Author: Lynn Hill

Three Cards, One Design – Cape Cod Resilience Fund

Posted on by Lynn Hill

Hi everybody! I am exited to share today’s cards because even though they are all basically the same, they have three completely different looks. This is Day Three of my four (or maybe five) day blog posting project to generate interest in an exclusive set of Cape Cod themed photopolymer stamps.

This isn’t just any stamp set though. Jenn Shurkus, an artist/crafter who lives on Cape Cod, created the stamp set as her contribution to help raise funds for the Cape Cod Resilience Fund. Jenn sent the stamp set to me and asked me, in exchange, to make at least three projects and share them on social media with the opportunity for my viewers to purchase the stamp set for themselves. Each time someone purchases one of these stamp sets Jenn will donate $10 to the CCRF (through July 1, 2020). So, whether you buy the stamp set or simply share this post with your friends who might choose to purchase the set, you are helping to fill the coffers that will give financial assistance to the small businesses of Cape Cod who have been experiencing difficulties due to Covid-19.

Cape Cod Stamp Set ($20 – includes shipping)

I love the Adirondack chairs in Jenn’s stamp set so I decided to make a card featuring them. For each card I placed three Adirondack chairs within the My Favorite Things Tall Tag die. Both chairs in the die set are attached but I snipped them apart to make stamping easier. I aligned the two stamps within the tag die, stamped the image, then moved one of the chair stamps to the top portion of the tag shape and stamped it before cutting the die from my cardstock.

For the first card, I used watercolor paper and stamped with a VersaMark ink pad. I used black embossing powder to give the Adirondack chairs a raised appearance on the surface of the paper. I then dabbed a swatch of Catherine Pooler dye ink in the lid of the stamp pad and added enough water to lighten the ink. I chose Rockin’ Red, Grass Skirt, and Fiesta Blue to dab across the surface to give each chair a colorful background of its own. I then used the background color and swiped my brush across the ink pad undiluted to fill in each Adirondack chair. I got this idea when I saw a watercolor tutorial that Sandy Allnock did on her blog. Hers was much more fluid than mine but I wanted to give the idea a try and I thought this stamp would lend itself well to the technique.

I completed the card by adding a yellow ribbon a the top of the tag and a strip of the same ribbon near the bottom for balance. The background paper is from My Favorite Things Fun in the Sun paper pad. The rainbow sparkle rhinestones by Trinity Stamps came from a goodie bag I received when I participated in Sandy Allnock’s fundraiser for the World Central Kitchen.

For the second card I wanted to give the project more of a Cape Cod feel so I used traditional colors that associate with the air, sea, and shore. I used Memento tuxedo black dye ink to stamp the images and colored the background the same way as the first stamp except this time I used Copic markers (YR01, G00, and BG01). I then used a slightly darker, coordinating tone of Copic marker to fill in each of the chairs (YR02, G02, and B02). I thought these color combinations were much more successful than the colors I had used in the previous card. I added a sentiment from Jenn’s stamp set by stamping a piece of Lawn Fawn Spiffy Sprinkles paper with VersaMark ink and topping it with Ranger white super fine embossing powder. Since I was using the same color of paper for the background of my card I decided to lift the sentiment just a bit with adhesive foam dots. The “explore” metal embellishment came from my long-time stash of embellishments. I think the company was All My Memories. To tell you the truth, the metal piece was stuck to the bottom of my embellishment box and when I saw it I thought it would be fun to use it. The paperclip is from Tim Holtz Idea-ology.

For the third card I again used Memento tuxedo black ink for the stamp and then colored the background of the tag with a rainbow of Copic markers from top to bottom (R01, YR02, Y00, YG11, BG000, B21, V20). I then coordinated the colors of the chairs with a darker shade of the same Copic colors (R05, YR04, Y02, YG63, BG01, B26, V09). The striped background paper is from the Fun in the Sun paper bad by My Favorite Things. I used the “Sunnier days are coming” sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Greeting Mix 1 stamp set. I just love the fonts included in that stamp set. It has lots of fun sentiments too. I propped the sentiment up using foam dots and finished the look with three red enamel dots. I originally had a red border around the tag die but didn’t like the way it looked so I sliced the border off and my trio of cards was finished.

