Step Friendship Box

Hello Friends! How is your day going? Good I hope!

I have a special project to share with you today! It is a Step Friendship Box! The "step" part is on the inside! Little mini drawers to fill with goodies and/or personal notes.

This was a rather lengthy project but one I love doing. I have made several of these and they are always a much appreciated gift.

I started with a piece of pink card stock which I stamped with a flourish image to make the background. I then cut cardboard panels to size and glued them to the backside of the stock. This step is much like covering a book or album. I chose a coordinating DP and covered the inside of the box. I made sure to leave space between the panels so the box would fold easily. I made the four drawers and attached them in "step" fashion to the inside. I used sticky strip for this to be sure I got a good hold.I also made a box for the top of the project. I then used my Cuttlebug dies to make the embellishments. The inside sentiment was computer generated. I added velcro closures to the overlapping panel to assure the box stayed squared and closed. The finishing touch was organdy ribbon tied around the box and into a pretty bow.

A tutorial for one version of this type box can be found at Life As Lou, She calls it a Magic Box. The version I like best came from a German website which is no longer available. If any of you would like a copy of those directions, I will be happy to mail it to you. The directions are in German but the dimensions and paper cuts are in English. You can figure out what they are doing from the pictures. Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can!! I used the basic instructions and created my own size of the box.

Thank you so very much for your visit today! You are always welcome here! Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Take Out Treats

Hello Everyone!

So glad you stopped by today!

Just some treat boxes to share that I made from a Mirkwood template which you can find HERE.

I stamped my own DP, traced the template and cut it out. I used the template as a guide for the scores lines and folds. I embellished the boxes with stickers and cut outs. The handles are made from silver craft wire. I curled the wire just a little inside the box to keep it from pulling out. added a ribbon and filled with chocolate kisses.

I am always needing little treats like this for our seniors at church and for family friends. These came together fairly quickly and I think they are cute. They would be a nice gift anytime filled with candy or fortune cookies. Or maybe a nice teacher's gift filled with candy and desk supplies. So many possibilities!

Hope you are all having a great week and you will come back again soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

A Blast From the Past!

Hello and Welcome!

Have you ever found something you made a while ago and thought to yourself, "I did a pretty good job on this!" That's what I thought when I found this triangle box in my Valentine box from last year!

I started with white card stock and rolled the swirls pattern in red. I then cut out the box and inked all the edges. I stamped hearts and the sentiment in SU Real Red Craft ink and punched them out with a scallop punch. All are adhered with dimensionals on each side. The red bow is added to the top with glue dots. I filled these with Valentine candy and shared them with friends. Wonder what I could do with this box this year?!?!? Hmmm...What do you think?

Thanks so much for visiting today and sharing my little blast from the past! I hope you will stop by often and let me know your ideas and suggestions. I will make a new version of this box this year and post the most popular choices!

ETA: I have had several inquiries about the template for this box. Sorry to say I am not computer savvy enough to put the template in this post; but I would be happy to email the template to any who ask. Just use my email address on the sidebar and let me know!

Until later...LOVE YA! and

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Post It Pads w/ Mini Pens

Greetings everyone! We are having a mixed bag with weather these days! First rain, then snow and ice, a lot of rain, and now gale force winds! Whew! It's enough to make you go hmmmmm! You can hear tree branches snapping in this wind but so far no visible trees down and we still have power. Woohoo!

I have some post it pad holders to share with you today . I love these as they have a place for the pen attached. This is another idea that came from Dawn and you can see her video here.

I made several of these with different papers and stock. The two pictured are examples of a holiday cover and an all occasion cover. I love the versatility of the all occasion card stock. With the theme family and friends, it can be used in so many ways. Rather than cover up the wording on this cover, I added brads to the prominent O's for a little extra accent. The holiday cover has words for a winter wonderland. Since snow was the prominent word on this one, I added a snowflake. These pads are easy to make and fun to give. You just have to be sure to measure the thickness of your pads for each one, as different suppliers have more or less paper in them. The thicker ones may require you to adjust the cover folds a little so the front lays flat. The mini pens I got from Staples. I really found a bargain there as they were on clearance on line. And with a $50 order, Staples delivers for free, usually the next day. Can't beat that!!

