Northwest Stamper

Category: Boxes & Bags

Make homemade boxes & bags using papers, stamps, and items you have around the house! These posts share ideas and often instructions so you can be inspired and create your own projects.  These make a perfect way to wrap and gift in a customize, handmade way.

  • Samples from the Stamp & Share

    Whew!  What a fun but busy weekend.  I’m working on getting everything together for my Tuesday Technique Night on Blendabilities so I thought I would share a few of the awesome ideas that were on display at the Stamp & Share this weekend!

    If you didn’t catch what this event was, it was a demonstrator event that I’ve been putting together where we can get together and share ideas, stamping techniques, projects, and just have a great time with fellow demonstrators.  For this event we had two stamping presentations:

    Stacey Lane showed us how to make CUTE ornaments using the Simply Pressed clay and our stamps!

    2014-08-23 13.33.39

    And Kathy Thisted shared tips and information on Blendabilities.

    2014-08-23 13.56.04

    And of course there were lots of samples to look at as well.

    These were some of the cards in the card contest for the event:

    2014-08-23 13.42.48

    2014-08-23 13.42.40

    My photos turned out terribly of the boards but this was some of the Holiday Catalog cards on display:

    2014-08-23 16.36.37

    2014-08-23 16.36.29

    My presenter gifts were these fun Santa boxes made with the upcoming Curvy Keepsake Box (I’m totally doing a class with this box to show you all the AMAZING people and animals you can make with this!)

    2014-08-23 16.36.44-2

    And more ideas on display including a canvas from Ikea colored with Blendabilities (did you know this started out as Black and White from the store??)

    2014-08-23 16.38.23

    A fun card using the Banner punch created by Karen Trainer:

    2014-08-23 16.17.45

    And awesome card by Sandra Alonzo and amazing ornament by Nichole Smith using the Bright & Beautiful stamp set and star framelit (still available as a free bundle when you buy a Big Shot or at 15% off if you just want the bundle!  Only through the end of the month!)

    2014-08-23 16.37.09

    It was a super fun afternoon and thank you so much to everyone who was able to make it!  I look forward to making the next one even better. Smile 

    Want to join me for our next event?  Don’t forget, you can join my team right now and get $150 in product including Holiday Catalog items for only $99!  (get started here) or if you are already a demonstrator, email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll put you on my email list to let you know when the next one is scheduled!

    spaced shop now sig bar

    August Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – TT2NETD4
    Use this code to get free exclusive tutorials & project kit! Learn more

  • Muslin Birthday Treat Bag with Amazing Birthday

    It’s Stamp Set Focus day over at Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration and today everyone is playing with the Amazing Birthday stamp set!  I had so much fun using it for the convention display boards this summer and I love it’s versatility! 

    So today I’m going to shake things up a bit… I’m not sharing a card!  Gasp! I know, what is wrong with me? Winking smile  I don’t often do 3D projects but I do have to admit I love embellishing some of the premade treat bags and boxes.  Especially these Muslin Bags from Stampin’ Up because they are so soft and have such fun textures to work with.  What do you think?

    Tips for this project:

    • You can stamp on the Muslin Bags with any of your Stampin’ Up inks, but for longer and more solid staying power, grab your Stazon Ink for best results – like I did with the cake images.
    • If you are really crafty – aka have a sewing machine, which I do not – you can sew your ribbons together and even onto the bag.
      If you are like me and DON’T own a sewing machine, I attached the Melon Mambo 1/8” taffeta ribbon to the Chevron Natural ribbon using Sticky Strip.  Then I used hot glue to attach the Chevron ribbon to my bag.  I made sure to put a piece of cardboard inside my bag while glueing just in case any glue oozed through (none did, but I wanted to be extra sure).
    • I used the Banner Framelit to cut out the Thankful sentiment.  Then I took that same framelit and traced the outside of the framelit shape on a piece of Melon Mambo cardstock and cut it out with scissors to create the mat piece.

