Backyard Basics

This month's Stamp Set was Backyard Basics and it's matching framelits just happened to be a weekly special a few weeks ago--how great was that!  Have you seen all the "card in a box" samples out there on Pinterest and stamping blogs.  After watching several video tutorials on youtube and looking at a bunch of measurements (since many of the cards did not fit in the standard envelope) I combined several ideas to come up with this:

Closed:

Open from the front, sides and top:

And finally the back:

Want to make one?  Cut your base card stock at  9" x 5".  With the 9 inch side at the top--score at 2 1/8,  

4 1/4, 6 3/8, and 8 1/2.  Turn and with the 5 inch side at the top score at 2 3/4".   Cut on the score lines of the shorter side (the 2 3/4 inch side is the bottom of the box) and remove that top section of 1/2" on the end down to the 2 3/4" score line.  With the 9" side at the top you want to fold the vertical score lines, then add sticky tape to the tab and hook you box together.  Putting the tab at the back add your card stock layer to the back side (4 7/8 x 2) so you don't fold down this side (see right above here).  Now you can fold on the score lines of your remaining flaps.  You will need the 2 tabbed pieces on the inside of the box.  You get those by taking a 3 1/8" square of card stock and score it at 1/2 " on either sides then cut the square in half.  Fold the tabs one up and one back and put glue on those tabs and stick down in the box dividing the box into thirds with the tabbed pieces.  You need these pieces to glue your parts to. Top flaps layers are measured at 2 x 2 1/8 and you need four of those.  Bottom layer is 2 5/8 x 2 (you need 3).  I also added a layer of d.s.p. to these base layers they were just 1/8" smaller.  

Colors I used were:  Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Pear Pizzazz (which were taken from the designer series paper Gingham Garden.  I colored all my pieces using the ink in the top of the stamp pad and blender pen.  I added some Dazzling Details to my butterflies to give them some life.  I love how it turned out--especially the little bird hiding in the tulips.  I cased this from Stampin' T and her tutorial on Youtube (but the measurements are not her's).  

Life in the Forest….finally

Have you ever had that moment when you did something and have no recollection of it….yep…happened to me when I wanted to make this post.  My google mail was hacked a bit over a week ago and I frantically reset my password and promptly forgot it.  My blog is on a different google mail than my school account and I was afraid to switch until I got it reset….again.  So 1 hour later I think I've got it…so here are the cards that we made for the set "Life in the Forest."

This is cased from www.simplestampin.com and uses the notecards that come with the envelopes.  I used a versa marker on the '"xoxo" and embossed them with white ep.  The words and speech bubble are from the set "Just Sayin'" and matching framelits "Word Bubbles."  I used them in several of the cards (okay in all for the framelits).

I got the idea for this card from Debra Currier's blog--but I changed quite a bit just to get away from the tangerine tango since I used it a lot on the next 2 cards.  This was my least favorite of the cards, but I did like the color combo of rich razzleberry and sahara sand.  

The next 2 cards were my favorites and I totally cased the first one from my favorite place--"Stamping School."  I love the video tutorials that come with this site although it does cost $ it isn't too expensive for a year's membership.

The last card was my favorite of all of these and it was a bit time consuming with all the fussy cutting that you had to do--but the result was well worth it!  I printed the sentiments from my computer and got the initial layout from Stamping School--but had to change it up a bit to go with the song "What Does the Fox Say?" since it's a favorite of my first grade students (and I can't get it off my brain)!

My final card added a strip of soft suede cut out with the zig zag edgelit tucked in behind the top of the designer strip of paper.

I'm away from my catalog so I'm not sure which birthday set this sentiment came from…I'll update this later to let you know!

                                                                      

Vivid Vases--Stamp Set of the Month

One of the sets I offered this month was Vivid Vases + some dap paper….here are the cards we created using this single stamp set.  I did cut the sentiment off of my stamp so I have 2 stamps instead of 1.  For some of my cards that was a good thing….for some others….not.  Enjoy--

I forgot to mount my vase circle on a circle of black before I attached the banner rim….sorry.  I was going to use one of the starburst framelits.  The SAB banner punch helped create the border of the circle.  The vases were paper pieced.  All designer paper used was from the Modern Medley dap pack. I cased this card from Sharon Burkert.  Love her cards and designs!

The next card was cased exactly from brandyscards.com--here.  She used the Happy Watercolor stamp set to create all sorts of texture on the vases--including a cool background!  Really creative!

The next card idea I found at stampladee.com--Deb Valder.  She has a great video on how to easily create this window card--I just couldn't let it stay at the black and vanilla.  I felt it needed just a bit of bling so I added some red glimmer paper strips and a glimmer heart (owl punch).

It's a bit difficult to get a good picture of this card so you can see the window part created with a clear window sheet panel.  The bow is created with the envelope punch board (tutorial also on Deb's blog).  Here's a picture of the card laying flat.

The last card we made was a bit brighter--it used my favorite color, summer starfruit--NOT, but I guess it looks okay here.  And I have to use up the summer starfruit baker's twine that comes in the SAB pack.

I cased this card from someone who like me doesn't know how to put a watermark on their pictures (or chooses not to).  If it's your card--please let me know and I'll give you credit!  I'll be back with more soon!