A Birthday Photo Prop

Here's a simple but super fun photo prop I recently used for my daughter's birthday.

I found the 3d number in the Silhouette Online Store and decided to try it out.

It was a pain to put together, but it looked pretty cool when it was finished.  I simply used Stickles to give it a little extra pop.

See how big and easy it is to see in the photo?  These would be fun to make for baby photos too, for how many months.  Of course it's way too late for me to go back and do that now!  *LOL*

Thanks for visiting!

Amber

I'm Back!

A little decoration for my craft room.

After a very long break I've decided I'd like to come back to blogging!

I'm still busy, aren't we all?!  However, I'm very well settled into my much larger craft room in the basement and I'm finding I am FAR more efficient these days with things spread out and well organized.

Costumes I sewed for Halloween.  A dog and a squirrel.

I'd like to blog pretty often again.  The only thing I plan on changing is that I intend to include a greater variety of projects.  In the past I focused primarily on cards and did some other papercrafting.  Now I'd also like to branch out and include more sewing projects, home decor, kids activities, and anything else creative or DIY that I'm up to.  I feel that will make it far easier to maintain the blog and keep things fresh and interesting.  There will still be cards though, so don't worry if they're your favorite :)

I hope you'll stick around and see what new things I have to offer.

A set of gifts I sewed and embroidered for a friend's baby.

This post includes some random things I've been working on during my time off.  After all, it's nice to put some kind of photos in my post.

I look forward to creating and sharing with all of you again!

If you have any requests for kinds of tutorials let me know.  I am considering doing some little mini-series style videos based on different themes, techniques, etc.  If people are interested I may do a beginner sewing series with some fun and simple projects.

Have a wonderful and very crafty day!

Gift baskets with bunny themed embroidered gifts.  I actually embroidered on toilet paper rolls!  *LOL*

Little Gift Box

This thing is tiny.  It could hold a little gift like jewelry.

I used the Wrap it Up Cricut Cartridge to cut it out.

To make the snowflake stand out I used some Stickles in Waterfall.  I LOVE the look of colored Stickles on white paper like that to create another color without having to add another layer of paper.

For the sides I started off using a border punch by Martha Stewart called Doily Lace on some shimmery blue cardstock.  Then I wrapped it around the box.

I used some pink ribbon that has a cool crinkled texture over the blue cardstock.

On top of that I added some lavender ribbon with little snowflakes on it.

I'm really happy with how this came out and it was pretty quick to put together.  The downside is after I did all this to the box I realized I made it pretty stinkin hard to open!  *LOL*  I will manage to slip a gift inside it, but it may get ruined the second the person opens it.  

Hugs to all! I miss everyone!  I haven't been checking out my favorite blogs lately and I'd love to catch up with ya'll soon :) 

Snowflake Boxes

These little snowflake boxes were made to hold some small glass ornaments.

I used plain white cardstock that was 8 and 1/2 by 11 inches.

I used my Cricut and the Wrap it Up cartridge.  I used the fit to page feature and it told me it could cut the boxes at 8 inches, so that's the size I used.  Each side is around 2 and 1/4 inches.

Before I assembled the boxes I started off with stamping.  I grabbed my Stampin' Up Bordering Blue ink.  I used the SP & Company set called Falling Snow to put snowflakes on all sides of the box, EXCEPT the lid.  For this particular box the lid and bottom looked exactly the same, so I pretty much got to decide which one to use as the top.

After the snowflakes were all stamped I started using my ink blending tool to rub ink all over the box.  I did the lid too for that part.  Even though I used the same ink color as I did to stamp the snowflakes it worked perfectly because the blending creates a much lighter effect than direct stamping.

After the stamping and blending was done I created score lines and folded the boxes.  I did a bit more inking on the parts where the box folds to give a bit more definition.

I finished off the tops of the boxes with a couple layers of felt snowflakes and a little bit of Icicle colored Stickles.

Thanksgiving Favor Box

Another quick project to share with you.

My sweet friend Amanda from Amanda's Crafts and More is doing a series called Thoughtful Thursdays and she asked if I'd share a project :)  So, this is on her blog today.  If you've never visited her before please take a moment to do so.  I promise you'll be glad you did.  I really admire her work and have LOTS of her projects on my Pinterest page.