Of the three cards, my favorite is the rainbow-colored card. It makes me think of summer and the sun. I really like the colors in the second card because they are muted and relaxed. The first card, to me, was basically a throw-away but since it was the first attempt at this design I wanted to keep it so that I could check on my design progress as I went along. Which card is your favorite?

Tomorrow I am planning on doing a project “how-to” using Jenn’s Cape Cod stamp set. I haven’t finished it yet but I think it is going to be really fun so I hope you will come back and check it out.

Don’t forget, $10 of the purchase price of Jenn’s Cape Cod stamp set sold between now and July 1, 2020, is being donated to the Cape Cod Resilience Fund. This morning Jenn sent me an email saying that she has already donated over $700 to the fund through the sale of this set of stamps. That is so fantastic! Congratulations Jenn – and hooray for the fund! To visit Jenn’s site click here: https://shurk.us/CCRF.

Products used:

I have attached links where you can buy some of the products used in today’s project. I do happen to be an affiliate of My Favorite Things so if you click to purchase MFT items from my blog I may receive a small residual from your purchase. I am not an affiliate with the other companies and receive no money or products in return for your click; but, I wanted to make it easy for you to purchase any items you might have gotten inspiration for on my post.

I would love to have you as a regular visitor to my blog. If you don’t want to miss any of my future posts, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click the subscribe box. Finally, I would love for to to follow me on Instagram and Facebook (just click the links at the bottom of the page) and would be thrilled if you would share this post with your friends and other crafty folks so that the Cape Cod Resilience Fund will have the opportunity to become more well known to others.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Cruising Cape Cod Card – Cape Cod Resilience Fund

Posted on by Lynn Hill

Hi everyone! Today’s project in my four-day blog-posting spree is another card promoting the Cape Cod Resilience Fund. Each day this week I am posting projects made from a set of exclusive stamps made to generate interest in Cape Cod and the small businesses that make it a thriving vacation area.

Cape Cod Stamp Set ($20 – includes shipping)

My crafty and artistic friend, Jenn Shurkus, sent these stamps to me and in exchange asked if I would create cards/projects to demonstrate how they could be used. Jenn’s stamp set features some of the things that come to mind when one thinks of Cape Cod, where she lives (lobsters, Adirondack chairs, sand, etc.). But they aren’t exclusive to Cape Cod, most of them would also send your mind to any beach destination or even to a backyard party with a beach theme.

Today’s card is very simple but it was fun to create. A while back I purchased the AlteNew window sphere die. I bought it for a specific purpose but didn’t ever actually use it. So, when I saw the canal cruiser on Jenn’s stamp set I knew I was finally going to get to put the sphere window to use. To me, it evokes a bright sunny view through a ship’s window.

I could have used plain blue paper but decided to start with some white cardstock and blend various colors of blue Distress Oxide Ink to create a more varied color as the card’s background. I used a combination of tumbled glass, peacock feathers, salty ocean, chipped sapphire, and blueprint sketch. Lots of people question whether one should use sponges or blender brushes. I have used both and I think it depends on how big of an area you are going to work on. I have a set of Taylored Expressions Blender Brushes and love them because they come in a rainbow of colors, they blend ink really well, and they are SO soft!

Once I was happy with the coloring I had achieved on the cardstock, I cut the window using my Big Shot and then glued it to a yellow card base from Hobby Lobby. Let me be honest, I HATE trying to glue small strips of paper because I can’t ever seem to keep the glue from smearing everywhere. A while back I bought some Elmer’s Craft Bond spray and gave it a try and it really solves that problem. The glue is acid free so if you plan to keep your project around it won’t affect the quality of your heirloom. One problem with the glue is that it’s a spray so it does hit EVERYTHING in its path and it’s pretty sticky. So, I usually walk out my front door, hold the paper out, and then spritz it with the glue. While I’m at it i turn the can upside down and spray until no product is coming from the nozzle. That way the can won’t be clogged the next time I use it. The glue is very light but really tacky so once you have it in place it isn’t going to move.

