T is for Tags (+ Life Update)

Hi, tea fans!  It has been a long time since my last post.  I can assure you, though, that I have been drinking lots of tea since last we visited.  In fact, I even attended a tea appreciation event hosted by Minnesota-based retailer Tea Source.  I found out that Tea Source offers flights on Tuesdays, and I couldn't resist trying one (pictured below).  All the tea was yummy, but my goodness, that is a lot of tea for one person to drink.  Next time I plan to bring a friend to help me drink all that tea.

I had all sorts of goals and plans for how I would use my free time once my university course ended.  Life interfered, in the form of illness (a sore throat for me, ear infections for the rest of the family).  So, I have not been up to much lately.  However, I did accomplish one of my goals: I completed my 2014 family scrapbook!  It's always exciting to finish a big project.  I looked through the album to see if there were any pages I could share for tea day, and I came upon this Valentine's Day page.
 

Supplies: cardstock from Neenah Paper; flair badge & bokeh paper from Lawn Fawn; title sticker from Bo Bunny: hippo paper from Imaginisce; border sticker, labels, tabs, & enamel shapes from October Afternoon; pen from Zig; ribbon & calendar sheet from my stash; household stapler.

I have been obsessed with tags lately, and I used a tea tag as an embellishment on this page.  I also cut the side panel from the Valentine chocolate box that my husband gave me and upcycled that into a tag as well.

So that's what I have been up to lately.  Now I am off to see what is new with everyone else.  See you soon!

Keeping in Touch :)

Hi, everyone!  My continuing ed university class is over.  I got an "A"--yay!  And now I'm ready to return to the real world.  Blogging is the real world, right?  :)
 

Supplies: patterned paper from Basic Grey; die cuts from October Afternoon; heart stickers from Creative Memories; label from Avery; ink & snail stamp from Hero Arts; pencil from Faber-Castell; pens from Zig; origami paper from Sanrio; washi tape from Scotch 3M; assorted stationery scraps from my stash.

While I was busy with my class, my free time was somewhat limited, but I did do little projects here and there.  One mini project that I got into was the sending of "pocket letters."  I am an avid letter writer anyway, and when I heard about pocket letters, my mind was blown.  This was a way to combine two of my favorite hobbies--scrapbooking and letter writing!

Supplies: woodgrain patterned paper from Paper House; urban patterned paper from Basic Grey; decorative tape from Scotch 3M; pen from Foray; assorted clippings & scraps--be sure to check out Minnesota poet Ed Bok Lee's web site.

I have written three pocket letters so far, and I created a theme for each one.  The one that you see above went to a friend who loves poetry and quotes.  The one below is for a sci fi-loving friend.

Supplies: spacey patterned paper from Bo Bunny; fussy cut star cirlces from Authentique Paper; fussy cut word bubble from Lily Bee; word & label stickers from October Afternoon; pen from Zig; decorative tape from Love My Tapes; mini envelope & Angry Birds stickers from my stash; Dr. Who printables from <http://www.atypicalenglishhome.com>.

You see the pockets, but where is the letter?  Some pocket letter writers enclose the actual letter in a tiny envelope, which fits inside one of the pockets.  However, I just wrote my letters on the backs of the cards.  That way each recipient can read her letter without the bother of having to remove anything from the page protector.  (I used baseball card holders for my page protectors.  They trifold to fit into a standard #10 envelope, which makes them perfect for pocket letters.)

The tiny envelope in the sci fi letter contains a DIY paper Tardis model.  Any Doctor Who fans in the audience can download their own here.

Some pocket letter writers think up clever gifts--such as sticker strips, tiny bobbins of ribbon, and shaped paper clips--to enclose in each pocket.  So far, I have not been that great about coming up with enclosures, but I am certainly having fun using my scraps to decorate each pocket.  Hope you enjoyed seeing my pocket letters; I am certainly enjoying making them.