Librarian patterns at Sublime Stitching

aw-yah! Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching says:

This sheet is overdue! It's the theme you've been begging us for: sexy librarians, office supplies (typewriter!) and a memo-taking secretary. Check them out, and bring them back in two weeks with projects you've made.

I think these patterns are what will finally spur me on to get on the embroidery wagon (because of course I need another project)!

The designer of these patterns is Alicia Policia who has a fantastic cake on her blog - go check it out!

Make it: dry erase board

dry erase board
Originally uploaded by udandi

I saw this dry erase board but didn't have the plastic envelope she had to make her board. I dug through my stash and came up with a thick and sturdy piece of cardboard kept from my job where people would mail in photography for a contest and and a transparency sheet. I liked the idea of a dry erase board for playing BINGO!

After stamping the cardboard so it wouldn't be plain when I do not have a BINGO sheet in it, I laid the transparency on top. Then, I ran a ribbon through my Xyron 150 and used it seal the edges. I punched a half circle at the top so I can easily slip the paper in and out. I added a piece of leftover ribbon at the top because I did not want to waste it.

The dry erase marker is leftover from a board I no longer have and my stamp cleaner proves to be great for cleaning the transparency sheet.

The Project Vault

In response to who I do my crafting for...me! I like the challenge of making something otherwise regarded for the trash, of styling a piece of jewelry that no one else will have and sending a birthday card that's unique to the recipient. It is thrilling to me the way some might enjoy sporting events or gadgets or tinkering on engines. I come from a family of do-it-yourselvers. Both of my parents and siblings are creative and handy and speaking of their talents are posts in themselves.

There are only a certain few people I can give handcrafted gifts to and that's because almost any crafter will tell you of the heartbreaking experience when someone does not appreciate the time and effort.

I encourage readers to browse this blog since I make short posts with colorful photos, but here's a link list of projects I've posted.

Gifts:
Make It: Rock Star birthday card
Make It: Birthday tags
Make It: Advent Calendars
Make It: Martini birthday cards
Make It: Lunchbag Album
Make it: Rockabilly Onesie & blankie
Make It: McCutie onesie & blankie
Make It: Baby Rock Tee
Make It: Stamped Coasters
Make It: Wine Charm Markers
Make It: Faux Leather Cards
Make It: Valentine's Day Cards [more]
Make It: CD booklets [more] [more] [more]
Make It: Ticket Bowl Gift Basket
Altered: Pull Tab Can
Altered: Lunchbag Album
Altered: AOL case accordion scrapbook

For me:
Make It: Dry Erase Board
Make It: Wrapping Paper Art
Make It: Fortune Cookie
Make It: Cupcake Table runner
Make it: Circle Journal Scrapbook
Make it: Easy Mat Photos
Make It: Pillows from Napkins
Make It: Remake a necklace
Make It: Your Own Art
Make It: A drawstring waist skirt
Make It: Two-Paper Frame
Before & After: Kitchen Clock
Make It: altered clipboard
Make It: Pencil Tin from a band-aid tin
Before & After: Shelves
Before & After: Gumball Machine
Make It: Chalkboard Sign
Make It: Business & Logo Tees
Make It: Food Magnets
Altered: Band-Aid Tin Pen Holder
Make It: from Capital One Swag
Altered: Listrine Pocket Pack Frames
Make It: Painted Dr. Scholls Sandals
Make It: Ribbon Memo Board
Make It: Necklace
Altered: Typewriter Stand
Make It: Scrabble Bracelet
Make It: Luggage End Table
Organize: Your Albums & Scrapbooks
Storage: Craft Supply Center
Organize: Crafting Space
Make It: Credit Card Art
Altered: Game Board Tray
Make It: Stamped Domino
Altered: Lunchbox Album
Make It: Magnetic Memo Boards
Make It: Snow Globes
Storage: Coffee Can Cubbie

Recipes:
Make It: Guacamole
Make It: Sangria
Make It: Bruchetta Chicken Bake
Recipe: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Brownies
Recipe: Sinfully Silly Snickers Apple Fruit Salad
Make It: Cold Italian Pasta Salad
Make It: Chocolatetown Pie
Make It: 4-H Cookies (Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal)
Make It: Layer Cookie Bars
Make It: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make It: Cheesey Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Make It: Bagel Cheese Dip
Make It: Easy Apple Crisp
Recipe: Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Make It: Cool Cookie Dessert
Make It: Chocolate Peanut Pretzels
Make It: Grand Old Flag Cake
Make It: Quick Sundaes
Make It: Decadent Peanut Butter Brownies
Make It: Grilled Italian Pizza
Make It: Chicken Enchiladas
Make It: Cookie Pizza
Make It: Spicey Chicken Dip
Make It: Fruit Smoothie

Others' Projects I've linked to:
Make It: innerTee
Make It: Bagel To Go
Make It: Floppy Disk Bag
Make It: Chess Table
Make It: Aprons
Make It: Pop Art Shoes
Make It: Rockin' Sock Monkeys
Make It: CD covers from lunchbags
Make It: Teeny, Tiny Fast Food
Make It: Meat Cake
Make It: Ladybug Cake
Make It: Silly Cakes
Make It: Crazy Cakes
Make It: Garden Markers
Make It: Solar System of Cupcakes

Make It: CD cover art

For me, more fun than making a mixed CD is creating the track list and packaging.

The two bottom photos, I used catalog images to create cover art and then added the track listing to the backside.

The left two photos, I created accordian track listings sandwich between cardboard and tied up with ribbon. The back piece of cardboard has a vellum pocket for holding the CD.

Make It: Magnetic Memo Boards

Using sheet metal and tin snips, you can create your own magnetic memo board for under $15 or less if you have access to scrap sheet metal.

Two of these boards were punched so eyelets could be set in order to not tear the ribbon hanger. The other was edged in ribbon and had long ribbons wrapped vertically to serve as the hangers.

All are topped off with marble magnets, obvs, but one is customized with chalk board paint and a cork board.

I find these boards to be very useful in displaying the ever-changing crop of baby photos I get!

Marble magnet directions: one, two

Make It: Snow Globes

clean glass jar and lid
plastic trinkets
confetti/glitter
distilled water
glycerin
heavy duty glue (E6000)

Sand the lid where you want to glue on the trinkets - make sure if the jar is curved inward, you place the trinkets so they fit inside the jar (does that make sense?!).

Fill the jar with distilled water and a little glycerin (I eyeball everything). Glue the threads of the jar so the lid is permanently adhered. I didn't paint the lid, but you certainly could.

Storage: Craft Supply Center

This was a $5 dresser I picked up at a yard sale and sanded, primed and painted to create a one place for all my crafting treasures.

I went on the cheap and didn't replace the drawer pulls and instead used ribbons, the gray blocks are magnetic paint (see the marble magnets?!) and I now have four dowels of ribbon on the side.

The top remains clutter-free, except for when I'm working on a project, but after it is completed everything goes back into its assigned drawer.

Storage: Coffee Can Cubbie

I created the coffee can cubbie to temporarily sort my to-be-filed items. The colors look off in these photos, but it coordinates with my craft supply center.