Red Hat Thank You

Earlier this week one of the ladies in my Red Hat group, The Delightful Dazzling Dames, invited the chapter back to her home after lunch to show us a wonderful postal collection she and her husband had amassed.

I made this little mail box filled with yummies to give her as a hostess gift.

 

The template is on the CTMH  Artiste cricut cartridge.  I added some fun Dazzle hats, lace, red pearls and a velcro closure.

And this is the Thank You card I sent. 

The hat is a digital image from Sami Stamps.  I opened the file in my Paint program; resized the image;  inserted a rectangle and erased the section of ribbon that fell inside the box; and printed it so the image would be on the right side of the page.

After printing, I colored the image with pencils and stamped Thank You in the little box.

Challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - No Patterned Paper 

Unicorn Challenge #46 - Fully Loaded or CAS

Ike's World Challenges #123 - h is for Hats

Mod Squad Challenge - Layer me Not
TCP Tuesday Challenge #360 - Clean and Simple

Bugaboo Christmas in July Day # 3

Today's Fun Christmas in July with Bugaboo Stamps excludes cards.  

So, with a piece of dp, several folds and a few snips, I've made a simple box.  Since my grown grandsons perfer cash for Christmas,  this box is the perfect size to hold a few rolled bills tied with holiday ribbon. 

This is my entry for:

Day #3 of Bugaboo Stamps Christmas in July Challenge - make a gift or gift box. 

Hiding in my Craft Room Challenge #362 - Christmas in July 

Dragonfly Journeys Challenge #123 - Christmas in July 

Winter Wonderland Challenge - Christmas Gifts 

Aud Sentiments Challenge #208 - Christmas + a sentiment

As You Like It Challenge - Ribbons or Buttons  (Definitely ribbons.  Poking that ribbon through the holes of the button was not easy.  Tying a bow is a snap.)

Christmas gift boxes

Last Tuesday our card making group had our Christmas party at Joyce's.  We each make little gifts to share with each other.  

But the friendship that we share is the best gift of all!

Oh, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the food.

That's pretty darn good, too!

Jean brought the best soup*!

I made a bunch of little Christmas boxes and filled them with truffles. Within seconds, one side of the table had already popped one in their mouths, while a few showed more restraint.  

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Gift It!

Mix It Up Challenge #8 - Fancy Fold 

Crafty Hazelnut's December Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Connie Can Crop Challenge #65 - I'm So Fancy 

Brown Sugar Challenge #273- Anything But a Card 

Bitten By The Bug Challenge - Boxes, Bags, Treat Embellishments 

Through the Craft Room Door Week of 12/11 - Anything Goes

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge - It's Christmastime  (I used a cuttlebug to emboss the bow.)
Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #347 - Make a Box (I used CTMH cricut cartridges to cut the bow and tag)

*the recipe is on Joyce's blog on the recipe page.

Day # 3 of Christmas in July @ The Bug Blog

Today we are wrappin' it up with a 

non-traditional Christmas colored twist for the

 Christmas in July Celebration at Catch the Bug.

How do you like this octagon gift box and tag ?

The Bugaboo digi must be retired. 

I got it in 2013 but can't find it in the store to give you a link.

The pink and black design paper scraps, neither one a full sheet, came from my stash.  I used markers to color the digi to match the candy cane paper.  The die cuts on the box are by Spellbinders and La la Land.  A friend just sent me the octagon buttons as a gift.  Another friend sent me the candy cane charm.  

My blog friends are the best!!!!

Here's another view of the box:

Well, that's my ABC entry for Day #3 of the Christmas in July Celebration at Catch the Bug Blog.

 

Additional Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas  Challenge #342 - Anything Christmas Goes + Use a Die Cut
(The die cuts on the box are by Spellbinders and La la Land.)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - July Anything Goes
Die Cut Divas Challenge - Christmas in July (The die cuts on the box are by Spellbinders and La la Land.)
Craft-dee Bowz July Challenge - Anything Goes with a handmade bow
2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #4 - Anything Goes with a critter 
The Holly and Ovy Christmas Challenge #10 - Anything Christmas Goes 
The House That Stamps Built Challenge J1217 - Tic Tac Toe (I used the first row: polka dots, sweet treats and hot pink.) 

Creative Moments Challenge #122 - Anything Goes + Christmas in July Twist
Sweet Stampin' Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes 
Go Tag Thursday Challenge #57 - Button It
Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #167 - Anything Goes (I used polka dot wire ribbon, black abd white checked fabric ribbon, and baker's twine.)
Patti's Creations Challenge #136 - Something Sweet : candy cane
Cut It Up Challenge #126 - Christmas in July (The die cuts on the box are by Spellbinders and La la Land.)
Scor-pal More than One Score Challenge #39 - Die Cuts  (Multiple scores required to make the box.)

Oh, My!

I just finished typing all those challenges and my Firefox crashed!

Luckily, all I lost were my labels.  

That's it for today.  I'm not taking any more chances!

 

Joyful Stars July Close to My Heart Blog Hop

Welcome to the Joyful Stars July blog hop, where a group of talented Close to My Heart consultants, and me, gather to share ideas with you in a fun blog hop.  

CTMH's  newest Seasonal Expressions catalog is full of new products.  For my card, I've used paper from the Magical paper pack and the Amusement Park stamp set to make this very interesting Twisted Treat Box and gift tag.

