Scrap Paper Packs

In many countries in the world, they put great value on paper because they do not have as much of it available as we do here in the US, especially in the poorer families. Since I'm a scrapbooker and card maker, I usually have far more scrap paper than I ever use. From time to time, I will take handfuls out of my stash and give it to my grandchildren and great grandchildren to play with. I decided that this might be a great thing to go in some of my shoeboxes so I made felt pouches to put the paper in.

When you buy felt by the piece, it is usually about 9 x 12". You can make to pouches with each piece.
Cut a piece of felt in half lengthwise so that it now measures 4 1/2 x 12."
Fold one end up 4" and sew a narrow seam on each side.

The top will fold down to about 3 1/2."

Using scrap pieces of felt, cut out some shapes, such as hearts and stars. I cut them on my Big Shot with my Sizzix dies but if you don't have this, you can use any pattern to cut shapes. With the top open, sew shapes on to the outside top.

You can also use silk flowers, ribbons, beads, etc to decorate the top flap of the pouch.
Now go through your scrap pile and cut squares or rectangles out of the larger pieces. I cut most of the pieces to be 3 1/2 x 4" so that they will fit easily into the pouch.

Since I use my leftover scrapbook papers, they are often a mix of colors and patterns. The back side of the paper can vary.

 It's not unusual for the back side to be blank. Sometimes it will have writing about the paper on it. Some scrapbook papers are double sided and will have colors and patterns on each side. I think that any of this scrap paper will be great. The children can use the paper in whatever way they want. They can use the blank sides to write on or be creative and make things out of the colored, patterned sides. I think this will just be a fun item to go in the middle and older kids boxes. When the paper is gone, then they can use the pouch to put crayons or other items in. 

Felt Flowers and Butterflies

It's April already and I'm running behind, as usual. lol I spent my afternoon a few days ago getting my April birthday cards made. I had made a few last week for the first few days of the month but didn't get them scanned for you. So now, that I've got my cards for the rest of the month done, I'll share them with you.

Today, I'm sharing the one that I did for the ladies I know with April birthdays. It's spring time now and we've had some beautiful days here in Central Texas. We've had some cool ones too but nothing too bad. I wanted to do springy so here is the card.

Materials needed:
Pool Party card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2
Shades of Spring patterned paper 2 1/2 x 3"
Butterfly stamp (this is one I've had from years. I'm pretty sure it's from SU! but I don't know which set)
Felt
Secret Garden Framelits dies
Jewels Basic Pearls
White satin ribbon 5/8"
Strawberry Slush ink
Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set
Word Window punch
Pretty Birds embossing folder by Jennifer Ellory
Stampin' Dimensionals
Glue dots

It's pretty easy to just look at the card and see how it's made. The only thing you might not be sure of it the felt flower. I took of piece of felt and cut it with one of the Secret Garden flower dies. The original dies will cut up to 4 pieces of felt with no problem but the Framlits dies will only cut 2 at a time and sometimes only one does good.  After you cut out the felt flower, place a glue dot in the center of the flower. Pinch the felt around the glue dot and it will look a bit more like petals. Then you can put the felt on the flower with glue dots. The rest of the card is pretty much like it looks. Easy peasy! Have fun.

Embossed Birdcage

I used the Pretty Birds embossing and stamp set by Jennifer Ellory that was the gift in this month's issue of Quick Cards magazine.

Materials needed:
Pretty Birds embossing folder and stamp
Coastal Cabana card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
White card stock
Coastal Cabana ink
Coastal Cabana marker
Candy Dots-Regals (#130932)
Felt flowers
White brads
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1. Use the Pretty Birds embossing folder and your Big Shot machine to emboss the swirl image on the Coastal Cabana card stock.
2. Use a piece of white card stock about 2 x 3 1/2" to emboss the bird cage. Place the white card stock in the embossing folder positioned at the bird cage and run it through your machine. Cut the image out around the edge of the embossed cage.
3. Adhere the white bird cage on top of the bird cage on the Coastal Cabana card stock. Use the brush end of the marker to color the bird on top of the cage.
4. Punch 3 holes for the flowers on the Coastal Cabana card stock. Place the felt flowers on and put a white brad through each flower. Bend the brads at the back.
5. Choose the colors of Candy Dots that you like and place on the bird cage.
6. Stamp a "best wishes" image on to white card stock. Cut out around it. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back and adhere it to the left side of the card.
7. Adhere this to a card base.

Inchies Floral

This is a fun card that can be used for most any occasion or just to send a note to a friend.
1. I used a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" piece of Daffodil Delight for my background paper.
2. Cut 6 squares with your scallop square punch(#119884)from scrap cardstock of different colors. I used real red, bashful blue, old olive, perfect plum, and brilliant blue.
3. Arrange them in two rows of 3 squares each. Choose felt flowers in coordinating colors. I used chocolate chip, bashful blue and pretty in pink flowers.
4. I have trouble punching a hole in the exact center so I punched a square. I folded it in half and in half again. Then I marked an X at the mid-point where the folds came together. I used my 1/16" handheld circle punch(#101227) to punch a hole on the X. I then placed that on top of each square and marked where I would punch my hole.

5. Using Daffodil Delight brads from the brights brad collection(#119740), I attached the felt flowers to the center of each scallop square.
6. I adhere the square in two rows of 3 each.
7. If you wish, you could add a greeting to the front of the card. The Teeny Tiny Wishes set (115370) has many great greetings that would be a perfect fit on the front of this card.