travel journals

This is such a nice, easy rainy-day project using hubby's leftover cardboard from collegiate bike race season, recycled buttons, baker's twine, vintage maps, decoupage paper scraps and cool retro number stamps.  They are headed for Knack, go snap some up.  Get started on your holiday shopping.  Hanukkah comes so early this year I am calling it Thanksukkah!

inside view - pages are sewn in and
inside covers are lined with maps

inside cover

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!

burlap AND bakers twine? yes, please

I was nattering around charming Saratoga Springs (by myself, heavenly!) when I saw sweet, simple burlap-covered tea light candle holders.  A must do.  Here's our twist on it:

love the way the stencils look

scraps from our Indigo Coffee Roasters

burlap coffee bag

Guatemala, coffee, New Jersey

more stencils!

fabulous and free fabric

all lit up!