I first saw this box on Sue Reynolds' blog in the Color My Heart Color Dare blog hop.  Fortunately, Sue supplied a link to a You Tube video with the instructions.  
Here are a few more photos from different angles:

View from above of medallions (CTMH Cricut Artiste cartridge) and gift tag.

Inside of tag.

Inside of top section of box.

 The dp under and behind the box are also from 
the Magical Paper Pack.

Now, since this is a blog hop you might have arrived here

 from Andrea Sherman's blog.

Your next stop is Crystal Davis's blog.  The hop is circular.  So if you are just starting here, simply continue hopping until you find your way back, making the full circle.  If you get lost, the complete list of participants is on Joyce's blog.  I've made my way around the circle and I think you'll want to, too.

I am entering this twisted box in these challenges:

Incy Wincy Designs Challenge - Fancy Folds

Creative Moments Challenge #97 - Anything Goes w/ option ribbons or bows

DL. Art July Linky Challenge - Anything Goes

Polkadoodle Challenge Week #26 - Ribbon or twine

Great Impressions July Challenge - Anything Goes

Decorate to Celebrate Challenge - Anything Goes

Split Top Card Box & CTMH Class 4/19/16

This morning's agenda did not include making a Split Top Card Box.  But the SCS Weekly Inkling arrived in my inbox,  just taunting me to give it a try.  

Papers are CTMH.

box with belly band

bottom of box

inside of box

Challenges:
Clear It Out Challenge - Nature ; stash item - greenery ( It's all from the stash, the embellishments are left from making a bridal box several years ago.) bits and pieces of dp glued together,embossed and die cut; and ribbon I won ages ago.)
Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #262 - Earth Day (I hate to toss even little scraps of paper.  The die cut rectangle is composed of bits and pieces of dp glued together and embossed.)
Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - Anything Goes
Craft Dee Bowz April Challenge - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create Challenge #172 - Anything Goes w/ option recycled materials (paper scraps)
Crafting for the Craic Challenge - Anything But a Card
As You Like It Challenge - Favorite Non Card Project  (I enjoy making pretty boxes. My cousin makes handmade soaps.  The boxes are perfect gift packages for his soaps and my cards.)

Now that I got that out of my system, the day's agenda still waits, and I have to add 'clean up the mess I made on my craft table' to the list.

**********

Below are the 4 cards we made at Joyce's CTMH card class yesterday.

Her Spring Extravaganza is coming up, if you live in this area.

Changes + CTMH Card Workshop 9/29/15

The theme this week at the Heart to Heart Challenge is Changes.  When I'm crafting, I am constantly making changes.  The card rarely turns out the way I first envisioned it.  

For instance... 

Yesterday I checked to see what the new colors are for this week's Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge.  They are Honey, Cocoa, and Poppy (I substituted cranberry) - nice fall colors.  I pulled out some Fundamental papers, which I love, and die cut this leaf.

As I was collecting papers and a sentiment to make a card, the remaining negative from the die cut caught my eye.  

Using the required colors, I used the negative and sponged 2 leaves, intending to group them with the die cut.  I also stamped and fussy cut the word "fall" in the 3 colors.  But in the CTMH stamp set with the fall stamp was a  pumpkin stamp that would  fit perfectly on one of these leaves.  I sponged a third leaf in the honey color, inked the pumpkin stamp in cocoa and then rolled the edges in cranberry. 

A bit of embossing and the card was finished.  And the original die cut will eventually find its way onto another card.

This card is entered into the following challenges:

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge # 161 - Honey, Poppy & Cocoa

Heart 2 Heart Challenge - Change 
Crafty Sentiment Designs Challenge - Autumn Leaves 
Deep Ocean Challenge #113 - Autumn
Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge #256 - Ink it Up or Emboss Your Background
Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - Anything Goes
Ooh-la-la Creations Challenge #190 - Get Krafty
Classy Cards n Such Challenge #104 - Feeling "Fall"ish
One Stitch at a Time Challenge #246 - Anything Goes with Leaves
A Gem of a Challenge #145 - Autumn
Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #281 - Use a negative as a mask
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Use a non-white base

 

**********
Here are the cards and a cute little treat box I made at Joyce's yesterday:

There are oreos inside!

 

Self Closing Box

New folds lure me in every time. 

  

You can find the tutorial for this self closing box right here.  One look at these cute boxes and I knew I had to try one.  Just for fun I added the matching border strip from the paper across the top of the bag.   The box really does snap closed by itself.  The ribbon, which is easily slid off, and binder clip are just to embellish it.

Filled with little school supplies, erasers, glue stick... it would be fun to give to a child returning to school. Or, if I were a teacher, I would love to find this on my desk filled with chocolates.

front

back

Papers, stamps and ribbon are CTMH products.

This is my entry for the following challenges:
Clear It Out Challenge - Back to School; Stash Item- office supplies
Through the Craft Room Door Aug 18-24 - Always Anything Goes
Craft-Dee BowZ August Challenge - Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow
Crafting From the Heart Challenge #73 - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion Challenge #275 - Always Anything Goes
Love to Scrap Challenge #60 - Anything Goes
Not Just Cards Challenge #23 - Always Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's August Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafting with Friends Challenge #4 - Anything Goes