Gift Card Holder – My Crafts are Like a Box of Chocolates

Teacher Thank You Gift Boxes

November 15, 2015 beccreates1

This week the challenge was to make something for someone in our community. I decided to get a couple of gift certificates for my children’s teachers and decorate the packaging.

I used a gift box die and a couple of tag dies. Overall this is very simple but since I’ve had strep for the last week, it was all I could muster up.

I hope you play along with Jennifer’s challenges too.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Thank you from SSS
Ink: lipstick red-SSS
Paper: Simple Stories DP, kraft, chartreuse CS-PTI
Accessories: pillow box, tag dies, twine-PTI

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Blue and White Snowflake Pillow Box

December 1, 2012 beccreates1

I signed up for emails from a new challenge, the Friday Mashup. They have a two part challenge. You can play one part or the other or combine them! I decided to go for both and combine that with making another project for my Swap-Bot challenge to use the stamp stamp multiple ways.

Sorry for not folding the box ends together. Funny, I didn’t even think about it until I had taken the photo, mailed it and realized it looks weird in the photo! Since we all know what they look like, I know you can use your imagination! Silly me! It did help it sit up there to photograph it since it was flat.

The little bottle is the same as the Vintage Parfum card, looks very different right? That was the point of that challenge, to use a stamp in lots of very different ways to get out of a rut of always using it in the same or similar ways. I thought it made a great tag. The box is great for gifts or gift cards.

It’s hard to see but the silver bow has a tiny rhinestone in the center and so does the snowflake on the bottle. Can you see the loops on the ribbon edges? It is formed from a looped cord attached to a tiny satin edge, so much classier than the old picoted ribbon I used to use in the late 80’s on country wreaths!

Click on the photo to visit the challenge post. I’m also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp ‘Anything Goes’ Challenge.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe
Ink: Versamark
Paper: white CS-SU!
Accessories: ribbon-stash, pillow box die-PTI, rhinstones-TE, cord-SU!, hole punch-Fiskars, snowflake ribbon-May Arts

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Snowman Card with Gift Card Pocket

December 1, 2012 beccreates1

As soon as I saw this sketch, I thought of adding a gift card pocket to the front of the card. And I had paper that was perfect!

The snowflake is made from 5 or 6 layers of cardstock glued together. It makes for quite a nice sturdy embellishment! In the center is glued a perfectly matched rhinestone! I know red is an odd choice for a background for a snowy scene but it popped much better than any of the aquas or blues in the paper. Brown was out and so was pure white so red it was!

Here you can see the inside of the pocket a bit. It is a simple folded cardstock piece with a small flap that folds up from the bottom to secure the card and it adhered on one side only. Let me know if you’d like the pattern. I trimmed the pocket a bit so the cover closes well and rounded the inside left corner. It is stamped with snowy flourishes. The metal snowflake accents? They are bead caps I wasn’t using because they weren’t working with my jewellery style. Too pointy and big. But flattened out, they make perfect snowflake accents!

I added a few fun textural touches to this little scene. Nuts, I just noticed that the silver cord is over the scarf and pompom on the hat. Oops! It just needs to be slipped back underneath! The snowman is sporting Liquid Applique on his hat and the little girl has Pearl Pen added to her hat. The hats, scarves and coat are paper pieced. The buttons are dotted with Enamel Accents to make them raised and shiny. The snowman nose and the hill behind the scene, which I hand drew, are accented with Crackle Effects to make them look like they are covered in cracked ice. Lastly, the scene and the paper piecing are coloured and shaded with Copics. Oh, and the colour of the snowman hat is deepened with Distress ink. I had so much fun coming up with ways to enhance this cute little scene!

Click the sketch to visit the blog post. Since this layout comes up over and over, I’m making a note that will help me and maybe you too. If your card is 4.25 x 5.5” and you want 1/8” borders and spaces between the panels, each one needs to measure 4” x just under 1 1/4” wide.

I’m also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Challenge ‘Anything Goes’ and the Cute Card Thursday challenge 245 to use snowflakes.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: girl-MFT, snowflakes-CTMH
Ink: Fired Brick, Antique Linen Distress, Memento black
Paper: DP-Echo Park, white CS-Taylored Expressions, Navy, red CS-SU!
Accessories: silver cord-SU!, foam dots-Jody Morrow, Copics and Multiliner, Crackle Effects, Enamel Accents-Ranger, cream Pearl Pen, rhinestone-stash, Liquid Applique

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Floral Gift Card Holder

October 18, 2012 beccreates1

The owner of the barn where my son rides recently rescued 4 very neglected horses. This isn’t what she usually does but when she saw an ad for these horses, Free to a Good Home, she thought she’d be thrilled to add them to her stable. But when she found the horses, which might otherwise be suitable, in deplorable condition, she felt she had to rescue them. Horses are already quite expensive but when they haven’t seen a farrier or a vet in a very long time, are super skinny, malnourished and sick and can’t be ridden for a long time while they recover, it is a very expensive endeavour indeed.

