Bigger Gift Card Holder

~ photo heavy post ~

welcome.  I hope you are well, and finding time to express your creativity.  Me, yeah.  I love cooking/baking, as much as paper crafting.  So, I have been busy making bulk meals.  You know, where you make 3-4 dinners of the same dinner, and freeze them for later.  That way, when you are running late, you just pop them in the oven, and viola!  Lasagne, casseroles, meatloaf, enchiladas, and roasted chicken are what I make.  I do a traditional lasagne and a 'white' lasagne.  The white lasagne has chicken, an alfredo sauce and green chili in it.  A 'New Mexico' spin on a wonderful dish.  I also roast chicken breasts and thighs.  I prefer mine with the bone-in and skin-on.  Rub the skin with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper, in an 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  De-bone the chicken, cut up the meat, package in 2 cup freezer bags, and viola!  Now you have chicken available to add to recipes and go!

But through all of this, I did stop and craft {smile}.  I make gift card holders to sell at my craft fairs.  But these holders hold just the gift card.  You know, the kind you get at Starbucks, or a major retailer. I have a girl friend who buys all of her gift cards at the grocery store or Walgreens.  And well, those gift cards are 'packaged'.  And she doesn't want to rip them open to get to the gift card to put in one of my gift card holders.  So, I am making some of the holiday craft fairs, to see how well, or not so well they do.  

I made one last year for this particular friend, (see post here) and she just LOVED it!  So, I am on a crafting mission.  However, when I made that one, I didn't write down dimensions, because I thought that I would remember.  Well, I didn't and I didn't show images of it opened.  {frown}  

so without further ado, here it is:

I am not too set with the straight edges.  But, I am happy with how the front looks.  I used this beautiful pale aqua blue color card stock in solid and two various patterns for the front.  The polka dot paper is from Paper Trey Ink, and the interlocking circle pattern paper is from Carta Bella.  The floral pattern paper is actually a digital paper.

I did a simple border stitch with my sewing machine, around a few pieces.  I just love the look it gives my crafts.  {smile} homemade!

Here is the flap open, to 'present' the gift card.  I continued the polka dot pattern paper on the inside.  The 'label' is heat embossed with the sentiment: happy birthday, in silver.  That panel is not attached, so you can write something.  I'm not too sure about that either.

I think I would like my 'holder' panel to have a higher bottom lip.  But, I haven't totally decided on that.  I also think that I would like a belly band.  But, I wasn't too sure when I created one, here.  Maybe a bow to hold it closed?  But, can everyone re-tie the bow?  UGH!

I tied a junk bow on the front.  I thought these little scraps of trim looked sweet with the front.  And yeah, I do have seam binding that matches that pale purple textured card stock.  

The polka dot brad I had on my craft table, and unfortunately, I can't remember where it came from.  If I had to guess, I'd say My Mind's Eye Nostalgia collection.  But, I could be wrong.  The silver rim makes me think that it could be from Carta Bella.  {frown}

My other 'problem' with this gift card holder, is that it is a bit flimsy.  Because the top and bottom flaps have layers and embellishments, the over all holder seems light in the back.  And that makes me want to add pattern paper to the back.  And I don't know if I want to do that.  Maybe, I'll add a matt to the inside of the holder, where the gift card sits, to allow a space to write a note.  I know this shouldn't be this hard!  And I also need to have a price.  Let me get a prototype complete that I am super happy with first.  And then I can easily do a price.  And I promise, I'll share that one with dimensions!  But, I am sure that, that won't be this weekend.  

Enjoy your weekend!  I'm headed into my craft room, to create my 'book' to hold my 5 x 5 weekly challenge (here)! I think I'll be using the current sketch from Mojo Monday.  {fingers crossed}

D is for Dreamy

I have a confession, I love shabby chic, and pink.  Really!  And a challenge site I stalk frequently visit has two requirements:  use pink, and make it shabby chic!  Oh, I got this!  So, I am entering another paper craft in the current challenge over @ Shabby Chic.

У меня есть признание, я люблю потертый шик, и розовый. Действительно! И задача сайте я преследовать часто посещают имеет два требования: используйте розовый, и сделать его потертый шик! О, я получил это! Итак, я вхожу в другой бумаги ремесло в текущем вызов в течение @ Shabby Chic.

their current challenge

их текущий вызов

and here is what I made:

и вот что я сделал

I took a chipboard letter (D) and altered it.  I painted it and adhered pink polka dot pattern paper to it. I also added beautifully sweet embellishments. {smile}

Я взял ДСП письмо и переделал его. Я нарисовал ее и придерживаться розовый горошек выкройки к нему. Я также добавил красиво сладкие украшения. {улыбка}

I wrapped a piece of wide white lace.  I tied white seam binding into a simple bow around a multi-loop pink seam binding bow.  I tied another simple bow out of cream twine, and then topped these bows off with a pink houndstooth pattern brad.

Я завернул кусок широкого белого кружева. Я привязал белый шов связывания в простой лук вокруг многорамочного розовый шва связывания лука. Я привязал еще один простой лук из сливок шпагат, а затем возглавил эти луки с розовым ломаную клетку шаблон Брэд.

I adhered a white resin key below the bows.  I added a white paper blossom above the bows.  Finally, I tucked in a double loop of pearls and two stick pins: shine white leaf and pink star.  And to give this letter a little sparkle, I added a trio of silver glitter butterflies.  I added pearls to the butterfly bodies.

