Making Our Own Envelopes with Kreate-a-lope - a Blog Hop

Happy Saturday everyone!   Today I'm participating in a fun blog hop with 4 of my blogging friends.   We're all showcasing  a quick and easy way to make your own envelopes using a Kreate-a lope template!    Kelly  Schirmer organized the event after being contacted by Nick, the creator of the Kreate-a- lope, who asked her if she'd be interested in spreading the news about his creation to her crafting friends.

The Kreate-a-lope allows you to make envelopes out of any kind of paper in seconds without scissors or tracing! You can use magazine pages, wrapping paper, calendars, maps, patterned papers ... etc, etc!  At the end of my post you will find a link to a video made by the creator of the Kreate-a- lope and an opportunity for you to get one of your own with a pledge of $10.00.

So I have a few pics on how I made my first envelope and then 2 other samples to show you.
  
I used a long roll of kraft shipping paper that I purchased at Staples for all of my envelopes - the kind you might wrap packages in for mailing.   I love the rustic home spun look and feel of it!

First you lay the Kreate-a-lope template over the paper you are using.

Then you just tear it away along all the edges.  Note:  this is a coarse weave paper and so it tears a little raggedly - but I think it adds to the rustic look!  You could trim it with scissors if you didn't like that look!

Place the center piece of the template into the center space, remove the outer template and fold up the edges around the center piece starting with the sides, then the bottom and top.

Add glue along the bottom edges - I used Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive because - like it's name says -  it dries quick!

Apply Lick and Stick to the edges of the flap.   This is a special envelope glue that dries after application and then can be remoistened when you want to seal the envelope!   (HINT:  if you are stamping on your envelope -  either add the Lick and Stick after you have stamped OR let it dry before you stamp - otherwise your envelope might stick to your work surface if you turn it over to stamp the front  -  HOW do I know this???!)

Before stamping the front of this envelope -  I placed a mask of Eclipse tape over the center where I would want to write in the address.  Then I stamped it using a text background stamp from Waltzingmouse.

 I was so careful to turn the stamp around when stamping the flap of the envelope with the text so that it was right side up when you closed the envelope -   and then somehow I stamped it upside down on the last row at the bottom of the envelope - luckily with this font -  you almost don't notice it  - did you(!?!)

 I drew a frame around the address space with a black Micron Pen - just to give it definition

For my next envelope I used stamps from Vintage Garden - Seed Packet with Versafine Vintage Sepia ink - and again drew a border, this time around the edges of the envelope with a brown 01 Micron Pen.   I would write my address inside the seed packet  frame on this envelope.

 This would be a great envelope to send either a packet of seeds or a floral card to a garden loving friend!  You can see the slightly irregular edges on the back of this envelope that I spoke of above -  this coarse paper doesn't tear as cleanly as patterned paper or wrapping paper but I think it just adds to the character!

For my final sample I used a Woodgrain stamp with Archival Coffee Ink. I again masked the center area for the address before stamping.

 This would be a great envelope to send a 'guy' card in - with a hunting, camping, fishing, outdoors kind of theme!

Nick is running a campaign at Kickstarter to raise funds to make the Kreate-a-Lope available in new sizes. For a donation of $10.00 you will help sponsor his project and also receive the current A2 size Kreate-a-lope like the one we are using today.  Check out Nick Romer's Kickstarter Campaign here. There's also a video showing how easy the template is to use -  sort of like my pics above but set to fun music!  You will also find more templates at Green Sneakers.com.

Now let's go see what kind of papers my blogging friends used for their home made envelopes!!

Cathy Weber

Julia Aston - ME!

Kelly Schirmer

Renee Lynch

Suzanne Dahlberg (who'll be joining us a little later today)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Text It, Woodgrain, Vintage Garden - Seed Packet
Paper:  Kraft Packing Paper - Staples
Ink:  Brilliance Graphite Black, Archival Coffee Ink, Versafine Vintage Sepia
Accessories:  Kreate-a-lope Envelope Maker - Green Sneakers.com, Micron 01 black and brown pens, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, Eclipse Tape, Lick and Stick Re-moistenable Envelope Glue - Green Sneakers.com