Cookbooks, French Bookmarks, and Bee Hives

I’ve been in “crafting” mode for a short while now and I am going with it.  It strikes every now and then and I submerge myself in it and then it leaves.  I never know how long it will last or when it will return but for now I am riding the crafting wave!  Stamping is new to me.  I can see how people get hooked on it because there are so many cute stamps out there.  My favorites are the clear “Cling” stamps.    And when you are armed with a 40% or if you are lucky a 50% off coupon to any craft store, you can’t help yourself.  I get it!

I am still enamored with the set of French stamps that I used when I made the basket full of French Lavender Sachets.  My latest use for mes timbres français are these bookmarks.

They are easy to do.  I armed myself with a pack of 50 bookmarks from Hobby Lobby, a handheld hole punch, my set of stamps and a black ink pad, and some assorted ribbon.

The book marks need a tall stamp and so the Eiffel Tower was perfect.  I added a few more smaller stamps like the “Bonjour” the crown, and a Fleur de Lis  on the back.  I made some with a black ribbon to match the ink and a few were made with some old red and olive green ribbon that I had.

Threading the punch hole with the ribbon is easy.  Cut your ribbon about 4 or 5 inches long.  Fold it in half and push the folded part halfway through the hole.  Open up the fold and thread the ends of your ribbon through that hole and gently pull tight but be careful not to pull too hard so you don’t tear the bookmark.  If you use more than one color of ribbon, stack them on top of each other and thread them at the same time.

I planned on selling them over at Rustic Romance so I needed a way to display them.  A spray painted tin can to the rescue!  Some black spray paint, some burlap and ribbon scraps, a wood circle, a piece of twine, and cute price tag and voila!  A can of signets français, French bookmarks!

Now I have to warn you to be careful with the ink.  Some of my bookmarks smeared.  I am definitely a novice stamper.  So on the few that smeared and were not perfect enough to be sold I just kept them for myself and already started to use them to mark up my two new cookbooks!  Ina Garten’s latest Barefoot Contessa  Foolproof does not disappoint and I also picked up The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman.  Love the book and her blog Smitten Kitchen. 

And because I am not one to miss a photo opportunity,  take a look at these salt and pepper shakers that I found recently in a thrift store.

The cutest bee hives ever!

So on this sunny November Saturday, my plans are to make The Barefoot Contessa’s Winter Minestrone and Garlic Bruschetta on page 53 of her new cookbook and make more bookmarks.  That is, after I go do some reverse shopping.  Just a few things to take back.  Remember the old days when the stores used to fight you when you tried to take anything back?  I hated that!

Enjoy your weekend!