They hosted two fundraisers, for one of which I donated 2 card sets and a gift certificate inside this pretty gift card holder.

The background is stamped with a background stamp from a.muse studio which I won from Paper Crafts magazine blog. I’ve actually won from PC mag blog or Moxie Fab blog at least 5 times! Can you believe that? You know how people often say, “I never win anything!” Well, I actually am the opposite. I win things all the time! Weird huh? Anyway, back to the card holder… I stamped the background using champagne Versamark, I love the subtle shimmer.

I dyed the seam binding ribbon myself. When I want the natural colour but need it scrunched and a bit shabbier, I wet the ribbon with homemade pearl mist using gold Perfect Pearls. Then I rub my hands on my Antique Linen ink pad and scrunch the ribbon. This adds colour to the raised areas only giving, I think, a more realistically worn look. After all, had this ribbon been handled often and naturally distressed, that’s where the distressing (aka dirt) would be.

This also works for The Shabby Tea Room challenge to use something rustic and something elegant. The rose and pearl are elegant, maybe the background pattern too and the twine and ribbon are rustic. I can’t remember if you can enter two things, I’ll have to check because my other entry has a better chance of being recognized. ETA: It’s OK, you can enter multiple times! Yeah!

As always, click on the photos for links to the challenges. Both of these have time left too. Wow! I’ve actually counted down the seconds while posting and adding a link to a challenge. Yeesh!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: a.muse bg, sentiment-SU!
Ink: Versamark, Antique Linen Distress
Paper: Howdy Doody-MME, chocolate CS-SU!,
Accessories: label 1 Nesties, Prima rose, HugSnug Seam binding, twine-PTI, lace-May Arts, corsage pin-Michaels, gold EP-SU!

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Grad Hat Box

September 11, 2012 beccreates1

I can’t believe I forgot to post my latest video! I made it ages ago but I guess I still have a pretty hefty dose of baby/breastfeeding brain.

Here’s the link. Graduation Hat Box I wish I knew how to post the link that shows up as a thumbnail of the video with a play button in the center. If you know how to do that, pretty please leave me a comment?

These are the cards I put inside each box. I was making them for triplets plus one other kid from another family so these are just 2 of the 4 cards I made. The inside of each grad hat coordinates with the cards.

The circles and star are dies by PTI and I added a sweet doily to the girl ones. They are very simple as that is all I had time for after spending quite a lot of time making the boxes. We added gift cards to the boxes too but there was lots of room for a tiny or small gift. The cards measure 3 or 3 1/4” so they aren’t too small.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: PTI
Ink: archival black-Ranger
Paper: doily-Wilton, DP-Echo Park, CS-SU!
Accessories: PTI dies, iTop (grad hat brad), foam dots-Jody Morrow, embroidery floss, ribbon-SU!

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CPS 161 Guest Designer–French Inspired Collage Pocket Card

April 14, 2012 beccreates1

I am thrilled to be a Guest Designer for CPS today! I won CPS 158 a couple weeks ago, Yeeeaaaah!, and playing along with their DT is the best reward! (Read to the end for a link to the winning card.) Be sure to check out the challenge if you’d like to play along with CPS 161. I’ll admit I was taken aback by the diagonal line on the sketch as I am not a huge fan of diagonal lines. But this is called a ‘challenge’ after all! So…

… I made a pocket card! For me, it was a perfect way to make the diagonal line work! This card actually has two pockets. You can find the tutorial here: SCS Diagonal Double Pocket Card. My paper started to tear at the ‘spine’ so I punched some holes in the side and turned it into a mini book style card. I would have tied a bow but the tulle was too short. I really like this and I think I’ll keep it so I may add another sheet of paper, the same design but folded with the yellow out and make it an actual mini book. For each pocket, I made a tag which I collaged.

The base was actually a sticker so I adhered it to some of the leftover DP from cutting a 12×12” sheet down to the 8.5×11” sheet required for the tutorial. Although I removed the bulky plastic bits from inside the flowers, they still are a bit thicker than is ideal for the pocket. Oh well…

The base of this one is a plain white tag. Quite a few of the items I used for this project were given to me in swaps so if something isn’t in my recipe list at the bottom, that’s why. I have no idea of the origin. Sorry. In fact, on this tag, the only thing I can list is the metal clip and the ribbon.

