Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Crafter's Travel Lap-desk (Caardvark Verse/Quote Challenge)

ETA: Hi You lovely Lovey People You,
I gotta taking Wednesday off--to get over the hump.
Anyone have sinus advise?
stampy hugs, :o) mel


I had a riot with these images from the challenge Sponsor: Unity Stamp Co. They must have a zillion sweet stamp images. As soon as I saw this cute car image & the sentiment "Home is where your story begins," I knew I wanted to make a project to do with travel.

I added the first part of this quote: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read but one page"--Saint Augustine



So, you may be wondering...

...What on earth
is this thinger?



It's a traveling lap-desk for crafters, what else?!? bwahahaha

It's made from a 12x12 storage case. I originally thought this would be good for kids (to organize stuff to entertain them on the road), but we haven't any kidlets yet, sighhhh <--ignore interjection of maternal clock time-bomb. ;o) Just kidding honey! (He reads this, LOL)

Anywho, I'm a big kid, so I made one to travel with my bestest toys. I thought it might be a neat gift idea to share with you...

Here's a shot of the inside:



(The black stuff is a fun foam message board which doubles as a piercing mat.)



With the cost of the case being under $20.00, it might make a nice affordable gift for your favourite crafty person. It's a snifty opportunity to work in the 12x12 scrapbook scale/format, if you're like me & you usually make cards.


Wanna make one?

Choosing the Container: If you want to use your travel lap-desk as a piercing mat, it may be a good idea to check (while shopping for your 12x12 container) that it opens all the way (like a book) so that you can lay it in your lap or on a table without emptying the contents.

message board:

Here's a closer shot of the inside of the lid
(the message board made from layers of fun foam
which has beads sewn on for a lil' razzmatazz):



It has 4/5 layers of fun foam which means that you can use thumbtacks in it (they even stay!) :O) The fun foam sticks nicely to itself & the container with really good double-sided tape. BUT...my favourite part about this fun foam mat is that it doubles as a piercing mat or for shaping flowers. And it's big so you can pierce a lot! LOL.

Those turquoise mother of pearl buttons
are glued onto thumbtacks with Crystal Lacquer. It helps the buttons to stick if you scratch the thumbtacks and the backs of your buttons. Directions here.

GREEN: :O) The fun foam is recycled (since i always craft with a 4 layer 12x12 piercing mat made of fun foam. I just used an old holey one & renewed the top layer so it was perty & even. (No need to fill landfills with fun foam, right?)

(cheap) note pad:

the note pad is made with a scrap of homemade map paper to match the front of the box & some plain copy paper cut in a curvy shape & slapped on with staples.



mini pin cushion:

see that weird black rectangular thing in the right hand corner?...



...It's a mini pin cushion to hold my favourite needles. It's just made from fun foam layers & stuck in with really good double-sided tape. (It's an essential for me since I hand sew so much.)



Other things I keep in my crafty car box:

--plastic box with: adhesives, threads, stickles, bottles of beads
--sketchbook
--Stamped images to colour
--Watercolour pencils for colour sketching
--Copic markers/other colouring supplies
--Stamp images that I'm planning to work with (stamped on a full sheet so I can make notes based on the image & get ideas.)
--paper packs
--the cards I'm working on (ie sewing...) a plastic case protects them & hold bits
--plastic cases with beads (or whatever I'm currently usin')
--pencil case with pencil/pen eraser...Niji watercolour brush, blender pen & paper piercer
--A good craft book/magazine
--ipod
--notebook (moleskin)

You'd be astounded at what you can fit in there!

Ideas for Possible Features/Contents:

--wet erase to do list on acetate
--page protector folder with templates envelopes etc
--inspiration sheets with the bits for your projects (to match up for organized shopping)
--small case with a magnet in it for brads/eyelets (magnet prevents spills)

And this is such a cool coincidence.....



...it fits inside this bag!
(which was a gift from the ultra generous ladies who ran the 3D challenge blog Carrie & Pamela who are now my fabulous fellow Caardvarkians (and shame on me for taking so long to post it! SO sorry Ladies.) It has the neatest pocket that you can slide a matching image into! :O)

(There are all kinds of cool varieties.)


The Bitty Details:

The car image, frame image & sentiment are all...

....embossed on heavy weight vellum
....coloured from the front & back with Copics
....layered over patterned Gesso cardstock
....beaded
....and embroidered

The buttons & Crochet flowers are from my beautiful Bam Bam (aka Grandma.) She crocheted the flowers herself (she sent me about 150 of them!!! Lucky lucky lucky me, hey?) I dyed them with craft reinker (tempting turquoise) Besides colouring the crochet thread, it stiffens the flowers a little, so they'll stand up to travel.

The map cardstock is just a map of BC printed out, cut out in a curvy shape & sewn.

