Last but not Least, TSTR DT Application 4!

I went all out on this one. Shabby but bold!

I started with a rather painstaking process of learning how to use foil. My first three attempts failed miserably despite following directions from several different prominent crafter’s blogs! Grrr… But I finally got results I could use even if I didn’t love it. I applied Versamark through a stencil and clear embossed it. Then I added foil and ran my paper through my laminator. It melts the embossing powder so the foil can stick. Unfortunately, it also flattened the melted embossing powder causing it to spread out. So my pattern is a bit more messy than I had hoped for but hopefully that just enhances the shabby chic-ness.

I made the small white flowers, I realized that I hadn’t use the baby’s breath as inspiration at all so I made the closest flowers I could! I think they softened an otherwise quite bold card. I used the yarrow die set from Susan’s Garden. Sizzix used to manufacture them but now I believe you can get them from Elizabeth Crafts. I used the Paper Players sketch 225. and of course The Shabby Tear Room DT call.

Enjoy, Rebecca

Amour Tag

This tag was for a Swap-bot swap with one of my favourite partners. She came up with the theme of Love Story. I took that quite literally!

Since I took this photo, I added some glue to restrain that bow and keep the little lady at the top from being swallowed up by it! :) The papers, tag and leaves are by Maggie Holmes for her new Open Book collection. I just ADORE it. I added the strip of glitter to the bottom of the tag, coated the people and heart in gold paint/Copic ink and added glitter to the little bird too. I love altering embellies to make them more my own.

The ribbon was hand-dyed (by me!) and when I first made it, it looked almost fluorescent! But it seemed to go well with this bright rose paper. I used some vintage lace to go with it.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Paper: Open Book-America Crafts, ivory cs (to make tag)-SU!
Accessories: Potty people, heart veneer-Studio Calico, lace-stash, ribbon-Hug Snug seam binding, tag, leaves-American Crafts, letters-Dollarama, Krylon gold paint pen, Copic marker, Art Institute ‘sand’ glitter, Sulyn Ind. gold sequins

Mason Jar Rose Card

Aince I had all of my American Crafts Neopolitan goodies out, I decided to make another card. I was super inspired by the awesome tags, flair and cardstock stickers.

The jar on the tag was so cute I was loathe to cover it up at all but as long as I could still see the two colours floating in the jar and the cute little ‘masked’ heart, I was ok about it. This sketch, with or without the floral layer, is also a versatile favourite. If you look closely, you will see another layer under my tag; cute little strawberries.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Paper: American Crafts, white CS-SSS, doily-Wilton
Accessories: flair, rose sticker,tag-AC, epoxy dots-MME, sequins-SSS, foam dots-Sticky Stuff Store, veneer-Studio Calico, gold thread-Fabric store, twine-stash?

Shabby Vespa Card

I have always loved this older paper pad , Neopolitan, from American Crafts. I go back to it every so often and fall in love again every time.

I’m afraid this picture doesn’t do this card justice. All the colours are muted and when I tried bumping up the saturation, it just looked weird. This was made for Tuesday Morning Sketches 279. I used the vertical center line of the Bingo card, ribbon, embossing and flowers. It was sure tricky making something with the Bingo card AND the sketch!

The Vespa is a sticker; to prevent it from sticking to the card base in between the foam dots, I used my powder tool to deactivate the adhesive. I usually, if I remember, add the foam dots BEFORE deactivating the adhesive or the powder can prevent the foam dots from sticking.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: Hero Arts Messages with Flourish
Ink: Versamark, Versacolour Cloud white, Archival potting soil
Paper: American crafts, card base-MFT (? colour name)
Accessories: gold ep, cord-SU!, lace-Fabricland, ribbon-stash, sequins-Sulyn Ind. stickers-American Crafts,

Cameras Today Card for Unscripted Sketches

I recently got some new (to me) papers so I was excited that this week’s sketch used so many layers!

I coloured and paper pieced her with Copics. The camera was coloured with gold paint marker (backwards I think, oops!) On the kraft circle I used texture paste and added Perfect Pearls in gold. Please enlarge to see the detail, I adore the pattern on the pink paper; the cameras are A.DORE.A.BLE.

