Gift box

Hi Stampers!
I'm on the road so posts will be sporadic over the next couple of weeks, please bear with me.  Today's post is a project I made for a hostess gift.  You can see I make a  lot of cards, cards make a nice gift (who doesn't use cards?  If you don't, you should!  It makes EVERYONE'S day to receive a card in the mail that is not a bill!).  I made a box that holds 10 cards with envelopes- here it is:

Please excuse the photo quality- I'm using my daughter's MAC, which I know has terrific editing capabilities, but is only as smart as it's user, me, and I don't know how to use it!
The box measures 4 3/4 x 6 x 1 1/4".  To make it I cut the bottom Piece of Close to Cocoa card stock (retired) at 7 1/4 x 8 1/2" then scored all the way around at 1 1/4" with my Simply Scored tool.  I did the same for the top using a retired DSP on cutting it 1/8" larger to begin with.  The ribbon is also a retired product, to cute to not use.
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Everything but the kitchen sink

My stamping friend Elizabeth does an activity on her blog Seeing Ink Spots where she uses the scraps on her work table to make up a card.  I had some interesting scraps on my worktable so I thought I'd try it out.  Here is what I came up with:

Are you tired of the retiring in colors yet?  I love them and will be sorry to see them go.  What I found on my table is something I haven't really used- one of our paper flowers.  I found them on the retired list and put one on my table last week to inspire me.  I've been saving them for something really special, and what that means is that they've been sitting in my drawer not getting used and now they are retiring!  Why am I such a hoarder?  Why oh why?
The Peach Parfait circle was an experiment for another card I made.  I used the Simply Scored tool to make hash marks in both directions and used the white gel pen at each intersections.  I like the effect so much I used it again on the Concord Crush circle, except that I used an embossing folder for the texture on this circle.
The Daffodil Delight button is from the Button, button embosslet.  I have a whole cello bag full of the leftover buttons from when I cut out buttons.  Makes it fun!
The scallop along the bottom uses a die and embossing folder set from the occasions mini- luckily it will be in the new catalog!  Yea!  I added some white dots to this as well.  I can't remember why I cut this out but it works well here.
In case I didn't have enough I found the ribbon and added that, and ran the nice piece of leftover Pear Pizazz through the sizzix (I didn't even have to cut it down to size), added a banner, and here you go!  The best part?  SUO challenge this week is dimensional flowers so I am going to add this card to their challenge!  This is SUO Challenge #45.

boxes to match

Hi Stampers,
I made a quilt looking card for a mojo monday challenge a few weeks ago, and now that I want to use it I need a matching box to go with it.  Here is what I did:

Do you remember the card?  Here is what the set looks like together-

It's so fun to have the card and gift box match!  I'm giving this set to my youngest daughter's Mother-Out-law, whose birthday falls on the same day as the same daughter's graduation from grad school.  I love birthdays so of course we need to celebrate!  Especially because the lovely woman is spending her special day with all of us!
Here is how I made the box:
I decided that I wanted to my box to be 3"x 3"x 3/4".  I measured my card stock to be 4 1/2"x 4
1/2" and scored, using my Simply Scored (#122334) tool at 3/4" on all sides.  Do you have Simply Scored?  If you don't you should!  I clearly use mine a LOT!  On opposite sides I cut the score lines to the fold and assembled the box.  Here is what it looks like:

To make the lid I cut the card stock 1/8" larger and assembled it the same way.  I then decorated the top to match the card.
I have a nice little gift to tuck into this cute box and off we go!
The colors I used were Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, and Basic Black.  I put a sparkly rhinestone on one of the hearts to add bling!
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Heather's Wedding favors

Hi Stampers!
Remember Heather (of the early morning text featuring stamping)?  I received a text photo last night that looked like this:

Aren't these little boxes so sweet?  They are for her wedding this week!  She made these little boxes using the 2-4-6-8 box.  Here is how it works.  Take a half sheet of card stock 5-1/2x8-1/2 inches and line the 8-1/2 inch side along the top of your Simply Scored tool.  Now score at 2,4,6, and 8 inches.  Turn the card so the 5-1/2 inch side is along the top edge and score at 2 inches.  Cut the score lines along the bottom edge to this 2 inch score mark.   Fold it all up to make a box!  If you have more questions please contact me, I'm happy to help!  This makes a box that is 3-1/2 inches high.  You can make the box as tall as 9 inches depending on the size of your card stock- the 9 inch box would use a full sheet.  Heather folded hers like a mini milk carton- a cute presentation- and used Four Frames stamp set to add tags.  I think she used a stamp from Sale-a-bration for the background.  I wonder what she has stashed inside?  Wish we could be there Heather!  Have a lovely wedding day beautiful girl!

Just a reminder that this is the last 2 days to order from the Occasions mini catalog .

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Have or have not?

