LESSology Challenge #29: Creative inspiration of Amy Tsuruta

We love having guests at our birthday party. Today we have alumni design team member Amy Tsuruta share her creative inspiration for LESSology Challenge #29: Birthday Party. :)

Hello, it's Amy T here.  

I was so thrilled to have Yvonne ask me to join in the LESSology Birthday fun!

I'm a big fan of upcycling packaging.  This panel comes with cardstock:

If you flip it over, it is like 1/2 a sheet of white cardstock!  

They are perfect for stamping images:

Yup, that jar was stamped on that upcycled panel. 

The twine, upcycled from packaging too!

A big Happy Birthday to LESSology!

I can't wait to see how you are inspired!

LESSology Challenge #18: Creative inspiration from Amy Tsuruta, Shahrul Niza, Audrey Pettit and Mandy Dodd

Are you enjoying the gift-wrapping ideas so far for LESSology Challenge #18: It's a Wrap! ....and working hard on your own projects? Today we get to see even more amazing projects from design team members Amy Tsuruta and Shahrul Niza. And to sweeten the deal, we also have projects from alumni team members Audrey Pettit and Mandy Dodd! :)

Hi All....Amy T here to share my It's a wrap project!

I'm a huge fan of altering tins...combine them with an upcycled Starbucks coffee sleeve and they make wonderful packaging for a gift:

The sleeve, deconstructed, makes for a perfect 'belly band' on the hinged tin:

The exposed corrugated cardboard is a wonderful starting point for any type of embellie!

I loaded it up with Basic Grey's Paper Cottage Collection!

Do you see the inner wrap?  It is actually an upcycled department store bag from Japan!  My mom gave it to me with something she was returning to me...she had it in her stash which came over to my stash:)

Peel back the inner wrap and  BAM....Tea for Two!

I can't wait to see how you're inspired by LESSology Challenge #18: It's a wrap!

Hello all,

Who wouldn't be excited about making gift boxes and prettying up packages?. Thrilled to come up with some unique gift wrapping ideas, I've been busy searching for old containers to be used for this month's up-cycling project!. Armed with some of my favorite fabric yoyos and paint, I started working :). Here is what I made...

Basically, I primed the round box with black gesso before painting it all with white acrylic paint. Sanded the edges to give it a worn-look. Then I glued on some pretty fabric yoyos around the box and later tied them up with waxed string. The fabric yoyos are practically my 3D gift wrapper!. Lastly, I secured a large silk rose with a brad onto the lid.

This little banner of fabric yoyos tied up with string simply makes me smile.

A silk rose on top. 

Inspiration behind this project is actually those pretty fabric yoyos themselves!. I have always kept them in my stash for a quick embellishment on mini albums. Every now and then, I would make some whenever I found beautiful fabrics. And now, they give a unique 'homemade' feel to my gift wrapping project :). 

Can't wait to see all the creative goodness from you next. Have fun wrapping!

 

My daughter recently made a small electronics purchase that came with a nice, sturdy box just perfect for gift giving. 

Although the box had printing on it from the manufacturer, I knew I could cover that with a few coats of gesso. Then it was quick work to add a strip of box-pleated patterned paper trimmed with paper doily to the top and tie it all up with a piece of satin ribbon I had saved from a previous gift box. 

I added a snowflake topper to the bow made from layered die cuts and strips of recycled corrugated cardboard. The topper is super easy to put together, and makes a great removable ornament that your gift recipient can enjoy for years to come.

To make the snowflake, simply cut 4 strips of recycled cardboard to your desired size. My strips are approximately 1/4" x 5", but you can change the size up to make larger or smaller ornaments. Lay the strips in crosses and staple the center to hold all the pieces together. Paint the ornament, if desired, and add touches of crystal clear glitter to each arm. Layer die cuts together using foam adhesive between each layer. Top with a button tied with twine and add the die cuts to the center of the ornament. Add a cardstock sticker banner and tie the ornament to the center of your bow.
Enjoy!

  

Do you love tissue paper for wrapping gifts?  I LOVE it, and whatsmore, I’ll recycle it.  (Nothing a hot iron can’t un-crease!) I also LOVE confetti – there’s something about the ‘joy’ it represents!   Confetti almost always accompanies a celebration oozing much happiness.

So thinking, thinking, thinking – how can we work the two together!

Make some confetti with the hole-punch in colours you love, and make the confetti out of the scraps we all have in a box or folder somewhere!

Out with the sewing machine…. 

Fold a full piece of tissue paper together and using zigzag stitch, sew around the edges.  It’s quite striking. Leave a little gap as this is where you will pour the newly made confetti through, then sew the gap up and also sew down the side where the fold is to give it a ‘finished’ look.

Shake the confetti around inside the enclosed tissue paper so it evens out….

Finish off with a little gift card printed from a piece of Lino from an art shop – carved into a line of little Christmas trees. (tutorial for this shown here). 

Ooooh...don't you just love how different and awesome each of these projects are? We would love to see your version of gift-wrapping! Come join us for LESSology Challenge #18: It's a Wrap! :)

Please leave a little love for these lovely talented ladies! 

