collegiate bike racing

It's not often that my business and my husband's collide:  he does race results for bike races. However, he's in charge of all of the numbers for the collegiate bike races in New England and the Mid-Atlantic...

...and so there's a lot of cardboard left over...

...which is where I come in.

I found a great tutorial for mini notebooks, and put a few twists on it, using vintage maps

a scrap of decoupage paper, a vintage-y rubber stamp

baker's twine and a fabulous salvaged button from my collection.

I also got to use my 2 favorite features of my new, gorgeous paper cutter.

score!

rounded corners!

Creme de la craft's tutorial is terrific, so if you're interested in doing this fun and easy project, go there.  I add just one suggestion:  if you prick your finger so hard it bleeds, put a band-aid on so you don't bleed on your nice white paper.  Also, it's easier to complete this project without a large cat on your lap:

That's right, folks, you can always come here for your highly technical craft tips.

Here's the finished product!

paint chips, GO!

I've been excited about paint chips for many years, and a quick google search (paintchips, diy, repurpose) reveals that I am in excellent company.  I came across today's creation, paint chip matchbook notebooks, on two great blogs (here and here), both of which provide excellent tutorials.  

I added two twists.  Instead of using recycled white paper (which really, as a lawyer, I should be required to do, given how many trees I kill daily), I used pretty paper scraps that I've been hoarding over the years.

Then, instead of sewing or stapling the book shut, I used washi tape, which is both a lovely excuse to use the gorgeous tape I treated myself to, and a way to keep the paper secure without it ripping when you take it out of the book (I'm particular about these kinds of things, see reference to my other profession, above).

gorgeous washi tape

gorgeous washi tape
on Goodwill vase

I'd love to tell you that all the paint chips were left over from various paint jobs around the house (like every other blogger dutifully reports), but instead, I'm going to be honest.  Several years ago, my fellow crafter buddy and I went to town at the big box hardware store (I'd never do this at my local) in advance of our annual holiday craft day, and these are (some of) the leftovers.  So in that sense, they are most certainly recycled.

So will Benny Moore (whose paint I did, in fact, use in my office last year) appreciate my creative upcycling of his paint chips, or will I get a cease and desist letter?  Unclear.

One tip:  cut the washi tape ever so slightly on either side at the top so the chip slides in nicely.  Other than that, it's really as easy and fun as it seems.  I did them all while Gus was napping.  Paint chips, go!

key rings!

These awesome key rings, made from flat washers, vintage maps and scraps of decoupage paper, are headed right to Sticks and Bricks, where you should head, particularly on February 8th, for their jewelry trunk show!  Wow, that was a long sentence with a lot of commas.  My lawyer side is coming out, and, it's, not, pretty.

displayed on salvaged barn board from
our friends at Berkshire Barns

keyed

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