Buzzy Bee Quilled Birthday Card

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Raise your hand if you have a stockpile of unfinished projects in your craft room.  If your hand isn't up, you probably lie about other things too :). Some of mine are really old.  For example, way back in 2004 I purchased a quilling kit (I know because I found the receipt when I was cleaning last week).  Last fall, I decided to finally compete all of the projects in the kit and I did, but I didn't use them on anything. I just had a bunch of unused 3" x 3" quilled pictures. Last weekend as I surveyed my growing unfinished project pile, I decided I needed to do something about it.  I told myself that for every new project I start, I have to finish at least one existing project first (we shall see how long THAT lasts!) So, inspired by my recent Mystery Box freebies, I grabbed one of my quilled creations and came up with this cute card.

Of course, a quilled card can't be put in a flat envelope, so I used my Box Envelope Tool to create a perfectly sized envelope.

Frame Instructions:

These instructions are for a 5" square frame with a 4.25" opening.  They can easily be modified to fit any size artwork.  The quilled artwork I used is on a 3" x 3" square.

• Select a piece of patterned paper for the frame. Cut a 4 3/4" square from it, then cut a 4 1/4" square from the center to create a frame.
• Cut a piece of Pineapple Smoothie card stock to 10.5" x 5".
• Score at 5" and 5.5"
• Score a 3.5" square 3/4" in from the top and bottom and one end
• Score a 3" square in the center of the 3/4" square.
• Cut diagonally from opposite corners of the 3.5" square
• Mountain fold the 5", 5.5" and outer square score lines/
• Valley fold the inner square score lines to create four v-shaped flaps.  You will glue the back of your artwork to these.
• 
• 
  
• Add the frame you created from the patterned paper around the opening before proceeding.
• Mat your 3" x 3" artwork on a piece of 3.25: x 3.25" hammered gold paper.
• Add the matted artwork to a 3.5" card stock square and glue this to the four v-flaps.  The back side will look like this:
  
  
• Embellish the frame with thin line dazzles and journey twine.

Create the bottom flap:

• Cut the second largest hexagon from Dark Roast card stock
• Cut the third largest hexagon from Pineapple Smoothie card stock
• Cut the smallest hexagon from Banana Cream card stock
• Stamp Bee Happy on the smallest hexagon.
• Randomly stamp honeycombs on the Pineapple Smoothie and Banana cream hexagons using Pineapple Smoothie ink.
• Affix the Pineapple Smoothie Hexagon to the center of the Dark Roast hexagon.
• Pop the small Banana Cream hexagon up on Journey Foam Squares and position near the lower right side of the Pineapple Smoothie hexagon.
• Attach the Dark Roast hexagon to the back of the card with Flip Flop Fasteners.

Materials List

• Pineapple Smoothie card stock *
• Banana Cream card stock *
• Butter Cream card stock *
• Pineapple Smoothie ink pad *
• Dark Roast ink pad *
• Honeycomb ATS *
• Harvest Days Prints 6 x 6 Paperpack (discontinued)
• Journey Thread Gold *
• Hexagons Die Set *
• Hammered Gold Paper (Paper Wishes)
• Gold Thin line Dazzles (Paper Wishes)
• Flip Flop Fasteners (Paper Wishes)

* denotes an affiliate link - see my disclosure for details.

Getting Organized

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Yesterday, when I walked into my craft room and looked around at the chaos, I told myself, "Enough is enough!  You have to get organized."

I decided to start with my Fun Stampers Journey stamp and die sets.  I bought several of the storage boxes in January when they were on sale and I had been using them but I hadn't really given much thought about what was stored where.  That wasn't so bad when I only had two storage boxes, but now I have five.  It seems like the stamp or die set was looking for was always in the fifth box I looked in.  So, I started sorting.

For my large stamp sets, I made 6" x 7 3/4" dividers out of card stock and used the square clip from the Tab Clips die set.  I did this because I wanted to be able to change the category or move the position of the tab without having to create a whole new divider.

Almost all of my die sets were already stored in pouches, two to a pouch separated by tabbed dividers, but the tabs were hard to see.  To remedy that, I used the round clip from the Tab Clips set and either clipped it to the front of the pouch or to the divider.  These are also movable and changeable so if I decide later that I want to store my die sets differently it's no big deal, just swap out the clip.

I did the same thing with my smaller ATS sets, but I stored them sideways in two columns instead of one.  They fit perfectly this way in the smaller storage box.  The ATS dividers I made are 3" x 5 1/4".

Next I created labels for the boxes by cutting a 4" x 1 1/4" strip from card stock, writing the box content and wrapping it around the box handles.

I could have also purchased the the label charms for each box, but I wanted to get things done right away.  I also wanted them to be more visible since my eyesight isn't the best.

Here's a list of the products I used for this project.  If you're interested in any if them, they are available on my Fun Stampers Journey site.

Supplies:

Tab Clips die set  *

Journey Stamp Storage *

Large Storage Pouches *

Large Storage Tabs *

* denotes an affiliate link - see my disclosure for details.

Embossed Hearts and a Frenzy of Flowers

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

This card was inspired by a sketch challenge on Journey Sketches.  It combines several different techniques and products. I made the background with my Gel Press.  I inked it up with Pretty Amethyst and Bubble Gum ink and used the Flower Party stamp set to make the pattern.  I love how it turned out!  The dark strip behind the heart is a left-over scrap from another background I made on the Gel Press.