Here is the card with everything. It is quite busy so that is why I decided to photograph everything separately first. I hope you will play the challenge today.

I want to thank the CPS judges so much for honouring the card I won with (You can see it here: Happy Anniversary Double Challenge Card) and for choosing me to Guest Design today. I really appreciate it! I’d love to join your team in the future, once my baby is a bit older. You can see photos of him HERE.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: PTI Vintage Labels (gold stamping along pocket edge)
Ink: Faded Jeans, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress inks, Encore Gold ink
Paper: Vintage Blue-Glitz Designs, vintage music paper, Cologne and France stickers-Cavallini Papers & Co., vanilla CS-SU!
Accessories: seam binding ribbon- Masterstroke Ribbon, Silk ribbon-May Arts, bling strip-Recollections, tulle, sentiment sticker-Glitz Designs, mini clothespins-Pebbles Inc., pearls-Dollarama, Kaisercraft, vintage lace, metal clip-Making Memories, film strip, staples-Tim Holtz, flowers-Michaels, gold shimmer mist-LuminArte (clothespin colouring), foam dots-Jody Morrow
(Anything not listed is unknown)

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PTI Blog Hop

February 25, 2012 beccreates1

This month’s theme was interactive cards! I can’t wait until I can order the Movers and Shakers dies! For now, I used an SCS tutorial for a wiper card.

Here’s the front…

and this photo below shows what it looks like opened up.

If you hold it open and flat, the wiper section sticks up perfectly straight. We’ve just had three straight yucky days with snow so I needed a happy card with springy colours! I made a very similar card before in deeper colours; if you go to the search box in the top left corner next to the orange Blogger ‘B’ and type in wiper, you will find it. Hard to create links how I’m posting. It would be perfect for a sympathy card. ETA: Here’s the link.

I’ve always wanted to make one with a pocket inside for a gift card holder with an arrow on the wiper pointing to it! I didn’t realize until now that my Laughter panel looks unbalanced so I’ll probably add a little leaf sprig at the top later. I used a marker to create the centers for the pink flowers.

The yellow flower doesn’t have a center for it exactly. I tried thumping my markers in the center but it didn’t show up enough. So I used the tiny flower stamp included to stamp several times in apricot ink to make a center. It’s the same stamp you see in pink in a few places.

EDITED SINCE I WROTE THIS: I apologize for the very lousy iPhone photos. I promise to get better ones up this afternoon but I’m so tired. I got up right after nursing the baby to make this. He actually slept through the night, from 12:30 until almost 8 (awesome for a 2 month old), but I’m behind on sleep because he’s usually up several times! So I’m posting from my iPhone and will post properly later with real camera pictures. I’ll add the recipe then too. The PTI products are the papers except the Kraft and plum CS, the stamps, dies, buttons and striped twine. The inks, scalloped punch and twine are not PTI.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Life-PTI
Ink: banana, apricot, moss, olive, plum, pink, eggplant-SU! Distress Linen, Photo
Paper: spring moss DP, rustic white CS-PTI, kraft, perfect plum, pale plum CS-SU!
Accessories: butterfly and scalloped circle die, chocolate twine, white button twine, buttons-PTI, foam dots-Jody Morrow, twine-stash, bee bellie-Jessie James buttons, Battenburg lace tape-stash, EK Success mini scallop punch, WRKM Corner Chomper

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Recycled Gift Card Holder

September 23, 2011 beccreates1

So, what do you think I recycled to make this project? Yep, a flattened toilet paper tube! Cool right? This was for another swap on Swap-Bot. I joined a group called Somerset swappers that uses Somerset brand magazines as inspiration for all swaps. In case you aren’t familiar, these magazines feature different hand made items from recycled projects to doll art to shabby chic deliciousness to vintage items to aprons to whimsical artsy altered projects.

The design is pretty basic. The outside is wrapped with patterned paper held on with adhesive and the bottom is stapled closed. I also held the lace on with staples and covered them with the scrunched seam binding. I tried something new with this ribbon. Sharon (I can’t remember if it was Harnist or Johnson, oops, sorry) had on her blog that she ties the ribbon, then spritzes and scrunches it. I tried that because I wanted flat ribbon around the tube to better hide the top of the lace and the staples but a scrunched bow. Worked out very well! I used gold Perfect Pearls Mist that I made and spritzed the whole project.