I really enjoyed this sketch. I can totally see myself using this one over and over since it is so well balanced. I hope you see the possibilities too and will come by and play with us at Unscripted Sketches #242.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Pure Innocence MFT
Ink: Memento ink
Paper: DP-Yes, Please Amy Tangerine American Crafts, 5th and Frolic, Dear Lizzy American Crafts, kraft CS-PTI, blushing bride-SU!
Accessories: camera veneer-Studio Calico, texture paste-homemade, washi tape-Queen & Co, Krylon paint pen, rhinestone-Dollarama, paper flower-stash, stencil-Crafters Workshop, Perfect Pearls-Ranger

I made a ‘thing’ for Unscripted Sketches and some other challenges :)

Wow, my mind is really fried after having my hubby and kids home for a week and a bit. Holy moley! I made something and don’t know what to call it. It’s for Unscripted Sketches and also some other challenges (finally) so let’s just get on to business shall we?

So I get it, at first glance this is a strange mix of things to put on a … well, it’s not a canvas. It’s not even a canvas board. It’s not really a painting either is it? It’s way, way too big to be a card at 7.25x8.25” (it was supposed to be 5x7 with 1/4” framing borders but it was just too small for the snowflakes so I added a 3” section). And now it’s too big for any standard frame! It’s too warped to just hang on the wall with a ribbon and too big for my SMASH album!

I started with the concept that I would be combining three challenges: The Shabby Tea Room-use snowflakes, silver/white and buttons/bells, obviously Unscripted Sketches and SSS Stamp and Show to use Tim Holtz products. I dragged out all the Tim Holtz stamps I own and was stumped. None of them are winter related at all. But, I have lots of inks and plenty of stamps that make nice background stamping plus plenty other stuff.

So I decided to drip TH inks artfully down a piece of watercolour paper. Hmmm, easier said than done. I chose a great big fat mop brush which would hold lots of paint right? Yep, I was right! However, it seems it didn’t want to release said paint onto the paper, grrr… Ok, second try, smaller fat brush would release the liquid, better but then too many lovely fat droplets ran all the way to the bottom of the page instead of artfully stopping with perfectly round balled ends right where I wanted them too stop. No wonder some artists get the big bucks. This stuff ain’t easy!

OK, so my page is dry, some artful drops have been stopped in the appropriate places, now what? So I fill in the space with some TH stamps. So far so good. Then I realized I’ve used butterflies. D’uh. Oh, well, I can cover them up! Up with what? Hmmm… Thus was the journey of the upper part of my… thing. I’ve seen some canvases end up nicer but look similar. The artist adds many items to the canvas disregarding the colour. Then gessos over the whole shebang, spray mists or paints it solid at first, then adding shadows, highlights and a few more embellishments. Tone on tone effect.

I had planned to add the snowflakes over the coloured drips at the bottom of the upper portion thinking it would create a great contrast, colour vs the silver but instead it just seems to cause competition for your eye and was too crowded. So I added a piece at the bottom and did the same thing with pewter Distress stain as I had done with Distress inks at the top. I started with full strength but it didn’t spread well so I went to a dilute version to help it move then back to full strength to add some deeper colour. I didn't have silver sequins so I took ivory ones, put a pin in the center and used a silver paint pen to colour them. I stroked outwards and slightly downwards from the center which also served to turn them as I coloured then just moved the pin which moved the sequin across my craft sheet so they could dry. Wash, rinse, repeat!

When I saw the Artist sentiment I really wanted to use it but I knew it wouldn’t be read as a background stamp. And it didn’t make much sense by itself. But recently I saw a post on Digital Photography School about snowflake photography. The snowflakes looked like everything from typical snowflakes we see as stamps to satellites in space to glass platters to logos for computer companies to what’s inside a computer. Some were hexagons almost completely devoid of any other form. I know many don’t believe but for those of us who do, snowflakes are a pretty amazing and faith strengthening creation. So I realized this was a perfect way to use this sentiment after all. And it kind of ties in my art on top with God’s art on the bottom (his is way better!)

