Category Archives: 3-D, Gifts & Things

Make an Easy Gift Bag and Card With Blackberry Beauty Designer Paper

Blackberry Beauty Gift Bag and Gift Card

The season for gifts will soon be upon us, actually, it is always the season for gifts, so here is how to Make an Easy Gift Bag and Card With Blackberry Beauty Designer Paper. These gift bags, no matter the size, are really so easy to make either out of designer paper or cardstock. You can stamp the cardstock or add a layer of pretty designer paper to dress it up. You can learn to make these small gift bags and it will be faster for you to do it yourself than to drive to the store for wrapping paper or gift bags!

I made this gift bag out of the Blackberry Beauty Specialty Designer Series Paper. As I mentioned above, I thought about making the bag out of Blackberry Bliss Cardstock and then adding a layer of designer paper. It would make the bag sturdier to use cardstock. But using designer paper also makes the inside very pretty!

The paper, whether cardstock or designer paper, is 8″ x 11″. Look at the pattern of the paper before cutting and scoring and make sure your pattern will go in the correct direction. On the side that will be bottom, where the flaps will be, score the paper lengthwise at 2″. Then turn the paper so the long side is at the top, using your Paper Trimmer or Simply Scored Scoring Tool. If using the Paper Trimmer, just make sure you don’t use the cutting blade by accident! You might even want to remove it temporarily! Score at 2″, 5 1/4″, 7 1/4″, and 10 1/2″. This will make the score lines where you will fold to form the bag.

Blackberry Beauty Gift Bag Cutting

Above you see the image of the inside of the paper scored and the flaps at the bottom cut. On the left side of the photo, you can see the 1/2″ flap that I folded inward a bit. Just below that, I cut off that 1/2″ x 2″ section. That 1/2″ flap is where the adhesive will go to form the bag with the opposite side. I like to angle my cuts just a bit as you can see by the spaces between the flaps, which will form the bottom of the bag. If you cut straight on the scored lines, sometimes they don’t overlap perfectly so cutting on an angle takes away that tiny bit of extra paper and makes it all look a little more professional when you assemble the bag. Try it! Plus you don’t have to worry about cutting EXACTLY on the score lines because sometimes they are difficult to see on printed paper!

Apply adhesive to that 1/2″ flap and then just fold over the opposite edge, making sure it is lined up evenly with the flap. I used Stampin’ Seal +. You could use Multipurpose Liquid Glue or Tear & Tape as well.

After connecting the two sides, fold in those bottom flaps, applying adhesive, and then reaching inside the bag on a table with a Bone Folder or something to rub down the flaps to make sure they are adhered well. Decorate the outside of the bag.

You can do the top however you like. For now, I left mine open like a gift bag. Or you can squish in the sides a bit to bring the top edges together and either tie a ribbon around, add a clip to the top, or punch holes and tie ribbon through to close. Make sure you put the gift inside first!

For the front, I used pieces from the Blackberry Beauty Ephemera Pack. As I write this, it is back ordered but should be back in stock in another week. Its been very popular! But you don’t have to have it. Use some gold pieces, tags, ribbon, whatever you have in your stash to decorate the bag. And as long as I had everything out, I made a little gift card to go along with it, folding a 3″ x 6″ piece of cardstock in half and then decorating. You can order 3″ x 3″ envelopes.

This bag is really easy. If you want it shorter, then cut it at maybe 6″ instead of 8″ or make it taller. This Blackberry Beauty Specialty Designer Series Paper is really pretty too with its gold accents and deep colors. This will be so pretty for fall and Thanksgiving cards and projects. Try making something like this Blackberry Beauty Gift Bag today!

Blackberry Beauty Gift Bag top view

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE HERE! LAST WEEK OF SALE-A-BRATION!

Ghosts Halloween Gift Bag

Recently I told you about how fun I thought it was to decorate a plain kraft gift bag for a special occasion or just to have on hand and then last week I wanted a Halloween bag for a gift for a friend! This Ghosts Halloween Gift Bag was fun to make for a little gift!