Be sure to give these s try! Teachers, including Sunday School teachers, are always needing post its! My Mom loves these for her shopping lists! So many ways you can use them and they fit nicely in a purse or organizer! They can be refilled, too, by removing the last page of paper on the new pad and pressing it into place! That's always a plus!

I am off to fill holiday orders! The teacher survival kits have been a biggy this year as have the jumbo clip bookmarks! We also have the Christmas party for the Seniors group at church this Saturday so lots to do! And I still have boxes to ship to my daughter and her family in Germany! Oh my! I better get at it!

Hope you all have a wonderful day and you get a chance to drop by again soon! I've got some hot chocolate and some cranberry oatmeal cookies just waiting!!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Jumbo Paperclip Bookmark

Hello! Welcome to Bountiful Blessings!

Just a simple little goodie to share today! I made several of these jumbo paperclips for a craft fair and to give out to friends.

I found the clips at Walmart in the office supply section. I punched two 2" scallop circles from white card stock. On one, I added a 3D snowflake sticker (I also found at Walmart in craft section). You could use any image or sentiment here. I joined the circles over the "open" end of the clip with glue dots. You can embellish further with ribbon but I chose to keep it simple. Glitter is beautiful but tends to make a mess for the recipient. Jewel brads and buttons are also very pretty. I packaged them in cello envelopes and added a printed topper which I stamped with snowflakes.

Quick, easy and beautiful! Gotta love it!

Have a wonderful day and I look forward to your return visit!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Front Fold Gift Card Holder

Hello blogging friends!

I have another gift card holder to share with you! This one folds under a front flap and can also be for any occasion. I went with the Christmas theme and plan to use this one for a friend. You can view a video tutorial of this holder over at Dawn's Stamping Studio.

I started with white card stock and then added the Christmas paper. The present on the front is a chipboard piece adhered with dimensionals. The inside slot, punched with a word window punch, is shown beside the front of the holder. These come together very quickly and add a very nice touch to a gift card or money gift. You could even slide movie tickets into it!

Hope you have enjoyed seeing this version and you will come back soon! Have super weekend!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Holiday Wallet

Hello and Welcome!

I wanted to dress up the usual gift card this year so I decided to go with some paper wallets for the male members of the family. The instructions for these has been around forever but Dannie Graves has an excellent video on this wallet that you can view here I started with black card stock and embossed the outer piece with the Argyle CB folder. It looks like worn leather IRL. Then I attached the inner pieces with double sided tape only on the outer edges. (Gosh, I love my ATG gun!) Sticky tape is also great for this project! I then rounded the corners of the outside piece. You can also pierce the outer piece all the way around and "connect the dots" to make really nice faux stitching. Once you have all the pieces cut out and placed in order, it is a simple wallet to put together. Just be sure to attach the OUTSIDE corners first! I made several and used warm rich colors to simulate the leather. I like this one especially because you can put in a gift card or cash (or check or MO or...oh you get the drift) or both. These are perfect for those gifts that need to be sent in the mail! I stamped the Holiday Wishes on white stock and cut out with deco scissors. I adhered it to the wallet with tape again as I wanted to keep it flat as possible for mailing. I have sold these at craft fairs and people are amazed how much like a real wallet it is.

Now that the grandkids are older and have almost EVERYTHING one could wish for, I decided a gift card or cash was in order. This project let me put in "Grandma's touch" and still make them happy! Bless their hearts!!

If you have any questions about this project or any other one on my blog, please email me. I would love to help if I can.

Have a wonderful week and stop by when you get the chance! I have several little gift items I will be sharing in the coming days. Just remember to take time for you and to be sure to reflect on the real reason for the season!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Christmas Nail Ornament

Hello Friends! Happy Monday!

