Cookie Box

I found the cutest tutorial for an Animal Cracker box at Inky Doodles. Since I didn’t have cards I HAD to do, I played with this template. It makes up so easily and quickly… which is why I forgot to cut the traditional oval hole in the front, working too fast! These would be so cute for all kinds of gifts. Mine is clearly for homemade goodies but can you imagine making them for Girl’s Night Out-nailpolish, lotion, nail file? How about a kid’s party favour box with bubbles, candy, stickers little toys? It would make a great baby shower or bridal favour box too! Oooh, how about using it for the guest bathroom, putting tiny toiletries in it when you have overnight gifts!

This box isn’t too fancy so it should be easy to see how it is decorated. I stamped the  chocolate chips on the ribbon with chalk ink. the eyelets were brown but with too much grey so I warmed them up with my R59 Copic. You can’t see it but I split a circle Velcro dot in half, placing one half at each end of the flap to hold it closed. I am putting this on Etsy so I just used an easy name for an example of customization possibilities. Only thing you can’t see, the lid paper obviously has ivory hearts on it but it also has a  layer of hearts in chocolate  ink underneath.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Baked with love-CHF, chocolate chip wheel-SU!
Ink: chocolate, caramel, cocoa-SU!, chalk ink Color Box (twill tape), Versamark
Paper: vanilla, chocolate, cocoa, caramel CS-SU!
Accessories: twill tape-stash, WRMK-eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Foam tape-Jody Morrow, Cut n Dry Foam-Ranger, Velcro Dots-Wal-Mart, ivory EP-stash

The Gift of Giving – Baby Onesie Card

I have been wanting to try out THIS onesie card for ages! Cute huh? This card is actually a gift to be re-gifted. My BFF Rebecca is working on a crocheted blanket for a new baby. She couldn’t find the pink yarn she usually uses so she went with peach, I made the card to co-ordinate by using blush cardstock. Yes, Rebecca, this card is for you!! Fun making these, there is so much you can do, such a fun blank slate. I girlie’d it up a lot with patterned paper, lace and a sweet die cut on the shirt. A boy version would be fun too!

I started with a 4.25x11” sheet of cardstock for a top fold card. I used a Nestability, 1 5/8” diameter for the neckline. I should have made note of the diameter of the scalloped circle for the collar, nuts. I just marked the neckline center and glued on the circles, made sure they were even, then trimmed away the excess after. You can make both collar pieces from one circle if you wish. The sleeve dimensions are 1 7/8” opening, 1/2” underarm seam. The sideseam is drawn in after you cut the  leg holes. Just connect the corner of the leg hole to the underarm. I won’t give you the diameter of the leg openings because I might try them a bit smaller next time, not sure yet. They are offset, not perfect quarter-circles. I rounded the corners of the leg holes, they were very sharp points before.

The decoration on the chest is a die cut from Honey Pie by Cosmo Cricket. I added a teeny bow and the wing, which is a separate die cut piece, was glued at the fixed end with a foam dot lifting the wing tip. The three little onesie buttons were coloured with a peach-y Copic marker to make them peach instead of beige.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps and Ink: Oh dear, another one! NONE
Paper: blush CS-SU!, Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie DP and die cut
Accessories: Bella bauble (neckline)-Stamping Bella, buttons-Jesse James, Nestabilities, foam dots-Jody Morrow,  lace, ribbon-stash

Pink Violets-Easy to Make Multiples

Nichole Heady asked a question on her blog: Do you make cards in multiples? I actually don’t very often and mostly for gifts, invitations or to sell. But it got me thinking, I remembered I had saved a card that would be perfect, super simple but very classy. So I CASEd it. Actually, I almost copied it! Different stamp and ribbon but otherwise pretty much the same. I don’t have a link but the card was by Angela Jones for There She Goes.

I used my Bow Easy to tie all of those little bows. All that tying lead to a Bow Tying Tutorial I hope you enjoy (or have enjoyed, I never know which order I am going to post in!) I’m afraid I can’t remember who makes this violet stamp but it was so close to the one I was CASE’ng I used it even though the card is pink, not purple. Yah know, violets and all? The original had sheer black  ribbon with white dots, I wish I had some of that. I also stamped the envelope, something I hardly ever do until it is time for mailing. I am toying with the idea of making a cool box or basket for them and either giving them as a gift or selling them. They do need one more element, the original had a sentiment stamped across the white panel just above the  black ribbon. If I sell/gift them, I guess I will just stamp popular sentiments on them.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: unknown
Ink: pretty in pink-SU!
Paper: pink CS-unknown, white, black CS-SU!
Accessories: ribbon-SU!

I Promised You This ~ Flat Bow Tutorial

Here is a mini tutorial for the bow I made for this card.

I started to explain how I made this bow and meant to add the photos before I posted, but forgot, as usual. So here is LINK to the original post in case you missed it.

 

 

 

 

Step 1. Measure out your ribbon. Fold the ribbon to mimic the loops and the length for tails. You do not need any extra length except what is needed to tuck behind a panel like mine does at the top.  (Later, you will need another piece equal in length to 2-3 times the width of the ribbon.) Do not worry if your loops are not even yet. So you can see there are two upper loops and two lower loops. Where the two lower loops touch in the center is where the glue goes in the next step. Note or mark this point on both sides. It won’t show so a tiny pencil mark is fine. (I didn’t mark mine because mine is a demo and I didn’t realize how hard this would be to explain without telling you to mark it. Feel free and guestimate if you wish!!)

