Strawberry Box

I was lurking on Split Coast today and ran across a "strawberry box" that was done by Lisa Young (blog- Add ink and stamp)  She used some stamping up dies and the big shot to make hers.  Check out her site for directions.  I made a similar looking pattern but made it a SVG and cut it out.  I like the way it ended up.  My flaps were not perfect, but it looked ok.

It is hard to tell in my pictures but the top strawberry part is embossed with swiss dots.  The brown is left plain.  I will do it a little differently next time.  I made a tag for it and it will go to preschool with Karson for the class party.  His teacher will get this one.  We also made butterfly suckers for the class.  It's a real challenge to craft with a 3 year old.  He wanted to eat all the candy, wanted to make the butterfly's fly all over the room and put heart stickers all over each butterfly.  He did like the cuttle bug, but tried to stick his fingers in it and roll the handle.  Uh...NO!!  He went from that to the really sharp scissors I keep for detail work.  We had a little discussion on chopped off fingers and he took some ribbon and was happy to wrap up his new McQueen car.  I wish things were always that easy.  When you get bored just get some ribbon and wrap something up.   Frankly I am too tired to be bored.  We were up at 6 am and went strong until 7pm.  He was talking one minute and fell asleep the next.  Just like I am going to be doing soon.  In my recliner, with my little dogs.  

Happy Crafting!

Valentines Candy

Well Crafty Neighbor Barb was tied up all day today with the grand kids so I thought I would try out a few "ideas" I had for Hershey bar covers.  We had some left over candy bars from Christmas and were going to use them for Valentines Day, and Easter.  Here is what I came up with.

Here is what it looks like open

I used a paper flower I got in a grab bag and some $.99 cent foam accents that I found somewhere.

The next one, I took some heart shapes and welded them together using my Sure Cuts Alot program.  Then I put another heart in the center of them.  The lock and key is a SVG  from "Jennifer Collector of Hobbies" blog.  Thank you so much for sharing that!! 

Here it is open, you can't tell but the "key" stands up away from the lock.  The bottom hearts are embossed also.   The pictures don't make this look as good as this does for real.  Maybe if I had that $700.00 picture taking thing it would look better.  I will try to think up a way to justify buying that...

The last cover I did is this one.

I used Jennifer's SVG again and welded some smaller hearts together.  The larger heart is embossed, and applied with foam dimensionals to lift it away from the base for a 3-D look, and has some stickels on it.  Here is what it looks like open.

I think this last one is my favorite so far.  I took a strip of coordinating base paper and used it at the top of the candy bar, punched a hole in it and put the ribbon on.  To make the sleeve I used a sheet of paper 7 1/2 inches by 6 inches.  It is scored on the 6 inch side at 1 1/2 inches and 1 3/4 inches and again at 4 1/8 and 4 3/8th.  Fold the score lines well and make sure it is square.  When you glue the back seam make sure it is square before you secure it or the "box" will be lopsided.  If it is too long, you can trim the bottom.  If the sleeve is too loose, you can glue the bottom shut and the candy bar will not fall through.   Punch a hole in the top for some cute ribbon and you are all set.  I covered the inside chocolate bar with 1/2 sheet of printer paper.  You can print or stamp what ever you want on the inside.  I think a Victorian type cover would be cute too.  I may work on that one tomorrow.  I need Crafty Neighbor Barb to help create something new.   Ok, Barb work at your real job quickly tomorrow so we can play!  I would hate to show up at the City building pounding on the door like Sheldon on the Big Bang Theroy.  Barb...Barb...Barb....Barb....Barb....Barb....

Scrappin Saturday

Wowza!  Spent an entire Saturday sitting among Super Scrappers.  The creative vibes were permeating the entire room.  When I walked in and saw all the cutting machines, embossing stuff, sticker makers, etc, etc., I could hardly believe my eyes.  Computers, layout books, stamps, and ink pads were everywhere.  The best part was everyone shared their toys too!  Then there was the food.  I must say if you didn't get full it was totally your own fault.  I made some Butterfly Boxes.

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You can get the free SVG here.  The wing tips are held together with Velcro dots.  This way the wings pull apart and the middle unfolds and the box can be used again.  They are too cute to tear up.  I also made some Box Cards and this is the only one left not already given away.