To create the ship, I stamped the image on Neenah Solar White cardstock using a tuxedo black Memento ink pad. After coloring the ship in with Copic YR02, G02, and C1, I fussy cut the image then topped it with Glossy Accents to give it some shiny dimension. (I purchase a lot of my Copic markers from Ellen Hutson because she almost always has them on sale. And, if you are a regular customer of hers she sends monthly discount codes for an additional reduction in price. But, if you are in the market for some Copic markers and don’t care if they are Ciao style, Michael’s has a lot on clearance for 97¢ right now – better hurry because at that price they won’t last long. Both the Sketch and Ciao markers work the same and are refillable. The Ciao holds about half the amount of ink as the Sketch so you might find yourself filling them up more often, but for 97¢, that was an inconvenience I was willing to accept.)

The sentiment, Welcome to Cape Cod, is part of Jenn’s set and the “Make a Splash, Splash, Splash” sentiment came from a goodie bag I received the that I received when I participated in Sandy Allnock‘s fundraiser for the World Central Kitchen (Sunny Studios Best Fishes stamp set).

I used a set of BloPens to create the yellow background on the Make a Splash sentiment. When my kids were young we bought a set of BloPens and they were still usable long after their interest in them subsided. I eventually moved the pens to my craft stash and have been using them ever since. The ink began to run low last year so I ordered another set from the U.K. I looked the link up today and noticed that the shipping is CRAZY now but if you should want to try them out I will attach a link below. Of course, if you have an airbrush system for your Copics that would probably work wonders as well.

I did add a few enamel dots to finish the look and I love how the card turned out!

A little bit more information about the Cape Cod Resilience Fund

The Cape Cod Resilience Fund was created to immediately help small businesses on Cape Cod who are experiencing difficulties due to Covid-19 and is expected to be a lasting fund that will continue to help small businesses of that area for the long haul.

Remember, YOU can help this fund by purchasing one of Jenn’s exclusive Cape Cod stamp sets. For each set sold between June 15 and July 1, $10 will be donated to the CCRF. Another way you can help is to share this blog post with your creative friends and help spread the word. More details can be found on Jenn’s site.

Tomorrow, I look forward to sharing a cute set of cards that were all made with the same general design but each one has a completely different vibe. If you would like to see other cards that have been made using Jenn’s Cape Cod stamp set you can search #shurkusstamps on Instagram or @LoveLiveLocal on Facebook.

I have attached links where you can buy some of the products used in today’s project. I am not an affiliate with any of the links and do not get any financial benefit if you click. However, I wanted to make it easy for you to purchase any times that you might have gotten inspiration for on my post. Thanks for stopping by today!

Products used:

I would love to have you as a regular visitor to my blog. If you do’t want to miss any of my future posts, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click the box where it says, “Subscribe to Blog via Email” and click the orange subscribe button. I will eventually learn how to add a subscribe button and a menu at the top of my blog but until then I know this will work. I would love it if you would follow me on Instagram and Facebook too (just click the links at the bottom of the page). Finally, I would be thrilled if you would share this post with others so that the Cape Cod Resilience Fund will have the opportunity to become more well known to others.

Lobster Wreath Card – Cape Cod Resilience Fund

Posted on by Lynn Hill

Hi everyone, this week I am happy to be posting four cards (one each day Tuesday – Friday) to help promote vacationing in Cape Cod and the small businesses of that area. If the idea of seaside cottages, lighthouses, and sailboats peak your interest you might want to consider a trip to the New England paradise. You can also consume more than your share of lobster and other fantastic seafood creations while you’re there.

You may wonder why someone in middle America would be “advertising” for Cape Cod. Well, the Cape Cod area, like so many other communities, is experiencing financial difficulties due to Covid-19. So, I have partnered with Jenn Shurkus to create themed cards using her new Cape Cod clear stamp set and, in turn, to help raise money for the Cape Cod Resilience Fund.

Jenn lives on Cape Cod and created this exclusive stamp set to raise money for the benevolent fund that will help small businesses on Cape Cod. The Resilience Fund will immediately help small Cape Cod businesses who are experiencing difficulties due to Covid-19; but, will continue to help these businesses in the future as well.

