lindambarrett

renew, reuse, recreate projects

Earth Day is on April 22; there are so many things one can do to turn something old into something new. Here, I've created these fun workshop projects the upcoming Crafter's Night Out at Paper Source.

 

(above photo by Emma Nunn)

These photos show how I incorporate recycled Cavallini Calendars for creating handmade envelopes and accented stationery. The envelope templates for making these are so affordable and easy to use - who doesn't love getting something this fun in the mail? Heck, even the mailman wpuld be jealous!

(photo by lindambarrett)

My favorite piece of designing the project had to be making the whimsical folio - cut & folded to fit the depth of your crafty-collection of cards and envelopes  - finished with string & button closure. Who doesn't love string & button closures?!

(photo by lindambarrett)

 If you've never taken one of our Paper Source workshops - we provide all the materials, supplies and tools - you just bring your imagination, some friends and enjoy the evening. People who register get to leave with a full stash of cards, envelopes, the folio, and a 10% coupon for shopping - plus tips and tricks for recreating this again & again! Here's to hoping to see you at a workshop sometime soon.

What do you have at home to renew, reuse, or recreate?

Cheers,

Linda

~love your life & do good!

 

 

the love of handcrafts: box making

Handcrafting is such a lost art. In so many ways we have become the culture of make it fast and cheap. While I understand the importance for both in the market place, when it comes to lovely gifts with the intention of longevity for keepsake value - than handcrafted gifts are what call to me.

I've found so much custom hand-work on the web that I simply adore (which I'll share tomorrow) and eveyone of those gifts holds a special memory of the exchange. With Mother's day coming up I decided to head down to my bindery (in my house) and craft some custom boxes intended for gifting to moms.

These little treasure boxes are intended to hold photos and notes worthy of viewing again and again. A nice friendly touch, as well as to hold the box closed, is this strong flaxen string to match my flax linen bookcloth.

I got the affordable box kits from work - at Paper Source and then used lokta paper printed with my drawings for making it feel one-of-a-kind. I did text with the cover and then did a seperate design for the side walls. I just love how they turned out!

If you visit the Paper Source site - you can see a quick video on how to mix PVA &Methyl-cellulose to make your boxmaking a breeze!

Cheers and let me know what you think.

love your life & do good!

Linda

 

i thought i'd share the image from my past/recent March paper source workshop. i had so much fun creating this personal journal sample for the class.

it allowed me a chance to print out those accumulated app-phone images, wonderful black & white shots of my nephews and niece that i took at the holidays - all worked into a collaged page turner in this wonderful zutter-wire-bound book.

"walk in nature" ~ a handmade photo diary

This book contains a wonderful collection of images from walks with my best dawg "wrigs". Her quiet companionship feels perfect on long walks in nature unencumbered by conversation, except by an occasional chickadee overhead.

nature study no. 2 ~ mini photo cards

After years of calming, quiet, playful and photographic walks at the Hollows Nature Preserve in Cary, Illinois, I've gathered a collection of images to share.

These wonderfully initmate cards with rounded corners (4 1/4"w x 2 3/4"h)  make me smile with the memory each one holds of my time wandering the shore lines or wooded pathways with my dog wrigley.

Many in the collection were captured on warm lazy summer weekends; cool fall mornings; wintery landscapes resting under frozen grasses.  I am so excited to use them as personal business cards, but even more thrilled to make playing card collections as gifts for friends ~ complete with these cool class fronted metal tins! (see below)

 

In truth, with hundreds of my photos accumulating now for a few years, I have been waiting to work these quiet images in with quotes I've been collecting over the years...and this is the project to bring them together!

 

Tell me what you think?!!

love your life & do good ~ linda

 

the Big R, a "clouds" book - and a donation!

My dad, Bob Barrett, was a pretty generous guy. He was always participating in some golf outing, donating to a fund raiser, or gathering with a group of friends to attend a charity that he knew was supporting a worthy cause or foundation.

When he passed away unexpectedly on October 15, 2008,  "THE BIG R",  as we fondly referred to him, left more than a huge void in our family - he left one with all who were touched by his generosity.

