Mini Box in a Bag~

I received a request from a friend asking me if I could scale down the Box in a Bag project that is scooting around the web. Easy peasy request! I did this in about 10 - 15 minutes, no prototype necessary. YAY! Generally I make a plain white prototype when I am scaling down a project or creating a box of some sort, that way I don't waste the good stuff. :) I had a bit of the patterned paper left over from the mini pizza box post from the other day, so I used it for this mini project. :)

Here's what the full size version looks like, posted on Cami's blog:
Designer Bag

Cami saw it on SUDSOL ( A Stampin' Up! site of sorts for demos, I think anyway, I never was part of it) and created the one you see in her post.

Turns out Diana Gibbs is the creator, you can find her tutorial here: Box in a Bag Tutorial

Anyway, to make a smaller box/bag, I started with paper these sizes:

2 1/2 x 2 1/2" square of card stock
3" x 6 1/2" piece of patterned paper
3/8" x 6 1/2" strip of scalloped card stock

The only difference between this mini version and the regular size version is the score lines for the box portion. Score the 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" piece of card stock 1/2" on all sides. The rest of the directions are the same for adhering the box/bag together.

So the finished size of the Mini Box in a Bag is 1 1/2" for the box bottom by 3" tall. Perfect for a little candy treat or a small bag of embellishments.

V.~

Supplies:
Stamps: Riveting by SU! © 1990-2008
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia by Tsukineko
Paper: Frosted Pink by Prism, Wild Wasabi by SU!
Patterned Paper: Sultry by Basic Grey
Tools: Crop A Dile, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1/4" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, Fiskars trimmer with scallop blade
Accessories: Jumbo Eyelets by SU!, Wasabi Stitched Ribbon by SU, Dimensionals

Happy Birthday Cutie~

This card was made for a remarkable young lady who was dealt a not so fair hand in life, right at the time she should have been embarking on her life as a teen and beyond.

She loves bright colors and animals, so I thought this kittie from Kim Hughes Cutie Pet-tootie set would be perfect for her. Add in a little cupcake and sentiment from Kim's Tag, You're It set, a few polka dots and a wee touch of glitter and Paula will love this card.

These are the Copic markers I used to color in the kittie. I applied Y23 first all over the kittie, dotted away color with the colorless blender, and then applied dots with Y21, and dotted away color again with the colorless blender. A little E37 for her nose, R81 for her cheeks and cupcake liner, and w1 to ground her with a little shadow at her base.
After coloring the kittie, she was matted on brown and Stickles were added to the cupcake frosting. A scalloped valance was created with a corner rounder and adhered with dimensional foam. Add 2 pink brads at the bottom to anchor the panel.

The background panel was created with the Large Polka Dot Backgrounder, trimmed down and matted on a brown mat before attaching to the pink base card with dimensional foam. A sheer dotted ribbon reinforces the dotted theme.

Enjoy!

V.~

Stamps: Cutie Pet-tootie by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms, Tag, You're It by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms, Large Polka Dot Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms
Ink: Momento Rich Cocoa by Tsukineko, Adirondack Peach Bellini by Ranger
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White by Neenah Paper, Prismatics Papaya Puree Medium, Suede Brown Dark and Frosted Pink by Prism
Tools: Corner Rounder by EK Success
Copic Markers: Y21, Y23, R81, E37, W1, O
Accessories: Stickles Star Dust, Light pink sheer dotted ribbon, Pink mini brads, Dimensional Foam

Mini Pizza Box Tags~

Monday is CHF Blog Challenge Chicks time, this week's challenge, using a brayer. I admit, I haven't really used a brayer for much lately other than inking up large stamps like backgrounds.

For the challenge I decided to try a technique I haven't done for a while - crayon resist. The bird from Kim Hughes Cute Curls set was stamped several times in StazOn Timber Brown onto Ranger Glossy Cardstock and highlighted with a white crayon. Adirondack Raspberry was brayered over the entire piece and then buffed with a tissue to bring the white back. The birds were hand cut and used on each scalloped tag. The bird on the pizza box was elevated with dimensional foam.

The mini pizza box is a sized down version of the little bit larger ones that have been seen on various websites and blogs. I scaled it down to fit 3 x 3 cards and envies, or in this case, scalloped tags.