Sorry that was so long. I hope you will play with us this week at Unscripted Sketches. Hopefully you all had great weeks visiting with family and friends, you stayed safe and healthy, the busyness is over and you all have more time off to enjoy! So why not spend some time playing our sketch? The more the merrier!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Tim Holtz various, Mini Alpha-SU!
Ink: Archival black-Ranger, Worn Lipstick, Broken China Distress pad, Shabby Shutters Reinker, Spring Moss-PTI, Versamark
Paper: watercolour paper-stash
Accessories: Spellbinders, MFT snowflake dies, wood veneers, white Mr Hueys Mist-Studio Calico, Copic markers, hibiscus spring moss buttons-PTI, sewing thread-Mettler, Guttermann, rhinestone brad-American crafts, ivory (silver) sequins-Ellen Hutson, pink and blue sequins-FabricLand, green, pink sequins-SSS, blue star clips-Dollarama, silver EP-SU!, foam dots-Jody Morrow

Pretty Green Dress for The Shabby Tea Room

I LOVED this week’s inspiration photo! The colours were amazing, aqua, a slightly peachy pink, silver and a bit of brown which I didn’t really use much. I decided to recreate the dress and add some silver and pink accents.

There are so many details that are hard to see and so much prettier IRL. The rose on the top of the dress form is clay and from some broken jewellery my mom gave me. It had a flaw on it so I covered the petal edges in glitter. No way to see the super fine glitter in the photo. You may be able to see in the  close up that I added the tiniest possible drops of Pearl Pen to the straps and neckline because to me the bodice looked beaded.

The belt ‘buckle’ has tiny flowers on it. The bodice has a vellum overlay to soften it and make it match better with the colour of the skirt with the tulle over it. The mannequin is covered in pretty tone-on-tone floral paper. The music stamped behind the mannequin has small areas which are embossed with silver glittered embossing powder which gives it a bit of vintage, distressed looking sparkle. I really wish you could see those things. They took me ages to add!

The ribbon medallion, which is mimics the one in the inspiration photo, is much pinker IRL and not so orange. More like a deeper version of the Paris postcard colour on the lower part of the card. I tried manipulating my photo every which way but it either made it worse or seriously and disastrously affected the other colours. I didn’t really use the brown  much but there is a touch of it on the Paris postcard in the postmark which you can se below.

This gorgeous embellishment originally had a bright pink crystal dangling at the bottom which didn't suit at all so I swapped it out for a pearl bead. Ah, much better! Since I wasn’t hanging it from anywhere, I added a ribbon to the loop at the top. I love the subtle glitter they embedded in the epoxy when they made it.

Click on either photo to visit the challenge blog posts. One other fun detail. I should have taken an angle shot because you can’t see it but the mannequin is several layers thick. She is made of pretty thick coaster board, 4 layers, so she stands out quite a bit from the background. You can tell a bit by looking at her shadow. much larger than it would be if she was flat or popped up on foam dots.

I’m also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Challenge to use Your Favourites because this music stamp is one of my favourites. I lost it for a while and was THRILLED to have found it! YEAH!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: music-SU!, flourish-PTI
Ink: Antique Linen, Encore silver
Paper: background dp-MME, roses-American Crafts, postcard-Cavalini, blush CS-SU!, coaster board-Ellen Hutson, silver paper, vellum-stash, aqua mist CS-PTI
Accessories: bird charm-Girl’s Paperie, medallion ribbon-American Crafts, white ribbon-May Arts, tulle-Michaels, pearls-Dollarama, rhinestones-TE, lace-Etsy, Tim Holtz mannequin dies, PTI label dies, SU! silver and iridescent ice EP, flower bouquet-Jesse James buttons, foam dots-Jody Morrow, pearl bead-stash, mini scalloped punch-EK Success, Pearl Pen, ribbon slide-stash, sheer white ribbon-stash, Glitter Ritz Warm Highlights

Avon Gift Set

I found a few things in the Avon catalogue that I knew my girlfriend would like and were also on sale (yeah!) so when they arrived, I knew they needed some pretty packaging!

