PIN IT FRIDAY FAVS: More Birthday Projects and the Very Best of Pinterest Pins

I needed more birthday cards for the month of January and here's a design that can be modified with various DSP and embossing folders for any occasion. I really need to have more versatile cards like this made ahead so I can send out a card without having to set a bomb go off in my craft room!

Recently, my co-worker cleaned out her craft room and bestowed upon me a plethora of paper crafting toys! To thank her for her generosity and for making me do a happy dance, I made a card and purse as a big thank you:

STAMPS:

Cute by the Inch, Stampin' Up

Teeny Tiny Wishes, Stampin' Up

A Big Thank You, Papertrey, Ink

PINTEREST INSPIRATION CARD:

Pinterest Pin HERE

(Includes Directions HERE)

My Matching Purse:

This purse was created by the blog poster

to hold a set of cards and includes

a wonderful video tutorial!

Original Pin HERE

with Video HERE

This has been one of my most favorite projects to create. Give it a try and create a set of 4 cards with the same papers used to create the purse for a lovely color coordinated gift set just like this:

Original Pin HERE

Here are the pieces needed to make this purse:

For box base:

5" x 8" card stock

Score at 1" on all four sides

For handles:

1" x 11"

Score @ 1/2" along

the 1" side - Start and stop

at 1 1/2" from top and bottom

For sides:

4 1/2" x 12"

4 1/2" x 7"

Top border pieces:

2 each of

3/4" x 11"

3/4" x 8 1/2"

For an Easter basket version,

check out this video from

scrapbookingwithme:

...and last, but not least...I made this birthday card for my husband's assistant and BIG Tim Burton fan - especially the Nightmare before Christmas:

I would have never thought of this card on my own had it not been for this version on Pinterest:

Original Pin HERE

PIN IT FRIDAY FAVS: The Very Best of Recent Pins on Pinterest

Envelope Punch Board Easter Baskets

I needed a craft project to hold some Easter treats and here's what I created thanks to a few Pinterest pins and my envelope punch board:

A small and large version!

There is a 1/2" difference between the two sizes in all directions as shown in this picture below:

I used doilies from Martha Stewart. At first, I was folding them in half and using one per side, but then I made so many baskets that I had to cut the doilies in half so they'd last for all of the baskets I ended up making!...and here is the pin that started me on my journey to find measurements:

Original Pin HERE

The measurements and steps to make the small and large size baskets are listed at the very end of this post, and Linda Parker provides a terrific video tutorial with such a lovely accent at:

tinyurl.com/minibasket

I also made a few modifications to her instructions to make things easier and I also listed them with the instructions below....and here are the cards I made to go with these baskets after I saw this pin:

Original Pin HERE

INSIDE VIEW

I felt the card needed a little bit of a boost of color and interest so I added a border at the bottom:

Oops! I realized I left off a background element in the upper right corner!

I added it using Grape Jelly ink, but I like the color I used on my original card (shown right after the pin for this card above) where I used Crumb Cake!

INSIDE VIEW

Stamp Set: SU Butterfly Basics

Ink: SU Lucky Limeade and Crumb Cake,

Memento Grape Jelly and Basic Black

Copics: V17, 15, G29 and G24

Flower Center: Scribbles Bright Yellow

Dies: Rhone Butterfly Wings by Memory Box

and Nesties Labels Four

Large Basket:

1) Start with an 8" square piece of medium weight DSP

2) Place the upper left corner at the 2" point, punch and score

3) Repeat Step Two on the remaining the edges of the 8" square

4) Turn the paper over and repeat Steps Two and Three

5) Fold along all score lines with a bone folder

6) Make two cuts up to the first score line as shown in the video

7) Make the same two cuts on the opposite side

8) On the right and left sides where cuts were not made, score across the flap as shown in the video (NOTE: This step is not necessary with the small basket size as the flaps can be folded over without the score and speeds the process along if you are making multiples!)

9) On the flaps where cuts were made, fold the right and left flap over and secure with glue or a glue dot, then bring the middle flap up and mark with a pencil where the score line needs to be made to bring the flap up and over.

10) Cut a handle 1" x 8.5" out of the same or coordinated DSP and attach with glue dots to the inside of the basket AFTER embellishments - such as doilies - are applied.

Small Basket:

1) Start with a 6" square of medium weight DSP

2) Place the upper left corner at the 1.5" point, punch and score

3) Proceed with Steps Three through Nine listed above

4) Cut a handle 1" x 11.5" and follow direction in Step 10 above

OTHER MODIFICATIONS:

I like to cut off the right and left flaps (on the no cut flap sides) as it gives a nice clean look to the finished basket:

 3D Embellishments on the handle from K&Co.

I also used this technique to mark the score lines for the flaps in the center:

LAST EASTER CARDS and GOURMET DIVAS MEETING

I've put my last Easter cards into the mail and here's a final version I made for my parents and in-laws:

Inside Text

I love a dose of humor in a card!...and speaking of humor...my sister gave me this card for my birthday:

Thanks, Sis!

...and speaking of fabulous...my FABULOUS pen pal, LA, sent me the most magnificent card that made me do a BIG happy dance. The beautiful combination of textures, colors, die cuts and that Coco Chanel saying were extraordinary in every way...so I had to frame it for my craft room! 

