DIY Gold and Silver Acetate Boxes for Cookies and Gifts

I absolutely love to personalize the gifts I give by dressing them up with pretty cards and boxes.  Even better when I can DIY my own box or bag to perfectly fit!!

My hostess last week makes the most AMAZING cookies so when I was planning the projects to share at her party, I knew I had to share something fun that she could use to package her cookies.  (Please note - I'm not a baker, I imagine cookies will be put in food safe bags first.)

I used the new Fundamentals All About Gold acetate sheets to create these quick and easy boxes and now I am addicted and I keep coming up with more cool ways of using these sheets (stay tuned!!)

Here's a video to show you how to make them.  I've included measurements below.





DIY Acetate Box Measurements

Buy Your All About Gold Acetate Here

Top/Bottom - Cardstock
4.25"x 4.25"
Score at 11/16 from each edge.

Acetate Middle
You can choose any height.
Samples are 4" x 11.5" and 6" x 11.5"
Score along 11" side at 2.75", 5.5". 8.25" and 11"

Embellishments
Z3260 Thin Cuts - Hearts
Flower Market Cricut Cartridge - Buy Your Cartridge Here 

CTMH Rustic Home and Flower Market Daisies

I cannot tell you how much fun I had making this card!!!

It all started because I decided that I was going to use the Daisies from the Flower Market Cricut Cartridge as the theme for a birthday party at my work. I got started by cutting a bunch of daisies.  I mean if you're going to cut one... why not cut a bunch, right?  FYI - the centers take a really long time to cut. LOL

So I had this little pile of Daisies on my desk and I suddenly thought they would look fabulous on craft paper.  The minute I pulled out my Rustic Home Fundamentals Paper Packet, I knew it was going to be the perfect combination!!

Products Used - Click Here to Buy Them Now. 

CTMH Flower Market Cricut Cartridge 

Rustic Home Fundamentals Paper Pack

Cocoa, Honey, Canary and Barn Red (Retired) Cardstock

Artfully Sent Lattice Birthday Card

The more I play with the overlays on the Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge, the more I love them!!!  I think part of the trick is to keep the paper behind the overlay simple.  It needs to be a small print or a solid cardstock so that the pattern doesn't compete with the overlay.

Artfully Sent Love Banner

I had so much fun making this fun banner!!

 

Using the CTMH Designer Creations ruby bags and the CTMH cricut cartridges made it come together so fast!

Supplies and Assembly tips:

• Lay out all your bags on your work surface.
• Lay your string/ribbon about 1 1/4 inches down from the top of the bag.  
• Fold down the top of the bag and secure with tape runner along the edge.  This creates a "channel" for the string/ribbon to slide through.

Supplies Used:
Z2004 Lagoon Hearts Washi tape - 7.95
Z2988 Black Striped Twill Ribbon -  6.95
Lagoon, White Daisy, Black and Cranberry Cardstock
Various found ribbons

Cricut cuts with Explore codes:

Artbooking Cricut Cartridge
Connected Hearts Border - #46CCB
Heart Banner Border #M3EF31

Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge
Font
Heart Arrow Pocket Card - #MCE019
Heart Pocket Card - #MCDF39

All of the little red/black hearts were cuts leftover from other Artfully Sent projects.

You can order all of the CTMH supplies from my website:  

Happy New Year - CTMH National Papercrafting Month

Happy New Year!!  I am looking forward to 2015 and lots of fun with Close To My Heart!  In February I am going on the Close To My Heart incentive trip to Disney Aulani thanks to my buddy Bren, I'm hosting another fun retreat at Rabbit Hill Ranch in March, planning to teach at the 2015 Scrappin Escapes retreats and we're headed to Disneyland in July for our annual convention.  Whew...so much fun already in the works.

In order to get started on the right foot, I spent almost two weeks in December organizing my stamp room, planning projects, cutting kits, writing blog posts and scheduling facebook updates so I can guarantee I have a ton to share with you!!

Let's get started with...National Papercrafting Month!!

 When you make a qualifying purchase of $50 you can purchase the Year >> Noted kit for only $5.  The kit includes printed papers and cardstock and a stamp set.  For just $5 more you can add the My Creations kraft mini album.

The package is designed to help you put together a "time capsule" scrapbook.  You can keep track of your goals, accomplishments, adventures and highlights throughout the year.  Then "seal" up your book with the large gold seal, pack it away and open it in the future....

Tips and Ideas

• You can write on the gold foil stickers with a permanent pen!
• You receive a piece of blue and peach cardstock in the kit.  Cut flowers and embellishments out on your cricut to use throughout your book.
• Remember to save room for the photos you will be adding!

 

 

 

I'm Crazy For You - CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Card

I'm continuing with my creations using the "N" key on the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge

Today I used the "Scene" function key and cut my card at the 7" size suggested in the manual.

To add more visual interest and to make the saying pop a little bit more, I added some Lagoon cardstock behind the saying and the flower. I also dry embossed the flap on the card and then lightly sanded to created the striped front.

Products Used:

• Chalk It Up Paper Pack
• Black Enamel Stars
• Unknown Ribbon
• Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge

All CTMH supplies may be purchased at my website stamptildawn.ctmh.com

CTMH Artfully Sent Pocket Card Fun

One of the fun features on the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge is the pocket card key!!  The pocket cards are designed to be cut to fit the Picture My Life sheet protectors for quick and easy scrapbook fun...but they can be OH SO MUCH MORE!!!

You can:

• Use them as mattes on scrapbook pages
• Fold them in half to create bag toppers
• Write a little note on them and tuck them into lunches
• Add them to a card base and make a card
• And much, much more....

Today I experimented to the pocket cards on the "9" key and the "R" key

On card number 1 - I trimmed the bicycle pocket card and layered onto a white card base, then I added the saying from the "R" pocket card and added a ribbon.  Quick, easy and fun!

Remember that bicycle from card number 1?  Well I took the pieces, added them to a piece of White Daisy Cardstock and created another card!  The "Hello" stamp is from the Artfully Sent Cricut Bundle and comes with the cartridge!!

And last but not least, I used the rest of the pocket card with the saying, to create one more card.  

And there you have it... I cut two pocket cards out of a piece of cardstock from the Enchantment Paper Fundamentals pack and made three quick and easy greeting cards....and I still had quite a bit of paper left. 

Products Used:

• Z2031 Paper Fundamentals - Enchantement Assortment
• X254 Cards and Envelopes - White Daisy
• Z3017 Cricut Artfully Sent Collection
• Miscellaneous Ribbon

You can order all of these products at stamptildawn.ctmh.com

Artfully Sent - N Key - Love Bug

As soon as I flipped through the Artfully Sent cartridge book the first time, I knew the "N" key was going to be a favorite!!!  I love that little Love Bug and I am sure I am going to keep looking for reasons to use it.

The first card I decided to cut was the "Pop-Up" Card.  I used the Explore for mine, but on the other cricut machines you would use the "N" key to cut the outside of the card and the "N/Shift" to cut the pop-up insert.  Then you will cut the Love Bug using the Icon Key and the "n" and the "N/Shift."

I cut the "Love Bug" saying twice. Once with solid Lagoon and once with the printed paper.  Then I trimmed the flower with my scissors and layered it.

I cut an extra Love Bug for the outside of my card and repeated the pattern paper on the front to tie it all together.  I love, love, love this card.  My husband loved it so much that he asked me to create one for his Dad.  On his Dad's card I cut the numbers that represented his birthday (73) and added them to the hood, ala Herbie. LOL

Products Used:

X7184B Chalk It Up Paper Packet

Z3017 Artfully Sent Collection (Birthday saying is included on one of the stamp sets)

Z1792 Awards Dimensional Elements

All items available for purchase at www.stamptildawn.ctmh.com

CTMH Artfully Sent Halloween Pop-Up Card

Continuing my love affair with the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge and my Halloween projects...

Today I whipped up a pop-up card.  I learned to make pop-up cards about 18 years ago, but as you know...I don't feature them much on my blog.  Why?  I am too lazy and impatient!!  That makes the Artfully Sent cartridge perfect for me. LOL  I think I can handle pushing a button or two and loading the paper.  Now I am going to be the popup Queen!!

I kept the outside of the card fairly simple and I just cut out a few images from the patterned paper in the Scaredy Cat Paper Packet...

Everything on the inside was cut with one key on the Cricut.  You can't tell in the picture, but I cut the spider out of Purple glitter paper.  I love how easy it is to cut the CTMH glitter paper!!!

There's still plenty of time to create all the Halloween gifts and projects you need.  Just hop on over to my website and order your Cartridge and papers and you'll be all set.

Having fun with the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge

I think I have a new addiction and nobody will be more surprised than I am!!  I always keep it real at my workshops and crops.  If I think something is a good deal I tell you, if I don't...I tell you or I promote something else...

Well....I haven't said much about the new Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge because I wasn't too excited about it.  I hadn't seen very many samples and I just didn't see the "vision" of it....Boy oh boy has that changed!  I love this cartridge!!!  It is completely different from the rest of our cartridges and the perfect complement to my collection!!

Okay, Okay... enough blabbing, it's time to start sharing some samples.

With Halloween just a little bit over a month away, it's time to start creating....

One of the features on the cartridge is slide cards.  Typically you make a pouch to slide another card in and out of (wait until you see my gift card ideas!!!) but for Halloween I thought it would be great to turn the pouch for the slide card into a treat pouch.

 

I used the Scaredy Cat Complements to make decorating the pouches quick and easy!

 Another fun way to decorate your projects it to cut out images from the patterned paper in the Scaredy Cat Paper Pack!

You can order your Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge and the Scaredy Cat paper and complements 24/7 on my website. 

Want to get your cartridge for 1/2 off?  Contact me and we'll set up your party (in person or online via Facebook) and when your party reaches $250, you can get your cartridge for 1/2 off!!  What a deal!!!

Embossing is Boss! Got Cardstock?

During the month of February, purchase 2 packs of bulk single or combo colored cardstock and receive your choice of 1 of our 5 new embossing folders FREE!

One of the great things about our embossing folders is that they are 5 x 7!!  That means they will fit a whole standard size card, as well as many other great projects like the strawberry pictured below!

I didn't have my Close to My Heart embossing folders when I made my sample and let me tell you...it was quite tricky to get the whole box into the small embossing folder I was using!  I finally had to let one edge stick out a bit.

After I embossed the cardstock I ran some sandpaper across it to expose the white core.  I love how it turned out!!

The strawberry was cut using the Close To My Heart Artiste Cricut Cartridge 3d object, page 72

Ready to purchase your own Artiste cartridge or take advantage of the Embossing special?  Head on over to my  my website  and order now, or contact me to set-up your own party and earn more product FREE.

Valentine Treat Tube

Here's another project featuring D1560 Holiday Tags.  The labels can be cut with the CTMH Artiste Cricut Cartridge, which makes it quick and easy to whip up a bunch of tags.
.

I cut the cranberry tag from page 37 of the Art Philosophy cartridge

And then cut the white tag 1/4 inch larger using Pg 50.  The wholes didn't line up perfectly so I just re-punched them.

More Artbooking Cricut Cartridge Samples from my booth

I had so much fun sharing tips and ideas featuring the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge at the Close To My Heart (CTMH) convention and on Saturday I got to share them with my Workshop group!!

I would love to share the same info with each of you!!  Book your online Facebook Party.  I'll share fun demos filled with tips and ideas on how to use the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge for your papercraft projects...and you'll earn free product without leaving your house too!!

In the background you can see part of the demo board I used to show the difference between cuts using real dial size and regular dial size.  I also shared how the layers work and how quick and easy it is to create a fabulous scrapbook page.  The easels in front of the board have one 8 x 8 book and my adorable 6 x 6 Halloweeen book that auctioned for $250 in the Operation Smile auction.

Here's a quick and easy card using one of the photomats on the cartridge.  I creased and distressed the corners to make it look like a little frame.

On this card I used one of the overlays from the Artbooking cartridge as well as the arrow and the cut-out circle behind the pumpkin.

I bet you can't even tell that the overlay doesn't fit the card!!!  I cut it and spread it apart so that it looks like it went edge to edge and then hid the gap behind the pumpkin medallion.

Contact me to pre-order your Artbooking Cricut Cartridge (available August 1) or to book your own party (online or in person) and get your cartridge for only $50 (with a qualifying $250 party).

Cricut Artbooking Samples from my booth at CTMH Convention

Once again I was honored to be selected (one of 18!!) to teach at Extravaganza at the Close To My Heart (CTMH) national convention.  It is a huge honor and every year I wait on pins and needles to see if I made the cut.

About a month before convention they send me a box of new product to play with.  This year I received the Huntington Paper Pack, the Cricut Artbooking Cartridge, our new Paper Piercing ruler and a variety of fun accessories that I will highlight throughout my posts.

I was soooo excited when I saw my paper pack!  I love everything about Fall!!

And of course I about died when I saw how fabulous the new Artbooking Cricut Cartridge is!!!!!  I had a blast figuring out how to use the projects the way they were designed and then I started experimenting with what else can be done.  I have so many ideas to share with you!

(Order your Artbooking Cricut Cartridge from me and I'll put you on my list to receive ALL of my fabulous updates and ideas, including those I don't post to the public.  Gotta save something special for my customers ya know. You can order from my website starting 8/1 or contact me to pre-order your cartridge.)

That's enough chatting...time to start sharing the fun!

Each key on the cartridge is designed to create a scrapbook page (variety of sizes, shapes and styles).  I used page 45 to create a quick and easy 8" scrapbook page

I set the dial size to 8" to cut both the base page and the overlay, add a couple of mattes and some embellishments and you are done!  

(The base page is cut from pg. 44 below)

Then I wanted to see how to put some overlays on some cards.... Oh my!!!  Love them!!!  To decide what size to cut my overlays, I set the dial size to 5 1/2 inches (the size of my card).

The autumn terracotta (orange) ribbon below is our color ready ribbon.  It's so fun to create whatever color ribbon you want!!

Lava Cake Birthday Jar featuring CTMH Artiste Cricut Cartridge

I have to tell you, I am sooo BLESSED!!!  I have the MOST amazing customers.  Every month it seems like somebody brings me a goodie or a treat.  Many of them know about my Hello Kitty love and they just can't resist it when they see something cute.  They simply have to bring it to me!  While I am truly grateful, I often think "don't they know I am supposed to spoil them?"

My birthday was last Monday and I got so many fun birthday wishes and surprises!  My buddies left me cards and presents on my porch.  When Candace found out there was not a party happening at my office, she showed up with balloons, cold stone cupcakes and lunch. Suddenly everyone at work had to run an errand and we had a fun afternoon party. LOL.  (Obviously I'm the one that plans all the parties in my department. oops)

I asked permission to share one little gift that just blew me away!  I am glad nobody saw me get  out of my car and run up to my porch to check it out.  It looked so stinkin cute sitting there waiting for me!  Hello it even had a spoon on it!! Love it.

My buddy Sandra used the Artiste Cricut Cartridge and the stamps that come with it to create this adorable lava cake in a jar.  The instructions said it had whipped cream frosting and to heat for 20 seconds in the microwave.  I couldn't eat it that night so I put it in the fridge for a couple of days.  (I'm not sure if it had to be refrigerated or not, but I was worried about the whip cream frosting.) Why oh why did I wait so long.  It was sooooo good.  The whip cream frosting really turned lava like. It was some ooey gooey goodness!!

This is one idea I definitely plan to copy.  I felt to special and loved and it was adorable too.

Thank you to everyone that reminded me how truly blessed I am to know so many fabulous people!!!

Artiste Images:

• Banner - Accent 1 pg 35
• Cupcake - Pg. 69
• Birthday Wishes - Accent - Pg. 77

CTMH Easter Basket using Artiste Cricut Cartridge

Still playing around with the "Spring" key on the Close To My Heart (CTMH) Artiste Cricut Cartridge.  There are so many fun projects on this one little key.  It could keep me busy for a while!

This time I made the cute little strawberry basket and turned it into an Easter basket.  Quick, easy and fun!

I wove some of our Chantilly fabric through the sides of the basket and embellished with the Easter Wishes stamp set.

Products Used:

• Cotton Candy Cardstock
• Cotton Candy ink pad
• Key Lime Cardstock (retired - you could use pear or sweet leaf)
• B1422 Easter Wishes
• Close To My Heart Artiste Cricut Cartridge

In case you missed it - here's the post where I featured the Butterfly Boxes from the same key.