Я привязал белую клавишу смолы ниже луков. Я добавил белой бумаги цветок над луками. Наконец, я сунул в двойной петли из жемчуга и двумя контактами палки: Блеск белый лист и розовые звезды. И дать это письмо немного блеска, я добавил трио серебряные блестки бабочек. Я добавил жемчуг бабочки органов.

I adhered two strong magnetics to the back of the letter.  That way, you can decorate any metal surface with this pink, shabby chic, monogram.  {smile}

Я придерживались двух сильных магнетизм к задней части письма. Таким образом, вы можете украсить любую металлическую поверхность с этой розовый, потертый шик, монограммы. {улыбка}

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you have been inspired!

Спасибо, что заглянули. Я надеюсь, что вы были вдохновлены!

Happy Owl

Hello!  I want to welcome my new followers: welcome, please have a look around, and I hope you find something pretty and inspiring {smile}.  And I hope I am inspiring my seasoned followers.  {smile}.  My style has changed over these last few years.  I have really embraced the shabby-chic, country-glamour 'look' of paper crafting.  I just love machine stitching, seam binding, buttons, bows, and polka dots!  But, in my craft endeavors I have learned that sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone, and spread your wings.  {smile}

Teresa Collins creates some very glamorous pattern paper lines.  And I have to say, that I was really drawn to the Stationary Noted pattern paper collection.  This line is crisp and simple.  Blues, grays, with bits of red, library pockets, simple sayings, and elementary designs.  I'm not knocking this line, but rather elevating the simple beauty of it.

I used a sketch from the wonderful sketch challenge site, Cardabilities.  Typically the sketch designs are beautifully simple.  So you can either embellish your heart out, or keep it minimalist.  And then everywhere in-between.  How wonderful is that?  Here is the current sketch challenge:

I used my Stationary Noted pattern paper, and made a more modern, clean lines card.  There isn't any machine stitching.  No seam binding.  No buttons.  But, I am really happy with how it turned out. {smile}

Recipe:  the card base is made with Bordering Blue card stock.  Retired from Stampin' Up!.  The blue is kinda dusty, soft, mute color.

The blue and white flourish pattern paper is the type writer paper reverse side.  I matted the typewriter paper onto true black by paper trey ink.  It has a clean black color.  

The ledger-owl piece is actually a cut out from another pattern paper from this collection.  I matted this piece onto a scrap piece of bordering blue card stock, just to tie everything together.  The red houndstooth paper was added to help highlight the red label piece.  This red houndstooth pattern paper has rulers on the reverse size, and is also from Teresa Collins, but another collection.  

I added a coordinating brad, and a chipboard sentiment.  I love the bike and sentiment.  It reminds me of a wedding, or anniversary.  

I added my own black bakers twine.  I tied a bow first, and then looped the long tails through the brad's legs.

I love the open label piece on the pocket card piece.  You could stamp a date, or a word, or small sentiment inside.  Or simply leave it blank.  It doesn't look like it's floating, or that its incomplete. 

I hope I have inspired you to craft something using the sketch from Cardabilities.  And use a style of pattern paper that is different from what you typically use, and spread your creative wings {smile}!

Sweet Blessings

Whew!  I just love this Sweet Christmas pattern paper that I purchased!  It's so beautiful and romantic!  But, I wanted to see more potential for this pattern paper.  So, I set out to create a non Christmas card with this Christmas paper.  And I am super happy with my results!

The talented ladies over @ Retro Sketches have a wonderfully creative challenge this week.  Use any sketch from their archives!  and so I did!

I used a sketch from a few years back.  But just look at it!  Very sweet, and I love the curves and bow!  And yeah, I used my Sweet Christmas pattern paper from Tilda.

Recipe:  I used crumb cake card stock from Stampin' Up! as the card base.  They make this wonderful heavy weight card stock.  I cut a piece of the grey background busy pattern paper.  (This is two sided pattern paper.)  I matted it onto a piece of whisper white card stock, and did a simply border stitch.  I think if the sewn lines aren't straight it adds some character.  (Ok, I really can't sew a straight line. {frown})  

The other side of the ballerinas, and polar bears, is that sweet tiny floral pattern.  So, I used my Top Note die, and cut a strip of the tiny floral pattern paper.  

I took a strip of pink pirouette seam binding and a piece of white crochet trim and machine stitched them to the front of the card.  I did another simple stitch line for the top of the seam binding.  I thought it looked more tailored.

I cut the tag from one of the sheets of pattern paper.  Yeah, a whole sheet of different sizes of tags.  I inked my sentiment in Basic Gray classic ink and stamped on the tag.  I used Signature Greetings stamp set from Paper Trey Ink.  I just love the mix of fonts.  I really love that one word looks like hand writing.  (I know, I'm such a dork. {smile})

I tied a simple bow with more of the pink pirouette seam binding, and added a half pearl brad by Recollections, to the center of the bow and attached the bow to the tag.  I used a strip of foam tape to fill in the gap between the top of the seam binding/crochet trim and the card front.  So that the tag is flat and not caddy whom-pass.  (I hope that makes sense.)

For the final touch I added a trio of half faux pearls along the upper left corner.

Now, this Christmas paper doesn't look so holiday-ish.  That translates to more uses, and doesn't paint me in a corner, so to speak.  

I am happy you stopped by!  But, now I need to get back into my craft room and get some post cards made for my upcoming holiday arts and craft fairs.  I want to keep the postage on these 'post cards' to the minimum, and not have to put the cards in plastic sleeves.  So, we'll see how that goes.  Keep your fingers crossed!  And yeah, I'll post those, too!