Perfumed Tealights' Gift Box Video

Hello, Crafters.

This morning I uploaded my video which shows how to make the gorgeous Perfumed Tealights’ Gift Box. 

It was inspired by the one I received from Linda Kasparian at the Stampin’ Up! OnStage Convention in Telford on 5th November 2016. 

Many thanks, Linda, it’s beautiful.


This is the link where Linda found her inspiration and which she asked me to share with you: http://stampin-fee.jimdo.com/anleitungen/adventskranz-to-go/   

When you visit this website, you'll be able to download a PDF that gives metric measurements.

I tried hard to convert metric measurements to inches, but really struggled to get a good fit. 

As I knew a metric PDF was easily available, I gave up trying to convert and concentrated on working out the measurements in inches.

My finished box was a tad taller than the metric box but apart from that, they're the same! 

I experimented with my own sizes and it was when I changed to using coloured cardstock (CS) instead of Whisper White CS that I really achieved success.  
 
I added an extra layer to my Designer Series Paper (DSP), partly because I do like my three layers and partly because it gives extra support to the box.

When I punched the little finger tabs on the side of the box, I made sure I punched the on the side I'd adhered the box tabs.
 
I did this because, the glued tabs give extra support to that side, which was an important consideration as this is where the box would be pulled opened and closed.

I did consider putting a window sheet under  the "window" because I think it'd make the box look more professional.

In the end I decided against it because the window could become "dirty" looking if any loose wax came into contact with it. 

The last photograph is the box Linda gave me. 

The metric sizes worked out brilliantly with Whisper White CS.

Please note the inside design inside Linda's box! 

The sentiment is Wishing You A Season Filled with WARMTH & Cheer. 

Then she has positioned the two mittens as if they are warming themselves around the candles! 

Very subltle and very clever!

That's about it for today. 

Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Twist & Pop Up Card Video

Hello, Crafters.

This morning I uploaded my video showing how to make a Twist & Pop Up Card.

I know there are already lots of videos for this technique on YouTube, but I was requested to make one, and I'm always happy to oblige. 

My card is the only one I've seen that's tied with a ribbon - all the others I've seen with closures have been made with belly bands, so you have a choice!

The very first video I saw for this style of card was amazingly complicated with all sorts of measuring. 

 


Over time, it has become much easier and is now quite an easy card to make.
With the exception of the first card, I've used my Large Letter Framelits Dies to decorate the inside of my card. With all the layering, it's a very sturdy card and will withstand a lot of opening and closing! LOL!

I used some retired Lost Lagoon Cardstock (CS) and Designer Series Paper (DSP) for the first card I made just in case I wasted it!

I was really pleased how it turned out and decided to carry on and finish it off. 

I went through my Lost Lagoon folder of stamped, punched and die cut images to see what I could use. 

I found three houses that I'd heat embossed with White Embossing Powder and then die cut with the coordinating framelits. 

This was a bundle we had two or three years ago which I thought went really well with our current sentiment "Merry Christmas From Our Home To Yours"! 

The only mistake I made was to adhere some die cut snowflakes inside the card. 

The reason this is a mistake is because as the card closes it gets caught on the snowflake and needs an extra push to get it to close. 

This explains why I haven't put more decoration inside the other three cards!

Then I chose some current CS and Christmas DSP for my second card. 

I decided to use Real Red CS and Candy Cane Lane DSP, as well as my Large Letter Framelits Dies for NOEL inside my card. 

I used a strip of CS to die cut the letters so I now have three negatives that I can use to make more NOEL shaker cards. 

I used some of the small circle patterned CS from the Irresistibly Floral Specialty DSP for the letters.

When I'd finished these two cards, I didn't have time to make my video as well. 

As there was a gap of two or three days until I was able to make it, I had to make another card to remind myself how it's done so I could keep the number of boo-boos on film to a minimum!

The next card I made I used Cherry Cobbler CS and This Christmas Specialty DSP. 

I also used another design from the DSP for the letters.  

For the video card, I die cut the letters from a strip of Very Vanilla CS and then put the letters back into the negative spaces and ran it all through the Big Shot in the Softly Falling Embossing Folder.

I hope you decide to give this card a go because it really is quite easy

THat's it for today. Until tomorrow, Happy crafting.

JanB.

Home to Home

Hello Crafters. 

I fell in love with the house design in the Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper (DSP) the moment I saw it. 

Since then I've seen lots of great ideas people have used these houses for. 

The best one was the little house boxes I shared with you  recently that I received as a swap from Charry Wijers when we were at the latest team training. 

As much as I loved the design, I wasn't being inspired! 

That is, until I had a proper look at the Wrapped in Warmth Stamp Set. It has a sentiment that reads "Merry Christmas from our home to yours". 

The two were made for each other and that's today's card!

I started with a Whisper White Cardstock (CS) base, then a layer of Real Red CS and a top layer of Whisper White CS. 

I lightly sprayed the top layer, back and front, with water and then dry embossed using the Cable Knit Dynamic Embossing Folder. 

I used my original Big Shot Multi Purpose Platform on Tab 1 and one cutting mat for my sandwich.


I adhered the top two layers to the card base using Tombow. 

I fussy cut one of each of the houses featured on the DSP. 

I put some Tombow on the two roofs and chimney pots nad covered in white Mica Flakes.

I used my Real Red Marker Pen and coloured the MERRY CHRISTMAS, the straight line around the smaller part of the sentiment and the stitches inside the box. 

Then I used my Early Espresso Marker Pen for the FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS and the three decorations along the straight red lines. 
 
I huffed on my stamp when I was ready to stamp it onto a piece of Whisper White CS. 

The image came out beautifully.

I die cut it using the Layering Square Framelits, as well as a larger scalloped square in Early Espresso CS, and an even larger scalloped square in Real Red CS. 

I adhered the three together with Tombow. 

I laid the sentiment and the two houses on the card front to work out the best positioning. 

I was hoping to put one house at the top, then the sentiment, and then the second house towards the bottom. 

Whichever way I placed them, they didn't look right, so I moved the sentiment to the top! Ta-da!

Just a little side note! Last night when I did the embossing, I couldn't remember what sandwich I needed to use, so I used my original platform on no tabs (which is how I get best results from my Big Shot) and one cutting mat. 

It worked, and although the embossing looked good, it didn't look as good as I knew it should do. 

I took another piece of CS and did it on tab 1. 

This time it worked beautifully. 
 
This morning, I remembered I should have used the new platform, without the Thin Die Adaptor and one cutting mat. 

I decided to try it - just to make sure I was right! - before writing my blog. 

Rather than waste CS I used the embossed sheet from last night but turned it sideways, wondering what the pattern would look like. 
 
I was totally amazed! The new embossing wiped out 99.9% of last night's embossing, so I can now use this sheet! What a result!

That's about it for today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting. 

JanB.