Homemade Recycled Envelopes and Little Guy's First Walk

I thought I would share a couple of the envelopes I mentioned yesterday, for the ones I made I used the T.V section out of a paper we were given. We were given lots of papers due to the puppy needing them for his house training, some of the pages were quite colourful though so I thought I would nab those.
Now all I do to make an envelope is to place the card on the sheet of paper to get an idea where to fold, it's just a bit like wrapping a package really, just make sure you are neat.
It is also a good idea to position the paper so that the colourful bit will be on the front  but that might not be relevant if you are using just print or phone book pages. If you were using something like that and wanted to disguise it you could make a load at once and do some printing over the surface then let them dry.
So here are the ones I made...

Now I think they look much more fun than plain ones anyway. It is one of those jobs you could do with an eye on the T.V if you are worried about cutting into your relaxing time. That way you would be saving the pennies and the paper without hardly noticing, 

Here is quickly what I did. Lay out sheet of magazine or paper, place your card on top.

Fold your paper around the card to see where you need to cut.

Make folds on four sides of the card to see where you need to trim.

Trim so you have a flap up each side of the envelope, ensure the bottom folds up and covers the card, you can also fold the top of this to give a nice edge. Trim the top short fold with rounded corners and glue the bottom fold up. Leave the top fold you can stick that one when you eventually use your card.

My desk was a bit of a mess but I made something useful and quick.

Today also saw our little pup venture out for his first walk, I say walk but it was mostly carrying as he hasn't quite got the hang of it, and we didn't want to tire him out. 

It is getting chilly and he has very fine fur, that is why he is wearing a coat, my husband thinks we are being ridiculous (but he was shivering!) he is only young and probably wont always need one but for now he is just fine.

Interesting floor!

Birthday Cards Using Recycling and the Sad Waste of Paper

I always like to keep bits of colourful envelopes it seems such a waste to throw them away when you have opened cards. The same could also be said of any envelope really, all those bits of paper just thrown away, that could be used for shopping lists, paper for the children to doodle on or cut up and fastened together for note books to keep in your bag for odd bits you need to jot down.

As you may have gathered I hate waste,so while I have to watch tree after tree disappearing through the photocopier every day at work I try to be a bit more sensible with my use of paper at home, and not just paper we try to re-use  and make the most of our stuff.
I have a cupboard full of gift bags which are re-used at Christmas and Birthdays, any I am given are folded and carefully stored, as are ribbons, and any re-usable bits of paper.  We recycle clothes, at charity shop if we no longer want them, I often buy there also or on ebay, my children also sell on games or donate and they also buy used games for consoles etc.
There are a couple of birthdays coming up so I decided to make a couple of cards for that today. I know that places like hobby craft are full of pre-made card and envelopes and I have bought these when they are being sold off occasionally. More often though I will use what I have and that is usually what most people will have lying around.

So the white card was A4 size but then cut in half and folded now quite often there is a pristine piece of white card on the back of any birthday or Christmas cards you are given. Cut this away carefully and store, ribbons often come on boxes of chocolates, around blankets or towels or can be picked up at charity shops.

 Buttons I always save the spares that come with any thing and any clothing that cannot be donated or reused is de constructed and all zips, buttons and useful bits removed.

The silver and white background card in my cards was from a bath gift set I was bought last year it lined the bottom of the box! The pink paper I used to make the flowers was a used envelope, your name is usually in the middle so there is loads of usable colourful paper on birthday envelopes. If you are not very good at cutting your own designs you can go on line choose some images and make yourself some templates ( just remember to save them so you are not creating more waste!)

The buttons are from my stash of many odd buttons I just sew them on, silver pens come in useful for writing on your greetings and save on printing. I don't usually add further paper inside I just write the greeting straight onto the card.

Now these cards now need envelopes to fit, I will do these tomorrow, you can use colourful magazine pictures (use the free ones that get pushed through the door) or any paper big enough even saved wrapping paper just make a little label to stick on the front.  I usually find people like cards you have made because you put the time in. I have been a  bit behind on all my handmade stuff recently so I am on a real push now to get back into it.

There are loads of ideas out there for re-using paper, card, jars, jumpers etc. I will share more later.

Repairs, Cards and Books

Today I managed to get some jobs done despite spending all of my free time watching the new puppy. I repaired the sleeves again on a shirt, repaired a rucksack for my son and mended a hole on a pair of jeans.  Nothing amazing I know but they are jobs that have been sitting there and it is a relief to get them done as I nearly always put off starting anything for myself while ever there are other repair jobs sitting around.
I also made a Christmas card, yes just the one but it is still October. It is quite a basic tree one, but sometimes you want to feel like you have done something no matter how small to get the ball rolling and get you back into making stuff.  So that is what this was, I have  decided I am going to make them daily, not all the same of course and this way they will build up gradually.

Now the colours are much brighter but this is a night time photo so it looks quite washed out.

The card I bought last year really cheap after Christmas for something like 30p for 6 with envelopes. The tree is cut out from vinyl samples I was given years ago and I still have loads left, other bits are recycled paper, some stickers I got free with a magazine I was bought as a gift ( a craft magazine as a present from a friend)

So I have ideas now but it is getting the time to make them a reality, watching a puppy as many of you will know takes loads of time and energy, every sniff we have to rush outside to see if he needs to pee or poo, When my son is watching him he has only half an eye on him so accidents are happening more then, so much as I should make him watch him more (he is supposed to be his, I laugh) I don't want to delay his house training so it is more effective when I can keep catching him and talking him out.

I have seen some fabulous ideas on pinterest 

How gorgeous is that sewing machine cover, I also saw this one...

Now I hope these images last because sometimes I share and then find the image has gone. However if I do one thing this half term I think it has to be making myself a sewing machine cover like one of these.

I have a couple of new books on the go this week, one of them is fiction, The Loney

I have only just started this so will let you know how it goes. The other one is by Cesar Millan called How to raise the Perfect Dog ( hah! again I will let you know how that goes also.

Right I am going to try to be back tomorrow as I am determined to carve out a little time each day for making.