Altered ATG

After seeing Donna Downey's altered Binderie, I was inspired to alter my ATG. Here's the before:


And here's the after:


The first thing I did was unscrew and remove the tape and uptake rolls; just two screws--I can handle that! Then I taped off the black trigger, the rubber wheel mechanism, and the inside posts that hold the rolls.


Then it's off to the spray paint. I used Krylon Fusion satin white to "prime", and then sprayed regular Krylon in Ivy Leaf. I don't have a lot of experience with spray painting, so I don't know for sure if the primer step was necessary. But my gun gets a lot of use and I didn't want the paint to get all chipped and scratched.

After all coats (2-3 of primer and 2 of color), I let it dry for a couople of days before adding the rub-ons. I used Daisy Bucket rub-ons (I love this spring-time line) and some I've had kicking around by Making Memories. Lots of rubbing, and voila! I will pick up one more pack of DB rub-ons so I can finish the back of the handle, and add just a couple more here and there. And then I will seal the whole thing with a Krylon protective finish and add a tiny bit of bling (maybe the flower centers.)

This was such a fun little project! Look around your home or crafting space and see what you can alter.

Scrapbook Club Layouts

Wow! This one is a doozey.

So, I was forced to purchase this quite girlie kit (2 Sweet) due to Stampin' Up!'s last chance list (the kit I was planning on getting for the next two months' layouts was already sold out.) Well, let's just say this was a bit of a challenge. With purple, flowers, words like g2g, girlfriend, and did I mention the purple and flowers, it's not the best kit for pages with three boys.

Here's what I've come up with. This page has 3-4 x 6 photos and 4-3 x 4 photos.
I'm still tweaking this one a bit--it just needs something more. Hopefully I can contain myself from adding a giant purple flower!

This page features one large 10 1/2 x 5 1/2 photo. I like using such a large photo on a layout. Still have some journaling to do on this one, too.


I've got one more first day of school layout in the works (thank goodness our front door where I always take first-day pictures is purple!)

KWerner Color Challenge #54

This week's color challenge was so fun. After the week I have had with a sick boy and lots of grey skies, these bright, cheery colors brought some happiness to my stUdio. The inspiration for this card came from a layout in the June issue of CK.


This card has lots of dimension: hand stitching with embroidery floss (I used the SU! piercing template to get the stitches even), thickers letters, and buttons. The flowers are die cut from the Birds and Blooms Sizzlets.

Ribbon Bookmarks

I saw an idea for these bookmarks somewhere in my blog travels. They make great little gifts, or a summertime craft project (with some help from an adult).

The how to:

1. Cut a piece of ribbon (wide works best) to about 12". Fold the bottom about 1/2" and iron; fold over again and iron. Repeat on other end.
2. Sew across these hems being sure to backstitch at the beginning and end.
3. Use an eyelet tool to set an eyelet in the center of one end (go right through the hem).
4. Thread the beads onto a piece of wire. Leave plenty of wire on both ends. My six-year-old helped arrange the beads on this one.
5. Using a needle nose pliers, turn the bottom wire into a small spiral 3 turns. Slide the beads down to the end.
6. Thread the top of the wire through the eyelet and continue wrapping it four times pulling it snuggly with the pliers each time. Snip the extra wire and squeeze to get rid of the sharp end.

Next up: embellishing a journal cover.

Monkey Face

A super quick and easy card (like ten minutes quick!). The idea for punching the monkey faces out came from Splitcoast. I've been getting a lot of mileage from the Cuttlebug embossing folders these days. They are so easy to use, and pack a punch on your card.

Another thing that simplifies the card making process when you're in a pinch for a quick card is a go-to color scheme. My go-to color schemes for kiddo cards are turquoise, orange, and bright green; olive, blue, and pumpkin (for boys); and rose, saffron, and chocolate for girls.

SU! Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore

SU! Stamp Set: Sock Monkey

Cuttlebug Embossing Folders: Happy Birthday, Spots and Dots