Hangin' Out in the Paper Aisle...

The paper aisle at craft stores is a little dangerous for me. That's because I break my own rule when I go there. Many years ago, when I first began quilting, I was also doing other crafts such as cross-stitch, embroidery, even the infamous macrame. Lack of storage space at that time caused me to say to myself, quite firmly, "You need to pick one." So I picked quilting and gathered all the necessary tools and supplies for it. Of course I snuck in a little embroidery here and there, what with making a redwork quilt or a crazy quilt project. But quilting it was for many years. However, more recently, I've gone off in a number of directions again... mixed media, journal making, dolls, card making and paper crafts along with quiltmaking. Consequently, more necessary "stuff" has followed me home and taken up residence in my sewing room.  And I've taken to visiting those formerly forbidden aisles... a heady experience I must say.

So when leafing through an old issue of Expressions magazine recently, I was quite smitten with this accordian folder made from an old file folder. My version of it was already underway when I noticed the article and instructions were written by Lenna of Creative Swaps,  the very swaps in which I've happily participated over the past year or so. The folder is decorated on the outside with scrapbook papers, wrapping papers, tissue tape, and a painted collage paper.

 



Inside there are five envelopes stamped, assembled together, and attached front and back. Eyelets and ribbon form a closure, and the whole thing is going into the car to hold those coupons for... what else... the craft store! The coupons are always kicking around in the car somewhere, so this will keep them a bit more orderly to say nothing of cleaner. I don't know how the clerks feel about a tattered coupon with a footprint on it, but I'm a little embarassed to hand them one! The file was great fun to make, and I envision one done in Christmas papers for the upcoming holidays.