Shaker "Bookmarks!" A Family Affair

Hello again Crafty Meraki Friends, Aly here, and I can't wait to show you my second project for this month. I couldn't just make one, so I made two "tags" or "bookmarks" because that is how I am going to use them. Come see how I made them and how I even got my toddler involved! 

When I saw this Love Slimline Tag die, I immediately thought about making shaker bookmarks for Valentine's Day. I also wanted them to be from my toddler to her dad and her grandma. But how to get a toddler involved without going crazy?

The answer: a gallon Ziploc! The funky backgrounds inside these shaker bookmarks were made by my toddler! I put some paper with globs of paint inside of a Ziploc, taped it to her high chair tray, and let her go to town squishing the paint. She loved it, and I loved not having a mess.   

I think these backgrounds look amazing! These bookmarks are a little part of her and a little of me. I know my husband and mother will love them! To create the shaker bookmarks, I diecut the Love Slimline Tag die from white cardstock a total of four times: twice as it comes with the LOVE word die in the middle of the tag and twice with just the tag die. I used the diecut with the word LOVE cut out for the front of the bookmark, and I used the full tag diecut, so I would have a solid backing for the bookmarks. 

Then I followed my normal procedure for making a shaker card. I adhered clear plastic to the back of the front diecuts with double-sided tape and added a lining of two layers of foam tape to trap the shaker bits. I glued my daughter's backgrounds to the tag diecuts that will serve as the back to my bookmarks. I went through my shaker bit stash and made my own mixes so they would match the backgrounds perfectly. I placed the shaker elements in the middle of the back pieces of my shakers and VERY carefully placed my front panels on top. 

For the finishing touches, I diecut the "& hugs" and "& kisses" word dies that also come with the Love Slimline Tag die set from pink glitter cardstock and metallic teal cardstock. I glued them to the middle of the bookmarks as well as added some cute images from the  Love FURever stamp set. I colored these images in with some alcohol markers. I know the white panels on the front are rather plain, but I wanted the shaker bits and painted backgrounds to be the STARS of these bookmarks. 

I always feel like shaker cards or bookmarks in this case are a labor of love. They take me a bit longer than a regular card. But I think it was definitely worth it! My family is going to love these and how there is a piece of the bookmark that my daughter made. I hope that I inspired you in some way today. I wish you all the most magical and crafty day!

Aly Ricke