iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts: Pulp Fiction Thank You Cards

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iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts: Pulp Fiction Thank You Cards
Copyright Margot Potter
"These are your grandmother's crafts, ya gotta problem with that?"

The glitter has faded, the confetti swept away and it's time to start a new year filled with possibility. It's also time to take a moment and thank your friends and family for the lovely gifts they sent. What better way to say, "Thank you" than these Retrofabulous Pulp Fiction cards? The covers are scanned from my collection of ephemera, you can easily find similar books on eBay. I dragged them into Photoshop, color matched the fonts and added some new words to the mix, sized and printed and layered them with coordinating scrapbook papers and cardstock. Tulip Glam-it-up metallic crystals on the corners were the perfect touch of dimension. My first attempt to frame them with glitter was not so fab, so I started over. I've added coordinating sentiments inside. Aleene's AWESOME new glue dot tape runner made quick work of putting it all together.

Materials
Vintage patterned scrapbook papers (I used my fav Carolyn Gavin papers from K&Company)
Coordinating card stock
Tulip metallic Glam-it-up crystals
Aleene's Tacky Glue Dot tape runner
Aleene's Acid Free Tacky Glue

Tools
Paper cutter
Bone folder
Ruler
Scissors
Chain nose pliers or tweezers

1. Use photo editing software to add sentiments.

2. Use Word or similar software to create sentiments for inside of cards.

3. Print. I printed my images at 536x774dpi 150 resolution. It's easy to drag these into publishing software and put them side by side for printing.

4. Cut out images. You are stacking them on a solid cardstock and a patterned paper, each one gets slightly larger. I eyeballed using a paper cutter, you can measure them at 1/4" increasing margins, mark and cut.

5. Fold your card stock, crease with bone folder and cut off 1" from bottom.

6. Layer images starting with patterned paper which is straight, solid card stock on an angle and image straight. Use Aleene's Tacky Glue Dot Runner Tape to attach to card.

7. Cut out a sentiment, add a slightly larger coordinating cardstock paper frame, layer and attach to inside of card on an angle using tape runner.

8. Squeeze out a small amount of Tacky Glue. Use tweezers to careful pick up crystal, dip back in glue (don't over do it here) and attach to corners of image on card. Press gently with finger tips.

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Christmas Craftabration: Bedecked Holiday Stocking!

Madge and Her Retrofabulous Christmas Stocking!

Better Homes and Gardens 1966 Christmas Helps (Note the doodle someone did on the candle flames back in the day...hee.)

The stockings are hung...inspiration from BHG 1966 Christmas Helps

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts
Vintage Inspired Christmas Stocking
Copyright Margot Potter
"These are your grandmother's crafts™...ya gotta problem with that?"

Ho, Ho, Happy Holidaze! It's time for another Retrofabulous Christmas Craft project inspired by the crafts of yore! Huzzah! This project was inspired by a simply lovely set of burlap stockings from a 1966 Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Helps magazine. I used a pre-made wool felt stocking and some vintage inspired trim and within moments (and without a sewing machine) had a simply fabulous stocking with a little help from Aleene's Fashion Fusion products! We have a brand new The Impatient Crafter video coming with both the stocking AND the gift tag project (featuring Aleene's AWESOME Dry Adhesives) included...so stay tuned!

Materials
Fabric Christmas Stocking with plain folded top
Ribbon trim thick enough to fit top of stocking (mine was 2.5" and from a big box craft chain)
Fuzzy trim (I used wired trim from a big box craft chain, but you can also use faux fur here)
Beaded tinsel trim (you could also use pearl swags or any similar trim, mine came from a big box craft chain)
4 red tinsel pom poms
Aleene's Fashion Fusion Glue Pen
Aleene's Fashion Fusion Peel and Stick Tape
Aleene's Fashion Fusion Peel and Stick Sheets (These can be used in place of tape)

Tools
Scissors (mine are Fiskars holiday themed scissors)
Ruler

1. Begin by measuring, cutting and applying your thick ribbon to the top of stocking. The ribbon will overlap in the back, be sure to leave enough to fold so you don't have the end exposed, this will prevent it from fraying. Use the tape or the sheets to attach. The handle of your scissors can help as you press the tape or sheets down to create a strong bond.

