Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – My Crafts are Like a Box of Chocolates

Rugged Sympathy Cards

January 9, 2015 beccreates1

My FIL passed away recently and while we weren’t close, it was hard to see my teenaged son and my husband so sad. So I made them both sympathy cards.

Of course, as with many of us, I struggle to make masculine cards that aren’t super boring. Sure it’s easy to layer a few papers but that’s so blah. I used some ephemera I’d been saving and a cool technique to jazz it up some.

The background is crumpled cardstock which I then smoothed and DTP added some light brown ink. I spritzed it with water to soften the look, let it dry then applied a slightly darker shade orange ink with my fingers to really work it into the paper. It if was closer to the same shade, I might have been able to use a sponge applicator but this seemed to really bring out the texture in the paper. A sponge might have applied ink too evenly. My fingers were only orange for one day :). I wish more of it showed.

I’m entering this in the Simon Monday challenge to make new friends but keep the old. I used an old technique to make the paper look like leather and an old stamp. I used ephemera I’ve been saving for ages and new veneers. I also used Mojo Monday 379 for the sketch. for Mojo Monday Judges: I’m entering both cards. But I can only link up one card for each URL. So I entered the other card by clicking on it then using the URL for hte photo. Sorry but no way to link back to the challenge for that card. HOpe that’s OK.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: Justrite Stamps
Ink: Ranger Archival brown
Paper: cardstock-PTI, DP-Authentique, ephemera envelope
Accessories: Veneers-Studio Calico, grommet-WRMK, twine-repurposed, Copic markers YR 68, BG75, E59

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Warm Winter Wishes Gift Bag for WMS PJ Party

November 15, 2014 beccreates1

This is for the Wrap It Up Warm challenge to make a gift bag or box with a cozy feel. I hope the ‘hugs’ sentiment is sufficiently cozy.

I used a Wink of Stella pen on the swirl on the patterned paper. The handles came from another gift bag, I have no idea how long it’s been since I saved them but it reinforces that my hoarder ways are sometimes quite useful! (Well, I am a saver but it’s not so bad as hoarder status… yet!)

The base of the box/bag is a cracker box. I modified it since it was too big as is. I just cut it down so that it was less than 6” each dimension because I had originally meant to use 6×6” paper on it. But as it turned out, I used 12×12” paper and ended up using less (ok, only a smidge less) than a full sheet to cover the entire thing! Yeah! I even cut the fancy tag shape from the remaining paper! I added ink to it to darken it and make the silver EP stand out. I used the silver EP on the snowflake too.

I hope you have fun visiting other stops linked to the PJ party!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Say It Loud-WMS
Ink: Versamark, night of navy-SU!
Paper: Echo Park
Accessories: marshmallow and clear sequins-Pretty Pink Posh, tag fie-Spellbinders, foam dots-The Sticky Stuff Store, bells-Michaels, twine-?, stickers-Echo Park, Lindeman snowflake die-Memory Box, snowflake brad-?, silver EP-SU!

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Relax Card

June 16, 2013 beccreates1

I had a BLAST making this card. I started with the Verve challenge going on right now but realized that it worked for several other challenges! Scroll down to see the other card I made for those challenges as well. 9 challenges in two posts, that is a record! Wahoo!

The Verve challenge was to combine the styles of two of their DT members, Jen, who is known for her colouring and Janelle, who is known to have a paint brush in one hand and a Copic in the other. So combining those two styles is the goal but if you really want to make it challenging, add Jen’s love of kraft paper and Janelle’s love of mixed media.

Since I’ve been trying to add more mixed media to my work, I decided this was a challenge made for me. Especially since I won a Mojo Monday recently and had some brand spankin’ new Verve stamps to try out! And some new mists and masks… Yeah! I started by getting out my new Mister Huey’s mists but then I made the wise decision to cut some tags and test spray the mists. Sooo glad I did because they are so NOT the colours on the label!

Then I sprayed the background on my card base. Next time I will use some adhesive because the paper curls when the first few spritzes hit it but the mask doesn’t. I allowed it to dry while I prepared my tag. When I die cut the corrugated cardboard, the bumps got all squished so I lifted them back up with my bone folder. Then I applied two colours of paint, the turquoise you can see easily and a gold glimmer paint that is harder to see, along the edges. Then I added the sand and shell bits and while still wet I added some glitter. The rest is pretty easy to figure out.