Today I would like to share with you an ornament that I have made the past few years for friends and family. It is a printed poem and nail. The poem I print in multiple copies on white card stock. It prints with its own border so I just have to cut out. The nails used are masonry nails which you can get at Home Depot. There are several sizes and I chose to go with the large ones this year. I cut two slits in the stock and slipped the nail in. I then punched two holes in the top corners and added eyelets. This size nail is fairly heavy so I wanted to be sure the paper would not tear. I used craft wire to form the hanger and added two tiny red bows. You can also just use ribbon for a hanger if you chose. I can't provide a link to the poem page I print but if you would like a copy, email me and I will try to send the poem to you and you can use your print works of choice to make multiple copies in the size you want. Be sure to enlarge the pic so you can read the whole poem. It is a beautiful reminder of what the Christmas season is really about.

Hope everyone has a fantastic week! A busy one for me as the holiday festivities are beginning and there is lots of cooking to do! Combine that with the cards still to make and you have a bit of a frenzy! And I love every minute of it! Hope you will come by often and leave a comment or suggestion. It always makes my day to hear from friends!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Altered Mini Composition Book

Hello and Happy Monday!

Today's project is a simple but fun way to welcome the Christmas season! It is a mini composition notebook that I altered with holiday papers. I started by measuring the front and back surfaces of the book. I have found that even the same company may not always have the same size books or pads. Each manufacturer has its own measurements. I cut the covers from holiday patterned paper and adhered it to the book with double sided tape. You could also use a liquid glue or gluestick. I like the tape because there is no drying time and it has a strong hold. I then measured a piece for the spine and adhered that as well. This was a contrasting piece cut from another pattern. I added a snowflake foam die cut to make the cover a little more festive yet keep the adornments simple so this could be carried in a purse or backpack without worrying about pulling off all the accents. I also included a mini gel pen that I purchased from Staples. Super simple but a great little gift for a friend or student and a great stocking stuffer!

Thanks for stopping in today and I hope each of you has a wonderful week and blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Altered Desk Set

Hello and Welcome!

With Christmas fast approaching, I wanted to get ahead with some gift sets. This desk set includes a Jr. Legal Pad, Bookclip, Binderclip, and Matching Pen.

I used burgundy card stock for the base of the pad cover and layered patterned paper. I added the ribbon before I adhered the paper. I used the scallop punches for the bookclip and a jumbo paper clip. I adhered the patterned paper to the binder clip and used the RSVP pen so I could add matching paper to the barrel.

I hope to make several of these sets as gifts. They are fairly simple and make a nice gift for friends and coworkers. I think my sister-in-law has her eye on this one!

Hope you are all having a good week and not getting too busy to enjoy the season!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Teacher Survival Kit

Hello Everyone! Well, I am living proof there is life after a craft show! You plan, prepare and plan some more and in a day, it's all done! Whew! It's definitely a learning experience!

The show I participated in was not a huge success for me in sales but I did enjoy the creative process. And, now I have plenty of gifts for friends! LOL!

One of the items I sold is this Teacher Survival Kit. A fun little goodie for those who work so hard. I made sure to include lots of chocolate for those energy spurts needed and to soothe those frazzled nerves!

This is a pillow box door hanger that I made from patterned card stock. Since the CS was white on one side, I folded over the hanger back to keep the pattern showing. I printed the contents of the kit on the computer and adhered that piece to the back of the box. The snowflake was cut with Nesties, glittered and adhered with double sided tape. I had some issues with the contents being too much for the box and putting excess pressure on the box seam so next time I do these I will shorten the list.

I will have other items to show in the days ahead. Like I said before, this was a learning experience and I have a much better idea now of what to include in any future shows.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! I hope to get some rest and enjoy some non-assembly line crafting! It will be nice to relax and just go clean and simple for a while!

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon. I have missed my blog and my blogging friends while I was in "show mode". Now it's back to my normal craziness!

Blessings to you all,
Vicki

Holiday Notepad

Hello and Welcome! I have been busy working on projects to sell at a craft fair in a few weeks. Time is slipping away but I am having a good time crafting!

One of the items I came across this week made me want to take a break from the craft fair items and try this notepad cover. It fits a jr. legal pad.

