5.eleven design

holiday open house & sale ::

2011-11-22T14:31:00.003-06:00

i've been working hard to get ready for a little holiday open house & sale that i'm having {after being hounded by some of my friends who really though i should have one! i'm not so good at saying no, so i gave in and said yes. i am excited about it and looking forward to a fun weekend, but am a little anxious too}.

here are a few pictures to capture the craziness around here as i prepare ::

and you thought kitchens were for cooking ::

lots of etched glass jars just waiting to be filled with hot cocoa mix & mini marshmallows and then doctored up with a bit of cuteness ::

some of the stuff that's all ready to go::

LOTS of magnets::

my plan is to make a bunch of paper flowers in christmas-y colors to sell, but we'll see if i have time for that::

better get back to work . . .

Busy, busy ::

2011-03-22T19:27:00.004-05:00

A couple things I've been up to lately::

Lately::

2011-02-25T11:15:00.004-06:00

A few Valentine/Winter things that I've been busy putting together::

A glass bottle etched with "you warm my heart" filled with hot cococa and marshmallow and tied with a little yarn pom pom "scarf". Great for Valentine's Day or any winter day that could use a little warmth!::

Got little stubby crayons in abundance? I did, so the kids and I took the paper off all our broken crayons {which takes WAY longer than you would expect or hope}, sorted them by color, broke them in to smaller pieces, made cool color combinations and stuck them in a heart-shaped muffin pan in the oven to melt. After they cooled and we popped them out, my 2-year-old gave them to her little friends along with a Valentine. These chunky crayons are extra great for little hands that are just learning to color::
I had a crazy, long, fun card making night last week and stayed up way too late replenishing my stock of cards {it was getting dangerously low, since I really like to send lots of cards!} after all was said and done, I'm sure I made over 50 cards. They probably won't last too long, but it's good to feel fully stocked again, even if it's short-lived!

another sweet babe::

2011-01-24T14:42:00.002-06:00

re-use

2010-11-04T07:27:00.000-05:00

A while back I made these flowers for my mom::

They are made from old t-shirts. I think they look cute and fun and whimsical. They remind me of Dr. Seuss.

more baby gifts

2010-10-30T07:22:00.000-05:00

I'm not the only one who has had a baby lately. Here are some baby gifts I've made recently. I just love babies!

what i've been up to

2010-10-27T13:12:00.004-05:00

I've been pretty preoccupied lately. I've been busy. But I've still been making stuff here and there. This is what I've made recently:::

I made this sweet girl {with help from my hubby}::

and just yesterday I finished making her birth announcements::

and my grandma {Sara's great-grandma} made the blanket!

encouragement

2010-09-12T07:51:00.001-05:00

Today is National Day of Encouragement. What? You didn't know that? Ok, neither did I until about 2 weeks ago, but the minute I heard about it, I was on board What could be more up my alley? So I sent a few extra cards this week (I was a bit bummed that no one to whom I mailed cards could get them on the actual National Day of Encouragement, since it's a Sunday, but since I'm quite sure none of them even knew of the "holiday", I guess I don't feel too bad). I started my whole business, and this blog, because of my passion for encouragement and making a difference in people lives. There are many ways to do that. Usually, I choose to do it through something I've made myself, but sometimes the truth is there just isn't time for that. I always keep some extra-great store-purchased cards (blank notes mostly, but some with greetings as well) around for the times I want to encourage someone and haven't the time to make them the perfect card myself.

One of my favorite verses, a life-verse of mine, and the one I based the name of my business on is this:

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
I Thessalonians 5.11

I encourage each of you to encourage someone today! A simple note or card in the mail (or hand delivered) is a simple, quick way to do that. Without too much effort at all, you can make a positive impact in someone's day . . . and often it's a much bigger impact than you would have imagined. Go for it!

another one . . .

2010-08-17T07:44:00.000-05:00

Happy 15th Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Buckman!

baby crafting

2010-08-07T11:03:00.003-05:00

I've been busy making some personalized baby gifts lately. Thaddeus is the 2nd little person to enter the family of some friends of ours, so I made him a personalized piggy bank and a wooden block {roughly 3 inches x 5 inches} with his name and birthdate on one side and a blessing from Numbers 6.24-26 on the other.