Knowing he would want us to continue to do our part to give to those in need, we decided as a family, to create an annual golf outing and do some fund raising towards a few of our favorite organizations, all in his honor!

Since not everyone can make it to the event this year (on July 24, 2010), I have created a limited edition handmade book, with 14 pages/photographs, titled “Clouds” for $20. The intention here is that for those wanting to buy a book - the money will go directly to the fund (and to the charities listed on the website).  What could be better - buy a book for $20 and it all goes to charity!!  There are only 30 copies available - 15 have already sold - so if you are interested please contact me asap!

 

 

 

you can see more images here on my facebook album

Any one interested in a book/s, please notify me at lmbphoto@aol.com.
Please make the checks for $23.20 (which includes the cost of postage) - payable to: Robert M Barrett Memorial Fund-Trust__9611 S. Muirfield Dr. Village of Lakewood, IL 60014.  I will be posting the book/s in the mail, approximately 2 days after receipt of your check, along with the tax donation thank you.

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” John Wesley

Thanks for all your support!

xoxo Linda

"clouds"

Clouds!

  
yes, with all of the crazy amounts of rain we've been having lately, the clouds have been remarkable.

the storms have been a light show, and the lapis blue against the billowy whites of the clouds is simply electric! 

i felt so inspired by them after my visit to the conservation lake with wrigs that i decided to make a small booklet in honor of the clouds.

i think i'll try to make about 10 of these and have them as part of the raffle/auction items (maybe about $20 ?) for our annual fundraiser in honor of my dad "The BIG R" - (we raise money for the Paul Newman Hole in the Wall Camp for kids & the Scleroderma Foundation to name a few).

the pages of the booklet has text written in a vector program so i can create the edition. pages measure 5"w x7.5"h. Take a look at a few of the pages and let me know what you think...

 

 

i'll probably reproduce them on white paper so the colors can pop a bit more, but this was fun!

cheers,

linda

one of the things i love most about my job at paper-source, is getting to design new products - especially new kits!
i feel fortunate to have the ability to combine my love of craft while inventing workshops - providing such great potential to share so many tips and techniques all at the same time.
 
it's been awhile since the orginal drop spine box kits i designed (so many years ago) came out, and given that i've always loved making frames, it seemed only logical to try to invent something for those fellow gluing and bookbinding types - with a handmade frame kit in mind.

i especially dreamt of the day when all the pieces would be pre-die cut..no measuring, no cutting, no hassels! we'll hallelujeh - this sans board cutting project has finally arrived - while the kit won't hit the streets until the fall - the die came early enough for me to create a workshop!

http://blog.paper-source.com/stores/picture-this-handmade-frames/

if you get a chance, check out this new project -- sorry for the short notice-- we have it as a new class running tomorrow nationally, but last minute sign-ups are always welcome. so fun!

tell me what you think.

cheers and happy gluing!
linda

kelly's birthday - "wishing you enough... book"

i am completely enjoying the experience of making these birthday books for friends...dinner is at 6:30pm - the covers won't be done -  i think she'll be okay waiting for those. 

i have to tell you having those deadlines makes for some great 6 hour focused creative time to add a few more pages to the collection - in the end i am pleased with how the pages developed in the book!

 

i love this one - i copied the pages written by our favorite abbie graham - that have to do with "Coffee" and added them here...

we did a hike in the mountains near NC and hit a 8 mile up hill (after 5 hours)

- no water left- it was called the "dismal trail" enough said!

this is a woman who knows how to do halloween!

 

 

we -my brother mike, kelly, matt and i - having a magic weekend - time slowed down.

happy birthday kelly k!

friends are so good to have in the world...

love your life & do good.

LMB

wishing you "enough..."

this is the next book series i am working on, or have been for some time...intending to build upon this as a collaboration.

this book is titled

"wishing you enough..."

here are a few of the pages. (it is intended to inspire a friend for her upcoming bday)

the book has a few images still remaining to be filled in, but the intention is  to provide a thought or a "wish of enough" for each month - 12 pages - for the year.

 

 
each page is intended to reflect ideas, drawings, pasted objects, etc, which represent

something you might wish someone enough of in life. 

let me know your thoughts...

love your life and do good!

~linda