TIP: I don’t use hat pins much anymore for beading because it is too expensive. Instead I use corsage pins or head pins made for jewelry. The head pins are best in some ways because almost any bead fits on the smaller ones, even those with small holes but they bend too easily and you have to work them into the bow rather than stab them right through the middle of the knot because they are blunt tipped. The corsage pins have thicker metal so fine-holed beads don’t work but they are sharp tipped.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: Button Boutique-PTI
Ink: Vintage Photo Distress
Paper: My Mind’s Eye, vanilla CS-SU!
Accessories: lace-stash, mini pearls-Melissa Frances, pearl beads and crystals-stash and Swarovski, seam binding-Hug Snug, ribbon-Offray, corsage pin, Spellbinders tag die

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Daffodil Gift Card Holder for Doodle Pantry

April 20, 2011 beccreates1

MY TE BLAST FROM THE PAST BLOG HOP PROJECT WILL POST AT 11 AM.

Another GORGEOUS floral image from Laurie of Doodle Pantry. I’m not sure how accurate my colouring is but I hope there are daffodils this colour IRL. I know there are ones with the pink trumpets, just not sure if they come with creamy/peach petals!

I can’t wait to get my new ‘sunshine’ Copic marker; I can’t remember the colour number but it is perfect for adding a light, sunny background around white petals. This is a gift card holder, you can see the inside here.

I used most of a 6×6” sheet of DP to create the holder. It is so simple, just one punched edge, two pieces of adhesive and two scores! The lace is wrapped around the flap only, the ribbon goes around the whole thing to keep it closed.

Be sure you check out the rest of the new releases at the DP store. Laurie is starting a new program with this month’s release. She is going to bundle several of the new releases and when you buy the bundle, you will save about 25% off the regular retail price. This month, you can get SUPER BIRDIE, DECADENT DESSERTS (outlines), and DAFODILL & SWEET PEAS (outlines) for only $6.50, regular price when sold separately, $8.50. What a fabulous deal!

Aren’t digis so economical compared to real stamps? And in many ways, they are so much more versatile! Print them any size, on any paper that will go through your printer. Print two or more for paper tole, run patterned paper through for paper piecing. and boy do they store in a small space!!

I’m also going to enter this in the Moxie Fab Gift Card Challenge. If you have time, why not play along!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Image: Daffodil and Sweet Peas-Doodle Pantry
Paper: Porcelain DP-Basic Grey, white CS-Taylored Expressions
Accessories: green ribbon-Dollarama, button-Vintage, lace-May Arts, Labels 1 Nesties

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Clear Dollar Stamps Sneak Peak – Pansy Bunny

May 29, 2010 beccreates1

SCROLL DOWN FOR ANOTHER REVEAL POST!

I decided to go with a project other than a card to show the versatility of this sweet set. I mean, who doesn’t need a gift card holder in their stash? I thought this one would be great for a busy mom who is so devoted to her family she forgets to have fun! You don’t know someone like that do you??? Nahhhh! LOL! I make a point to have at least a bit of fun everyday!

This is soooo easy to make. EPLS (easy peasey lemon squeezey)! I used a 8.5 x 5.5” (half sheet) piece of white CS and scored at 3” and 6.5”. This leaves a 2” piece left inside which I also border punched. This basically creates an uneven tri-fold card. The smaller segment becomes the pocket inside. I simply used red line tape to hold the edges of the pocket up. With the pocket being 2” high, the top edge of the gift card will show above the pocket. You can write a message on the underside of the outer flap or above the pocket inside. I would have taken a photo but with it all being white and not having a gift card to put inside, it really didn’t show up well and it is a pretty easy concept!

Under the flowers, all coloured with different Copic markers, I cut a frame with Nestabilities Label 8. I wanted a size in between the available sizes so I used the second smallest and die cut it. Then I placed the smallest die in the center and embossed only. I used a hobby knife to cut on the largest embossed line. I cut out the flowers, in come case removing the leaves. Then I glued them back on at angles which suited their placement along the frame and a few tiny pearls finished it.

I stamped the sentiment in the center of the upper portion (I used pencil lines for placement) before adhering the frame with foam dots. In case you are interested, I got all of the colour combos from real photos of flowers in Google images.

Be sure to visit tomorrow and the next day to see more fabulous sets being revealed by Clear Dollar Stamps for June! I just love release days!!! Be sure to visit Clearly iStamp to see the other team members who are revealing this stamp set on their blog and to see the full set! Hope you love it! I know I do!!!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Pansy Bunny
Paper: white CS for flowers-Taylored Expressions, white, perfect plum CS-SU!
Ink: memento black, perfect plum
Accessories: Copics: V09,12,15,17, BV00,02, B93,95, G24,28, YR02,20, Y21,35, foam dots-Jody Morrow, MS pansy punch, pearls-Dollarama