Then, as it turns out, Thaddeus's parents needed a baby gift for another little man in their lives, so I was asked to make a set of blocks for baby Kyler. The blocks have his name on the front and his birth date on the back. My 2-year-old gave them a little test as I was working on them and they were a hit. She loved playing with them. So, hopefully they'll be both fun and decorative too!
Welcome to the world little Thaddeus and Kyler!

the latest

2010-08-03T15:37:00.008-05:00

I made this over the past day or so for a wedding we are going to this weekend. I also helped my mom design a very similar one for a wedding gift she needed to give. I figure while you're making one, you might as well make two. Right? With all the humidity we've been having, I just hope it dries completely in the 4 days between now and the wedding. With our super-sticky weather, I'm afraid it will still be tacky by then!

I also made all the invitations for this wedding {along with RSVP cards and a sheet with directions and other wedding info} and designed the programs. The wood for the gift is cut from a big 2x10 if I remember right. It measures roughly 10 inches square and is about 1-1/2 inches thick. There's a sawtooth on the back for hanging, otherwise it props up nicely against a wall or on a shelf.

{Retail price $20}

end-of-year teacher gifts

2010-06-09T21:14:00.003-05:00

i just finished putting together the end-of-the year gifts for our children's teachers for another year. the time sure flies by . . .

i usually like to make something unique, useful and personal for those people who invest so much in the lives of our precious kiddos and this year i came up with this::
handmade soaps from the local blue heron soap company which i picked up at the farmer's market {i love the farmers market!} and some handmade laundry soap in fun {upcycled} etched glass containers that read either "clean" or "wash" that i've been working on all week. {i etched the containers and made the laundry powder myself}. i attached cute little tags to each gift that say "have some good, clean fun this summer". {i was pretty proud of myself for coming up with that one. creativity with words is not usually my strong suit.}

i love gifts that are useful and consumable. and, for me, if it's unique and handmade that is even better! most of us don't need one more "thing" in our homes to clutter things up. right? i'm quite confident that each of the recipients who will be getting these tomorrow both bathes and does laundry, so hopefully they will find it useful . . . and all the more in the summer when so much time is spent outside. especially if you are a teacher and have the summer off!

so, that's what i've been working on . . . along with some shower invitations and a big order of wedding invitations that i hope to finish over the weekend and a baby gift and another wedding gift that i helped my mom to make . . . there's so much creating to be done! i love it!

Personalized Wedding Gift

2010-05-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

Here is the personalized gift set that I made for a wedding that we attended over the weekend:: A wooden sign {about 4 x 11 with a sawtooth on the back for hanging} personalized with wedding date and last name, as well as a set of notecards for the couple to use either as wedding thank you's or for general correspondence from this day forward. {pun intended!}

I think a personalized wall hanging like this would make a great baby gift too . . . on some really fun paper with less formal fonts. I'll have to keep that in mind until the next baby I know comes along!

Baby Blocks

2010-05-13T09:42:00.003-05:00

We have friends who just had their first little bundle . . . a boy! When I was thinking about a baby gift I wanted to make for him {ok, really it was for his parents. He couldn't care less!} I was thinking about something personalized and bouncing some ideas around in my head when I realized that his first and last name both had 5 letters. Thanks guys, that worked out so well for this project. His little set of letter blocks spells his first name on one side and his last name on the back. The other 4 sides are just fun, cute, boy-ish papers. I love the way they turned out and wanted to add one more little personalized item to the gift, so I etched his name in a bottle and added some change . . . you know, to start on his college savings and all! A personalized, recycled piggy bank of sorts.

Latest project

2010-04-30T18:27:00.002-05:00

I've been keeping plenty busy lately, but haven't been taking pictures or documenting what I've been doing too well at all.

But, here is what I finished off this week::

I volunteered to do the invitations for the {annual} staff appreciation breakfast at my kids' elementary school. The theme this year is Grease/50's High School Dance. I made an envelope that was reminiscent of the sleeve for a record. Inside was a "record" with the date and time on it and an RSVP card as well. Most of the details were on the outside of the envelope, because it wouldn't all fit on that little white circle in the middle of the record {well, I guess I could have made it fit, but the font would have been so small that no one would have been able to read it}.

I think they turned out quite nicely, and the coordinators of the event were happy with them, so what else can you ask for? Now, I just hope all goes well the morning of the big breakfast. {My husband is making a musical appearance wearing white pants -- provided I can find a pair at Goodwill or a thrift store between now and then -- so it is fixin' to be an entertaining morning!}

and the winner{s} is . . .

