Making your own ephemera for art journals

I’m not sure I’m using the right word here… ephemera… Essentially I'm going to show you how to make your own art or additions or elements for scrapbooking or art journaling. ((someone want to help me out with the word I’m looking for here?))

I wanted to make a small journal for all the quotes I love and have been pinning on my Pinterest that I wanted to have to display. I thought about making a small clip board and changing it everyday and then I remembered I have 12 empty half size spiral notebooks. And that would work perfectly for making a quote coffee table book.

I printed them all off into small sizes. I was trying to figure out a quick way to do this, after attempting to put them all into a PowerPoint and arrange them I realized that I just had too many. Then {LIGHT BULB} it hit me! Windows is smarter than I remember. And I’m going to show you how I made these:

First I went through all my quotes pinned and saved the photo files of my favorites. Check what type of quality they are, some of them I saved straight from Pinterest and others I clicked through to the website and saved from there. I saved them all in one separate folder to make this process faster.

Then you select all, right click on any photo, the third selection down is print:

Windows will pop up a photo print wizard. Select the printer you will be using (I tested as a pdf to see how the photos would look). Then scroll on the right hand side the size you want. I selected 3.5x5 to give me four per page. You can play around with all different sizes.

Notice how the preview shows the one in the lower left slightly cropped? That can be fixed by unchecking the box next to “fit picture to frame.”

That looks much better, doesn’t it? Then all you have to do is load up paper in your printer and print away. I used Cardstock for this but you could use anything you wanted.

Here is an example of how one page turned out for me. Then I got out my paper trimmer and set to work.

You could use this for your own journaling digital elements, photos in smaller formats for mini-albums, or for quotes in wallet size to keep with you at all times!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the artwork shown, for links to who does please see my Pinterest board. I am making no money from this tutorial or the finished album I am making.

 

Hope this helps you make some custom elements for your scrapbooks!

 

Much Love,

Tamara

Wordless wednesday

Site updates

New layout, new name, and new background. I really want someone to come in and spiffy the place up!

I'm full of ideas and I am working on ways to get them into reality.

I'm looking into resetting some tags.

And maybe a new laptop!

Still here, just busy

I have been so swamped. I owe my poor blog a big post on mom & my birthdays… and then another on Jexica’s wedding… and another on mom’s finally finalized divorce! Next up? The fourth of July, mine & Scott’s anniversary, then some ‘restful’ weeks… right… Life is never that nice!

I have been brainstorming a lot lately. I have some ideas I will share once I get them together, I can’t post before because I know the ones that it’s for will read this and I don’t want to ruin the surprise. But expect inspiration and tutorials on upcycling misc items. Think outside the box… heehee (you’ll get it later)

Then it’ll be baby prep time for Mrs. Lissa!!! Baby Teagan is going to be so spoilt!

~Tams

Wordless Wednesday

Things I love Thursday

I actually love being busy. I hate being bored, wasting time, and just generally doing nothing when I could be doing something. Don't get me wrong there are times when I want to do nothing and just veg on the sofa, those times come when I'm really busy.

I have been super busy as of late. I need a vacation! But in just 9 days Jessica is going to be married! And I'll have a lot more free time...

Maybe I can use that time to figure out what is wrong with my sewing machine!

~ Tamara

Pinterest found Tutorial Review

I found this great tutorial on Pinterest on an easier way to remove nail polish. Since I’ve been wearing a lot more of it lately I have had a hard time getting the nail polish off and still protecting my nails. This tutorial from gingerbreadmanne was so helpful. I did have to use a qtip for the edges but it was still better than what I was doing before, and my nails looked much better. I didn’t know going back and forth across the nail can make your nails peel.

Some tips from what I learned:

- Don’t put it in the cap like she does, mine had little pieces from the seal band and it caught the cotton dumping it over a couple times. {Side note: acetone will remove the painted finish from iron sinks…. oops}. I think I’m going to get out a glass shot glass and dedicate it for nail polish remover. REMEMBER: acetone will eat through most plastics!

-I am going to actually cut the cotton next time for a cleaner edge to sop up the remover easier.

-Don’t let it soak up too much remover, or when you go to squeeze the cotton off your nail you get acetone running all down your arm and all over the place. I think the cutting mentioned above will help eliminate this.

-She let hers sit on the nail for 1-2 minutes, I really only needed a good 45 seconds MAX after getting them all on the nail for it to take mine off. And I use a base coat, color, decoration, and then a top coat.

 

~Tamara

--This is the first post in a while without any photos! Crazy!

Summer Reading List

I have accumulated several books that I have had for a long time that I have yet to read, and they just keep piling up. So I’ve decided to do a summer reading list! I found these great printables {even tho I have far too many to fit on there} and they were my inspiration.

Source: Nicolesclasses.com

And this is my list so far, I know I have another box of books somewhere!

And I also picked up books 5,6,8, & 10 in the Janet Evanovich series. And the Vampire Armand by Anne Rice {free after picking up the others @ Savers, buy 4 get 1 free}.

I’m thinking that Sundays should be for reading? Maybe…

If you want to fan a great up and coming book club page then check THIS ONE out, it’s my friend Kristin and she always gives me great advice for books!  What are you reading this summer?

~Tamara

P.S. I’ll update soon on the awesome fun times of Jexica’s Lingerie shower and Bachelorette Party. Including a post on just the food I made!

