Mid month reminder - CAS Christmas Card Challenge - Snowmen

 Today I'm sharing my reminder card for this month's CAS Christmas Card Challenge.  Hideko would like us to use SNOWMEN on our cards!

I used yet another sweet image from Colorado Craft Co -  Snowmen and Bunnnies.  You actually get two images in this set!  I used a light watercolor wash to color the image, stamping with Obsidian Ink from Altenew on to Canson watercolor Cold Press paper.  I water colored a bit of color along the edges and then kind of dragged the color over with a wet brush.

You have until 6/24 to link up your CAS Snowman Christmas card!  You'll find the challenge here!

Stamps:  Snowmen and Bunnies - Colorado Craft Co.

Paper:  Watercolor paper - Canson Cold Press, white card base - PTI

Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew

Accessories -  watercolor paints, water, brush.

Grab and Go for Summertime Fun!

 This month Eileen Hull's Inspiration and Education Teams are creating summer theme projects using any of Eileen's Sizzix Dies. 

I made a Grab and Go Folio Journal filled with things for kids to do in the car or anywhere they need to be entertained - like when they are dragged to their sibbling's dance class or sports game??!! 

I filled the folio pockets with a re-sealable pack of Play Doh, Twizzlers candy, crayons and a small coloring book - all from The Dollar Store!

  

I got this great leather tassel from Sizzix on sale (they might be discontinuing them?)

There's also a blank page journal from JoAnn tied in the binding.

Here's everything I fit inside the pockets.

The DP is Circus from Clare Therese/Craft Consortium.

I made the signs with my Brother Label maker.  The 3D circus stickers are from the Dollar Store.

I looped a piece of white round elastic cord to hold the little booklet in the center and tied the leather tassel on the cord on the outside of the binding.

I die cut the journal and 4 of the end piece for the pockets, out of Little Sizzles Matboard - adhering the end pieces to the bottoms and sides to make two pockets that are open on the top.  

You can see above how I poked holes and inserted the brads to hold the latch hook closure.  I used an icepick to poke the holes and also used the sides of the pick to flatten down the ends of the brads.  I lined up the two pieces of the closure and marked with a pencil where the holes should be punched.  The latch hook is from Funkie Junkie.  I used long fasteners (brads) from Idea-ology to attach them (they have longer 'legs'!).  You have to use a small head brad so the hook can swing by it.

Here are the four items I fit into the two pockets.  I got them all at the Dollar Store.  The clay package is resealable and came as a set of two different colors.

The little coloring book is 4" x 5 1/2" and fits in perfectly.  The crayons came in a larger set but I just put the primary colors into a small clear bag so it fit with the book in the pocket.

I think kids would be happy taking this fun circus theme folder with them on a trip to help them forget how long they are in the car!?!

And -  you can just keep filling it up with different items for them to play with as they use things up!

So please check out Eileen's Blog every Wednesday to see what creative summer theme items the teams have created for our inspiration!  

Paper:  Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix, DP Circus by Clare Therese/Craft Consortium

Accessories:  Folio Journal Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Stitch It Adhesive Sheets, Brother Label Maker, Latch Hook - Funkie Junkie, Long Fasteners - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, crayons, coloring book, PlayDoh, Twizzler candy, 3D Circus Stickers - The Dollar Store, white elastic round cord - JoAnn, leather tassel - Sizzix, ScorTape, ice pick.

June CAS Christmas Card Challenge - Snowmen!

 It's Summer here in MA, sunny, warm and the gardens are growing!!   

What better time to make Snowman cards for the June CAS Christmas Card Challenge!  Hideko is our wonderfully creative Hostess this month and she wants to see Frosty!

Here's the card I made.  

I love making shaped cards, so my snowman card IS a snowman!

I die cut two snowmen, one out of watercolor paper (for sturdiness) to use as the back of the card and one out of white glitter cardstock for the front of the card. I glued the two snowmen together at the top of the hat. Then I used a PEACE Movers and Shapers die to cut the piece out of his belly and backed that section of his body with a piece of blue glitter cardstock so you could really see the message!  

These are really older Tim Holtz dies but you may find them still on Amazon or Ebay?

I also cut the hat part of the snowman out of the blue glitter, trimmed it and glued it over the base snowman.  I die cut the holly leaf with another Movers and Shapers die and adhered it to his hat.  I tied a piece of wrinkled seam tape around his neck just on the front snowman.  I added black enamel dots for the eye and buttons.

I cut a tiny bit off his 'botttom' so it was straight across and he would stand up and not roll over!

Here's a look from the side showing him standing.

And from the back where you can see how I glued the blue sparkle piece on the inside of the front to show around the PEACE.

So please join us and show us your CAS frosty Snowmen!  You'll find the challenge details, Mr. Linky, and lots of inspiration from the Design Team as well as our talented Guest Designer, Steph, over at the CAS Christmas Card Challenge blog!

