A briefcase with small, unmarked bills

As I mentioned in my last post about the wedding I attended and the gift I gave, here is the other altered box.  This was a plain wooden cigar box that I was given many years ago because the person thought I “could do something cool with it.”  Well, suffice to say, I think I did.  I “slapped some paper on it” and it became a little mock briefcase.   As an additional wedding gift to our friends we were contributing cash to their honeymoon to Italy fund.  They used a service called Honeyfund to lay out the details of their trip and then you pick something to fund.  Honeyfund doesn’t collect the money though (so that 100% of the money given goes to the happy couple instead of a company) so John came up with the idea of giving them the money in “small, unmarked bills” and that it would be neat if it could be presented in a little briefcase.  So…here’s what I did!

I covered the outside of the box with the cappuccino paper from the Claire Velvet Assortment pack adhering it with i {stick} papers so I knew it wasn’t going anywhere.  Then I ran some 1/4” brown twill from my stash around the edges to make it look like a real briefcase.  And then I covered the inside with Stamps Flat paper to give it a traveling, vintagey feel.  I stuck a little pocket and their wedding card on the lid. 

The hardware was the most challenging part of this.  The local box store near me no longer stocks cigar box purse kits so I bought a $1 unfinished wooden box and scavenged the clasp and handle from that and then bought some furniture tacks for the feet on the bottom of the case. 

The finishing touch was to make some belly bands from the Stamps Flat paper.  I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.  I hope you like it too!  By the way, i {heart} i {stick} papers.  :)

Thanks for stopping in!  See you again soon!

The Wedding Box and Invitations

So as I mentioned the main reason for my trip was that we were attending the wedding of a dear, old friend and there was no way we would miss it. My main gift to them was their invitations and I thought it was only appropriate to make some thank you notes to coordinate for them. And, of course, they needed a pretty box. So…I “slapped some paper on” a PTI egg box (Just a little backstory from CHA: DT member Lynn was trying to help DT member Cathleen overcome her fear of altering things. Lynn said it was really easy and all you had to do was “slap some paper on it.”) So…there you have it. I slapped some paper on it. Forget Me Not paper to be exact. This paper is so pretty and shimmery and matches the aqua theme of the wedding (sea glass actually). The pockets are from Card & Pockets. I used some satin ribbon to make the bow and wrap the box. In this shot you can get a peek at the thank you notes inside.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll have another altered wedding gift box to show you soon...one not so serious but still pretty awesome, if I do say so myself!

I’m still away (this is a scheduled post) but I am skipping Five Minute Friday tomorrow. I think it is the first skip since I started it, so don’t be too hard on me. The week leading up to vacation was full of many, many tasks, including making these notes and the box and by the time I was done I had a 4”x6” space on my table left to work at and I didn’t have the time to clean to make a five minute card! Forgive me?

(Thanks.) See you again soon!

School Basics Corkboard

Hello!  Today I have a little corkboard that I made using an 8-1/2” x 10-1/2” piece of foamcore that I covered with some Lime Rickey paper and then some of my new cork paper.  I stamped the pencil from School Basics along the side in Palette Burnt Umber, as well as the “for you” in the bottom corner.  I added a blingy star and finished it off with a ruffled red faux suede top to hang it.  Sorry my picture is a little blah…the lighting where I could actually hang it was impossible!! 

I hope you’re loving School Basics as much as I am!  I can’t seem to stop making things with it – and I don’t even have kids who are going back to school!

Thanks for stopping in today!  Remember, I am currently away and orders will not ship until August 30 when I return to the store.  Thanks for your patience!

Five Minute Friday: Thank You Chalkboard

Hello!  Today I leave for a 10 day long trip so orders will not be shipping until August 3o.  We (John, me and the adorable Mr. Barbo)are headed to Maine for a good friend’s wedding and then some time at Acadia National Park and then we’re moseying back down through New England, landing in New Hampshire for a few days.  I expect to thoroughly enjoy myself and will have pictures to prove it (including Mr. Barbo’s white tuxedo with tails and top hat for the wedding).  I’ve got a few scheduled posts for you while I’m away.  And, once I return I expect there will be some CHA goodies waiting for me!

