I have been thinking of trying out this new type of scrapbooking lately… As much as I LOVE scrapbooking, I just DON’T have time for it. So in my search to try out Project Life, I found all of these free printable journaling cards, I hope you enjoy the list… 1. Album Cards by Karla […]

Well hello again cute people!! Today is week one in the Scrappy Project Planner Sew Along:) As you know... my planner came out before Christmas but I wanted to wait until after the Holidays to do the sew along:) This is the Project Planning Section of my planner... back when we were doing the Cozy Christmas Sew Along... But this sew along is all about the last section in the planner... the Scrappy Patterns! Y'all know how much I love to sew scrappy... And I am always being asked how I build... save... organize... and use my scrappy stash. All of that info and more is right inside the pages of my Scrappy Project Planner... Including patterns for 6 of my scrappy quilts! All six of these quilts were entirely made using my scrappy stash:) There's just something about a scrappy quilt that makes my heart sew happy! The sew along will be every Friday ... here on my blog and on my awesome publishers blog The Jolly Jabber... along with 3 different guest bloggers every week. It will last for six weeks so that we can spend each week focusing on one of the quilts. We will go in order that the patterns appear in the planner. And because it's week one... that means it's all about my Scrap-Apple Quilt! The Scrap-Apple Quilt is my take on the traditional pineapple quilt but is completely rotary cut... machine pieced... and scrappy happy! This photo is from way back when I was in the process of making the Scrap-Apple Quilt. It consists of scrappy background strips and several sizes of scrappy squares. When making this quilt... I use a vintage silverware tray to keep the pieces organized:) ***TIP*** Now that my new Cute Cuts Rulers are here and available... this 1 1/2" x 6 1/2" is sew useful for cutting the background strips:) The rulers have just come in so check with your favorite quilt shop to see if they have them in stock yet:) A closer look at my Scrap-Apple Quilt:) The quilting was done by my friend Juli Stubbs and she is sew amazing... I love how this curvy overall pattern compliments all of the squares and triangles in the quilt. I'm excited to see what this weeks guest bloggers have to show and tell about the Scrap-Apple quilt. CLICK HERE to visit Kimberly and the girls and also the amazing guest bloggers:) Until next week... remember that Scrappiness is Happiness!! xx Lori

Pre-S: If you want to learn how to take beautiful photos and tell the story of your life better, check out my course Stories From Here. I'm not being bashful about how proud of myself I am right now. In the craft world, I completed one of the greatest feats known to scrapbookers. I

Do you have so many Project Life Cards, you aren't sure what to do with them? Use these 8 different ways to use your Project Life Cards in new ways!

My 2014 Project Life album was far from complete. In this post I’m sharing the strategy I used to finish all of my pages in less than a month.

Hello! This is Pepper again! This month I’m back to share 3 tips for scrapbooking Hybrid Project Life. Tip #1. Printing your digital elements Print your elements on the edge…

Hello and happy Monday! Today I’m happy to share a tutorial for how I make my favorite scrappy log cabin blocks! My directions are for my favorite size…an 8″ finished (8 ½″ unfinished) block. I like this size because it utilizes small pieces of fabric, it goes together quickly, and it’s a great size for […]

I talk about my workflow and why I choose to use Becky Higgins Project Life Design A and a weekly format for my scrapbook albums

The crumb quilt project was a great scrap buster. I got 2 quilts out of that project. But for some reason, after all the mess all over my sewing room, and working several months on those crumb quilts, I still had a huge pile of scraps!! They just seemed to multiply!!! So I decided to try scrap strips instead to see if I could lesson my scrap mountain. I put my scraps into piles strips that were about the same length. I had 6 or 7 piles of different lengths. I pulled two from the first pile (let's say they were 5 inch strips), and sewed them together, then without cutting strings, I sewed 2 together from the next pile (lets say they were 7 inch strips), and on down through all the piles. When I had sewn 2 together from each pile, I started back at the top. I picked one from the 5 inch pile and sewed that to the existing 5 inch strip, without cutting strings. I kept my nice big scissors near by, there was a lot of chopping at the machine. This was a donation quilt. So, I used a sheet for the back, and wrapped it around for the binding. I was careful to start and stop my quilting just 1 time because when you're carrying the backing around to the front, you can't just go running off the edge when you're quilting. Do you have a good way to get rid of scraps? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Sometimes, I like to use a filler card for my journaling. I have physical cards I am using. I want to be able to read my printed journalling on top of the pattern, so I print on vellum or white cardstock to archieve this.

Does scrapbooking the long tips and holidays with thousands of photos overwhelm you? Take action with these 4 steps to scrapbook a long vacation in project life album.