I’m entering this in the following challenges.

Verve Dive Dare

Simon Says Stamp: Transport. I know a surfboard is a bit of a stretch but lifeguards use them to get to swimmers in danger so I figure that makes it count!

CAS-ual Fridays 105: Mapquest Summer Vacation

Ribbon Carousel 82 Fun in the Sun

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Verve
Ink: Mister Huey’s Bonny Blue, Memento black, teal zeal, Vintage photo Distress
Paper: reclaimed corrugated cardboard, kraft, aqua cs-PTI,
Accessories: mask-Crafters workshop, Copic markers, acrylic paint, Divine Twine, WRMK grommet, MuddPuddles shell bits, Malibu sand, foam dots-Jody Morrow, tag die-Spellbinders

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Avon Gift Set

November 18, 2012 beccreates1

I found a few things in the Avon catalogue that I knew my girlfriend would like and were also on sale (yeah!) so when they arrived, I knew they needed some pretty packaging!

This also works for a couple of challenges, Skipping Stones Sketch Challenge, Joan’s Garden’s Challenge #41 – Recycle, Friday Mashup #85 Project Saying Thank You and Really Reasonable Ribbon Anything But A Card. (Click on sketches to visit blog posts)

The box uses a clear box I got stamps in from PTI. I added a cardstock bottom; makes for such a nice presentation I think. Quite professional I think. My button is also recycled, it still has the thread in it and even a scrap from the original garment on the back. I made the flower. It actually uses the Spellbinders rolled flower die. Doesn’t look like it does it? I’m going to be coming up with a tutorial on how I do that soon, stay tuned!

The sentiment says, “A friend is someone who sings your heart’s sing back to you when you have forgotten the words.” –David Coppola. You can click the photo to enlarge it and get a clearer version too. If you ever want to make a nice gift basket or gift box, consider varying the heights of items or raising them to make them more visible with glue dots. In baskets, professionals even glue things to skewers (with points removed) to raise small things up above the edges of the basket or container. I used them to hold the nail polish up.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: SSD Heartsong
Ink: pink pirouette-SU!, chocolate-PTI
Paper: DP-American Crafts, pink cs-SU!, white CS-Taylored Expressions
Accessories: leaf-Prima, lace-vintage, ribbon-May Arts, Nesties dies, MS punch, clear box-recycled from PTI packaging, button-vintage also recycled,

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Shabby Gift Bottle for WMS Sketch Challenge

September 28, 2012 beccreates1

I’d recently finished a bottle of supplements and noticed that , for once, I had a nice bottle with a nice metal lid without any weird colours or writing on it! Yeah, can you say embellishing opportunity! And then when I saw this week’s WMS sketch, I knew it would be perfect!

The sketch lent itself, I thought, to having a tag as the focal panel. I made the tiny little flower with a Cheery Lynn Cuties die, sorry, I don’t remember which one.

I decided not to do any distressing because I don’t know the recipient very well. This is for my future brother-in-law’s mother! I know there are a few people out there who think distressing looks dirty and I wouldn’t want her to think I make junk! I think I’ll fill it with some chocolates to accompany the thank you card I’m making for having an engagement party for my sister. My family doesn’t know his family so it was the first opportunity for us to meet them all and his is a BIG family as he is one of 7 kids and they are all older with their own families!

I am very pleased with the result. I love altering and decorating pretty found items and I feel so green doing so!

Click on the sketch to link to the challenge.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: WMS
Ink: chocolate, banana-SU!
Paper: MME Follow your heart, vellum, kraft CS-PTI, white CS-Taylored Expressions
Accessories: cuties die-Cherry Lynn, leaf die-SU!, border die-PTI. mini scalloped edge punch-EK Success, twine-MME, foam dots-Jody Morrow, ribbon-Walmart, pearls-Dollarama, eyelet-WRMK, Copic marker

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Mojo and Make It Monday Challenge Card

January 25, 2012 beccreates1

THIS A SPOILER ALERT! REBECCA, DO NOT READ THIS POST!

I am going to type everything at the top of this post so my BFF Rebecca (yeah, same name, I know!) doesn’t see it before she closes this page.

