October 31, 2025 by Born To Organize

Halloween

It’s Halloween. One of my favorite times of the year. Our neighborhood draws a crowd (500 children at our door last year), a slow-and-steady parade of little ones starting around 5:30. This little guy gets a different kind of treat.

A squirrel stands near pumpkin scraps in a garden, surrounded by ferns and a tree.

Mike spent the day carving three magnificent pumpkins. It takes him hours, but he enjoys the creative process.

We attended a Halloween party on Saturday, renting costumes from Natasha’s Attic. I didn’t have the time or energy to create one this year, and that’s ok.

The Las Vegas party theme lends itself to many things. We dressed as 1920s mobsters, light on the mob part.

I stopped by my sister’s today and took pics of her wearing a witch’s hat, a gifted orange scarf, and a hand prop on her shoulder. We’re peas in a pod.

I bring out my collection of hand-crafted pumpkins each year. They have an international flavor, one sent as a gift from Cathy in Germany, another made by Randi, who hails from Norway, and the third, a gift from my friend Stephanie. I bought the velvet ones at a craft fair many years ago.

A collection of hand-crafted pumpkins displayed in a metallic bowl, featuring various colors and textures, including knitted and velvet designs.

It’s the creative fun of Halloween that I like the best. Making costumes over the years has always been a joy. It’s fun decorating, too. Making cards for Halloween is a more recent endeavor, and we once grew pumpkins till a nasty infestation of squash bugs put an end to that after two or three years.

A friend sold these cardboard haunted house kits earlier this year. It was a lot of fun putting it together, and a bit of kismet when I realized I had the perfect tray for it. The three figurines were a birthday gift this year. Can you believe how well they fit in?

I turned 66 earlier this month. On Monday, I’m having my left hip replaced, nine months after replacing the right one. I’m feeling my age. That said, my love of Halloween keeps me young at heart. If you celebrate, I hope that’s true for you, too.

October 28, 2025 by Born To Organize

Creating Cards with Vintage Postage

A friend passed on a fantastic collection of vintage postage stamps last year, and I’ve been slowly working my way through them. Some of the postage came loose in bags, while others remained attached to envelopes. I also received an album filled to the brim with postage from around the globe.

It’s time-consuming soaking the stamps in cool water and letting them dry to remove the paper and adhesive, so I’ve been soaking them in batches. Eventually, I made it through the entire collection. Now it’s all about the fun of making cards.

I have the equivalent of a shoe-box full of postage. It’s been fun hauling out the stamps when the mood strikes to make greeting cards and the occasional bookmark. I’ve sorted most of the stamps by color, though a few fell into themes like flowers, birds, airplanes, and even various Olympics.

Here are my atest cards:

Mike is a private pilot, a hobby he picked up during COVID. I enjoyed making him this card for his birthday.

My sister, Sharon, loves purple, so this card featured royal purple on the cover and a softer shade of purple on the interior. There had to be a cat, of course.

I made this ‘thinking of you’ card for a fellow gardener, using floral postage. These are some of my favorite stamps.

One of my favorite challenges this year is this teal card designed to emulate a bookshelf. I put a small frame around the owl to make it look like a picture on the wall near the “books.” The two shelves are cut from triangle-shaped postage.

For a bit of background, Kate, who blogs at Tall Tales of Chiconia, invites quilters from around the world to contribute a square or two for a fundraising quilt for the Trudy Crowley Foundation in Australia. Kate provides a clever theme and quilt title each year. She assembles the squares, adds a backing, and quilts the masterpiece. The teal quilt is donated and auctioned to benefit ovarian cancer.

I made this card for Kate using the same guidelines as this year’s “Tealing All Our Stories” theme. Please have a look. The quilt is gorgeous —treat yourself to a peek at the link above.

And finally, this autumn-themed card for my friend who gifted me all the stamps.

July 15, 2025 by Born To Organize

ScrapHappy for Paper: Cards and Craft Kits

I have several scrappy projects to share this month. I’ve been in the groove, so to speak. At the end of this post you’ll find links for other participants of Kate’s monthly ScrapHappy challenge.

First up, crafting kits for our Little Free Library. These kits are part scraps and part up-cycling.

It’s summer holidays here, so children are looking for things to do. I started with a stack of envelopes that I’ve had for years. I had ordered Christmas cards with our return address printed on the envelope. Instead, they mailed plain envelopes. Without any prompting from me, the return-address ones arrived the following week. All these years later, I still have a stack of unused envelopes, which led to the creation of these crafty card kits.

I cut half of the envelope flap and sealed it shut, then trimmed the other half and closed it with washi tape for a “secret compartment”. I folded the envelope in half, then cut scraps of yellow paper to use as the cover. I used one of my tag dies to cut the white paper, stamped it with black ink, and colored the image with markers as a sample, but left it for the crafter to color it themselves.

The second card uses the same envelope but with the flap at the bottom to make pockets. I cut three shapes for the cover and added an iridescent butterfly to the kit. I hope the children enjoy them.

Next up, a thank you card for my friend and neighbor. Val brought me a box of chocolates from the Big Island of Hawaii. I made her card using leftover glitter paper and the front of an envelope I would have otherwise tossed, with an island-themed vibe.

I embossed the paper to suggest water drops, with a special thank you to World Wildlife Fund for the complimentary gift wrap and a cool envelope for card-making.

Over the weekend, I created the following card using a prompt from a Facebook card-making group. Natalie is all about clean and simple cards with a lot of white background. She presents sketches to the group as a starting point, and we build upon them from there.

I used a textured white paper as a background, then cut circles from the patterned mailer. After applying green and orange oxide ink to a scrap of white paper, I cut the shapes with one of my dies. I had just enough of the remaining scrap to create a sliver-thin border.

Please join us with your scrappy, crafty creations by contacting Kate for more details.

Kate has provided these links for everyone who joins ScrapHappy from time to time (they may not post every time, but their blogs are still worth looking at).

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,

Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,

Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,

Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,

Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,

Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,

Viv, Karrin, Alissa,

Hannah and Maggie

June 21, 2025 by Born To Organize

Making Cards with Playing Cards

I’ve been playing around with different card ideas, inspired, in part, by an oversized deck of playing cards purchased at a hardware store. I don’t know why you would want to play cards with a deck this size; however, making cards from cards is fun.

I asked Sharon if she had a favorite number (three), and I knew she loved purple. It’s been her favorite for as long as I can remember. I had fun making her a card.

My friend Kristi’s birthday lands on August 4, and the color red floats her boat. This card was another fun challenge.

Finally, my friend and Pilates instructor loves pink and the number seven. I made a pocket for the card using velum, attached washi tape as a tab along the card’s top, and embellished it with various stickers and rub-on decals. I learn something new with each card.

Moving on from the playing cards, I’ve been challenging myself to use up these fabric-textured rolls of Washi tape. I bought two boxes with four different-sized rolls per box several years ago, but each roll has far more than you typically use. It lingered in a small bin for a while. I pulled it out of the drawer a few months ago and started crafting cards with the Washi tape as a focal point.

I backed the washi tape with paper, die cut three circles, then placed them on white card stock before embossing them with a subtle dandelion image.

A vertical stripe of butterfly Washi tape runs the length of the card. I cut a pink butterfly with a black silhouette and placed it on a subtle background.

This card went to a bird lover. I used an intricate die to cut the floral Washi tape, then placed it on a light blue background. The bird is a transfer from 49 & Market.

Two more cards using Washi tape.

Back to playing cards, my latest card is for a friend I’ve known since high school. Bonnie collects vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia. My artist friend Marcia gave me a vintage Coca-Cola playing card a few months ago, commenting that she knew I would find something to do with it. Indeed, I did.

I used a sheet of paper given to me a few years ago with a sewing pattern theme for the base of the tri-fold card, then used the playing card as a focal point. Scraps of red Swiss dot paper reminded me of sewing clothes in the day, and the yellow paper looks like linen if you squint your eyes. Score one for paper scraps. My paper supply has significantly dwindled, so I’m pleased when the right color and texture turn up.

March 15, 2025 by Born To Organize

ScrapHappy: A Balm for the Soul

My recovery from hip replacement surgery is going well. Without needing ice packs and elevated limbs, I could comfortably sit at my crafting desk to make a few ScrapHappy cards. Thank you, Kate, for bringing us together for these monthly challenges.

I have an inordinate amount of green paper scraps spanning many shades, solid and print. I managed to work four green scraps into three cards. I will continue to challenge myself to use more. I have an unappealing shade of leftover green paper from a paper pack that I will never use, so it went into the “scraps for testing ideas pile,” allowing me to cull the useable greens.

The first card incorporates two shades of green and a blueish background from a Halloween pack, believe it or not. As I’ve challenged myself over the years, I’m more confident about mixing the unexpected. It’s fun.

card made using green and blue paper scraps

Once or twice a year, I receive a coupon mailer from a clothing company called Tommy Bahama featuring beautiful tropical art, something I can’t bear to toss. I set the envelope aside and waited for inspiration. This month, I incorporated the front and back of the envelope into two cards.

