Altered Shortbread Cookie Tin

Hi Everyone!! Gosh, I haven't made anything for this site for almost a week! Sorry about that. . .I've been busy working on a few things which have taken me away from my scrappy projects. Since I'm here. . .let's chit-chat! LOL! While I was altering this shortbread cookie tin, I was thinking about my blogging and crafting activities. Not many of my "real life" non-crafting friends and family in Hawaii are aware that I blog. It's almost like a secret activity that I do . . .

About six months after I started my blog, I had mentioned to a close friend that I crafted and blogged several times a week and sometimes daily since I became a SAHM and I've made a few "blogging" friends online. . .and she laughed and said "really?, how cute!" and I asked her what she meant by "cute" because it didn't really sound very "flattering"!! LOL! She said. . ."I never knew you to be the type. . .you know, the house wifey type that craft and blogged". I said "it's fun. . .you should at least try blogging " (she's not the crafty sort).

She then said "oh, no. . .I don't have the time to do thaaaaaaaat" (she works full time and likes to do outdoor activities). It almost sounded as if she was saying that I had a lot of time on my hands and I'm like some sort of bored housewife or something!! LOL!

Since then I decided that I won't really talk about it to others who don't craft or blog . .they probably wouldn't be able to relate or even understand the concept of blogging anyway.

Anyway. . now to my altered tin container. This was previously a shortbread cookie tin. I adhered designer paper on to the tin and decorated it with an eyelet lace, beads, and scrapbook embellishments. I think I'm going to give this tin box to my daughter. . .baby blue and brown is her favorite color.

Initially I wasn't going to add the lace but I saw it in a container and I think I bought it like 3 or 4 years ago so I decided to use it. How sad that it has been sitting in container for that long! LOL!

I added the photo of my daughter using the "K&CO" metal/decorative frame.

Anyway. . hope y'all have a fabulous Thursday!!

Project Details:

Paper: My Minds Eye

Accessories: CTMH Just Blooms, Prima Flowers, One-heart one-mind jumbo brad, K&CO frame, strand beads, Eyelet Lace

Altered Heart/Round Box Video and Written Tutorial

Click Here for the Written Tutorial

Hi Everyone!! I created a video tutorial on how to line a round or heart box using designer paper. There's a way to apply designer paper to round boxes so that they appear smooth with a nice finish. I also created a written tutorial of this project. I had created the written tutorial over a year ago. There is a slight variation to the video tutorial vs written tutorial but the same concepts apply.

I created this box for mementos and photos that I'll probably place on to my night stand. It makes for a nice bedroom decor while being functional at the same time. I covered my box using Close to My Heart designer paper "More to Adore". It's such a pretty paper especially for Valentines. To decorate the top, I added large prima flower, button, and a metal frame by Making Memories with a photo.

I don't have time to chit-chat but check out the video or written tutorial when you have the chance. It's pretty late right now and I'd like to go to bed. Hope you all have a fabulous day!!

CD Calendar Case Video Tutorial

Click Here for the Calendar template

Hi Everyone!! I created this CD case calendar today. It was super duper quick. I've been trying to find ways to use up my scrap designer papers and I thought this was a fabulous way to use up some of them.

The tutorial below is a tutorial I created for my Stampin Inspirations Club Site using Stampin Up materials but I wanted to create a scrappy one too. This version is a little different from the one in the video tutorial. Rather than putting all 12 months together on one panel, I separated each month and created a different panel for each month.

This is January's page. I primarily used Prima flowers to decorate it. I think I finished this page within 10 minutes. Gotta love it when it's quick.

Project Details:

Papers: Fiskar Cloud 9 designer paper, CTMH cardstock
Accessories: Making Memories daisy brads, Prima flowers, SU Photo Corner Punch





With February, all I did was run my Sizzix die and created the hearts, stuck it on to the designer paper and added the photo corner to top left. That's it. . .again less than 10 minutes. I'm working on March right now. I can't find my "spring" stack of designer papers so I didn't work on it.

Anyway. . .try out the tutorial. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!

