What Kind Of Book Is It?

The answer is, whatever you want it to be!

The Meander Accordian Folded Book has many aliases, so is it any surprise it can be whatever book you want it to be? (This link has a video tutorial if you are that way inclined.)

I made this one to gift to a friend's 5 year old girl - the idea is that she can fill each of the 16 pages with her favourite things. I gave suggestions of favourites, such as favourite song, favourite animal, favourite saying/quote, favourite thing to do, etc...you get the gist. I am thinking I have to do one of these for each of my children each year. This can be my answer to scrapbooking which I know I am not discipline enough to do. The children each can fill their new book each year on their birthday - wow, imagine a collection of these little books for each child journalling how their favourites have change over time. Hmm, I like....

Next one of these I make will be a Baby one - for a newbie born at the beginning of this week.

Hoot Hoot

Well, I'd never have considered myself an owl fan, but how could you not be with these little hooters?



I got the instructions from Darlene (she even has a video tutorial on there) - isn't she a talented lady? I am considering making this birthday card for all the birthdays the rest of this year - that is how much I like them!

For the outside of the card, I thought I ought to try to keep it clean and simple, but still something that will work with the whole owl theme. So here it is:

Stamp Set: Build A Cupcake

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Paper: Pink Cardstock, Mulberry Cardstock, Whisper White, DSP Good Morning Sunshine

Punch: 2-step Owl Punch, Corner Rounder, Large Word Window, Build A Cupcake

Other: various embossing folders, jiggly eyes

All In One

Here's a groovy little project that is like an all-in-one gift, packaging and card - how cool is that?! I have filled this little number with a jewellery set of necklace, ear-rings and bracelet I got handmade for my dear friend's 40th. The fourth box will be filled with chocolates, of course :-)

I first came across this project while browsing the myriad of crafty blogs a month ago. Known as the Stepper Box or Fantasy Box, the instructions for this project, however, does not seem to be found easily with a simple google search. Various links seem to point to Teri Digness who gave the original instructions but her link doesn't appear to work. In the end I got the instructions from here or here.

As is my habit, I haven't followed the instructions entirely. I have seen boxes made with four panels but I chose to make it with 5 panels, as there will be a written note on the fifth panel. I am still thinking what to write, I'm thinking a poem (if I can find a suitable lovely one) or perhaps a Scripture verse. I also feel like it may need some further embellishments on the inside, or maybe I should just keep it simple? It truly is a luxury to have such simple dilemmas, lol! Well, I have a few more days to play with this before I gift it to my friend.

Now for the pictures....

Stamp Set: Priceless (would have used So Swirly stampin wheel if I own one - it's been on the shopping list for ages!)

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Pink and Black Cardstocks (Trophee Brand from The Warehouse Stationery), scrapbook paper from stash

Other: Stampin Up Sticky Tape, ribbon from stash, Sizzix Stars and Swirls Embossing Folder

ETA: with a little more embellishments:

Not An Original

One of the first stamp sets I acquired was Wild ABout You - I hadn't realised it was missing a stamp (and it had to be the much adored lion - grrr!) when I bid on Ebay and of course, I ended up winning the auction. Anyway, I have found that sometimes it takes time (a lot of it!) and effort to "muck" around with stamps to create a card I am excited about. And then I get discouraged, and find that I am not making time for it, so it's a vicious cycle. I have all these stamp sets, and I just want to get them used. So I swallow the pride pill, googled the Wild About You stamp set to see what so many talented people have done with it - wow! I decided to copy (I think sometimes this is referred to as "case"?) one entirely, only I can't link to a blog as it was from an auction site. So there, that's my part in giving the credit of the idea to its rightful owner, and here's the picture of the card I copied/cased (well picture to come when I take the photo in the daylight). Notice I have not put any sentiments on the card so it is flexible what I use it for (though it's probably likely to be a Happy Birthday or Thank You card).

Stamp Set: Wild ABout You

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Real Red

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Whisper White

Other: Double sided tape

I Discovered

Pop-Up cards! I've been on Google looking at examples and techniques lately.

This one, using the spiral circle technique, will be given to the birthday friend tomorrow.

Stamp Set: Priceless

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Whisper White, (Yellow scraps from stash)

Punch: Full Heart, Boho Blossoms, Large Word Window

Other: Stampin Write Marker Real Red, White Gel Pen, Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive

Skittles Cake

Another Cake gift - this time for 11 year old fan of Skittles whose Mum says they (the Skittles lollies) are a birthday treat only.

11 boxes filled with Skittles - sorry Jan (his mum)! His sisters (pictured above, who helped made the boxes) think I will be his best friend now (even though we're almost a month late with the gift.)

Don't these just remind you of Jaffas or Mint Slice? Yum!

Punch: Scallop Edge (actually, these scallop edging were done using a pair of craft scissors I purchased for the kids from Geoff's Emporium for only $1.95!)

Other: Cuttlebug Spots and Dots Embossing Folder

The Cake That Never Runs Out

I saw a sample of a cake slice box, so guess what I did? Google of course! Found this template but I wanted it to open from the top so I modified the template accordingly and photocopy onto a set of pink card stock. As you can see from the pictures, it took 11 cake slices to make one cake.

There is that Swiss Dot embossing folder in use again - see how versatile it is?

And just to show that this "cake" is even filled with a layer of "cream", lol!

All packaged up for the birthday girl turning the big 5 - what a milestone, what a celebration!

Paper: Pink Cardstock (Trophee Brand from The Warehouse Stationery), Whisper White, Purple Cardstock (from old stash, DSP Raspberry Tart scraps

Punch: Butterfly, Scallop Edge, Full Heart

Other: Cuttlebug Swiss Dot Embossing Folder, You're Not The Boss Of Me Alphabet Set

We filled each box with all sorts: ladybird pegs, beads, a NZ Fern Key ring that S7 had that he insisted on gifting to J5, jiggly craft eyes, a small nail polish, a bottle of bubble mixture, necklaces, lollies and chocolate easter eggs.