All you need is a gift bag like this one with the handles in kraft or white or whatever color you can find at the craft store. Or often I use bags that I get at certain small shops or special places. Even if they have printing on the front, you can usually cover the store name and all that with your personalization. If they have printing on both sides, then do a good job on the front side and do something plain and simple on the backside just to cover the printing.

There is an infinite number of ways you can decorate these bags! Think of it as making a card front, but probably bigger. This design is not very complicated at all. I just used one 6″ x 6″ sheet of the Cute Halloween Designer Series Paper, my favorite one with all the little trick-or-treating ghosts! I layered it on a larger piece of Pumpkin Pie and then a layer of Basic Black.

On the front of the bag, I have various die cuts layered. These are the Tasteful Labels Dies and the scalloped rectangle in the Stitched So Sweetly The greeting is stamped from the Cutest Halloween Stamp Set and seemed perfect for this gift bag! Once I added the Black Glittered Organdy Ribbon tied in a bow I was happy with my project! Plus I added a few Cute Stars Adhesive-Backed Sequins.

You could use smaller bags to decorate or even lunch sacks! It’s so much fun to decorate bags for a birthday gift, congratulations, a holiday season, or whatever you need! Here is the bag I made just a few weeks ago. There are lots of ideas out there!

Start looking through your collection of bags and put the good ones you could use for decorated gift bags into your stash so you’ll have them handy or go ahead and decorate now for the holidays! You will be glad you did at the last minute when you need something gift-wrapped and you’re all out of wrapping paper and store-bought gift bags!

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE HERE!

Don’t forget Sale-A-Bration ends Thursday, September 30! Don’t miss out on the free products you can earn!

Peaceful Prints Kraft Christmas Gift Bag

Peaceful Prints Kraft Christmas Gift Bag

One thing I always enjoy making are gift bags out of plain shopping bags like this Peaceful Prints Kraft Christmas Gift Bag. Lots of times I can use ones I get at stores, even if they have the store name printed on the front because that printing gets covered up. Just remember, it is just like making a card, maybe a larger one, that you adhere to the front of the gift bag! It’s so much fun to make a personalized bag for any occasion!

For this bag, I used the Peaceful Prints Designer Series Paper. You only have this month left to get this paper, and you can get it FREE with a $50 purchase at Stampin’ Up! during Sale-A-Bration! I tried various layers of paper and cardstock and combinations before I settled on this! Sometimes you just have to keep playing and working until it all comes together!

I used a piece of the Peaceful Prints Designer Paper for the background piece. It is 7″ x 8″ and I liked the way it matched the trees. The background paper (5″ x 6″) has little deer and tiny trees on it and is layered on Real Red Cardstock (6 1/2″ x 5 1/2″). I decided to add trees, some die cut with Christmas Tree Dies out of the Peaceful Prints paper and some out of Garden Green Cardstock. I sponged a little Garden Green Ink on the cardstock trees. I used three different tree dies to make different size trees. Some are popped up on Dimensionals and some are adhered flat on the designer paper. The deer are cut out by hand with Paper Snips from the designer paper.

The greeting had to be a little bit small to fit in the space. It is in the Frosted Gingerbread Stamp Set. It is cut out with one of the Tasteful Labels Dies and layered on a small banner die also in the set. Make some of these ahead of time and you’ll be all set for gift-wrapping during the holidays!!

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Join Paper Pumpkin! Get This September Haunts & Harvest Kit!

Paper Pumpkin Sept 2021

If you are new, this is how Stampin’ Up! describes Paper Pumpkin! Think about trying it, especially this month if you like fall!

“What is Paper Pumpkin? Paper Pumpkin is our monthly One-Stop Box™ that offers a unique variety of paper projects for subscribers of any skill level to enjoy! These thoughtfully themed and all-inclusive craft kits encourage Stampin’ Up! customers to explore their creativity, try new techniques, and discover their potential in papercrafting.”

This kit features three different designs for every treat box. That means whether you want to celebrate the Fall harvest or feel like getting in the Halloween mood (or a mix of both!), you can choose how you want to create your adorable treat boxes! Take your pick from crisp red apples, seasonal pumpkins, spooky jack-o-lanterns, or get creative and customize them into whatever you can imagine! 

The Haunts & Harvest Paper Pumpkin Kit contains enough supplies to create 12 treat packages which means you get to share the a-maize-ing treats with your friends and family! These treat package designs are perfect for Halloween party favors or place setting favors at a fall feast. These treat packages are the perfect way to tell your family and friends to eat, drink, and be scary!

The Haunts & Harvest Paper Pumpkin Kit not only offers the cutest giftable treat packages, it is also intended as home décor with the included wheelbarrow crafting opportunity! This month’s Paper Pumpkin box is designed with pre-traced lines and instructions to create a vintage-inspired wheelbarrow as a place to display your too-cute-to-spook treat packages.

ABOUT THE KIT

Haunts & Harvest 

  • Kit contains enough supplies to create 12 treat packages—4 each of 3 designs. The all-inclusive kit includes printed die-cut boxes, die-cut sheets, adhesive, and more!
  • Finished treat box size: 2-1/2″ x 2″
  • Includes an exclusive stamp set and a Classic Stampin’ Spot
  •  Coordinating colors: Basic Black, Pale Papaya, Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Succulent

Remember, this is YOUR kit when it arrives in your mailbox in mid-September! You will be ready to start thinking about fall and fall decorating! You can make everything exactly as designed in the kit or use the supplies to make your own designs and variations! If you don’t want treat boxes, make cards out of the supplies. Change it up however you like, but I have to say, it is a treat sometimes to just open the box and not have to think about “what to make”. The plan is already there for you! There’s even a video you can watch plus the directions. It’s easy enough for everyone! If you want more than 12 treat packages, order two kits! You may be able to get a “Refill Kit” later on but those are never guaranteed. Once you are signed up as a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, you can go in the Stampin’ Up! Online Store and order any past kits or refills that are available!

I always say Paper Pumpkin is a gift you give yourself! Once a month you can count on getting a package in the mail and what is better than a box of a new stamping project and supplies!

The deadline is Friday, September 10th so sign up today so you do not forget!

JOIN PAPER PUMPKIN TODAY!

Here’s the September 2021 Paper Pumpkin Kit!

Paper Pumpkin Sept 2021 Square Ad1

If you are new, this is how Stampin’ Up! describes Paper Pumpkin! Think about trying it, especially this month if you like fall!

“What is Paper Pumpkin? Paper Pumpkin is our monthly One-Stop Box™ that offers a unique variety of paper projects for subscribers of any skill level to enjoy! These thoughtfully themed and all-inclusive craft kits encourage Stampin’ Up! customers to explore their creativity, try new techniques, and discover their potential in papercrafting.”

This kit features three different designs for every treat box. That means whether you want to celebrate the Fall harvest or feel like getting in the Halloween mood (or a mix of both!), you can choose how you want to create your adorable treat boxes! Take your pick from crisp red apples, seasonal pumpkins, spooky jack-o-lanterns, or get creative and customize them into whatever you can imagine! 

The Haunts & Harvest Paper Pumpkin Kit contains enough supplies to create 12 treat packages which means you get to share the a-maize-ing treats with your friends and family! These treat package designs are perfect for Halloween party favors or place setting favors at a fall feast. These treat packages are the perfect way to tell your family and friends to eat, drink, and be scary!

The Haunts & Harvest Paper Pumpkin Kit not only offers the cutest giftable treat packages, it is also intended as home décor with the included wheelbarrow crafting opportunity! This month’s Paper Pumpkin box is designed with pre-traced lines and instructions to create a vintage-inspired wheelbarrow as a place to display your too-cute-to-spook treat packages.

ABOUT THE KIT

Haunts & Harvest 

  • Kit contains enough supplies to create 12 treat packages—4 each of 3 designs. The all-inclusive kit includes printed die-cut boxes, die-cut sheets, adhesive, and more!
  • Finished treat box size: 2-1/2″ x 2″
  • Includes an exclusive stamp set and a Classic Stampin’ Spot
  •  Coordinating colors: Basic Black, Pale Papaya, Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Succulent

Remember, this is YOUR kit when it arrives in your mailbox mid-September! You will be ready to start thinking about fall and fall decorating! You can make everything exactly as designed in the kit or use the supplies to make your own designs and variations! If you don’t want treat boxes, make cards out of the supplies. Change it up however you like, but I have to say, it is a treat sometimes to just open the box and not have to think about “what to make”. The plan is already there for you! There’s even a video you can watch plus the directions. It’s easy enough for everyone! If you want more than 12 treat packages, order two kits! You may be able to get a “Refill Kit” later on but those are never guaranteed. Once you are signed up as a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, you can go in the Stamin’ Up! Online Store and order any past kits or refills that are available!