Project Detail:

Papers: DCWV designer paper, cardboard panel backing from a scrapbook kit (hearts)
Accessories: Sizzix die, JoAnn brads, SU Photo Corner Punch

Treasure and Explore Altered Box

Hi Everyone! Here is a "treasure box" that I created today. I basically altered a "Kraft Box" and I plan to fill it up with little treasures . ..you know, mementos such as little trinkets, post cards, letters, etc. The size of the box is 4.5 x 6.5". The box design already has a special treasure on it. The "Baby's Breath" on the ribbon and the flower came from a bouquet of flowers that my husband gave me for our anniversary this year.

To create the box, I adhered "Deja View" designer paper on to the box and the coordinating chipboards. I then added the ribbon, Prima flower, button, and Baby's Breath. That's it. . . .it took about 1/2 hour to make this altered box. Sheesh, it was faster than making a card! LOL!

Here's a close up of the Baby's Breath. The button is a wood button that I found at a garage sale. A lady was selling a large bag of these brand new, still in the package buttons in various designs and sizes. There were at least over 50 packs of buttons and she sold it to me for $3.00. Oh my gosh, it was a steal!!

She initially was going to sell it to me for $5.00 and I was standing there inspecting what was in the plastic bag. . .I guess long enough for her to think I was going to walk away so the lady suddenly said, you can have for $3.00. I was going to buy it for $5.00 but hey, considering she insisted, $3.00 sounds good to me!! I didn't even need to bargain with the lady! LOL!

This is the top of the box! Nothing much else to it. . .

Here's another close up of the top of the box. I really like how it turned out especially because I had added the Baby Breath from my pretty anniversary bouquet. It makes it special.

Hope y'all have a wonderful Friday!!

Thanksgiving Decor - Altered $1 Wood Cut Outs

Hi Everyone! I saw a few raw Thanksgiving wood cut outs at JoAnn while I was standing in line to pay my stuff. You know, the $1 wood cut outs that are near the registers. These are the ones that has the cheapy markers for little kids to color with. I thought. . .hmmmm. . .I could do something with these raw wood decor. Besides, they're only a dollar and if I screw up, I won't feel too bad! LOL!

Anyway. . .I painted the wood with acrylic paint. What I thought was going to be an easy project turned out to be a little bit more complicated. I could have colored the wood a flat color but I didn't think it would look nice so I had to layer the colors and give them a bit of texture. It was also difficult to color within the lines because acrylic paint tend to be quite thick and if you remotely color the outline. . .well, it gets covered up. In the end, it was quite therapeutic to sit and paint these wood decor.

You can't really see it in the picture but the layers of paint in different colors actually has a bit of texture and the layers of colors show up better in person. Anyway. . .this will make for a great Thanksgiving decoration. Don't you think?

Well, I hope y'all have a wonderful Labor Day tomorrow!!

Thanksgiving Box

Hi Everyone! Looks like it's a close race between "discontinuing this blog" and "it doesn't matter". I'm trying to figure out a way to merge my posts on Card Inspired on to Stampin Inspirations. If I can find a way to do it, then I'll maintain only Stampin Inspirations and start posting only on that site. I'll work on it when I can find the time. Right now, I'll continue to blog on this blog site for my scrappy projects!

Whoohoo! Check out my Thanksgiving box. I am so proud of my self! Why? Because I actually created something different. I haven't altered a box like . . .forever, so creating this box was so much fun. Actually the box was so easy and quite fast to create. I had this Kraft Box for several years and believe it or not, it sort of sat in my drawer. I just never got around to using it.

Another thing I'm proud of is that I made a "holiday" box. I am ahead of the game this year! LOL! Last year, I was so behind that I was rushing to make things and I wasn't really happy with what I was creating. I also was starting to feel overwhelmed and disappointed that I didn't start sooner.

Nothing much to this box. I just glued designer paper to the front, tied a big ribbon around it, distressed the corners and edges of the box, and added a tag, Prima, and Autumn Leaves. That's it! This box is actually quite large. . .it measures 9 x 4 x 4".

Box Details:

Paper: DCWV Designer Papers, Autumn colored cardstocks (unknown)

Accessories: Wired ribbon (unknown), Plaid ribbon (Basic Basic), K&CO Autumn Die Cuts, Prima Flowers. Tim Holtz Distressing Ink, Heidi Swapp Distressing Tool

Altered Notebook

Hi Everyone~ I decided to do something different and alter a notebook. I haven't altered a notebook for a while now so I decided to work on. All I did was adhere the CTMH "Silhouette" Level 2 paper on to the bottom half of the notebook. The notebook already had a pretty print on it but it wouldn't be "my" work if I didn't cover it up a little. To finish up the notebook, I added the ribbons and the prima flowers. It took about 20 minutes to complete the notebook.