    • For the gold foil, layer a long strip of foil onto your banner shape and then just use your snips to cut out the banner end to match the cardstock piece underneath.
    • Add subtle sparkle by dotting Dazzling Details all over the front and back of the bag.  Just make sure to give it enough time to sit out to dry!

    These bags would be perfect for goodie bags or thank you gifts for a birthday party or other celebration!  Just mix and match your colors and you are good to go!

    One Week Only!

    Join my crafty crew, the Fun n’ Crafty Stampers and receive an EXTRA $25 in free product with your Starter Kit!  That is $150 in goodies for only $99! If you’ve been considering starting your own business, making some money to cover your craft supplies, or just want to get your supplies at a discount, this is a great deal and an awesome time to become a member of my stamping group from across the US!  Learn more here

    spaced shop now sig bar

    August Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – TT2NETD4
    Use this code to get free exclusive tutorials & project kit! Learn more

    Project Supplies Used:

  • Stampin’ Up Display Stamper 2014 Submission

    Stampin’ Up Display Stamper 2014 Submission

    So, every year I go to the Stampin’ Up convention… and every year I’m blown away by the amazing ideas and inspiration on all the different display boards.  (To see what I’m talking about, here are a few past posts I’ve done showing the display boards.)  Well, this year they are doing a call for display board stampers and to throw your hat in the ring, you need to pull together some of your best/favorite projects and put them together in one post to show your style and ability.  So, I thought it would be a fun way to flip through my past projects and put them together to share with you here.  And maybe they will love them too and I’ll get to share even more ideas on a display board at the Stampin’ Up Convention 2014!

    oh, and PS – if you love the idea of checking out all the display boards, don’t forget that anyone who joins Stampin’ Up as a demonstrator right now will get free registration to convention this summer!  So, you just get yourself to Salt Lake City, and you can be blown away by inspiration for FREE!  Yay!  Email me at jennifer@nwstamper.com for more details if you are interested or check out this page to learn more about the perks of being a demonstrator!

    So Here You Go!
    3 Cards

    so very grateful colored

    So Very Grateful Thank You

    Burlap and Gold Masculine Card (blog post here)

    Negative Heat Embossing with Pleasant Poppies (blog post here)

    1 Scrapbook Page

    This was so hard for me to narrow down and decide which scrapbook page to show.  I think my favorite layout may actually be this older one, but I figured the one I’d show here is this –

    Perfect Pennants with Watercolor Wonder Waves (blog post here)

    Or maybe it is just that these photos always make me smile!

    2 3D items

    Ok, this is where I don’t make and post nearly enough.  So here is what I decided was the nicest from things I actually designed myself – instead of flat out copies of what other people had created. Smile

    Card organizer for holding cards and envelopes (blog post here)

    Easter Treat Bag (blog post here)

    Awww.  So much fun to walk down memory lane.  I hope you enjoyed the ideas and inspiration. Smile

    spaced shop now sig bar

    April Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – G4VQJ7VB
    Use this code to get free exclusive tutorials & project kit!Learn more

  • Quick Spring Easter Treat Bag Tutorial with Punch Art Daffodil!

    Quick Spring Easter Treat Bag Tutorial with Punch Art Daffodil!

    Happy Easter weekend! I don’t know about you, but we still need to do a lot of our prep for Easter.  Today we’ll be spending time coloring Easter eggs – and I’ll be making sure I have everything I need for Easter baskets and Easter dinner! 

    (PS – don’t forget to enter the Retirement List Prediction Contest!  It is free to play along and you could win up to $30 in free Stampin’ Up products!)

    So, back to Easter treats!  I thought I would share a quick spring or Easter treat idea that you can pull together at the last minute!  This was created by my Mom, Kathy Thisted, for our Fun n’ Crafty team Stamp & Share a few weeks ago and I just love it.

    Scallop Tag Topper & Punch Art Treat Bag

    There are lots of fun elements to this treat bag, but the nice thing is that with a few punches, it is super quick to make!

    Start with a 2”x8” piece of cardstock (this is Chocolate Chip) and score at 3-1/2” x 4-1/2” to help it stand up on it’s own.  Then, grab the Designer Frames Embossing Folders and use the oval to one to emboss your frame. 