I always say Paper Pumpkin is a gift you give yourself! Once a month you can count on getting a package in the mail and what is better than a box of a new stamping project and supplies!

The deadline seems like a long way off, but go ahead and sign up now and then you are all set!

JOIN PAPER PUMPKIN TODAY!

Check out the Stampin’ Up! Kits Collection!

Kits Collection Banner2

Stampin’ Up! has a new line of creative products called the Kits Collection by Stampin’ Up! Stampin’ Up! has taken the guesswork out of creativity and done the hard parts, and you get to do the fun stuff: craft! Each kit is all-inclusive and includes the predesigned projects, preprinted pieces, and even the adhesives you need to complete the projects. You also receive an acrylic block plus an ink spot, not to mention an exclusive stamp set with each kit!

There’s a wide variety of kits for all different occasions, and new kits are being added regularly. Some are called Card Kits because you make cards with them.

Others are called Crafting Kits because they might be packaging or home decor or a gift set of cards.

Some kits do not even require any stamping! Just put the pieces together for your project! It doesn’t get any easier than that!

You can shop the current selection at www.stampinup.com/kits. But hurry! Kits are available only while supplies last!

Pick the kit that’s right for you. The kits are designed for beginners so no worries if you are new to crafting. But stampers of any level can have fun with the kits too!

Watch the videos below to see how it all works, especially if you are new to papercrafting! It’s really fun and easy!

SHOP THE STAMPIN’ UP! KITS COLLECTION!

Christmas 2-4-6-8 Treat Bag With Ornament

Christmas 2-4-6-8 Treat Bag With Ornament

Christmas papercrafting is more than just making cards, as you know! We all will need bags, boxes, treat bags and boxes, gift wrap, party favors, decorations, and all kinds of things like this Christmas 2-4-6-8 Treat Bag With Ornament. This is one of the easiest things you can make! A 2-4-6-8 box or bag!

You can use this little bag for a treat or a small gift. You can put candies inside or a very small gift, like a piece of jewelry. For a little party favor or a little something at each place setting at Christmas dinner, you could make any number of these which would not be too much work! Hopefully this Christmas there can be parties and family gatherings! Keeping my fingers crossed!!

This little box is made with just a half sheet of cardstock, 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. Just score it at 2″, 4″, 6″, and 8″ going across.  Turn the paper lengthwise and score at 2″. That short area will be the bottom of the box.  Cut on the score lines just up to the 2″ scoreline going across. Cut off the narrow little tab area. See the photo below. Apply a strong adhesive, like Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Tear & Tape, or Stampin’ Seal+ to the narrow tab on the end, then fold the other side of the box over to adhere.  It’s easier to do this flat than to try to hold the box. Fold in the flaps for the bottom and add a little glue to hold them in place.  Leave the top open or pinch to close, whatever you like.

2-4-6-8 Treat Bag Diagram

You can choose to leave the little bag open at the top or pinch it closed. If you pinch it closed, poke in the sides a little bit to make the top come together easier. You can tie some ribbon through at the top as I did or use some kind of clip. You could even make a lid to fit on top!

Now you are all set to decorate your bag or box! I made this one SUPER simple!! I also happened to have the ornament die cut from the Gingerbread & Peppermint Designer Paper so it was really easy! If you wanted to use another design in the paper, maybe you would want to change the color of the bag. Mine is Real Red. The ornament is popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals. For some bling, I added some gold Gilded Gems. The ribbon is the Gold 1/4″ Shimmer Ribbon in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. You could add a little tag tied on with the ribbon if you wanted to. Or decorate with some designer series paper! So many options! Here is a little treat bag I made a few years ago.

