Project Life: Weeks 16 - 17

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a very enjoyable and productive National Scrapbooking Day. I sure did... turned it into a weekend :D And I'm so proud to say that I'm officially caught up with Project Life...Weeks 16 - 18 completed! Today I'm sharing one of the spreads that I just created in my album. I didn't have much to document for the last couple of weeks, so I decided to do something a little different. Single pages for both weeks just made sense. So here is my Week 16 & Week 17 double-page spread...

WEEK 16

Life Documented

April 14 - April 20

This was a very happy and colorful week. Spring is in full bloom! I thought it would be great to represent the season using color everywhere... in the photos, journal cards, and with the embellishments. Very cheerful and so much fun!

I chose my favorite Project Life Design A photo page for this week. I filled it with a mix of 3x4 and 6x4 journal cards, some are We R Memormy Keepers and others are free printables that I printed at home. I added all kinds of photos like 3x4's and instagram pics of various sizes. This page wouldn't be complete without some embellishments. Lots of different alphabet stickers, roller date stamps, sentiment stickers, chipboard, clear stamps, and cutouts.

Week 16: Close Up

WEEK 17

Life Documented

April 21 - 27

Although we are a "Green" family that makes eco-choices everyday, people all over will be celebrating  Mother Earth. And in honor of Earth Day, I thought it would be fun to make Week 17 - Earth Week in my Project Life album, focusing more on our Eco-Friendly lifestyle. 

I went with another Becky Higgins Design A photo page and filled it with different journal cards. Some are free printables, WRMK cards, or cut with my Cameo. I was lucky to come across some really cute Earth Day printables that just needed some resizing to fit in the 3x4 slots of my book. I printed them out on Kraft paper for a totally different look. I used more various sized instagram pics and a 3x4 pic on a handmade 6x4 card. I got to tap into some of my "Green" themed embellishments along with more alphabet stickers, AT thickers, and stamps.

Week 17: Close Up

I love the way this spread turned out! It's the first time I've done just a single page to document a specific week, but it worked out perfectly for the two consecutive weeks where I had only a few moments to share. I'll definitely keep it in mind for the future...

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you see any printables you like, you can find them on either my "SMASH* & PL" or "Printables/Templates" pinboards on Pinterest. There are hundreds of pins for inspiration, links to free printables, as well as DIYs and How-Tos. Feel free to "pin" away, I'm sure you'll find something you like :)

Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Drop me line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Reuse Project: Crafty Organization

I definitely consider myself pretty crafty, and I was exposed to the green life at a very early age. So naturally, any project that involves repurposing/reusing everyday household items (that would normally end up in the landfills), and the chance to add a touch of my own personal creativity, is really a dream project!

I make it a habit to check out all of the food containers before they get to the recycle bin or trash can, and I save the good ones that I know I can reuse. If you have the extra space, start saving your containers! I have a shelf in one of my kitchen cabinets designated for them. You'll find different types in various sizes. My favorite kind to reuse are glass bottles or jars! Spaghetti sauce ones have measurements on them, baby food jars are perfect for corralling small items, large jars from pickles or juice can hold other food items too (ours hold uncooked pasta), and candle holders (lidded or not) are also great for organization!

Over the years, I've gained knowledge of what goes in and out of our family's home. From the organic food (along with its packaging) that comes in to it, to the garbage and recyclables that get taken out every week. And looking at our trash, I saw that one of the snacks we love so much, was also a huge contributor to our garbage. But I realized they also came in really awesome lidded cans! That is how our abundance of Honey Roasted Peanuts containers came to be...

Today I'm going to show you how easy it is reuse almost any container, and at the same time make that container look like it was never used to hold food! Let them be cardboard containers that once held snacks (like mine) or large aluminum spaghetti cans, this technique can be applied to almost anything. But the first thing you must do in any case, is give them a good cleaning!

SUPPLIES:

• Food Containers (That Need a Facelift)
• Scrapbook Paper - Scraps are best!
• Mod Podge - Matte is what I use.
• Paintbrush - Preferred over the foam ones.
• Labels, Tags, Cameo Cuts
• Stuff the Needs Organizing

Thoroughly clean each container with soap and water. The ones I have are lined and made of thick cardboard and hold up really well. Quick washes and rinses of soap and hot water are all I need to clean them. But don't let the cardboard containers sit saturated in water though for obvious reasons! I also  like to hand-dry everything.

1. Trim your paper(s) to fit the desired container. In my case, they are all scraps from my homemade daybooks. They're a near perfect fit and need just a slight trim!

2. Working in sections, spread an area of the container with a good layer of Mod Podge. Slowly place the sheet of paper over the glue. Be extra careful to keep the paper straight each time! Rub the paper to smooth out bubbles and creases.

3. Repeat the previous step until your container is completely covered. Make sure that paper is lined up straight! You will start to see it wrapping at an angle, but don't let that happen.

4. I'm using a strip of coordinating patterned paper (more daybook scraps) to cover a small gap since my 12" paper is too short. I think it's a nice little detail... clever and cute!

5. Now comes the fun part of adding a label! I wanted to have some fun with mine and decided to mix it up a bit. I used stamped tags with twine or cord, labels with Cameo cuts, and strips from my Dymo Label Maker.

6. Fill 'er up! I store mine with clothespins wrapped in twine or cord, cardstock and chipboard embellishments, pens/markers, etc. The possibilities are endless!

The fabulous thing about my repurposed food containers is that they stack very well! You can use them without a lid  to hold pens or scissors, and with one to hold just about anything else. They can really be customized to fit the theme in any room, and are so versatile they can hold more than just crafty supplies!

