Upcycling a Cord-handled Box

 Like a small child, sometimes I am more intrigued with a box than its contents.  This box (from Nature Republic's Fukubukuro event) was a very sturdy one with a lovely corded handles, so I just HAD to re-purpose it into a gift box. Since my sister's birthday is coming up I thought I should make a very feminine, flower studded box. It was simple to apply (with double stick tape) checkered paper to the front and back of the box.  The green sides of the box were nice enough to leave un-papered but I had to add a few flowers to the side to cover the store logo. 

 Most of the paper flowers came from my old stash of K and Co. sticker blossoms.  The pretty lace was purchased from Daiso.

 The script words were die cut from Tim Holtz foil with Hero Arts and Dienamics dies.

 I had to unstring the cord handles to apply the dotted pink paper (which was actually the backside of the green checkered card stock).  The pink lace as well as the white one were used for camouflaging the gaps between the papers.  I liked the way that this upcycled project turned out and if I ever get another similar box, I plan to turn it into a purse or cottage because of the shape.  I think my sister will like this box especially after I fill it with birthday goodies!  Upcycling will make you feel good that you aren't adding to landfill...YAY!

Kissing Booth Valentine's Day Card

I just love the Avery Elle Market stand stamp set.  I can envision so many possibilities for it.  Because it is Valentine card time, I decided to use the 'Kissing Both' and 'Free Hugs' word stamps. 

The pig and cow were made with the Avery Elle Peek-a-Boo stamp and die sets.  There were many other animals and hooves/feet to use too. 

 To fill in the empty space on the card, I rummaged through my copious supply of Valentine ephemera (paper stuff that hoarders collect) and located the CRUSH die cut (K and Co,) and love tickets (maker unknown). It's exciting to make a tiny dent in my Valentine paper stash. I am happy with the way this card turned out because it's sweet and funny just like my Valentine hubby. LOL!  Create a Valentine card for your Valentine love! SWAK!

Valentine Weebles in a Box Card

 Three Valentine purchases from HM Ben Franklin Crafts were the foundation for these cards.  First I made the weebles with supplies from the Darice Sparkle Critters kit (even the captions are included).  Next I formed the boxes using the Neat and Tangled die.  It was simple to attach the weebles (using Beacon 3-in-1 glue) to the inside of the boxes.  Finally, I I added Me and My Big Ideas Soft Spoken stickers and tied on a coordinating Valentine ribbon. The pop-up boxes were glued on only the right side of the back of the box so that the box could be gently pushed into a 3D shape by the recipient.

 The first card came out so well and was so easy to make, I decided to create another one.  This one was smaller (4x4") so I used the KISS sticker on the box. My husband liked this one better.  I preferred the white one.  I hope you will check out the Valentine supplies at HM BFC and use them to create something special for a loved one in your life. Hugs and Kisses!

The 99 cents Quickie Birthday Card

 While passing the 99 cents card rack in HM Ben Franklin Crafts, I noticed a Sister Birthday card that reminded me that my sister has an upcoming birthday.  The graphics, colors and sentiment were appropriate for her but  the card was a bit generic.  To alleviate this problem, I first stamped one of my favorite Penny Black images on white marker paper with waterproof black ink. Then I colored and cut it out. The finished paper piece was adhere to the card with foam squares.  As you can see, the dog and leash were placed on the other side of the woman to better fit on the card.  I think my sister will like this card especially because of the little dog who reminds me of hers.  I hope this card has shown you that even if you don't have a lot of time and/or money, you can still craft a special card for that special person.  Check out the card rack at HM BFC and you might be inspired to create a one-of-a-kind card!

Mickey Mouse Birthday Card

 This card was created for my husband who is a Mousekateer wanna be. He still sings the theme song from the fifties.  LOL!  I purchased the die around Xmas time from HM Ben Franklin Crafts, but of course I didn't get around to using it.  I decided if I changed the Santa cap from red to brown it could pass as a birthday card. Voila! a card for my hubby.  It was a little challenging to die cut out all the little pieces and glue them in but if I could find the patience to do it; anyone can.  A possible solution might be to color in the pieces rather than cut them out from different colored papers. I cut out the pieces for the gifts out of foil, but it doesn't show up in the photo.  Also I think that a different background paper might have shown up Mickey's face, gloves and shoes better.  I changed my mind on the color of the cap and scarf so I used Stampendous brown Fun Flock to cover it up and I think it was a great decision.  I added a little light grey Copic color to the gloves and shoes to tone down the super whiteness.  All and all, I think my Mousekateer will love this card that was made just for him.  M-I-C... See you real soon.... K-E-Y.... Why?... Because I like you!

Cat Fortune Teller Card

 I couldn't decide which stamp set to use for this birthday card so I incorporated them both for the cat-loving birthday girl.  For the front I made a mini shaker crystal ball using the stamps and dies in the Lawn Fawn 'fortune teller tabby'.  It was a little difficult to make such a small shaker ball so next time I will just put Crystal Lacquer over the ball to give the look of a crystal ball. I think the swirly pattern of the background paper gave the card a mystical look which fit the theme.  The sentiment was heat embossed with copper (Hero Arts) powder over Brilliance copper ink.  For more sparkle I flicked on Liquitex gold ink and added Little B skinny copper washi tape around the border.

For the inside of the card I used the Avery Elle stamp set.  To make a triple decker grouping I masked off the row of cats and then stamped the next layer and masked that off before stamping the top layer. Because I didn't want the color of the cats to bleed through the card I used watercolor pencils.  Most of all the products used on the card were from HM Ben Franklin Crafts. Well, that's all for this card....two more birthday cards to go....and then onward to Valentine projects!

Rainbow 2020 Calendars

Happy New Year!  This seems like the perfect time to create some bright, non-seasonal calendars.  I had four mini Vippies calendars left, a Japanese wood-block style rubber stamp, and a Colorbox rainbow ink pad which I decided to incorporate into this project.  Like the previous calendars I posted, these calendar bases were made simply from card stock ( white with little colored speckles). First I measured a piece 5"x 7" and marked on the 7" side (top and bottom) 1/2", 1-1/4", 2",  and 4-1/2" .  Then a bone folder and ruler were used to score between the marks.

Once the card stock piece is folded, use the rainbow pad to color the front panel. A piece of paper towel wadded up can be used to pat on more color or blend colors.  Apply ink to the stamp and stamp onto the side of the base that will show up the design best. Dust on shimmering pearl NUVO embossing powder and heat emboss.  Fold up the calendar base and attach ends with double stick Heiko tape.  Add color with color pencils and shiny/matte color dot stickers.

As with the other calendars, I plan to pass these out to friends or enclose in thank you cards.  I am so proud of myself....this is the first year I used up all of my calendars!  I bought less this year. Hahaha!  Hope your year is off to a bright and cheerful start. Smile everyday!