Grand Tour Gift Pouch

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments.  I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

In Friday's post I mentioned the inclusion of another gift in Darnell and Shirley's gift bags.  I didn't want Ros and Monika, who we were meeting in Liverpool, to miss out on the fun, so instead of putting everyone's cards in envelopes, I created these gift pouches for them and the DVDs I created...

It took a LONG time to create all those inlays, and to this day I have a slight numbness in the very tip of my thumb because of them, but the look on the ladies faces when they got the unexpected gift was, and is, well worth it!

Card: Whisper White, Blushing Bride and Flirty Flamingo
Ink: Flirty Flamingo and Pear Pizzazz
Stamp sets: Kinda Eclectic and Layering Letters
Tools and embellishments:
Adhesives:

Challenges...
#266 Super Scraps Saturday at HIMCR
#140 No squares or rectangles at Dream Valley
#246 AAG at Pixie's Snippets Playground

I'll be back on Friday with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Botanicals Frame

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

Today's project is a very special one and an example of how Stampin' Up! products aren't just for cards...

The photo is of my Gram and it was taken professionally over 70 years ago, in a studio session gifted to her by my Granddad on their engagement. I've taken my inspiration for the colors from the image, including the stunning blue of her eyes, and added some sparkle with Wink of Stella.

Perhaps unsurprisingly she was speechless when she opened the gift. While I'd not thought about it until then, I now plan on doing something similar with more of her precious photos, and I'll share those with you as they are created.

Card: Soft Sky, Pool Party, Mint Macaron and Tempting Turquoise
Tools and embellishments: Botanical Builder Thinlits and Clear Wink of Stella
Adhesives: Tombow

Other items used: Dollar store frame and hot glue gun.

Challenges...
#230 AAG at Pixie's Snippets Playground
#32 AG at Not Just Cards
#72 May Flowers at Crafty Gals Corner

I'll be back soon with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Joyful Season Album Part 2

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

Following on from Wednesday's post, today I'm sharing the cover, insert and box lid I created for both of those albums.

Cover...

First page...

Box lid

Because they are both Christmas gifts, I'm not sharing the inside cover dedication, because I don't want to spoil the surprise! Suffice to say that it is decorated similarly to these and handwritten. 

Card: Cherry Cobbler (other album), Rich Razzleberry and Whisper White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Rich Razzleberry and Early Espresso
Marker: Blackberry Bliss Stampin' Write (from 2014-2016 In Color pack, used for "SEASON")
Stamp set: Gorgeous Grunge and Joyful Season
Tools and embellishments: Crystal Effects
Adhesives: Tombow

Challenges...
#213 AAG at Word Art Wednesday
#291 AG at Craft your passion

Whatever you're doing this weekend, have a great one. I'll be back on Monday with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Joyful Season Album Part 1

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

Today I'm sharing another couple albums that have been created recently. Yep, one of them is the one which features in my Basic Concertina Album Pictorial! For insert dimensions, please refer to Monday's post.

Both of the albums featured today use the Gorgeous Grunge and Joyful Season stamp sets from Stampin' Up!

Both of these were again a lot of work, but the result is well worth it, as is knowing how much they will be forever treasured by the recipients.

Card: Cherry Cobbler, Rich Razzleberry and Whisper White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Rich Razzleberry (grunge on matching album) and Early Espresso
Stamp set: Gorgeous Grunge and Joyful Season
Tools and embellishments: Deco Labels Framelits
Adhesives: Sticky Strip (retired)

Challenges...
#213 AAG at Word Art Wednesday
#175 AG at Brown Sugar
#291 AG at Craft your passion

I'll be back on Friday with part 2, so I hope you'll join me then.

Beth's Album and Pictorial

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

A month ago today my beloved sister celebrated a milestone birthday. She'll likely kill me for saying it was her 50th, but as it's mentioned in the album I created for her, I think I'm safe. Least I hope so! Grin.

I was unsure what colors to use, so asked her what she wanted. I'd mentioned a while back, when creating her son Daniel's album, that I'd create one for her, so wasn't spoiling the surprise. Her reply was "Camo, please!" She's a skilled crossbow hunter, so it didn't really surprise me!