Nothing much else to this simple project! I don't have much to say today. . .I have to cook dinner in a few minutes so I just want to finish up this post.

Hope y'all are having a wonderful evening!

Altered Tin - Recipe Box

Hi Everybody! I worked on this altered container yesterday. I bought a bunch of Christmas tins that were on sale at JoAnns for 70% off. They were all between 50 cents to 89 cents. Seriously!! The problem with the tins were that they were already designed with Christmas prints and colors and my purpose of buying them were not for Christmas but for other purposes.

Unlike tins that are just plain silver colored, these had to be altered in the real sense of the word. The rims and cover were green so I had to paint the rim and part of the cover with acrylic paint and seal them with modge-podge so it won't chip off. The plain silver tins are easy to work with because the rim of the container is silver therefore it don't have to be covered with paint or paper.

This is the front of the container. I modge-poged the designer paper over the tin and added embellishments.


This is the top of the container. I used Autumn Leaves designer paper which is only one sided. I hate using double sided designer paper for altering because it's such a waste of beautiful patterns on the other side of the paper.


This is how the container looks when closed. The size of the container is 4 1/4" x 6" x 4 1/4" . If the container was 1/4" wider, I could put handmade cards in this box but unfortunately, it's a tad small and an envelope cannot fit into the container.






I added dividers by cutting up thin chipboards. It's half filled because I haven't added any recipes as of yet.










Here are file dividers which I covered with the Autumn Leaves designer paper on both sides of the chipboard. I used the SU Label Punch to create the tabs and cut out cardstocks to attach or write my recipes on to.

Project Recipe:

Paper: Autumn Leaves, SU Cardstock
Accessories: Ribbons (don't know the brand), Target Large Prima Flowers, JoAnn brads, Craft Robo die cut alphabets, SU Label Punch, SU Brilliant Blue ink, Making Memories Cornflower acrylic paint, Modge-Podge

Accordion Album with Box - Chicago Trip

Good Morning Folks! Whew. . .I finished this project yesterday. It was a bit painful but it came out okay. I had a few problems altering the tin box.

JoAnns had a 70% sale on Christmas items and their Christmas tins were less than a dollar so I bought a WHOLE BUNCH of them. Craft tin boxes are expensive and I have a problem altering a plain silver tin box that cost several dollars. . . some running over $5.00 especially the larger ones.

Anyway. . .I altered the tin box with modge-poge and designer paper. After I was done, I accidentally tore the designer paper because it wasn't completely dry so I had to redo it. It was so frustrating.

This is the accordion album inside the tin box.

Album materials used:

Paper: Autumn Leaves designer paper, SU Cardstock Cranberry Crisp, Marigold Morning and Black
Accessories: Marvy Daisy punch, Black Buttons, Embroidery thread, Memory Boutique stickers, JoAnn metal tags, SU Hodge Podge hardware, Making Memories Acrylic Paint, Sizzix scallop tag die

I've been looking at different designs of scrapbook albums on 2 Peas and most of the projects are so busy looking so I decided to create a busy album.

As a cardmaker, I need to get over the uniformed look of cards and step into a scrapbookers mindset. I noticed that scrapbookers use lots of colors, textures, embellishishments. Many projects are very hodge-podge looking. . .you know. . .rarely uniformed or even symetric. I have a lot to learn.



Anyway, this is the front of the accordion album

This is the album opened up. The pictures are of my kids taking funny pictures of themselves while we were riding the trolley in Chicago.

Our trip to Chicago was one of my favorite trips. Chicago is such a fun city. I loved it. I hope one day, I'll be able to visit Chicago again.

Altered Christmas Containers

Hey Everyone. . .lately I've been having a blast altering containers. I worked on these containers this morning. Why buy coordinating Christmas containers when you can make them yourself? All together, it cost about $2.00 to alter all of the container. I used a total of 4 scrapbook paper, 2 sheets of cardstock and a few feet of ribbon. That's all.

