Melanie CD Holder

It's my turn to host the Method Monday Challenge over on the InStyle Stamps blog. I've been wanting to make a CD holder for a long time and decided this would be the perfect project for this challenge. I used Melanie for my image ... doesn't she look like she's having a blast? This is another image that totally reminds me of my childhood, so I thought she would be perfect to create a CD holder that I will store all my favorite childhood pictures. I'll scan them in because they belong to my Mom. Many of the photos I chose are in a scrapbook I made for my sister Joy for her 40th birthday from several years ago.

List of Supplies: Melanie Image from InStyle Stamps, Chatterbox patterned paper, Bashful Blue CS, GP White CS, Sheer Dotted Ribbon from Michael's, Velcro Circle (cut in half), Pop Dots, Tombo Adhesive, 1/2" wide double sided tape, scissors, 1-1/4 circle and corner rounder punches, Cutter with scoring blade.

My tutorial is based on this one from Splitcoast Stampers, but I did make a couple of changes.

Step 1: Cut cardstock at 7 7/8 and discard the small scrap of paper. Cut on the short side at 3 inches. You'll have 2 pieces of CS both 11 inches long.



Step 2: Score the larger piece 3 inches in from each side. For the 3" x 11" paper, score at 3 inches in on one side and 3 1/8 inches in on the other side.



Step 3: Adhere glue dots as shown, which will make a pocket to hold your CD.



Step 4: Adhere the 3 inch section just above the 2nd score line on the larger piece of paper and then fold the flap up.



Step 5: Use the SU 1-1/4" circle punch to make a slit to make removing the CD from the holder eaiser.



Step 6: Attach a 1/2 of a velcro dot for opening and closing the project.




Step 7: Use the SU corner rounder punch on the top edge of the project. Optionally you can add some patterned paper to the back section and use the corner rounder on it.



Step 8: Assemble the front of the project with your image and other embellishments as desired.


I hope I have inspired you to make one of these fun projects.

5 Embellishments Challenge

This week's challenge over at the Cupcake Craft Challenges blog is from design team member Caryn. Her challenge is to use 5 different embellishments on one project, to represent her 5 wonderful children ... isn't that sweet?

I've had this digital image for a while and I decided she'd be perfect for this challenge. The 5 embellishments I used on my card are: ribbon, primas, dew drops (they are used on the center of each flower), glitter (on the flowers on the image ... even on the little flower on the purse) and rhinestones on the sentiment.

What a fun challenge. Be sure to check out the other design team members' creations and then I challenge you to make a project and upload it to the CCC blog. Who knows ... you might be in the top 5.

Supplies: Image from Grab A Doodle Do, Sweet Slumber DSP, SU Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze CS, GP White, Mega Curved Rectangle Nesties, Primas, Dew Drops, Martha Stewart Rhinestones, Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon from SU.

Award

I got this award from Caryn, one of the fabulous members of the Cupcake Craft Challenges design team. (Thank so much, Caryn ... it is such an honor to receive this from you.) It has taken me a week or so to decide who I should pass this award on to.

There are so many talented bloggers out there that I could choose to give this to, but I have to choose 5. So, I'd like to pass this award on to the following amazing women:

Dawn at My Stamping Thyme
Denise at The Paper Landscaper
Jen at Taylor Made by Jen Marie
Maria at Stampin Inspiration
Stephanie at Stephanie's Stampin Spot

Each of these blogs is chock full of wonderful projects ... and I have gained so much inspiration and lots of smiles from them.

InStyle Stamps Blog Hop

It’s the last Friday of the month, so that means it’s time for the InStyle Stamps Blog Hop. This month’s theme is “Contain Yourself”. We were tasked with making or altering some kind of container … how fun, right? My project is a combination of Melissa’s Method Monday challenge from last week and a cute little purse project that my sister Joy made (check out her new blog, here).

When I make a 3D type project like this, I decide what goodies I’m going to put inside before I choose the image, color scheme and embellishments. I found some adorable wine themed items in the $1 bins at Michael’s recently and decided Marti would be the perfect image for this challenge. I based the size of my bag on the items that I was putting in it. That’s the cool thing about making your own packaging, you know everything is going to fit perfectly. I love how this project turned out. I think it will be a great little gift set for any wine lover or as favors for a wine tasting, that sort of thing.

Be sure to check out the blogs of all the rest of the Design Team (links are on my sidebar to the right). And then go to the ISS blog to vote for your favorite project. The designer of the project with the most votes will win a prize. And of course there will be prizes for all you blog hoppers out there in blog land. Note that in addition to voting, you will need to leave a comment on the blog post with the poll on it in order to be entered to win the grand prize.