It’s time to start making some of these fun things! Christmas comes early for crafters! The July-December 2021 Mini Catalog will be out August 3 along with Sale-A-Bration! After that it is full-steam ahead! Plan to make a few little 2-4-6-8 boxes to have on hand.

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE HERE!

Ombre Gift Bag For a Friend

Ombre Gift Bag For a Friend

When you need a gift for a friend at the last minute, it’s nice to have something on hand to use, like this Ombre Gift Bag For a Friend. No running to the store and looking for the right kind of packaging and theme. You can make your own!

This is an Ombre Gift Bag in the new In Color Pale Papaya. The pack of 20 gift bags comes in an assortment of all the new In Colors. Just decorate however you like, a lot or a little. You can add a little gift or maybe a special treat. Fold over the top or leave it as is. The bags are 4 3/4″ x 7″ and are food safe! Just picture a big, yummy cookie in that bag!

For this Ombre Bag, I die cut Soft Succulent Cardstock with the largest Ornate Layers Die. The flowers are stamped from the Hand-Penned Petals Stamp Set. I colored in all the flowers with Stampin’ Blends Markers in Pale Papaya, Daffodil Delight, Polished Pink, Fresh Freesia and the leaves with Soft Succulent plus a tiny bit of yellow. You can add flower centers in whatever colors you like. The flowers are die-cut with the Penned Flowers Dies. Only use the outline die, not the center part, to cut out this bouquet. You can buy both the stamp set and dies together in the Hand-Penned Petals Bundle and save 10%.

I found the word “Friend” in the Daisy Lane Stamp Set and stamped it in Pale Papaya Ink. Then I die-cut it with a die in the Ornate Frames Dies. Originally, I was going to layer it on another die-cut but that made it too big and I didn’t want to detract from the flowers. I added two Genial Gems to the greeting and the Ombre Gift Bag For a Friend was finished!

Pattern Party 2-4-6-8 Birthday Gift Bag

If you are able to get this Pattern Party Designer Series Paper, I think you will really enjoy using it as I did making this Pattern Party 2-4-6-8 Birthday Gift Bag! I thought this festive diagonal stripe would make a fun gift bag, at least for a small gift or treat, and certainly a 2-4-6-8 gift bag (or box) is easy enough to make!

The Pattern Party Designer Series Paper is an item you can choose as one of your Stampin’ Rewards with an order of $150 or more. That’s a big order but maybe some friends would like to go in on the order with you and you could divide up the paper because it’s a big package! Twelve different designs and four pages of each!

We’ve made this bag a bunch of times before but even I have to go back and review the directions. It is very easy though! Once you know how to do it, you can vary the size by using a larger or smaller piece of paper. Always be sure the pattern of the paper is going in the direction you want it to go in so you don’t end up with upside down flowers or animals or a stripe going sideways when you wanted it to go up and down.

For this gift bag, I started with a piece of paper 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. I just scored it at 2″, 4″, 6″ and 8″ going across the paper. Then I turned it and scored at 1 1/2″ for the bottom tabs of the bag. Trim off the little 1/2″ bottom piece and cut on the 2″, 4″, 6″, and 8″ score lines for the bottom flaps up to the 1 1/2″ score line. Difficult to see in the photo below but you can get the idea.

Pattern Party Small 2-4-6-8 Birthday Gift Bag scoring

Assemble the box, putting adhesive on that 1/2″ piece on the side. You can just fold over the other side of the bag with it laying flat on the table. You don’t have to try to maneuver it in your hands! Apply adhesive to the bottom flaps, first doing a “test” to see which way you want the flaps to go in before you glue. Then pay attention to where the seam is and try to have that face the back. Fold in the bottom flaps, trying to make the front of the bag look nice.

To decorate this bag, I stamped “Happy Birthday” in the Pansy Patch Stamp Set in Pale Papaya Ink. Then I die cut it with one of the Layering Circles Dies and layered it on a scalloped circle die in Pale Papaya Cardstock. It’s perfect fit! I needed something big enough to fit the greeting but not too big for the bag! I popped that up with two Stampin’ Dimensionals.