Tommy Bahama Envelope with tropical flowers

This first card uses a cutout from the front of the envelope, set behind a trellis die-cut using a green scrap. I inked a piece of white paper to get the shade of blue I wanted, then sandwiched the trellis, orchid, and blue paper, matting a sliver of purple to tie the colors together.

The final card uses the back of the tropical art, one more green scrap (yay), purple scraps from my sister, and a butterfly transfer to tie it together. I enjoy using up what I have, repurposing when I can, and, most of all, creating cards to send to friends.

three dimensional card using green and purple scraps, butterfly transfer

These are difficult times. If you’ve been looking for a way to reduce stress, creative outlets like card-making, sewing, knitting, gardening, painting, or writing are a balm for the soul.

Here’s a list of contributing scrap-happy bloggers:

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Alissa,
Tierney, Hannah and Maggie

January 15, 2025 by Born To Organize

ScrapHappy for Last Year’s Calendar

Thank you, Kate, for bringing us together for these monthly scrap-happy challenges. Kate and Gun have hosted this blog hop for a decade. Impressive, eh? Forget your troubles, come on get scrappy.

My contribution this month uses scraps of velum and several pages from last year’s The Old Farmer’s Almanac calendar to create three greeting cards.

I used two pieces of heavy white card stock for the body of the card, then adhered a pretty section of the calendar to the card front. These illustrations by artist Kristen Kest are too pretty to toss.

I ran both layers through my nifty die cutter, then scored the top and glued it to the back layer.

I stamped a couple of sentiments onto scraps of velum (I love using velum) and added them to the front of the card. Making these cards was quick, easy, and fun or in Kate’s parlance, scrap-happy.

I have a few more pages of the calendar to craft with. I hope to get to that next month.

Old Farmer's Almanac art by Kristin Kest

Thanks as always, Kate.

Here’s a list of contributing scrap-happy bloggers:

July 12, 2024 by Born To Organize

Crafting in Circles

As hobbies go, crafting greeting cards is an easy and creative outlet. Cards can be simple or complex, depending on the mood and available supplies. I’ve been a letter-writer my whole life, so there is a practical side to making cards. I’m increasing my output by trying different styles or techniques to avoid bogging down with the same thing. I’ve watched hours of videos over time, and through them, I’ve learned techniques, but my aesthetic doesn’t quite fit the mold.

In truth, I don’t fit the mold either, and I never have. I embrace my uniqueness and carry on.

To inspire myself, I’ve been creating cards featuring a circle. Focusing on the shape allowed me to limit my choices, which I found freeing.

Here’s an interesting data point:

“The circle has been known since before the beginning of recorded history. Natural circles are common, such as the full moon or a slice of round fruit. The circle is the basis for the wheel, which, with related inventions such as gears, makes much of modern machinery possible. In mathematics, the study of the circle has helped inspire the development of geometry, astronomy, and calculus.” – source Wikipedia

Today, the circle is the basis for the following cards:

Card features two layers of vellum circles, a rub-on transfer, a repurposed folder and paper.

I cut the center circle from extra-wide Washi tape, adding a sentiment and a simple background.

This card features one-and-a-half circles. I love this pack of paper. I embossed the background. Technique: use a sanding block on the embossing to reveal the white paper backing.

Three circles using scraps. I lined up strips on a sticky label, then cut it to shape. The larger ring is cut from the same scraps. A hummingbird rub-on transfer flies over the top.

This card features three circles cut from a paper pack of botantical prints. The pale green paper is cut with a die, and the botanical print repeats behind that. Technique: inking edges for depth.

Another nice thing about this hobby: you can pass the time when it’s 105F outside. Our current heatwave has continued for twelve days with average temps 90F or above. Some of the plants are wilting and a few are showing signs of stress with burnt leaves. On the plus side, the tomatoes seem to be thriving and most of the succulents are getting by. It’s going to be a long summer.

February 7, 2024 by Born To Organize

Paper Quilts and Purple Hearts: Creating Cards With Postage

The cards featured in today’s post are the last in a series of greeting cards I designed using postage stamps. I’ll definitely make more in the future. You can read the first two posts here and here.

While most of my cards feature postage from several countries, this quilt-inspired card features sixteen flower stamps from Germany (Deutschland). I wanted to create a paper quilt, so I spaced the stamps symmetrically, with each color following a diagonal pattern. I used my quilt embossing folder to add to the effect and added a green border.

This card feels unfinished, but I’ve yet to figure out why. I love the stamps. It needs something to break up the symmetry, but what? Creative input is welcome.

The following two cards use a simple collage technique with a monochromatic theme. I had an extensive collection of blue stamps to begin with, so it allowed me to pick and choose. I went with the brightest blues, using sizes that allowed edge-to-edge contact.

