Inspired Stamps- 12 weeks of Christmas

Hello everyone,

Christmas is right around the corner and many of us are still looking for Christmas card and project ideas.  Well at the Inspired Stamps blog you will find a new idea each week, this week it is my turn to share a project tutorial.  Today I created a "card in a box" using the Shepherd boy and the standing sheep stamp and laying sheep stamp.  I stamped the sheep several times on cardstock and watercolored the images using distress markers.  There are several different versions of this "card in a box" on the internet, but I like this one the best because you can get two out of one 8.5 X 11 inch piece of cardstock.  You cut the 11 inch side in half, to get two pieces of 8.5 X 5.5 inches.

 Place 8.5 inch side on top fence of scoring tool and score at 2, 4. 6 and 8 inches.  Turn 90 degrees and score at 2 3/8 inches.  Now you will need two tabs for inside of box and these can come from your scrap pile (we all have one of those don't we?)  These are 3 X 1/2 inches, score each end of the 3 inch length at 1/2.  (It is easier to score at .5 inches and then flip around strip and score again at .5 inches).  Then you will fold one part toward the back and one part toward the front.  This is a Z-fold.  Apply sticky strip (strong adhesive) to the outside edges of scored piece to attach inside box.

 The box panel is folded and burnished on three sides.  (You want to keep fourth side upright, this will be your back panel, this is also where the sides are attached with strong adhesive. Cut up three of the score lines to create flaps (this is the shorter of the panels).

 The Z-fold strips are placed on the inside of the box.  It is easiest to use a strip with fold facing back panel and line up with the back edge, adhere, then line up side and fold box on side and burnish.  Repeat with strip toward the front of the box.  These pieces are needed for the box to have stability and to allow you to attach your embellishments.  I added pieces of BoBunny paper from the Christmas Collage collection.  The pieces were cut to 2 X 2.25 inches, adhere to 3 side panels, the back panel was a bit longer.

 I cut 1/4 inch strips to attach to back of my Shepherd and sheep to better attach them to the inside strips.  I also added some grass to these strips, since sheep are grazers and it helped mask the white strips.  I added Luke 2:11 to front flap and stars to back panel.

 More BoBunny Christmas Collage paper was added to bottom panels.

 The back of the box is where you can stamp your sentiment and write your personal message.  My sentiment came from the Christmas verses set.

 Here is the box folded flat.  When you are adding your embellishements you want to make sure they will not stick out the sides when folded flat, so that the card will still fit in a standard A2 envelope.  The card mails flat, but what a wonderful surprise for your recipient when the open up and see your creation.  I just love how fun these cards are to make and how happy they make the recipient.  I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and I hope you will give this card a try.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  Thank you so much for stopping by today and please be sure to check in often at the Inspired Stamps blog for more inspiration.

Unity Friday Friends with Flair

Hello Friends with Flair.  Happy 4th.  No red, white and blue in my card today, sorry.  I used that color scheme in yesterday's post.  Today I am using the Itty Bitty set that was free with purchase a while back.  I colored a watercolor background and then stamped image in Ranger archival ink.  I even stamped the sentiment and punched it out with the SU window punch.  I then added a bit more color to the actual butterfly for an added punch.  I attached the dp at an angle with a scallop border strip and I backed the image with a scallop circle to make it pop more.  Clean and simple card with a lot of impact.  Have a safe weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Unity Friends with Flair

Hello Everyone. It is Friday and time for Friends with Flair.  I made a watercolor card using my new Phyllis Harris set that I won as blog candy on Patty's blog:http://scrapclose2theheart.wordpress.com

She contacted me and told me I won one of her give aways.  I did not expect it to be an entire set.  So happy.  I love PH stamps.  I decided to play with the water color distress markers and color these images.  I used my new corner chomper deco edge (that I purchased with my 60% off coupon at JoAnn's recently).  I still thought it needed something so I added a piece of glitter tape from American Crafts.  What so you think?  Should I have left it alone or does the tape add something?

 

I survived my dd graduation party and I had everything ready without too much stress.  I made her a banner and hung up pictures for each year, so that everyone could see how she has grown.  Many didn't think she had changed much.  I stamped 3X 4 cards so that guests could jot her a note of encouragement, I made her hat box for cards, 8 centerpieces for the tables and the food.  Gotta love Pinterest for ideas.  I thought I would share some of the pictures.  Tomorrow is the big day, the actual ceremony.  It is hard to believe that I have one graduating.  Where does the time go?

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping in for a visit.

 

 

centerpiece for tables with my daughters avatar as jar embellishment

card box made from copy paper box with larger piece of cardboard for mortarboard

Graduation themed food.  Diploma Swiss cake rolls and Pirouline cookies wrapped with pull and peel Twizzlers.  I also made Banana Split Bites which was a piece of strawberry, banana slice and pineapple slice on small picks and frozen.  Then dip in chocolate and add nuts or coconut to top.  These were a big hit.

Graduation hat Reese's mini Reese's cups.

Friday Unity Friends With Flair

Hello everyone, another week passes with all of it's craziness.  Still I managed to make a few cards. I am also trying to work on the decorations for my DD graduation party (two weeks away and counting, please pray I can get done what I need to for this event).

I played some more with water colors for the focal image and then over stamped the background with this lovely image from the Unity set; Bold Insight.  I went in and water colored the flower heads with purples.  I embossed the script embossing folder onto purple cardstock and inked with Distress inks.
Added a few finishing touches like the ribbon, inking the edges and then popped up image.  Pretty clean and simple.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.