Ready for something WILD?! We have a exciting new Project Mouse collection out today, all about ANIMALS!! Obviously, we were inspired by the amazing Animal Kingdom, but just wait until you see all the different “wild” memories our teams scrapped. This collection will be perfect to document your family’s expeditions. Whether it’s a magical adventure …

I did finish my Gelli project but will add it tomorrow because…One of our UKS members, Dan99, posted a fab link to a site that has 15 pages of fun vectors, jpgs, and eps files. There were a …

There are a whole lotta pictures in this post! What can I say, I started playing with the new Turn the Page Project Life Kit (with SQAURE CORNERS!!) and couldn't stop! We recently went to Disneyland and the pastel colors and happy sentiments in this kit go hand-in-hand. Usually when you think of Disneyland products your mind goes to red and black and yellow Mickey colors right? But I hope I can show you that the Turn the Page Project Life Kit matches just as well - especially with the tea cups and birdies - scroll on! :) Here is a look at the Turn the Page Project Life Kit and a real-time walk through of the entire completed album: I asked Emily from Emily Inspired Designs to create a travel-themed charm which I've held onto since Christmas, waiting for the perfect scrapbook. Since it has a tea cup charm on it, a bottle with a camera charm, a "pack your bags" charm, heart sequins, jewels, a cute frame, and lots of other details that match the colors and theme of Disneyland, I thought it would be a great time to use it! For the label on the spine I googled "Disneyland logo" and loved this vintage one so I printed it out on photo paper and tucked it into place. My goal was to use one of every card, front and back sides, and I almost achieved my goal! There were some 4x6 vertical cards that I couldn't incorporate so I used a lot of those ones to fussy-cut images, punch 2" squares for pockets, to back cut files, etc. The album is a blush pink and gold striped 6x8" Handbook from Studio Calico that I've had for years. I used a mix of page protectors and even custom made one of my own using a Fuse tool. To decorate the cover I added a gold foil "here's to new Adventures" sticker from the Turn the Page Sticker Book and "DISNEYLAND" mini alpha letter stickers from the 30-page Paige Evans #StickerBook. I added a strip of chain people Washi Tape along with a scalloped border sticker from the 30-page Paige Evans #StickerBook below. A flower Puffy Sticker and a trio of gold hearts also from the #StickerBook completes the cover. Okay, let's look through page-by-page! To make a big impact upon first opening the book I used a full 6x8" photo. I print my large photos at home on a Canon Pro-100 printer - the rest I got printed at Costco. I fussy cut some clouds from an extra card, adhered them with foam squares, and then hand stitched with matching thread so they "dangle" from the sky. I also fussy cut the sentiment from a 4x6" card and notched the ends. The cloud colors perfectly matched our clothes and the sentiment is so perfect for Disneyland! I try to incorporate my cut files into projects so I used the 8.5x11 Clouds Background (shrunk down to 6x8"), cut it from white cardstock using a Silhouette Cameo 3, and backed it with extra cards. You can also find this cut file for free in my Happy Scrappy Place Facebook Group! On the right side I tucked a card into the top left pocket (I love how the word "Magic" is in there because Disneyland is truly magical!) and added photos in the others. For the most part this album is chronological so these pictures are from the night we arrived. In our hotel room there was a paper pad so I tore off one page, printed journaling on it, angled the top corners into a tag shape, punched a hole in the top, and then reinforced the hole with the WeR Reinforcer Hole Punch. The tag tucks into the pocket between the photos - I love adding interactive elements! On the left side I added a photo and two cards with hand written journaling using a precision pen. Another 6x8" photo adorns the right on which I added fussy cut butterflies from an extra card at the top then hand stitched a trail to connect them. Here's a closer look at the butterflies - by only attaching them in the middles the wings bend up and create dimension. The phrase is usually "best day ever" but since we were there three days I changed it to "best days ever"! Plus I liked how there were four letters in each line. I machine stitched them in place. I often get asked if my sewing machine has any issues going through chipboard and the answer is nope! On the right side I added the actual map that we used so it's wrinkled and marked up and worn from love. I punched a tab from an extra card, added "MAP" stickers on it, then stitched it to the edge of the map. I had to refold the map to fit in the album this way and then to attach it I folded a piece of cardstock in half, adhered the map in the fold, punched holes, and added it right in. Here I added a bird Ephemera Die Cut over the bird printed on the card - it's the same bird design only larger and I used foam squares for dimension. On the bottom left card I partially cut around the flowers and leaves and bent up the edges for dimension. I varied how I included journaling throughout the album - some was hand written, typed on a Typecast Typewriter, or printed using the font called Remington Noiseless. I added hand stitching details to the bottom left card, fussy-cut-and-adhered-over-the-original-shape-with-3D-adhesive on the top right, and machine stitched a row of sequins to the bottom right card. Alls I did here was journal on a couple cards and embellished the flowers with a few tiny flower Puffy Stickers. I trimmed down a 6x8" pocket