The bottom of this is a 5x11 inch of card stock with a 5x3 inch pop up center.  I will try to post directions later.  The last was a Valentines Pop Up Box.  You can find the layouts for this type of box all over the Internet.  Search for "impossible box"  or "Pop Up Box."  This makes it's own lid when you push the top down.  Spiffy! 

I also worked on pop up cards and it took me 3 hours to figure out how to make an SVG that would cut correctly.  I will post some pictures of my cards when I get them done.  I can now make lots of shapes "pop up" out of a card and I just have to cut it out on the cricut.  I love my Sure Cuts Alot software!  I am so glad I had it before Provo Craft got the burr up their hind end and ruined all the fun by making it illegal to buy it and use it with their products anymore.   I think they got the message when so many of us dumped their products.  I am keeping what I have but won't buy new provo craft items.   I wish I could spend some more time absorbing the creative vibes from the scrap today, but it's my Mother in Law's 90th Birthday!   We are having a big party for her at the assisted living center. 

Happy Crafting!

TGIF Eve

Working is so overrated.  The sad fact when you are a business owner is no work, no pay so off I will go.  There is a big scrapping weekend event happening here.  It starts on Friday.  I am in hopes I can drag my stuff from the crap room (yes it's messed up again hence the name change) and join the group Saturday.  I have several projects in mind and I hope I get to work on them.  I came across a picture that just cracks me up.  It is SO something my brothers would do. 

We have so many GI Joe stories from the "old" days.  They had every GI Joe made plus all the accessories when they were little.  When Joe went out on a mission with those boys, he knew it might be his last.  I have visions of Joe with a rope tied to his waist braving the "toilet rapids".  The rope was on just to make sure Joe could be extracted in the event he went a little to far down the drain.  It also saved a spanking from Dad when he had to pull the toilet to get something out that didn't belong there.  He dangled hanging out the camper door at the end of a fishing pole bouncing down Route 66 several times.  Not to worry the chain was on the outside of the camper door keeping it from flying all the way open.  It opened just far enough to let Joe outside.  Dad didn't fall off the old turnip truck yesterday.  He saw people going around him flipping him off and wondered exactly what was going on back there.  Hey, we were tired of playing cards.  Yep old Joe covered many firecracker bombs with his body to save the rest of the squad more than once.  If we only had now what we had then.  Someone would be rich.  Original GI Joe's are fetching a pretty price.   Ahh...the stuff you remember looking at a random pic found on the internet.

Valentines Wreath

I decided to try to make a valentines wreath out of paper flowers.   I think it came out pretty good.  It is a little time consuming but worth the effort.  I used coffee filter flowers and put them on a painted cardboard heart.  I stuck some Penny Duncan leaves in between some of the flowers for a splash of green. 

Ok Crafty Neighbor Barb, we are not doing this for a class but I bet we could come up with a simple arrangement.  You make the sample arrangement and I will clap and cheer you on!  Whew!  Guess I better get some makeup on and get busy.   I have a lot to do today now that I got my challenge out of the way.

Interesting...

After so many cold mornings this week, I find myself not wanting to go one last time to Mom and Dads to feed the horses for them.   I hate the cold.  Leaving the warm house is hard when my butt hits the old cold seat of the truck,  It takes exactly one mile before I can turn on the heater to start warming up. The good thing is that they are coming home today so I won't have to make an evening trip too.  Don't get me wrong, I am glad they are around so it's really not a problem.  My first surprise is how much warmer it is today.  37 degrees.  The small warm front came through during the night.  Nice.  As I am leaving town, I think about what someone said to me this week.  They asked me "why in the world do you like Kansas when you come from the West Coast and the beaches?"  Well, as I drive I love seeing all the winter wheat neatly out in the fields along the roadside.  Not row after row of houses never ending.  It looks like planted grass all the same height and huge blankets of green among the brown dead grasses in the ditches.  I saw a female woodpecker by the side of the road, and noticed that around a wooded pasture the poles have large purple bands painted on them.  (unprinted signs that there is NO hunting)  There just happens to be a rather large flock of turkeys that live there.  Nice, they are safe inside that area.  It is neat to see the huge Toms spreading their tails and bobbing their heads as they mingle with the hens some mornings.  I love seeing the wildlife.  Thing number two I love about Kansas.

