SewEasyBookmark

I sew this easy bookmark. It is an easy gift for yourself or someone else. You need only beginner level sewing skills and a sewing machine to complete this. I've done these before but this one is a bit different...

The back side is made of a special felt with glitter decoration. It creates even more personal touch for this bookmark. 

This one actually is a birthday gift for someone born on Valentine's Day. That's why I included a birthday card which is partly made of recycled items (cut off picture from a magazine).

DearDeer

Today is a very special day, but sad. It is a day we need to give up something very special and important to us. It is something we have had in joy and sorrow, success and fail, health and sickness, life and death... It is something that has walked with us and supported us, been there for us and doing everything for us. Today is the day we need to say thank you and good bye with a great gratitude. From now on the things will never be the same in this community of little villages.

This place where I live is a community of few small villages leaning to each others side. We have seen bakeries, banks, bars, bike shop, catering, church, community college, clothes shop, dentist, fabric shop, fast food, gas station, groceries, hard ware shop, kiosks, paper factory and restaurant closing their doors. 

We still have few hairdressing salons and masseurs and one car repair shop. But from now on we don't have our tiny little pharmacy anymore. It has located -for decades- by the bay of Gulf of Bothnia where the cycle of the year has created a great scene on surrounding world. The snow storms, fogs, warm summer winds not to mention creepy cold winter days have not stop locals to go. No matter the weather the ladies at the pharmacy have provided the shelter against sun, wind, storms and cold or what ever it was. It has been like a light house on this arctic shore. 

Even if the authorities would some day give the permit to re-open the pharmacy, it will never be the same, because the spirit is gone forever. The reason for the closing up is actually the fact of it that today the pressure of the pharmacies to make huge profit is great and the action of running a pharmacy is strict controlled. Today we loose one more piece of special spirit of rural Finland and its communities. This happens all around Finland. Has happen slowly over the decades. The villages dye.

For these thank you cards I have used recycled deer figures from an old wall calendar, labels from a card kit and a very special wrinkled silver paper which was given to me by a very special friend from the big world. I love the silver paper behind the deer, it is like the air over the sea on a foggy day or in the snow storm. Why deer? We have deer around the village and woods. It stands for us all: the ladies and the villagers, me & Him and our children and grandchild. 

***

Thank you! Good bye! We all love you both!

Wishing you both all the best for the future!

❤❤

UpdatedHotWaterBottleCover

Years ago (10/2017) I made HotWaterBottleCover -tutorial. Now I decided to make a new cover for the same hot water bottle. For that I machine felt one of my oldest and dearest cardigans. This is the same cardigan I show you in Lint removing -tutorial 2016! I have bought this almost 30 years ago. It finally begins to look a bit worn out. Because I have made for me PolarBear and Wolf pullovers I finally put this cardigan in the laundry washing machine, set up with 90 Celsius degrees and 1400 rounds per minute. The result was exactly what I wished for. It was a bit exciting experience because it always really is a bit surprise what pops out.

The cover is included with a birthday card made of recycled (magazines) and some new materials. This is FashionNOW gift for a very special person: the mother of my grandchild. 

Cards

I have made few more cards. I used partly up-cycled materials. This card has a cut off from a magazine. It was a full page photo.

This card has the other half of the photo. I think both half parts are as pretty! I make cards for the environmental reasons and use as much up-cycled material as possible. But the other reason is financial. Cards cost a lot here in Finland. Usually at least 5€. When I do it myself I save at least 4€ per card, usually more. And they are unique and individual like the love ones to whom I make them!

This is a small card & gift that has started its journey to overseas. The card has a cut off from a magazine. The bookmark is from a kit that was included with a magazine I once bought.

The bookmark has a pretty tassel to decorate it. Mix and match seems to work just fine. I think a beautiful bookmark is a good gift. I always cherish and use the ones I've received.

I've found a treasure at our library clearance sale where they sell books they don't need anymore. I paid 0,20€ from this one. We have it already at our home library but I bought it for card making. It includes fabulous pages for up-cycling. 

This is an interesting birthday card for a person interested about dinosaurs and dragons; and who can speak Finnish. 😅

Graduations

I made two upcycled cards for this seasons graduation cards. This one is made of a chocholate advert on a magazine.

This card is made of two different old calendars. Old wall calendars are perfect material for scrap booking and card making!

HappyDays

I stitched Springtime getaway luxury card kit that came with Cross Stitcher Magazine (May / 2022, issue 382). Instead of making it to be a card I made a pouch of it. The pouch is my own design.

I used a beautiful bicycle fabric I received from a friend and have used it also for BackToSchool-bag. I also used labels specialized for me that I have received also from a friend of mine.

It has lockers inside and velcro fastening so it can secure small items in like credit card, coins, meds or anything small you need to carry with you.

I re-designed the card that came with the kit.

Valentine'sDay

In Finland we celebrate Valentine's Day as Friendship Day. Friends are important to our mental and physical health even we'd be the ones who love to be alone. 

This year I made few cards. The one above goes to someone who is a very special friend of our dog Pii. It has cut off picture from a magazine.

These two cards below are made of a DYI kit that came with a magazine. 