Other important info about today’s blog hop:

It will run from 12pm EST to 11pm EST on the ISS forum (see link above).

There will be mini contests with prizes throughout the day on the blog hop thread on the forum.

The contest will remain open until 11:59pm EST on Saturday, April 25th, and the winners will be announced on Sunday, April 26th.




Here's a picture of just the bag. The bag closes by use of a Velcro Square. Marti is popped up and only adhered on the flap layer.

Supplies: Marti image from InStyle Stamps, Sweet Always DSP, Pink Pirouette and Chocolate Chip CS, Primas, Martha Stewart Rhinestones, Bazzill Brads, Copic and SU Markers, SU Eyelet Border Punch

Cupcakes Forever

This week's Cupcake Craft Challenge is a sketch challenge and here is my take on it. I knew I had to use this fun sentiment from my new Studio G acrylic stamps. The cupcake trio is one of the $1 stamps I found at Michael's, they had all kinds of fun cupcake themed goodies last time I was there ... score!! Of course my main image is Cupcake Riley, I love that image. The smaller cupcakes on the top section of the card were stamped twice, so I could pop dot them up to give dimension.

My sister recently pointed out that I haven't been listing the supplies I used on my projects, so I plan to remedy that starting now. (Thanks, Joy!!)

Supplies: Cupcake Riley by Hanna Stamps, Other cupcake images from Michael's, Penny Lane patterned paper from My Mind's Eye, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, GP White CS, Red sheer dotted ribbon from Michael's, Tag Trio Nestabilities

Thankful Thursday

It's my turn for the Thankful Thursday sketch challenge over at the InStyle Stamps Blog and I had to use this adorable Gidget image. Doesn't she look like she's having fun?? I knew when I saw the image I wanted to make a card with her for my sister, Joy. We are extremely close and I have so many fond memories of our childhood. But even though we're all grown up now, we still can be silly and goofy with one another. To me, this Gidget image conveys that so well.

I have had this Pumpkin Pie Rick Rack for a while, but hadn't been able to use it until now because I realized it perfectly complimented the Sweet Always paper, so I ordered some more of that and it came on Monday.

I had issues creating a sketch, so I decided to use this one from our fabulous sketch queen, Maria. Here's a link to her post using the sketch. She is such an inspiration and so very supportive to the entire design team.

Anyway, the one minor variation I made was to create a sentiment with strips. It just fits better with all the other elements I have on my card.

I hope this has inspired you to make a card for the challenge.

Anyone Else Feel This Way

This week's Cupcake Craft Challenge was a 1 layer card, which was kind of tough. For me the secret was to use a patterned paper card base, plus thankfully we could embellish any way we wanted. I decided to use my new Curved Mega Rectangle nesties to make the card base more fun that I *had* to have thanks to all the wonderful creations my friend Denise has been posting lately. (You're quite the enabler, girl!!) The inspiration for using this adorable American Arts image was a sign at the local gym here in town ... it reads ... Swimsuit Season R U Ready? I thought to myself ... who could be ready with all the yummy Easter candy that has to be eaten, especially those Resee's Peanut Butter Eggs.

Be sure to check out the cards the other Design Team members made and then why not make a card of your own?

For Peeps Sake Fry Box

This week's Cupcake Craft Challenge was to use at least 3 folds in your project, so I knew I'd be making a 3-D project. I decided to make a little Easter themed fry box based on a project from Nichole Heady's blog here. And as I sat down with the Peeps I was designing the project around ... I was like dang ... even the company that makes Peeps love pink and brown as a color combination. So I used the brown and pink paper in my pack of Tiny Dancer paper from My Mind's Eye that I got from Stamper's Dream. I love this adorable Peeps stamp and sentiment from A Muse.

I plan to give this little project to my daughter and make a 2nd one for her friend that is away from her family for Easter this year. We're planning on having lunch out some where in downtown Wilmington on Easter after church. Should be fun.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the CCC Design Team came up with ... there's a link to each of their blogs under my Cupcake Craft Challenges Design Team blinkie.

Life's Simple Pleasures

Here's a card I made for Taylor's sketch from this week ... sorry about the wonky angle, but it's very windy here so I had trouble getting a decent picture. What a fun sketch. Don't you love this little Changito with coffee image?? He makes me smile. I'm not sure what I love more ... his pink bunny slippers or the fact that his PJs are buttoned wrong ... lol. I thought my A Muse "Life's Simple Pleasures" sentiment went perfectly with the image.

What's one of your simple pleasures? One of mine is new images and paper. Both on this card were ordered last Sunday from Stamper's Dream and arrived in my PO Box on Wednesday. I love and really appreciate super speedy service like that ... (so, thanks Michelle!!)