In addition to the Basic Concertina Album I shared with you on Friday, you'll need LOTS of card OR DSP for the inserts and LOTS of Sticky Strip. While this one isn't the same base as in the linked pictorial, and it's the same size as Daniel's album, it differs from that one because all of the pages in this one are photo pockets.

This one is a whopping 18, yes, EIGHTEEN concertina pages, the thinking behind that originally coming from Daniel's birthday being his 18th.

Card or DSP
To cover every page you'll need 57 pieces cut to 4 3/4" square, plus a few extra for the cover. AND 17 pieces cut to 4 3/4" x 3 1/8"
Inks: Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive used for the background, and Early Espresso
Marker: Mossy Meadow Stampin' Write (from the 2014-2016 In Color pack)
Stamp sets: Gorgeous Grunge, Joyful Season, Butterfly Basics and Me = Grateful
Tools and embellishments: Deco Labels Framelits, Stamping Sponges and Crystal Effects
Adhesive: Sticky Strip (retired) and Tombow

Using the second largest die from the Deco Labels, cut apertures from all the squares of card/ DSP and using the smallest die, cut apertures carefully in the smaller pieces

Stamp the pages as desired. For these I sponged on the inks then added Gorgeous Grunge to complete the camo look, before stamping the branch from Joyful Season onto the squares.

Carefully add tape to 3 edges of the photo pockets, having decided on the orientation of the aperture. Here each double page has a horizontal and vertical aperture

For the smaller pieces, attach them so that the edge is flush with the tab used to join the pages. Stamp the tab if desired

For the cover, I stamped the sentiment from Butterfly Basics in Old Olive and randomly added Crystal Effects to mimic raindrops

For the top page I stamped a sentiment from Me = Grateful in Early Espresso and colored the letters with the Mossy Meadow Stampin' Write marker

For the inside of the cover I added a handwritten dedication

I also created a box for the album and decorated this the same as the album cover

While there is a heck of a lot of work involved, I know this and indeed Daniel's albums will be forever treasured. It is well worth the effort and I hope you'll agree

Challenges...
#153 AG at 613 Avenue Create
#175 AG at Brown Sugar
#291 AG at Craft Your Passion

I'll be back on Wednesday with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Basic Concertina Album Pictorial

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

Back in September I shared pix of the album I created for my nephew Daniel, and I've been meaning to share a pictorial since then. Well, all good things come to those who wait and today's the day! Grin.

By its nature this project uses a LOT of card, both for the base, which is what I'm sharing today and for the other elements, some of which I'll share with you on Monday. The amount depends on how many pages you want in your album. Today's example uses 9 sheets for the pages, plus another for the cover...

Card: 5" x card length for all except ONE of the pages, so 8 in this case. 5" x 10" piece for the last page and 5" x 11" for the cover
Tools: Simply Scored and stylus
Adhesives: Tombow OR other wet glue. You COULD use tape, but having wriggle room is better.

Score the full length pieces at 5" and 10"

Fold and burnish each to create a V shape

Make sure all your pieces are facing the same way. Using your Simply Scored to help keep everything square, apply glue to the flap and attach the next page

Finish with the folded and burnished 10" long piece and you'll have something like this

Score the 11" long piece at 5" and 6". Yep, I know the score lines look closer and you'd be right. This one measured 10½" and needed surgery because I'd underestimated the thickness! Add glue to the right square

Again using your Simply Scored to help keep things lined up, attach the pages so that the tabs are next to the spine and the last page folds out to the right

Here you can see the tabs

So far everything fits nicely into the spine. Yep, it wouldn't stay that way, but it's an easy enough fix

Whatever you're doing this weekend, have a great one. I'll be back on Monday with examples of some of the pages and a pictorial, so I hope you'll join me then.

EBP Luminary Part 2

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

I hope the wait since Wednesday for part 2 hasn't been too painful? Let's get straight to it. In addition to the items listed in part one, you'll need just a couple more things, Silver Foil and a suitable adhesive, I used Adhesive Sheets. So here's a full list

Card: Tempting Turquoise measuring 9½" x 8¼", 3 pieces of Vellum measuring 2 3/4" x 4" and Silver Foil
Tools and embellishments: Envelope Punch Board, Simply Scored and stylus, Delicate Ornaments Thinlits, Magnetic Platform OR low tack tape
Adhesives: Sticky Strip (retired) OR Tombow and Adhesive Sheets (retired) OR Fine Tip Glue

Die cut 3 of the swirly ornaments in the set from Silver Foil. Using your Simply Scored, carefully score down the center of the ornaments on the reverse side

Using your fingers, gently fold along the score line. Apply adhesive and press into the Vellum lined apertures

Snip the bottom to form tabs and complete in the same way as in my Coffee Pot Pictorial

Add in a BATTERY tealight and enjoy!

