Two Purple Couches

Thank you to Emily of Two Purple Couches for the fun gift I received in her recent first blogiversary giveaway!

Look at this cute handmade owl!

And pretty DIY Washi-tape notebook!

And hand-punched glittery confetti!

If you haven’t already made Emily’s acquaintance, you MUST check out her fun home DIYs, starting with a house tour.  (Yes, she really DOES have two purple couches!)

Some of my other favorite posts are Create Your Own Container Garden, A Welcoming Bouquet, and Placemat Project.

Congratulations on your first year of blogging, Emily . . . and thank you for all the fun and creativity you share! ♥

More Mini-Notebooks!

I’ve gifted my first set of mini-notebooks one by one, so it was time to make more.  If you haven’t tried this craft yet, you must give it a go!  Why?

• They’re quick and easy, and it’s so much fun to mix and match scrapbook papers for the covers, spines, and labels.
• A notebook costs less than $1 to make and less than $2 to mail, so by adding a handwritten message on the first page, it makes the perfect economical yet pretty and useful greeting card/gift combination.

You can find a complete tutorial here. I can’t wait to start giving these away, too! ♥

“Notepaper” Coasters

I’ve loved notebooks ever since I was a little girl . . . maybe that’s why I decided to be an elementary teacher and writer when I grew up! Anyway, awhile back I started on a B-I-G embroidery project (post to come!) and I wanted it to be on fabric that looks like notebook paper. I found a lightweight knit in white with black stripes . . . perfect! The other day I noticed the remnants and decided I should turn them into something, too. So I cut them into twelve squares, embroidered a red stripe on half of them (my other road trip embroidery project), stitched them right sides together with a square of quilt batting added to the stack, trimmed, turned, top-stitched, and had a set of six cute coasters in no time at all. I think they’ll make a perfect gift for a teacher or writer . . . and I know lots of those! ♥

Dragonfly Mini Notebook

One of my teacher/writing group friends just got her first publication acceptance, so I wanted to give her a gift that includes the dragonfly on her business cards. I traced the dragonfly on a small scrap of sheer fabric, triple-folded it for strength, and embroidered over the lines. Then I cut it out and glued the body onto a flower on the cover of one of my mini-notebooks, leaving the wings free. Oh, and I wrote a message for her to discover on the first page. I’m SO happy for Pam! ♥