FMS68 and Resolutions!

Note: The SUO Challenge will be delayed a week, because our fearless leader has been ill.

We should be back with a new challenge on the 15th!

One of my resolutions this year is to be more consistent in my blog posts, and to that end, one of my other resolutions is to participate in more challenges. Sometimes a sketch or color challenge is just the kick in the kiester I need to get creative.

So this week, I'm playing along with Freshly Made Sketches challenge #68. My friend, Jennifer Timko, is on the design team there, and I love seeing her take on the sketches! Here's the sketch for this week:

And here's my take on it:

I rotated it 90 degrees so the greeting would fit on the Everything Eleanor label. It's so soft and feminine looking IRL. I made one of Jennifer's magic bows, spritzed it with water and scrunched it up. Why is it the "messy" bows look so fabulous when someone else does them, and mine just looks sad?

Tomorrow, Mr. Brown is bringing more goodies from the Spring Catalog, woohoo! I had to exercise great restraint and wait to place my main order until after the first of the month. So now I'm anxiously waiting to see my favorite guy tomorrow (outside of immediate family members, lol)!

Stamps: Everything Eleanor, Vintage Verses (FREE Sale-A-Bration item, starts Jan. 27)

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory

Ink: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy

Accessories: Big Shot, Fancy Fan folder, Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon, Artisan Embellishment Kit (lace and button)

Love Note Treat Box Tutorial

Hello, stampers! I promised to show you how to make the treat box from last weekend's blog hop, so here you go! The first picture below shows the cutting and scoring diagram with basic instructions. For some of you, that's all you'll need to be off and runnning.

BASIC DIAGRAM & INSTRUCTIONS

For others (like yours truly), it helps to have step-by-step instructions with pictures, so that is what follows.  You can click on any picture to enlarge it for detail.

I hope you enjoy making this cute little box! It would be adorable with a heart-shaped window and the top filled with candy conversation hearts!

The materials and tools you need are:
Simply Scored Scoring Tool

Stampin’ Trimmer

Sticky Strip

Cardstock 8½" x 10"

DSP 3" x 3¾"

2½" Ribbon (taffeta works well)

If cutting a window, you will also need:

Big Shot

Die for cutting window

3" x 3¾" Window sheet (acetate sheet)

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1.       On long side, score cardstock at ½", 2", 5¼", and 6¾". (Forgot to draw dotted lines on this step, sorry!)

2.       Rotate cardstock 90° clockwise. On short side, score cardstock at 1½", 5½", and 7¾".

3.       Cut on solid lines at top and bottom, as shown.

4.       Trim off excess from ½" score line, leaving ½" tab.

5.    With the trimmed ½" tab against the top of the trimmer, fold back the two 3¼" flaps and line the folds up on the ½" line of trimmer. Cut off excess, leaving ½".

7.       Align score line of TOP LID with groove of trimmer and trim off  ¾". Don’t cut the INSIDE TREAT FLAP!

8.   Align the score line on TOP LID with the ¾" line on Stampin’ Trimmer and using scoring blade, score on INSIDE TREAT FLAP ONLY.

9.   Round corners on TOP LID. Score ¾" from rounded corners (this flap tucks in). Go back and enlarge your cuts so they look like narrow Vs. (This helps the box close properly.) Your box should look like this (Note: from this point on, dotted lines aren't shown):

10.   Adhere DSP over center panel on BOX FRONT, as shown.

11.   Fold back the TOP LID and INSIDE TREAT FLAP (so it will fit through Big Shot) and cut the opening using desired die. Note: The die will leave an impression on TREAT FLAP. Helpful hints: Make sure the top of the window opening will be at least ¾" below score line, so bottom of INSIDE TREAT FLAP won’t show when finished. Also, hold the die in place with a sticky note to keep it from shifting while cutting.

 








12.   Adhere window sheet inside window, and apply Sticky Strip to bottom flap, and vertically to the INSIDE TREAT FLAP, as shown.

13.   Fold box and apply ribbon to INSIDE TREAT FLAP; adhere ribbon halfway down on adhesive, then loop ribbon back and adhere end on remaining adhesive.

 








14.   Adhere side flap to box back.

15.  Fold up bottom flaps and adhere. Tuck INSIDE TREAT FLAP into box, and close TOP LID.

Remember, if you need any of these materials or tools, I can help you - just click on the "Shop Here 24/7" link on the left! If you have a question, my contact info is there, too.

Happy New Year...

...A few days late, lol! I have so much to share, and don't want to cram it all in one post, so today I'll share my first Control Freaks swap. It uses FOUR stamps from the Collage Curios stamp set, plus the Soda Pop Tops from the new Spring Catalog, which started today!

And per your requests, tomorrow I'll have the tutorial for the treat box from the Stampin' Addicts blog hop last weekend, so be sure to check back then!

Now, back to the Control Freaks swap.....I had high anxiety about my swap, wondering if it was CF-worthy. I sure hope the other Freaks thought so. The swaps that I got back were amazing - I'm so happy to be a part of this group!

Here's a little hint I figured out while making this card: the stamp that looks like a laurel wreath fits perfectly in the scallops of the Tasteful Trim scalloped die!  It was so easy to line it up and freehand stamp in each scallop with the Clear Mount stamps.

Note: The page numbers below are for the new Spring Catalog. 

If you don't have one, and would like to receive one, let me know!!!

Stamps: Collage Curios (pg. 24), greeting is from Vintage Verses (FREE Sale-A-Bration set)

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Gray, Regal Rose, More Amore Specialty DSP (pg. 10)

Ink: Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, and Basic Gray Stampin' Pads, Regal Rose and Wild Wasabi Stampin' Write Markers

Accessories: Big Shot, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL Die, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Circle punch, Basic Gray Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Regal Rose 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Soda Pop Tops - flattened with the Big Shot (pg. 24), Stampin' Dimensionals