P/s: Come back tomorrow for another round of creative inspiration - this time from our guest designers....and a special giveaway! :)

LESSology Challenge #15: Creative Inspiration of Amy Tsuruta and Shahrul Niza!

Hello...hello friends! Today we get to see Amy Tsuruta and Shahrul Niza's take on LESSolgy Challenge #15: The Bookend Challenge.

Hi All,

It's Amy, here to show you how the LESSolgy Challenge #15: The Bookend Challenge inspired me!

We love candles in our household and this particular Vanilla Cupcake one had finally run it's course...I certainly wasn't going to toss that cannister...

So I embellished it:

I used Heidi Stock's Summer Honey digi collection for the paper and the sentiment is

EAD Designs

Keep Calm Set 1

Here's a pic of it in 'real' action:

I can't wait to see how this challenge inspires YOU!

Hi all. It's Shahrul here, with my debut post for LESSology Challenge #15 : The Bookend Challenge. So excited to share with everyone, my latest altered project :). I found some gorgeous little black vinyl records (~ 6.5 " in diameter) at the flea market recently and they were perfect for the bookends project!. So here what I made; bookends small enough to hold a few little old books!.

I used a couple of metal brackets from DIY store and a couple of wooden rulers to hold both ends together (the vinyls are so light and needed support, hence the rulers *wink*). I used brads to adhere brackets and vinyls to the rulers.

I left parts of the vinyls bare because they already looked gorgeous. The silver beads remind me of sparkly 'disco globes'!.

Although, I can't resist to decorate the insides with patterned papers, eyelets and laces.

I stamped some phrases on coordinating patterned papers and adhered to the rulers (both top and bottom). Sanded off the edges and distressed with archival ink.


Can't wait to see your creative ideas and have fun playing along with us!. Hugs.


~ Shahrul ~ 

Hope our fabulous design team has given you some fabulous ideas for creating your own bookends. We would love to see your entries for LESSology Challenge #15: The Bookend Challenge!  Please read our challenge rules to ensure eligibility for our prizes. :)

 

LESSology Challenge #14: Creative inspiration of Amy Tsuruta

Hello there! Have you been enjoy the design team reveals for LESSology Challenge #14: Birds of a feather? Shall we see how Amy Tsuruta was inspired?

Hey, it's Amy and I'm pretty excited for LESSology Challenge #14: Birds of a feather

Do you remember my earlier sneak peek?

Well, I've been hoarding a Clementine wood crate:

This is how I altered it:

Here's a close up of the panel:

I know that I've seen these around bloggie land and have been wanting to give it a try:

I found these sugar shakers at my local Goodwill:

One is glass, the other one plastic but you can't tell which is which:)

It cracks me up since my Costco is now selling restaurant equipment which, yup, includes sugar shakers for under $2 but it is the thrill of the find to spot them when I go thrift stores and garage sales.

I can't wait to see how the Birds of a feather challenge inspires YOU!

Come play along with LESSology Challenge #14: Birds of a feather, we would love to see your entries! :) Please read our challenge rules to ensure eligibility for our prizes. :)

LESSology Challenge #13: Creative projects of Lisa Saunders and Amy Tsuruta

Today we get to see the projects of design team members Lisa Saunders and Amy Tsuruta!

Hi : )


I like to keep bits and pieces on my desk. I keep bits in pretty dishes and saucers. When I create I then add little bits to my LO's.
I found this mini chest of drawers in a thrift store last year but I hadn't decided what I wanted to do with it yet. Until this challenge came up : )





I've decided it's the perfect thing to sit on my desk and store more little bits as my dishes are over flowing.
I didn't want the decoration of the drawers to be too OTT. It needed to be practical as it is going to be used.
So I covered it in old book pages, mod podge and gesso. I really love this look. I decided that I wanted it left like this. I finished with inking in parts to given a pinky/red tinge.


And the final touch some twine and a Studio Calico Heart.



Sometimes you don't need to add loads and loads to a projcet. Sometimes Less really is more.


Thank you for stopping by today.
I look forwatd to seeing your creations.
Lisa x

Hello!

Amy T here with my LESSology Challenge #13 Chest of Drawers project...do you remember this sneak peek?

Well, here is the before product:

It's one of those countertop organizers.  I happened to find it at a Salvation Army store in Seattle and thought:  

BINGO!

Whaddya think?

I literally used a drawer....

It's the perfect size and chunkiness.  So, I'm still smitten with Basic Grey's Konnichiwa collection.  That  sweet girl has been stamped, colored and paper pieced.  She's on glue dots...what's that?  Well, that note paper style base is actually upcycled Sassafras packaging.....I just topped it off with a band of Konnichiwa paper, a quote sticker by Teresa Collins and that fab hand made loopy bloom is compliments of my bloggie friend, Sherry.  

You can't really tell by the pictures, but I cut 4x6 index cards in half and have them stacked behind....I haven't decided if I want to make them birthday calendar pages or a daily journal....

I can't wait to see how the Chest of Drawers challenge inspires YOU! 

Fabulous projects ladies! What about you? Ready to give LESSology Challenge #13: Chest of Drawers a go? We would love to see your awesome entries!  Please read our challenge rules to ensure eligibility for our prizes. :)