page protector to a 1x3 grid and added 2" square photos and ticket stubs. Here is the backside of that mini page. I googled "hitchhiking ghosts", found an image I liked, placed it in a new Adobe Illustrator document, decreased the opacity so it was light gray, then printed it out on vellum. You can find this ghost printable for free along with a few other elements I designed for this album by clicking HERE. I like how it's see-through, very ghostlike, which is perfect for the... Haunted Mansion! Definitely needs a full 6x8" photo for this favorite ride of ours. I'm a sucker for flowers so of course I needed a picture in front of these pretty pink ones. To embellish I fussy cut a bunch of flowers from a card, adhered them lightly in place, and then stitched a French knot through each one for added texture and detail. On the right I added a sentiment card, typed journaling on another card, and slipped in a 4x6" photo. Close up of the flowers. On the 4x6" card below the two photos I stitched a heart border sticker under hand written journaling. On the right I filled in the 2" square pockets with photos and cards trimmed into 2" squares. I stamped journaling lines using the Oh My Heart Acrylic Stamp on some of the squares to making it easier to write straight. To finish I cut apart a paper chain people Puffy Sticker and adorned the remaining paper squares with them. On the backside of the 6x8" pocket page I added six 2" square photos and in the other 6 spots I covered paper scraps with Ribbon pieces. To keep them in place and help the edges from fraying I machine stitched around the ribbon squares. See if you can find the caption that reads "Jane gave it a thumbs down." Poor girl. We found out she hates roller coasters. By punching holes you can add almost anything to your book. We found this coaster in our hotel room so I added it here. On the back of the coaster I trimmed extra cards into strips and journaled above them. On the right side 6x8" full photo I added decorative machine stitching to the top left corner and adhered a fussy cut flower with foam squares. Had to include this epic Splash Mountain photo lol! On the right side, the image on the bottom left card is the exact same as one of the Turn the Page Pennant Paper Clips so I made some slits and slipped it through. Also, remind me to never ride in the front of Splash Mountain again... I got SOAKED! I hand stitched through the "LIVE AND LOVE" card and placed a sequin at the front of each journaling line. The chartreuse yellow of the card perfectly matches Peter Pan's shirt. So many things throughout Disneyland are matchy matchy with the Turn the Page Project Life Kit! Detail of the hand stitched sentiment. A ginormous toad hopped across the path. Had to be documented. It looks small in the photo but it was the size of a salad plate! The right side is all about the Enchanted Tiki Room so how perfect is the "A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME" card for this attraction? Because the birds talk during the show! Ha! I added #allthebirds to this floral card. Image-over-image on the top left card, hand stitched "x"s on the top right card, added tiny flower puffy stickers to the bottom left card, and the bottom right card is as is. I trimmed down a 6x8" pocket page into one row and added a cute quad of photos from when Landon grabbed Fox's hand all by himself, no prompting from us. On the back I filled the pockets with Turn the Page Sequins, machine stitched them closed, and then placed "BUDS" Thickers on top. The right page is a 4x6" photo and a card with more puffy people, journaling, and mini alpha stickers from the #StickerBook, the same ones as I used on the cover and throughout the album. This spread marks the beginning of Day 2! I wanted something special for a divider so I found a castle/Mickey head cut file on etsy, cut it from smooth white cardstock, attached it to a piece of transparency, and then embellished with star Chipboard Stickers. On the left side I embellished a 4x6" card with a piece of scalloped Washi Tape strip and scalloped border machine stitching. I added a butterfly border Chipboard Sticker in the empty space of the photo. A closer look at this page divider. This pocket page was actually the very first page I made for this album. I love all the different colors and patterns in this kit so I punched 2" squares from the extra cards (there are four of each 3x4" card so I knew I would have leftovers to use for things just like this). I added a heart sticker on every square for interest. I trimmed a 6x8" photo into 2" squares and pieced it back together in the other side of the 6x8" pocket page. We celebrated our 11th anniversary while at Disneyland so I needed some extra lovey dovey things here. I hand stitched through the "HAPPY DAYS" sentiment, hand stitched around the heart, and tied in a Heart Charm from my Oh My Heart collection. Closer look at the dangling heart charm and hand stitching. On the darker cards I used a white Sharpie paint pen. I know the bottom card is vertical instead of horizontal, but hey, why not?! I love the flowers and sentiments so it had to be used. I had a few more photos from the Dumbo ride I wanted to include so I trimmed a pocket page down to fit the extra pics and added a tab to the right side to make turning it easier. Here is another one of my cut files called Wonky Hearts Background 8.5x11 which I sized down to 6x8". I backed the cut file with the colored wedges paper from Turn the Page Paper 03 - also available at JoAnn stores if you've got one nearby. After trimming an extra floral card into two 2" squares, I trimmed those squares in half diagonally and used them as photo corners on this full 6x8" photo. Then I machine stitched around the edges for texture. All