After all the excitement of yesterday's pop-up card, today I'm sharing another of the projects I made at my recent quarterly training. The new annual catalogue has some great new packaging options; today's project is a great way to dress up one of the bags from the 'Tag a Bag Gift Bag' kits for a quick gift:

A simple outer open fronted box adds some structure and the addition of a bright Chalk Talk gift tag, with a flower punched from one of the tags in the gift bag kit, finished with a Strawberry Slush embellishment and a showy bow of Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon; a simple bag is turned into something truly gift-worthy with little effort. Great for a small thank you or hostess gift.

Back tomorrow with another project featuring the Tag-a-Bags; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Chalk Talk

Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Whisper White

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Strawberry Slush

Tools: Chalk Talk, Pansy Punch

Finishing Touches: Tag A Bag Gift Bag, Tag A Bag Accessory Kit, Crushed Curry 3/4" Chevron Ribbon, Strawberry Slush, In Colour Boutique Details

That's it for another year - school is officially out! Where does the time go? Today I'm sharing some of my teacher thank you gifts with you. I love to create handmade gifts and as some of my readers know, one of my other hobbies is biscuit making. So for my end of year teacher gifts, I decided to make apple-shaped chocolate iced biscuits, presented in the fab new Tag a Bag Gift Boxes and finished with a decorated tag from the co-ordinating accessory kit:

I often make mini-cookies and present in glass jars, but on this occasion these gift boxes were the perfect size and shape to hold ten of my apple biscuits. These boxes are great value at £6.25 for eight boxes and as they're food safe they are perfect for biscuits, cupcakes or other edible as well as non-edible gifts. I also made use of my accessory kit to seal and label the boxes. Here's a close up of one of the tags:

Wondering how I made the apples? I used the heart from my Hearts a Flutter framelits and then removed the bottom point with my Petite Curly Label Punch, added a leaf and stalk and done. A quick stamped and cut Bitty Banner 'thank you' and some Gumball Green ribbon added the finishing touch. One more photo for you with one of the biscuits out of the box so that you can see exactly what they look like:

Hoping to be back tomorrow with another project; have a busy day making tomorrow, as I have swaps to prepare for quarterly team training on Sunday and I haven't even started yet - oops! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Bitty Banners

Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red, Gumball Green, Chocolate Chip

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Real Red

Tools: Hearts a Flutter Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, 3/4" Circle Punch

Finishing Touches: Tag a Bag Gift Boxes, Tag a Bag Accessory Kit, White Baker's Twine

A change from owls today! I thought I would share with you one of the 'make and take' projects I made at the Stampin' Up! regional training event in Telford a couple of weeks ago, a little box made using the Two Tags die containing a set of mini notelets. So first, a close up of the box itself:

The box was decorated with a double-layered fancy flower, stamped with one of the stamps from the Clockworks stamp set and the centre and box front finished with some stamped First Edition designer series paper. An in-colour Gumball Green dahlia adds the accent colour that really makes this project 'pop'. The box contains a set of notelets, decorated with Clockworks and a sentiment from the One in a Million stamp set:

This would make a lovely gift set - it's always handy to have a set of notelets on hand. I like the flag detail on the box too; do you recognise the 'happiness' stamp? It's actually a section of the wedding sentiment stamp in the 'One in a Million' set - I've just trimmed away the first part that said 'Wishing you a lifetime of' - a neat trick to extend the versatility of your stamps.

That's all for today; back tomorrow with another project (assuming I can tear myself away from the lovely weather outside!) - until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: One in a Million, Clockworks

Cardstock: Calypso Coral, Whisper White, First Edition Designer Series Paper

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Calypso Coral, Gumball Green, Pool Party

Tools: Two Tags Bigz Die, Big Shot, Fancy Flower Punch

Finishing Touches: In Colour Dahlia

I've been out today making the most of the lovely weather and enjoying a 5 mile cycle ride and BBQ with my family and friends at the school my children attend, but have a quick post to share that shows a really quick way to make a beautiful box that can be used to package a gift for someone special. OK, did I say 'make'? Well, I did cheat a little; I used one of the kraft boxes that Stampin' Up! sells and covered it in some pretty patterned paper then added a handmade flower for 'wow' factor:

The flower really is so easy to do: you just cut six flowers using the Blossom punch, then roll the petals around a piece of dowel or something similar to curl them. Each one is then adhered to each other, with the central flower rolled tightly and then the remaining sections less so the further away from the centre they are. Add some ribbon and a tag and done. These boxes are often overlooked in the catalogue as they are somewhat 'tucked away' on page 161; they cost £2.75 for a pack of 4, so represent great value and at 9 x 9 x 6.4cm are large enough to hold a candle, baked goods or any kind of small gift.