Here is the finished card. I mounted the blue collage on a white background, then wrapped some vellum with a birthday sentiment so you can see all the images. I used fifteen stamps from eight countries: Austria, China, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the US.

Purple stamps are uncommon, so I needed a die to feature the few that I had. I went with a heart.

In some cases I used the corner of a multi-colored stamp, saving the five prominent purple ones for the center. There is a bit of luck at play here, too. As I pulled together this card for my sister, I found one purple stamp from Canada, where we’re from. Sharon loves music, so finding the Charlie Parker stamp with the beautiful background seemed equally fortuitous.

I assembled the purple heart from twelve stamps representing Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, The Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, and the US.

This last card is my favorite. I used three stamps for the greenery, five for the flower, and four for the vase. I like its simplicity.

I assembled this card using white textured card stock, giving the top third a wash of aqua ink. I stamped the image of the jar on vellum in black ink, then tucked a few blue stamps behind it. Postage used for this card came from China, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Poland.

This is also a card that I can see myself replicating.

Before tidying my desk, I made a handful of bookmarks for our Little Free Library.

Playing with postage has been a lot of fun. Thank you for following along.

February 6, 2024 by Born To Organize

Flowers and Cats, Wild and Domestic: Creating Cards with Postage

Today I’m sharing three of the cards I created using my postage stamp stash. The cards run the gamut from pedestrian to quirky. You can read more about the start of this process here.

Along the way, I tried keeping track of the countries represented as I created the cards. I had so much fun.

This first card took a bit of planning. I used a beautiful new floral die by Hero Arts and 15 stamps from nine countries. I had to cut two stamps to get the colors in the right place, but for the most part, I enjoyed the challenge of placing the whole stamp for maximum color effect.

Here’s how it looked just before running it through my die-cutting machine. Countries represented in this card include China, Germany, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, New Zealand, The Philipines, ROC-Taiwan, Russia, and the US.

Here is the finished card. I placed the floral postage wreath on velum, then added a hand-stamped sentiment to a pink paper scrap.

The next card falls into the quirky category. When sorting my stamps, I set aside images of cats, hoping for inspiration.

I have a set of Sizzix dies featuring cats, something I hoped to use at Halloween. It occurred to me that I could try using the cat dies with the images of the postage cats facing forward. It worked for two of the three cats. Before I knew it, I had “constructed” a cat condo using textured woodgrain paper, various inks, and a sanding block to emulate a well-loved cat tree.

I still needed a face for the middle cat, but the remaining cat postage didn’t work. After pawing through several more stamps and some trial and error, cat number three got a pair of cool glasses courtesy of this stamp from China.

I used coordinating colors for the body of each cat. I finished the card by adding floral paper to the background, reminiscent of kitschy wallpaper. Now that’s quirky. Countries represented in this card include China, Korea, Lithuania or Lietuva, Malaysia, The Netherlands, and the US.

Today’s final card uses a single postage stamp from Russia. My sister loves wildcats, and her favorite color is purple. This over-sized stamp combines both. I used a stitching die to cut two rectangles, added the wild cat stamp to the smaller one, and stamped “thinking of you” in the upper corner. I know she’ll enjoy it.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more cards.

Here is a helpful link if you are new to card making. It’s called The Ultimate Card Making Techniques Glossary

December 15, 2023 by Born To Organize

ScrapHappy December: Covered Booze Box and a Few Scrappy Cards

It’s the middle of December, or in Kate-speak, it’s time to show off our monthly ScrapHappy challenge as we wind down the year.

I have a few things to share this month, starting with a Christmas card made from a damaged gift bag.

After removing the striped paper from the sides and bottom of the bag, I selected the lower corner of the bag facade featuring a panda plushy. Those eyes melt my heart. Once cut to size, I used a dry embossing folder to add texture to the card, then cut it with a stitching die from my stash.

I created a mat for the card using the paper from the side of the gift bag and then added a thin border of gold paper for contrast. I used my glitter gel pen to add highlights where the original artist used them on the bag. A small greeting embossed on a heavy vellum finished the card.

Next, I created a series of cards using leaf skeletons gifted by my friend Mary. She said, “I thought you could use these to make cards,” so I did. The leaves came in an assortment of sizes and colors.

My last share is a wooden box gifted to Mike with a bottle of long-forgotten alcohol. I claimed the box for storage on my crafting table as it is sturdy and the perfect size for the various plates I use for my die and embossing machine.

It sat unadorned for a year before I gave it the Washi tape treatment. The wooden box has a slot for the lid, so one of the four sides needed leveling. I settled on take-out wooden chopsticks, building the edge in layers till even.