For the top of the bag, you can leave it open, or kind of squeeze in the sides and pinch the top together. Punch or poke some holes in the top for ribbon. I used the Pale Papaya 3/8″ Open Weave Ribbon to tie the top closed in a bow. Have I said how much I love that ribbon?! Then for a little extra, I added some of the Genial Gems on the greeting and on the bag. These come in two colors, Pale Papaya and Mint Macaron but I think you can use them even without matching colors.

Knowing how to make a 2-4-6-8 bag is something you should know how to do as a papercrafter! They are fun to make, not to mention useful when you need some cute packaging for a small gift or treat! Here’s a very similar one made for Valentine’s Day. Being able to make an easy gift bag just might save you a trip to the store!

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A Little Christmas in April With the Tag Buffet Project Kit!

Tag Buffet Christmas Gift Tags

How about a little Christmas in April using the Tag Buffet Kit?! While things are kind of quiet holiday-wise, think about getting this Christmas tag kit at a discount and make some tags for Christmas gifts ahead of time! I know I have had to go to the store at the last minute to buy more tags for Christmas gifts. Or you can even make these tags or parts of them and stick them on Christmas cards! Get a head start!

This Tag Buffet Project Kit is on the Stampin’ Up! Clearance Rack right now. The Tag Buffet Stamp Set is no longer available but you can use any stamp set that has Christmas greetings with these tags. There is no stamping involved except for the greeting, so really you could skip any stamping and just use the images. I really think this tag kit is beautiful and I enjoyed making my Christmas tags when the kit came out in the past Holiday Catalog 2020.

The kit comes in a cute holiday box. All you have to do is layer the kit contents to make the tag and thread the string through the top. Or use the pieces to make Christmas cards or any other project!

Also on the Clearance Rack are these little Jingle Bells! You can get these for only $3.00 and add them to your Christmas tags! Or add them to any other holiday packaging when the time comes! Order a bunch and make a jingle bracelet for the holidays!

If you want any more details, read my blog post when I made my Tag Buffet Project Kit HERE.

You will also find other Christmas ribbons and even the Plush Poinsettia Specialty Papers on the Clearance Rack right now! Be sure you check it out while you are shopping! I already have my extra Tag Buffet Project Kit! If you don’t use all the designed pieces on each tag, you can probably use some of your own supplies and expand the number of tags you can make! Last year I enclosed a tag in a few Christmas cards that I sent out just for a little surprise gift inside my card. Remember, anything can sell out at any moment, but since now the big rush of the first day is over, I think you have a moment to look around on the Clearance Rack, not to mention the Last Chance Products and pick up some bargains for your stash!

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE HERE!

Last Minute Easter Ideas

Three Easy Paper Easter Baskets

Make An Easy Easter Basket

Cute and easy to make and decorate!

Easy Easter Folded Candy Holders

Easy Easter Folded Candy Holders

These are so fun and easy to make for a piece of candy or a tea bag or treat!

Candy Basket For Easter With Candy Chicks

An Easy Candy Basket For Easter With Candy Chicks

I have this little basket out for an Easter decoration this year! Looks complicated but it is NOT!

Easter Bunny Tiny Treat Box For Candy

Easter Bunny Tiny Treat Box For Candy

Love this little punch art or die-cut bunny! Make one to put on the front of a card or for a treat!

Easter Card with Bunny and Eggs

The Easter Bunny is Hiding Some Easter Eggs!

Just punch or cut out a bunch of oval “eggs” of different sizes from designer paper and cardstock plus bunny shapes for an easy card!

Happy Easter!

Altered Spring Lamb Gift Bag

Altered Spring Lamb Gift Bag

Something I think is fun to do is to take a shopping bag you got at a store and turn it into a gift bag, like this Altered Spring Lamb Gift Bag. The other day when I was cleaning out my “bag of bags”, I came across this small kraft shopping bag I got at one of my favorite gift shops. This bag is about 6″ x 7″ which was perfect for adding this stamped panel to the front of the bag! Even if the bag has printing, such as the name of the store or company, just cover it up with your stamping elements.

