All Wrapped & Ready

Those of you that follow me on Twitter know that I received a package in the mail yesterday that I've been waiting for for a bit now. I can't say out loud here exactly what was in the box since it is a gift for someone that might read this before I hand it over, but suffice it to say when she does get it, she's gonna love it!

And...since I am try to take advantage of every possible opportunity to get crafty, I set to work designing some custom packaging. How fun is that?

I surfed the net for a while, and found lots of way cute packaging ideas but unfortunately, none of the items I came across were suitable to hold the item in question (but I did bookmark them for future reference of course!). So instead, I had to go totally custom on this one. I kept it simple - and built a 2 piece box that fit the 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" item perfectly.

The papers and embellies I used on this one are all CTMH - and the ribbon is my absolute favourite element (I've been hoarding it for a while now). It says "share live laugh love give create". I thought it very suitable for the occassion. The plaid paper is from the "Aspen" collection - also one of my faves.
Here's a couple of more pics for you.

The item wrapped up inside (Sorry the tissue is crinkly - it was all I had).

Close up of the matching notecard that I slipped in the box. (I sure wish I could figure out how to properly photograph items so they show their true dimension. This card has foam square popping out the scallopped panel, and more under the star.) The heart, scalloped pane and star are from CTMH Thoughtful Seasons.

I just can't wait to hand the package over - I'll have to try to make that plan for sometime this weekend!

Until next time.

Happy {Canadian} Thanksgiving and Happy Tuesday to Everyone Else!

Well, I'm a bit late in posting my holiday wishes, but I couldn't resist trying to make the holiday weekend last just one more day. It's always soooo hard to get back into the swing of things after having an extra day off, but the good news is, it makes for a short week at the office. So put a smile on your face......the weekend is closer than you think!

Lucky for me, I actually got a fair bit of crafting time in this weekend too! All in between visits with family and lots and lots of food!

I can't post pics of them all, since there are a few loose ends to tie up on most of them, but I am proud to report that I created (3) double page scrapbook layouts - that's 6 whole pages (yay me!). Plus (6) standard size cards, (4) 3x3 cards, and (4) gift card holders. The cards and stuff are a gift for Christmas for a family member (shhhh!) -- and they're all packaged up in this little stationary box that I saw on splitcoast. If you'd like to try to make one for yourself, a printable tutorial can be found at here at Addicted to Stamping.

I did very little stamping - basically only card sentiments. The rest of the card elements are stickers that coordinate with the papers. All supplies are Close To My Heart - and the product is called Boom-Di-Ada. It's very fun!

The stationary box was a lot easier to put together than I had anticipated, and the whole project came together pretty quickly. I guess that's one of the benefits of using stickers instead of stamps. The downside is of course that in order to duplicate the cards I need to buy the stickers again......but, so long as I can get them, that's not a horrible thing I guess.

I had a lot of fun pulling this together, and honestly, I am soooo shocked that it's only October and I'm already able to cross 2 recipients off my gift-giving list. If I can keep up this pace, I'll be doing alright I think - and avoiding the December crunch.

Happy Tuesday!!!

The Whole Enchilada

I've completed all three of the sets now and wow, are they cute! I think I'll send two to school with the kids for their teachers, to go alongside the cards and bags I made for them a while back. I have had those tucked away and even went and picked up some gift cards today to include. The third set I think I'll keep for me -- because it makes me smile. Here they are!

The picture is not the best, but I think you get the idea. The stamping is really really simple so it was easy to make multiple sets. If you'd like to see more samples of this same idea; cards, boxes and matching envies, check out this gallery at Splitcoast.

I'm in the process of preparing the Wishblade files for sharing (the envelope and box templates) and I'll post them later.

Have a great day!