The Memories in Cork Boards

Cork boards made from old wine corks is not a new craft, but I found something quite noteworthy about them when I was constructing my own. After constructing the cork board using an old wood frame I picked up at a thrift store and corks I have saved throughout my experiences, I realized that my cork board was full of memories of events in my life. The day I graduated college, my first dinner at my new home, great dinners and recipes with people I love, the big summer party, and the list goes on. So, I am mentioning this craft idea to y'all not just because it is great decor to adorn the walls of your home, but also because it can provide you with lots of memories. It does not require more than a frame, cardboard, hot glue, and quite a lot of corks. I even used champagne corks. If you are interested in detailed instructions, let me know via email or the Facebook page.

Save those corks!

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Upcycling/Repurposing Projects!

In between making doll clothes, I've been making paper products or doing other small sewing projects. All items typically involve some form of repurposing or upcycling. Below are some paper products and/or items for the home that came out of my creative endeavors. I've mentioned repurposing paper products for cards before and below are some cards made from an old 365 day calendar on pin-up women. Next, I made a sleeve for memo books out of scrap fabric and old embroidery thread. I thought it would spice up that boring book for notes I carry around in my purse.

The frames with "Love" or "Megann" in them are small frames (often picked up at a second-hand store) with a piece of scrap fabric and your choice of cross stitch word using embroidery thread. It makes a darling little accent on a countertop or shelf.

Lastly, the rose paintings. Made of 100% recycled paper, these little artworks are painted silhouettes of flowers that can be easily framed in a set. If you are interested in making paper, send me an email and I'll let you know the details.

Happy creating!

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The Art of Home Taking Off

It's been a while. I've started a new local sewing group, The Art of Home Sewing Guild, and we have been having tons of fun! We are an eco-friendly group inspired to make lovely items out of new and like new second-hand and remnant items (typically at least 50% upcycled/reused products). All of our products try to provide a green alternative for our homes to save our planet. Thus far the group has been doing quilting from of a variety of different fabrics I've collected that don't really work for doll clothes. Below are some pics of the quilts. It's a great way to use up fabric, but get something artsy and useful out of it.

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Discarded Books into Cards

After wandering through some second-hand stores lately, I've noticed there are a lot of discarded books in pretty poor condition and I wanted to give them a new life. My new repurposing project was to turn some of the illustrations in these books into new blank greeting cards. With the help of some other repurposed items, like fancy paper from other used greeting cards and envelopes, I took the old illustrations and added a little of my own flare to each card. I personally love the look of old meets new in these cards. This project is great for scrapbookers and a very affordable project for anyone. I recommend picking up some cheap young adult books at your local second-hand store for the illustrations. You might also start looking at paper you would normally just throw away in a whole new way. Ask yourself, can I use the paper in this [insert item here] for a greeting card?

It's cheaper than Hallmark and eco-friendly!

Some of the illustrations in the pictures above are from vintage books such as, "On Your Toes, Susie!" and "Shadow of a Bull."

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