The quilted black squares are embossed with different Cuttlebug folders & stitched onto white 12x12 cardstock, then rubbed with chalk pastels.

The hinges are grungeboard pieces painted with Broken China crackle paint & impressed with a wooden batik block to distress them.


Travel boxes for...

...Scrapbooking
...Sewing
...Kids (books, colouring books & crayons, snacks, games, toys....)
...Art supplies
...whatever you like. ;o)


Thanks for stopping in!
Hope this was useful to you,



P.S. travel quotes here

P.P.S. Play along here:






24 comments:

chiara_francy said...

thanks for your idea...
my ATC (sorry.... terrible photo!!!)

Annie said...

Oh Mel how do you do it? This is just amazing - I love every little thing about it - the quotes are fantastic - the actual kit itself is so fun and oh I could go on for ever - can you tell I'm impressed.

This would be so much fun to use on the train. I can just see me getting one of these out next to the guys in suits with their laptops. Wouldn't they be jealous? Lol.
Thank you for your totally inspirational work - I can't believe how many totally awesome projects you come up.
Ann xxx

Valarie (vampme3) said...

What a great idea, Mel! You are sooo clever!! Leaving for Vegas Friday...gonna try to throw something together similar! Thanks for the inspiration!!

Nancy at EmbroideryIt.com said...

Oh I love it. Seriously LOVE this idea! Thanks so much.
Blessings,
Nancy
www.basketmasterweavings.blogspot.com

~Lori Roop said...

Awesome creation and idea Mel!!! CLEVER!!!!!

Anonymous said...

What a really adorable travel kit!! What a fabulous idea!! THANKS FOR SHARING MEL!!

Yesterday's Tomorrow said...

sheesh woman!! you NEVER cease!!!
this is awesome! :D

do you know if you have to use Unity stamps on the caardvark challenge? I don't own any...sad I know! :P

Unknown said...

Wow Mel! Your project is super fabulous! I love the post too, you are just amazing at giving great tutorials!

(-: Heidi

Becky said...

awesome as always girl, do you ever do anything simple :), your work is always so well detailed and always so lovely.

ikki said...

Another fab piece of work, where do you get your energy from? ikki

Cazzy said...

Wow wow wowser, you are so creative. I want one of these, love the bag too.

Only question is you have the watercolour pencils, and the brush but where is the water?

Cazzy x

retiredheather said...

What a great idea. I think I have just decided what to give a few of my friends for Christmas this year. thanks so much for being so creative.
Hugs
Heather

Dawnll said...

I can't tell you how clever I think this is...you just amaze me some days. I love getting your feeds to keep up on all your great projects.

MoniqueAnne said...

I just became a follower of your blog after you absolutely stunning post on caardvarks. I'm new to the world of card making, and your tutorials and step-by-step instructions are just the hand-holding I need to get some great techniques down so that I can improve my own work. I have gone through and have marked a million of your projects as things to try on my own!

I just wanted to say thank you for your beautiful inspiration. I look forward to your future projects!

Gabrielle said...

Hi Mel,
great idea - again!
I am always curious to see what new ideas are posted on your blog... and any time I come to read it, there is a new cool kind of inspiration! One thousand tons of thank you!

Hugs from Germany,
Gabrielle

Donna Baker said...

what a GREAT idea! love it & all your neat tips!

Tyggereye said...

very VERY cool. Love your traveling crafty idea. Your blog is quite cool too. Adding ya to my bloglines :)

Danielle said...

Oh Mel, you are sooooo creative - I love it! What a fab idea - mm, going on a Scout Spring camp this weekend and apparently parents don't do too much, I think I may pack myself up one of these, lol!!
Sinus advice - do you use the Neti Pot? I highly recommend it (Shoppers Drug Mart sell them) - they really help clear the nasal passages out! Hope this helps and that you get some relief!
Hugs, Danielle

Claire said...

What a fantastic blog with amazing projects - it's just brilliant!

Barb said...

Mel,
Go to Wal-Mart and get EQUATE for the sinuses. THey have straight Sinus or Sinus/Allergy. Very reasonable price, NO side effects and your head clears before you know it. This time of the year I have to do the Sinus/Allergy, especially with the lilacs coming soon or I wouldn't be able to breathe at all.
Good luck.

Barb---NH

Elena said...

Wow! What a great idea! So clever!!! Love how you decorated the purse too!

Jamie said...

Ok, just the coolest! Great job. I might have to do one of these myself.

image color correction said...

Totally cool! Adorable kit!! Great job!!!

Regards,
image coloring

Maria said...

What an awesome crafter's Travel Lap desk. It's great for road trips or small trips. I love it!! You always come up with so many nifty ways to save money. You're a genius. The bag is very pretty too. How nice of you to receive such a pretty bag!!

Maria