Shoebox Stampers

The container makes the gift!

Every year I create something for each of my sister's and mom, varying mainly by color preference.  This year I decided to go with memory bracelets with matching earrings in each person's favorite color.  I didn't think I would have enough time, but my husband took the kids on the 23rd, so I took my chance and made these boxes.

This one is for my sister, Sam, whose favorite color is pink.  (Her bracelet was my favorite, though the others I would have gladly kept as well!) 

 
The drawer is melon mambo, with a chocolate chip sleeve.  The snowflakes are from Snow swirled in orchid opulence, melon mambo and rich razzleberry, which is the mat for the top.  I used the snowflakes dies with a rhinestone brad in the center in the same color as the drawer.  Then I added a "drawer pull" using our chocolate chip corduroy brads.  You'll find that the basis for all of these are the same so I won't repeat them.

The drawer for this one is tempting turquoise, with tempting turquoise, taken with teal, and certainly celery snowflakes with taken with teal as the mat.  

Mandy's favorite color is lime green, so I used green galore, garden green, and crushed curry for her snowflakes, with garden green as the mat.

Sher's is brilliant blue with brilliant blue, brocade blue and bashful blue snowflakes.  The mate is bashful blue.

My mom likes green, so I used the same colors as Mandy's but her drawer is garden green.  Her mat is green galore.

Fun, right?  The drawer is 7x7, scored at 1 and 2 inches on all four sides, then attached to form a box.  The sleeve is 3 in by 9, scored at 1 1/16, 4 1/8, 5 3/16, and 8 1/4 inches.  I used a 12 x 12 sheet, so was able to make all five out of one sheet.  If you decide to make one, send me a picture.  And have a great New Year!

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

Anything mini is TOO cute...

especially our new mini milk carton!  I just had to order this die before it was available to everyone and I had so much fun making something to fill my sister's purse that I made for her! 

I cut the die out in melon mambo cardstock, then wrapped a strip of Designer series paper from our Razzleberry lemonade set.  I added the rich razzleberry dotted ribbon, then topped it off with a sentiment from our Christmas punch hostess stamp set.  I put a clip at the top to keep it closed after filling it with holiday M&M's.  How cute is that???  I can't wait to make some for Easter for the kids' teachers! 

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

Ideas for the next holiday!

I know that Christmas is over, but there were several projects I finished right before Christmas that I wanted to share, and that you could use for ideas for holidays or birthdays coming up!

I created this for my tennis buddies.  I made four cards, two each of two designs, and covered four Nuggets with coordinating cardstock in chocolate chip, crushed curry, bravo burgundy, and not quite navy.  The base is chocolate chip.

This is the card that I put in the front - it was my favorite of the two.  A very simple card, it features the tennis balls from Just Tennis with the rackets in the background. 

I just love those tennis balls!  I stamped them and then punched them out with our 3/4 inch circle punch, then popped up the last one with a stampin' dimensional.  

I think I'll make another set for me (which I seem to rarely do) but with my favorite colors - elegant eggplant for sure, with regal rose and maybe so saffron...or old olive...or pumpkin pie...guess it's time to play!

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

What was Santa thinking?

Good morning and Merry Christmas!  Thought I'd share how our morning went...so we wake up this morning with a huge cage in our front room, with this letter from Santa:

After getting over the shock of the gift (we have resisted the pet idea for a very long time, even after my son stole, well, borrowed, a couple chicks from his kindergarten class last year!), I took a look at his letter and realized the images looked familiar.  Then I had that AHA! moment when I realized Santa must have My Digital Studio too!  What a computer savvy guy!  What a creative guy!  What am I going to do with a guinea pig???

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

Top note tag

Like we really need another idea for our top note die, but I have one for you anyway! 

This one involves a bit of cutting by hand, but sometimes it's worth it!  I die cut three top note dies - real red, confetti white, and Merry Moments Designer series paper.  I cut on the seam line of the confetti white and printed sheet, then halved the printed sheet and assembled.  I stamped the ornament from Delightful Decorations then cut it out.  Using our ornament punch, I punched a garden green ornament and used it to back the stamped ornament.  I used both our whisper white satin (soon to be available in a lot more colors) and whisper white grosgrain ribbon in our large grommet.  Fun, don't you think?