This also works for a couple of challenges, Skipping Stones Sketch Challenge, Joan’s Garden’s Challenge #41 – Recycle, Friday Mashup #85 Project Saying Thank You and Really Reasonable Ribbon Anything But A Card. (Click on sketches to visit blog posts)

The box uses a clear box I got stamps in from PTI. I added a cardstock bottom; makes for such a nice presentation I think. Quite professional I think. My button is also recycled, it still has the thread in it and even a scrap from the original garment on the back. I made the flower. It actually uses the Spellbinders rolled flower die. Doesn’t look like it does it? I’m going to be coming up with a tutorial on how I do that soon, stay tuned!

The sentiment says, “A friend is someone who sings your heart’s sing back to you when you have forgotten the words.” –David Coppola. You can click the photo to enlarge it and get a clearer version too. If you ever want to make a nice gift basket or gift box, consider varying the heights of items or raising them to make them more visible with glue dots. In baskets, professionals even glue things to skewers (with points removed) to raise small things up above the edges of the basket or container. I used them to hold the nail polish up.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: SSD Heartsong
Ink: pink pirouette-SU!, chocolate-PTI
Paper: DP-American Crafts, pink cs-SU!, white CS-Taylored Expressions
Accessories: leaf-Prima, lace-vintage, ribbon-May Arts, Nesties dies, MS punch, clear box-recycled from PTI packaging, button-vintage also recycled,

Belated WMS Sketch

Bummer, I missed posting and linking up to the WMS sketch by a few hours. I am always missing opportunities this way. UGH! I made this for my new next door neighbour. I don't know her to well yet but she seems nice!

I actually won the papers I used from PC magazine. It is so fun to use stuff I've won! I paper pieced the door with a wood grain textured CS in the back. The heart die is by Memory box and is so pretty. I die cut it from the same paper as the tab but it was too pale so I sponged it with Berry Sorbet ink.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: WMS Say It Loud, PTI Home Made
Ink: Hawaiian Shore, Berry Sorbet-PTI, Pink Pirouette-SU!, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress
Paper: American Crafts-Neapolitan, kraft CS-SU!, textured white CS-stash
Accessories: Prima flower, memory box heart die, PTI tab die, button, twine, May Arts lace, scalloped edge punch-EK Success

Book Loans Album for Mom

I’d have sworn I already posted this project; I wonder if I did and it got lost, hmmm. I make this mish mash journal style album for my mom. She often loans out her sewing books and then asks me if I have them and doesn’t quite believe me if I say no because I have a bad memory. She started writing down what people borrowed then loses the papers! So, this is the solution!

Please click on the photos for a larger view. I tried to decorate some pages but also leave some pages empty for writing. I used a variety of ribbons to decorate the rings and a gorgeous Recollections rose.

The little circle hanging on the string is a Tim Holtz fragment tag. the other side has a little flower showing through some glitter and glossy accents under the clear plastic tag. I’m not sure why I photographed it like this (as I remember, I was in a hurry) but it hangs down slightly when the string is wrapped around the button. The right page is an envelope where I put some library cards for the books she lends out more often. I also gave her some library pockets to put in those books.

I used a lot of Webster’s Pages paper for this. I did a bit of stamping…

…and made some shaped pages.

Some of the pages are covered chipboard. One is a doily and some are just plain paper.

I also used a recipe card that was a stamped image I was given and some Basic Grey paper too. I’m afraid I missed photographing the page behind the recipe card

This page is one of my favourites. I love the cherry chipboard and vintage magazine advertisement. The left page is meant to be viewed when turned 90 degrees.

Although certainly not an exact match, I tried to embellish the cherries to have green stems like IRL. The right page is one of the most embellished. I added a stamped image, pearls, a tiny key and a stick pin.

and finally the back cover. Another vintage magazine ad and some lovely velvet rick rack.

I hope you enjoy my album, my mom did!

Rebecca

RECIPE: Sorry, I made this a year ago, I’m afraid I don’t remember much. Email me if you have a specific question.

