A Little Inspiration

A Trio of Triangle Boxes

As you know, I love things mini and I also love boxes, trinkets, and well, I guess that's part of the reason I love to stamp (even though I didn't use any stamps in this project).  Anyway...

Here they are with little name tags attached for gifts, favor boxes, place settings, Secret Santa, stocking stuffers, oh the list goes on!

They are big enough to fit jewelry, candies, and plenty of pretties (not to mention a little Christmas Cash).

 Wouldn't they look cute decorating your tree?  You could easily hand them out on Christmas or even as surprise gifts (my hubby loves to hide things in the tree on Christmas Eve).

I used the Specialty Designer Series Paper from the Holiday Mini Catalog and this Triangle Box Template.

Just print, cut, score, fold, adhere and ta da!

I punched two holes on the tab with my Crop-a-Dile

The poinsettia on the front is made with the five petal punch (two punches layered), a flower in Kiwi Kiss from the Trio Punch and white gel dots.

This one has a longer ribbon to hang on the tree, a doorknob, the mantle, or ???

Supplies:

Paper:

• Specialty DSP (Holiday Mini Catalog)
• Real Red
• Kiwi Kiss (In Colors 2008-2009)

Other:

• Ribbon (stash)
• White Gel Pen
• 5 Petal Flower punch
• Trio flower punch
• Crop-a-dile 

So many fun ideas for the holidays and these are quite easy!

To place an order, click here and take advantage of the Thanksgiving Holiday savings!

Gift Bags & Gift Cards

I have been having somuch fun making and decorating Christmas bags.  I just have to share this with you.

I started with a "Large" bag that measures about 4x3x1 and decorated with the Cocoa Specialty Paper, made a couple of holly leaves, found some little bells in my closet and of course, some ribbon.

 

For the matching card, I found some red beads that are perfect for the berries.

The card fits a gift card perfectly and they both fit inside the bag.  A little tissue paper completes the gift.

 Supplies:

 Stamps: All Holidays, Christmas Punch, Patterned Pines

Ink: Real Red

Paper: Kraft, Real Red, Cocoa Specialty Designers Series Paper, Whisper White, Dark Green (stash)

Other: Ribbon, Bell, Beads all from my stash

Punches: Oval Scallop Punch & Eyelet Border Punch

Thanks so much for stopping by. To place a Stampin' Up! order, click here.

If you would like some of these bags to decorate yourself, click here.

Mini Gift Bags & Tags

I love anything and everything 'mini' - scaled down versions of our everyday objects.  As a kid, I used to make miniature clothes, houses and all the accessories for my little 2.5 inch bears.  It was so much fun to make and find objects for my imaginary world.

When I saw this tutorial on Becky Veldman's site, I had to make some of my own.  Of course, I modified the project a little bit ;-)

I used the Cricut to cut the tags, added an extra punch for make a loop, and used the Sizzlits, "Merry Little Details" for the bird.

They measure about 1.75 x 2.25 and were surprisingly simple to make (a little Scor-Tape helps) and really fun!  I just love how they look hanging on a package, they'll look great on my tree and could even have a little 'treat' tucked inside.  Too fun!

Supplies:

Paper: Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper, Old Olive, Real Red, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red

Stamps: Christmas Punch

Other: Scallop Circle Punch, 1.25" circle punch, Sizzlits "Merry Little Details", Ribbon (stash), Scallop Edge Punch, 1.25" square punch, 1/16 circle punch, 1/8" scor-tape & tombow glue, stapler

Have a great weekend!

Dasher Christmas Tag & Gift Card Holder (PPA13)

Since the Pals Paper Arts Challenge for "Anything but a card" (PPA13) is still going strong, I thought I would post this lovely Dasher today.  I have had my eye on all the beautiful cards featuring this lovely reindeer and finally decided to get him for myself.

And made several for my shop.

 A gift card fits into the little back pocket.

You can Check out my other PPA13 project here.

Supplies:

• Large Scallop Circle (Sizzix)
• Circle by Cricut (Plantin Schoolbook)
• Specialty Designer Series Paper
• Snowflakes (Sizzix)
• Dasher
• Christmas Punch
• Antique Linen Ink
• Eyelet & punch
• ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!  To place an order, click here.