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Tea Shoppe

Cardstock: Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper (Sale-A-Bration - retired), Whisper White

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Rich Razzleberry

Tools: Blossom Punch

Finishing Touches: 1/4" Rich Razzleberry Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

Another dress up project today, but today I'm going 3D with these cute boxes, the perfect size to hold a lip balm. I actually made a couple of these as quick gifts, but then couldn't resist making a third one for myself! I got busy with my polka Dot Parade paper; here they are - guess which one is mine?

The first one is in Marina Mist polka dots with taffeta ribbon:

The second one is in Real Red with some of the flower trim: 

Lastly, Rich Razzleberry with some stitched grosgrain ribbon:

I think there's something very 'Pretty Woman' about these and they really are so easy to make. They make great little treat boxes, or would make lovely table favours for a leavers prom too, perhaps with a couple of chocolates inside. Another great use for this versatile set (oh, and in case you were wondering - the red one is mine!).

One last thing - further to my post last week about Stampin' Up!'s new This and That Journal and the discounted bundle offer that can be purchased in May (see the 'Special Offers' section in the side bar for more details), I will be posting a 'This and That' journal tip on my Facebook page each day for the rest of the month, with lots of thoughts and ideas on how you can get great use from your journal. Click the 'follow me on Facebook' icon on the right-hand side to make sure you see these tips in your daily news feed and do drop me a line when you're ready to purchase yours!

Back tomorrow with another project - until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Real Red, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Polka Dot Parade DSP

Ink: Marina Mist, Real Red, Rich Razzleberry

Tools: Dress Up Framelits, Big Shot, Jewelry Tag Punch

Finishing Touches: Taffeta Ribbon Marina Mist, 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon Rich Razzleberry, Flower Trim, Baker's Twine

I'm back with more Pop 'n' Cuts to share today, but not as a card. As I mentioned yesterday, in the same way that the Dress Up Framelits can be used without the Pop 'n' Cuts base, the base can also be used without the framelits as a structure to make a pocket or treat holder. Here's an example of one such treat holder, designed by the lovely Monica Gale, that I made at my quarterly training session:

How lovely is this? it was so easy to put together: just cut a base using the die and the Big Shot, then emboss the front panel, score in the base lines and punch some ovals for handles, then decorate as desired. We used some strips of Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP and made a gorgeous flower from the filter paper that features on page 7 of the Spring-ummer catalogue. If you haven't noticed this, at £2.75 for 12 sheets it represents great value and each pack has enough to make lots of flowers in all different shapes and sizes. This flower was made with 6 layers of filter paper and the second smallest frameit in the Floral Frames set.

This treat holder would be great to wrap around a cellophane bag of chocolates or a hand-iced biscuit (that's what I'll be using mine for!) as a sweet treat for someone special. Come back tomorrow to see the card I made that co-ordinates with the treat holder that features a 'stepped up' filter paper flower. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Friendly Phrases

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP

Ink: Basic Grey

Tools: Pop 'n' Cuts Base, Floral Frames Framelits, Big Shot, Ticket Duo Builder Punch, Large Oval Punch, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder

Finishing Touches: Basics Rhinestones, 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon Basic Grey, Creped Filter Paper

I hope everyone has been enjoying a lovely Easter day, with plenty of chocolate eggs thrown in! This is my last Easter offering to share with you all and was inspired by one of my other hobbies - biscuit making. I recently enjoyed a fun day out with a friend at the Biscuiteers Icing Cafe in Notting Hill, where we spent a pleasant morning icing Easter bunnies in various poses, spring lambs and Easter eggs. My favourite was a lovely pale brown bunny with floppy ears, that shows him from behind with an iced bunny tail - he inspired this punch art bunny card, which shows him with a couple of friends:

I love the simple design with the polka dot paper and oval framelits, with just a touch of colour to each bunny tail to make them 'pop'. I didn't add a sentiment because although this card was for Easter, I wanted it to be able to use it for any occasion. My biscuits from that day are all long gone but I have the same cutter to make more at home and so designed a co-ordinating gift box, which is just the right size for a similar biscuit to fit in and would make a lovely gift for someone special:

I just made a simple shallow box with a Whisper White base and Marina Mist lid using my Simply Scored, then attached the punched bunny oval to a belly band made from the reverse side to the spots on the card, which just holds the box securely together. Next time I make one of these I'll try and include a photo of the biscuit too, although they don't hang around for long in our house, it has to be said!

