Cricut Artiste Gift Box for Cards

There are so many different 3-D shapes on this new Cricut cartridge, I have to keep makig them! Here's a small gift box I made that holds 6 thank you cards and matching envelopes. I set my Cricut to cut the largest size using the Fit To Page feature button on the left. That made a box that is 3.5" tall and 4.5" wide. I wanted to use the bright fall colors of the new CTMH "Flirty" paper which was a perfect match to challenge at Sentimental Sundays this week. It has fall leaves on one side and bright flowers on the other.

I random stamped a "belly band" for the box using the leaf that matches the flowers in the Flirty collection.

Altogether, the box and the cards took one sheet of the double sided cardstock/dp. I didn't have any of the CTMH small velcro dots on hand to keep it closed so I put the ribbon a little higher to tuck the flap into it. (Gotta order some!)  I cut out two of the flowers on the flirty paper to attach to the front.  The paper had a lot of incomplete flowers along the edges after the box was cut, so I cut out those for the cards inside. I made the cards 3" x 4" but they could have been a little larger and still fit.

Using the colors in the papers, I chose 3 sheets of my old, lightweight patterned paper to make the envelopes. By cutting out the envelop 3 inches like my cards, it actually cuts a little larger than the card so that the card will fit. I think this makes a nice little gift box with cards for a friend!

Challenges for this gift box with cards:

Craft Your Passion Challenge #122 - Anything Goes

Dutch Dare Challenge #176 - Anything but a card (the box and envelopes)

Inspire Me Fridays #70 - Anything Goes

The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #197 - Gifts

Simply Create Too #19 - Anything Goes

Sentimental Sundays - Fall and bonus challenge of colors (my fall leaves and fall paper plus colors)

Gift Box of Thank You Cards Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart "Flirty," White Daisy, Hollyhock, and Olive cardstock, (very old dp)

Stamps - CTMH "Love Blooms" (leaves), "A Friend Like You" (So Thankful for . . .), "Approved" (images behind the sentiment banner)

Ink - CTMH Black, Slate

Accents - CTMH clear sparkles, retired bubblegum organdy ribbon

Tools - CTMH Cricut Artiste p. 52 (box - <s>3D object) and 35 (scalloped envelopes- <5> shift, card)

Cricut Artiste Appreciation Party Favor Tutorial

Over the years I used to be amazed by the creativity of some of my leaders when I'd attend a meeting where lovely little gift favors were sitting at each persons place. Other times, the parent-teacher organization would show teacher appreciation by having a cute token given to each of us. I always wondered where these ladies got their fabulous ideas.

My new Cricut Artiste cartridge is so full of small containers that are perfect for party favors or small tokens of appreciation. I can't wait to try them all.  Here's my first one that was really quick once I figured out measurements. I'm sharing those measurements with you so you can quickly duplicate if desired. I used a two-sided paper from CTMH Avonlea paper pack.

It takes 1 sheet of cardstock to make one of these party favors. I cut the purse-shaped container using the Fit to Page feature on the Cricut Expression, which made it 4.5" tall when complete, 4.5" Accent 3 <3> (p. 33)  The front is decorated with a 2" black doily shaped element cut from the same cartridge which matches one of the Brocade Assortment pieces - 2" Accent 4 <h> (p. 56) . I cut the two bottom design elements from Chocolate cardstock, also 2" shift Accent3 <R> (p. 44). The edges are distressed with Chocolate ink sponged lightly on the scallops. The top is tied with black tulle ribbon that has been folded in half.

You can see through the side that it has an inner section that folds up and attaches so that whatever you put inside doesn't easily fall out.

I tied the tag on the back so that side isn't plain, but it could easily go on the front.

I cut the tag from black cardstock at 1.75" shift Accent 4 <3> (p. 33).  I used one of the Casual Expressions stamps and stamped it twice on the Avonlea off white cardstock. I colored the outer part and cut it out, then I colored the ring around the circle on the second one and punched out just that circle using a 1.25" circle punch. That circle was pop-dotted on the whole piece. I added pewter mini-brads and attached it to the black tag.

Now it's up to your imagination what you could put in a cute little purse of this design! Mmmm, chocolate sounds good right about now!

4.5" Party Favor Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart "Avonlea" paper pack, Black, Chocolate cardstock

Stamp -CTMH D1525 Casual Expressions

Ink - Black

Markers - CTMH water-based Chocolate, Olive, (dried up Lagoon which was lighter, more like Juniper)

Accents - All CTMH: Brocade Assortment, Black Tulle Ribbon, Black Hemp, bitty pewter brads, 1.25" circle punch, Cricut Artiste cartridge.