I bought these tins for 25 cents each at a garage sale this weekend. I believe they contained cookies and other stuff. I think the seller was surprised that I asked if she had more of them and probably wished she didn't throw away her containers. Unfortunately, she had only 3 of them.

The other day I stopped by Big Lot and small to medium tins were from $1.50 to $3.00. I decided to hold off on buying them because they were too pretty to alter. What's the point of altering a tin when the container is already pretty.

The garage sale tins were pretty but my goal was to alter them so the design on the tins didn't matter to me. I just wanted them to be cheap. Ha!

Anyway. . .here's what I did with the containers above.

I used Provocraft Holiday Collections designer paper, SU Wild Wasabi and Real Red cardstock, Organdy and green metallic ribbon, and created the scallop circles using my Craft Robo and SU Scallop punch. I added the dots using the Sakura Souffle opaque pen.

It took about 30 minutes each to alter each container.

These containers previously contained trail mix snacks. My husband have been saving them for me. Remember last month when he threw all of the containers that I've been saving not realizing that I wanted to keep them. Well, he felt bad about it so whenever he comes across empty containers, he saves them and ask before throwing them away.

Here are the containers altered. Try it out. . .it's REALLY fun seeing what you can make from something you would typically throw away.

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Altered Wood Blocks - Zen

Hey Everyone! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday! Gosh, Friday and Saturday were very busy days! Not once did I have a chance to sit down to create something. We got up early to drop off my kids to the school for a Key Club Rally that was held at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The rally was to benefit the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and they raised some money for the cause! Whoohoo! While my kids were away, my husband and I ate out for breakfast early in the morning then went shopping for a fireplace for our outdoor living space. We finally decided on this very pretty fireplace . . .it has a sitting area, lights, and even an area to store your wood. It should be in place in 2 weeks. I'll take a picture of it when it's completed. I can't wait to sit out in our backyard at night and cozy up near the fire. We can cook marshmallows and just hang out after we BBQ.

Anyway to Zen up my craft room. . .I altered the wood alphabet blocks using designer paper by DCWV, sanded the edge and applied distress ink to give them a shadow appearance. I wrapped organdy ribbon around them and decorated them with die cut flowers and buttons.

Until later folks. . .I need to go and eat lunch now!!

Altered Jars and Containers

Hi Everyone! I haven't posted any projects for this blog site for a few days. . .I've been busy working on cards for Angel's (Angelosity) Blog Candy for the past week which I posted primarily on my Stampin Inspirations blog site.

Last night I decided to do a few quickie projects and I mean quickie. It took less than 15 minutes each to alter each jar and container. All I did was wrap the jars and container with SU "Apple Cider" designer paper and added Prima flowers, chipboard, ribbons, and labels for each project.

Rather than buying containers at the store which can be quite pricey. . .save your jars and alter them. They make great containers for your embellishments and scraps.

The large jar was made using a Prego spaghetti jar which I use to store scrap ribbons. The other two jars stores embellishments.

I plan to do a few projects today for this blog site. If I finish them today, I'll post them this evening. Until later, folks!!

Altered Mixed Nuts Containers - Fall Thanksgiving Theme

Hi Everybody! For several months, I've been collecting empty plastic containers that originally contained mixed nuts and other snacks as well as soup cans. I had set them aside in the kitchen and last week, I noticed they were gone. They were great containers and I was planning to alter them to create decorated snack containers during the holidays.

I asked my husband where he had placed them and he said "oh, the empty containers?". . .I'm like "Yeah! The empty contaners!!!" He's like "well , I thought they were trash and I had thrown them away." WHAT! WHAT! "No way. . .did you just say you threw them away. . .you gotta be kidding me?". . .he's like "yeah, I didn't know that you wanted to keep them". OMG!! I couldn't believe it.. I'm really bummed out that he threw the containers away. I had grand plans for them.

Anyway, here are a few stuff I altered today. I found these two mixed nuts containers that still had the mixed nuts in them. It worked out in the end. I was able to alter something but it would have been nice if I had the empty ones.

I decorated the containers for the Thanksgiving/Fall Season and the soup cans shown above are for Halloween. Looking at the picture, I don't like how the Raffia looks. It looks messy but in person they actually look really nice because it has the essence of the Fall season. I created them really quickly. . .both within an hour. I'll make better ones next time.