For today’s super quick card I used more Chalkstock (LOVE IT, in case you can’t tell) and layered it on a piece of Happy Day paper.  I stamped the newest Mint Motif set, School Basics in Palette New Canvas (no heat setting required), paper pieced the apple and leaf (Jocelyn and Lime Rickey) and that’s it!

I’m off!  Thanks for stopping by!

DT Challenge: Getting organized

This month’s DT Challenge is Getting Organized, whether that is for your office, your desk, your purse or for school. I decided to make an altered DVD tin using the latest Mint Motif set, School Basics. I created my patterned paper by stamping the handwriting line in Palette Seascape and then made a little border with the pencil and colored them with Copics. I love how the words just nestle in the lines – I wish my penmanship was this nice! I finished off the cover with a blingy star.

For the inside I used up a bunch of things I’ve had stashed away for years – including the little mini calculator, some jumbo paper clips, some apple shaped Post-It notes and a lined notepad. I covered the notepad and the inside of the tin with some In Love paper (love the grid paper!) then I stamped the pencils and apples right on it. I added a cutie little feltie apple just because I like his little grin. I wrapped the top of the top pad in the red ruffled ribbon and also added a little scrap at the bottom so it is

easy to lift up the cover since the DVD tin has a little bit of a lip. I stamped and cut out apples and stars for the jumbo paper clip toppers. The calculator is adhered with some i {stick} papers so that it isn’t going anywhere! The clips are easily removed from the little holder and you can replace the Post-Its when they’re all gone.

I hope you like it. I was so happy to use up some of my stash! I know I’m not the only one who buys things thinking I’ll use them and then don’t. *wink*

Be sure to check the rest of the team for their inspiring creations:

Carolyn
Cathleen
Deb
Gretchen
Kendra
Loretta
Lori
Lynn
Megan
Tracy

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great day!

School Basics Release Day

Hello! Happy Saturday! Thanks for checking in today for the latest Mint Motif release, School Basics. It is a classic and traditional school set but it can be used for so much more. Just the other day, Kimberly had a great post using the leaf (as shown on my apples) to make a flower. Genius! The handwriting line is 5-5/8” long so that you can use it across a full A2 card and the words nestle right in there. A lot of thought went into the design of this set.

For my project today, I painted a $1 spot wood frame with acrylic paint and then stamped Palette New Canvas ink onto some Chalkstock paper. This is one of the great finds from CHA and I’m so excited it is already here. It comes in a pack of 4, 6x6 squares. You can stamp on it or write on it with chalk and yes, the chalk really erases! I “colored” my pencil with some Cotton Candy Stickles (eraser) and some Lemon Liquid Pearls (tip). I paper pieced some apples from Lime Rickey, coated them with Glossy Accents and finished it off with some sheer polka dot red ribbon.

Please be sure to visit the rest of the DT today for their projects.

Kimberly Crawford – designer
Latisha Yoast
Geny Cassady
Kazan Clark
Julie Overby
Charlene Austin - (she actually doesn't have a post. The post office hasn't delivered it yet even though it was sent on 7/20...it took until 8/4 to get from NJ to NY! What's up with that USPS??)

Store note: The store will be closed (no orders shipping) from August 20-29. All orders placed during this time will ship on August 30. I will be attending a close friend’s wedding and taking a little bit of a vacation afterwards!

Thanks for stopping in and I’ll see you again soon.

Five Minute Friday: School Basics

Happy Friday!!!  Tomorrow is the full reveal for the latest Mint Motif set, School Basics so today I have a quick little card for you.  Truth be told, I had the stars stamped in Palette L’Amour Red and Paris Lights and cut out already just hanging out on my table.  I used my Labels Eight to die cut a piece of In Love because I love the grid pattern on the backside.  I stamped the greeting in Palette Burnt Umber and then finished it off with a piece of brown double faced satin ribbon. 

The CHA orders have started rolling in but be sure to check the new page of the store frequently and check the Facebook page for the latest updates.  Usually UPS or FedEx shows up and I post what arrived on Facebook before I have even opened it.  That’s breaking news!