2010-02-09T14:26:00.006-06:00

Ok, I've decided that I'm not at all good at this giveaway thing. I feel bad for the people who didn't win and I want to give everyone a prize. But, alas, I don't have that many Valentine's. So, the winners are::comment #1 and comment #5 {there were exactly 6 comments -- if you exclude mine, so I thought to myself:"6 comments, hmmm. Dice have 6 sides. I think I'll toss a dice to pick the winners!" Pretty smart of me, don't you think?}::

comment #1 is from my friend Margaret:

Star Graf Design said...: love them. You're so good at card making!
Fun fact:
I'm obsessed with organizing. I recently went thru our closets and re organized, everything feels so nice and clean. Plus I got rid of clothing I've been holding onto for more years than I can count.; February 8, 2010 12:25 PM

and #5 is from

Wehaf said...: Okay. I brush my teeth in the shower. I don't know if it is extra-fun, but it is a fact!; February 8, 2010 10:44 PM

I really have absolutely no idea who "Wehaf" is, but thankfully she {or maybe he, I guess} left an email address, so hopefully I can get cards in the mail for Wehaf soon. Margaret, I'll just bring yours to MOPS on Thursday, ok? I figure you wouldn't get them before Thursday in the mail anyway! Congrats on the "big" win, you two!

a little giveaway!

2010-02-08T11:24:00.007-06:00

UPDATE::Contest is now over, sorry! Congrats to our 2 winners {see post above!}

The other night I stayed up late and made Valentine's. LOTS of Valentines. I went a little crazy. TONS of Valentine's; tons, I tell you! Way more Valentine's than I have friends {and loves} to send them to! So, you can partake in my abundance of Valentine's if you wish :: leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a set of my Valentine's. Just tell me an extra-fun fact about yourself {and if I know you, try to make it something that I don't already know, ok?} Since Valentine's Day is coming up pretty quick here, I'll pick a winner {or 2} sometime tomorrow. Ready? Set? Go! Enter away!

Just a sampling of my fun night of card-making:

Banners

2009-12-29T20:00:00.005-06:00

It all started when my friend Rachel asked me to make her a "give thanks" banner like one she had seen online. So, I did::

It turned out so cute, I made one for myself too.

Then my mom wanted a "Merry Christmas" one. So I made that. Then, that one turned out so cute that I made this one for myself::
Everyone {well, the women anyway} at our Christmas Open house loved them and wanted one too, so I figured they'd made pretty good Christmas gifts, so I made a few more.

Then people saw those and it just kept growing! Rachel, decided she needed one for New Year's as well, so I made her this one::

Then my friend, Jenny, is in town from California for the holidays and hinted strongly at how cute a "Home Sweet Home" one would be . . . so I made her this one::

Now, I'm helping my mom make a "Celebrate" one for a friend of hers {great for just about any occasion, wouldn't ya say?} then I might take a little break . . . or maybe not.

What would your banner say?

{Banner prices are based on length of sentiment, but are roughly $15 each.}

I've been busy!

2009-12-17T20:27:00.009-06:00

I've been crazy lately crankin' out orders for Christmas gifts right and left::
Personalized, commissioned stuff.
Hopefully everyone will be happy with their finished products!

Sets of magnets {18 to be precise}::

A Christmas banner {this one was actually for me!}::

and I LOVE it:

so I made 4 others that weren't for me.

A few little fun "match book" notepads::

On top of all that {literally, since it's taking place upstairs} we're in the middle of doing this::

Actually, I'm not having to much to do with it. It's my parent's Christmas gift to our girls to give their room a little makeover, so they are doing the work!

Now I've got to get my crack in gear and start working on my list of projects that I need to make for my Christmas gifts . . . I'll need them before I know it, next week is coming fast!

Give Thanks

2009-10-30T15:29:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine saw a "give thanks" banner for sale online and fell in love with it. She was going to order one and then she thought "I bet Shana could make this. I'll ask." So ask she did, and I said "sure". This one isn't quite like the one she saw online {I like this one better and hope she will too!}, that one had glitter and I'm not a huge fan of glitter. Rachel said she could do without the glitter too, so here is the glitter-free finished product; I think it turned out great::

A creative afternoon

2009-09-26T21:40:00.006-05:00

For some reason, as I was sitting outside reading a very good book, I was overwhelmingly compelled to begin this project, one I was inspired to do after seeing this tutorial. I hadn't planned to do any projects at all today. I was really enjoying my book and had planned to enjoy it the entire time the littles were napping, but then those plans went right out the window!
I found a board {not too old even, but pretty beat up} in our yard and got to work. First I slapped a pretty thin, messy coat of white paint to the board, rubbed in a little anitiquing glaze and let it dry. Next I sanded it a little. Then I traced some chipboard letters onto the board {I didn't measure before I started tracing, I had just eyeballed it. When I got to the end I realized I would only have room for "199" and I didn't want to do '96, so I erased it all and started again}. Then I painted the letters with black paint and let that dry. When it was all dry I sanded it again and then hosed it down to get all the dust off {and age it even more!} and I was done!
I love it!
I can't decide if we should put it in our bedroom {it would look great in there} or somewhere more "public" so that people will actually see it. Not many people venture back to our bedroom when they come for a visit!