the tea cups that are seen throughout the Turn the Page collection and the Project Life cards are PERFECT for the tea cups ride! Ah so fun! I fussy cut the same banner to adhere on top of the right card using 3d squares and I covered the coffee cup on the left card with a floral Chipboard Sticker. Also, Jane's pose. She's a hoot. I included the Disney's California Adventure map here using the same technique as before. It's fun to have the actual maps we used preserved forevermore! This is a very simple page - a photo, a card, and a 4x6" card with typed journaling. Done and done! I forgot to take photos while we were on a couple rides and I still wanted to remember that we went on them so I had a lot of journaling to write on this card. The pink edges of the card match well with the pastel pinks inside the Toy Story Midway Mania building and it brings out the pinks in the cool Radiator Springs rock. Simply HAD to enlarge this sweet photo of Jane and then I added a puffy "Believe in You" sticker on top. On the right - this is a custom made pocket that I created with a plain 6x8" page protector and the Fuse tool. We went and saw the Frozen show and it was EPIC. I didn't take any pictures inside but since it was one of my favorite things we did I wanted to visually remember it so I googled images and printed them at home. On the back of the Frozen images I trimmed down journaling cards to fit in the custom-sized pockets and embellished with butterfly and flower Chipboard Stickers. I had this cute quad of Fox photos I needed to include so I trimmed down another 6x8" pocket page to just four sections and slid the photos inside. On the back side I printed journaling into 2" squares then stamped stars with yellow ink using the Turn the Page Layerable Stamp Set. These two postcards were in our hotel room so I asked Fox and Jane to color them and then on the backside... I asked them to write their favorite ride, their full name, and to design a stamp. Too cute. This was a fun divider page to make! It marks the beginning of Day 3. I googled "Mickey head icon" and found one I liked. I printed it out on plain printer paper and then washi taped it to a piece of transparency. I used a paper piercer to poke holes about 1/4" apart all around the Mickey head and then removed the template. Then I used white embroidery thread to stitch around the head and then stitched criss cross & back and forth, string art style. Since the transparency is see through there is thread on both sides. The heart is fussy cut from a card and I used the same mini alpha stickers as before. This next page is super simple: two photos, two cards, and on the top right card I added a bit of a scalloped border punched from an extra card and machine stitched it in place. I stapled a lot of stars from the Chipboard Stickers to the star card and fussy cut a lot of butterflies to adhere on the same butterflies card. The other two cards have journaling typed with the Typecast Typewriter. Star details. Butterfly details. Another simple page - I may or may not have been running out of steam at this point lol. I fussy cut flowers to adhere on the same flowers card and punched a small bit of a scalloped border on the bottom left card. The right side is all photos and the only thing extra I did was add a heart puffy sticker at the top right. Two photos, hand stitching, and journaling on a same sized oval piece finish off the left side and on the right I trimmed down another 6x8" pocket page into a 2x3 grid filled with photos and journaling all about the Storybook Boats ride. A dark blue floral card matches the dark blues inside Space Mountain. This also called for the white Sharpie pen. I added three tiny blue flower puffy stickers to embellish the photo of me about to ride the ride. I stapled one of our tickets onto the outside of the pocket so it can be flipped up and then added typed journaling to the floral card. On the right side I trimmed a pocket page in half so there were only two sections and place a photo in the top and a typed journaling card in the bottom. Almost done! On the back I added a photo at the top and a hand written journaling card at the bottom. I may go back in on some of these cards and add hand stitching or sequins. I created this "FUN AT DISNEYLAND" cut file (click HERE to grab it for free!) and then backed the letters with leftover cards - because yes, even at the end of the album I still had lots of leftovers, even after using multiples of almost all of the cards! Total value pack for sure :) The very last page is a 6x8" pocket page filled with photos that I couldn't fit in their proper places in the timeline but still wanted to include. I added a simple star sticker on this side. And a heart sticker on this side. The last pocket includes a typed sentiment - Until next time! And that my friends is the completed Disneyland Album! I hope you are inspired to pick up the Turn the Page Project Life Kit either online or at your local JoAnn store! These cards are so versatile and fit many many themes and subjects and celebrations. Be sure to go to my instagram tomorrow and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a kit! SUPPLIES: Turn the Page Project Life Kit; TURN THE PAGE: Paper 03, Layerable Stamp Set, Sequins, Ribbon, Ephemera Die Cuts, Pennant Paper Clips, Washi Tape Book, Thickers, Chipboard Stickers, Puffy Stickers, Sticker Book, Sequins; Reinforcer Hole Punch; OH MY HEART: Heart Charm, Acrylic Stamps; precision pen; Fuse; white cardstock; Typecast Typewriter; Font: Remington Noiseless; Cut files: 8.5x11 Clouds Background, Wonky Hearts Background 8.5x11, and Fun at Disneyland by Paige Evans, Disney Castle/Mickey Head by kateandjake; Die cut machine: Silhouette Cameo 3; Album charm: Emily Inspired Designs