Things I love Thursday

I'm posting inspiration I've found amongst the internet!

In order:
The shoes I want to wear when I get married! Love them!

Record side table diy via design sponge.

Hair idea for Jexica's wedding.

Another hair idea.

A great website to make you laugh : Disney gents from last night (also Disney ladies from last night)

Another hair idea (out of order but my phone won't let me change it)

Awesome tattoo placement, where I want some stars!

Ultimate gaming console! Epic.

Awesome idea for diy bookends! I'm doing this tonight.

A sweater from some random expensive website that I want to diy. Savers here I come!

((sorry this post is kind of a mess, I've been crazy busy with planning J's wedding! Three weeks! ))

~ Tamara

Wordless Wednesday... Err Thursday... Oops

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Should I DIY my wedding dress?

As little girls we have imaginations. And we let them wander. All throughout childhood and teen angst and heartache in college we still have daydreams… little wanders in the realm of fairy tales. I got my nerd in shining armor… but I was a little surprised at how expensive things are when it comes to the wedding dress. Admittedly my ideas on a wedding dress suited to me has changed as I became older. It changed as I changed.

As a little girl it was the big poofy white dress and the ride off into the sunset. As a teen I had a fascination with medieval  garb: the big train, the embroidery, the big sleeves, and corset base. Then in college (after prom with my massive dress that I couldn’t dance in) I went a bit more toward the rockabilly style with the shorter dress. Now, I know that shorter dresses don’t look good on me, that I can’t dance very well in big poofy dresses, and that medieval style is just a dash over the top.

When Jexica got engaged and we went shopping for her dress I got a dash of hope… I realized that wedding dresses aren’t $7,000 like on “Say Yes to the Dress”… but it came with a dash of reality… Jexica has a much bigger budget than I will. More than double. And I just can’t spend a lot of money on a dress I’m going to wear once. I’d rather spend that money else where.

I was inspired by Corinne’s DIY Wedding Dress and then I went on Crafster and saw that there were other brides that had made their own wedding dress. I had been looking a lot online and found some overseas websites where they make knock off dresses but I couldn’t try the dress on to make sure it was flattering first. And then I found several dresses I like that aren’t carried by any store around me… (one in Australia the other I’d have to drive down to Dallas)

I really like this dress: (this is the Australian one)

I live in the USofA and can’t fly on down to Australia to try this baby on. And they don’t list a price so I don’t even know what it costs. But I love the silhouette, the details, the sash, and the fact that is has STRAPS.

But I’m not a big lace person, I think it’s beautiful but I don’t wear it much. But I do love the shimmer tulle on this dress:

(the one in Dallas, the Cinderella dress… literally… from the Disney collections)

But the shimmer of the tulle is so me. OOOOOH shiny!

So last night while I lay awake in agony with allergies I started to peruse the patterns of the major companies… And I came across this:

(Vogue 2979, they were having a sale on their patterns too!)

It has the bottom that I would have a hard time making from scratch but the top is not right. But I do not believe that making the top would be difficult nor would finding a pattern if it came down to it.

Next hurdle? Fabrics… there is a severe lack of good fabrics here in Arkansas. We have a bit of a selection at Joanne’s but other than that it’s Hancocks (mostly cottons) and Hobby Lobby (also mostly cottons)… I don’t know where to get good fabrics or even what fabrics to use. Most commercial wedding dresses are polyester or other various cheap fabrics… yet they are hundreds/thousands of dollars. I am thinking since I want to do a sparkle tulle overlay (or polka dot?) that I might be able to get away with costume satin for the skirt. And I might try going around some thrift store and see if I can pick up a lace dress/top that I could overly the top with. Corinne gave a good tip on the dress she made since hers was a corset top there is a special fabric that goes as the lining of the corset that has NO stretch to help give structure, I might pick up a yard of that for my top just so it holds ‘the girls’ up.

But I definitely need more ideas from people who have done this before. Or even people who have made dresses more.

I’ve made a couple but not much. I got a year to get good! I think I might try to do something similar in black and red for a Halloween costume. I have a nice black mask. It’ll let me work with the fabric and figure out tricks and tips for helping make it a smoother process.

 

First things first… time to make a home made dress form… I’m gonna need backup!

 

~Tamara

Summer Crafts Inspiration

I seriously want to do these crafts this summer. This is my list.

(Click on the image for the link to the Pin)

Tshirt bangles – How fun would these be for all those random scraps of fabric.

 

Men’s button up cuff pockets. These would be great for organizing my purse.

 

Braided fabric necklaces. I have such pretty fabric for this!

 

Bow paper clips. I need some cute bookmarks.

 

Wish Bracelets. I miss friendship bracelets and anklets.

 

OOOOO Buttons! These are so adorable.

 

Flip flop update. Ruffles and comfy flip flops? I’m sold

 

Beaded bracelet with button closure. LOVE.

 

Braided belts. I need some new belts.

 

Simple Button Bobby Pins. For when I pin back braids.

 

Updated chain bracelet. I wonder if I could do something like this with the watch bands…

 

Quote scarf. I need to bust out the Sharpie Stained markers!

 

Flip flop update. Another version!!

 

Look for more craft inspirations posts.

-Baby gift inspirations

-DIY Clothes inspirations

-Smashbook inspirations

 

Or you can check me out on Pinterest!