Directions for the mini pizza box are:
Paper size: 5 1/4" x 9 1/2"
Score at 1", 4 1/4", 5 1/4" and 8 1/2"
Rotate and score 1" down each side.
Cut 8 scores - 4 per side on each long side, to where the score lines intersect.
Using a circle punch, punch a half circle in the middle of one of the short ends. This will create an opening to lift the lid.
Attach Scor-Tape to each flap and adhere box together.

Be sure to check out the other CHF DT girls and their brayer challenge projects. You can click
on the links in the right side bar under CHF Design Team.

V.~

Supplies:
Stamps: Cute Curls by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms, Ink: StazOn Timber Brown, Adirondack Raspberry, Paper: Glossy Paper by Ranger, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Prismatics Razzleberry Medium and Suede Brown Dark, Patterned Paper: Basic Grey Sultry Collection, Tools: Scor-Pal, 1" Circle punch, Nestabilities Circle and Scallop dies, Cuttlebug, 1/8" hand held circle punch, Accessories: Kiwi Grosgrain, Silver cord, Staples, Dimensional foam

It's a Twinchie Challenge~

Twinchie, and I thought the email said Twinkie....oh well! Anna asked a few of us to if we'd like to play in a Twinchie challenge, who says no to Anna (their idol), certainly not me. :)

What's a twinchie you ask? A twinchie is a cousin to the inchie, only a bit larger area to work with; a twinchie is a 2" square. We could incorporate our twinchie into a card or whatever project we wanted. The other parameters: Citrus colors, Sewing, real or faux, A Button, real or faux, and Patterned Paper.

Sometimes a card comes together so easy it almost makes itself, this simple little card was a tooth puller; I spent more time than anyone should trying to get this to come together. The problem? Out of all my patterned papers there was nary a citrus color scheme among them except for this one. How did that happen? So I went to the local scrap store, well, let's just say their paper supply is lacking and I came home empty handed. So I worked with what I had. In addition, I couldn't make up my mind on the image. I tried several and decided to go with this Unity owl, who is so darling, LOVE those big ol eyes.

Okay, related tangent here: A couple vacations ago we took the kids to Vegas over spring break. At our hotel there was a water feature. Imagine? A water feature in Vegas. Anyway, there was this turtle who insisted on sunbathing with all the ducks. Everyday, same turtle, as far as we could tell anyway, up on that rock with all the ducks. Morgan nicknamed him Identity Crisis.

So back from Vegas and to the card, what we have here is an owl with an identity crisis - he's the colors of a parrot but he's a wise old owl. Hey, I had to keep with the citrus color part, remember? He's colored in with Copic Markers, his eyes with a black glaze pen. The polka dots are clear embossed on the kiwi light layer to reiterate the circle theme going on with the buttons and the sentiment and those big round eyes.

Checklist:
Twinchie - check
Citrus colors - check
Sewing, real - check
Button, two and nekkid - check
Patterned Paper - check

Check out the other twinchie players:

Anna Wight
Leigh O'Brien
Jenn Balcer
Karrie Baker


V.~


Supplies
Stamps:
Owl and sentiment by Unity Stamp Co
Polka Dot Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms
Ink:
Momento Tuxedo Black by Tsukineko
Versafine Onyx Black by Tsukineko
Paper:
Prismatics Kiwi Light, Razzleberry Light by Prism
Classic Crest Solar White by Neenah
Patterned Paper:
Scrap from my stash, possibly Heidi Swapp
Tools:
1" Circle punch by EK Success
Other:
Copic Markers: YG01 Green Bice, YR15 Pumpkin Yellow
Ribbon by SU!
Dimensionals by SU!
Buttons, from my stash

Cupcake Box Tutorial~

Here we go again, please don't disappear like before! Remember, you may always click on the photos to enlarge them for better viewing.

Supplies:
Cardstock or patterned paper in the following sizes:
10 1/2" square
6 1/8" square
4 7/8" square
Tools: Scor Pal, Coluzzle, Nestabilities Scallop Circle Dies, 1" hole punch
Adhesive: Scor-Tape, Tombow Mono Multi, Glue Dots
Other: Ribbon, Gold Cord, White Eyelet, Clear Card Sheet
Stamps: JustRite Monogram Set


Main Box Step 1:
Line up 10 1/2" paper to 1/4" mark and score at 3 1/2" and 7 1/2", rotate and repeat.

