Mini Gift Card Holder

Happy Thursday, everyone!  I had an idea for a gift card holder and although this was just a "prototype", I thought I would share it anyway!  I am also entering it at Retro Rubber, where they have a color palette, and Krafty Chicks, where they're looking for Clean and Simple! 

The stamps I am using are from Picture Perfect Birthday, which came out in 2018.  Here we go:

I started out by making a note-card sized card with Lemon Lime Twist cardstock....this was a challenge to me, because this is definitely not a color I use very often, LOL!  I made a little 3D "box", stamped some "ribbon" in Lemon Lolly and Lemon Lime Twist (they're actually candles) on the front, and stamped the bow in Balmy Blue and Lost Lagoon to attach at the intersection of the ribbons.  The top of the box is 2" x 3".  I also added a little tag with a sentiment from Our Daily Bread Designs:

For some added texture, I added a panel of the same color, embossed with one of the Fun Patterns embossing folders.  Here's a side view of the box; you would need a special envelope, or maybe just an A4 envelope to accomodate the thickness.

On the inside, I added another sentiment from the same set and added an embossed pocket at the bottom in which to tuck a gift card or cash!

Again, this was just a prototype, so I'll be adjusting some dimensions and trying it again in the future!  Thanks for popping in today!  Enjoy it and be blessed!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Picture Perfect Birthday (ret, 2018), Mini Tag Sentiments (Our Daily Bread Designs, 2016)
Card stock & Papers	Basic White, Lemon Lime Twist
Ink	Lemon Lime Twist, Lemon Lolly, Balmy Blue, Lost Lagoon
Accessories	Dimensionals
Tools	Cut & Emboss Machine, Fun Patterns Embossing Folder, Mini Tag Punch (ret)

Altered Valentine Tin

Happy Thursday, everyone!  I have very few Valentine's decorations...I wonder why?  For some reason, it's just not a holiday that warrants many decor items in my house, LOL!  Anyway, I thought I'd take a little Altoids tin and alter it with some retro Valentines to at least add a little heart-felt spirit to my home!  I found a red one and went to work, perusing all my vintage Valentine images I had saved.  Here we go:

I started by covering the front center of my tin with some Bo Bunny Kiss the Cook paper.  I printed out a few vintage/retro images on cardstock and fussy-cut them, adding some sponging to give them an older appearance. The front also uses images and words from a retired SU set called Sealed With Love, along with some Tim Holtz sentiment stickers.  I get a lot of my vintage images from the Graphics Fairy, but there are other sites around that share them as well.  Here's the back; it used DSP from Country Floral Lane:

I used some scraps for the inside, adding some diecut hearts here and there.  Each image was printed out twice, fussy-cut, then the second image was popped up with strips of adhesive foam:

Anybody remember getting little Valentines in school with these types of images on them?

Finally, to cover up the words on the side, I used some retired SU ribbon, adhering it with Tear N Tape:

These are so fun to make, but I really need to amp up my Valentine decor as it looks rather lost all by itself!

So here's a funny tale about the card I made yesterday for the 80 year-old birthday boy (and I am sure none of you have ever had an episode like this); blessedly, before I stuck the card in the mail, I found out he's turning EIGHTY-FIVE, not 80!  I had to remove the card from the already-sealed envelope, remove the center of the card, and re-stamp everything with an "85" instead of an "80".  I am sure he would have gotten a kick out of the fact that I had him five years younger than he really was!  Thanks for popping in today--enjoy it and be blessed!

Club Projects

Hello friends, happy Friday!  I am sharing today the two projects my stamp clubs made for this month!  Here we go:

The first project uses the Butterflies & Flowers Decorative Masks (stencils), which sadly are backordered until the first part of April.  We used Blending Brushes to color in the layers in shades of Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody and Poppy Parade, then the leaves in Granny Apple Green:

A sentiment from Easter Friends, some speckles from Quiet Meadow and a few sequins finished it off before mounting it on a Granny Apple Green card base!

Here's another one, same design, but with Mango Melody and Pumpkin Pie!