I'm entering this item in the following challenges:

Come and Get It - Anything but a card

Dutch Dare Card Challenge #176 - anything but a card

Hand Stamped Sentiments Anything But a Card Challenge #129 - party favor

Mojo Monday 248 Birthday Card

I've been spending time at my daughter's house "watching" her four children, taking them on little trips. This week we visited Deana Rose Farmstead, panned for gold and "gems," visited an 1893 schoolhouse where they read books and wrote on slates with a teacher.  We had ice cream cones on the coolest day of the week - only 97 degrees. But when I looked at my birthday calendar when I got home I saw that so many days of playing grandma wasn't helping me catch up with my card-making.

Since every day has been so hot and sunny, it makes me want to create with bright, vivid colors. Here's a birthday card using the Mojo Monday sketch #248 and a simple greeting from Verve.

The papers were scraps laying on my table that I was starting to clear off. The flower outline paper has the green dots on the back of it. I colored the dimensional butterfly with inks, markers and a copic marker. I added pearls where the holes were on my punched border.  Once again the Mojo sketch maker gave me great inspiration.

May God bless you with "sunny" days even when it's cloudy and protect you from the extremes of weather.

I was inspired by the following challenges:
Crafty Creations challenge #176: Try AT LEAST 3 different embellishments: brads, pearls, ribbon, flowers, dew drops, punched elements,pins etc. (I added buttons, twine, and die cut, too)
Dream Valley challenge #35 - Things with Wings
Dutch Dare Card Challenge #171 - Flutterby Butterfly
Fashionista Challenge #4 - Winged Things
Mojo Monday Challenge #248 - sketch, contest week

4.25" x 5.5" Birthday Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart "Dotty for You," Buttercup and Tulip cardstock;  My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose "Gertie" (striped)
Stamp - Verve "Hope Blooms"
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, CTMH Cranberry, Tulip
Accents and Tools - CTMH "Flutter Paper Shapes," Pearl Opaques, Baker's Twine "Paradise Assortment," retired buttons; Prima flower; ribbon unknown

Four Wheeler Father's Day Card

My younger brother loves living in the woods. He has constructed paths through the trees where he took me one time on the back of his four wheeler. It's a great way to travel across rough areas when you live in the country. He used to take his kids camping on the weekends and they'd have a great time driving four-wheelers. Luckily there were no serious accidents, so I hope this card will bring back a few happy memories of those days when the kids still lived at home.

When I saw this image at Clear Dollar Stamps I knew it was perfect for his card.

I used the sketch and theme from Sentimental Sundays #106 when I designed the card.

This card was for the following challenges:

Cards for Men Challenge #12 - Father's Day

Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenge - Father's Day

Dutch Dare Card Challenge #168 - For Dad

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #189 - Happy Father's Day

Sentimental Sundays #106 - For a Special Guy

Simply Create Too #15 - Happy Father's Day (or for a male)

5.5" x 4.25" Father's Day Card Recipe:

Image - Clear Dollar Stamps digi "Dirt Rides"

Paper - Close To My Heart (olive background retired), Pemberly (blue strips), White Daisy and Outdoor Denim cardstock

Ink - CTMH Outdoor Denim

Markers - Copics B24, N2, N4, N6, N8

Accents - CTMH pewter brads, Color Ready Cork Shapes

Hope Blooms

When I was a teenager, I spent three years working as a Candy Striper at Baptist Memorial Hospital. My first two years, one of my jobs was to deliver flowers to patients. People were always so pleased to receive a vase of flowers. It was obvious that flowers were given to cheer up those who were recuperating. There's something bright and happy about looking at flowers.

My husband and I spent Mother's Day with a group of family at a Botanical Garden. The flowers and trees were amazing and inspired this shaped card along with these lovely challenges: The Shabby Tea Room Week #114 inspiration photo and request to make Shaped Cards. Dutch Dare Card Challenge #165 is also for shaped cards. I used the Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge #52 Bingo, the column under "G" - patterned paper, blue, sentiment, ribbon, and tag. (They are celebrating their birthday so you can enter as many times as you like!)

This is a really fun shape to make. I traced a template making sure that the front of the card is higher, revealing the inside of the card where a strip of patterned paper will show. The top was embossed after using a brayer with ink on the raised leaf portion, so that the colored debossed side shows on the front. My intent was to decorate the leaves as if they were a bouquet of flowers tied with a ribbon and tag like the ones I used to deliver.

I'm hoping that this card with it's flowers and verse will bring loving cheer to someone who needs to encouragment that God is with them in their time of need and will help them.

Challenges:
Basic Grey Challenge #58 - Anything Goes with Baisc Grey paper (I used Sweet Threads)
Dutch Dare Card Challenge#165 - shaped cards
Shopping Our Stash Weekly #52 - Bingo
The Shabby Tea Room #114 - Inspiration photo and shaped card

4.25: x 5.5" Encouragement Card Recipe:
Paper - Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;" Close To My Heart White Daisy, Hollyhock cardstock
Stamp - Verve "Hope Blooms"
Inks - CTMH Sweet Leaf, Hollyhock
Accents/Tools - Cuttlebug embossing folder; brayer; CTMH Pearl Opaques; Michaels silver cord, Recollections floral embellishments; white satin ribbon