Oh dear…as if I needed another project to add to my already too long to-do list…sigh.

Handmade Flipbook

I have tons of album covers laying around the apartment, since I mostly only use the vinyl records to make my LP journals.

I just came across this brilliant project – I wish I’d thought of this first!

Found at Paper and Stitch

I am so in love with these – and they’re super easy to make!

Find the tutorial here.

Spending way too much time online looking for Christmas projects and not enough time catching up on my sleep after a rough week (I organized three out-of-town events this week alone)… Planning on spending what’s left of today catching up on some commissions for handmade books and finishing my Christmas cards… Sometimes I wonder if I’m insane to insist on making my own cards and gifts when I barely have a moment to myself, but I can’t help it – Christmas has this effect on me….

Here are a few projects to inspire you, should you have some free time this weekend:

Popsicle Stick Gift Tags

Gift Tags

Spice Rack

Envelope Accordion Book

Advent Boxes

Happy Crafting!!!

I realized this morning that I didn’t have a proper container to hold my legal-sized file folders. I don’t really have many of them, but it bugged me that they were just laying around because I didn’t have anywhere to put them. So I decided to build my own storage container, with paper to coordinate with my craft room walls. Here’s the result:

It’s not perfect, but you can’t really see the flaws. I’m quite happy with it. It seems durable, but we’ll have to wait and see… I’m now thinking of building a whole slew of organizational containers for my office/craft room!

I spent most of the day yesterday working on some workshop projects: developing good samples that I can leave in the stores where I’ll be teaching, and costing each workshop project. It is so difficult to cost things out and I really hate this part! But it’s sooo important, because I recently realized that I’d been underpricing my products by a lot, simply because I’d been too lazy to calculate how much the materials and labours really cost. It was an huge eye opener when I first did this exercise… Here’s the store sample of the CD case workshop I’ll be giving:

I have a feeling this product will sell like hotcakes…

After running around all day yesterday, trying to find supplies for an upcoming workshop, I spent the evening relaxing with wine and a game of Yahtzee. But first I made these:

I am in such dire need of storage containers for all the bits and pieces I’ve been collecting for my craft projects. I decided to try making origami boxes based on this tutorial, and they turned out fabulous! I made them from 12″x12″ scrapbooking papers, with their finished size approximately 4″w x 4″d x 2″h. Perfect for storing small trinkets!

I’ve had a love of handmade soap for many years now – I love the smell, the texture, and the fact that it’s great for my sensitive yet problem skin. This afternoon I participated in a soap-making workshop and loved it. Several years ago, I bought a book on soap-making but the instructions seemed too complicated and overwhelming, so I never attempted any of the recipes. But now…I think I may have a new hobby (with great gift-giving potential). Just as when I took a bookbinding class a few years ago, it has given me the confidence to attempt it on my own now that I understand the materials and the technique a little better. I made tea tree oil and lemongrass scented soap and my hands still smell nice from the essential oils we used…yummy. The hard part is letting it cure for a few weeks before I can start using it.

I’ve also confirmed what workshop project I’ll be teaching next month at nathalie-roze & co., although the dates have yet to be confirmed. It will be a CD case made of record sleeve covers. Very hip AND utilitarian. I can’t wait – I’ll upload some pictures of the project soon.

I’ve filled all the book orders and confirmed a few workshops, but still need to work on a few new workshop project ideas. I think I’ll take tonight to recuperate and get a fresh start tomorrow, when I’m rested.

Here’s a list of things I’m enjoying at the moment:
- Listening to… This American Life podcast. I only started listening to it a few weeks ago but I’m hooked. I love the way they set up a story and you never know where it’s going to go…Brilliant.
- Reading… Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion (the Feb/Mar issue has story on business tips from creative women). Creative Home (the Spring 2007 issue that features Alicia Paulson’s dreamy studio). Country Home (Feb 2007 issue on organizing and decluttering).
- Making… Handmade books. Developing workshop projects.
- Loving… Hot baths on cold nights. Chai tea. Connecting with creative souls (online and in person). Learning. Playing with paper.

I can’t believe we’re nearly halfway done the month of January already. I haven’t even had the time to think about resolutions yet!

I’ve been busy focusing on my creative interests in the past few weeks:

- It’s confirmed; I’ll be giving two workshops this month at the Urban Scrapyard in Toronto. The workshop is called Intentions Lapbooks and will demonstrate a variety of simple bookbinding techniques. I thought the concept of lapbooks would work perfectly with new year’s resolutions (or ‘intentions’, as I prefer to call them), but they can be used for many other themes. Here’s a photo of the finished project:

And with open books:

- Nathalie-Roze & Co, a local indie store that exclusively sells handmade products, has expressed interest in selling my handmade books. I’m very excited about the prospect of selling in a real store! Nothing is confirmed yet, but I’m hopeful things will work out. As a result of my encounter with Nathalie-Roze earlier this week, I’ve been bookbinding like a madwoman:

- At Nathalie-Roze’s boutique, I’ve also signed up for a soap-making workshop. I’ve been interested in learning this craft for so long, and even bought a book a few years ago, but it always seemed to intimidating. With the handmade soap fetish that I have, this workshop is perfect for me. Perhaps next Christmas everyone on my list will be getting soap instead of books???

- I also want to get my butt into gear and finally open my Etsy shop. I’ve had the name registered for a while, but haven’t gotten around to taking all the necessary photos and posting my items yet. Must keep the creative momentum going and start working on this.

This post is long enough already, so tomorrow I’ll expand on what I plan to use the Intentions Lapbook for.

Oh, by the way – happy birthday to me!