Gift Set for a Friend

I’ve mentioned before that I have a friend who is battling cancer. I made her a gift basket a while back and I posted the card I made for her. I didn’t have time to make everything I had intended to add to the basket so I finally finished it this week. I am entering this in the Moxie Fab Around the House Challenge to use something from around the house. I used coffee filters.

I made her a notepad, a sticky note pad, a bookmark…

… a decorated composition notebook, a decorated pencil, a clip and a pencil holder. I made the flowers with dyed crinoline, tulle and coffee filter layers. They were cut with a 5 petal flower dies by Heartfelt Creations. They are just like Spellbinders dies and come in a set of 7! I dyed and scrunched the layers before they dried. The crinoline in particular scrunches really small so I had to flatten the layers a bit before using them. I stamped and dyed the book binding tape. I was surprised how well the adhesive held, I highly recommend this product!

The pencil holder is a simple folded ribbon. I folded the ribbon and sewed it to make a pocket; the top front edge folded over so it was sewn in to finish it. The upper area is also folded over and the end tucked in when I sewed the rest which leaves a large loop at the top. It looks decorated but what you see is the top of the pencil with a large flower on it. The pencil also has pink ribbon wrapped around the top half. I wrapped the clip in patterned paper and decorated it with a matching chipboard bird and a coffee filter flower. I kept the sticky note holder very simple and flat in case she wants to put it in the book.

The notebook uses a doily cut with a PTI doily die layered with more handmade flowers, buttons, pearls and a silk ribbon bow. The leaves are also made from coffee filter. To get the variegation on the leaves, I pressed celery and olive ink pads on my non-stick craft mat. I spritzed with pearlized water and pressed the leaves into the celery ink. Then I dragged the edges in the olive ink. The lace was made on my mom’s sewing machine with her embroidery hoop. It was made using wash out stabilizer so really all it is is thread in the end. Pretty nice huh? For some reason she didn’t use it so passed it on to me! Yeah!

Next is the notebook. The colours aren’t very accurate in this photo. The green cardstock cover isn’t quite as yellowish and neither is the flower; it looks way too peachy. IRL it is slightly corally but definitely pink. Sigh…

There is more lace peeking out from under the flower and I stamped the ‘note to self’ stamp all over the blush coloured paper at the top in different directions making it look like patterned paper. I CASEd a notebook design by Mish Wooderson of Mish Mash; credit where credit is due. I LOVE her notepad layouts.

This bookmark is so simple that I don’t think it needs much explaining. I have no idea what colour the mist is as I made it ages ago and since I didn’t use it up, I just saved it. Maybe regal rose with a bit of burgundy thrown in seems to ring a bell?? I was happy with the collagey feel I ended up with as I really try hard for this style often and don’t usually manage to get something I like. The butterfly was coloured with Copics.

This last photo shows a box I made ages ago along with some of the new things I’ve made.  I was going to add the box to the gift basket I made but it wouldn’t fit. So when I designed this gift set, I decided to use the same DP pack, Botanique by American Crafts, to make everything.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: script-Hero Arts, all from bookmark except tiny flourish and script-American Crafts, all from notepad plus tiny flourish-Take Note-PTI,
Ink: memento brown, Chocolate, blush, celery, apricot, olive-SU!, soft rose-Hero Arts, Stazon brown
Paper: Spring moss CS-PTI, DP-American Crafts, bookmark base-Hero Arts, doily-Wilton, bird die cuts and chipboard-American Crafts,
Accessories: Metal edged tag, hardware, brads-SU!, crinoline-Etsy, coffee filter, buttons, doily die, notepad, button die-PTI, silk ribbon-May Arts, Perfect Pearls, flourish die-Marianne, Divine Twine, ribbons (sticky note pad and pencil holder) unknown,  ribbon on book-American Crafts, foam dots-Jody Morrow, binder clip, Composition notebook-Dollarama, EK Success mini scallop punch, Copic markers-R11, 32, 24, Copic refill R20 (dyeing flowers),  Labels 14 (I think) die, leaf dies-Spellbinders, book binding tape-Prima

Daisy Hat Card for Doodle Pantry

Wow, it is SPRING already, well technically anyways. Our weather hasn’t been great but my bulbs have started poking their green little heads up and the sap is running so we get pancakes with fresh syrup soon. I can’t believe it is already April 5 and time for another fabulous release from Doodle Pantry!