Main Box Step 2:
Cut on 4 score lines to where scores intersect - 2 on each side. Trim and notch corner panels, as shown, to create flaps.

Main Box Step 3: Adhere flaps to inside of the box with Scor-Tape.


Lid Step 1: Score 6 1/8th"square 1" on all sides. Cut on 4 score lines to just where the scores intersect - 2 on each side. Trim and notch corner panels, as shown. Cut circle shape with Coluzzle in center of lid. I tried using a Nestabilities Circle Die but since I use the Cuttlebug, the paper was too wide.

Lid Step 2: Apply Scor-Tape to each corner. Cut and attach a Nestabilities Scallop Circle frame to circle cutout with adhesive. Adhere a 4" x 4" Clear Card Sheet to inside of lid using Glue Dots.

Lid Step 3: Adhere flaps to create lid.

Insert Step 1: Score 4 7/8" square 1/2" on all sides. Notch corners, as shown. Cut main circle shape with a Coluzzle and partial side circles using a 1" circle punch. Insert into main box, flaps down, to nestle cupcake.

To finish embellish with a satin ribbon and a monogram tag. Don't forget the cupcake!


V.~

a Very Happy Birthday Cupcake Box

So, I've little time to be playing around but I just had to recreate a cupcake box that I'd seen recently. Much more fun that folding the laundry that is currently in the dryer and putting the other load in, don't ya think?! The original template for this particular box is from a die cut company. I deconstructed it and using my Scor-Pal, patterned paper, cardstock, a few other supplies and a new product for me: JustRite Monogram stamps, and created this cupcake box. vHb = Very Happy Birthday, of course! Okay, it's a reach, I just wanted to see how these stamps worked.....my brain is tired! *wink* Inside is a cardstock holder to keep the cupcake from shifting around. The only missing thing? A cupcake, who keeps those on hand?! LOL

I'm working on directions and will be back later with full instructions. It's easy peasy!

ETA: Aye Carumba! I had the whole post ready with the directions and pictures and whooosh, it disappeared! We are off to a birthday party tonight and I've no time left to redo this post....check back soon for directions.

V.~

Back from the Windy City!~

Click here to read how Chicago came to be called The Windy City. There's not a definitive answer, seems there are several. A great book to read about Chicago, the World's Fair, and a serial killer is Devil in the Windy City by Erik Larson. Reads like fiction but is all true.

A few pictures to share, seems my camera stayed in my bag more than it should have, or the pictures...well, let's just say I need to work on my skills. LOL

Mish aka Mish Mash Wooderson, my pal of, gosh, 4 years or so, I just adore her, for who she is as sweet and generous person, as well as her fabulous talent.

Same party, thus the same clothes, LOL. Here with Carole Burrage, known to all as TruCarma, whom I met in Anaheim but have enjoyed online for some time. Carole writes some of the best blog chatter out there! Next is my pal and the best hugger in the entire world, and our SCS go to gal, Jenn Balcer, and last, but certainly not least, Leigh O'Brien, talent oozes from her! I met her for the first time here in Chicago but have "known" her since our Dirty Dozen days.

Such fun being able to connect with these woman and so many others who remain in my memory bank! As far as seeing the show and sharing new product photos, well, I was a working girl and just don't have any product photos to share. They are all over the web on your favorite blogs if you have a little scavenger hunt. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Scor-Pal booth to say hello!

Below are just a few pictures from my Chicago touring day on Tuesday. I stayed on for an extra couple days to see the city as I had never been there before. My friend Bevie showed me the sites and beared with me while I scarfed a Chicago style hot dog and Chicago deep dish pizza, plus all the train, trolley and walking we did. Thanks BP!

Jay was a single dad while I was away for 6 days, the most I've ever been gone. He had a great time and introduced the kids to snorkeling: taking them to Wind n Sea beach as well as the La Jolla Cove. We now have a new family hobby. The kids had a blast and now have the gear to show it!

Back to the photos, these are just a couple taken in downtown Chicago:

Beautiful coneflowers from The Lurie Garden, a gorgeous perennial garden in the middle of Millenium Park.

This cool sculpture is called The Cloud Gate, aka "The Bean" by the locals, and is comprised of seamless, highly polished stainless plates. It reflects the skyline, clouds and all the people around it. Underneath is a 12 foot high arch that is a bit dizzying to look up into, I did though, and have a swirling photo to show for it!

The Jay Pritzker Pavillion. WOW, what a place to experience an outdoor concert! I can only imagine how cool it would be! Between the fixed seating and the lawn it can accommodate 11,000 concert fans!

The Navy Pier Ferris Wheel: what a neat way to see the skyline and expanse of Lake Michigan. A slow revolution and not scary at all, even at 150 feet up in the air! The kids would have had a blast here! All the neat activities and stuff to do would have been very exciting for them.

Thanks for all the good times, Chicago and CHA!

Now it's back to laundry, balancing the checkbook, and playing with some new goodies!

V.~

Chicago Bound~

Just a little note to say so long for a spell, I'm off to CHA in Chicago and then taking a few days afterwards to see the city. I'll be at the Scor-Pal booth if you're attending CHA, come say hello to Diana Crick, creator!

Have a good one!

V.~

For the guys~

Today's CHF DT Blog Challenge is a masculine challenge. Cards for kids and girls come pretty easily to most, it's the guys that present a bit of a challenge. CHF has a solution for this, a brand spankin' new line of images from GM™ and a fun sentiment set designed to coordinate with the images. Of course these images work for the girl car enthusiast, too. :) The release date for the first round of images is July 22nd.

I kept this card simple and with out much embellishment, as the guys I know, well, ribbons and flowers....well, wouldn't go over that well, ykwim? I stamped the image in a single color for a change, no coloring needed. Quick and easy, and perfect for a guy.

Finished card is 3.25 x 6.5 and these are the supplies:

Stamps:
GM-101P 1957 Bel Air © GM™by Cornish Heritage Farms
You're a Classic by Mona Lisa Moments for Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
Versamagic Turquoise Gem, Jumbo Java by Tsukineko

Paper:
Classic Crest Solar White by Neenah
Prismatics Birchtone Dark by Prism

Patterned Paper:
Metropolitan High Rise by America Crafts (double-sided)

Accessories:
Aqua mini brads
Dimensional foam

Be sure to check out the other CHF creations by clicking on the links on the right side bar.
Have a great day~

V.~

GM™ ~

Coming soon! Check it out here: Mona Lisa Moments

This is so exciting! Cards for the guys (or gals) that have a fond memory of a classic car from their youth or a yearning for a special car now. I can't wait to see the entire line!

I'll be posting a sample on Monday, stay tuned!

Today we're off to Morgan's first soccer tournament of the summer.

V.~

Kim Hughes MochaChica~

Another SUPER FUN sneak peak!
click here --------> Kim Hughes MochaChica paper collection!


V.~

U R Sassy....~

I thought this would be a funky card to give a teen girl (ahem, my daughter, Morgan, for example) to let them know that they're a pretty great kid~

Stamps:
Sassy Petites by Mona Lisa Moments for Cornish Heritage Farms, available July 10th
Foursquare by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms
Vintage Scrapblock™ by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
Adirondack Latte, Shell Pink by Ranger
ColorBox Fluid Chalk Tangerine, Lime Pastel, Chesnut Roan, Azurite, Rouge by ClearSnap

Paper:
Classic Crest Solar White by Neenah Paper
Prismatics Intense Kiwi, Intense Azalea by Prism

Tools:
1" Circle punch by EK Success
Piercing tool by Making Memories (for setting brads)

Accessories:
Clear Button (from my button jar)
Chocolate Stitched ribbon by A Muse
Pink mini brads
Fabric Letters by Making Memories

V.~

Sneak Peek~

Check this out! A CHA a sneak peek for you Thomas Kinkade fans!

click here------------> Thomas Kinkade Designer Series Paper Packs

Very exciting stuff!

V.~

Peace on Earth~

SCS Featured Stamper style. Used this card as a starting point.

Changed a number of things, but kept the color scheme of blue, green and white. Snowflake and wonderful sentiment from CHF. Sentiment is from Mona Lisa's soon to be released (July 10th) Christmas Expressions set - FABULOUS set, you will want it for your holiday cards!