LilacBirthday

I used my Le Suh's Anna's Art horse themed 3D book to make one more card for YoungLady. The lilac back ground paper is from a commercial item. Immediately when I saw it I knew it is for Her birthday card. Always on Her birthday the lilacs of my garden are in full blossom. No matter is it early or late, they bloom always on Her birthday in my arctic garden. 

Watercolors

I bought Simply Cards & papercraft #237 magazine and did something I have not done in a decade -I think. In January I paint the 4 cards included with the magazine by the watercolors attached to the kit. I made several beginner level mistakes but hey it's been time since I paint with these! Here you can see my expression of the cards.

Calculating Cards

I have made several cards for the coming autumn season. One good way to give personalized cards is to make them by your self. Scrap booking materials are high cost but card making suits also for a small budget if you just look around and take the advantage of all that material that is available around you.

Just to mention, Finland is known its high costs and prices. One greeting card cost at least 5€ in Finland. Well, a cost of one card base is just 0,20€ so it makes sense to make your own cards also for the budget reason. But, also to recycle and save the planet Earth.

This birthday card has both background paper and galloping deer paper taken from an old wall calendar. The total cost is 0,40€ when counting in the adhesive tapes.

Green background paper is old origami paper given to me as left over. The pikes are from an old wall calendar. The total cost is 0,40€ when including the adhesive tape and origami paper.

The orange back ground card boar set over the green card base is from an old recycled chocolate box cover. The picture of flamingo is from a recycled magazine. Total cost 0,30€ includes also the adhesive tape.

This card total cost are higher than the previous ones because I used materials from a Papercraft magazine I bought. The magazine cost 10,90€ but makes at least 20 cards. The total cost is 0,55€ per card plus the adhesive tape so it makes 0,65€. Still saving the money but not the planet as it is not recycled card.

This card has both recycled and new materials fort he decoration. The Creek scene is from a recycled sweet box cover. The green stripe is from a Papercraft magazine. The total costs that include everything needed is 0,30€.

Again, materials from old wall calendar so the total cost is 0,30€. The old wall calendars really are like treasures. Can you spot the hedgehog hiding behind the kittens?

This beautiful scene & horse themed card has craft paper base on the back ground (the sand). Sea view paper is -again- from an old wall calendar. The picture of the horse is from an old clothing pack. Just take a look at all those packs you buy. Also they include great material for your card making. Total cost 0,35€.

This Harry Potter themed card doesn't have much Harry Potter labelled products. Only the sticker is actual and original Harry Potter product. Still, it is a left over sticker given to me but we price also it here like if I had bought it. Value 0,20€.

You can't see it on the picture, but the inside page of the card has yellow origami paper to include the shades red&gold of Gryffindor House. The origami paper is left over material given to me but we price it here. Value 0,10€.

Both scrap booking papers are brand new but from a no logo craft paper pack bought on sale. Value together 0,20€.

The card base 0,20€ and the adhesive tape 0,10€. That all makes total cost of  0,80€. Not a lot as it is a Harry Potter greeting card. 

This card has both recycled and brand new materials. The text and teddy bear from recycled tea packs. Total cost 0,65€.

***

I made 9 cards. The costs are 4,05€. That makes 0,45€/card. If I had bought the cheapest possible card at shop that would have made 1€/card if extremely lucky bargain on sale. Still, I would have wasted the same time as such bargains doesn't pop out easily. Not to mention energy and gasoline.

Saving is at least 0,55€/card. Likely saving is at least 4,55€/card. 

I made 9 so that makes total saving 40,95€. Even in Finland you can buy a bag of food by that!

Card Ideas

I found more pics I've taken for you of the cards I've made but been too busy to post about them.  These pink cards are made of recycled new materials which had ended to a trash bin if not given to me instead. The Christmas cards are made of the scrapbook material I've bought from a sale. They all are from the previous winter and spring season.

HarvestSeasonCards

The harvest season is slowly arriving up to the north. I made this beautiful card by using the book described below.

I love our library that sells out just by 1€ the old books they don't need anymore. Children books are cheaper, just 0,20€. 

Also garden books include absolutely fabulous material for scrapbook and card makers! The pictures are professional and so delicious.

This 50th wedding anniversary card I made for my parents-in-law who celebrate their Golden Anniversary in July 2022. The couple on the card is from Fazer's Wiener Nougat chocolate box which is very traditional as is the company itself.

This card for high school graduation is made of brand new materials, though the note-card at top I've received from a friend for my crafting purposes. So, it is like recycled but not.

DearFoalCard

I made something very special for YoungLady's birthday. It is something very easy but important. I framed 2 pics of her with TheCat from her high school graduation day.

I included card and sweets. I made one more birthday card for YoungLady by using Le Suh's Anna's Art horse themed 3D book. Earlier I've made her SeaSideCard and DressageCard. The foal matches today's  theme because this is the first time she's having her birthday and not living at home anymore.

Recycled Items

Cards are excellent target to recycle commercial items. Also, cards are excellent way to tell your love ones you are thinking about them. This card has a picture from a garden magazine and a note from a tea pack wrap.

 

Also this card received its beautiful picture from the same garden magazine as the card pictured above.

This Cindarella themed card received its picture from a kids' bedding set wrap! The material for paper craft is all over you. It's is all free. Just open your eyes to see it!

Easter/Spring 2020

I just found pics of Easter/Spring 2020 cards which I had not posted here when adding few pics by then. You can seen them below. 😊