    Use the Extra Wide Oval Punch to punch out the center of your oval.  LOVE that it is an almost perfect match!

    Punch both ends of the strip of cardstock with the Scallop Tag Topper Punch to give you that pretty finished look!

    Then grab your Petite Petals punch  and the four petal flower punch from the Bitty Punch Pack to make your Daffodil.  I punched one of each shape out of Daffodil Delight cardstock.

    In the sample, the flower is stamped first using the Petite Petals stamp set – and I think it definitely adds something to it.  But for the sake of this tutorial, I didn’t end up stamping.  I hope you don’t mind. Smile 

    Fold up the small punched flower and adhere it to the center of your larger flower with liquid glue or a glue dot!  I love how my mom colored in the center of the little flower with the White Gel pen for a little extra definition!

    Add a scrap of cardstock for the stem and grass at the bottom.  Want to hear a fun trick?  Stamp out one of the flower heads from the Too Kind stamp set and then cut it out and use the backside for your grass!  Neat huh?

    image

    Add some candy, tie it with a ribbon and you are done!  Easy Peasy!

      Reminder! Get your guesses emailed in!

      If you haven’t gotten in your guesses for my Retirement List prediction contest, don’t forget to get those in!  You have until tomorrow afternoon but since I know many folks will be busy with Easter activities, you may want to send them in today. Smile 

    Pick 10 stamp sets from the annual catalog that you think will be retiring and email me your list to jennifer@nwstamper.com.  If you have the most guesses correct when the list is posted Monday morning, you will win a shopping spree from me!  See all the details here.

    spaced shop now sig bar

    April Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – G4VQJ7VB
    Use this code to get free exclusive tutorials & project kit! Learn more

  • Sale-a-Bration countdown with Scallop Tag Punch Boxes

    Ok, after spending almost an hour fighting with my computer on formatting of this blog post, I’m just giving up and I hope you don’t mind if it scrolls a little long! 🙂 I’m starting the Sale-a-Bration countdown today and so I’ll be spending the next 4 days sharing Sale-a-Bration projects, and I just know I will have a bunch to share, so I figured I’ll post a few each day to fill you up with ideas! scallop tag punch boxes Last weekend was my first ever Stamp & Share for my group of Fun n’ Crafty demonstrators.  I am so grateful for these ladies and I wanted to make sure I was helping created events and opportunities for everyone to get to know each other, stamp together, and share ideas.  So, I put together an afternoon of stamping fun and business tips.  It was a huge success and I can’t wait to start planning the next one as I’d love to hold these each quarter! This time, I had some great presenters who shared some tips and tricks for some of our tools – specifically the Scallop Tag punch and the Thinlit flip dies.  Kathy Thisted (below) shared on the Scallop Tag punch. She had a TON of good ideas and tips but I’ll share the one that was new and exciting to me!  The idea that you can punch paper that is larger than 2”! I know, that shouldn’t be as mind blowing to me as it is, but I thought you could only punch paper that was 2” or less; but she showed how you can make borders, cut box flaps, and more with larger paper.  The big trick though to making sure you have the scallop edge where you want is to mark the front of your punch with a piece of paper or post-it showing where the edges of the tag opening are.  That way, you can align your score lines or markings on your paper so that the scallop tag end is exactly where you want it! Then she shared a bunch of great boxes including this one – all using some great Sale-a-Bration items including the Sweet Sorbet paper, See Ya Later stamp set, Banner punch, Sweet Sorbet accessories, and the Heartfelt Banner kit :

    It is a simple 2” strip of cardstock that has been folded in half to make your basic bag shape.  Then add small strips of cardstock to the sides (adhering to the inside of your tag) to make the walls to keep your goodies from falling out the sides!  (side note – aren’t those little banners stinkin’ cute sticking out from behind the label framelit cut out?) Next was another box she made, only this time she took two of the flaps and cut the ends using the scallop tag punch.  The opposite flaps were trimmed and decorated.  But the scallop top makes for a cute decorative touch and a great place for a ribbon to tie your box closed.