Stamps: Christmas Expressions by Mona Lisa Moments for CHF, Large Snowflake #2 by CHF

Paper: Frosted Teal, Nautical Blue Dark, Herbal Garden Medium, Simply Smooth White by Prism, base is Neenah Solar White

Ink: Adirondack Brights Pool, Earthtones Denim

Accessories: Silver mini brads, Aqua ribbon, Victorian Fiskars Blade, Dimensionals

V.~

Happy 4th!

A rerun of 2 cards I thought appropriate for the day.

V.~

Many Things~

There are many things I love about this craft we enjoy....one of my favorite things is being able to whip out a gift bag and matching tag or card in minutes with supplies that I keep on hand. I have an internal struggle when contemplating purchasing bags and cards. Ask Brett. We looked for a nano second yesterday at Target, and finally I just said let's go home I'll make something in the morning. So this gift bag is for a birthday party for a friend's cousin today. They are off to a fun playground for the afternoon. Fun for all the boys going and time for me to run a few errands and clean up the stamp mess from the last couple of days.

Anywhoooo, I keep white/brown handled sacks on hand to quickly embellish for gifts, rarely buying a gift bag unless I'm really crunched for time, you know, on my way to the event and need to get the gift and the packaging *grin*.

While this isn't anything mind boggling I wanted to share how quickly, less than 20 minutes from start to finish, a coordinated bag and tag can be made for a little boy who loves cars. The color scheme is one I often go to for boys, Brett loves orange, and blue, well it's orange's complementary color, and black to make it pop. I also keep these projects really simple as I'm pretty sure I know where they end up - in the Hefty bag of wrapping papers.

The car image is from Toy Box, an oldie but a goodie retired set from SU! The number 6 from Headline Numbers, another SU! set. The sentiments are from Birthday Centers, a wonderful sentiment set from Mona Lisa Moments for CHF.

Well, off for my walk quickly before Brett needs to get ready to go~

Have a great day!

V.~

p.s. tag is cut asymmetrical on purpose!

Supplies: Stamps, indicated above, Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, ColorBox Fluid Chalk Tangerine, Paper: SU! Brocade Blue, Basic Black, Whisper White, Patterned paper: BoBunny, Tools: Crop A Dile, Paper Piercing tool (for mini brads), Accessories: White bag (Michaels), Jumbo eyelet (SU!), Dotted ribbon (Michaels), Brocade mini brads (SU!), Dimensionals

95 Degrees, Nary a cloud in site.....

MUST mean it's Christmas in July! I can feel it in the air (NOT!), can you? LOL! But Kim Hughes Thursday release over at Cornish Heritage Farms is 2 very fun holiday sets for those who like to plan ahead and get a jump start on their holiday cards. In addition to the images you see here, you'll find a moose, a seal, an ornament, a deer, a candle, a tree line, and more, plus coordinating sentiments. I used both sets here: Christmas Critters and Heart Warmers, and created 4 each of 4 cards using the same layout - simple and easy to mass produce is my way of making holiday cards.

Just in from CHF:
At CHF we're celebrating Christmas in July! Lots of fabulous Holiday releases this month that I know you will love! Keep checking back as there are exciting releases each week here! We also have a fabulous promotion that I can't wait to tell you about....with each order from July 1st to 31st, we have a Christmas present for YOU! Liz has a fabulous variety of surprises for you and different one each day. Won't it be fun to find a gift inside each order when you are busy stocking up on Christmas supplies for others?

V.~

Stamps: Heart Warmers by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms, Christmas Critters by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms, Ink - lots! Versafine Onyx Black, Smokey Grey, and Versamagic Cloud White, Aegean Blue and Brilliance Galaxy Gold, Pearlescent Poppy by Tsukineko, ColorBox Fluid Chalk Rouge, Azurite, Olive Pastel by Clearsnap, Paper: Classic Crest Solar White and Natural White by Neenah, Prismatics Baby Pink Medium, Blush Dark Red, Herbal Garden Medium, Nautical Blue Dark by Prism, Patterned Paper: Woods Fern by Chatterbox Inc., My Baby Boy Dot by Pebbles Inc., Tools: 1" circle punch by EK Success, Piercing tool by Making Memories, Heat tool by Marvy, Accessories: Silver, Gold, Pink, and Red Mini brads, Green, White, Blue grosgrain ribbon, Dimensional foam, Clear Embossing Powder (for cardinal and gold greeting)