Easter Treat Containers

Good day everyone, I'm still keeping busy with Easter crafting. I have a lot of cards made already...woohoo! I'm actually ahead of things for a change. The next thing I began thinking about was some cute containers to put some Easter goodies in. I first made a "Circle Purse" to fill with some Easter treats for my granddaughters and girlfriends then I thought; hmmm...... as usual I can't think of anything for the fellows. Well, this morning I thought to go unisex and simple so I created a " Easter Egg Treat Box". This box was a doozer. I made a few prototypes until I finally settled on this one.Both the purse and the Easter Egg set up nicely. The Easter Egg Treat box would also make a lovely Easter decoration.

The one thing I don't like about this is; the seams from wher I glued the tabbed gussets show. After I already had it all together I thought; I should have lined the outside of the gussets with some 1.5 inch ribbon to hide the seams.

The reason why I had to make two tabbed gusset pieces was to make sure it wrapped entirely around the egg shape and to make sure people who have the original Silhouette or Portraits can cut on a letter size format. All in all, even without the ribbon to cover the seams it turned out pretty nice. Please let me give you a few tip on the "Easter Egg Treat Box".

1. There are two hinges. These will be glued on the left hand side of the box. To make sure it opens nicely glue the perforated tab ends first then glue the "circle" shaped tab to the side of the egg/ tabbed gussets.

2. Make sure to add both closures. One on the bottom and one on the side. This will assure the egg stays closed.

3. You can add many pieces of candies inside the egg. For my prototype I added things like butterscotch and other hard candies. The one thing to remember is don't add too many heavy candies or the box will open.

4. I hand cut a piece of clear acetate to glue behind the design ( You can use the liner which is in a light pink as a tempalte for cutting the acetate). This will ensure your treats are visible but will stay in the box.

I also waned to let you know; in the "Cirlce Purse" cutting file there are two shapes with the line color purple, these pieces are for lining the inside of the purse. I also decided to double up on the card stock for the purse handle. This will make it a bit more sturdy for the little ones to carry.

Here you can download the ----> Circle Purse Cutting File

Here you can download the ----> Easter Egg Treat Box Cutting File

3 Easter Egg Card Cutting File

I'm still working on Easter cards to send out. I like making a variety of them. Today, I designed this card as one of the many I've made. Each egg has a different pattern. It's glued benind the card which has 3 egg shapes cut out. I wanted to add dimesnion so I stacked two white and one purple egg frames that go around the front of the egg cut outs in the card. Added to the desing is two pretty borders which I also cut out in the white card stock. Both of the borders are added to the front with just a slender purple strip on top of them. Behind the patterned eggs is a blue glitter card stock. It's hard to see the sparkle in the photo. On the inside I added a card sentiment. The card sentiment for me; reflects the real reason for Easter.

I hope the little bit of instructions I gave helps to explain the pieces in the cutting file.It's a real easy and fast card to put together. Many of you are also working on your Easter cards so I'm trying to share these as fast as I can. Of course, I always want to do test cuts before I share a file. This one will be one of my favorite ones to make because it was so fast and easy to put together.

Here is the link to the cutting files which include 3 formats and pictures ---> 3 Easter Egg Card Cutting File

Easter Card Cutting File Goodies

Time for some more shares and crafty fun.While working my way back into getting some crafting, designing, and other creative things I decided ot work on a couple of new card files. The first one is the "Secret Panel Card" as it you open the front of the card, push the center backwards or foward it reveals a whole new side and sort of a new card. I've seen these quite oten and was always fascinated with how they work. Children and adults will love this entertainng little card. I would like to share this card file with all of you and always hope it is as much fun for you to make as it was for me. The graphics are not included because they were purchased graphics from years ago but I did create the Easter egg I used and am sharing this file too.It will be in the "Pop Up Box Card" file. I know you all have some pretty things sto stamp or place in the little squares that will make your card your own.