Isn’t this hat so springy and pretty!?! Click on the photo for a better look at my colouring. In case you don’t colour, this image is available PRE-COLOURED too! How nifty is that! Don’t forget, Doodle Pantry has a challenge this week too! You must use a Doodle Pantry image for the challenge and you can win a Free Image! Don’t have any images yet? Just Grab a Freebie! There are 10 available!

I normally link you up to the image in the store but it isn’t up yet so you will have to wait for the release. Be sure to check out the DP blog for all of the Design Team’s AMAZING latest cards based on the FABULOUS released images.

I used the latest CPS sketch; I rotated it 90 degrees then mirrored it. I really liked how much space was left at the bottom for the punched edge, I all too often add a punched edge as an after thought or at least as a middle thought and don’t leave space for this gorgeous large punch. This time I started with the punch!

Click on the sketch to link to the CPS blog.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Image: Floral Hats-Doodle Pantry
Stamps: PTI
Ink: celery-SU!
Paper: saffron CS-SU!, DP-American Crafts, white CS-Taylored Expressions
Accessories: yellow ribbon-Masterstroke, pearls-Dollarama, green striped-May Arts, button, twine-PTI, MS punch, Copics Y21, Y31, YG 63, G21, C1, E21,31,33,50, 00, foam dots-Jody Morrow, Labels 8 Nestabilities, tag die Quickutz

Ribbon Flower Gift Box for the OCC Challenge

This week was a fun challenge! Sharon challenged us to create a card, 3-D project, scrapbook page, etc. on the theme of Girl Power. Let's show our feminine side and make something girly!  There are requirements: include a hand-made paper flower, ribbon and some bling.  Doll it up!

Well, I got the paper flower part, sort of, I am ashamed to admit that I missed the handmade part of the paper flower. I mean, I started with the handmade part. I made the base and then made some really pretty handmade, scrunchie, scalloped circle flowers. Only problem is they looked too drab for my project even though I made them from paper that matches the colours in the DP. Funny thing is, I have no idea why. I made one peach and one yellow but they looked the same colour and much too boring to match the project.

After that, the paper flower idea got stuck in my head as I searched for a substitute, only as I type this am I realizing I forgot the handmade part. I decided to use a chipboard flower and cut the petals off, covering them in my favourite green ombre ribbon to make them look like leaves. They are handmade I guess, they are a type of paper and they used to be flowers. Do you think that counts?? LOL!

I really like this template. I love how the paper you use for the flap shows at the back! And since I used pretty DP, it makes it that much better! It is by Lauren Meader of My Time Made Easy; I’ve been somewhat critical of some of her templates in the past, loving the shape and design but not loving the imperfections and occasional asymmetry. This one is pretty much perfect! YEAH! I didn’t change a thing AND I will make it the same way next time so I was very happy constructing it.

I made the flower from ribbon (a la Monica Geller, “I KNOW!”) but I can’t tell you how yet as that will be my video tutorial for my May Arts Design Team application. I used Distress Crackle Paint on the Maya Road flourishes.

I’d love to see your name over at the OCC blog! This one is pretty easy so there are no excuses! And of course, when you visit, you can see the other AWESOME gal’s work! I’ve seen it, it is TOTALLY worth surfing by!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Paper: American Crafts Botanique, natural white CS-SU!
Accessories: May Arts ribbon, tulle, beads chipboard flower-stash, chipboard flourishes-Maya Road, pearls-Dollarama, labels 14 Nestabilities, Velcro-Wal-mart, Crackle paint-Ranger

My First Post with the OCC! Candy Test Tubes.

This week’s theme was to make a 3-D Valentine project. While I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, I still eat candy and we all love each other so making this was no problem!