    Oh!  I totally forgot to point out the coolest part!  See that canvas banner on the side of the box?  Guess where it is from?  And no, she did not hand cut it! Give up?  It is from the Heartfelt Banner kit!!  How clever to cut up the banner kit into cute pieces to use in other projects.  Love that multi-purpose functionality. I just LOVED this third box though.

    Another tall box with the scallop tag punch… but my favorite touches?

    1. The belly band with the huge flower using the Blossom Punch
    2. Tying the Sweet Sorbet twine through the top and anchoring it with a Vintage Faceted button!  Those buttons are really pretty but I never know what to do with them.  Looks like this is a really good answer! Smile

    So, hopefully you saw some fun ideas and inspiration here.  Have a question about one of the boxes?  Leave me a comment or shoot me an email at jennifer@nwstamper.com and I’ll see if I can get the details for you!

    Don’t forget, everything you see here that is from Sale-a-Bration is going away after Monday March 31st!  So take advantage of the last 4 days of Sale-a-Bration

    image

    image
    (Yes! There is still time for a last minute facebook or online party!)

    image

    So, have fun and I’ll be back with more ideas for you soon!

    spaced shop now sig bar

    March Online Stamp Club Hostess Code – XEWP4DFD
    Use this code to get free exclusive tutorials & project kit! Learn more

     

    Supplies Used (click any picture for descriptions or to add to your shopping cart)

    133324s
    125603s
    127555s
    109070s
    132982s
    125598s
    131390s
    124005s
    117193s
    133521s
    133522s
    133533s
    133514s
    133519s

  • The Gift Bow Die is Back!

    Do you remember all the super cute creations that were made with the Gift Bow Die over the holidays?  I was shocked that the die wasn’t carried over when the Holiday catalog ended, but then I checked my computer today and IT IS BACK!

    Gift Bow die

    Gift Bow Bigz Die – #129977

    See, you can make cute FLAT bows for your cards like this :

    How perfect would that be for Father’s Day?  Details for how to make this bow are here.

    Or make bows for gifts like this:

    (These are gift boxes my Mom and I made for craft fairs this fall!  If you are curious to see the insides or want one, you can see the details here.)

    Plus, the bows are super easy to make too!  Check out this video for how to make the different bow shapes:

    Get your Gift Bow Die online here

    Have fun, and I’d love to see/hear what you create!

    spaced shop now sig bar

    Stampin’ Supplies Used

    Stamps – Seasonal Sayings
    Ink – Chocolate Chip
    Paper – Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Season of Style designer paper (retired)
    Accessories – Burlap Ribbon, Regals candy dots, Big Shot, Gift Bow die, Crystal Effects

  • Some Valentine Treat Fun for a Blog Hop

    Thank you so much for joining us for our January Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad Blog Hop!  Love is in the air and our talented group of design team members have a Whole Lotta Love Goin’ On as we are excited to be sharing some NEW Occasions Catalog goodies and some Valentine’s Day projects with you this month!

    As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog!  We are always excited to hear from our followers!

    You should have just left stop number 15 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad blog hop – the fabulous Annie Lee. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find  the full blog hop lineup below.

    —————————————————————————-

    So, for the blog hop today, I started and stopped on at least 2 different projects and designs.  Normally that wouldn’t be a bad thing, but with all the crunching to get ready for Leadership, it meant a little last minute creating.

    Thankfully the first project I have to share I was able to get done early!

    A “Wheely” Cool Valentine Card

    I recently got this Love You More Valentine’s Day stamp set and just love this globe image.  But the part that I really thought was fun with this card was the red flowers on the right side of the card front.

    Know what it is?

    Yup, a WHEEL STAMP!  Betsy’s Bloom is the name.  It’s been ages since I pulled them out, but they sure do make a striking background for your card sometime using exactly the color you want.