Hi Stampers!
I have a busy schedule the next couple of days but I wanted to get a posting up for you so I went to my trusty "Stampin' Success" magazine with the hopes of copying a project.  "Stampin' Success" is the magazine the Demonstrators get monthly that is full of ideas and business tips.  If you would like your own subscription to this wonderful magazine  you just need to take advantage of the best deal in the Stampin' Up catalog, and  right now even a better value during Sale-a-bration, and order your Demonstrator Kit!

Now back to my posting!  I found a great little project that SU recommends that I can put together in a little box to take with me, and if I find someone interested in what I do I can quickly show them a project!  I love it!  Only I didn't have any of the products that they used in their little project, starting with the die cut.  Not to worry, however, because I can copy and steal "CASE" with the best of 'em and I came up with my own project loosely based on the original.  Here it is:

So Cute!  This little pocket card measures 4 1/4" by 2 1/4 inches, just like the original.  Instead of using the Sizzix "Pocket" die, I made the pocket myself cutting the naturals ivory card stock to 4 1/4" x 4 3/4" and using my Simply Scored tool to score at 2 1/4" and at 4/1/2".  I used the 1 3/4" punch in the middle panel to the the finger grip area.  Here is what it looks like with the card pulled up:

You could probably tuck a gift card in this little pocket as well, but I'll stick with a nice note to someone special!
Do you wonder what I do with all these cards I make?  Sometimes they go to someone special for an event (ie my father-in-law's bday card), some of them get sent to customers that order from me through my website, and others I would be happy to sell to you if you were interested!
Naturals ivory card stock #101849
So Saffron card stock #105118
Basic Black card stock #121045
Garden Green stampin' write marker #100080
Regal Rose stampin' write marker #105108
So Saffron Stamp pad #105213
Bashful Blue stamp pad #105209
Blender pen #102845
Stazon jet black ink pad #101406
5/8" satin ribbon, black #117285
1 3/4" circle punch #119850
1 1/4 " circle punch #119861
1 3/8" circle punch #119860
Simply Scored tool #122334
Nature Walk stamp set #121925w #121997c
Linen thread #104199
Color spritzer tool #107066
Stampin sponges #101610 

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Inspiration where you find it!

Hi Stampers!
I was flipping through the Sunday Target ad and I saw this:

Please excuse the photo- it is a dark and dreary day here and I'm having a really hard time with my lighting in my photos.  I don't know why but when I saw this ad I immediately thought of using the ideas to make cards.  Here is card #1:

And here it is open:

I went out of bounds on my card- I didn't want to be constrained!  Mostly what I used is a lot of punches-1/8", 1/2", 3/4", 1 1/4", 1 3/4" circles, word window, Round Tab (#119864), and the Circle Scissors Plus cutter (#112530).  If you look really closely you can see I used the negative of the scallop punch as a stencil for the waves for my whale.  The card stock is Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, Tempting turquoise, Whisper White.  I used Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point, and Basic Black Stamp pads.  I used Fox and Friends, again, for the whale.  That little set is getting a lot of use lately!  The greeting is from the hostess set Happiest Birthday Wishes.
My next card is here:

 The little owls are so in right now and the Owl Builder punch (#118074) makes this easy!  The branches are from my Sizzix Little  Leaves Sizzlet Die (#114511).  My colors here are Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, and Whisper White.  The only ink pad I used for this card is the Basic Black!  I made a diagonal dry embossed background that you may be able to see using my Simply Scored tool.  I put my corners on the black line that I showed you previously and scored at every 3/4", turned the card and repeated.  Stampin' Up is going to release a new diagonal plate for the Simply Scored tool soon!
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Quilt technique

I ran into my friend Edith while I was walking yesterday and she was filling me in on her latest quilting exploits, and wow, was I impressed.  My quilting, and even my sewing is no where on par with the projects she is working on, but when I got home I started thinking about a card I saw not to long ago that used what the crafter called the "quilting" technique or something like that.  I don't know where I saw the card so I thought I'd see what I could come up with on my own and here is my result:

If you look closely you can see a grid pattern that looks like quilt squares.  To get this look I got out my trusty Simply Scored tool (#122334) and scored the card at 1" increments (both directions) before I stamped it.  I added the stitch marks around the edge with a Melon Mambo Stampin' Write marker to give it more of the sewn look- you could also just sew with your sewing machine but this seemed easier.  Do you like the Dahlia flowers?  They look like the one's my sister grows in her garden- just a twinge of pink around the edge of a yellow flower.  To do that I used what is called the "rock and roll" technique.  First ink up your stamp in the main color (Daffodil Delight in this case) then roll the outside edge of the rubber image in the darker color (Melon Mambo).  Then stamp!  Make sure you clean your stamp before starting the process over so you don't muck up your lighter colored stamp pad!
Another thing I recently found out, that everyone else probably knew all along, was that the scallop circle punches out this Dahlia flower perfectly!
Supplies: Daffodil Delight ink and card stock, Melon Mambo ink and card stock and marker, Whisper White card stock, Simply Scored tool, scallop punch, button sizzlit, dimensionals, and Lucky Limeade 3/8" ruffled ribbon (#122977).  The stamp set is Button, Button(#122375)!