Cape Cod Stamp Set ($20 – includes shipping)

YOU can help by purchasing one of Jenn’s exclusive Cape Cod stamp sets. For each set sold between June 15 and July 1, $10 will be donated to the CCRF (That’s half the cost of the stamp set)! Another way you can help is to share this blog post with your creative friends and help spread the word. More details can be found on Jenn’s site.

For today’s card, I decided a lobster theme would be the way to go. I began by cutting a piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 lb cardstock into a 4-inch square. I then used the 4-inch Gina K Designs Wreath Maker template. This template takes the guess work out of making a perfect circle (wreath) when stamping a small image.

I put the Wreath Maker template into my Misti and then placed the 4-inch pre-cut cardstock into the template.

I began to build the wreath by placing the lobster stamp in the center of the top portion of the slot on the template. After I inked and pressed the stamp with Catherine Pooler Rockin’ Red Premium Dye Ink, I rotated my cardstock one position and reinked the stamp to make a second impression with the stamp.

I continued rotating the 4-inch cardstock until it had been placed in each of the eight positions on the template.

When the image was stamped eight times I ended up with a wreath of lobsters that were evenly spaced and in a perfect circle. I then used a Sizzix Framelits Die Set and my Big Shot to cut the square card into a circle.

I cut a slightly larger circle with 80 lb Rouge cardstock (American Crafts). For the plaid background, I used a sheet of cardstock from the Echo Park Celebrate America collection kit and, finally, a larger square of 80 lb Storm cardstock (American Crafts).

I made the card base out of 80 lb Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock cut into a 10×5 sheet. I used my scoring board to make a fold halfway across the 10-inch sheet and folded it to make the 5-inch square card.

For the sentiment, I used the Cape Cod set to stamp the sentiment onto a piece of the navy cardstock with a VersaMark stamp pad and embossed it with white super fine detail embossing powder by Ranger. I also cut the sentiment tag using Queen & Co Foundation Dies.

I assembled the card and added the finishing touches with Echo Park navy enamel dots. I thought the inside of the card needed an extra touch so I added a strip of the plaid paper I had used on the background of the card and a smaller stamped lobster which is also found in the Cape Cod stamp set.

I enjoyed making this card and I hope that you can imagine ways these stamps would be useful in your crafting stash. A purchase of this stamp set would definitely be a great way to make some creative cards or scrapbook pages of your trip to Cape Cod – or any other beach locale and it would help the small businesses of Cape Cod while you are at it.

I look forward to sharing another card with you tomorrow with another how-to of ideas I have come up with. If you would like to see other cards made using this stamp set you can search @LoveLiveLocal on Facebook or #shurkusstamps on Instagram.

I have attached links where you can buy some of the items I used in today’s project. I am not an affiliate with any of the businesses that I have linked and do not get any financial benefit from any links I have posted. I just want to make it easy for you to purchase any items that you might have gotten inspiration from on my post today.

Products used:

I would love to have you as a regular visitor to my blog. If you don’t want to miss any of my future posts, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click the box where it says, “Subscribe to Blog via Email” and click the orange subscribe button. (I will eventually learn how to add a subscribe button and a menu to the top of this page, but until then this should work). I would also love it if you would follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

I hope to see you again tomorrow!!

Where Have You Been?

Posted on by Lynn Hill

When we lived in Bartlesville I lost my wedding ring. I had no idea where it was. I searched and searched but finally gave up when I knew it was not to be found.

Fast forward five years. We were getting ready to move from our home and we wanted everything to be as good as possible for the new owners. We hired a plumber to come and replace the drain pipe in our bathroom because it was a slow drainer.

The pipe was replaced and water went down the drain quickly and smoothly and we were happy as could be. Actually, “happy as could be” was only a short-lived feeling because about two hours after the plumber left, my phone rang and he asked, “Do you happen to be missing a ring?”

The realization that my ring was probably in that pipe sent me shrieking over the phone lines. The plumber told me he was preparing to throw the old pipe in the trash pile when he turned it upside down to shake the water from it. As he tossed it to the pile he saw something fall from the pipe.

A quick search divulged a barely discernible wedding and engagement set lying in a pile of mush. The rings were solid black. But, when I described my rings to the plumber he told me, “What was lost is found!”

