ALTERED RULERS

I have a very young niece who is returning home after a short couple of years living abroad. I embellished this ruler for her mum to add " Play Date" details. She can then bring in a bunch of them to her old school pals.
They could also be used to add birthday party invitations. Dressed up with  blank party invitations and sold in sets of  6 or 12, with boy or girl themes I think they would make a great craft fair item. Very easy and reasonable to make.

I first came across this idea from this gallery. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1823863?&cat=500&ppuser=95314  I thought they were cute. This video is also very helpful.
http://truesgiftsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2010/12/hi-everyone-today-i-have-quick-little.html

IKEA STORAGE

I thought nothing of this simple storage which I had altered  a couple of years ago until a crafting pal commented on it and asked how I made them.

I wanted to store 12 x 12 paper on my expedit shelves without going to too much expense. I had bought a couple of packs of these magazine holders from Ikea to hold my A4 papers. They were very reasonable. I think I paid one pound sterling at the time.  Now they cost 1.69 euro for 5. Still amazing  value !

To start with I cut out the front of one and the back of another.

I used some sticky tape to hold the inside flaps closed. I then fit one into the other and used a pack of 12 x 12 pattern paper to decide on the length. I discarded the small piece and the cut off the flap from the longer piece.

 The long piece I put inside to reinforce the base.

I made these at the time as a temporary storage. Over two years later I am still using them and they do the job just fine.

FLOWERS BOOKMARK

I had a little time to spare this morning so I worked on another craft fair item. You will see a wonderful video here http://dawnsstampingthoughts.typepad.com/dawns_stampin_studio/2011/03/fun-flowers-bookmark-video-.html

I did n't have any of the dies used so I used my cute little slice machine. I chose a flower design from Basic 2 , circle punches I had at hand, Papertrey ink Berry Sorbet card stock, ribbons and buttons. For the spray I used Crafter's Companion spray and sparkle multicolour and just gave a quick spray. I will have to get around to making up a bottle of  the spray Dawn uses in her video one of these days.  A very reasonable item to put together and bookmarks are always popular.

Keeping Things Simple

I love this simple card from
http://dawnsstampingthoughts.typepad.com/dawns_stampin_studio/2011/03/bride-groom-hearts-video-.html

Simple layering for background. I used my slice machine with Basics 1 (heart size 2inch)
Sentiment printed using Edwardian font and cut  banner to shape. Don't you just love the tuxedo! So simple and cute.

True to form I could not just make one but had to make a dozen. But that's ok as they are heading  for a crafting pal who will sell them for charity this week. I had to post this lovely backet, one of two I was given as a gift to use to display items on the stall at craft fairs. They are georgous. They will make my stall look very classy.

SPRING FAIR 2011

I am just back from today's Spring Fair in the RDS, Dublin. The attendance and support from the general public in raising funds for St. Vincent De Paul and Disadvantaged Youth in Ireland was amazing. It was set in a huge hall selling mostly odds and ends and clothes. My young niece and her pal were an enormous help to me and made the day a great success. They met pals from school and had a great day pottering around the stalls too.

We sold the following:

30 Tooth Fairy Tins  at 3 euro and then 2 euro each towards the end of the day
21 Cards at 2 euro each or 3 for 5 euro
44 Notebooks at 3 euro each or 4 for ten euro ( a lot of  sales at this price)
14 Peg (clothespins) sets at 3 euro each
Books we started at 4 euro but there were a lot on sale in the hall so we reduced to 2 euro and 1 euro at the very end of the day.
Magazines we started selling at 1 euro each or 3 for 2 euro but we had so many we had to reduce to 50 cent each.
Total raised was 376 euro which I was happy with. The books and magazines were donated free, the basic notebooks were also donated so my personal outlay was for tins, organza bags, pegs and cello bags. Card stock and  patterned paper  I had on hand.
Off now for a cup of tea. I am tired but happy. Good Day all round.

Items for Spring Fair

Past few weeks have flown by. My preparations for the Spring Fair this Sunday 13th March were complete in plenty of time until I heard I was getting a ten foot trestle table.  I could not waste the extra table space so I got to work with more cutting and sticking.  So more altered pegs !  I love theses Spring/Summery colours from the De Lovely range by Cosmo Cricket.

Again basic items really really inexpensive. I have made one pack with gems and the remaining packs plain. If I had the gems on I would have had to mark packs as not suitable for children. Not a good idea to limit potential  market !

Do you like the change of packaging. I got the idea from a fellowcrafter.
http://scrappincatscreativeendeavors.blogspot.com/2010/12/altered-clothes-pins.html