    Add a bit of ribbon for a finishing touch (and to cover up if you rolled your wheel a little less than exactly straight, ha ha! Winking smile )

    Send a Valentine Treat this Year

    I had one more idea that I wanted to create to share today.  It was an idea in my head that I didn’t have time to complete it before heading to the airport so I punched out a few shapes, grabbed some paper, ink, and stamps… and headed to Houston.

    Turns out, I got to my hotel and set out to create the idea in my head and I discovered that I left my paper trimmer at home.  Oops!  So, check out the ideas and don’t mind the not quite perfect cuts since I had to make due with my little paper snips for all the paper in the project other than the red Chevrons (Chevron punch) and the Heart (lg Full Heart Punch)!

    The idea for this project is a little treat you can send or give to a special someone.  It’s another stamp set from the Love You More set again… I was inspired by the arrow images and thought I would turn a small Hershey bar into it’s own love arrow!

    If you want to make your own, all you need to do is:

    • Wrap a chocolate bar with a patterned paper from the Fresh Prints designer paper stack in the new Occasions catalog and adhered the arrow images from the stamp set for my central point.
    • Stamp the same arrow w/ sentiment (“straight to my heart”) on a strip of Whisper White cardstock. 
    • Adhere a thin strip of Soft Suede cardstock (approx 3/8” strip) across the middle of your stamped image.
    • Punch out a set of chevron pieces from Real Red using the Chevron punch and a heart from Real Red using the Heart punch.
    • Adhere the Whisper White strip to a piece of Soft Suede cardstock for matting.
    • Adhere the wrapped chocolate over the center of the arrow so that it covers all but the “Straight to the Heart” sentiment.
    • Done!

    So I hope you enjoyed my projects today and check out more great projects on the hop using the links below.

    Blog Hop Participants:
    SSS blog hop next arrow

    1. Anastasia R. of Stampin’ Blondie
    2. Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations
    3. Dawn S. of Dawn’s Creative Chalet
    4. Kathy P of Katrina P’s Creative Corner 
    5. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
    6. Diana E. of Stampin’ Fun with Diana
    7. Darla R. & Nancy K. of Stampin With Darla and Sisters
    8. Jamie H. of Unique Ink
    9. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
    10. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
    11. Darcy J. of DJ’s Stampin’ Place
    12. Bree R. of Craft-Somnia
    13. Kristina M. of Mama’s Sanity
    14. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
    15. Jennifer B. of NW Stamper  <— YOU ARE HERE
    16. Tonya B. of Stampin’ with Tonya
    17. Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin‘
    Interested in updates from Leadership 2014?
    I’ll be spending the next few days in Houston, TX getting filled with new project ideas and updates from Stampin’ Up!  I’ll be trying to share what I can     via my Facebook page and then coming back in the evening and sharing a summary of what I saw. 

    So enjoy all the inspiration today and stop back by tomorrow to see what’s happening in good ol’ Texas!

    spaced shop now sig bar

  • Fun Ideas for Gift Giving for a Holiday Blog Hop!

    As promised in my 12 weeks of Christmas newsletter yesterday, today I’m back with a fun blog hop to give you even more ideas for the holiday season!  So sit back and enjoy the ideas!

    Thank you so much for joining us for the November Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad Blog Hop! This month our projects focus on Christmas. While we have yet to give thanks this month, some of us are already thinking about sending Christmas cards, what kind of packaging to present gifts in and how we want to deck our halls. On this month’s blog hop we are showcasing many of the Stampin’ Up! products that are available in the Holiday Catalog. You will see everything from cards to gift tags to 3-D décor and gift packaging. We hope you enjoy seeing how we use the products to create our projects and feel inspired to come up with some great projects of your own.  Remember you can order all of the products showcased from your Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

     You should have just left stop number 13 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad blog hop – the oh so fabulous Pam Wu. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.

     Holiday Gift Box & Card

    So, my project set that I wanted to show you today was a neat way to use some of the latest from the Holiday catalog as well as taking advantage of the current specials (Holiday Tag It Bundle, which includes the box, Cherry Cobbler ribbon, and Baker’s Twine I used) and sales (Weekly Deals – Burlap Ribbon!) to make these gifts for an even better deal! 🙂  Because, seriously who doesn’t love the thrill of getting a deal on your holiday gifts?