I just found a new sign to hang over the door to my craft room that I now see every time I leave my craft room and it says "Go Out There and be AMAZING!" --- it makes me happy =)

I had my cooking club friends over last Friday for a deliciously fun meeting! I made the favors with my new envelope punch board thanks to a PIN IT FRIDAY FAV (posted HERE). I added a small bag of Jelly Bellies to it, but after a few other Easter craft projects I made, there's still about a half of a Costco-size container of Jelly Bellies left - DANGEROUS is all I can say!

The ladies each made their own bunny racers, too:

I made the first batch of bunny racers with yellow bunnies, but I like the way the blue bunnies stand out even if they do use some sort of toxic dye to get that electric shade of blue - LOL!

My cooking club buddy Fran gave each of us this card below and it reminded us of the hours of endless fun we had as kids playing dress up! Glitter has been added to every outfit on this card, but it hardly shows up in my photo. I do use a lot of Stickles glitter glue on cards --- I even added it to the bunny card at the top of this post to highlight the ears and tail =)

...and finally...I made one of my family's favorite breakfast and breakfast dinner items called French Toast Bake. It's the perfect dish to make for company because it's made up hours before serving, refrigerated, then placed in the oven for 45 minutes before serving. The recipe follows below:

FRENCH TOAST BAKE

Ingredients

• ½ C. melted butter (1 stick)
• 1 C. brown sugar
• 24 King Hawaiian rolls cut in half to create a top and bottom
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ C. milk
• 1 t. vanilla
• Cinnamon
• Powdered sugar

Directions: Melt butter in microwave and add brown sugar. Stir until mixed well. Pour butter/sugar mixture into a 9”x13” pan and spread evenly. Beat eggs, milk and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. (I use the beater attachment from my immersion blender.) Place a single layer of rolls into the pan with the top side of the roll facing down and the cut side facing up. Spoon half of the egg mixture evenly over the rolls and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add the second layer of rolls with the cut side facing up. Spoon the remaining egg mixture evenly over the rolls and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and chill overnight (or make several hours before serving). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (covered for the first 30 minutes). Cut a serving and flip it over to reveal the top of the roll. Spoon some of the butter/sugar mixture on top of each roll and finish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Serve if desired with warm maple syrup, bacon and sausage. Recipe serves 8 people.

PIN IT FRIDAY FAVS and Card Chicks Spring Card Party Projects

Tonight is a night that eleven of us always look forward to....it's our Card Chicks meeting! Below are the projects I have ready for our group to make. First up...I saw this adorable mini pizza box on Pinterest by the talented Becky Roberts on her blog Inkin' Idaho.

...and I knew my Card Chicks would love to make one at our card party! Becky was SO KIND to provide the measurements:

Cut the cardstock to 7-1/4" x 4".

Score the long side at 3/4", 3-1/4", 4" and 6-1/2".

Score the short side at 3/4" and 3-1/4".

I made my belly band 1" x 7 1/2" and scored it at 1 5/8" then finger-folded the remaining three folds around the box so the belly band can slide on and off the box.

I bought Happy Easter stickers that were the PERFECT size from Paper Source. I layered the sticker on top of a brown scallop punch using a 1 3/8" circle punch from white card stock for the center. The Hershey Nuggets (covered with white addresses labels that have been stamped) fit perfectly inside the box. I didn't look closely at first and ended up buying the wrong candies so now have chocolate coming out of my ears...nice problem to have - LOL!

Here is how I cut my DSP and where I put my adhesive/glue dots: 

The scoring stated in the photo above is for the long side, then turn the paper to the short side and score at 3/4" on the left then the right side. 

Our next project is a basket I modified from a

previous Pinterest pin on my blog post HERE:

The tiny feather coming out of the chick's head made for a nice finishing touch!...and here's the back view of the basket:

Click HERE to find directions.

I saw a cute little bunny card on Pinterest created by one of my favorite bloggers of all time - Jan Tink:

...and her card inspired me to create this card project for my Card Chicks:

The saying is from Darcie's Heart and Home EARS TO YOU set that I bought at Cranberry Hill but you can buy it HERE:

My final card project for our spring card party is cased from one of my favorite SU Demonstrators - Brenda Keenan here in San Jose. (I have to give her a BIG plug as her monthly card classes are absolutely wonderful!)

She used the SU SAB set called PETAL PRINTS: 

...using the sentiment from

A DOZEN THOUGHTS also by SU and

also on my wish list!

Here are a couple of versions I made...and since I didn't have the exact same punch for the flowers, I made some substitutions and added a butterfly (using a Martha Stewart punch):

The flowers in the card above are from the flower in SAB SU Banner Blast set and I used a 3/4" circle punch around each one. I like the position of the photo corners best in this middle card but it will be interesting to see where the Card Chicks decide to place them =)

PIN IT FRIDAY FAVS: Two Mini Treat Box Holders

These boxes by Sam Donald are PERFECT projects to hold some Jelly Bellies this Easter!

For the original pin and video for this project, CLICK HERE. Here are Sam Donald/Pootles' measurements and starting directions using the Envelope Punch Board. Along one side of a 6" square piece of DSP, punch and score at 1" and 4". Turn paper 180 degrees, score and punch at 1" and 4". Align remaining score lines, punch and score. Continue with directions in the video.

Here's my version:

FYI: This box will hold three Ghirardelli individually wrapped chocolate squares, too!...and here's the video:

Box #2 from Sam is a triangular-shaped box and so darn clever:


The original post can be found on her blog HERE.

She says to start as follows:

Cardstock – 8 x 11″

Score on the LONG side at 2, 9″

Score on the SHORT side at 1, 3, 5, 7″

Designer Series Paper – 4.5 x 7″

Then follow along the video HERE or below: