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)

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

Love You Forever

One of my oldest daughter's favorite books that she read to her children when they were young is Robert Munsch's Love You Forever. The stamp set on this card for a young boy has the verse that the mother repeats to her child at each stage of life. When the mother gets old the son goes to her house and repeats it to her, changing the words to indicate "your baby I'll be." It's sort of a tear jerker for those of us who are tender hearted, but it's endearing.

I made this card with Earth Day in mind, using a green leafy pattern, a green and Spring iris striped paper and kraft cardstock. I love the way the color of Kraft cardstock blends with the other two colors. The CPS sketch #262 was perfect for the image and sentiment.

I used paper piecing so that the birds would be Spring Iris color like the sentiment. The ric rac was added instead of ribbon because that seemed appropriate for a young boy.

Challenges:
CPS Card Sketch Challenge #262
The Kraft Journal: Make It Monday, Challenge #68 - Just for Kids
Sentimental Sundays Challenge #99 - Celebrating Earth Day

4.25" x 5.5" Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart "Emporium" (green),  and stripe (retired), White Daisy and Spring Iris Cardstock; Kraft Cardstock
Stamps - CTMH Love You Forever
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Other - CTMH markers Sweet Leaf, Desert Sand, Bamboo, Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge (scalloped circle); Copic marker BV 04; CTMH White Ric Rac; Reminisce white flower

Clean and Simple Sketch for Mother's Day

This is my second card today using the Stella paper pack from Close To My Heart with the Lagoon dotted paper in the pack Dotty For You. These colors, Sunset and Lagoon, are opposites on the Color Wheel, which is part of the challenge this week from CAS-ual Fridays, Opposites Attract. I don't often make Clean and Simple cards, but I'm trying to learn.

They really do go well together, especially on white with black accents. The sparkles are also a turquoise color, but look more blue in this photo.

I used the CAS166 sketch on Splitcoast Stampers today. The frame is one I had left over from a set I used to make Halloween layouts last fall. It's black foam that is self adhesive, lightweight and very easy to use. I'm putting this card in Sentimental Sundays challenge - Frame It. I wanted it to partially hide one of my hearts, which were stamps from three different old sets.  The turquoise dotted strip was scored from the left at 1", 1.5," 2.5," 3," 3.5" and 4" then pleated.

Sketchbook Saturday #51 - A Friend Who Touches Your Heart

Recently I had a friend give me a gift that amazed me, like she'd done many times in the past. She's gone through many trials and financial loss the last four years, but continues to be the most generous person I know. When I was young I used to tell the giver, "Oh, no. You shouldn't." I didn't want to be selfish or greedy, or I was overwhelmed by the generosity. But I learned that it's more important to be a gracious receiver, which blesses the giver. For this friend a simple thank you card seemed like a weak substitute for what I felt. So I chose a quote that says a lot more for this card. I know the message of this sentiment will cheer her heart and let her know how important her friendship is not only to me but to many others as well.

Chupa designs beautiful sketches and cards on her blog. She's also gracious in allowing us to make changes to her sketch. I used her sketch this week, #51, with a minor change. I made the sentiment the main image and used a small piece of design from the paper to embellish it where the text would have been.  Here's her sketch:

I used a card base embossed with flowers but they didn't show up this time in the photo. The stamp set I used has several large and medium sized images like the one I stamped in Sweet Leaf behind the sentiment. I hadn't used that set that way before so I think I'll make a few more cards like this.  I hope you have a friend like mine and that you can be that kind of friend to others. And may God bless you!

This card is linked to the following challenges:
Sketchbook Saturday #51 at Random Acts of Creativity
Sentimental Sundays - #92 Words of Encouragement

5.5" square card recipe:
Paper - Prima "Madeline", Bazzill light blue cardstock; CTMH Hollyhock CS
Stamps - Close To My Heart - Friendship (Feb.2011 stamp of the month)
Ink - CTMH Sweet Lear, Black
Other - CTMH Red Button collection, Sweet Leaf Ribbon Collection, Chocolate Waxy Flax; wired ribbon