Bella Bleu Gift Card & Envelope - WSC100

Busily preparing for an upcoming craft show, I put these Gift Card Holders together and just love them!  Each card is the perfect size to hold a gift card in it's pocket.

And, although it fits the birthday motif (using the sentiment from "On Your Birthday" Oops!  That should be "Very Versatile"), it can be used for any occasion.

And has a matching envelope.

Decorated inside too!

I based the card and envelope on Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge (WSC100) - just deviating from the square to a rectangle.  I think I'll use the sketch again for some more cards - it's just to fun!

Here's the sketch:

And my list of supplies:

My primary goal was to make a gift card, but I also wanted to use up some of the scraps I had sitting on my desk (i.e. tags, flowers, stamped images, bits of scrap paper, etc.).

Ink: Not Quite Navy & Soft Suede

Stamps: Of the Earth (Hostess Level 1), Fresh Cuts, Very Versatile

Paper: Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Vanilla, Kraft

Other: Cricut (flower & tags), Big Shot (Eyelet Texture Plate), 3/16" circle punch, Texture Plate Waves (???), Bird with Flower and Leaves (Sizzix)

Have a great weekend!  To place and order, click here or send me an email.

Zucchini Lemon Bread

Do you have an abundance of zucchini in your garden or gifts of huge zucchini from friends?  Well, I do.  One minute they are cute and tender and then next thing I know, they weigh five pounds and are too tough to serve for dinner.

Last summer, I overloaded on chocolate zucchini cake (so good) and decided to try something new this summer.

I went for the "My Special Zucchini Bread Recipe" by Heidi Swanson over at 101 Cookbooks.  Her baked goods are incredibly creative and delicious.  And her photos of food are so well done.

My overgrown zucchini went from this (6 cups of shredded strands - recipe uses three cups)

To three mini loaves ready to go in the oven.  The lemon is an absolute must but I opted for smaller loaves and slivered almonds - strange but I don't like nuts in bread or cookies so I put them on top.

And finally 40 minutes later to this.

I was on may way to see my sister the other day and lucky for her I was feeling generous so I brought her a little loaf with this card.

I  used a scrap of leftover paper, stamped the image in Not Quite Navy, added the ribbon and the flower from my stash.  Super quick and easy!

Supplies:

Ink: Not Quite Navy

Paper: Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper, Vanilla

Stamps: Yummy

Other: Sizzix Birds & Leaves, Ribbon (stash), 3/16 hole punch

Enjoy your weekend!

More posts to come...

Mini Christmas Cards or Tags?

Does your desk/creative space ever look like this?  I'm sure not.  I'm sure your desk is neatly organized and you can always find exactly what you are looking for at any moment.  I seem to lose my tape, small ruler, and sanding block more than anything else.

This is what my office looked like when I walked in this morning to finish this project. 

Mini Christmas Cards.

Or Mini Christams Tags?

I can't decide if I should punch a hole in them for a small string or make mini coordinating envelopes.

What do you think?  They measure about 2" x 2 1/2".

The best part (now that they are done and easily reproducable) is that they only use one piece of Riding Hood Red paper, about a half sheet of Kiwi Kiss and a sheet of Whisper White and make 8 mini cards. 

I used coordinating inks, a couple of complimentary stamps & accessories along with the Sizzix (the dots just don't seem to show up well in the photos) which would be completely optional, and ta da!

Supplies:

Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Serene Snowflakes

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White

Other: Sizzix Texture Plate (small dots), Sizzix Merry Details, Ornament Punch, Corner Punch, Corner Rounder, 1/2" Circle Punch, & Scallop Punch

 

 

 

 

Fall Pumpkins

I love fall and making these cards really put me in the mood for walks in the woods to see the changing leaves and of course carving pumpkins.

Using an embossing stencil from my friend's collection, I embossed the image four times on Kraft card stock and then made each of these cards as a set for my shop.

 

 I love each of them for it's own reason...this one for the oak leaves from "Lovely as  a Tree" (that I stamped inside too).

 

This one for the flourishes from the Hostess set "Yummy" - so simple and yet a little bit elegant.  I put a flourish inside too.

 

I really liked how the dark green paper embossed (with the Big Shot of course).

 

And the sponged leaf on this one from the SU! Sizzix leaves really added to this card.

I thought about adding a sentiment but decided to leave them blank and that way they can be used in so many ways.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a lovely Labor Day.

