Cheerful Grocery List Tablet...

I am posting this now because I had mailed it to England and Sherry has received it and it is on her blog today. Please visit Sherry to see all the wonderful things she creates and shares with us. This strip of fabric was wrapped around a wonderful gift of Greek Olive Oil soap and a magnet from Greece she sent me a while back. I knew I wanted to create something with this narrow strip of fabric but what would it be? The fabric is so soft and bright and cheery I kept thinking of grocery shopping. So this is what I made and sent to Sherry...

I cut the fabric in a long strip and folded it in the center. Then I cut two pieces of thin cardboard to make a front and back cover. Next was some black paper to cover the cardboard and then I stitched it all around. Inside I put text weight paper in the colors of white, yellow and green that can be written on. A piece of grosgrain ribbon along the top fold makes it sturdy. For a touch of decoration I added a cute orange flower button and a green suede leaf.

Now this is a cheery tablet for keeping a grocery list or whatever else needs jotting down.

Thank you Sherry for sending me this super fun fabric. It was inspirational.

Think of using some holiday fabric to make some note pads for quick gifts.

How would you use a narrow strip of fun fabric?

Happy creating...

Quick Thankful Gift...

This is a very quick and simple thank you or thinking of you gift. I recycle the cardboard from sewing trim packages. Then cut wrapping paper to fit and glue to the cardboard.

Here they are glued and trimmed. I also punch a hole in the top center to add a ribbon or strip of fabric. At this point you could use them for tags or bookmarks.

Here I have stamped a message onto muslin strips and ripped them into squares with the edges left raggedy. I use very strong double stick tape to adhere the fabric to the backs of the "tags". I have left a little room for a pocket to fit in a colored pencil.

Here is the front of the tag which I have sewn a fun turkey button with sheer polka dot ribbon and a piece of wool felt together. Then I glue the entire piece to the tag. A strip of the torn muslin is added to the punched hole for additional embellishment.

Very quick and simple. Now I shall enclose these with a yummy See's chocolate bar which I purchased from the Chamber as a fund raiser and wrap them together in a cellophane bag. Tied with a piece of twine and a simple hand punched tag to add the recipient's name and your gift is complete.

Now that was quick and simple wasn't it?

I am very grateful for having the time to spend in my studio making things for my friends and family. Somehow this month of November brings out the theme of being grateful and I really do reflect on all of the many things I am thankful and grateful for in my life.

May you have a month of lovely thankful days.

Happy creating...

Make Now & Give Now...

This is a wonderful quick gift to make for the men on your gift list. My very creative and intelligent sister Marie actually made this one for my husband for his garage and he loves it.

One day Marie and I were shopping and we bought a large package of scrap booking papers. We sat in the car and split the package so we each had half the papers. Not knowing what we were going to do with them but very happy to put them in our stash of craft goodies. Well, this year Marie used the papers to make wonderful gifts. She glued a car photo from a magazine onto this one as my husband is a guru of supercars. Then she printed with black permanent ink the rules of the garage. She used "manly" twine to fashion a hanger for the nail on the wall.

Personally I think this is very clever and what a winner it is for the difficult to buy for men gift.

Thank you Marie and you did a superb job of not only being creative but of making my man smile when he opened his gift and then hung it in his garage!

So bloggers you can easily see how quick and simple this will be to make and give. And you can change it up to suit any hobby or space your men need rules for. I will definitely be making these for next year.