Cotton harvest is winding up too.  There are little cotton bolls all along the road.  Kind of like crumbs of bread leading you on an adventure should you choose to try it.  If you were to follow them you would end up at the cotton gin.  It could be a game with kids.  See who could follow the trail of cotton.  You would be led down dirt roads, highways and then you would see a rather large building with heaping piles of cotton seeds alongside the huge cotton bales.  As I am mulling this over, HEY...what in the heck is in the ditch?  Well bless Bess, it's a couch.  Now that got there sometime between 5pm yesterday and 8 am this morning.  They knew they lost it too.  All the cushions are piled on the seat.  Now why would you not pick it up and dispose of it yourself?  All it needs is the "free" sign on it and it would be like the big city.  Crap everywhere it's not supposed to be.  They could have at least taken it a couple miles to the landfill gate and dropped it there.  Guess the state will haul it off.  That leads me to the thought they should be taking prisoners out in the fresh air to pick up the ditches.  They can't run too far and there is not much cover to hide them if they want to run.  It's a win win situation.  They get some much needed exercise and the ditches lose some litter.  They could hire some of the guys from the feed lot to sit on their horses and if anyone wanted to run off they could rope them and drag them back.  Less chains on the prisoners would mean they could work faster and cover more ground.

Reality would go more like this, someone would get chaffed from the shackle's, whine and get compensation.  Then I would have to pay twice.  Once to keep them fed,watered, entertained with cable TV, sports equipment and a warm place to hang out.  Then they would seek compensation for being hurt on a job.  No matter they broke the law to get there in the first place.  Ah, I say make them work for their food.  Thats what I have to do.

As I head home I notice how amazing the clouds are this morning.  The have ripples in them like the beaches when the tide goes out.  Sometimes the sand gets mounded up like rows in the fields.  I think I need a beach fix.  Maybe this is my sign I can do that this summer.  When it's warmer, and the days are longer.  Reason number three I like Kansas.  We have amazing sunsets and sunrises.   These are just 3 reasons I like Kansas.  I have hundreds.  It's not all flatland here either.  Around my house it's mostly flatter areas.  I like that.  I can see the storms building up and tornados coming.

Guess I will just have to be dreaming of the beaches this summer.   I think the clouds were a sign I will be seeing them soon.  Hope so...

Ok, I am UP!

We woke up this morning about 3:30 am to one of the little dogs whining.  Now since that never happens, I figured I better get up and let her out.  It's freezing outside this morning.  There are a million stars shining so brightly.  I had to stick my head out and look.  Then, the other dog wanted out too.  I had to shut the back porch door so they would not run past me and into the nice warm bed in my room and made more noise.  I went back to bed after the hubby wakes up wanting to know what was going on.  Nice, now I am really awake.  I lay there for a while and I noticed there was no snoring going on..."are you awake too?"   "Yes".  So we lay there for a while.  Thirty minutes later I hear "you know you forgot about one thing this evening when you were talking about spending my money."  "What are you talking about??" I asked.   So we go back to a conversation we had last night.  Thirty minutes later I hear "we could go to Walmart and go grocery shopping."  WHAT? "We could just wear our pajama's like everyone else" he says laughing.   This from a man who would rather be shot than go there.  I suggested turning on the TV.  Nope, let's just get up.  Ok.  

Just for fun I peek out the living room window to see if there are any lights on at Crafty Neighbor Barbs. If she was on my skype list we could visit and kill some time.  Nope.  I make the coffee, get the dogs up, and turn on the TV.  I didn't realize so many "educational" programs are on 200 channels at 4:30 am.  Where are all the old familiar TV re-run shows?  Andy Griffith?  Beaver?  AWOL.  I can learn how to lift my butt, get sexy hair, chop food easier, get abs of steel or even make money without spending any.  I am not really interested in getting a sexier butt, or abs of steel.  I should be,  but I am a realist and I know this older saggy butt just won't snap back into shape anymore.  Gravity has taken it's toll.  Do I need Sexier Hair?  Why?  I thought my hair looked pretty good and what the heck I am not trolling for a new man.  Nothing says "looking" like sexy hair.   Guess I will have to "pintrest" and catch up on stamp TV.  The car racing show my hubby is watching just is not very interesting.  There are lots of women on there with their husbands surprisingly enough.  I bet one of our paper purses would look cute hanging from a rear view mirror of one of those cars.  One that looked retro of course.  HEY Barb, that's something we might look into.  Street rod bling for those gals!

Wishing I were still sleeping....