Supplies:

Ink: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Hunter Green & Antique Linen

Paper: Soft Suede, Kraft, Dusty Durango, Green (???)

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Yummy

Other: Stencil (Paula Hallinan), twine, grommets, Leaves (Sizzix) & Harlequin (SU! Sizzix)

French Country Journal

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Well, I hope you aren't tired of the the Bella Bella, "French Flea Market" paper...I just couldn't resist one more project with this beautiful, romantic paper.

I needed a new journal (to keep track of all the ideas running through my head, not to mention to do lists, supplies to buy, techniques to try...).   I stopped in at Aaron Brother's to buy a notebook and nearly swooned when I saw these sepia toned rub-ons (bird & butterflies *sigh*).

I started with this blank journal, carefully removed the cover from the binding and got to work.

Step 1: Paint the edge of the cover (where it fits through the spiral) with acrylic paint.

I found my old acrylics sitting in the closet and couldn't believe that after 8? 9? years, they are still good.  I mixed red, yellow, black and antique gold together, painted the edge and set it aside to dry.

Step 2: Cut and prepare base layers.  I used a watercolor wash (Baja Breeze) along the top edge, sponged/painted clouds with a combo of sponge & small paint brush and found the brush worked much better.

I already had the leaves/trees cut and ready to go (they and the birds were the inspiration for the project).

Step 3: Cut the tags and layer the tags, brads & jute together.

Step 4: Sew the edges and layers together (including the book cover) once the paint is dry.  I also find it helpful to put a little adhesive on the back (inside the sewing lines) to hold everything together.

Step 5: Adhere the tag and trees.  I used Royal Coat for the tree and even put a layer on top.  Since this is so heavily used, I want the images to last.

Step 6: Cover the inside of the journal.  I used a light brown cardstock on the inside of the cover (not shown) to cover up the sewing and writing.  Again Royal Coat works great.

Step 7:  Only when everything is well glued are the rub-ons ready to go.

Last but not least: Fixative.  I like to spray the top with a little fixative adhesive to hold it all in place, prevent smudges and help the rub-on to last longer.

Thanks for your comments and for stopping by.  Have a great day!

Frogs, Friends & Flowers

I got together with my friend Julie and her 7 month old baby boy today.  I haven't seen her in ages and wanted to bring "a little something" for her.  I put this package together and thought it turned out great.  Isn't it always such a nice feeling when they say, "Wow.  You made this?" with a look of awe and excitement in their eyes.  And, I think it makes people feel really special.

The bag was from a purchase I made at a yarn shop (not too surprising) so I covered the logo with paper to match the card.

The card was based on the MOJO Monday Sketch (click here for close up & info if you missed the post) and just loved the colors so much that I decided to give her the notebook that I made with matching paper weeks ago. 

And, of course I wanted something for the little boy and the frog was perfect.   I knit the frog with some leftover yarn I had in my stash (in case you don't know, knitting is one of my great loves *sigh*).

I used a free pattern by Susan Anderson that I found at the Spud & Chloe website.  BTW: I can't wait to try out their yarn.  The fingering weight looks yummy.

Isn't it too cute???  I really think a pink frog would be adorable.

The center of his body uses a tennis ball which I think is a great idea. 


Caleb loved it and immediately put the hands into his mouth (LOL!).

I got the idea for a tissue paper flower from Lauren Meader's post but didn't have time to make too much fuss (especially if the bag was going to be tossed).

Instead I went for the peony look using the basic "snowflake" technique.  I  folded a piece of white tissue paper several times (making four layers)  and then folded that layer in half.  I cut out the petals and then being careful to keep the layers together, I make a twist in the bottom center of the flower and glued it to the bag.  Imagine with a little ink on the edges...hmmm...

It was a little floppy, so I lightly sprayed the flower with 3M Krylon spray, scrunched the petals and ta da!

Last, but not least, I  made an envelope with coordinating paper inside and this little "sticker" on the front.  I love the idea of using this stamp & punch set with sentiments & images.  Don't know why it took so long to get the idea (LOL!)


Supplies:

Ink: Pacific Point

Stamps: Yummy, Love You Much

Paper: Re-used brown bag, tissue paper, Michael's

Other: Scallop Punch, Krylon Spray Glue (3M), Ribbon (Michael's), Cricut - Plantin Schoolbook