K&Company 360 stacks that J's sells (OMG those packs are BEEEEA-UUU-TIFUL!) and then I mod podged them together.  They ended up pretty rigid but a little warped so next time I might try the YES paste that my mb pal Jen enabled me to buy (thanks jen!)  All the cuts are from the Silhouette online store, and I added little wrinkled wires for kitty's whiskers.

I need to make more of these books - PURRfectly FUN FUN FUN!  ;)

**click on an image to see close up**