Craftinbish

      Good morning my paper-loving friends. I have another upcycle project for you today. I call these specimen envelopes because they feature a clear widow like a slide with a "specimen" in the middle. I've had these envelopes in my stash for a while now. I love them so much, that I haven't been able to part with them. These would make a lovely addition to a happy mail for a pen-pal, a swap, or of course, tucked into a journal. I could also see these tied to the outside of a gift package with a note or a little something extra inside. So, let us get into it.        I used some pages from my German English dictionary for these envelopes. I got out my Gelli plate and swiped some Distressed Oxides onto it and misted it with water before I pressed my paper onto my Gelli plate. If you don't have a Gelli plate a regular craft mat or piece of laminated paper (or any non-porous flat surface) would work just as well. I used my heat gun to quickly dry my paper.

 Hi friends. I wanted to share a fun upcycling project with you today. I followed a YouTube video by Pam at The Paper Outpost for turning used greeting cards into journal cards for your junk journal. Not only is this very fun and easy, but it's also a wonderful way to give a second life to the beautiful notecards you may have from friends, pen-pals, and family members that you don't know what to do with. This idea could also be used to create postcards instead of journal cards.  So, grab your stash of received happy mail and pick out the cards with images that you like. I wanted to give all my cards an aged look, so after gluing some paper to the back of the card to cover up any writing I decoupaged some used tea bags to the front.  Once that surface was dry I collaged some images to the front of the cards. I distressed around the edges, front and back with some distressed Oxide in Vintage Photo.  I also stamped images around the

   Happy Saturday you lovely crafters! Just think, a whole weekend to work at your happy desk and create: cut, paste, spackle, paint, sew. . . .or whatever it is that you do to make jolly. I've joined a few swap-bot swaps that I'll be working on and sharing later. I also started an art journal that is strictly for the sake of creating with no "goals" in mind other than to express myself. If I'm being critical of it, so far, it's a hot mess. But, on to the current project I'm sharing.      These fun vintage guest checks are great ephemera for junk journals or a tuck-in for a pen pal who loves vintage items. I like guest checks because they remind me of the past. How often do you actually receive an old-school guest check like this in restaurants anymore? My guess is probably not often, as everyone is using thermal tape receipts these days and those aren't that great.  So, let me share my steps in creating these little dandies.  Tea dye your guest checks