Quilts by Paula Fleischer, political and otherwise

So I've been searching for a pattern to make a dust cover for my silhouette cameo and the only one I've been able to find costs money...that is, u ...

A couple of nights ago, I woke up in the middle of the night, and, in that semi slumber state when I was letting my mind wander while trying to go back to sleep, I thought of a solution to a puzzle…

Learn how to take your square fabrics and make pictures and quilts with them. With pixelated quilt patterns, you'll love how your quilt turns out. Drop in a heart, apple or animal - there are so many options.

Learn how to piece the easy and versatile Windmill quilt block. Photo tutorial from NewQuilters.com. #quilting, #piecingquiltblocks, #quiltingforbeginners

Welcome to 2018! I can feel that this is going to be a good one. And that it should be documented. Memory Keeping is such a controversial topic (within reason) as it evokes feelings of either 'that is so lame' or 'that is so overwhelming'. I believe I have completed 2 full years of albums since begi

edited to add: a few people asked about the page protector to the left in the above photo. It is actually made for business cards and I got it at Staples. I just cut it down from 8.5x11 so it would fit in my book. I turn it to the side and punch holes. The top two pockets are open on the bottom...it may seem like the photo would slip out but that never happens since the cards on the other side keep things pretty snug. I modified my pictures so they would look like Instax photos...but they're not:) Because I update my album monthly, I am always working a month behind. I love it...for me it means that I can relax, take pictures, and just let life happen. I use a small notebook to jot down highlights...it's not a journal or a date book, it's just for things I might forget. I don't even concern myself with the current month until it's over. Once the new month begins I begin my process... usually within the first week. Step 1. I transfer photos from my devices to my computer. I save to an external hard drive at the same time. Sometimes this is all I do on a given day. It helps to break things up a bit. Step 2. Using Aperture, I clear out the pictures I don't want and I place the ones I do want into an album titled "month_year." I occasionally edit my photos in Aperture using VSCO, but this is rare. I simply prefer and am more proficient in Photoshop. I create a new folder and export the images I want to use into that folder. I then edit using Rad Lab. I always edit a bit...it makes up for my less than stellar photography talents. I stash any ephemera I have in a MS zipper pouch. Step 3. I draw up a little sketch of where I want things to go and then crop accordingly. Because my style is so basic, I use a handful of different designs over and over. At this point I work on adding journaling...some directly to photographs...some on journal cards in Illustrator. I know that there are people who add journaling the way I do using apps on their phone and just printing the whole thing out, but I don't. Step 4. I print my pictures separately and then adhere them to plain white cards that I've already printed and cut. It might seem a bit inefficient to print them separately, but it's my process and it works and it allows me to utilize every inch of photopaper for pictures. Step 5. Once I have all my photocards completed, I look them over and see if anything needs to be added. Usually I keep things basic...occasionally I'll add a label, a bit of flair or some wood veneer or washi...but more often I just slip them into the page protector and call it done. That's it. 90% of the work takes place even before the pictures are printed out. From start to finish it takes me no more than a few days. I know this isn't the most creative process...I don't use that much stuff, but that's not what it is for me right now. I get creative with other parts of this book...but I'll leave that for part two. ....................................................................................................................................................................... The winner of the giveaway was Rhonda Nichol. rhonda nickol said... Right now my go to essentials are my stamps, mist/spray paint, wood veneer,labels/tags esp. Bananfish(my favorite),tiny attacher and i recently found a liking for doilies and enamel dots. I love adding some of these items to projects, I like alot of detailing to projects. Gotta start using my stash! April 8, 2014 at 9:22 PM send me your mailing address and I'll get your album out pronto. [email protected]