Thanks for stopping in today!  Please be sure to stop in tomorrow for the full release.  And, remember, one week from today I will be leaving for a friend’s wedding and some downtime in New England.  No orders will ship from August 20-29.

See you tomorrow!!

Chicken Girl (CGD) Release Day: Lookin’ PURRty

Hello! Today is Chicken Girl release day! As always, the full collection is available at a discount bundled or you can purchase each image individually. The August Collection has 4 adorable images, including this Lookin’ Purrty kitty.
The complete collection is shown here.
For my card today I started with an old PCP Sketch, SK121308 as my starting point. I printed the image on Copic Heavyweight paper and colored it with Prismacolor pencils to match the Happy Day and Green At Heart papers I was using. The mirror is covered in Silver Stickles and I colored the tulle flower with my Copics. The finishing touch was a tiny scrap of venise lace across the border where the two papers meet.
Be sure to check the rest of the DT blogs to see their creations!
Christy
Loretta
Lori
Tammy
Carlie
Michele
Laura Judy
Thanks for stopping in today! See you again soon!

Server update:

Here’s what the techie people say:  Filesystem check found inconsistencies and is repairing them, so while this will not take days and days and days, it may be a few more hours.  We apologize for the inconvenience, and will get you back up and running as soon as possible.

 

So…hopefully in a few more hours you’ll be able to see the release.  *pout*  Bad timing…

Mint Motif Sneak Peek: School Basics

Hello!  I’m here today with a very CAS card using the latest Mint Motif set, School Basics, which will be available for purchase on August 14th.  This is a great back to school set but is also much more.  I stamped the handwriting line (love that it is long enough to go across a full A2 card) in Palette Charcoal and then stamped the words in Noir.  The words nestle perfectly in the lines.  Then I stamped the apple, twice in Palette Chartreuse and once in L’Amour Red, kissed with one of the patterns from Very Square.  The apples are dabbed with some Stickles.

Be sure to stop by the design team blogs. We’ll be drawing a winner to win this set from all of the comments left on today’s posts.   Kimberly will announce the winner on her blog.

Kimberly Crawford – designer
Charlene Austin
Latisha Yoast
Geny Cassady
Kazan Clark
Julie Overby

Thanks for stopping by today! See you again soon!

Five Minute Friday: Pineapple Thanks

Happy Friday!  I have a busy weekend.  We’ve got some friends coming to spend the weekend with us and we’ve got lots of fun things planned, including taking Mr. Barbo lure coursing.  I’m hoping to get some video of that.  If I do I’ll post a link next week.

But, onto today’s card.   After my work week at CHA (it really feels like play but it’s actually work!) I went out to the Chicago ‘burbs and spent a few days with my Uncle.  I rarely get to Chicago so it is always so nice to spend some time there.  We did a few really great things, including going to the Art Institute, visiting “The Bean” and walking around the Morton Arboretum.  Oh and I got to go out in his AMAZING Nissan GTR, affectionately known by motoring enthusiasts as the 'Godzilla'.  Yeah, it’s fast.  Plus we always eat really well.  :)  So, I wanted to make a little card to thank him for his great hospitality and this feltie pineapple was it!  I slapped it on a Scalloped Rectangle cut with Nesties (from my stash of punches/dies that I cut and then didn’t use for some reason), stamped the greeting in Palette Jardin Moss and Orangerie by mixing the sentiments from Summer Garden and Happy Harvest.  That’s it!

In case you’re interested, here is a collage from my time with my Uncle.  CHA pics and updates will be in the newsletter a little later this month so make sure you’re signed up to get it.  If you’re not, hope over to the homepage and sign up!

Thanks for stopping by today.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a sneak peek from the latest Mint Motif set!

Cake Shoppe Birthday

I’m back from CHA and exhausted.  I had a total blast and will try to get some pictures posted soon.  In the meantime, here’s a quick little card using the latest Mint Motif sets.  My background is the A2 Polka Dot folder.  I used my Oval Nesties for the focal image and stamped the cake in Palette Violette and then colored it with Copics.  The candles have some orange Stickles on the flames and I finished it off with a nice white satin bow.

I’ll be back again soon with some more goodies.  I need to recover a bit from an amazing week!

Thanks for popping in!  See you soon!