If you want a closer look and details of the altered soup cans with the lollipops, visit my Stampin Inspirations blog site. I posted them on my other blog site because rubber stamping is involved.

If I can find other containers, I'll make more of these and come up with something a little prettier.

Until later, folks?

TIC #7 - Tuesday's Inspirational Challenge - Altered Art - Anything But A Card - Submissions and Sample

Hi Everyone! Check out the different submissions for this weeks TIC #7 - Altered Art - Anything But A Card Challenge! Honestly, I was beginning to think no one else but Monika was going to attempt it but these fellow crafters came through and decided to try it out!!

Hey here's one more submission. I'll be announcing the winner some time this afternoon. This lovely altered cocoa container is by Jen at "Angels of Hawaii". She decided to do a Christmas theme. . .good idea considering Christmas is right around the corner. Her cocoa container is a fabulous gift for Christmas! I love the different papers that Jen used to create her awesome can. . .as always, Jen made something really cool. Check out her TAC blog site for other great card creations and projects. Thanks Jen for participating in my challenge!


Check out Malieta's work of art! She decided to challenge herself further and create two projects and believe it or not, these were her first time to alter something! Wow, awesome! I can't believe it. I wasn't this good my first time. Nope, not at all! The picture to the left is a band-aid tin that Malieta decided to alter. Isn't it great. Be sure to scroll down to the next picture for her second altered project. For details on these projects, be sure to stop by her fabulous blog site "Life's Simple Pleasures" and give her a "holla"!!

Well, here is Malieta's fabulous altered notebook. Don't you just love the colors and all the beautiful flowers and ribbons. Malieta said that she had a major battle with Modge-Podge! Yeah, it can be a major mess to work with the glue. Apparently, Modge-Podge won and Malieta decided to use her Xyron to adhere the designer paper. Well, she did a fabulous job. Believe it or not, this is her first attempt in altering a notebook. Wow, impressive! I can't tell that it's her first time.

Thank you Malieta for participating in my challenge. You did a splendid job!


Hey check out Lindsay's altered photo frame. She said that is her first attempt to alter one and I can't tell that it's her first time. Can you? Nope, it looks like a pro did it! I'm so impressed by what everyone comes up with and believe me, I learn from every one of them. Lindsay, your altered photo frame rocks!
















Here is Lindsay's altered photo frame. I love the paper that she chose to decorate the frame. She did an awesome job. Thank you Lindsay for stepping up to the challenge! I really appreciate it.

Okay folks, check out Kathi's work of art! She decided to join in on the challenge and I'm seriously impressed by what she did with this plain ol' container. Imagine. . .typically, we would throw away the container. . .well, check out what Kathi did with it. Isn't it great! Kathi has a blog site called "Stamp Maniac". Be sure to stop by her blog site and check out the details of her altered container.













Here is the container altered into a work of art. Thank you Kathi for participating in my challenge and showing us what you can do with the container. Like the other participants, her work is top-notched and fabulous!








Wow check out Monika's Altered Art Gift Set!! Fabulous! Monika of "M.A.D Stamper" always and I mean always come up with such creative projects. Her work is so inspirational and I'm so glad she participates in my weekly challenges. I love seeing what she comes up with! Stop by her blog site and check out all her wonderful creations. You will surely be impressed!

Here is a sample "Altered Art" I created for this week's challenge. I'm always in need of containers to store my brushes and pens and altering soup cans are so economical. The cans are sturdy and great for storing things, Why throw them away and why buy containers when you can alter a can? Don't throw away your soup cans. . .they can be very useful.

Okay, gang. . .I would love to see your altered art. If interested in participating in this week's TIC #7, Click Here for the details.

Just a simple alteration of the can. I had a creative block but managed to finish this altered can. I wish I could have come up with something more creative but I'm so exhausted after working on the garage and yard today. I modge-podged the designer paper on to the can and added a doodle bug type of ribbon by Making Memories and added Prima Flowers. I always resort to Prima Flowers when I can't think of a creative design. It always works . . .you can't go wrong with Prima Flowers.

I have another altered project in progress. Hopefully, I'll have some time tomorrow to finish it up. I'll wake up early tomorrow so I can plant the rest of plants that we're transplanting from the front yard to the back. There's about 15 plants that needs to be transplanted. I can't wait to finish it up.