I used two different embossing folders to emboss the hearts and I really love how the silver Inka-Gold makes the embossing on the darker heart pop!

Instructions

• Cut a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" card blank from Lemon Grass card stock and fold it in half.
• Cut a 4" x 5 1/4" mat from Bubble Gum card stock
• Use the Journey Gel Press to make the background with Pretty Amethyst and Bubble Gum ink and the Flower Party Stamp Set.  Cut it to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8"
• Cut a 3 1/4" wide heart from Pretty Pansy cardstock and emboss it with the Fancy Flourish embossing folder.  Put a little silver Inka-Gold on a paper towel and brush it over the top of the embossed pattern.
• Cut a 2 1/2" wide heart from Bubble Gum card stock. Position it over the flowers on the Post Card embossing folder and emboss.  Use a dauber or a cosmetic wedge to brush Pretty Amethyst ink over the raised portion on the debossed side.
• Cut a 2" x 3 7/8" strip from the leaf patterned paper
• Cut a 1 1/2" x 3 7/8" strip from a scrap of dark purple paper (I used left overs from another Gel Press project)
• Center the dark purple rectangle over the leaf print rectangle and glue them to the Flower Party Panel 5/8" in from the left edge.
• Cut a 6" length of organza ribbon and center it over the stacked stips as shown, attaching the ends to the back of the Flower Party panel with glue or double-sided tape.
• Affix the Flower Party panel to the Bubble Gum Mat and the Bubble Gum Mat to the card blank.
• Center the embossed Pretty Pansy heart over the vertical panels and adhere it with glue or double-sided tape.
• Pop the embossed Bubble Gum heart up on Journey Foam Squares and center it over the Pretty Pansy heart.
• Stamp three small leaf sets from the Pretty Petals stamp set onto Sweet Pear card stock with Lemon Grass ink.  Fussy cut around the leaves or use the Pretty Petals die set to cut them out.
• Use the Tattered Blooms Minis die to cut flowers from Whip Cream card stock. Set three of the flowers on a foam mat (a mouse pad or scrap of fun foam works well for this).  Using the large ball of the Journey Tool, press down in the center of the flowers, rubbing in a circular motion to give them a cupped shape. Glue a small slowflake shaped sequin to the center of three flowers, then glue small purple rainbow drops to the center of the sequins.
• Glue the leaves and flowers to the card as shown.
• Cut an oval from Bubble Gum card stock and stamp the Happy Valentines Day sentiment on it with Pretty Pansy ink.  Mat it on Pretty Pansy card stock. Pop it up on Journey foam squares and add it to the lower right side of the card.

Supply List

Here is the list of Fun Stampers Journey products I used to make this card.

Heart-Felt Die Set *
Tattered Bloom Minis Cutting Die *
Pretty Petals Stamp Set (Retired)
Pretty Petals Die Set (Retired)
Annual Celebration Stamp Set *
Flower Party Stamp Set (Retired)
Lemon Grass Cardstock *
Bubble Gum card stock *
Pretty Pansy Cardstock *
Sweet Pear card stock *
Pretty Amethyst Ink pad *
Bubble Gum Ink Pad *
Pretty Pansy Ink Pad *
Lemon Grass Ink Pad *
Journey Gel Press *
Journey Foam Squares - Medium *
Special Day Organza Ribbon *
Spring Filled Prints (Retired)
Journey Sequins Holiday Elements *
Rainbow Drops *

I also used these products from other suppliers.
Silver Inka-Gold
Fancy Flourish Embossing Folder (Paper Wishes)
Post Card Embossing Folder (Paper Wishes)

* denotes an affiliate link - see my disclosure for details.

Milk Carton Valentine Treat Box

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

It's February already!  Where has the time gone?  Do you have something for your Valentine?  Here's an adorable treat box I made with the Milk Carton die *

The Milk Carton die is approximately 8.5" x 11" so you will need to use a larger die cutting machine such as the Journey Platinum *.

Instructions:

Cut the milk carton from Bubble Gum card stock, then use the larger heart from the Basic Box Window Plates Die to cut the heart shaped windows from two of the sides. Cut two, 2" squares from Sweet Berry card stock and glue them behind the heart shaped windows.  Center the smaller heart die inside the larger window cut-out and cut the inner window.  Attach a piece of Acetate inside each window.

Now you're ready to assemble the milk carton.  Here's a quick tutorial: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrUDBDGQWrM

After assembling the milk carton, attach the smaller heart cut-outs to the non-window sides of the milk carton.  Use the Tattered Blooms Minis die or your favorite punch to cut some small flowers from Whip Cream card stock. Add a flower with a pink sequin center and some leaves near the edge of each of the Sweet Berry hearts.

Stamp a tag with the Happy Valentine's Day stamp. Attach the tag and a double bow to a miniature clothes pin or a clip and use it to hold the milk carton shut.

Supply List:

Milk Carton die *

Basic Box Window Plates Die (Retired)

Annual Celebration Stamp Set *

Tattered Bloom Minis Cutting Die *

Bubble Gum card stock *

Sweet Berry card stock *

Whip Cream card stock *

Journey Sequins Pink World *

Light pink organza ribbon
Miniature clothes pin
10 Tags & Trims Cutting Die Set from Paper Wishes.

* denotes an affiliate link - see my disclosure for details.