    Anyway, so this is what I created:

    Window gift box with Best of Snow hedgehogs

    This is the very quick to assemble window gift box that has a belly band made of the Burlap ribbon (who knew this stuff was going to be this great to work with) a bow of the 1″ Cherry Cobbler ribbon (which I might add is way softer than you think it is going to be!!) and a tag made with favorite bundle right now, the Tags 4 you stamp set and Bracket Label punch.

    Now, one of the things I love doing with this Tags 4 You stamp set is to add a bit of Dazzling Details to make it super sparkly.  It is always super hard to photograph but I think I finally caught it. 🙂
    Dazzling details tags 4 you

    Can you see the sparkle?  I added the glitter to all of the white parts of the tag plus to the centers of the “o”s.  Just for a little pop.

    And on the side, this isn’t just any plain old burlap ribbon… oh no… this is CUSTOM baby!!  I grabbed my Chevron background stamp and Gumball Green ink and stamped some chevrons around the ribbon.  Isn’t it a fun touch?

    Window gift box with stamped burlap ribbon

    And in case you were wondering, those adorable hedgehogs in the window?  Those are actually from the new Best of Snow stamp set that came out this month.  I just had to get the set because not only does it have the hedgehogs, but it has a cute snowman, a snowflake (that fits the Festive Flurries framelits!) and a stamp that matches the Bracket Label punch!  Sweet, right?
    Best of Snow card with gift boxHere is what it looks like when you pull the card out, but I love how you can see them perfectly through the window of the card.  I again used the burlap ribbon and then had a background from the Season of Style designer paper pad.  Its quick, easy, and super cute.

    Now imagine that hedgehog circle on top of a cute belly band or gift inside the box.  A cool way to package up your gifts in a way that looks adorable in every stage.

    So I hope you enjoyed my ideas for you today and maybe found some gems in the Holiday catalog you hadn’t noticed before.  There are lots more ideas for you on the hop today so check them out and have fun!

    Blog Hop Participants:

    1. Pam S. of Stampin’ in the Sun
    2. Dawn S. of Dawn’s Creative Chalet
    3. Darcy J. of DJ’s Stampin’ Place
    4. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
    5. Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations
    6. Jamie H. of Unique Ink
    7. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
    8. Tonya B. of Stampin’ with Tonya
    9. Diana E. of Stampin’ Fun with Diana
    10. Heidi B of Stuck on Stampin’
    11. Bree R. of Craft-Somnia
    12. Anastasia R. of Stampin’ Blondie
    13. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
    14. Jennifer B. of NW Stamper <—- YOU ARE HERE!
    15. Kristina M. of Mama’s Sanity
    16. Shellie G. of Craft Smashup

     

    spaced shop now sig bar

  • Another Great Idea for Gifts with Clearmount Stamp Cases

    In my last post, I shared an idea for using the half-height woodmount stamp cases to make Embellished Gift Sets.  So, I thought I would share another idea for you using stamp cases (I swear, I’ve been having too much fun with empty stamp cases lately!).

    Gift Idea #3 – Coordinated Journaling Sets

    This is a really fun way to create a pen and notebook set that you can take anywhere and toss in a purse or bag and not have to worry about crumbs in the pages or crinkled & torn pages.

    To get started, you want to grab:

    • Clearmount stamp cases
    • a mini composition notebook
    • a pen with a clear round barrel
    • a 12×12 piece of designer paper
    • Sticky strip
    • extra cardstock, stamps, ink, and embellishments as desired

    The outside is simply cutting a piece of designer paper to fit inside the plastic cover (like the movie cover on a DVD) and then embellishing it to fit your style and mood.

    Then on the inside, take a mini-composition notebook and using the extra scrap from the patterned paper from you cover, cut a piece that will fit over the front cover of the little notebook.  Decorate the notebook cover to coordinate with your box.