I got the instructions for this cover here. Just scroll down to post #2. It is all made from a reblessed 2 pocket folder. Those of you who know me well, know how excited I was to find this! Since my folder was rather on the wild side, I made a few adjustments to the original instructions. I completely covered my surfaces with ice green card stock. I then made a spine cover from some Christmas holly card stock. For the front I punched three ornaments with the SU ornament punch. The red one is dotted with green glitter pen to give it some sparkle. These are attached to the cover with dimensionals. I used narrow gold ribbon for the hangers and bows. I also covered the top of the pad inside with this decorative paper. This folder opens right to left, but you also have a folder that opens left to right with these instructions. Perfect for a left-handed person!

Hope you have enjoyed your visit here today! Feel free to look around and let me know what you think. And do come by often! There's no telling what I may post next!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Fall Fun!!

Hello and Welcome!
I wanted to share some of the goodies with you that were made for our Senior group at church. We had such an awesome time with music and fellowship!
We had these favors at each place setting.

The candy corn favor was made by cutting out the shape and then cutting color pieces for the front. The colors and spiritual reference on the back was printed with Print Shop on the computer and then cut to fit the shape. I put the candy corn in small zip bags and then layed it between the two pieces on a bottom piece.

The Happy Fall Y'all bag was printed from Alenka's Printables. I printed them on copy paper to make them easier to fold. Inside I put a zip bag with a Fun Fall Mix which consisted of dry roasted peanuts and the brown candy corn. Eaten together, it tastes just like a Payday candy bar. Some other names for the mix are Turkey Treats or Gobbler Goop!

I also made each one a pillow box door hanger and filled it with assorted candies and the single serve pouches of decaffinated coffee. These were made so they could "pass it forward" if they wished to. The hanger could be used again to leave a little something on someone's door. They are perfect for the nursing facilities and for those seniors that can't get around very well.

I also wanted to share some pics of our fellowship hall after it was set up for the dinner. We used multi-colored tablecloths in Fall colors and used Fall decorations for the centers. Each place setting had a napkin folded with cutlery inserted in the fold and the favors. When you serve buffet style, it is just easier to have the table set up so you aren't juggling plates, silverware and cups. We also had corn shocks in the corners with decorative ribbon, straw brooms decorated with Fall flowers and leaves falling from the ceiling. We took silk leaves, knotted them with fishing line in different lengths and then wrapped the other end around a toothpick. The toothpick was placed under the ceiling tiles at the joints. It looked like the leaves really were falling.
And the colors made the room look wonderful.

Hope you may have been inspired to try one of our decorations. It is so much fun and makes folks feel really special. We'll be doing the room decor again for Christmas and I will try to share those with you once we have things set up.

Thanks for the visit! Come on back soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Spice Cake Pumpkin

Hello everyone! Hope your week is going well!

I want to share with you today a pic of the cake I made for our Senior group function at church. Many there thought it was a fake and only for decoration! But it was a ready to eat cake.

I baked two bundt cakes and stacked them tops together. This was a spice cake pumpkin. I made the orange frosting and used the design on the cake to add texture to the pumpkin. The bottom border is English ivy leaves. The top is a combination of silk leaves and a real pumpkin stem. The stem makes all the difference! I have to admit that I got a pretty strange look from the produce guy when I asked for just the stem! He had a big grin and cut a stem for me. I explained I needed it for a pumpkin shape cake and he seemed relieved!

The cakes can be made well ahead and frozen if necessary. The frosting will last up to a month if kept tightly covered and refrigerated. I store all my frosting in zip lock bags and freeze any leftovers for the last minute cupcakes or cookies.

It was fun to see the reactions to this cake and one lady even winced when I went to cut it! The double cake makes for nice big slices so you may need a bigger plate than regular dessert size or flip one layer over the other when you plate it. You could also carve a face into the cake if you need a jack-o-lantern.

Thanks for stopping by today and letting me share some of the fun stuff I get to do besides paper crafting. Hope you will come back often!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

The Lord's Supper

Good Morning! I have something a little different to share with you today! I wanted to showcase a project my Mom has done for our church.

