CUPCAKES IN A JAR, ETC.

This was the favor from our newest neighbor's first birthday party! Her mother said she found them on Etsy HERE and they look like a wonderful favor we crafty types could make ourselves..but sometimes...you have more money than time! (The adaptation of this idea for all sorts of occasions is ENDLESS --- Happy dance in progress!)

...and this was the card I made to go with the book we gave to this wonderful one-year-old:

Some other projects I've just completed include some birthday cards using the BIRTHDAY BAKERY and CREATE A CUPCAKE sets from Stampin' UP. Once I completed the coloring with Copic markers, I added some Crystal STICKLES to give the card some bling!

...and here's a pink version:

SU's WORD WINDOW PUNCH was used to create the awning. I attached each alternating colored piece of the awning to the center of a 3/4" x 4 1/4" strip of card stock that was covered with a piece of 1/2" sticky tape down the entire 4 1/4" length. After attaching all 11 strips, I scored the entire awning 1/4" from the top and 1/4" from the bottom. I secured the top of the awning to the card with a strip of 1/8" red sticky tape and trimmed the far right side of the card so that I got 11 full segments of the awning across the top.

...and my WONDERFUL pen pal and talented card maker, Leslie-Ann in British Columbia, also asked me to provide some directions for a card I posted recently. She wanted to know how to make the Kleenex box found on the inside of this card, so here goes:

NOTE: The bottom lattice piece on the inside of the card was made with a Martha Stewart punch.

To make the pop-up Kleenex box, start with a 6" x 3" piece of medium weight card stock. Score along the 6" side at 1.5", 3" and 4.5". Then use a die to cut the oval in the center of the 2nd panel. I used the 2nd smallest die from Spellbinders' Small Classic Scallop Ovals set.

To make the Kleenex panel to put through the hole, I cut a full-size tissue in half and then cut each half in half again. I took a quarter piece and placed it as shown below:

Then I folded it in half so that two mountain peaks are created at the top:

(This technique also works well when adding several pieces of tissue paper into a gift bag - but you would use a full sheet of tissue paper and add 4 or more sheets folded as shown here and in the next step before placing them into the bag.)

Now gather up the Kleenex at the bottom:

Put the Kleenex through the hole and checked on the outside or RIGHT side to see how you want to arrange the tissue. Once you're happy with the way the Kleenex is coming out of the box...

...tape the end of the Kleenex to the third panel on the INSIDE of your box. NOTE: Be sure to place the tape BELOW the score line:

Now add red sticky tape on the RIGHT side - or the design side - of your card stock on the first and last panel as shown:

Finally, remove the sticky tape backing, fold the card stock in half with the sticky tape facing out and the tissue on top. Open up your card to the inside, center the closed tissue box inside the card just ever so slightly off of the center fold of your card base, close your card down and press to adhere the box to the front and back panel of your card. When you open the card back up, viola...you have a Kleenex box that pops up!