Paper Bag Scrapbook Albums

I need a place to send customers from my etsy store to tell them all about Paper Bag Scrapbooks. There's so much to tell and not enough room in the listings, so I thought I'd blog about them.

I start with 3 paper bags that have been treated (to make them acid-free) and pressed (to get the wrinkles out). They have also been folded, sewn down the seam (to make them more durable) and 5 holes punched in the spine. I don't do any of that work! I buy them from a lady on eBay who I've been buying them from for almost 5 years. She's the best I've found for quality and a great price!

Then I choose a theme or whatever papers I want to use and I go for it! I'm working on a ballerina album and a princess album right now. My niece gave both a thumbs up and couldn't decide which she liked better. That's a good sign! :-)

Here is an album that I made for my family for pictures of our themed family nights.

The front cover:


All albums can be personalized like this one "Family Nights". The stickers were just some that I had that looked cool with the papers. You can find fun stickers at any craft store.

Some of the inside pages, with matted journal blocks and a matte for 4x5 pictures. The pages without mattes are perfect for a collage of pictures.




Sometimes I put a collage of pictures on the photo matte, but I don't trim them to fit exactly.




This shows how the pages pull out, as well as a different view of the inside pages.


My favorite thing about paper bag albums is that the opening from the paper bag creates a pocket that is perfect for pictures, movie tickets, ticket stubs, report cards, well baby check measurements, notes, etc. Each pocket has a blank tabbed pull-out page for journaling or for a drawing, etc.


These books are so easy to personalize with photos from a specific occasion or they can be given away for the recipient to fill. They can also be made to fit your specific ideas. Favorite animals, school colors, wedding, baby's first year, specific themes, anything! If you can dream it (and I can find the paper for it) it can be made! :-)

John Deere Custom Refrigerator Tins

I had someone on etsy request two John Deere tins for Dad and Grandpa. I looked all over Longview and couldn't find John Deere paper. I was surprised that there wasn't any to be found. So, I improvised and used John Deere colors.


The buyer was very pleased and that's most important.

CTD Gift Certificates Available

I have made gift certificates for my friend, Josie's photography business, but I've never thought to make any for my business. When a friend at church said she needed to buy one, I had to rush around and make one.

My craft room is an absolute wreck right now because we're in the middle of building a craft barn in the backyard to be my craft getaway. The outside of the barn is finished, but it still needs electricity, insulation and sheetrock... not to mention flooring, wall texture, paint and trim. So, while I wait, I can't seem to find the motivation to keep the craft room/baby room clean. It's the catch-all room right now.

All that to say, I couldn't find the paper I was looking for, so I used this black and white houndstooth paper instead. I really like how it turned out.


You would think I would've made a few while I was making this one, but, alas, I did not. But, luckily, the stuff is still lying all over the floor, should I need to make more. *grin*

Money Doesn't Grow on Trees...

...But, sometimes it does grow on flowers.

My niece, Julia, turned 6 this weekend and I was so busy with VBS last week that I totally forgot about a gift for her. Bad Aunt! I didn't want to go anywhere because I was worn out, so I got the great idea to take dollar bills and make her name out of $1 bills.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any tutorials on folding dollar bills into letters.

So, I decided to make flowers and put them in a vase. I didn't have any cute vases, so I looked around my craft room and found some Starbucks Frappuccino bottles that I had cleaned and was using to hold buttons. Perfect!

Then I used some crinkle paper (what is that stuff called anyway?) that a friend gave me because she wasn't using it and thought I might come up with something to do with it.

I followed this tutorial for the dollar bill rose and this tutorial to make the 6-petal flower. The rose was time-consuming, but I thought the tutorial was very clear. The 6-petal one was super easy. Next time, I'll make 2 or 3 of the tulips (they kinda look like tulips, right?) and it will be faster and easier.

I put the flowers in the vase first and then held them in place with alternating layers of the hot pink and neon green crinkle paper.

Then I made a card that was so, so simple, but turned out exactly how I wanted. I stamped the image on white cardstock and colored with my Copic markers. Then I stamped the same image on a piece of velum and didn't do anything else to it. I layered them and it softens the look of the ballerina dress. Simple, but perfect.


Here's the finished bouquet.


Here's the back so you can see the fun layers of crinkly paper.


And here's the sweet birthday girl!


Happy Birthday, Julia-bug!

University of Alabama Refrigerator Scrapbook

I recently had a mom of a soon-to-be college Freshman ask me if I could make a tin for her daughter to take with her when she left for college. She wanted it to be black and white houndstooth paper with red accents. Perfect for The University of Alabama's colors. She wanted to give it to her daughter to put on her mini fridge to fill with either pictures of her new friends at college or her family and friends from back home.

I had a hard time finding the paper, but right when I was going to order some online, Hobby Lobby got in a shipment and they had exactly what I was wanting, b/w houndstooth with a small print.

Here's the tin.


I hope Madison enjoys filling it with pictures and making lots of new memories off at college.

Custom Wedding Gift Set

A friend of mine got married Saturday (which happened to be Slade's and my anniversary, too!) and this was what I gave her at her bridal shower.

It is a custom magnet set and a matching refrigerator scrapbook. Her wedding colors were black, white and purple, with some silver thrown in. So, I found some great papers and went to work.

Here are the magnets, with their monogram and names.



Then her tin, personalized on the front.


And a sweet quote that I thought they would appreciate on the inside.


The set:


She seemed to really like them and even noticed that they were in her wedding colors. I hope it is a gift she treasures for years to come.

Personalized Refrigerator Magnets

I made these fun, custom magnets for a sweet friend with two very sweet boys. Two big and 6 small magnets come in the set.




The larger glass circles get a slightly larger magnet so that the smaller magnet doesn't have to work so hard to hold up the heavier glass.


I can do different quantities. Maybe three for each kid and then when all their magnets are holding up a drawing or paper, then no more can be put up. It might cut down on some of the refrigerator clutter... *grin*

Marble magnets are super strong! Small magnets will hold 5-6 sheets of paper and large magnets hold 8-9.

Custom Marble Magnets can be personalized with names, short phrases, initials or monograms, or pretty much anything you can think of. Contact me and we can create your perfect set!