Here is the link to download the "Secret Pand Card" Secret Panel Card File Download

The other card I made seems to be a popular card this Spring season. I've already designed and shared many other types of pop-up cards and one similar to this card. When I saw the tutorial on this "Pop Up Box Card" at Splitcoaster Stampers I knew I had to make a new one. This card was so much fun to make. The great thing about it; it was easy to make and assemble. You can use all sort of ideas and images to make this one your own I had a blast making this one and can hardly wait to get it in the mail.

You can download these files here ---> Pop Up Box Card and Easter Egg File

If you would like to check out the tutorial Dina made on how to create this you can check out her video
here ----> Pop Up Box Card Tutorial by Dina Her card is fabulous!

Bunny Background Freebie

After making the video to show Silhouette users how to make "patterned letters" I thought I would make a background with bunnies. Easter is just around the corner. After I made the background I made a patterned letter with it and set up an Easter design I can use to decorate with. Today, I would like to share this backgound and hope it will come in handy for some of your Easter creations.

Here is the link to download this file: Bunny Background it includes a .jpeg image, .studio, .svg, and .dxf files.

This is a sample of what I did with this background. I know all of you wonderfully creative people will make it your own with your design. Have lots of crafty fun with it.

Catching You Up and a New Silhouette Video Tutorial

Hello everyone, it's been a long time since I've blogged, crafted, or made a video tutorial. As many of you know, our family has had several crisis situations going on over the past many months.I'll share some of this so you all may better understand why I've been away for so very long.

My Mom had been staying with me, she had several bad falls then a major surgery. She was here with me for the past eight months. I'm so pleased to let everyone know she is now doing well and is back home in Texas. I miss her but hope she will be moving here real soon. We're keeping our fingers crossed that her home in Texas will sell quickly.

Also, as many of you know; the father of my two daughters was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was a long, hard battle he so bravely fought. Through all he had to endure he never gave up. His bravery still has me in awe. Sadly, he lost the battle and passed away February 28, 2014. We will forever miss him but with all of his good and even his not so good he will forever be in our hearts.My daughters and their dad chose many photos they wanted shown for his memorial service. I was honored and priviledged to make this loving tribute of David; a father, friend, son, brother, and grandpa. If you would like to take a look at his tribute and see just a small glimpse of the man who so bravely fought for life and for his loves you are welcomed and I am honored to share this with all.

As I witnessed the struggle of my dauther's father I tried to be all of the help I could be. It was sad and frustrating to know the only help I could be was to be a source of prayer and support for all. Cancer, too often gives no mercy through the treatments it demands to battle its victims. I decided to go back to college during this time to make sure I could be in a place to perhaps help others going through the struggles and heart breaks of medical tragedies such as the diagnosis of cancer.

These days I still wake up and think I was in some sort of bad dream. Even though we rejoice in his new life; we still mourn his loss as I see all of the heartache it as left behind. To take my mind to other places I thought it  may be a good time to start crafting, blogging, and helping others enjoy their cutting machines more. Today, I made a new video and hope it will be an inspiration to all of you with Silhouette cutting machines. This video will walk you through the steps of creating "patterned letters". I'm a bit rusty at making video tutorials so I sure hope this one will be helpful. Wishing all of you many blessings, Debbie

My First Gelli Plate Experiments

With the next few days to myself I decided to plunge into everything....lol I love having the time to be crafty, creative, hanging out at the Silhouette Plus forum and emailing. This has been such a wonderful and therapeutic time. I've missed all of you so much.

Myoriah from Crafting The Frugal Way got me on a roll with this.Thanks Myoriah! She does so many awesome experiments and so kindly shares ideas and crafty money saving tips. I was so excited to try making a home made Gelli plate when I took a look at her paper. I didn't get to try Myoriah's recipe since I didn't have any Vodka on hand but I would have loved to have tried it. At the time I also didn't have any Knox Unflavored Gelatin on hand so I began to Google other recipes when I came another recipe from The Frugal Crafter. I  read her recipe which asked for Glycerin and of course watched her video. She's so bubbly...I enjoyed her enthusuasitic video. I had plenty of the Glycerin on hand. She had one recipe where Alchol could be added and one with glycerin. I was concerned about the odor of the alcohol so I opted for the glycerin recipe. There is not odor and it turned out great!