Today I created a quick and easy project that would be easy to make lots of.  I think one of these on each plate at the Thanksgiving table would be adorable.

I took Stampin' Up's Pillow Box die and some cardstock from the DCWV Autumn Splendor Stack to create the box.

For the tag I took Stampin' Up's Vintage Labels.  I used their colors Really Rust and Ruby Red to stamp.  I ended up cutting the label out by hand, but I know it coordinates with their oval punch.

The little leaf charm is a Shrinky Dink.  It is made from an EK Success Punch.  I used some Bright White Shrinky Dink film.  I actually prefer the Rough and Ready kind for most projects because I find the Bright White gets streaky easily.  For this project I figured streaks would look lovely in my leaves so I pulled this kind out.  I colored the leaf with a Copic Marker and then punched a large hole with the bigger hole punch setting on my Crop a Dile.  Then I baked it to shrink it.

I attached the charm with a thin red ribbon that I tied into a bow.

Super easy and festive!  I could easily see making a bunch of these.

Thanks for dropping by :)

Clear Crayon Box

Hello everyone!

I have a super fun project to share with you today :)  I created this for the Back to School Blog Hop hosted by Jovan.  If you are hopping along the trail you should have arrived from Theresa's Blog.  If not, head on over to Jovan's Blog to start the fun.

My daughter isn't school aged yet, so back to school doesn't carry as much meaning for me as it does for some, but it is a reminder to make sure I keep working with my daughter to help her learn and grow each day.  My son too, but he is a bit younger with a far shorter attention span!  *LOL*

I purchased some transparency sheets that print in a laser printer, they also make them for inkjet printers.  I bought a huge box at a local office supply store.

I used a graphic set from Lettering Delights called Smiley Supplies.  I set the crayons up near the middle of my paper and spelled my daughter's name so it says "Tiffany's Crayons" since the picture says crayons on it.

I printed this out in the center of my transparency sheet.

I determined that I wanted my box to be about 3 and 3/4 tall by 4 inches wide, and about 1 inch deep.  I did a little math and figured out that I wanted to cut my transparency sheets at 5 and 3/4 tall by 6 inches wide.  Then I used my Ultimate Crafter's Companion to make the box.  It has a box lid and a box base section, so it automatically makes the lid a bit larger.  If you don't have one of those you will need to make the lid slightly bigger or adjust your score marks.  I scored on the second line all the way around, which is about 1 inch for the Crafter's Companion.

It was hard to get the plastic to score nicely, but I did manage it.  I used Score Tape to secure the box together.  It does show up a lot, but I figured any adhesive would show, and this stuff is REALLY nice and strong to hold the plastic together.

I just placed a paper there behind the image so you could see a little better, I didn't adhere it.

The box holds 24 crayons right now, and honestly I could fit another layer if I wanted to.  I really only needed to make it 3/4 inches deep - but those measurements would have been harder so I just went up to an inch.

I'll be giving this to my daughter as a special way to store her crayons.  She loves to organize and arrange things so this is perfect for her.  If you want to give these as gifts it would be a good idea to secure them closed with a nice ribbon since the lid comes off so easily.

Thanks for stopping by!!!  

To continue the hop please head on over to Carri's Blog!  

Don't forget to join in on the challenge at Jovan's blog back where you started as well :)

Germ Killer Kit

Front View & 1 side

So, I have thought A LOT about germs lately!  My kids and I have been SO sick with one thing after another that it has been hard to think about anything else.  So, now that I'm finally feeling a little better and so are my kiddos I thought I'd have some fun and make an anti germ project to tell those little buggers to get on outta here for a good long while.  *LOL*  Wishful thinking perhaps, maybe the placebo effect will work.

Back View and other side

I had this cute little white mailbox with a red flag back from before Valentine's Day when the Target $1 spot was carrying them.  I figured I'd turn the little mailbox into an anti germ kit.  I intend to fill it with little things like Purel, tissues, and maybe some vitamin C and then pass it along to a friend as a tiny gift.