Hello and happy Wednesday! Today I’m happy to be sharing a little update on my Village house quilt! I’m making very scrappy houses using all of our fabric collections: Bright Sun, Valley, Desert Bloom, Creekside, The Front Porch, and Clover Hollow! I’ve actually had some of these houses finished for quite a little bit now […]

You know by now this isn't a "craft" blog, although you probably also know by now that I am a fan of all things artsy and craftsy! So, I just had to share my latest little project, the tote bag pictured above. Here's the back story. A girlfriend invited me and several other friends to her home for a two-evening quilted tote bag class. This was supposed to be two classes of 2 hours each: four hours total. The teacher, "Miss Nancy", gave us handwritten instructions copied onto pink paper. I am not a sewing newbie, yet I was perplexed and often lost during the class. We stayed late (very late!) both nights, and still had about 10 hours of "homework" to do on our own. I kid you not! It did come out adorable, but there is just NO WAY I wanna spend THAT MUCH TIME on a tote bag, no matter how stinkin' cute it is! As we were making this tote, I kept getting ideas on how it could be done easier and faster. So when the class was over and the tote fiiiiiiiiinally done... I decided to put my money where my mouth is and make a second bag, trying out my ideas. *SUCCESS!* Yep, the second bag, using my "tweaked and revised" directions, only took a few hours, start to finish. It was a very fun and "instant gratification" type of a project. Just the kind I like when I don't want to make a long term commitment to a quilt! LOL! So with many thanks and all-due-respect to Miss Nancy, herein I present... “MISS NANCY’S PATCHWORK TOTE BAG” (w/ LYNN’S REVISIONS AND SIMPLIFICATIONS!) FINISHED SIZE: Approx 17” (wide) x 14” (tall) This tote can easily be made with 5 fat quarters and 1 yard of coordinating fabrics. (Or simply “mix and match” from your stash, and cut pieces to size as below.) Also needed: Warm and Natural, or other thin cotton batting. (Approx. 60” x 40”; or in pieces a little larger than: 18” x22”; 18” x 14”; 18” x 8”; 5” x 96”) NOTE: Photos below are from various stages of both totes... the one I made in class (the flowered one) and the one I made on my own (the kitty one). I apparently didn't have the wherewithall to get all the pictures from one project! ;o) CUTTING: BODY OF TOTE: 5” x 22” Side #1, cut one 5” x 22” Side #2, cut one 10” x 22” Middle, cut one BOTTOM: 18” x 14”, cut one OUTSIDE POCKETS: 18” x 16”, cut one STRAPS: 5” x 48”, cut two (For 1.25” wide finished straps) TIES, OPTION 1: Makes softer, floppier ties: 3/4" wide finished (2 fabric layers) 2” x 12”, cut 4 -or- TIES, OPTION2: Makes firmer, stiffer ties: 5/8” wide finished (4 fabric layers) 2.5” x 12”, cut 4: LINING: 18” x 36”, cut one (NOTE: Depending on exact finished size of tote body, this may be approximate. Do not cut this piece until tote body is done and you can double check this measurement.) INSIDE POCKET(S) -- OPTIONAL: 18” x 16”, cut one for one inside pocket , or cut 2 for two inside pockets BINDING (top finish): 6” x 36” (for 1” finished binding) PIECING/QUILTING (NOTE: ALL SEAMS ARE 1/2” unless otherwise noted.) BODY OF TOTE: Sew one 5” x 22” piece on each side of the 10” x 22” piece along long edges . Press seams toward darker fabric. Size of tote body at this point should be 18” x 22”. Cut a piece of batting larger than 18” x 22” and lay the tote body (right side up) on the batting and carefully smooth it out. Pin the tote body and the batting together with quilting pins (large straight pins). Using your favorite method, mark two diagonal, intersecting 45 degree lines (I use a Hera marker, which only creases the fabric. Hera markers are available online or in most quilt or fabric stores.) If you don't have a Hera marker, use a water soluble or disappearing marker, chalk, etc. Then, using a walking foot with a guide, quilt the tote body in a diagonal “grid” pattern, with lines 1” apart. (NOTE: If you don’t have a walking foot with a guide, you will have to mark ALL of your grid lines.) Press, “square up” and trim batting even with tote body. This is the front side of mine (before trimming batting) : This is the back (batting) side of mine: Carefully measure and cut tote body in half crossways, making 2 pieces, each 18” x 11”. TOTE BOTTOM: Cut a piece of batting larger than 18” x 14”. Lay the tote bottom piece on the batting, smooth out, and pin as above. Mark with two diagonal, dissecting 45 degree lines, and quilt in a 1” diagonal grid pattern as above. Press, “square up”, and trim batting even with tote bottom. OUTSIDE POCKETS: Press 18” x 16” pocket piece in half lengthwise, right sides out. (Will now measure 18” x 8”) Cut a piece of batting 18” x 8”. Place the batting carefully between the layers of fabric, edges even, smooth out, and press. Topstitch 1/4" from the fold. (This will be the top of the pockets.) Pin the 3 layers