This bag already had the white border line around the bag with the store name printed in the middle. This was the perfect size to add my stamped decoration for the front of the bag and turn it into a spring gift bag, maybe for Easter

It was really like making a card, I just made the piece to fit the front area of the bag. The lamb is from the Springtime Joy Stamp Set, very popular right now with Easter coming up soon! The lamb is stamped in Memento Black Ink so I could color him with Stampin’ Blends Markers.

When I looked at the greetings in the stamp set, it seemed I should place the lamb off to the side and put the greeting, layered, right there on the other side. I wanted the lamb to be white, but I used the Light Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blend to just add a bit of color by the fluffs of wool and here and there. Then I also colored the flowers and leaves.

The greeting is stamped and then die-cut with a die in the Stitched So Sweetly Dies. For the layers underneath I just cut out rectangles with my Paper Trimmer.

For embellishments, I stamped a butterfly off to the side of the lamb and colored it with Stampin’ Blends. I also stamped the basket of eggs, colored it, and then cut out with Paper Snips. I decided not to pop it up with Dimensionals and just glued it down flat next to the lamb. Also, that little chick is so cute, I stamped, colored and cut him out and glued him down at the corner of the greeting. Now after all this, if you get a smudge of ink on your work, just add another butterfly to cover it up!

The whole decorative piece is layered on Blushing Bride and then Pear Pizzazz Cardstock. It is centered inside that white border line and looks perfect on this shopping bag turned into a gift bag! You can do this for any occasion! If you don’t have a cute little shopping bag, you can purchase plain bags at the craft store and decorate those. This is especially fun (and useful!) to do before Christmas so you have plenty of gift bags ready for gift wrapping like this Christmas bag.

Look through your bags and see if you have some shopping bags you can alter for whatever occasion you need like this Altered Spring Lamb Gift Bag I did using the Springtime Joy Stamp Set, perfect for a small Easter treat or gift!

Easy Sale-A-Bration Paper Blooms Gift Bag

Easy Sale-A-Bration Paper Blooms Gift Bag

I like to recommend that stampers and papercrafters make some gift bags to have on hand like this Easy Sale-A-Bration Paper Blooms Gift Bag. It just might save you a last minute trip to the store when you want a cute gift wrap for a small gift or treat! It probably only takes about 5 minutes to make an easy gift bag and you can personalize it for the recipient or for the occasion.

When I looked through the Paper Blooms Designer Series Paper in the Sale-A-Bration Brochure, I assumed it would be all florals with some plain designs on the back. But this sheet of paper really caught my eye with these big circles of various colors all over the sheet! It looked so fun and I thought making a gift bag would be a good way to use it.

To make this gift bag, start with half a sheet of designer paper, 12″ x 6″. Using your Paper Trimmer or Simply Scored scoring board, score the paper going across at 3 1/2″, 5 1/2″, 9″ and 11″. Then turn the paper and score at 1 1/4″ and 5 1/2″. Pay attention to the design on your paper so it doesn’t come out upside down. If you are planning to turn that narrow scored area at 5 1/2″ (which leaves 1/2″ to turn down for the top edge and reveal the paper design on the inside), make sure that pattern is also going to work and go in the proper direction.

After scoring, cut on the score lines at the bottom up to the score lines going across. Cut off the smallest little area on the bottom of the bag flaps. You’ll see which part it is. That will leave a 1/2″ edge to adhere to the other side of the bag. Assemble the bag. I used Multipurpose Liquid Glue for that “wiggle room” it gives you but the Stampin’ Seal+ would also be good.

If you like, punch holes in the top edge and tie some ribbon through for little handles. I used the Seaside Spray 1/4″ Metallic Ribbon.

Here’s another gift bag I made a couple of years ago, decorated a little differently to give you another idea.

To decorate the bag a little bit, although it was cute as it was, I cut out some flowers from another sheet of the Paper Blooms Paper. These were easy flowers to cut out and I only needed these two!

If you like this paper, you can get it free with a $50 Stampin’ Up! purchase if you choose it for your Sale-A-Bration FREE product. Be sure to shop by Sunday, February 28th!

This is a quick and easy project to make with this paper. Follow these directions for this Easy Sale-A-Bration Paper Blooms Gift Bag and then you can make even more gift bags with other paper in your stash!