Back tomorrow with thoughts of spring - until then, eat lots of chocolate and happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Polka Dots Parade DSP

Tools: Owl Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Ornament Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch (flower), Oval Framelits, Simply Scored

Finishing Touches: 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon Marina Mist, Basics Pearls

Today I have a lovely treat holder for you, the perfect size for a Creme Egg or something similar as a great way to 'dress up' your egg into something a little bit special. I made something similar when experimenting with wedding favour boxes a few weeks ago (I will photograph these and share another time!) and modified my original design slightly to accommodate a small Easter egg:

They were so easy: an open box base, sandwiched between two of the bookmark-style tags from the Two Tags Die set. A small hole punched for a handle, tied with some co-ordinating ribbon and a little tag made with one of the Hearts A Flutter framelits and decorated with the basket of Easter eggs stamp from the Spring Sampler set. The photo below just shows the eggs inside so you can see in more detail:

I'd like to say the eggs were still around, but ... well it is nearly Easter, right??! Might need to buy a couple more before I gift these to anyone!

Back tomorrow with another Easter project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Spring Sampler, Bitty Banners

Cardstock: Calypso Coral, Pool Party

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party

Tools: Hearts A Flutter Framelits, Bitty Banners

Finishing Touches: Pool Party and Calypso Coral Ruffled Ribbon, Bakers Twine

We are back to the LOVE theme today, with a cute set of four notelets with a coordinating box. I have designed them with Valentine's Day in mind, but these little 3" notelets are perfect for tucking into a lunchbox or loved one's pocket for a surprise love note.

I've used a selection of stamp sets to create this set:

From the left, do you recognise the stamp used on the first card? I created the patchwork heart design by using my marker pens to colour the central section of the 'recover rapidly' Band-Aid stamp from the Sale-A-Bration Patterned Occasions stamp set, aligning each one with my trusty stamp-a-ma-jig to align them into a neat patchwork pattern. The second stamp is from a now retired set called 'Sprinkled Expressions' and the third uses the cross stitch heart from the Hoop La La set in the main catalogue. Lastly, the heart/flower stamp is one of 24 available in the set 'Spring Sampler' available in the new Spring Summer seasonal catalogue that goes live TODAY! There are lots and lots of lovely new items, some of which I've already featured and many of which you will see on my blog during the coming weeks and months. There is a link to the catalogue on the right hand side of my page; if you would like your own copy of the catalogue or would like to place an order, do get in touch with me at joanne@thecraftyowl and I will be happy to help.

I also whipped up a lovely two-tone box to keep them all in out of melon mambo cardstock with a co-ordinating regal rose flap shaped using one of the small Labels Collection framelits. To finish off, I stamped and cut a pair of hearts using the Hearts a Flutter set to tuck the box flap into and hold it in place.

My little girl has had her eye on these ever since she saw me putting them together, so I'm thinking I might slip the first one of mine into her school bag for a little surprise. The second might go into my husband's lunch box - assuming I stop crafting for long enough to make him a sandwich of course! I hope you are inspired to have a go and make something similar - do leave me a comment and let me know who you are sending yours to. Off to create now - until next time, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Patterned Occasions, Sprinkled Expressions (retired), Hearts A Flutter, Hoop La La, Spring Sampler, Tiny Tags, Hearts a Flutter

Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose

Stampin' Write Markers: Real Red, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose

Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Hearts a Flutter Framelits, Labels Collection Framelits, Simply Scored

Yesterday I held my first Stampin' Up party - thanks to all the lovely ladies who attended for being so kind to me on my first outing! I thought I would do a quick post today to share with you the gift I made for the hostess as a thank you.

It's a set of four notelets in a co-ordinating box, featuring the Madison Avenue and Vintage Verses stamp sets and the Sycamore Street designer series paper and designed by the lovely Monica Gale for our recent training event. You can check out her blog here - and spookily, as I've just gone to create the link I can see she has blogged her own set today; clearly great minds think alike!!!!

If you would like to receive a similar gift set, then all you have to do is get in touch with me and arrange to host your own Stampin' Up party - it's a great opportunity to get together with your crafty family and friends, make a project and receive lots of free goodies; in addition to free products of your choice depending on your party sales, you can also receive some of the lovely silver glimmer paper featured in the cards above with orders above £150. This is a great product - it doen't shed, like some glitter card, it can be coloured with the aid of ink and rubbing alcohol to match specific projects and a little goes a long way!

Come back tomorrow for some more cards on a Valentine's theme and the launch of the new Spring-Summer catalogue.

Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Madison Avenue, Vintage Verses

Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White, Sycamore Street (DSP), Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Summer Starfruit

Tools: Bitty Butterfly Punch, Oval Punch, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Small Heart Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Apothocary Accents Framelits

Finishing Touches: 1/4" Rich Razzleberry Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon