Make It Yourself Gift

Did you ever need a gift for someone who's crafty and likes to create things themselves? When I'm thinking about gifts for someone who makes cards themselves or likes to do crafts, I feel like a pre-made card set is boring. I'm sure they'd appreciate it anyway, but I like to change things up a bit.

The project I have to share with you today has all the pieces for the recipient to put together their own card set! I've started off with one of the Perfect Package Card Boxes from Taylored Expressions. These make the packaging so easy! All I did was add some patterned paper to the top and sides of the box and wrap it with a BIG bow!

The inside of the box contains all of the pieces for someone to put together their own cards. There are:

-six 4.25" square card bases

- six 4 1/8"x 2 1/8" pieces of cardstock and patterned paper for a layer

- six image/sentiment pieces

- six scallop circles to matte the image/sentiment pieces

- foam dimensional adhesive

-Tombow adhesive

-six envelopes.

Here's what a finished card looks like. Of course, the recipient can make it "their" way and even add things (like ribbon or other embellishments) that weren't included in the package. If not, the cards are simple and cute as is.

The envelopes didn't fit in the bottom of the box because of the little "divider" I created, so I made a little pocket on the lid to hold them!

For the divider, I took an 8"x 4 1/2" piece of white cardstock and scored the 8" side at 4 1/2", 5 5/8" and 6 7/8". "Mountain and valley" the folds and add some adhesive to the inside of the "mountain" to make the divider and insert into the box.

For the envelope pocket I took a 10 3/4" x 3" piece of cardstock and scored the 10 3/4" side at 2" and 2 1/2" from each end, then score one end of the 3" side at 1/2". Fold on all score lines, cut tabs and remove end squares from 1/2" section and adhere pocket to lid.

Insert all of the pieces into the box and affix ribbon and tag and you've got a gift that anyone would love! I hope you've enjoyed my project today! Thanks for stopping to see it! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Berries & Cherries (Taylored Expressions); Ink- Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Paper- Berries & Cherries Key Ingredients (Taylored Expressions); Accessories- Copic markers, Perfect Package Card Box (Taylored Expressions), circle and scallop circle punches (Marvy Uchida), Ticket Corner punch (SU)

No longer out of sight....

Are you like me??? When things are out of sight they're out of mind?!? I always reach for my copics because they're right in front of me and I seriously forget about my poor Lyra pencils, so I thought I'd create a fun holder to get them out in front of me. I'm hoping to use them more often...as you can see, they're all pretty much the original length with sharp points...I need to start using them.

I decided to alter a fun Handbag Tidy and the Berries and Cherries Key Ingredients were the perfect colours to coordinate with my stamp room. This little handbag comes unassembled so it's easy to alter. I gave everything a coat of Espresso paint with my Ranger dauber then set it aside to dry while I worked on the image.

I chose the chocolate cherries from Berries and Cherries, stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Snow White and coloured them with copics. See...I didn't have my pencils out yet so I reached for my copics! LOL! The image is cut out with oval Nestabilities and the center cherry is popped on foam tape for dimension. I paper pieced the red chocolate liner then adhered the image to a red scalloped oval. I added lots of bling around the image with some Zva rhinestones.

Now back to the handbag...I traced around the cut out the main body on brown, then traced the scallop part onto one of the patterned papers and finally traced the handle onto the red glitter paper, all from the Berries and Cherries Key Ingredients. I adhered the papers with Zip Dry (love this glue...it doesn't wrinkle your paper and just rubs off if you get it on your desk or fingers...perfect for me!) then sanded the edges for a perfect fit. I added more Zva bling around the pink scalloped piece. I finished my project with some Espresso Dimensional Pearls on the chocolates and as "studs" around the edge of the handbag.

I'm really happy with how this turned out, but I'm worried it could end up holding my chocolate stash instead of my pencils...grin! Don't forget to sign up for the Taylored Expressions Newsletter if you aren't already a subscriber...it's always full of fabulous info!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Girls Night Out

Are you ready for a girls night out? Well if you're not, maybe this little project will get you there! How about a night in Margaritaville?

I knew when I saw the little circle from the Berries and Cherries set, it would be the perfect size to shrink for little wine charms, and that is where this little set got it's start. For each charm, I stamped the circle in Stazon Jet Black, then the lime image from Chillax inside the circle on clear shrink plastic. Then I turned the shrink plastic over, and coloured the limes with Sharpie markers, giving myself a little latitude in the colours of citrus fruits. I used the 1 3/4" circle punch to punch them out of the shrink plastic and a 1/4" hole punch to make the hole for the jump ring. I wanted them all to be fun bright colours, and easily identifyable so no one could lose their drink! The rings are earring hoops and the coordinating beads are from my vast stash.

I had in mind a fun ensemble, something to really get a party started, and since we'll all be drinking margaritas, a little salt (and lime!) was in order. I had an tin that had once held a stamp set, but I took the stamps out since I couldn't see them through the tin. I created a label with nestabilities and a belly band to tie it all together. I used the same images as in the charms, and coloured it with Copics. I added some stickles around the edge and on the cut lime slice. Inside is the salt for the rim of the margarita glass, and being a circle tin, it's just perfect for the job!

Finally I finished up with a little gift bag that makes this kind of a party in a bag ensemble! I covered the bag with Pink Passion and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, adding some designer paper from Basic Grey's "Lime Rickey" paper. Those little birds remind me of the little bobbing birds that used to be a popular decoration when I was younger. You don't see them much now, but I was fascinated by them as a kid! I stamped the margarita sentiment and images from Chillax in Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured them with Copic markers. Again, I added some stickles to the cut lime and along the edge of the margarita glass. The ribbon is the gorgeous Glimmer Twill from Taylored Expressions, and I added a few gems to finish it off!

Now how fun is that? I love these sets and the possibilities for projects is endless! I hope you have one in mind right now as we head toward the weekend! Make sure you take the time to Chillax and enjoy the last days of summer!

Recipe: Stamps: Chillax, Berries and Cherries (Taylored Expressions) Paper: Choice Snow White, Pink Passion, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Grey's "Lime Rickey" DP Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Accessories: Glimmer Twill ribbon, Patina and Crystal Stickles (Ranger), Scallop border punch (SU!), 1 3/4" circle punch, pop dots, Shrink Plastic (Judikins), Sharpie markers, Copic markers, earring hoops, beads

Thank You Berry Much

Good Morning!
Have you been following along this past week with all the wonderful creations made with Taylor's newest sets?! Aren't they amazing?! You can now get them for yourself at Taylored Expressions.
I just adore this sentiment and I couldn't wait to use it. This is a little pizza box, which Jen del Muro wrote a tutorial for and you can find it here on SCS. It's super easy and very well written. It was perfect for some strawberry filled chocolates I picked up for a colleague at work.
Almost all my supplies came from this month's KI kit. Don't you just love those kits...they make putting something together a BREEZE! Here I have stamped the strawberry basket image from the Berries & Cherries set in Memento black ink. The Choice Snow White cardstock is awesome for colouring with Copics(it also comes in the KI kit). For a little added pizzazz, stickles were used on the strawberry seeds ;)
Supplies
Stamps: Berries & Cherries
Cardstock: Baby Blue Medium and Intense Kiwi Prism Papers, Choice Snow White
Inks: Memento Black
Accessories: Copics, Scalloped edge punch, Mat pack and paper piercer, Ribbon, Circle nesties, Stickles, Dimensionals