This picture doesn't show the real detail of the project but if you enlarge it, you can see the stitches better where my Mom crocheted this Lord's Supper. It is a huge piece (3' x 5') and she did it in record time. The picture is angled because of reflection from the camera.

I love to craft but I can never match the talent my Mom has! This masterpiece is now hanging in our church fellowship hall. What an heirloom!

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you will stop by again soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Pumpkin Post Its

Another Fall project for you today! This post it note holder was fun and easy to do. I first cut the cardboard and then covered it with patterned paper on the front and white card stock on the back. I stamped the pumpkin image on oranfe card and then embossed it. It is layered onto the board with pop dots. I used my Big Bite for the eyelets and threaded black craft wire through. A simple bow and adhered the notes and that's it! We can never have enough post its, can we?

Hope you have enjoyed your visit and will come back often!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Happy Fall Y'all !

Hello and welcome! I realize it isn't officially fall yet, but it sure seems like it with the weather changes! And, of course, we are all working on fall themed projects! So that makes it fall, right? We'll have to include autumn in this, too!

I have a fall project today that I thoroughly enjoyed working on! I got to stamp and stamp some more! I created my own background paper for this pillow box doorhanger! I used two leaf stamps and went to town on orange cardstock!!I used a smaller leaf stamp as a filler. I also used the stamps as templates for the metallic leaves on the front. I used a large oval punch to make the doorknob opening. Then I added the green raffia bow to finish the look. All I can say is FUN...oh one more time...FUN!

Now I need your help! Do you think this sort of thing would be a good seller at a fall craft show? Wouldn't it be awesome to have this much fun making something and it sell, too?!?!? I need your honest opinions!

Thanks so much for your visit and I want to wish each of you Happy Fall Y'all!!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Mark My Place

Hello and Happy Labor Day! Hope everyone is enjoying some time off!

I have some bookmarks to share with you today. I made these as part of the Scripture Bookmark Swap on SCS. This is my first swap and I am excited to see what comes in the mail!
I used a heavy textured card stock for the base of these. I then layered patterned paper. I stamped the florette and the scripture verse on vanilla card stock and layered that. As you can see, I rounded all the corners with a corner punch. As a final touch I added jumbo grommlets with my awesome Big Bite and then added yarn tassels. The back of the bookmark looked pretty rough where the grommlet came through so I punched small circles and made reinforcement tabs where the "teeth" were showing and adhered those. These were fun to make and I hope to make some more in different styles for a craft show I am doing in November.

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing my fun. Hope you will come back often and leave comments with your thoughts and opinions. I love hearing and learning from each of you!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Junk Mail Journal

Hello everyone! Hope your weekend is starting well! Today I have a reblessed item I received in the mail. It was an advertising booklet. As soon as I saw it, I knew I was going to make it into something else! I didn't even look to see who was advertised! The small photo shows the before version. This started out as a 12 page booklet. I glued some of the pages together to strengthen them. Then I proceeded to pick out the paper and cover the outside and inside with coordinating patterns. Now, what was once junk mail, has become my new idea journal! I will keep it handy to jot down notes on craft ideas or layouts or product use. I just can't seem to rely on my memory for those things anymore! Hmm....I find the cheerful paper inspiring already! LOL! Hope you enjoy it too! I am off to the craft room while the notion is still hot! Bless you for stopping by and hurry back! Hope you have a safe and blessed holiday weekend! To the craft room...AWAY and OH HAPPY DAY!!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

A Very Special Thank You

Hello Friends! I want to start by saying a special thank you to all those who left sweet, kind, and inspiring words on my blog as I "hit the wall"! You will never know how much comfort and encouragement you have given me. God bless you all! I am trying to get back in the groove with this card today. The images are from a 3D sheet I found on Picasa. There are actually four layers of the focal image. I printed it out on glossy photo stock, trimmed out the layers, and mounted them with glue dots.
It involves a lot of detail cutting and a LOT of glue dots but is well worth the effort. IRL this card looks like a genuine antique. I love the vintage look and I think I will try to do some more of these to make a collection. Today this card is for all my cyber friends who have enriched my life and made the days so much brighter! You are all "Very Special Friends"! Blessings to all!