I covered the front and back with black paper, and added ribbon to the sides.  I covered the main part of the mailbox with green paper.  Then I added a bunch of adorable little germs from the Feeling Green set from Letting Delights.  I finished off by decorating the little flag to simply say "Germ Killer Kit" with some faux stitching around it. 

I sure think it turned out cute :)  If I end up hanging onto this for awhile I may make it part of a larger gift - like a gift basket that also has chicken soup, medicine, etc.  Honestly, sometimes the people that are the hardest to shop for end up liking practical gifts and who doesn't hate cold and flu season?

Thanks for visiting today!  I'm glad to be getting back to my regular blogging routine - and more grateful than ever for my usually healthy family.

Little Easter Project

Hello everyone :)

Today's project is for Tracy over at Craft Junkie Too.  She challenged us to use eggs on our project this time around.

I cut the fence from Life's a Party at 7.5 inches.  The grass is a layer of that cut.  I'm not sure if I should consider this a box or a bag, but whatever it is I didn't think it was sturdy enough so I added some little strips of paper to re-enforce it.  They are what you see when you look at the corners.  2 strips to help connect each section of fence to the other.

I admit I was lazy about the eggs, these are adorable felt embellishments from Michael's.  *LOL* 

I added a cute little ribbon handle and some Easter grass and I was all done. It's not very large, but it sure would be cute with some little candies inside for a variation on a more traditional Easter basket look. 

Be sure and go check out what the other girls made. :)

Sprinkled Gift Set - For Whimisical Wednesday Blog Hop

Hello everyone :)

Today the Whimsical Wednesday design team is being introduced!  We are having a blog hop to celebrate.  The upcoming challenges will be so much fun, so be sure to check back often so you can play along and win some awesome prizes.

For the hop today you will start at Whimsical Wednesday.  So if this is the first you're hearing of the hop head on over there to get started.  The Kraft Outlet is sponsoring today and you won't want to miss out on your chance to win a $20 gift certificate.  They are also offering a 10% discount to all the hoppers when you enter BLOGHOP at checkout.  Prairie Bird Boutique is also offering a bundle of Shabby Crinkled Ribbon for a lucky hopper.

If you're already hopping along you should have arrived from Roberta's Blog.

So, onto my project details:

Click on the photo to see it enlarged for detail.

My card is an unusual size.  It's 10 inches tall, and it's 4 and 1/4 inches wide when folded.  Basically I folded a full 8 and 1/2 by 11 sheet in half the long way, and cut an inch off the bottom.  I was going to use the full sheet, but I felt this size fit my image a little better.

The ice cream sundae was cut from the Sweet Treats cartridge at 10 inches. 

The glass is cut from a really cool paper that is sort of pealized and it's a lavendar color. I added some Diamond Stickles for an accent. 

The pink layer is embossed with the Spots and Dots Cuttlebug Folder.

The brown layer is completely covered in Glossy Accents and I added real sprinkles.

The top piece of whipped cream was embossed with the D'vine Swirls Cuttlebug folder.  There was a cherry in the original design, but I decided not to use it.

I had cut the banner along the bottom, and I made it wavy by curling it around a pencil.  The sentiment on it is stamped from a Hero Arts set called Cupcakes.

This box was cut from Tie the Knot at 8 inches.

All I did to embellish it was add little dots of Glossy Accents and put real sprinkles over them.  It did take a little time and patience, but I think it's a fun little detail that makes this project unique.

If you're ready to continue the hopping fun please head on over to Cathryn's Blog.

The April Bunny Blog Hop!

Hello everyone :)  I hope you'll join in on the fun of this fantastic blog hop!  There are some AMAZING prizes up for grabs so you won't want to miss out on your chance to win :)

I am the third stop on this hop.  If you'd like to start at the beginning please go visit Jacqueline now to see her project, and also to read about the fabulous give-aways she has in store for you.  

If you have already started the hop you should have just come from Becky's blog. 

 My project today is super simple!  It would be pretty easy to mass produce for a group :)

The bag was cut from Plantin Schoolbook at 7 inches.  

