tag obsessed

I'm still crushing on kraft, vintage book pages and sewing, so bear with me. I was inspired by a post on my friend Alexandra's blog and actually stopped what I was doing and immediately proceeded to craft and create right then and there. My process is somewhat different, so I hope you'll stop by for a visit with her, but watch out...you'll be there a while.

I don't remember what it was I was supposed to be doing, but I will say that making this, and many more of them, rewarded me with lots of fun and time to be creative. I'm in love with this little project.

I began by using the scraps I trim from the art prints I sell in my Etsy shop. I'm not a hoarder, but the Velvet Fine Art Paper that I use for the larger prints has such a nice texture, I knew that at some point, I would find a use for those scraps. And guess what, they are 2.50 inches wide, just what I needed. So after trimming my scraps to 2.50" x 4.75", which is the traditional store-bought shipping tag measurement, I was ready to craft.

I stamped the outer front cover and added the punched circle to mimic a real shipping tag. I then trimmed graph paper scraps, yes more scraps, to size. I covered the inside of the shipping tag with a vintage book page for fun. Using my Mom's 36-year old Singer sewing machine purchased at Sears in Shreveport, LA, I sewed down the middle of the tag. The punched piece of kraft was made with my punch-of-the-moment: the EK Success Real Estate punch and I trimmed it down the middle only because I had already sewn the pages to the middle of the  mini. You could always adhere it before you sew, but it would make it a bit more bulky and perhaps difficult to fold in half.

I added another punched circle book page piece on the back side and set a grommet with my Crop-o-Dile. I strung the baker's twin through, knotted it and strung it through to the front cover of the mini.

Wondering what you might use them for?

• love note to tuck into your Sweetie's carry on or toiletry bag before he heads out of town {I like this one the best!}
• cute little place to write a "letter" that you include with a box of goodies to your BFF...just because she's the best friend ever
• package them into a set, in the cutest way possible of course, and have them on hand as a last minute gift idea
• carry in your purse as a little TO DO notebook for yourself...wouldn't it be fun to pull this out instead of the ratty old envelope you wrote your list on this morning?
• EDITED TO ADD: Zach just asked me what I was going to do with it and suggested that I should add "Tidbits About Me" inside. {You know your Mom's a scrapbooker when you, as a 19-year old young man, come up with ideas like these.}

Another quick look at the finished mini:

If you're not so inclined to make them yourself, I just happen to have sets of tag mini books for you. In the shop. Packaged in the cutest was possible {with glassine envelopes}. Of course. Just because I like you.

Take a look at what I did with more paper scraps...I created these gift tags and also this set of gift tags using SRM Stickers. Of course, I used Cappuccino baker's twine from The Twinery. You can find all 11 colors of The Twinery baker's twine in a colorful Sampler Pack for the unbelievable price of $20. You WILL fall in love with the colors first and the quality will knock your socks off...or your flip flops - depending upon where you live.