Paper:  Glitter Blue, Glitter White, Glitter Green - Michaels, water color paper - Canson Cold Press.

Accessories:  Winter Wonder (snowman) Bigz Die, Movers and Shapers Peace Die, Movers and Shapers Mini Pine Tree and Holly Die -  - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, enamel dots - Altenew, wrinkled seam tape.

May Card Chain Challenge Reveal - The Most Wonderful Fairytale

Today is the day of the May Card Chain Challenge Reveal - the day they post all the cards sent and received by participants in the challenge.

People join from all over the world each month. You have to sign up by the 6th of each month and if you sign up, after the 6th of that month you get the name of someone to send a card to and someone gets your name to send you their card. You contact each other by email to get the snail mail addresses.

The challenge has options for your card design each month (colors, sketch, theme, product used) but you only have to use one of the suggestions.

I used just the colors this time - two blues and white.

Here is my card that I sent to Tina in Slovenia!

I used Lavinia Stamps Aria, Mini Urchin, Mini Dots and Mini Leaf 5 and the sentiment is from Magic and Wonder by PaperArtsy.  

This card measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

To create the wreath - I used a circle mask drawing 3/4 of a circle in pencil around the edge of the mask. I stamped the fairy in blackas if she was sitting on the bottom of the circle. Then I stamped the sentiment centering it over the pencil line. I stamped the leaves in 2 different blues around the penciled circle - off stamping over the sentiment so it was lighter as well as around her wings and knees. And finally, I stamped the mini dots in black over the wreath - which instantly adds more whimsy! I added white Nuvo drops to some of the leaves and 4 frosted flower sequins for a little sparkle.

So come join in the fun and sign up some month over at The Card Chain Challenge - send a card and get a card! You can try it out once and if you don't enjoy it, you don't have to join in again, or you can come back another month after not participating for a while.

While I was making Tina's card, I  made a second card using a mix of colors on the leaves.  

This card is  5" square.

Stamps:  Aria, Mini Urchin, Mini Dots, Mini Leaf 5 - Lavina Stamps, Magic and Wonder - PaperArtsy.

Paper:  Multifarious Smooth - Lavina Stamps.

Ink:  Obsidian, Ultramarine, Sapphire - Altenew, Nuvo Crystal Drops Simply White, Frosted Flower Sequins - Honey Bee Stamps.

May CAS Christmas Card Challenge - Mid Month Reminder

 Hi everyone!  I'm here today to remind you there is still time to join in the May CAS Christmas Card Challenge.  Hostess Christine would like us to use Foliage and Berries this month.

Here's my card.

I used the same die cut base that I used for my 1st card this month (Noted: Scalloped Square from PTI)  - all three layers are in the die set.  It creates a 3 3/4" square card. I love this die and use it a lot!

 I die cut the holly with Winter Leaves from Sizzix.  The holly and berries and dots are all cut from glitter cardstock from Michaels.  I also cut the holly out of white fun foam and glued it to the green glittered holly so it pops it up off the card.  

   

You have until 5/24 to link up your Foliage and Berries card!  Please join us at CAS Christmas!

Stamps: Nordic Winter - Waltzingmouse (retired)
Paper: White - PTI, red and green glitter cardstock - Michaels
Ink: Barn Door Archival Distress - Ranger
Accessories: Winter Leaves Thinlit Dies - Sizzix, Noted: Scalloped Square - PTI, white fun foam.

A Trucker's Birthday Card

 Today I have a fun pop up box birthday card I personalized for a friends' grandson, Logan, who is turning 4 and loves trucks!

I used the Scalloped Box Card Pop Up Die from Lawn Fawn.  It's really easy to put together AND it folds flat to fit inside a regular A2 envelope.  

(Lawn Fawn has great YouTube videos of how to assemble all their dies)

I adhered dimensional truck stickers from Michaels on the two 'roads'. I glued some hearts and stars (from the die set) onto thin strips of clear acetate and adhered them on the 'roads' so they look like they are floating in air.  I also added them to the sides and back panel.

The DP is Petite Places Patterned Paper Collection and Black and White Basics - both from PTI (both retired I think)

The 4 was made with By the Numbers dies from PTI and I used Alphanumeric Tiny Type Upper dies from Tim Holtz/Sizzix for LOGAN.

Here's the view from the bottom.

Here it is folded flat - ready to slip into an envelope.  I put two postage stamps on this when I mail them as it's a little thicker than a card - but check with your Post Office for exact postage needed.

I'm linking my Truck card to:

The Paper Players

Stamps:  Birthday Basics - PTI

Paper:  WHite, True black, Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold, Clear Acetate, DP Petite Places Patterned Paper Collection, Bladn and White Basics - PTI, Blue Glitter Paper - Michaels.

Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew.

Accessories:  Scalloped Box Card Pop Up Dies - Lawn Fawn, By the Numbers Dies - PTI, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Upper Dies - Tiim Holtz/Sizzix, ScorTape, Ultra Bond Adhesive - iCraft, Dimensional Truck Stickers - Michaels.

Creating with Eileen Hull's Sizzix Dies and Unexpected Supplies

 This month Eileen Hull has asked her Inspiration Team to make things using her dies with unexpected supplies.  After thinking about this for quite a while (!)  I decided to make a storage unit for some of the bits and bobs in my craft room using Eileen's Treasure Box Die and her Stacking Drawer Die. 

(I'll actually need about 100 of these for all the bits and bobs I have!)

My unexpected supplies?   A plastic/vinyl placemat for the box and drawer fronts and smooth river rocks for handles on the drawers!

The box measures 5 1/4" high x 3" wide x 2 1/4" deep 

(I trimmed down the depth of the box as shown further below)

View from the back.

I put some Idea-ology things in my drawers -  the wonderful plastic toadstools , metal stars and tiny wood slices.

Each drawer is 2 3/4" long  x 2" wide x 1 1/2" deep.

Here's how I made it.

These are the two dies used as well as the placemat.  Stacked Drawer and Treasure Box.

I die cut the box out of the placemat (not the cover) as well as the front panel of the drawer.  

I die cut the surround piece of the drawers out of matboard and the pieces for the drawers themselves out of watercolor paper.  The water color paper is stiff but not as thick as the matboard .  

I found that if I cut the drawers out of matboard, it was hard to pull the drawer in and out of the surround piece.

Below, the notched white pieces are the drawers and the small rectangles are the drawer bottoms.  The longer scored white pieces are the 'surround' of the drawers.  

I cut 3 of each piece for the drawers, two of the box sides and one bottom.

I folded the box pieces on all the score lines and put ScorTape on all the tabs. The score lines were scored perfectly on the plastic mat and it did not crack when I folded them.  

Then I assembled the box by attaching the shorter sides together at the tab.

and placed the bottom piece on the outside along the tabs that had ScorTape on them. 

This is how it looks on the inside.

This is how it looks on the outside.

So that finishes the box piece (accept for trimming down the depth shown later below)

Now onto the stacked drawers.  

I added ScorTape to one of the ends of the drawer surround that was cut from matboard and assembled three surrounds overlapping the two ends.

I put ScorTape on both of the long sides of the middle piece to adhere the 3 surround pieces on top of each other being careful to line them up as evenly as possible.

I put a strong adhesive glue (Beacon 3 in 1) on the bottom of the stack and on the sides (not on the top!)

and placed the stack inside the box all the way to the back of the box.  

The box is deeper than the surrounds so I first cut the corners to about 1/4"above the surrounds and then cut across each side until the box was just slightly past the surround. The plastic is stiff, so it's easier to cut across each edge a little at a time until you are down to about 1/4" past the surrounds.  

I used my sturdy Tonic scissors to cut through the plastic cleanly.

I put clothespins along the glued sides to hold them until the glue had time to set (an hour or so).

While the glue was drying,  I assembled the 3 drawers that I had die cut out of watercolor paper.  I put ScorTape on all the tabs, adhered the smaller side tab to the other end of the drawer piece and then placed the bottom piece over the bottom tabs from the outside of the drawer 

(just like when assembling the box)

I adhered the front panels I had cut out of the plastic place mat on the fronts of the drawers using Ultra Bond Adhesive.

I used the strong glue again to glue the polished stones to the front of the drawers and let them sit overnight to be sure they were dry as they would be pulled to open the drawers.  

I chose stones that had a flat surface on one side to adhere to the drawer and also large enough to pull with my fingers to open the drawer!

There is a little space at the top of the drawers as the box is a tad taller than the 3 stacked drawers, that's why I didn't glue the top of the drawers to the box.  

Using the colorful plastic/vinyl placemat gives the box a pretty design, is light weight but strong and waterproof, so it makes for a great case for my little storage drawers and the stone drawer pulls give it a little 'character'!  

(even though you COULD open the drawers just by putting  your finger in the cut out on the drawer front)

What kind of unexpected supplies do you have around your craft room that you might create with??!

Please stop by Eileen Hull's Blog every Wednesday during the month of May to be inspired by her Inspiration Team creating with unexpected supplies!

Paper: Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix, water color paper - Canson Cold Press

Accessories: Treasure Box Die, Stacking Drawer Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, plastic/vinyl place mat - The Dollar Store, polished stones - JoAnn, Scortape, Beacon 3 in 1 Advanced Craft Glue, Ultra Bond Adhesive - iCraft, Tonic Scissors, Toadstools, Wood Slices,  Adornments: Metal Stars - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.