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)

PSC44 CAS Sympathy Card

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms . . ." Deuteronomy 33:27.

Quite often we have a difficult time knowing what to say when a friend has lost a loved one. I like to send a message to friends that God is their comfort and that I'm there for them, too.
This week the Perfect Sentiment Challenge #44 is to make a Sympathy card. The twist is to use a Clean and Simple design, which means there is lots of white space and limited layers or embellishments, yet still have a strong design.

We're being sponsored by Shelly's Images. One lucky participant will be selected to win one of their free digital images.

Clean and Simple is a great style for mailing cards since the embellishments are limited.

I chose to cut two roses from my designer paper and color empty sections with my alcohol markers - very quick. I stamped the sentiment, then ran the background through the embossing machine. The shiny, gray dotted ribbon that holds the roses gave me the inspiration to add the dotted background. I added gray sparkles, hoping to draw the eye from the roses to the sentiment and still be really simple. I was thinking of my friend whose father just died and added them for her, knowing that I'd hand deliver the card this week, so bulky sparkles wouldn't be a problem.

The stamp set I used had this sentiment that I used on the inside:

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Heart 2 Heart Challenge - (use Close To My Heart supplies) With Deepest Sympathy

Lexi's Creations Challenge #71 - Sparkle and Shine

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #53 - Bling and Ribbon

6.5" x 5" Sympathy Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart "Flirty" (roses), White Daisy cardstock

Stamps - CTMH "Words of Comfort"

Ink - Black

Accents - CTMH Slate Satin Polka Dot Ribbon, Black and Gray Assortment Sparkles

Tools - Cuttlebug embossing folder



Mojo Monday 253 - Happy Birthday Card

They say every cloud has a silver lining. I'm a firm believer in that perspective. I'm recovering from stomach flu so I couldn't babysit four grandchildren like I usually do on Mondays and Tuesdays. The plus side--I actually got to do Mojo Monday challenge on Monday!!  Here's their great sketch:

I never have enough masculine birthday cards, so I used my new Close To My Heart "Dakota" paper pack for all of the elements along with a Verve birthday greeting from Hope Blooms.

I cut the 2.5" circular image out of the patterned paper and mounted it on a 3" die cut from the Cricut Artiste cartridge, Accent 4 on the "5" key. The stamped star from CTMH "Stars Shine Bright" was just the right size for the circle.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Come and Get It Challenge - Adult Birthday Card
Dream Valley Challenge #38 - Die Cuts and punches
Mojo Monday Challenge #253 - sketch
The Corrosive Challenge #155 - Birthday card

Thank you for visiting and may God bless you!

Clearly Inspired Challenge #57 - Things with Wings

Today's challenge at Clearly i Stamp, Things with Wings, has so many possibilities - birds, butterflies, bugs, angels, or fairies! I chose one of our cute owl images to make a card of encouragement. I used the sentiment - owl be praying for you - because, to me, that's the most helpful thing I can do for someone in need. A hospital in our area did a study a few years ago and found that patients who were prayed for recovered much faster, more completely, even if they didn't know there were others praying for them! I believe in taking every need to God in prayer because I've seen him provide marvelous answers over the years.

I used the design from Freshly Made Sketch #46 and the new Moonlight paper with owls from Close To My Heart. I cut the honey and green shapes using the new Cricut Artiste cartridge.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketch #46

5" x 6.5" Encouragement Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart "Moonlight," Bamboo, Sweet Leaf, Honey, Colonial White cardstock

Image and sentiment - Clear Dollar Stamps

Inks - Honey, Olive

Markers - Copics E25 Caribe Cocoa, E18 Copper, N4 Neutral Gray; YG03 Yellow Green; E13 Lemon Yellow mixed with E11 Barely Beige; V09 Violet; 0 Colorless Blender

Tools - CTMH Cricut Artiste cartridge, scallop border punch; Sizzix and Cuttlebug embossing folders

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 #252 with Cricut Artiste and Clementine

I love to make cards to say the important things to friends in a memorable way. Maybe because I was a teacher or the fact that I'm a Christian, I've always believed we should see the best in a person and encourage them to be the best they can be. The sentiment I chose to say this comes with the new Cricut Artiste cartridge. It has three D-sized stamp sets and 3 sets of matching chipboard shapes. You can cut an image - the stamp set tells which page and what size to cut it. Then you can stamp it and even mount it on the chipboard for added dimension if desired. Of course, with 700 images, there's not chipboard for every shape. But I used three shapes - the star and two different kinds of circles for this week's Mojo Monday challenge sketch.

I thought the Clementine paper reminded me of the County Fair my daughter would enter each summer, so I chose the burlap ribbon and the circle elements she used to get on her blue ribbons. I distressed some of the papers with my new Saddle ink and left the star and larger circle with their light edge for contrast. The large flower was cut from the patterned paper. I used

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday #252 Round or Square challenge - 5" Square
Paper Playtime Challenge #80 - Anything Goes
The Paper Players Challenge #105 - Tic Tac Toe - I did circles, blue, floral (but also did dry embossing, scalloped punch, and ribbon)

5" Square Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart - "Clementine" paper pack, Twilight, Colonial White cardstock
Stamps - Cricut Artiste set
Inks - CTMH Saddle, Creme Brulee, Sorbet
Accents - CTMH retired button, Sorbet waxy flax, Burlap Ribbon
Tools - CTMH Cricut Artiste,  scalloped punch, Cuttlebug embossing folder, pop dots

 

Encouragement from Psalm 37:3-5

Some days I have big plans regarding things I want to accomplish that day. Now that I'm older and slower, that's really not very much. But on those days, it seems I get a lot of phone calls that take me away from those plans. I had two phone calls during breakfast that slowed the start of my day. There were two phone calls during the evening news. I seem to miss it every night. One of those was a long political survey. Yuck! Then there was another long call in the middle of supper. I had difficulty all day trying to open emails. Some I never could open or maybe I just didn't wait long enough. Living on a farm in the country doesn't give me the best connection with broadband.

So I found this scripture tonight that I've always loved. I truly delight in His Word and the faithful way He's always worked in my life. It speaks to me that even though the unexpected can seem to take over the day, I know I committed it to Him and thanked Him for guiding my life when I got up this morning. So I'm going to trust Him that He will help me do what I need to in His time and I have to think that each call was important (even the political one, Lord?) to someone else. I will keep on trusting His faithfulness to lead my life each day in the way He desires.

The verse is from Clear Dollar Stamps, "Value Verses 1" digital image. Because it was tall and narrow I thought the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches #157 was perfect. Since Clear Dollar Stamps is sponsoring their challenge this week, I'm not wanting to be a winner, just a "player." I used ColourQ Challenge #148 for my color inspiration for this card.

I pray that you will also delight in the Lord and see how He works in your life as you commit each day to His leading. The promise is that He will give you the desires of your heart, and He shall bring it to pass. May God richly bless you.

Challenges for this card:

ColourQ #148

Craft-room Challenge - Buttons and Bows

Divas by Design #46 - Flowers

Tuesday Morning Sketch #157

6.5" x 5" Encouragement Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart Baby Pink, Holiday Red, White Daisy Cardstock and retired sunset orange dotted dp

Image - Clear Dollar Stamps "Value Verses 1" digital (also comes as a clear stamp)

Accents - Recollections orange and pink flowers, Michaels ribbon; CTMH wide ribbon and sorbet waxy flax; unknown buttons from my stash

Tools - Cuttlebug 5x7 embossing folder