Here are some notes and the exact way I made it. I posted about my endeavors on the Silhouette Plus forum so being a little busy I decided to take a short cut by copying and pasting what I had posted on the forum.

Mix together 12 ounces of Glycerin ( I had 2 - 6 ounce bottles on hand) with 7 one ounce packets of Unflavored Knox Gellatin. After I thorougly mixed the Glycerin and the Knox Gellatin I slowing stirred in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water and mixed everything together until I no longer felt the granules of the Know Gellatin. I poured it into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Now to see if it works.  

I bought the Glycerin at the drug store earlier in the year. I use it to make home made super bubbles for the grandkids so I had plenty on hand. The Unflavored Kox Gellatin was easy to find.It was in the bakery section of the grocery store on the bottom shelf with the regular gelatin. Our grocery store is a bit pricey on it a 32 ounce box is $16.99 but I bought 2 of the 4 ounce boxes at $2.95 a box and used 7 out of the 8 packets in the two boxes. The 4 ounce box was $2.69. The glycerin comes in 4 and 6 ounce bottles. The 4 ounce bottles are $1.99 and the 6 ounce bottle were $2.49.

Below are lots of pictures of the home made Gelli Plate, papers, and a couple of sample projects. I could hardly wait to see how the Silhouette would cut this paper. For the butterflies I used one of my least favorite papers. The paper was made with what was left behing on the Gelli plate. I'm still very new to this and have lots more experiementing to do. Myoriah waters her paints out a bit and used makeup sponges to sponge it on. Since I don't own a brayer ( I know, what kind of crafter doesn't own a brayer....lol) I wrapped my rolling pin in waxed paper and rolled away. It left some lines and crinkles I didn't care for so I ordered a brayer. I'm officially a crafter...hee,hee.

 My thoughts are wondering. I almost forgot to explain how I made these papers with the acrylic paint. I used regular craft store acrylic paint to make the papers. Nothing fancy about me. I squirted out blobs of paint onto the home made Gelli Plate then used my fatihful rolling pin to bring it all together. I have some old Stampin' Up rollers with designs in them so I rolled them across the paont on the Gelli plate. You can use all sorts of thing around the house to create some beautiful designs. I saw so many beutiful papers made with the gelli plate.

You can find lots of videos and tutorials on the internet. I like having Myoriah as my resource. She never hesitates to try something new. I did enjoy seeing all of the gorgeous papers I saw while I was Googling my way through Gelli plate information.

My 8 x8 Gelli Plate

My First Paper Design

Second Design

Paper Made with What was left on the Gelli Plate

I made the butterflies with this paper

I didn't get this smoothed out too well. The next time, I'm going to

try thinning out the acrylic paint with some water as Moriah suggested.

Butterfly Close Ups made with least favorite Gelli plate made paper.

A sample card made with the Gelli Plate paper butterflies.

A box cut out and made from the Gelli plate made paper.

Top of the box

I still had left over paper so I punched out some pieces to keep on hand.

Recessed Window Card

With my mom visting with my aunt and all of the other things I've been able to get ahead of I was finally able to spend a little time in my craft room. I made my grandson a birthday card last week then created a neew cutting file with two types of recessed windows card cutting files. I made and shared one similar to these in the past but this one is a bit different and I hope it will come in handy for your card making creations.

One version of the card you will find a sort of "all in one" recessed window. This file will can be easily made by folding the scored areas back and gluing the flat pieces. The other one you will cut a box that will fit around the opening of the window. I made a liner for the inside to cover the folds or the box so it will look nice on the inside and you'll have extra room for writing a message.

I hope you all enjoy this card cutting file. I will try to blog more often. I've missed blogging, crafting, and all of you. Enjoy a happy crafty day.

You can download the .svg, .dxf, and Silhouette Studio Recesses Window Card ----> HERE

Here is a picture of the sample card I made. I forgot to take a picture of the inside...oops.