Last Mother’s Day my daughter gave me this dwarf Jade Bonsai. It is a miracle that it has survived for a year. I have never been able to keep a bonsai alive for longer than about three or four months. This one must be determined to survive, it is growing larger than I think it …
I work on my art and craft projects on a wooden table and though it is rather old, I like to protect its surface from paint splatters and glue globs. Usually I use deli paper, large sheets of newsprint or filler packing paper under my works in progress. This time I used a rather large …
Over the last few months I have found myself with an abundance of deli sandwich bags. I tell myself it is because we are doing our part to help small local businesses, but in reality it is because deli sandwiches have become our regular Sunday afternoon go-to lunch. The workers have our orders memorized and …
I enjoy distributing small red envelopes to friends and co-workers for the Lunar New Year. They are a fun way to add to the celebration. Usually I put chocolate and a scratcher ticket in the envelopes. This year I decided to give handmade tag bookmarks. These give me the opportunity to upcycle my old garment …
This is a great project that children also enjoy making. It is also a recycling project using old magazines and scrap packing cardboard or poster board. I cut 2 heart shapes from the cardboard and tore various strips from colorful magazine pages. The jagged edges work well in the final pattern.Glue the paper strips onto …
As mentioned in my previous post, I have various old Christmas cards to reuse. This year I found another use for the various Christmas card fronts that I have been saving. I made a template as a guide for folding the cards. Though not all the cards are the same size I shifted the template …
I love snail mail! Receiving a card or letter in the mail lifts my day. I will read and reread the message and then I file it away and go back to it at a later date. It is fun to read again about what was happening in my friends’ lives through the years. The …
Last year I used this technique to decorate small gift pouches and cards. This year the coffee sleeve leaves are back to add a festive touch to the Thanksgiving table setting. Besides punching the leaf shapes from the painted coffee sleeves, I also punched leaves from old magazine pages and some leftover decorative paper that …
Do you have old business cards or blank tags to get rid of? I decided to upcycle some of my old business cards, they are the perfect size to use as greeting card toppers. I enjoy squishing paint between two cards and seeing the various unplanned patterns that emerge when the cards are pulled apart. …
My old coffee cup sleeves have been given a bright, new purpose for Fall. I used acrylic paint in dry brushing the corrugated side of of the sleeve and then used a leaf punch to make a number of leaves that will be added to an upcoming project. Coffee and crafts a great combination!