Fun!

2009-09-14T21:53:00.004-05:00

If you have not yet discovered Wordle you have GOT to check it out! It is amazing and wonderful and fun and addicting and just plain great! I love it! {Big thanks to my sister-in-law for bringing it to my attention!}

I went to a baby shower for a friend who is soon to have a set of twins and this was {part of} the gift that I brought. I think they turned out really cute. Unfortunately, they are going to spell Ellah's name with a H at the end. {it's not unfortunate that they're going to spell it that way . . . just unfortunate that I didn't know that ahead of time. I was going to double check on the spellings, but, #1, I didn't think you could really screw up Ella or Eddie. -- little did I know! -- and, #2, I wanted it to be a total surprise and not clue her in that I might do something personalized}. I didn't know this and thus will need to do them again. But, it's so easy it won't really be a problem. Except for the fact that I don't have any more of those exact coordinating papers, so I'll have to pick some different prints.

Want to make your own? Here's what you do:

Come up with fun words {the more times you type the word, the bigger it will be}.
Create your Wordle
Print it on to fun paper
Stick it in a clear, plexiglass box frame.
Wrap a little ribbon around the outside for some dimension and added fun {or don't!}

Now you're all done, wasn't that easy? And super fun too! Of course you could put it in any type of frame, but for this particular project, I really like the look of the clear box frame with the ribbon on the outside. If you wanted the sides to coordinate you could cut paper to fit in there too.

If you don't mess around with the fonts and colors and layouts for too long {don't follow my example, I tend to over-mess!} you could be done in about 10 minutes and for a grand total of about $5 each.

Give it a shot next time you need a gift and want something unique and personalized. I'm pretty sure it will be loved and treasured!

Another project

2009-08-20T11:22:00.005-05:00

A big {8x8}, antiqued wooden tile for my sister-in-laws birthday with my favorite picture of my nephew. I made them a similar one with a picture of their wedding 5 years ago, so, now they have a little set! A fun, unique gift and way to showcase a special picture.

Late night

2009-07-29T10:06:00.004-05:00

Every once in a while I really get "in the groove" and stay up way, way too late making cards. Well, I did it again this week. I'm sure that I'll be paying for it for at least a few more days {with crabbiness, limited patience and eye-drooping exhaustion -- wait, that sounds like most days around here}, but I got LOTS done. Long after everyone in the house was sleeping {Dad included} I was still downstairs working away. Here's what I came away with after my {nearly} all-nighter:

I think I made over 50 cards in one sitting; no 2 of them alike. It was fun and relaxing {well, except for the missed sleep part!}

Handmade gift pack

2009-07-21T14:35:00.003-05:00

I made this gift pack to donate to a silent auction for Northern Voices, a school for children with severe hearing loss. The daughter of a friend of mine goes there and asked me if I could donate anything. And I was happy to!

The gift pack contains a 6x9 inch {memo-sized} decorated clipboard, a jumbo clothespin {a fun, unique way to display a favorite picture, or keep your recipe right there as you cook or hang on to important little papers that may otherwise get lost!} and an assortment of 10 all-occasion cards {birthday, thank you, new baby, get well, thinking of you}.

Here's hoping it will bring some money in for a worthy cause.

Retail value of the gift pack: $35

Baby gift

2009-07-13T15:01:00.005-05:00

8x10 framed baby name and birth date with verse "Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from Him." {Pslam 127.3}

This one was made as a baptism gift, but would be great for a new baby gift or a special gift on any other important day early in life {baptism, dedication, first birthday}.

wedding: print only

2009-06-26T09:03:00.002-05:00

8x10 print only . . . ready to be framed

wedding gifts

2009-06-22T09:09:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple wedding gifts that I did recently. They followed the color schemes of the wedding invitations and I'm hoping that for years to come they will remind the couple of their big day with fondness!

The frames are 16x20 and the art in the middle is matted to 8x10. These show last name and wedding date but could be customized with initials instead "K & S" or "est. 2009" rather than the exact date or whatever your heart desires! Shorter last names (6 letters or less) work best if you want entire last name, though, otherwise it would get too small to look good.

