'WOYWW 2014/01/15 - Happy New Year Giveaway, Haul, Commission, Tutorial & Giveaway!

by Mary Lou 'LuLu' Haynes

Happy New Year to all,

I'm back with a lot of news.

HAUL
Here's my recent haul from a local Archivers scrapbooking store that, I'm sad to say, is closing next month.

Haul from Archivers store closing

 (ink pads, ink sprays, Distress stains,

SNAP & Brag Book photo albums,

 SNAP page protectors) - yeehaw!

COMMISSION
I just got a rush commission late  last week for a set of invitations - carte blanche to design, print and assemble, stuff envelopes, address and mail. When I get a rush job like this, I charge the client a 'rush' fee in addition to the project fee...

In progress assembly for 2 components of invitation commission.

I stamped and signed the back cover first.

 

 

Over the holidays, hubby and I went on a road trip to Paducah KY. We wanted to visit the National Quilt Museum (awesome and overwhelming) and also research real estate in conjunction with the artist relocation program Paducah offers to artists. Before we left I cobbled together a collection of custom Travel Valet Trays. Did not have time or money to buy valet trays - plus, store bought trays are all too heavy for my 'travel light' experiment. (I wanted to practice 'packing light' in anticipation of our trip to Paris - someday).

 

The first picture shows the Travel Valet trays I made from Duck tape and/or Shelf Liner Paper. They are connected using (scrapbooking) brads. (In the top left corner of the scoring board are box lids I made from folding squares of paper origami style  - as experiment samples. I decided to use duck tape instead of folded paper because of durability.

 

This tutorial is for the trays I created when we returned from KY after testing the duck tape trays.  The duck tape trays with brads took too long to assemble when we got to our hotel suite in KY. So upon our return to Chicago, I developed trays using inexpensive chopping mats (dollar store) which are flexible - attached with rubber bands that stretch. These trays can be opened flat for packing and setup quickly with a rubber band upon arrival at my destination. Eventually, I plan to adhere the PARIS pattern duck tape to the chopping mat trays!

 



Purpose of trays: corral chargers, jewelry, lozenges, hair pins/barrettes...

 

TUTORIAL - Travel Valet Trays



Paper (unused) and Duck Tape (used) trays -

 Prototypes

 

Chopping mat package (from DOLLARTREE - 2 for $1 USD) + 

completed Travel Valet trays

 

Top - Travel Valet tray (assembled)

Bottom - Rubber band +

 inside of Travel Valet tray (unfolded, disassembled)

 

Top - Travel Valet tray (assembled),

Bottom - Rubber band + outside/bottom of 

Travel valet tray (unfolded, disassembled)

 

Supplies:

1. Chopping mat (dollar store 'DOLLAR TREE' - set of 2 in package)
2. Scoring Board (I used Martha Stewart)
3. Bone Folder (included with M.S. Scoring Board)
4. Craft knife (I used Exacto)
5. Cutting mat (I used Fiskars Rotary Cutting mat)
6. Ruler (prefer metal edge)
7. Rubber bands - thin (office supply)
8. Scissors (I used Tim Holtz Tonic scissors)

Directions:

 

1. Place chopping mat, frosted/matte side up (that is, shiny side down), on cutting mat.
2. Using craft knife and ruler, cut a square or rectangle 2" larger than the size tray you want (most of mine were cut 5" square for final size of 3" square).
3. Place square or rectangle on scoring board, and using bone folder, score 1" on each of the four sides.
4. Using Tonic scissors, cut a 45degree angle into each corner from outside edge to scored edge.
5. Using Bone Folder, lightly fold and burnish lightly each side towards center.
6. Using Bone Folder, heavily fold and burnish each angle cut towards it's corner.
7. Cut a small triangle into the center of each of the folded cut 45degree angle corners. (This is the notch where the rubber band will secure the closed tray)
8. Attach the rubber band, starting from  from any corner, sequentially around the outside of  tray by sliding rubber band into each notch. (I also tried an experiment with elastics (from a scrapbooking website) but the elastics were too 'fiddly'. The rubber bands worked quicker to setup the trays)

Let me know if you try these Travel Valet Trays. They can be used at home, in studio too of course!

 

GIVEAWAY

Ends January 20, 2014. Please enter on Giveaway post with a comment - and spread the word!

 

Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment.

 

You can visit more artists ateliers at Julia's WOYWW site - click here.

 

Peace,

LuLu