This card uses the Mojo sketch for this week and also meets the requirements for this week’s PTI Make It Monday to make a shaker card using dies. I hadn’t thought to use dies before and I really had a fun time with it. I think this also qualifies for the JustRite colour challenge if I still have time to enter. ETA Darn, missed it, again!!!

I used Labels 1 Nesties for the outer frame and PTI’s heart die for the inside. I had a sheet of foam dimensional material that I cut instead of fun foam. The acetate sheet comes from stamp packaging. Way to recycle right?

Hopefully this is down far enough on the page that she won’t see it!

Isn’t that ice cream paper the cutest?? I made the heart button with another PTI heart die. The little words inside the shaker box are from Mega Mixed Messages and I hand cut them. Also in the box is clear micro beads and some glitter, a mix of white and gold I think, I bought it like that. The bear is paper pieced and shaded with Copic markers. Actually, I though the paper needed muting so I coloured the whole image with E71.

My girlfriends threw me the best Teddy Bear themed baby shower in honour of my new baby, Theodore, Teddy for short. I love it! Rebecca even bought honey bears for everyone and HANDCUT 30 or 40 bear shaped tags! WOW! So the shaker words say ‘wish’, ‘friend’, ‘merci’ and ‘thanks’. I took a photo of how I layered the shaker box so if you’d like to see, just let me know.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: flourish under shaker box and Mon Amie-SU!, bear-TE, mini words-PTI
Ink: Chocolate, ivory-SU!, memento black, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress
Paper: dark brown-stash, probably Bazzil, kraft-SU!, DP-MME
Accessories: heart dies, square pinked die, button-PTI, black liquid enamel-Ranger, foam dots and dimensionals sheet- Jody Morrow, Nesties labels 1, silk ribbon-May Arts, lace-vintage, EK Success Mini scalloped punch, MS micro beads, Art Institute Glitter, Copic E71,74,77

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Giraffe Baby for Doodle Pantry

August 4, 2010 beccreates1

I love this giraffe, isn’t he cute? I just love Laurie’s animals.

He matches the colours in Basic Grey’s Max and Whiskers paper SOOOOOO perfectly! At first I was thinking more of a baby card but I couldn’t think of what paper to use. Next time, I think I will colour it in pink and make a baby girl card. I used a sketch I downloaded from a blog I was reading and I have no idea who made it or for which challenge it was created so if anyone knows, please pass on the deets so I can link my card up!

I hope you will join me tomorrow for the Doodle Pantry release! I can’t wait to show you another fabulous cutie pie animal Laurie has drawn!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Image: giraffe-Doodle Pantry
Ink: vintage photo, antique linen Distress ink
Paper: white CS-Taylored Expressions, DP-Basic Grey, corrugated cardboard, kraft CS-CDS
Accessories: accent-Jesse James buttons, circle Nestabilities, Copics Y21, E31,37, R11, G21,24 C-1, B60

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Clear Dollar Stamps Sneak Preview – Gone Fishin’

May 31, 2010 beccreates1

What an awesome set for guys! Perfect for the outdoorsy type! We all know bows and flowers won’t work for the men in our lives.

Nothing too interesting to say that you can’t figure out from the picture. So this is part one of this gift set…

This is part two. I used the tool box template from My Time Made Easy to make this great gift box. Inside is an instant coffee jar repurposed with a covered lid with trail mix inside. I meant to add some other stuff but I didn’t get it done in time. And even though it doesn’t include the images from this stamp set..

Here is part three! A fishing tackle box with…

…a drawer inside! I was going to put gummy worms and candy bugs inside but hubby forgot to buy them on his trip to the store. Bummer! I figure between the tool box and the tackle box you could package so many things for the guys in your life. Both boxes are large enough for a tie (of course!) bath and body products, jewellery, snacks, baked goods or candy, fishing items (not that I know what they are called beyond weights or lures) and CDs or movies would fit in the tool box!