Mini Curvy Keepsakes Box For Valentine’s Day

Mini Curvy Keepsakes Candy Box For Valentine's Day

Don’t forget about the cute little boxes you can make easily for some Valentine candy, even at the last minute! Any cardstock or designer paper you have will work, but for Valentine’s Day you might want to use some fancy designer paper!

This cute little box is made with the Mini Curvy Keepsakes Box Dies. You just need a piece of 6″ x 6″ paper for the box. Then you can also die-cut a little heart in the same set to tie onto the box. Just cut the paper, fold on the score lines, then assemble. Push down on the two handle pieces and fold over the two slit pieces to hold the box together. Be sure to put your treat in first!

I used the pretty Love You Always Specialty Designer Series Paper with the foil accents. The die-cut heart is Rococo Rose Cardstock. I tied it on with the Whisper White 5/8″ Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon. That’s all there is to it! You could use this little box for Valentine candy or maybe a little table decoration or party favor. You can get very creative with this Mini Curvy Keepsakes Box and make all kinds of creations.

This little Mini Curvy Keepsakes Box For Valentine’s Day matches the card I made with the Love You Always Specialty Paper here in this post! Make a matching set!

Valentine's Day Collage

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Candy Holders

Valentine's Day Chocolate Candy Holders

These Valentine’s Day Chocolate Candy Holders have been around a long time and I probably make them every year! I’ll link to some other ones I have made a little later. Once you have the pattern and the idea, you can run wild with decorating them for any occasion! Maybe party favors, or a little favor at a dinner party (when we can have dinner parties again!), or a stocking stuffer at Christmas, or a treat in an Easter basket! Whatever you want to make!

These Valentine’s Day Chocolate Candy Holders are just a strip of cardstock wide enough to hold your candy, with a slit inside to hold the candy if that works or space to place the candy and maybe secure with a tiny bit of adhesive. The cardstock is scored so that it will fold but have space for the chocolate. Put some adhesive on the inside of the bottom of the strip with the punched slit, and adhere. Then decorate the front and tie a ribbon around to secure.

Here are the particulars, if you are interested, for these projects.

Start with a strip of cardstock cut at 9 5/8″ x 2 3/4″. Score at 2 3/4″ and 3″; 6 1/4″ and 6 1/2″. With these measurements, you could get three strips out of one sheet of cardstock. Fold and crease on the scored lines. Open the strip back up and you will see above and below the score lines, one section is shorter than the other. You want the longer section to be the one that folds up to the inside.

Once you have identified the longer section, use the Classic Label Punch on that flap, inserting as far as you can, centered, to punch the opening for the chocolate. Put a piece of Tear & Tape at the bottom of the strip so you can fold up that flap and adhere to the inside, not quite up to the score line. You will want to stand the candy holder on the table making sure the bottom is flat as you adhere that flap.

Valentine's Day Chocolate Candy Holder Inside

The pink holder on the left is made with Blushing Bride Cardstock with a piece of the Love You Always Specialty Paper (2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″) adhered to the front of the candy holder. Then I simply layered two die-cut hearts popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals so I could tie a ribbon (the Blushing Bride 3/8″ Metallic Ribbon) around to hold it closed. There are some other patterns more like a matchbook where you just slide the top into the little fold-up pocket at the bottom. But even then, you might like a ribbon to hold it all together.

The red candy holder on the right is made the same way. It has a piece of Basic White Cardstock on top, decorated with a stamped and die-cut heart from the Lots of Heart Stamp Set and Many Hearts Dies. (Get both in the Lots of Heart Bundle and save 10%!). The greeting is also in that stamp set and is punched out with the Classic Label Punch that you used on the inside for the slit to hold the candy. The heart is popped up on Dimensionals, again, to allow room for the ribbon to wrap around the candy holder.

If you would like more ideas, here are a couple of candy holders I made last year. These are so much fun to make, I know you will enjoy this project! They are perfect, of course, for Valentine’s Day, with a nice piece of chocolate on the inside! Try your hand at my Valentine’s Day Chocolate Candy Holders because they are quick and easy to make when the holiday is getting close!