Framed: $45
8x10 Print only (frame it yourself): $17

{See a similar project for the birth of a baby here}

Graduation Gifts

2009-05-30T18:13:00.004-05:00

personalized small clipboards (approx. 6"x9")
and a coordinating set of thank you notes

Personalized notecards

2009-05-21T10:11:00.004-05:00

A set of bright, spring-inspired notecards personalized with a name (or a simple "thanks") make a perfect gift for most any occasion.
($8 for a set of 5)

Wedding Set

2009-05-07T13:04:00.003-05:00

Framed verse with initials & wedding date, matching clip and card.

Fridge Fun

2009-03-23T14:20:00.007-05:00

Here are some fun magnets I've been cranking out lately.

Some sets of "Fruit of the Spirit" magnets ($7 for a set of 9):

and a set of fun tree magnets that I love ($5 for a set of 5):

Dress up your fridge today!
These also make a great, unique gift.
Magnets can be customized with words or images of your choice. {My 8-year-old daughter and I just made some with cute pink cupcakes as prizes for the girls at her birthday party}.
Just let me know what you want!

fun card

2009-02-28T10:11:00.006-06:00

I just finished making this card for my brother who had lasik surgery yesterday. I got the idea for it in the middle of the night and, amazingly, still remembered in the morning without writing anything down or scribbling a little picture. I think we'll run it over to his house with a bag of carrots . . . you know, since they're good for the eyes!

If your brother (or anyone else for that matter) is having lasik, I'd be happy to whip up another one!

Time to get to work!

2009-02-23T11:15:00.004-06:00

My "office" (actually a closet in our partially finished basement with our old dining room table and some shelves in it . . . we outgrew our old dining room table a few years ago and got a new bigger one to seat our crew -- 5 kids! -- so I inherited the old one for my workspace) has been such a mess lately that I can't even get anything done. see:

So the other morning I got up early (thanks to my 10-month-old daughter's nasty cold) and went to work spiffing it up so that I could work again! Ahhhh, much better!

It took the better part of 2 hours, but it's once again organized and cleaned up, so . . . "let's get to work!"

Valentine Fun

2009-02-18T07:19:00.002-06:00

Here's the little something I made for my hubby for Valentine's day this year:

The idea wasn't unique with me [few of my ideas really are]. I found my inspiration online somewhere. The little tag says "there aren't enough words to tell you how much I love you!" The hearts have the text from I Corinthians 13 on them [little heart-shaped chunks of it anyway!]. We're not big on buying each other gifts for every little "holiday" but I wanted something to show him that I was thinking of him and that I love him! This was pretty much free and did the trick perfectly!

Sending some love

2009-02-11T19:30:00.004-06:00

A great way to show someone a little love . . . on Valentine's Day or any day!
Jumbo clothespins (6 inches tall, 1.5 inches wide) are a fun way to show off a favorite picture or card, to keep track of an important paper or hold up your recipe when your hands are messy!
Retail price: $6.

Fun & Cheer

2009-02-11T08:20:00.003-06:00

I helped my 2 older girls and their best friends make Valentine's to be given to kid's in local Children's Hospitals! We had a blast and made more than 3 dozen Valentine's, hopefully they will cheer up some kid's who could use a little extra cheer in their lives!

Recent projects

2009-02-09T14:16:00.004-06:00

Here are some of my most recent projects:

These 2 are pictures of the decorative clipboards that I make each year as teacher gifts for my children's teachers. The backs are decorated with teacher-friendly alphabet papers with the initials of the teacher highlighted in some way. The fronts of the clipboards are a little more subdued and have personal notes from my kids to their teacher. They are always a hit!
Retail price: $12. (Specify colors and any personalization that you would like.)

Framed wedding: Personalized with wedding date and intials of the bride and groom visible underneath velum printed with "I have found the one my heart loves." (a verse from Song of Songs).
Retail price is dependent on size and choice of frame.

Perfect personal, unique baby gift: Unique framed keepsake shows baby's name and date of birth visible under velum printed with scripture "Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him." Matching 6 inch clothes pin decorated with baby's initial and a coordinating ribbon -- great for holding a picture, card or note!
Retail price is dependent on size and choice of frame. Jumbo clothes pins retail for $6 (can be personalized with letter and/or shape and color scheme).

Welcome

2009-02-09T14:13:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the 5.eleven design blog! I hope this will be a place where you can keep up with my most recent projects and find some ideas you can borrow/steal/lift for yourself if you want to. I hope you enjoy your visit!

Have a wonderful day!
Shana