2. Measure and cut a length of fuzzy trim to fit around top of stocking. Use tape to adhere.

3. Measure and cut your swag, my stocking was 7" and the swag was 14". Remember to leave space between swags for pom poms.

4. Place swags under the cuff of your stocking, use glue or tape to adhere stocking cuff over swags and secure them in place.

5. Use glue or tape to adhere your pom poms. Depending on the porosity of your fabric and how much of the glue it sucks up, you may need to use Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue!

Bonus project on video...coming soon!

6. Use a vintage card to make a matching gift tag...stay tuned for the video!

Retrofabulous Craftabration: Upcycled Holiday Gift Box

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Retrofabulous Upcycled Holiday Gift Box Copyright Margot Potter for iLoveToCreate 2011
Inspired By:

Images Copyright McCall's Magazine

(Anyone who knows me knows that I love all things retro. I have been thrifting since I was 19 and have a rather large collection of old paper. I have post cards and magazines dating back to the Victorian age and all the way up to the 1970s. I love old fonts, ads, images...it is all intriguing and wonderful to me. I did a series on my blog called Retrofabulous Craftabration a couple of years ago and now I’m teaming back up with the folks from iLovetoCreate to bring you a dose of retrofabulosity on the first and third Monday of every month.)

Retrofabulous Craftabration: Upcycled Holiday Gift Box
Margot Potter for iLovetoCreate

This project was inspired by a 1968 McCall’s Christmas magazine. They took old shoe boxes and upcycled them into festive holiday gift packages. How funny are these?! Also, whatever happened to that awesome thick yarn?!  It totally makes me want to make pom poms and hair bows!  Note to self: get awesome super thick yarn....stat.

To update this idea, I used some scrapbook paper, sparkly trim, a sentiment cut from a vintage greeting card, odds and ends from the studio and a favorite vintage pic from a 1964 calendar combined with the new Aleene’s paper craft friendly dry adhesive glues to create a kitschy upcycled package. This is a great way to reuse old boxes and to give a gift a fellow crafter can use for festive storage in their studio. You can use wrapping paper, fabric, scrapbook paper, newspaper, magazines, catalogs...add paints and dimensional embellishments... I’d love to see what you do with this idea, if you make a retrofabulous inspired upcycled package leave a link in the comments here!

Materials
Image (I scanned and sized mine)
Old sturdy box
Paper or fabric (I used scrapbook paper)
Trims
Embellishments (buttons, beads, old broken jewelry bits...)
Aleene’s Tacky Line Rolls
Aleene’s Tacky Dot Singles
Aleene’s Quick Dry Tacky Glue
Aleene’s Tacky Double Stick Sheets
Tulip Beads in a Bottle Glitter Paint (I used pink to coordinate with my papers)
Double sided craft tape

Tools
Scissors
Pencil
Decorative edge punch (optional)

1. Select a box-it should be sturdy enough to be used as a gift package and later as storage. Begin by covering the box with paper or fabric. I traced the box panels on paper, cut paper and attached the sheets to each panel using Aleene’s Double Stick Tacky Sheet. Just attach sheet to back of paper, cut to fit and then peel backing off and adhere paper to panel on box. I covered the entire box.

2. To hide the corner edges where papers meet, use decorative trimp. I ran double sided tape along each edge, and attached the trim folding it along both sides of the edge.

3. Add an extra layer of trim on each side of the edges. Measure trim to fit and cut. Place along the Aleene’s Tacky Line and cut glue to fit. Peel up trim and attach to box. You will need to put trim along all of the edges on all five exposed panels. I used two styles of trim, one for the side panels and another for the top panel.

4. If you want to add more paper embellishments to the top of the box, attach them using the Aleene’s Double Stick Tacky sheets. I added an image and also a decorative trim using coordinating paper and an edge punch. This also gave me a place to tuck a sentiment that can be removed later.

5. I had some wooden scrapbook embellishments that coordinated with the project and worked perfectly to conceal the four corners where the trim met on the top of the box. You can use buttons, old jewelry components, scrapbook embellishments, bows...whatever you like. Just one Aleene’s Tacky Dot Single does the trick.

6. I like sparkle, so I used a thin schmearing of Tulip Beads in a Bottle in pink on the background paper on the top of my box. You could also use Collage Pauge in Sparkly to get the same effect. While it is drying the paper will bubble up a little, do not freak out. It will flatten again, I promise!