together and mark/quilt as above in a 1”diagonal grid pattern. Cut pocket piece in half crossways, making 2 pieces, each 9”x 8”. ADD OUTSIDE POCKETS TO TOTE BODY: Using the photos of the completed bags as your guide, place one pocket in the center of each tote body half, raw “bottom edges” of pocket and tote body even. Stitch pocket to tote body along both sides (long edges) of pocket using a 1/4" seam. (The straps will cover these raw edges later.) (Note: if you want the side pieces of your tote bag to be alternating fabric between front and back as mine are, then “flip-flop” second tote body piece before adding pocket.) STRAPS: Press each strap in half, lengthwise, right sides out. (At this point, straps will measure 2.5” x 48”) Then open, and with wrong side up, turn each long edge into center fold, wrong sides together, and press. (At this point, straps will measure 1.25” x 48”.) Cut 2 pieces of batting, 1 1/8” x 48”. Open each strap and insert batting between either of the fabric folds. Refold carefully and press. Stitch 1/8” or 1/4" (your preference) along each long edge. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: ADD STRAPS: Position one strap on one tote body piece as follows: Center a strap over the seam between the pocket and the side piece of the tote. Being careful that strap isn’t twisted, center the other end of the strap on the other seam between pocket and side. Pin in place. Following your previous strap stitching, stitch strap to bag, starting from the bottom. Extend your stitching 1” past pocket (toward top of bag). Reinforce stitching at top by triple stitching, or stitch a decorative “barn door” pattern: Repeat with other strap on other tote body piece. BOTTOM: With right sides together, sew a tote body piece to each long edge of the bottom. At this point, you should have: Press each seam toward bottom and topstitch on bottom 1/4" inch from seam. LINING: Measure size of open tote shell. Cut lining the same size. Set lining aside for now. TOTE SIDES: With right sides together, fold tote in half; stitch each side. Press. BOX CORNERS ON TOTE: While still inside out, make mitered/box corners by pressing each corner into a flat triangle, matching the bottom seam to the side seam. Measure down the seam 1.75” and sew horizontally across the triangle. Your seam should be 3.5” long. Stitch again to reinforce. See diagram below (borrowed from HERE). Repeat on other corner. Turn tote body right-side out. OPTIONAL : If making inside pockets, add these to lining now: Press each 18” x 16” piece in half, making an 18” x 8” pocket piece. Top stitch 1/4" from folded edge. Sew to right side of lining, stitching pocket on both sides and across bottom, with pocket top (opening) 4.5” down from each raw, short edge of lining. NOTE: After attaching to lining, pockets can be divided by stitching one or more vertical lines as desired. With right sides together, sew lining in half along sides. Turn right-side out. Make box corners as above. With wrong sides together, place lining inside tote, and line up the top raw edges. Pin and baste. BINDING: With wrong sides together, press one short edge of binding under 1/4". Then press binding in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Starting with the 1/4" turned down edge, position binding along top raw edge of tote. Pin. (TIP: start binding where it will be hidden by the strap.) Leave the first 2” unsewn. Stitch in a scant 1” seam, tucking in and overlapping ends about 1”. Blindstitch vertical overlap where binding meets. Turn binding to back (lining side) and hand stitch (blind stitch) in place. TIES: For OPTION #1 ties: Press each strap piece in half lengthwise, right sides together; sew 1/4" from raw edge, to make a “tube”. Turn right-side out. Press, tucking in each raw edge 1/4". Edgestitch short ends. For OPTION #2 ties: For each strap piece: Turn both short edges in 1/4" (wrong sides together) and press. Then press fabric in half lengthwise. Then fold in each long edge to the center and press. Edgestitch all four sides. Position and stitch straps on outside of each tote side, approx. 1.5” from strap toward side seam and 2.5” down from top of tote. STABILIZER FOR BOTTOM (OPTIONAL): Cut a piece of plastic mesh (the kind used for plastic needlepoint projects, and readily available in craft and fabric stores) the size of the bottom: 3” x 17”. If desired, cover with fabric to match lining. Place stabilizer in bottom of tote; tack in place if desired. ENJOY! So, how fun are these bags?! And just perfect for totin' around your *stuff* or giving as a gift. If you like this bag, please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know. And if you make one of your own, I would love to see what you've done! And before I end this post, and because you also know that I am certifiably CAT CRAZEEE, I just haaaaad to share a couple of pictures of my chief sewing companion and right hand helper, my Ragdoll kitty Bentley (aka "Squeak"). OK, HOW FUNNY IS HE???!