Our second project used the Ombre Gift Bags, but we stepped them up a notch by turning them into a paper bag shape and decorating them with the little duck from Easter Friends:

It's quite easy to transform these flat bags.....simply score along the two sides and bottom at 3/4", just taking care not to score too hard so as not to tear the bag.  Here's one I started:

Fold each section and score with a bone folder, then put your hand inside the bag to open it out and begin to shape it.  You'll see what I mean when you do it!  The outer edges of the bottom of the bag will form two little triangles; glue these down (I put two acrylic blocks inside the bag and press down to get a good seal).

 Fold the sides inward on the score lines, and you have a bag!

Just a heads-up...decorate your bag after you score the sides but before you begin to form it...much easier that way!  We colored Mr Ducky with some Daffodil Delight ink, added a sentiment from A Wish For Everything, diecut the Shimmery White panel with the Scalloped Contour die and then added a butterfly from Positive Thoughts.  We put some Easter candy inside and tied it shut with some Crinkled Seam Binding ribbon:

Thanks for popping in today!  Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Dana shared her sunset picture with me yesterday:

"The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.  But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken."  Psalm 37:14-15

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Easter Friends, Quiet Meadow, A Wish for Everything
Card stock & Papers	Basic White, Granny Apple Green, Shimmery White, Ombre Gift Bags
Ink	Stazon Black, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Poppy Parade, Mint Macaron, Pale Papaya, Granny Apple Green
Accessories	Sequins for Everything, Dimensionals, Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon
Tools	Big Shot, Nature's Thoughts Dies, Scalloped Contour Dies, Aquapainters, 1/8" Hole Punch, Stamparatus, Butterflies & Flowers Decorative Mats, Blending Brushes

St Pat's Deco

Good Monday morning, peeps!  Hope you had a good weekend...after a crazy snowstorm on Saturday, Sunday dawned cold and clear and here we are back to the work week!  I have my club girls meeting today, so this will be quick, and since St Patrick's Day is coming up, I thought I would share a little something I made to put with my seasonal decor:

Instead of making an Altoids mint tin, I decided to make a little spool decoration; I printed out a little Irish girl two times, reversing one of the images, and fussy-cut her out.  I did the same with the sentiment, then mounted her on a little dowel inserted in a vintage wooden spool.  I covered the spool with green papers, added a button and bow one one side, and a glimmer-paper shamrock (made from three punched-out hearts) on the other.  She is sitting on the little tiered tin on my kitchen table and she makes me smile every time I look at her!  

Speaking of green (and smiling), I took Cassidy to a local high school musical production of Shrek; the role of Fiona was played by the oldest daughter of one of the sweetest families I know!  She's a senior this year, so this is her last high school performance, but I know she'll be singing her way through college as well.  Jessica brought her by so we could get some photos after the show:

She did such a great job, as did the whole cast!  Thanks for visiting today..enjoy it and be blessed!

Sweet Little Teabag Holder

Hi peeps!  I haven't made too many gift items this season but I found some really yummy chocolate mint tea bags from Red Rose Tea and I wanted to gift a couple of them, so I set out to make a little tea bag holder.  Actually, my upline, Pennie McCallum, made something similar to this many, many years ago, which helped get me hooked on stamping!  Anyway, here we go:

I used some Painted Christmas DSP to embellish the front, along with an Ornate Frame die, a sentiment from Itty Bitty Christmas and some Real Red Cotton ribbon:

First, I measured some Mint Macaron cardstock and cut it to 6 1/2" x 4 3/4", then scored the shorter side at 1 3/4" and folded it up for an inside pocket, trimming the inside edges a wee little bit so there was less bulk.  I decorated the front panels of each pocket, slipped in the tea bags, then tied it shut!

I didn't even put any adhesive on the sides; just folding and tying it together keeps it snug!  I am entering this at Just Add Ink this week, where they are looking for gift packaging!

A few more pictures from the Nativity play:

Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and a donkey!