The solid black rings were barely recognizable and I was sure no amount of cleaning would repair them. After a couple of weeks I got a call from our jeweler who told me the rings were as shiny as if they were new.

Just like my rings, I was gone from this blog for a while. However, unlike my rings, I don’t have an amazing or fantastic story. About a year ago my site got corrupted and I was locked out of my website. I just didn’t find the time to fix it and figured I would eventually get back into a blog when I had time.

The Coronavirus quarantine has given many of us a LOT of time to do things we have been putting off or that needed a dedicated amount of time to accomplish. I have found the time to begin sorting pictures that go back 40+ years, I have visited with family members via Zoom and FaceTime, I have tried new recipes, and I have been given time to figure out how to get my website fixed. Actually, it gave me about 10 hours to work with my hosting company to get the problems worked out. As I told them, “I am a total idiot, uneducated to website programming/operation, and know NOTHING about what I’m doing.”

Thanks to their great work and my patience (I was on hold off and on for about 7 of those ten hours) I am ready to begin posting again!

My Favorite Things Stamps recently offered a free digital printable that could be used to create greeting cards for healthcare workers around the world. Making people feel good is one of my favorite things to do and I knew that healthcare workers would be feeling a lot of extra stress and pressure so this freebie created a perfect project for me.

I have recently been learning to use Copic alcohol markers and took the opportunity to use the freebie to create 20+ thank-you cards (I have actually made about 100 but only 20+ with this free digital stamp). Since I have a few friends and family members who are healthcare workers I sent them cards and then I creeped some of their Facebook pages to search for other healthcare workers I felt might need a boost in the morale side of life.

In addition to the free digital stamp, I used Small Sayings Volume 3 by Julie Ebersole, Essentials By Ellen; and Totally Random Sayings, Essentials By Ellen to create the Thanks sentiments on the cards.

I had not done much work with skin tones or hair color so by making many cards it enabled me to work on lots of skin tones and even some hair texture that I really enjoyed. I know I need more practice but for a novice I am pretty happy.

I have to give a shout out to Sandy Allnock at Art-Classes.com for the hair texture lesson. She is a great teacher and has a calm, positive voice. When she is instructing she doesn’t carry on about anything other than what you are learning. I like that style! If you are interested in learning how to draw, color, or paint you should check her out. She even has some Bible journaling classes.

The free doctor and nurse printable digital stamps by Birdie Brown (designed by Torico) are available until the end of April. After that you can buy the dies and stamps at MFTStamps. If you should decide to print some of these stamps to make cards be sure to credit #mftstamps in your social media as a thanks to them for the FREE stamps.

I have also been busy creating cards to put out for our grocery delivery people when they make a drop off. I am thankful they are willing to do my shopping while I try to stay home and away from the public.

I would love to hear about your interesting ways to acknowledge people who have been working hard to keep your world running during this pandemic. Just click in and comment.

Feel free to click any of the links I have provided for card-making products. I do not get paid in any way when you click my links, I just wanted to provide you an easy way to access some of the great products I like.

I promise not to wait a whole year before I post again.

Double K-Cup Carrier

Posted on by Lynn Hill

Had it not been for an observant shepherd we might have never learned that coffee was good to drink or that it could help a sleepy person stay awake. A shepherd in Ethiopia was watching his flock of goats and noticed that when his animals ate coffee berries they were more active and didn’t sleep. The man shared the information with some monks who decided to try the beans themselves and began making coffee beverages so that they could pray through the night.

Who would have thought that discovery would lead to a multi-billion-dollar industry with constantly changing thoughts about how to make, serve, and sell coffee? In recent years K-Cups have made serving the favorite beverage of so many people even easier. It also makes a great gift for the coffee lovers in your life.

Today I am making a K-Cup Carrier that would be perfect for you to decorate and share. And, since it makes two cups, maybe they would drink one and make the other one for you!

I cut two pieces of each pattern in the file because the carrier is made of two identical boxes that are then glued together. I cut the carrier pieces from a solid color cardstock and used patterned cardstock for the embellishment pieces.   