Wouldn’t these make cool wedding/party favours? They’d be awesome with bath salts, lotion, nuts, buttons, beads, brads, mini flowers, spices or sprinkles for cupcakes or ice cream! I’ve recently acquired some new paper I’ve been DYING to use! I am normally not a huge fan of copper but this paper has started to change my mind! Isn’t it gorgeous! I’ve had these test tubes from PTI for ages and I just never had a worthy reason to use them. I love making boxes and such so much that I thought I’d do a tutorial for you.

But first, I’d like to thank the gals at the OCC for choosing me! I’ve wanted this spot for AGES! I’m so excited to join such fabulously talented designers! If you haven't visited before, be sure to hop on over to the blog to see all the other gal’s projects! You can enter to play in next week’s challenge too. Just click on the OCC blog anytime you see it!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: PTI
Ink: Chocolate-SU!, sweet blush-PTI
Paper: sweet blush CS-PTI, AC Botanique DP, white CS-stash
Accessories: pearls-Dollarama, test tubes, ticket die-PTI, seam binding ribbon-Etsy, reinkers-SU! (I made a spritz to colour my ribbon), foam dots- Jody Morrow, badge-AC, punch-EK Success, plastic box-CDS

Test Tube Box Tutorial

Supplies
Three test tubes 6” long
Small Plastic Box 3 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 5/8”
1 sheet CS
Scor-Tape or similar
DP
Glue dots
Embellishments

1. Cut CS. You want your CS box to be long enough to cover the test tubes (the clear box is too short) and overlap enough to apply adhesive with enough wiggle room (the + 1/8” shown on the diagram) that you can slide the cardstock box on the plastic box smoothly. So I cut my CS as shown, 6 3/4 x 4 7/8”.

RED lines are SCORE lines, BLUE are cut lines, GREEN are optional flap trims that make the box go together more nicely. PINK areas show where the adhesive will meet in case it didn’t seem natural to you. I’ve shown where I added 1/8” to my dimensions. This is so the cardstock box will slip over the plastic box without binding. I could have used 1/16th of an inch but then the math gets messy! If you do not have a box or test tubes that match mine but still want to make it, I have directions for that to at the end.

In the picture below, the middle test tube is in place in the bottom of the cardstock box. I was checking to make sure my measurements were correct before I decorated it. There is plenty of overlap which is what you need.

2. Assemble the box and decorate. I used a tiny scallop punch-my new favourite!

3. Slide the plastic box inside the cardstock box. Use your test tubes to determine how far to push the box in. Temporarily adhere with Eclipse tape or painter’s tape. Using a stylus or embossing tool, pick up glue dots or Scor-tape and slide it in along the sides below where it can be seen, remember the box is clear and you can see inside a bit if you are looking in from an angle. Perhaps you can think of a better way to do this but I couldn’t! I was worried any other method might cause the box to adhere before I had pushed it in and straightened it perfectly.

If you are using products with different measurements:

1. Make sure your test tubes are narrow enough to fit in your plastic box. D’uh! LOL!! Measure your plastic box to determine how large to create your cardstock box. I allowed for 1/8” extra on each of the width and depth. I’ll discuss how to determine the height in a minute. Mine measured 2 3/4 x 5/8”.

2. For the height, insert your test tubes into the plastic box. Then measure how much cardstock you will need to cover the bottom of the test tubes and overlap the box a bit (excluding the flaps). Just hold the ruler up to the box where the flaps meet and measure to the bottom of the test tubes. Then add roughly 1/2” to get your height. Don’t try to simply measure the test tubes, then measure the plastic box and do the math because you might find, as I did, that the test tubes do not fit all the way to the top. Had I only measured without test fitting, I would have been very disappointed! For once, I got it right the first time!!

Cut your cardstock: WIDTH: width+ 1/8” x double the depth +1/8” (double it after adding the 1/8”) plus 1/2” for the flaps (1/4” each). LENGTH: height times 2 + the depth +1/8”. It is easiest to replace the measurements I used in the diagram above with your own measurements. I missed adding in the measurement for my width in the diagram. It should read 2 3/4”.

Proceed with directions above.