The angel speaking to the shepherds (recognize that little sheep?):

The angelic host, jumping for joy at the birth of Jesus!

Thanks for popping in today--enjoy it and be blessed!

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 

Luke 2:8-12

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Itty Bitty Christmas (ret)
Card stock & Papers	Basic White, Real Red, Garden Green, Mint Macaron, Painted Christmas
Ink	Real Red
Accessories	Real Red Cotton Ribbon, Dimensionals
Tools	Big Shot, Ornate Frames Dies, Circle Punches (ret)

Halloween Altoid Tin

Happy Saturday, peeps!  Hope you have something fun planned this weekend!  My sister was visiting this past weekend and fell in love with the little Halloween Altoid tin I had made several years ago.  You can see it here. I have several empty tins in my stash, so I went looking for some vintage stamps and papers and went to work!  This is the front; it features a stamped witch (Crafty Secrets), watercolored, fussy-cut and layered on some striped paper that was also stamped and embellished with some stickers (Tim Holtz and Crafty Secrets) and sequins:

The back features another Crafty Secrets image, mounted on some scrapbook paper:

Did you notice the black cat perched on top?  He's an Impression Obsession diecut! 

I covered the sides and top with some Sticky Strip and metallic ribbon, then added a hand-dyed shabby seam binding bow on top....hot glue works best!

And here is the inside; more Crafty Secrets images and embellishments along with some glimmer paper stars and a few more stamped items:

I love this sassy little girl and the man in the moon!  The spiderweb paper in the background adds a spooky touch:

I happened to have two of these images, so I after gluing the first one in, I fussy cut the second one and popped her up on some little "boosters" so she would stand out!  I am so sad that Crafty Secrets is no longer in business; they had the best vintage stuff!

I am going to enter this over at Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge---of course, it's Anything Halloween, and also at TGIF Challenges - Halloween!  

And now this is winging its way to South Carolina as we speak! I hope she likes it!  Thanks for popping in today!  

And here are some not-too-scary pix from my morning walks:

My neighbor up the road is a single guy but I think he just got a girlfriend....his house is suddenly decorated very seasonally!  I am coveting his wagon!

Enjoy your day and be blessed! 

PP558 Crazy Snowflakes for Ann's Color Challenge

 Hi peeps, happy Sunday!  Time for a new Paper Players challenge, with Ann as our fabulous hostess, and she has a fabulous color palette for us:

These are gorgeous colors together, but.....you may know me and PURPLE.  Blackberry and Razzleberry are two very-unused colors in my craft stash!  But that's why this is a challenge, right?  I needed a couple little gift bags, and I spied the Ombre Gift Bags I had just received, and thought I would decorate the the Polished Pink one.  I also wanted to use some new products from the mini, and for some reason, my mind went to snowflakes!!  Crazy, right?  But here we go:

I used the Merry Snowflakes bundle and Christmas to Remember; I used Rich Razzleberry to stamp a sentiment on the bag and Polished Pink to stamp the swirls:

I cut four different snowflakes from each of the challenge colors plus our new Pearlescent paper, then 

scattered them on the front of the gift bag, and embellished each one with a rhinestone:

I added a little brad and tag to hold the top together, then just tied on some Polished Pink ribbon for fun:

All filled up and ready to gift!

Here are both of them using the same snowflakes, just in different colors! I've never seen snowflakes these colors, but I took artistic license!!!  Anyway, I hope you'll find some inspiration from our lovely color challenge this week!  Come play along at the Players and be sure to check out what the DT created as well!  Thanks for popping in!

The first Eagles game is today, so the family went to do some Eagles "shopping" and came upon their mascot Swoop and a few cheerleaders:

Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Christmas to Remember, Merry Snowflakes
Card stock & Papers	Rich Razzleberry, Blackberry Bliss, Polished Pink, Pearlescent
Ink	Polished Pink, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories	Polished Pink Open Weave Ribbon, Brad (ret), Ombre Gift Bags
Tools	Big Shot, Tailor Made Tags Dies, Stitched Snowflakes Dies