Any time I make a box I generally fold along the edges to be certain where my embellishment pieces are to be glued. I then glue the embellishments on before starting to assemble the box. This carrier has embellishment pieces adhered to both sides of the cardstock so I am glad I took the time to preform the shape and decide where the pieces should fit.

I then used a tape runner to assemble the individual carrier pieces.

When the carrier pieces are assembled there will be two decorative side pieces which will be added after the carrier is glued together. These pieces will cover the seams.

I wanted the bond between the two pieces to be strong so I used a tape runner along the outside edges of the back side of one box. I then used glue (I use Elmer’s in a precision tip glue bottle) around the handle and in the open areas not covered with tape. I find that it’s sometimes better to use glue on the narrowest pieces because it’s easier than fighting with tape.

When using glue, I have recently started using Wonder Clips to hold pieces together. They keep me from having to hold onto something for an extended period of time. Don’t worry, they don’t leave marks on your paper.

Finally, add the decorative side pieces to cover your seams. Fill the carrier with two K-Cups and you have a quick, tasty gift for your favorite coffee lover. If you are headed to a friend’s for a cold night on the couch with Netflix, hot chocolate K-Cups would fill the carrier nicely too!

I would love to see any coffee carriers you have created using this pattern or another one. Just pop over to my Facebook and post your pic on my page. If you are just looking but want to share a comment, please feel free to comment below. During the week I post on pictures of crafts I have complete on Instagram. And don’t forget to scroll to the bottom on this page to click and subscribe to my blog so that you don’t miss any fun crafts I create and share.

The SVG design in this project comes from the Lori Whitlock store and can be bought in the Silhouette store too.

Valentine’s Mailbox

Posted on by Lynn Hill

Did you know that the Pony Express was only in existence for 18 months? It was so expensive that it was mainly used for business purposes. So, if you ever imagined Laura Ingalls waiting at Oleson’s Mercantile for a love letter being delivered by horseback from Almanzo you can kiss that thought goodbye. It cost $5 per ounce to even think of putting something on the wagon. That’s about four day’s wages back then. Thank goodness things have changed and it’s a lot easier to send our love. Just a click of a button on the computer and everyone in the world can know what’s on your mind.

But Valentine’s Day is coming and if you want to be a little more personal than a Facebook blast or an Instagram smile then it’s the perfect time to “send” a little love in an adorable mailbox full of goodies, notes, or other trinkets.

There are lots of mailboxes on various sites to choose from but I got my eye on this new SVG file from Lori Whitlock and just had to make one. I am always talking about Lori Whitlock so it’s probably a good time to mention that I do not receive any payment from Lori for promoting her products. I just really like them and have never had a problem with any of them not going together well or having folds not marked properly. So, even though I don’t get paid, I enjoy promoting her products because they are a superb quality!

For this mailbox I selected a gray cardstock with peach colored patterned paper and some silver paper for the trim. I cut all of the pieces and laid them out to be sure everything was there.

I added the patterned pieces to the cardstock and then placed double-sided tape to all of the tabs so that I could assemble the mailbox all in one sitting.

It’s hard to know whether to use glue, a tape runner, or a roll of double-sided tape that you peel away the paper coating as you go. For this project I used the peel-away tape but used a tape runner on another mailbox I made last week with just as much ease. When there are a lot of narrow pieces I often use glue. I think the rule is probably “to each his own”.

To assemble the door bend the tab forward, remove the adhesive paper, then slip it behind the door opening until the crease is even with the edge of the base opening.

As I was working I decided I wanted a cellophane window in the door so someone could open the mailbox and not have all of the candy come falling out. I cut a piece of transparency film to size then glued it on the inside panel of the mailbox. I purchased transparencies at Office Depot but they are also available on Amazon (I got a package of 50 as an add-on purchase for $3.50).

Attach the mailbox top to the top flat edge base and bend the pointed notches to the inside. I placed tape (the kind with a paper cover) along the curved top base being careful to measure how much I would need by forming the curved top along the base for guidance.

I folded the bottom of the mailbox tabs up and formed the mailbox around the bottom. Finally, I closed the last side of the mailbox by folding the tab in and securing it.