I really loved this Reuse Project. I got to destash and reuse two of my supplies... my ever-growing scrapbook paper stash and the food containers I've been hoarding! And I got fabulous storage in the end!  This is definitely what I like to call Frugal & Crafty Organization: The art of repurposing and reusing everyday objects in creative ways, and providing simple storage solutions...without spending a penny.

Do you like to reuse glass jars but hate that the metal lids from those containers still have all of that ugly food jargon on it? I sure do! I figured out how to cover those ugly metal food lids with scrapbook paper, so now all of those glass food jars will look gorgeous from top to bottom. Check back soon to find out how I do it....

Wanna stay updated on my recent posts and projects? Be sure to "like" my new fan page on Facebook!

Any questions, thoughts, or comments about this post? Feel free to drop me a line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated!

Mahalo for stopping by!

DIY: Alcohol Ink Sprays

Since I've been making my own Glimmer Mists for a long time, I thought I would take a crack at making my own Alcohol Ink. I do love Glimmer Mists. They provide a subtle, glimmery eyeshadow effect of color to the background of my pages. But I also want sprays that are more vibrant, colorful, and fun! Alcohol Ink was my answer :)

I was first inspired by this pin that I posted on my "Smash & PL" pinboard half a year ago. The blog shows you how to make Alcohol Ink using Kool-Aid. I don't keep Kool-Aid in our house, but I saw that she also talked about making it with acrylic paint for the color base. She didn't give instructions on how to do it this way, so I just went on my own to experiment. I've made glimmer mists, and this was much easier, only a 2-step process.

MYO (Make-Your-Own) ALCOHOL INK

SUPPLIES:

• Acrylic Paint in Various Colors - I used Eco-Friendly Paint by EcoGreen Crafts
• Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol: 70% or 91%: Found in the First Aid Section of Any Store 
• Mini Spritzer Bottles - Find them in the Health and Beauty Dept of your local Target/Walmart. (Look for the Travel section that has all of the little, travel-sized samples of shampoo, body wash, etc.)

Making alcohol ink is an easy 2-step process. But you will need to make adjustments to the paint and alcohol depending on how vivid you want the color. 

Start by filling an empty spritzer bottle with your desired color. Fill it to where it at least covers the bottom of the bottle. Next, add the alcohol, filling the bottle only halfway. Cover the opening of the bottle with your finger, and shake it up real good.  

At this point, you will add more paint and/or alcohol. If you want more color, add more paint. If you are satisfied with the color the way it is, add more alcohol. But do not overfill! You need to leave enough room in the bottle to shake it and mix it up.

When you aren't using your sprays, the paint will settle to the bottom of the bottle. Don't worry. Just remember to always give them a few good shakes before using. Feel free to test them out by spraying on a piece of paper. Make adjustments from there. Just remember to leave some room in your bottle.

TIP: You may discover that your sprayers may clog when you let them sit unused. No problem. Just detach the little spray cap and run it under hot water. If it's still clogged, let the cap sit in a cup of hot water for a while. If your sprayer is still being stubborn, unscrew the nozzle and place the straw (with attached nozzle) into the cup of hot water. Spray into the sink as you normally would. Keep spraying until the water is clear and the spritzer is misting as it should be.

There you go! Wasn't that easy!? Now you can experiment with new colors and replace all of your sprays with your own homemade collection. Doing that will be so easy; it cost me less than $3- to make just one bottle of alcohol ink! You will save even more money if you use acrylic paint and alcohol you already have on hand.

THE RUNDOWN:

• Acrylic Paint - $.99/each - EcoGreen Crafts (Purchased from Tuesday Morning)  
• Isopropyl Alcohol 91% - Less Than $2.00 - Up&Up (Target)
• Mini Spray Bottles - $.97/each - Up&Up (Target)

Be sure to check me out later this week. I'll be sharing my DIY for Homemade Glimmer Mists! I just ran out of my favorite color and need to restock.

[You can now find my Glimmer Mist DIY here.]

Wanna stay updated on my recent posts and projects? Be sure to "like" my new fan page on Facebook!

Do you make your own craft/scrappy supplies? I would love to hear your tips and recipes! Do you have any questions or comments about this post? Please let me know, feedback is always welcome! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Green Crafts

Over the weekend, I decided to do some crafty supply shopping while out with my family. I stopped by one of my favorite places to stock up, my local Tuesday Morning store. I always find different kinds of things while I'm there. I didn't even see these (sitting on the endcap of the scrapbook aisle) coming into the store, I walked right passed it. But thankfully I spotted the display while leaving!

Eco-Friendly Acrylic Paint, Recycled Rubber Art Stamps, Assortment of Eco-Friendly Dye & Pigment Ink
by EcoGreen Crafts

I'm so incredibly happy to find these amazing supplies... I just had to share it with you! It really is the best timing, because I wanted to pick up some new paints to make Alcohol Ink.

I think it's fabulous that something I love, like Art & Crafting, can live hand-in-hand with Eco-Friendly and Green Living. This brand really is a perfect fit for me! I will be sure to keep you posted of any future projects using these supplies. I'm anxious to see how well they work. Now that I mention it, be sure to check out my next post! I use a few of these acrylic paint tubes to make some Homemade Alcohol Ink Sprays. (Find my Alcohol Ink DIY here.) 

SUPPLIES:

• Recycled Rubber Art Stamps by EcoGreen Crafts: $3.99/each
• Eco-Friendly Acrylic Paint by EcoGreen Crafts: $.99/each
• Eco-Friendly Dye & Pigment Ink by EcoGreen Crafts: $.99

Are you a fan of "Green" Craft Supplies? Find anything crafty-cool at your local Tuesday Morning store? Feel free to drop me a line. Questions, comments, and feedback is always welcome.