    We also found pens that we could unscrew the tip and fit a rolled up piece of the same designer paper around the ink barrel to make a coordinating set (we found ours in the dollar spot at Target with 2 pens for $1).  Fold your last bit of scrap into a hollow square to create a tube to hold your pen.

    Then adhere your notebook and the pen tube to the inside of the stamp case with Sticky Strip to ensure nothing will move – ever – and you have a great little notebook.  You even have room for a chapstick tube or a pack of gum if you need an emergency stash!

    We created a TON of these cases because they were so much fun to make and I have to say, I think this was my favorite:

    If you want to see more ideas and/or would like to buy one or more for gifts, I have all of extra inventory up on the blog so you can see the different ideas and purchase your favorites (or share with your family and friends and let them purchase your favorite for you Winking smile)

    See all the Journaling Kit designs & more Gift Boxes for sale here

    Between these blog posts and my 12 weeks of Christmas newsletter (you are on my mailing list and getting the email, right?  If not, you can fix that right now and get lots of great free project tutorials by signing up here!) its been holiday gift central!  But at least if you try to buy or make one of these now, you’ll be so ahead of the game!

    spaced shop now sig bar

  • Creative Gift idea from Stampin’ Up Wood Mount Boxes

    Today I had the privilege of serving as guest blogger over on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Inkspiration blog.  As I tried to figure out what to share, I realized that I had been planning on sharing some of the projects mom and I made for our recent craft fair and that would be a perfect thing to share over on SSI as well!  (Which, btw, if you haven’t checked out in a while, you should go see some of the fab samples that have been shared recently!)

    Ok, so on to the projects!  I will start by saying, we have a bunch of these left because weather kept a lot of people away from our fair, so I’ll be selling them online here on the blog by tomorrow (UPDATE– I got all the different cases posted and available for purchase here).  So if you like this idea and want a sample or three at your house, let me know and you can reserve your favorites!

    Alright, so you probably have seen the half-size clear mount cases for the smaller stamp sets and single stamps.  They look like this:

    half size woodmount cases

    And it is easy to think of them as what you store your stamps in…. but did you know you can get spare cases in sets of 4?  Sure, it is great for a backup when your toddler steps uses your cases as steps (or is that just me?) but they are also fabulous for other uses!

    For example, did you know they hold 5 ink refills perfectly?

    half size woodmount case with ink

    Neat, right?  But that isn’t what I’m really here to show you.  I wanted to show you some super cute gifts you can make with them!  Check out what my mom and I made for a craft fair last week:

    We started by taking the empty box and cutting a piece of designer paper to slide in for the cover (so it is under the plastic sheet that goes around the outside of the box).  Then we created coordinating embellishments that we glued on top of the case front to allow for extra dimension and pop.
    (and YES! that cupcake is the same cupcake punch that is on the weekly deals this week Smile)

    Then on the inside, we created dividers by taking a piece of matching cardstock and scoring at the right widths to create holes for the goodies we wanted to include in the gift.

    In some boxes we had 3 Hershey’s nuggets and a set of 3×3 cards and envelopes.  In others (like the one above) we had a decorated mini-post it note stack, 2 Hershey’s nuggets, a mini-hand sanitizer, and a chapstick!

    Here are the outsides of a few more of our cases:

    And here is an example of one of the boxes with cards inside (well, you can see the outside and the card)

    So I hope this gave you some ideas and inspiration for the holiday season!  Check them out and start decorating!

    And if you’d like to purchase one of my pre-made sets, check them all out here!

    spaced shop now sig bar

  • Mini Composition Notebook Cases from Stamp Cases

    Yesterday I had grand visions of all I was going to get done and all the projects I was going to make and videos I was going to finish editing (that’s the sad part, I have the videos recorded, I just haven’t edited them yet).  But instead it turned into a day of finishing prepping for my holiday card class and working with my mom to finish planning for a craft fair in November.

    Its been a blast to figure out fun projects to make and pick out papers, stamps, and designs for the different projects.  One of the projects I was having a ton of fun with yesterday was working on decorated mini composition notebooks.

    Mom and I were trying to figure out how to do the insides so we had a “Craft-Off” and each used the same paper for the cover and did our version of the inside.

    Here is mine:

    Mini composition notebook case with Happy Day

    Here is hers:

    Mini composition notebook case with Simply Sketched

    So these are the insides of a Stampin’ Up! clear mount stamp case (we got the extras you can buy in packs of 4).  We used a piece of designer paper for the cover of the case and then on the inside used the same paper to:

    • Decorate the cover of a mini-composition notebook
    • Line the inside of a ballpoint pen
    • Create a pen holder to keep it from rolling around
    • and in mom’s case, create a cute sentiment inside the case

    Both of us really like the Happy Day stamp set for their sentiments for this project and I thought the images in the set made for cute accents as well. 

    image

    Happy Day – item #130294 (130297 clear)
    25% off!  $16.46 w/ $12.71 c

    So I don’t think we have a winner for her craft off because while I like my version, I think hers is really pretty too!  Though I think she had the secret weapon of the Simply Sketched hostess set because you can pretty much never go wrong with that set!

    Now to just finish decorating the front!

    But I had so much fun picking out paper and stamps for the rest of these cases that we are making for the craft fair and I love the idea of having a notebook and pen in my purse that isn’t going to get all smashed up, dirty, and lots in the my “Mary Poppins bag” that I carry. Smile  Hopefully everyone else at the craft fair feels the same way!

    spaced shop now sig bar

  • Announcing: Print Poetry Stamp Camp & Class by Mail!

    I recently had the idea to put on a joint stamp camp with a couple of the fabulous gals in my Fun n’ Crafty team.  So, we got together, designed some projects, figured out the details, and now I’m super excited to share what we created with you!

    Print Poetry Stamp Camp

    April 20th, 2013  –  3:30pm at Roundtable Pizza in Overlake
    (15025 NE 24th St, Redmond, WA 98052)

    This is going to be an awesome event as not only will there be fun people to chat and craft with, but everyone who attends will receive:

    • A full pack of Print Poetry designer series paper (that is 48 double sided sheets)
    • A full pack of In Color Dahlia embellishments
    • A pack of 20 notecards & envelopes
    • Additional materials as needed to complete the cards and box
    • Printed instructions for 6 cards plus a card holder box
    • Entry into the multiple doorprizes drawn that day!Bring a friend and receive 2 additional doorprize entries!

    You will use those supplies to complete all of the projects in one afternoon.  That is $21 worth of product plus lots of extras (including supplies for at least 14 more cards) and doorprizes for only $30.

    This is a great way to get some new ideas for how to use your patterned paper that I know you have lying around at home! Plus with the instructions you can make more of your favorites without having to think or try to figure out the measurements!

    Class by mail options is available too!

    Can’t make it to the class?  Get the kit by mail and grab some friends and have your own crafty afternoon!

    Class by mail kit will include:

    • A full pack of Print Poetry designer series paper (that is 48 double sided sheets)
    • A full pack of In Color Dahlia embellishments
    • A pack of 20 notecards & envelopes
    • Cut cardstock as needed to complete the cards and box
    • Emailed instructions for 6 cards plus a card holder box
    • Shipping anywhere within the USRefer a friend who orders the kit by mail and receive a free pack of Stampin’ Dimensionals in your kit for each friend referred!

    Need just the instructions?  I have that option too!

    I just love this paper and these ideas for creating with any paper you have at home.  I hope you are able to try it out and enjoy it too!

    Space is Limited!

    Your pre-payment holds your spot and payment for both the in-person event and the class by mail options must be received by April 14th at midnight.

    Print Poetry Stamp Camp

    I can’t wait to share this with you soon!

     

    To Order Stampin’ Up! Products Anytime, click here!

    Don’t miss your chance!
    Get your choice $156 worth of products for only $99 when you join my Fun n’ Crafty group of demonstrators by March 31st!   Learn more here.