Blog for Creative Photographers, Freebies for Photographers, Free Photoshop Tutorials for Photographers

I am in the process of making some needed changes to these pages. So hang in there until the improvements are finished. :) If you make something from one of my tutorials, please link it back to me and help others find these tutorials so they can use them too. I would love to see what you make!! Please share your pictures in the from blank pages... facebook group, OR use the hashtag #fbppatterns on Instagram. Click HERE for a few Sewing Basics posts that I did a while back. NEW: YouTube Videos! http://YouTube.com/c/FromBlankPagesPatterns Paper Piecing Shortcuts: These are raw, unedited tutorials to share with you how I paper piece AS I paper piece. They are not made in order, but I will update this list as I post them, so you can easily watch them in order from start to finish! Glue Basting Multiple Sections at the Same Time Chain Piecing Multiple Sections Trimming Sections After Piecing Quilting: Sewing: Paper: Holiday: Christmas Tree Skirt "Meaning of Christmas" Ornaments

This is how I made a modern scrap quilt without a pattern. This is a quick controlled improv style quilt you can make in less than a week!

If your scrap pile has been building up lately, put those pretty fabric leftovers to good use with this Scrappy Herringbone Quilt Tutorial. You can create a brilliantly colored quilt quickly using this sew simple quilting tutorial that uses a traditional herringbone pattern. This easy quilting project goes together in long strips opposed to time consuming blocks, giving it a country chic look that's perfect for fall weather. The best thing about this quilt is that it's a quilt as you go project, meaning you don't have to spend a lot of time drafting out a pattern and can easily adjust the size to your preference. Add a splash of country color to your home this fall with this pretty quilting project.

Leslie Jenison

One years worth of project life scrapbook ideas. Lots of ideas for fun project life pages that use memorabilia and photos.

Last week I had my monthly class and I designed this project which I called a "choose your own adventure" card. My stampers got to choose all the elements of the card to make it whatever they wanted. I wanted to show off the Full of Life DSP but I couldn't decide which patterns to use because each sheet is just as gorgeous as the one before. So I took that hard choice and just gave it to my customers! They got pick which pattern they wanted to use, which sentiment and which image. All I did was cut the neutral cardstock pieces and they did the rest! And if you haven't gotten the Full of Life DSP yet it will be on sale starting August 6th so make sure to add a pack to your August order! The bright colors and beautiful watercolor style of the Full of Life DSP really pair well with the images from the Attention Shoppers stamp set. Because the images are smaller they are quick to color using some of the colors in the DSP using Stampin' Blends. Once my stampers chose which Full of Life DSP design they wanted to use they cut the 6x6 piece in half so they would have a 3" x 6" panel. Then they cut that down to 3" x 4.5" and then cut this panel into 3 1" strips to mount onto the Basic Black panel. The sentiment choices come from the Online Exclusive set Sweetly Scripted which are a lovely mix of script fonts and are nice and long so they can go across a whole card front in both orientations. For this design I cut strips of paper long than was needed for the portrait orientation and my stampers just trimmed off the ends as needed. Once the image from the Attention Shoppers stamp set was chosen to go with the sentiment it was also stamped in Memento Black and colored in. I had almost my whole Stampin' Blends collection out to use during class as the Full of Life DSP has so many colors in it. So like I was saying my stampers had a lot of decisions to make on this card! Some iridescent ribbon and sparkle gems are added for a tiny bit of sparkle and shine. If you make card sets for gifts or to sell this would be a fantastic design and group of products to use to make them. No two card sets would be exactly alike with all the mix and match possibilities! All of the supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today? Stamps: Attention Shoppers, Sweetly Scripted (Online Exclusive) Ink: Memento Black Blends: various colors Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Basic Black, Full of Life DSP Accessories: Attention Shoppers dies, dimensionals, Iridescent 1/2" striped trim, adhesive backed sparkle gems

Julia Castaño's fabulous, fish friendly fish bags are my new favorite thing on Etsy. I got my eye in the pink pufferfish!