The bunny was cut from the Easter 2010 Seasonal Cartridge at 4.5 inches.  I ran it through the Cuttlebug folder called D'vine Swirl.

The bow on the bunny is also from the Easter 2010 cartridge, and also cut at 4.5 inches.   

I stamped "You're the Sweetest Thing" using a Close to My Heart set called Piece of Cake.  

For a quick finishing touch I added some green crinkle paper.  

I know there are a lot of fabulous prizes up for grabs today, but I have a tiny one to offer someone who stops by for a visit today :)  It's this cute little embellishment sheet from K & Company.

Isn't it darling?!  If you'd like a chance to win just leave a comment on this post.  When the hop finishes I will draw a winner.  You don't have to follow me, but if you won't be checking back to see if you won you should leave me an e-mail address so I can get a hold of you.  Of course, if you'd like to come back and visit that's awesome too.

If you're ready to keep on hoppin' please head on over to see Candace! 

Comments for this post are now closed.  Thanks so much for all the kind words :) 

Fun & Girlie Set

I am so pleased with this little set. So girlie and fun, and also including plenty of PURPLE! Purple is my favorite color, and also the favorite color of my dear friend Jen over at Purple Scrapbooker. Today I had the special honor of being a guest designer on her blog – and that is what I designed this project for.
 

I know you want all the fabulous details, so be sure and check out this post on her blog.

Thanks Jen for asking me to do this, and for being a great gal! One of my favorite things about blogging is getting to know other crafty peeps.

Love Frames

These were designed for Tracy over at Craft Junkie Too.  This time she challenged her designers to do the following "Make a gift bag, party favor, treat bag, box, (for a valentine party or gift) and incorporate the word LOVE in it."  

These aren't a traditional party favors, but I think they would be adorable to give out at a little Valentine shin-dig as a favor.  I kept them really simple without embellishments and all those extra touches that add additional time and cost to a project, which helps keep them fitting for such an occasion.  

In my particular case I made 3 frames, one for my hubby and one for each of my 2 kids to help decorate the dining room table for Valentine's Day.  You could also do a lot more work and make them nicer to be an individual gift or display piece instead of keeping them simple for larger scale production. 

I got my frame shape from Ashlyn's Alphabet.  I liked the oval shape to show the photo, and the interesting shape of the corners, but you could easily use something else, or use a Gypsy or Design Studio to create your own frame with basic shapes.  I manipulated the shape to be 5.34 by 8 WITH the actual size button on!  I found that I liked this size when I took a rectangle sized at 4 by 6 and placed it over the shape to see how much of the photo would show through the oval.  I figured the proportions would be right if I used a piece the size of the photos I planned to use. My estimate seemed to work pretty well.  Only a small amount of the photos are covered by the oval edges.

For each frame I cut the word "Love" from Sweethears at 1.75 inches tall.  What a gorgeous word!  I just love the loops in the L.  The heart is from Plantin SchoolBook at 2 inches.  Many other cartridges have hearts!

For the silhouettes I cut the couple for my husband's frame from Sweethearts at 3.5 inches.  The boy and girl were both from A Child's Year and also at 3.5 inches.  There is a wide variety of silhouettes on A Child's Year, so if you are making these for a party or a class you can find some other ones to use.  I chose the 2 that reminded me most of my own children. 

To have a place to slip the photos I cut pieces of white cardstock at 4.25 by 6.25 inches.  Then I taped them behind the frames on the sides and bottom, leaving the top open to slide my photos inside.  I bent some cardstock in the back to create stands.  Mine work so-so, but I imagine I could have done a much better job. 

Super quick and easy!  They will take a fair amount of cardstock cut for photos this large, but if you have plenty on hand this will be affordable and fun to make for favors!  Definitely something different than the usual candies and Valentine cards everyone is used to exchanging. 

Like I said, you can easily modify this idea to suite your needs.  To fit different sizes of photos or different people.  I am going to love using these on our table, and because they were simple I'll be OK with throwing them away after wards. 

Thanks for visiting!  Be sure and visit Tracy to see what she's been up to, and today you will be able to see the other designers fun projects to fit this challenge as well :)

BFF Style Purse

I wanted to put together this cute little purse for a challenge over at My Pink Stamper.

