Baskets and Blooms

Hi again!  In yesterday's post, I showed a bunch of single-handled baskets that I'd created using the Berry Basket Bigz Die.  In today's post, I have a different style of basket, created with the same die.  The first is a basket I created as a Valentine's 3D/gift item in a swap with my amazingly talented friend Marlene Caravello:

 

For this basket, I again embossed the side with the Spring Flowers Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, but I attached the handles on the sides.  (By the way, I should mention that the Handheld Stapler makes both assembling the basket and attaching the handles a breeze.  After I saw it in this video by Stampin' Up! about how to assemble the basket, I just had to get one of my own!)

 

To create the big bloom embellishing the basket, I used the Bouquet Bigz Die.  I die cut a bunch of Very Vanilla petals using the largest of the two slightly curved, not slit, petal shapes on the die.  Then, I stamped them in Calypso Coral ink using one of the images from the Build a Bouquet Stamp set.   

 

To create the flower center, I layered a bunch of flower centers that I'd die cut from Calypso Coral card stock.  Then, I added a Pom Pom cut from the Calypso Coral Pom Pom trim for a 3D center with a fun texture.

 

The leaves were also cut using the Bouquet Die.  I used Pear Pizzazz Card Stock, stamped with an image from the Build a Bouquet stamp set, using Wild Wasabi ink.   

 



 

The bag of goodies inside the basket is tied with Calypso Coral Chevron Ribbon, and through that, I tied a little bread tag, die cut out of Calypso Coral card stock, using one of the Handpicked Framelits dies, and stamped in Calypso Coral ink with images from the From the Garden stamp set.  The white bow is made with Painted Blooms Cotton Twine, which has become one of my unexpected favorites from the Occasions Catalog.

 

 

 

The final finishing touch was a "Best Buds" pick, again created using the Handpicked Framelits and From the Garden stamps:

 

I had so much fun putting this basket together!  Can you tell?

Well, I think Marlene enjoyed it as well . . . it ended up inspiring her to create this amazing faux metal Easter basket:

The details on this are amazing outside and in:

 

To create the patina on the basket and tag, Marlene sponged on layers of color (I detect Bermuda Bay, Gold and Early Espresso in there, and it looks like she stared with a Crumb Cake base).  The gorgeous pattern on her basket comes from the Zig Zag Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

 

Hope you enjoyed seeing these Berry Basket die projects! 

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

- Michelle