I added the handle to the mailbox by slipping each end through the slits and securing them on the inside portion of the mail shoot. The additional piece of rectangle cardstock is used to support the mail shoot so it doesn’t fall into the mailbox. Insert it by folding the sides up and adhering them to the inside of the mailbox.

Remove the paper from the double-sided tape and curve the mailbox top around the top of the mailbox base, pressing the tabs as you go to secure them to the base. Be careful when you get close to the end that you push the top even with the base for a secure fit. Push the mail shoot in and your mailbox is ready to receive notes, candy, or treats!

I have actually made several of these mailboxes because they are so cute and they are pretty easy to put together too.I would love to hear what you think of my  color choices and would love to see you comments on my blog. If you make any of these mailboxes I would love to see them. You can visit my Facebook Page and share them there. While you’re there be sure to Follow my page so that you’ll see any posts I might make. If you want to know when I make a new blog post just click the Subscribe button below and you won’t miss another See you next time!

Storage Chest Makeover

Posted on by Lynn Hill

A while back I stopped in IKEA to get some freezer bags. You should check them out here. You can buy them online or in the store and they cost a lot less than Ziploc brand. A 30-pack is $3 and includes 15 6-quart bags and 15 4.5-quart bags. Plus, they are freezer safe and available in other sizes too! While I was there, I saw this cute little wooden chest and I thought it would be fun storage for some little knick knack or another.

I put the chest in my cart along with the other $179 worth of items that I just couldn’t live without and headed home. (Does IKEA have the most expensive freezer bags or what!) As do many of my IKEA finds, this chest got pushed to the back of my craft closet and I had all but forgotten about it until I recently declared that 2019 is the year I am going to do some crafting for myself. My first project was to be the IKEA wooden chest!

Since I haven’t been in the habit of step-by-step crafting I don’t have pictures of each step I used to upgrade my storage chest but future projects down the road will be more detailed.

I knew I wanted some drawer pulls on the box and I didn’t want the open finger tabs to show. I just turned the drawers around to provide a solid drawer front and ordered a set of drawer handles with label holders from Amazon to give the chest a library card index type of feel.

Before applying the hardware I sanded the cabinet edges smooth, rounded the corners of each drawer, and sanded the center area of the drawers to give them a well handled look. I finished the cabinet with a coat of Minwax stain which I sanded a bit after it had dried to continue with the well-used theme. I also added some dark wax to areas that I wanted to look more distressed and aged.

After attaching the label pulls I printed and cut labels on yellowed paper using my Silhouette Cameo and a Sakura Jelly Roll Pen. I then spritzed the paper with walnut ink (You could easily use Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain) and inserted them into the label holders.

My project was quick and easy and I love the way it turned out!

As it turns out, the storage chest I bought is no longer available but they do have another one here with a few more drawers that would look really cute up styled in the same way! If you have up styled an IKEA Moppe chest I would love to hear about it and see your pictures too!

My First Blog Post – of Ever!

Posted on by Lynn Hill

I have wanted to start a blog for a LONG time but never have taken the time to sit down and figure out how to create a WordPress site. I have had more than one website for several years but have never gotten them off the ground because every time I sit down to start I get lost in creating the website. This time I am going to actually figure it out and I think I am actually already further than I have ever been in the past.

I love crafts of every kind and am always fiddling with supplies to try to learn how to do new things. I have a Silhouette cutting machine and I really enjoy making paper boxes, greeting cards, and paper albums. My favorite designer is Lori Whitlock and most of my boxes and albums come from her online shop.

I recently made these really cute Ribbon Tie Envelopes that I found on Lori’s website and I want to share a few of them as my first blog post.

I did not take any pictures while I was planning, cutting, or making these cute little envelopes but in the future I expect to do my posts more in a “how-to” style to include my planning and execution of my projects.

These envelopes appear to be closed with a ribbon but I added a small velcro tab on the inside of each one so that they could be easily opened and closed without ruining the bow. These easily fit several 4×6 photos or notes. The file can be purchased at Lori Whitlock.

I find that making paper crafts gives me great joy. I not only like planning and making them but I also enjoy giving them out to friends and people that I want to share a smile with!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will enjoy my posts and maybe get some ideas for creating your own joy givers!