This was really pretty easy to put together.  It is a purse from the Forever Young cartridge.  I used paper from Me and My Big Ideas.  I thought this pattern was just perfect for a purse.  I cut it at 4 and 1/4 inches.  The little tag I created was cut at 1 inch. I stamped BFF from My Pink Stamper's Family and Friends set in black craft ink.  

For little finishing touches I punched holes to add a ribbon handle.  I used a tiny black brad to attach the tag, and I used a very large black brad just to add something else a little fun to the purse - it goes just above the tab that holds the purse closed. 

This was one of those projects that was super quick and easy.  I think it would make a fun gift bag for a tiny little gift - like maybe a piece of jewelry or some candy.

Thanks for visiting! 

Handmade Holiday Organizer

This week my design assignment for Miss Craft Junkie Too was to give a holiday organization tip.  I went ahead and did a project that will help keep me organized for all my handmade gift giving and cardmaking for many holiday seasons to come. 

This is a 6 inch cube sized box.  I'll discuss and show you the inside first, where the organization is - and then show you how I made the outside cute.

Inside I placed a cardboard divider in the box.  I wanted to be able to put cards in the front of the box, and have file folders in the back.  To keep everything from sliding around too much I figured this divider would help.  

The dividers in the back are really simple.  I just cut cute double sided papers that I would say are a medium thickness, then I scored them in half.  They are from a K & Company holiday stack.  To cut the tabs along the top I used the Cricut and the From My Kitchen cartridge.  Then I drew some stitching lines and wrote names on the tabs with one of my Stampin' Write markers from Stampin' Up. 

One of the tabs is labeled "cards" so I can keep a list of who I have made cards for, or sent cards too.  The other tabs are all names, and each family only has one folder.  So, for example - my husband's sister is named Becca, and the folder just has her name on it, but it will also include the gift lists for her kids.

My plan is to put any gift ideas in the appropriate folder.  Also, if I decide I know I want to make a certain project I can write a supply list, and also record where the pattern is if it's something that requires one.  

I decorated the outside to look like a present.  I used a couple die cuts from Doodlebug Designs with some Stickles and Buttons.  I covered the whole thing with some DCWV patterned paper and finished off with some high quality grosgrain ribbon.  I tied a bow, knowing that my family cannot replicate it - so I'll know if someone has peeked!  *LOL*

Little Penguin Favor Box

Here's a simple and cute little penguin box I made for a challenge over at Momo's blog.  If you don't know Momo, you're missing out!  She makes tons of fun videos and has regular challenges on her blog.  I just get behind and miss out on most of them!  *LOL*  At least I made something in time for this one :)

Everything was done with my Cricut.  The penguin is from Winter Frolic.  I used Liquid Applique on the white parts of his hat so they are puffed up.  I used various colors of Stickles to do some outlining on him.  The box itself is a favor box from the Sweet Treats cartridge, made with paper from the Peppermint Forest stack.  On the other side of the box is another penguin, but I flipped him so the box is more symetrical.  

 

I did weld the penguin shapes to my box on my Gypsy before cutting so there are more layers of stability. 

Thanks for visiting!  I had fun with this sweet little projects as penguins are one of my most favorite things in the whole world! 

Milk and Cookies Box

I just love this little box.  I created the box itself using my Ultimate Crafter's Companion.  One of the features it has is that it has a section for boxes.  It automatically makes the lid slightly bigger than the base with NO MEASURING required!  Yeah, I love that!  When people start talking about measurements like 16ths I get pretty confused easily.  I was never good at that stuff.  The paper is from a DCWV Pack.

To decorate the box I cut a heart with my Cricut at 6 inches, this one is from Create a Critter.  The milk is also from Create a Critter cut at 3.25 inches.  I wanted to make it extra special so I cut it in some thin acetate - which was just cheap transparency sheets I bought at the local office supply store, they were like 10 cents.  

