Easter Egg Box

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!  We're having a day of Little League baseball and some Easter fun (have the eggs hard-boiled, just need to find time to dye them, and am working on our traditional bunny cake!)   So, only time to share quickly today, but did want to get this Easter box posted before Easter (was hoping to have a tutorial done for it, but afraid that will have to wait a bit):

I used the new Ovals Framelits to create the top and bottom of the box, as well as the oval layered pieces for the top and some liners for inside (just realized I forgot to photograph that . . . sorry!  Will definitely include that with the tutorial, coming soon!).

The card stock for the box is Pool Party, with a Very Vanilla layer on top of the box and on top of that Pool Party Core'dinations, which I embossed with the Hexagon Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  I embossed some Tea Time Designer Series Paper, cut that out inside the embossed lines, and added that to decorate the box, along with some flowers punched out of the designer paper with the Itty Bitty Punch Trio.

The flower on top of the box is created out of Creped Filter Paper, which I die cut using one of the Flower Framelits, and sponged heavily with Calypso Coral ink.  I added a Designer Builder Brad in the center, which has a small flower punched out of Tea Time Designer Paper in the center.  The leaves are Lucky Limeade card stock, and created using the Blossom Petals Builder Punch.

The "Happy Easter" is from the Everybunny stamp set.  It is stamped in Soft Suede on a piece of Very Vanilla, shaped using the Word Window Punch.  I sponged around the edges of the punched piece with Pool Party ink.

The side of the box is wrapped with Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon, which I dyed by spritzing it with a solution of a couple drops of Tempting Turquoise ink refill in Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz.  I wrapped that with Victoria Crochet Trim.

Better run!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

- Michelle

Tea for Two Easter Basket

At a recent workshop, I had fun showing the attendees this Easter basket, which is so easy to make, but can be dressed up to be a real "Wow" project!   

(In case you've never made one of these, here are the basic directions:  this basket starts as a 6x6" square, and is scored at 2" and 4" and then turned and scored again.  You could do this with any size square, though, and just score at 1/3 and 2/3 of the length.  The result is that the original square is divided into 9 square sections.  You cut along the side edges of the left-side center square, stopping at the corner of the middle square, and then repeat that with the right-side center  square.  Then, fold up into the basket shape, and secure with a brad or glue.  The handle is a strip of paper . . . here, I used a 1/2" strip.  I rounded the corners on the sides of the basket -- and, actually the easiest way to explain that, I guess, is to say I just used a corner rounder punch on the corners of the large square that you start the project with, and then it will work out right.  Hope that makes sense -- guess I should have made a tutorial -- this is one of those projects that is much easier to show in pictures than explain in words!)

I love the Tea for Two Designer Series Paper from the Spring Catalog, and used a pattern from it to decorate my basket.  Then, used a Designer Build a Brad on each side to add a beautiful decorative touch, while also serving the function of holding the basket and handle together.  On top of the Build a Brad, I added a piece of Flower Trim, which I sponged with Island Indigo.  The little leaves are punched out from Lucky Limeade card stock using the Bird Builder Punch.  Here's a close up:

I also added a little tag on the basket -- you can see a hint of it in this photo, although unfortunately it is turned away from the camera:

Here's a close up of it:

To create the tag, I started with one of the mini Soda Pop Tops, and I "smushed" it in my Big Shot.  I stamped the script background from Collage Curios in So Saffron and then the butterfly image in Island Indigo, on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.  I punched that out using the circle from the Itty Bitty Trio Punch Pack.  I adhered that to the Soda Pop Top, then added a layer of Crystal Effects over the top.  The Soda Pop top is mounted on a piece of Very Vanilla which I punched out using the 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch.  I attached my little tag to the basket using a piece of Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine.

There's still time to whip up a few of these if you need a clever way to package up some little Easter treats!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

- Michelle

Vintage Puzzle Piece Resist Cards

A while back, I saw a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers for a technique called Puzzle Piece Resist, and I was intrigued by it.  So, in my most recent swap with my friend Marlene, I decided to create a card using the technique.  Actually, I ended up creating two versions of the card, and I have photos of both of them to show you today.  Here's the first one, which I ended up sending to Marlene:

To create this card, I started with a Soft Suede base.  Layered on top of that is a piece of Very Vanilla card stock, on which I embossed the Ex Libris Background stamp.  Before sponging, I die cut a flower from the Floral Frames Framelits out of the piece.  Then, I sponged the flower with Primrose Petals and Raspberry Ripple.  The rest of the background, I sponged with Soft Suede ink.  I added some lace from the Artisan embellishment kit, some flowers punched with the Boho Blossoms and Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (I used Pretty in Pink brads from the 3/16" Subtles Brads collection in the centers).  The flowers were punched from a combination of Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, and Primrose Petals card stock.  The leaves are from the Bird Builder punch, out of Old Olive cardstock.

The sentiment is from the Sale-a-Bration Vintage Verses set, stamped in Soft Suede on Very Vanilla, die cut with an Apothecary Accents Framelit, and has a bit of Soft Suede sponged around the edges. 

I also added some Pearl Jewels to complete the vintage look.  And, I couldn't resist adding a piece of Flower Trim.  The rose is dyed with Primrose Petals and Raspberry Ripple.

Here are some close up views:

I decorated the inside of the card and the envelope using stamps from the Everything Eleanor set:

 Here's a second version I created, with the flower die cut in a slightly different spot, and the flower trim dyed with Pink Pirouette and only a little bit of Primrose Petals:

Hope you enjoyed these!  Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think -- I love hearing from you!

- Michelle

Hey, There . . . Keep Calm and Stamp On!

Hi there!  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  We had a beautiful day at the ball park today . . . both my boys had games, and they were one right after the other at the same park, so it was nice to be able watch and enjoy the games without having to rush off during or after to get from one to the other's.  

Anyway, I couldn't resist opening up My Paper Pumpkin kit that arrived this week.  Here's what was inside (pardon my messy craft table underneath it!):

I am planning to play more with my kit this weekend and see what fun alternate ideas I can come up with using the supplies.  However, I have already used the stamps from the kit on another card, which I can show you now!    

All Sale-a-Bration, I'd been wanting to use the phone booth from the Feeling Sentimental Stamp set along with the Carry On hostess set to create a card.  This week's challenge over at Late Night Stampers is a "Goodbye to SAB" challenge -- so this seemed like a perfect time to play along with that as well.  Here is how my card turned out:

The splatters stamped on the card as well as the "hey there friend" are from the My Paper Pumpkin kit (and the kit I received is the one you get first no matter when you sign up . . . so, no worries, if you haven't signed up yet, you can still get this fabulous stamp set!)  The design framing the oval window of this trifold card is stamped on using the crown from the Carry On set, and I also sponged Real Red ink around the frame as well.

Here's a supply list:

Stamps:  My Paper Pumpkin starter kit, Feeling Sentimental (SAB), Carry On (hostess)
Ink:  Real Red, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Old Olive
Accessories:  Oval Framelits, Oval Punch, Flower Trim (dyed using Tempting Turquoise ink refill dropped into a Stampin' Spritzer filled with rubbing alcohol and spritzed on), Bird Builder Punch

Hope you like it.  Now, off to play with My Paper Pumpkin kit some more and see what else I can create!

Michelle

More Amore Spring Gift Box

Here is a fun project I demonstrated at a workshop not too long ago.  It was inspired by the beautiful flower -topped gift box shown on page 6 of Stampin' Up!'s Spring Catalog.   Stampin' Up! has a video on how to make the flower, and I followed that technique.  However, I used one of the beautiful new Designer Builder Brads in the center of my flower:

Here's a side view of my box:

The box is one of Stampin' Up!'s Kraft Gift Boxes.  I added a Cherry Cobbler "belly band" around it.  The belly band is embossed with the Hexagon Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  I also embossed a piece of More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper with that folder, and cut out some of the hexagons from that to decorate the belly band a bit more.

The heart and flag decorations are made with the Hearts a Flutter Stamp Set and Framelits.

Here's another side view of the box:

You can see a little bit of the stamping on the box in this photo -- subtle, but I used one of the heart images from Hearts a Flutter and stamped all over the box using Pool Party ink.

I think this would be a great way to dress up a gift for Valentine's, a bridal shower or wedding, a birthday . . . lots of possibilities!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

- Michelle

Spring Double Peek a Boo Window Card -- and Digital Download Day!

Here is a special Spring card I made for my most recent swap with my terrific friend Marlene.  I learned about this technique from this video by Dawn Griffith.  And, I thought it would be great fun to create a card with the technique using the Spring Sampler stamp set.  Here's the card I created:

View from outside:

Inside view, with "peek a boo" piece in place:

Here's the complete supply list:

Stamps:   Spring Sampler (Spring Catalog)
                Bloomin' Marvelous (Sale-a-Bration) for "Miracles Happen"
                Teeny Tiny Wishes  (Idea Book) for "Happy Easter"

Inks:        Various Stampin' Write Markers (mostly from the 2012-14 In Colors package)
                Basic Black Classic Ink

Paper:       Primrose Petals Card Stock
                 Very Vanilla Card Stock
                 Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack

Accessories:  Summer Starfruit 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon
                      1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch
                       1-3/8" Circle Punch  
                   Bitty Banners Framelits
                    Sticky Strip



Today is also Digital Download Tuesday!  And, there's another free download included today -- don't miss it!  You can see all today's downloads in the online store by clicking here.


Thanks for visiting my blog!

- Michelle


 

Marlene's Bunny Basket and Oh, Lucky Day! My Paper Pumpkin Arrived!

Hi!  I've been quiet lately -- lots going on again, including a wonderful visit with my brother and his fiancee, lots of baseball with my boys, and some intense work on the boys' school's yearbook!  Just had to pop in today, though, and share a couple things!  You'll want to read on to the bottom of the post, though -- don't miss Marlene's bunny basket!)   First, look at what arrived in my mailbox today (minus the clovers, which I just added for fun when I took the photo):

My Paper Pumpkin!!!!  This is a new offering from Stampin' Up! -- a fun monthly kit!  You can learn more about My Paper Pumpkin here.

The clovers are some special treats the boys and I created for their teachers for St. Patrick's Day -- I saw the tutorial to make these on Brenda Quintana's blog, and just had to make some!  Here's a close up of some that I made:

(The top one is Garden Green on the outside, with Wild Wasabi inside, and the bottom one is Wild Wasabi outside with Certainly Celery inside.)

I found the clovers on Brenda's blog after I received some goodies in my last swap with my amazing, talented, awesome friend Marlene Caravello that were also inspired by Brenda's Hershey's designs.  Here's what I received from Marlene that started it all:

This Valentine's heart, for which you can find Brenda Quintana's tutorial here.  And, Marlene used a method similar to Brenda's to create Hershey's Easter eggs for an adorable basket she gave me.  Here is a photo of those:

And here's the rest of the basket, along with some close ups of the adorable details:

The punch art bunny is just so cute!  Marlene found directions for the Easter Basket here (link is to the basic tutorial, the post before shows Michelle G's original basket and bunny punch art that inspired Marlene's creation).   I love how Marlene used the Woodgrain Embossing folder to add texture to the basket -- such a neat idea!  The little tag with the bunny from the Itty Bitties Stamp set is just perfect, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

- Michelle

Hostess Tea Favors and Make and Take Card

Yesterday, I posted photos of the food and paper-crafted fashion show from this year's Hostess Appreciation Tea.  Today, I have photos for you of the favors and the make and take card sample.

First, for the make and take, we created a rather quick and easy card using a 4" square Crumb Cake card base, some pieces of Tea for Two Designer Series Paper, the Feeling Sentimental Sale-a-Bration stamp set, That's the Ticket Stamp Set, the Ticket Duo Builder Punch, and a dyed Flower Trim rose.  Here are a couple photos of the sample I created:

The frosted, antique look behind the Ferris wheel is from using the direct to paper technique with a Whisper White Craft Ink pad before stamping the Ferris wheel in Soft Suede Classic Ink.  During the tea, one of my friends stamped the ticket using Island Indigo, and I really liked how that turned out, so created this version to show you, too:

For the favors, I filled the glassine bags that came with the cute Halloween favor kits in the Holiday Catalog with candies, then folded them closed.  I added a band of More Amore Designer Specialty Paper around the bag, along with a ribbon, and a Tea Time Trinket.  Here they all are nestled in a basket, ready to distribute:

And here are some close ups of some of the individual favor bags:

Aside from the Trinkets, which I knew I had to order for the tea as soon as I saw them in the Spring Catalog, my next favorite part of the favors is the big flower on them.  I created them using the Blossom Punch for the largest flowers.  I punched a card stock flower out of either Pool Party or Primrose Petals, and then another out of Creped Filter Paper (I left the one for Pool Party plain, but sponged the ones for the Primrose Petal flowers with Primrose Petals Classic Ink).  On top of that, I added a 7/8" Scallop Circle Punched piece of card stock, and last but not least a Flower Trim rose (dyed using a Stampin' Spritzer filled with rubbing alcohol, four drops of either Melon Mambo or Tempting Turquoise, and a few drops of Frost White Shimmer Paint).  Here are a couple photos of the flowers before they were attached to the favors:

Thanks for visiting!

- Michelle

7th Annual Hostess Appreciation Tea

 This year I celebrate my 8th year as a Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator!  And, this past Sunday was a big celebration at one of my favorite annual events -- a tea I host to say thank you to my hostesses for the past year.  I love trying to go all out and spoil my hostesses -- and, from their reaction, I think they enjoyed the surprises I had in store this year!

Pinterest was a great help in collecting and planning the menu for the tea.  I have a tea party board there, and that's where I found the recipes for the Strawberry Lemonade Scones, High Tea Lemon Cookies, Wellesley Fudge Cake, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches, Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches and Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches I served.  Here are a few photos of the tea snacks:

I also challenged the ladies to create dress-shaped note cards using the All Dressed Up Framelits, get creative with their dresses, and have a bit of a fashion show and best-dressed competition.  Here are the beautiful creations the ladies made all lined up:

And here are some close ups:

As you can tell, all these dresses turned out beautifully . . . competition was tight!!!  The winner was the dress in the bottom photo on the right side.  Everyone liked the combination of the floral dress with the beautiful jacket and lace brooch.  Which is your favorite?  (By the way there are 8, one dress just appears in two of the photos.)

I'll be back tomorrow with photos of our make and take card from the tea, as well as the goodie bags I gave each attendee.

Thanks for visiting!

- Michelle

Ears to You, Chalkboard-Style

The new "Ears to You!" single stamp from Stampin' Up! is so adorable!  I decided it would be fun to create a card with these bunnies using the chalkboard-style look that is so popular in the paper-crafting world (and elsewhere) right now.  Here's what I created:

I started with a 4.25 x 8.5" piece of Wisteria Wonder, to create the square card base.  I layered some of the fun new White Delicate Details Lace Tape along the bottom.  To create the chalkboard focal piece, I started with a piece of Basic Black, and embossed the Ears to You image on it using Versamark and White Embossing Powder.  I die cut around the image using one of the Ovals Collection Framelit dies.  Then, I traced around the edge of the Framelit with a white Watercolor Pencil to create the white frame.  I sponged a bit of Whisper White Craft Ink around the image to give more of a chalkboard effect as well.

The card is relatively clean and simple, but I think it is also a quick, fun card to create for Easter and spring.  What do you think?  Have you tried the chalkboard technique for any projects yet?

To check out the Ears to You stamp set and other single stamps (available only for a limited time), in the online store, please click here.

- Michelle