Step 2. Apply a thin line of glue at the mark on one side only, allow to dry slightly. My line of glue is a bit too wide at one end(rushing), a thin line is all that is needed. 

Step 3. Gently press the marked points together. DO NOT PRESS TOO HARD, YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR GLUE LINE TO SPREAD OUT AND GET WIDER!

 

 

 

Step 4. I like to hold the ribbon with a clamp during drying. It is very hard to get a clip to hold on straight by clipping it on from the side so I fold up my ribbon tails and clamp this way. Use a bigger clamp for wider ribbon. You DO NOT want pressure right on top of the glue or it will squish it making the line of glue not so thin anymore. You want it thin or it won’t lay as flat in following steps. Notice my clamp is just ABOVE where the glue was placed, not on it. Let it almost fully dry.

Step 5. Press the middle of the loop down. See how you now have two loops?It is so easy to get the loops the same size this way!!  If your glue is still tacky, it should hold when you press it together, otherwise add a tiny dab of glue. I use a clamp again to finish the drying process, sometimes I use one on each side. This makes it easier to complete the center of the bow. Seems like a lot of steps but with quick dry glue this takes about 60-90 seconds. If you use traditional white glue or other slow drying glues, it will take a lot longer.

Step 6. Now all you have to do is wrap a second ribbon around the middle of the bow, it doesn’t even have to overlap on the back side but I usually do unless thickness is an issue. I clamp again until the glue dries. You can barely see the center wrap in my photo because my flower mostly obscures it, sorry, I decided to do the tutorial after finishing the card and giving it away!

TIPS: I traditionally use this bow for stiffer ribbons like grosgrain that do not tie a nice ordinary bow. If you want an even puffier bow, slip foam dots inside the loops and/or under the loops! Try a contrasting ribbon for the bow center. What about a narrower ribbon or lace over the base ribbon for another fun look. This will also work with cardstock or even patterned paper but definitely use foam dots to support the loops or you will get creases in them. Great for home dec or 3-D objects where the loops will not be crushed inside a scrapbook or in an envelope! If you use a very soft ribbon, try crimping the ribbon before adding the center wrap. This is a very tailored bow so use it for an elegant, finished look. Great for wedding pictures!

I really like this method because it has two advantages over most bows of its type which have at least 2-4 more layers involved. 1. If you are really low on ribbon, it saves a bit! 2. If thickness  matters, like when you are using a specialty ribbon, working on a ‘flat’ scrapbook/mini album or minimizing bulk in an already overstuffed album, saving on thickness could be great. It is also much less fiddly than other methods of making this type of bow and you don’t have to worry much about where the center of the bow is, it all falls into place!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Always Cherish Every Moment

 

I was terribly annoyed with myself that I missed the So Sketchy Design Team call. There was just so much going on here at the time of the call. I missed it by only a few hours and the next morning, I wrote to Alli asking that I be allowed to submit late (Puh-lease!!), hoping that my stint as a Guest Designer might count for something. Early Bird that she is, the team was already chosen and notified! NUTS! She was very sweet in her email and suggested that I play in her challenges each month. So I looked through July’s card sketches so far and found this one. Very unusual. I am also entering this in Verve’s Divine Details Project Parade Contest. “make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details”.

I won’t mess around here, I had a dickens of a time  getting this layout to work. The diagonal piece was easy (and FUN) but I first tried a large scalloped circle in the darker pink floral paper.  Pretty, but the lovely scalloped diagonal paper was lost against the darker pink circle, SCRATCH that. I used some peach chipboard photo corners that came in the scrapbooking kit I was working with, mmm, too heavy looking, SCRATCH that. I tried a circle in the turquoise paper (on the back of  cross-stitch paper) for the center, also not right, SCRATCH that. Flowers from the Honey Pie Cosmo Cricket die cut sheet  instead of the bows? Not enough contrast, SCRATCH that!! Circle in the middle of the card? Too unbalanced since the diagonal is not in the middle. SCRATCH that.

I finally settled on the cross-stitch circle sponged with worn lipstick Distress ink, the cherry blossom paper in the center sponged with cocoa ink, the turquoise reverse of the cross stitch paper as the corners (they fit perfectly on the scrap left from die cutting the scalloped circle!!) and bows instead of flowers on the diagonal. With the circle offset, I needed something for the other corner. This rub-on is so sweet, I know even in the close up it is hard to read, “always cherish every moment with those you love.'” Sweet huh? I wish the small letters showed up a bit better **SIGH** I used pearls to bring more attention to the sentiment and added one to each corner die cut for emphasis. Over all, I am quite pleased with the result and if I were part of the So Sketchy team, I would be proud to send this to Allison.

In case I need to list them, my Divine Details are: Die cut photo corners, buttons tied with twine, ‘shabby chic’ ribbon bows, scalloped edges on the circle, pearls as accents and for adding emphasis to the sentiment, sponged paper edges, scalloped edge on diagonal and three different button colours!

Just a little note, I ADORE making generic cards. Consider not adding a sentiment to your card (I know!! GASP!!***) or using a very generic one like an uplifting quote or Thinking of You. Then you always have a card when you need it. You will find most of my cards have no sentiment unless I am making them specifically for someone.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: gulp, none!
Ink: worn lipstick-Ranger, cocoa-SU!
Paper: Sassafrass, Honey pie-Cosmo Cricket, Blush CS-SU!
Accessories: corner die-Cuttlebug, scalloped circle Nesties, seam tape-stash, buttons-Maya Road, hemp twine-Hemptique, rub-on-SU!