I really hope the wait for part two was worth it? I'd love to see yours if you give it a go. Either drop a post link into the comments, or post pix to my Facebook page.

Challenges...

Whatever you're doing this weekend, have a great one. I'll be back on Monday with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

EPB Luminary Pictorial

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

Have you realized how much I'm in love with the EPB? While creating my coffee pot, I thought how I could further adapt it for other uses, and I quickly came up with the idea for a luminary. Here's what you'll need...

Card: Tempting Turquoise measuring 9½" x 8¼" and 3 pieces of Vellum measuring 2 3/4" x 4"
Tools and embellishments: Envelope Punch Board, Simply Scored and stylus, Delicate Ornaments Thinlits, Magnetic Platform OR low tack tape
Adhesives: Sticky Strip (retired) or Tombow

Score the long side of the card at 1½", 3", 4½", 6", 7½" and 9"

Turn and score on the short side at 1½" and 6"

Fold and burnish all score lines and use your EPB to punch along the 1½" score line

Fold the top score line back down and using your Magnetic Platform. CAREFULLY line the card and die up, then cut

Repeat above until you have cut 3 ornaments. Unfold the top piece and notch in

Flip the card over and attach the Vellum pieces over the apertures. I used Sticky Strip, but you could use Tombow or another wet glue

Bring the top section back down and CAREFULLY, using only your fingers, reinforce the score lines along the middle of the ornaments

Attach tape to the back

And the front

Fold and secure the top section and short side to form the hexagon

What? You can't leave us like that!!! It's not finished!?! Yep, you're right, it's not quite finished, but you'll have to wait until Friday for part two. I know, I'm sorry, but it will be worth the wait. I promise!

To ease the pain a bit, here's what NOT to do when cutting the apertures...

Yep, I didn't line it up properly and it caught on the side of the Big Shot. Oops!!!

Until Friday,

EPB Coffee Pot Pictorial

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

I absolutely LOVE Linda's teapot and while creating the one I shared with you here, I thought how I could adapt it for those of us who can't do without our coffee! Here's what you'll need to create my coffee pot body...

Card: Tempting Turquoise measuring 10 3/4" x 8¼" and Whisper White measuring 4¼" x 1½" (6 pieces) OR DSP
Ink: Tempting Turquoise and Rich Razzleberry
Stamp set: Gorgeous Grunge
Tools and embellishments: Envelope Punch Board, Simply Scored and stylus
Adhesives: Tear & Tape and Sticky Strip (retired) OR Tombow

Score the card on the long side at 1½", 3", 4½", 6", 7½" and 9". Turn and score the short side at 1¼" and 6". Fold and burnish all score lines, then use the Envelope Punch Board to punch along the 1¼" score line

Attach your stamped card or DSP panels after rounding the corners with the reverse punch on the EPB, notch in and apply tape

Flip the card over and add tape

Fold the upper section down and secure the short edge. Snip up the bottom scorelines. Doing it this way is a lot less fiddly

Up end the piece and secure the first two opposing flaps, starting either side of the untaped one. Remove the tape from the second flap (seen horizontal here)

Repeat the above with the second set of opposing tabs

Secure the final set, finishing with the untaped tab

Turn it the right way and you should have something like this

For the spout, I changed the dimensions given in Linda's teapot tutorial a bit. Start with a piece of card measuring 2½" x 5 3/4", then score on the short side at ½", then follow Linda's tutorial. This makes for a shorter spout, echoing those on real coffee pots. The lid is the same as the one I used for the teapot. My pictorial is here. I used two Deco Labels Framelits to create the handle...

Note, the photo above makes the coffee pot look a bit shorter than it is.

Challenges...
#203 AAG at Pixie's Snippets Playground
#150 AG at 613 Avenue Create
#288 AAG at Craft your passion

I hope you're loving these EPB creations as much as I am? I'll be back on Wednesday with another, so I hope you'll join me then.