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

Matchbook with CHOCOLATE!

I found this tutorial on Splitcoaststampers, and just had to incorporate it into this year's Holiday Gifts & Wraps class!  I plan to make it a bit larger so I can use it for a gift card!

 

I used my favorite neutral, kraft cardstock, for the base of the matchbook, then stamped the snowflakes from Snow Swirled in more mustard, ruby red and elegant eggplant.  The die cut is from our snowflakes set #2, which includes four sizzlet dies. 

This is the matchbook open, with a stamp from our Christmas punch hostess set.  You can find the directions, here, and if you make one, share it with me - I love to see what you create!

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

Wow Wednesday - sepia, crinkle, & ribbon rose

This month is going to be fun!  Check out the techniques, then reserve your space for Wednesday!

 

This one uses the sepia technique, one I found from Technique Junkies.  My favorite part is that I don't have to color in that whole cardinal, branch and berries!

This is the crinkle technique, again from Technique Junkies, though I think it should be called Faux Crinkle Paper, so as not to get confused with the Crinkle inks we've done before.  Whatever it is called, I can see lots of good things happening with it!

Finally we're doing the ribbon rose.  This idea I found in our Stampin' Sucess magazine, but it called for laying out rows of sticky strip then trimming.  I hate to waste anything crafty, so I punched a circle from sticky paper and started wrapping!  This has lots of potential - wedding cards, girlie cards, anniversary cards...

I hope you can join me this Wednesday at 6:30 for some fun.  Contact me right away to reserve your space!

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

Spice up your gift cards

by doing something more than just an envelope!  I folded the business size envelope so sides touched, then decorated with our bold snowflakes jumbo wheel and our Christmas punch hostess set!  When you open the flap, it's the perfect place to put a gift card!

Again, this is not so traditional, but I have a couple sisters who would love this combination of lovely lilac, melon mambo, and so saffron!  However, after I created it, I thought it might have been prudent to make it more masculine since we tend to give gift cards to men a lot, so I'll probably be making another one using night of navy, ruby red, and so saffron.

So you've seen another project from my Holiday class this Friday...when are you going to reserve your space???  Contact me right away to ensure that you have a seat! 

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

Season of simple grace is starting!

I really like this set, Season of simple grace, and wanted to do a candle for my class this Friday night, and came up with this one!  I have a hard time getting the star straight, so I pulled out a brad from our Hodgepodge hardware and embossed it in gold (I only had vanilla and didn't like the similarity to my candle!).  And of course a little dazzling diamonds glitter is always welcome - it seems to go hand in hand with the nativity!

For wrapping, I used our large cello bags, and cut off the bottom, then cut out the seam.  I wrapped it around and secured with a piece of tape, then just flattened the top and bottom with tape.  The bow uses our Holiday traditions Designer series paper and real red cardstock - it's so easy!  

If you would like to wrap up a bit of you holiday gifting, make plans to come to Friday night's Holiday class at 6:30.  Contact me to reserve your space!

Wish shoe stampin' fun!

Not all candles are created the same...

So I was preparing for next Friday's Holiday gifts & wraps class, so I went to Dollar Tree to pick up some candles.  I really wanted to use the Christmas Cardinal, so purchased the lighter,taller pillar candles in the holiday section.  If you've never decorated a candle with stamped images, you've got to try it - it's one of my favorite crafts! 

So I stamped the image on tissue paper, laid it on the candle and wrapped with wax paper, then heated, just as you are supposed to do.  However, I noticed right away that the candle was not quite as good - there were indentations in the image where I'd touched it and the tissue didn't fade completely into the wax.  When I pierced the holes for the brads, my suspicions were confirmed - this candle is mostly hollow, or either cheaper wax, because the piercer went in with very little resistance.  So be careful what you buy - if it's a light candle, it probably won't do this craft, but it's great for rub-ons, Decor Elements, ribbons, cardstock and more!

Wish shoe stampin' fun!