I inked around the edges with white Staz On because it was just too clear - I actually lost it on my desk for about 10 minutes!  *LOL*  I added some red lines to the straw using a Stampin' Write Marker from Stampin' Up.  To attach the milk to the jar I was concerned with not wanting something to look gunky, so I tried using Diamond Glaze all over the milk.  I figured if I just used it on some spots it would be more obvious. I think it actually gave a nice liquid effect and I'm happy with it - although the acetate did warp a little as it dried, but it's SO thin so that didn't really surprise me.

The gingerbread is from SP & Company stamps form the set called Cutest Gingerbread Man.  You get to pick the face for your gingerbread :)  I chose a winking one with eyelashes to be more girlie.  I filled in some areas with my white gel pen so I could color them.  I colored the cheeks and mouth pink and the buttons green - with small brown dots for buttonholes.  I used some Liquid Applique for the frosting.  It's my first time using it and I had so much fun - after it dries you heat it and it puffs up!  I haven't seen it locally but I ordered it online from Joanns. 

The & symbol is from a sheet of cuts from Doodlebug Designs from their Happy Holidays Collection - of course you could easily die cut your own for a similar look.

Cupcake Gift Box

 

Here is a simple cupcake takeout box I created.  The take out box is see through, it's sort of a frosty color though, not completely clear.  I purchased it from The Container Store.  I used leftover Cricut Cuts from the Sweet Treats cartridge that were part of my daughter's birthday party decorations.  Just my luck the cupcakes happened to fit the sides of the box perfectly.  I embellished them with a bit of Diamond Stickles.

For the top of the box I took 2 different flowers and layered them with pop dots, then I added bling in the center.  To attach them to the top of the box I also used pop dots, but I had to make sure and only put the on one side of the box flap so that it can still be opened.  I finished off with some of Stampin' Up's satin ribbon in bows on the sides. 

Since I used pre done cuts this was super quick and easy.  I have a box of random cuts that I haven't used yet, I think maybe it's time to have some fun with them.  Thanks so much for stopping by today :)  I am excited to get back in touch with everyone.  I don't have appropriate lighting for videos yet, but very soon I will.  Stay crafty everyone!

For You Pillow Box

Here's a little something I put together using some fabulous papers from a kit over at Scrapmaster's Paradise.  I used all Stampin' Up products.  I created this adorable pillow box using the Pillow Box die, and then I cut a strip of paper to go across it as a band.  I stamped a frame and a sentiment from Vintage Labels using Craft Ink in Whisper White, and then cut it out.  I adhered everything with Sticky Strip since it's 3d and more likely to pop apart with adhesives that aren't as strong.  As a bonus the designer paper is double sided, so the pillow box looks pretty inside too :)

Heart Bag

Here's a quick little project I whipped up for a challenge over at Made by Momo called Girly Affair.  I think this is plenty girlie with all the pink & the bling.  It was just a simple thing to put together, I cut the heart bag from Tags, Bags, Boxes & More, tied a bow in satin ribbon using my Ultimate Crafter's Companion, and then secured it with a glue dot, and I added a chipboard "b" from my stash with Glossy Accents adhesive.

I think this would be really cute for Valentine's Day.  It was easy enough that they could easily be made in bulk for a class or group.

Friends Fur Ever Bag

This was the project I submitted for the My Pink Stamper Design Team call.  Now that she has announced her team I am able to share it.  The rules were not to post the project anywhere else until she picked her team.  I ended up putting monogrammed note cards inside and giving it to my best friend.

I think this turned out really well & is pretty original.  I used several cartridges.  Tags, Bags, Boxes & more for the bag, Serenade for the cloud, Create a Critter for the foxes, Easter 2010 for the bows on the foxes, & Plantin Schoolbook for the grass.  I covered the foxes in flocking powder to make them nice and fuzzy.  I used my Ultimate Crafter's Companion to help me tie the perfect bow with some brown satin ribbon.

Instead of listing all the sizes and directions I have a cut file available for download, free as always :)  This will save you some time, flipping, hide contouring, etc.  Just delete any of the cuts you don't have the cartridge for and substitute something else.  Click here to download my free cut file!

Have a fabulous, crafty day, thanks for stopping by!  Comments would be especially appreciated on this project, I always feel sad every time I get turned down for a design team, even though it's to be expected it's still a bummer.