I hope you are inspired to make something great for the guys in your life! Today is the last day for the reveal by Clear Dollar Stamps for June! But there are more posts coming up for two other great guy stamps, so don’t miss them! Be sure to visit Clearly iStamp to see the other team members who are revealing this stamp set on their blogs and to see the full set!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE for card and tool box
Stamps: Gone Fishin’-CDS
Ink: Memento black, Antique Linen and Vintage photo Distress inks, chocolate chip-SU!
Paper: white CS-Taylored Expressions, kraft, artichoke, burgundy CS-SU! DP-CTMH
Accessories: hardware-SU!, hemp twine-stash, foam dots-Jody Morrow, letter stickers-Basic Grey, Nestabilities Labels 3, Copics: W3,5, E00,35,47,49,71, YR04, R59,89, BG96, G94,99, B32,39,45,93,95,97, C3,5,7

for tackle box
Stamps: BG wheel-SU!
Ink: Antique Linen Distress, cocoa, choc chip-SU!
Paper: cocoa, choc chip, ivory CS-SU!
Accessories: ribbon-May Arts, ‘dad’-sticker EK Success, jumbo eyelets-WRMK, hardware-SU!, foam dots and red line tape-Jody Morrow

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Mini Love Card Making Kits

January 14, 2010 beccreates1

I HAD to make these for my craft show; I was so inspired by the kits that Mish of Mish Mash makes and the divided tag box from SCS.

Inside are all kinds of heart and flower punchies in 5 colours, tags, twine, ribbon, rhinestones, buttons and brads. There are over 115 pieces in each box. I figure it is enough for at least 25 mini cards. Isn’t the box cute too? I really enjoyed making them.

Here are several of them together with the clear slide-over lids on. BTW, I really like Melon Mambo. I bought it because I was low on the other pinks from the Bold Brights package and keep them in stock for doing kids classes for young girls. Melon is so much prettier than the others. I am definitely going to buy the matching ink, ribbon and more paper.

This is a great gift for any young lady along with pre-folded mini note cards. These can also be used for scrapping for kids or kids-at-heart! And what a FANTASTIC way to use up your scraps. I made all 4 of these with nothing but scraps except for the boxes of course. Way to go green!!

BLOG CANDY ANNOUNCEMENTS The winner of the ribbon challenge was my local gal pal Janet. The winner of the comment challenge was Kathy S. Thanks to all who played.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: love, tag-SU!
Ink: pixie pink, pretty in pink
Paper: white, blush, pretty in pink, pixie pink, the other BB pink, melon mambo CS-SU!, clear cardstock-PTI, pink with white hearts DP-stash
Accessories: pink hemp twine-Hemptique, pink pirouette striped ribbon-SU!, other ribbon-stash, rhinestones-Zva, brads-Taylored Expressions, buttons-PTI and stash, tags-Staples, various heart, flower and tag punches-SU! and EK Success, word window punch-SU!

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Peaches Tag for Twinkling Tuesdays

June 29, 2009 beccreates1

THIS IS THE SECOND POST FOR TODAY, BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN.

This week, Madelynn gave us an inspiration challenge. What a beautiful and tasty photo!

I only have one citrus stamp and I didn’t feel like using it. I need to use Bold Brights ink for most citrus fruits and I just wasn’t in a BB mood. So I opted for another fruit. PEACHES. My favourite fruit, well maybe along with raspberries. The two together mixed with frozen yogurt is AWESOME! This tag came together quite quickly! AND I used all scraps! WOOHOO! The tag was cut with a Coluzzle template, it was a bit too tall for my scrap so I shimmied it up part way through the cutting to make it shorter. I stamped the image with Stazon brown on confetti vanilla and then again with apricot ink and again with olive ink. I cut out the peach and leaves and layered them on the main image. I added a bit of shading with pumpkin and regal rose markers.

As always, be sure to play along with us! Make a card or other project using the photo to inspire you and upload to SCS or PCP using MTTSC29 or post to your blog. Be sure to link up to Madelynn’s Twinkling Tuesdays so we can all see your creations. Visit all the team members blogs to see their work and we all love reading your sweet comments so be sure to leave some love!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: peach label image and canvas-SU!
Ink: olive, apricot-SU!, Staz on brown
Paper: confetti vanilla, apricot, celery
Accessories: button-stash, hemp twine-Hemptique, twill tape-stash, Coluzzle template, foam dots-Jody Morrow, ribbon-Masterstroke, celery, pumpkin, regal rose markers-SU!