Cupcake Gift Card Holder

Gift Cards-----just hate them!

I hate Gift Cards! Don’t get me wrong here…I always feel like I did not spend time on the wonderful person who will be celebrating.

It seems so impersonal to me. It the way of the world I guess, instant gratification! I believe that the gift is in the giving, not the receiving. So I ask myself, what the heck do I get out of this gift card! NADA. Just nothing. Zip.

So, I have a beautiful grand niece, whom I dearly love celebrating today! Well, I have no idea what this young lady would love to have at 17…..that’s important to me…to get her something she would love….since I see her rarely, I have no idea. So, to satisfy both needs, here is what I did!

First I made a sticky pad for my notes! ha! off topic, but thought you might like to know how I make these….simple, cut your scrap paper, into squares, use repositionable glue stick at the top of one sheet, then cover, glue top then cover…get the idea! great use for those scraps!

 

I learned how to make the cupcake gift cards by searching the internet….actually, I traveled to a craft show that was held about 5 hours away from my home. There was only one class, I wanted to take. They wanted 40 dollars for the class….I wanted to spend my 40 on supplies, since I spent my money on gas, just to attend….and pay to get in….then I knew I was probably going to be buying some supplies to take back home. Kinda irritates me to pay for classes, well, back to the story, I found the exact same class, online! don’t you just love the internet! I found this wonderful youtube VISUAL direction by The Stamp Goddess from Fabulously Artsy, Called Hey, Cupcake! and of course…..spent way more than $40.00 on supplies on the craft show haul in fact, the ribbon I use later on I purchased from that craft show.

One of the first things you will do is to cut a 6” circle and a 2” circle out of chipboard. I used cardstock instead of the chipboard.

I used my EK Scissor Circle, which I love, but have ruined two craft mat! two I say…. one a long time ago, and one today…I used my scissor circle on top of it. Don’t do this.

Now to figure out what I can do with non-stick circles, 2 inches and 6 inches…oh boy…

I am not going to recreate her video or directions….hers is simply awesome. I will just tell you my tips along the way. When she tells you to cut 2X12 inch strips and accordion fold them every 1/4 inch…here is what I do. I score them every 1/2 inch, then flip the paper and score in between (notice on the scoreboard, these are all the places the that have a dot, well that’s in-between the 1/2 inch!

Easy-Peasy!

If you have a hand problem, like I do, pay someone to accordion fold those for you! ha!

No, I did not pay anyone to do that for me, but boy does that cramp my hands.

Scoring like I do, really helped that pain…and when I could not handle the pain any more, I just put a binder clip on it and drunk another glass of wine…

Notice my handy dandy post-it notes there….I am a keeping notes on what I am doing!

Ah life is good, don’t know if the binder clips or the wine is getting me through this part…

Now, when you are hot gluing….yikes! when I see the word, hot glue, I cringe…because I have burned myself so many times. Well no more! Thanks to Cathie at Hot Glue Gun Helpers on Etsy, no more burns! I use this EACH AND EVERY TIME the old glue gun comes out! if you own a glue gun, you should own this!

When you are gluing the accordion folded paper to your form, I used the rubber bands again….they helped me hold everything in place while I was gluing. Now it's time to fit your gift card inside the ball....

Don’t send hubby for gift card, or you might just have to deal with something you did not plan on…..

I used Melissa Frances Ribbon, two layer ribbon on the bottom (only about 9 inches) and then her Floppy blossom next (10 inches). I used her pleated satin for the icing. I have made this cupcake before, and the dern thing took yards and yards of ribbon. Using Melissa Frances Ribbon, because it is already gathered or pleated or in the blossom shape, it took, hardly any! whoopeeeee! And my hands did not cramp trying to gather up all that ribbon. I simply, physically, could not gather the ribbon. Thank goodness I ran across Melissa Frances Ribbon at the craft show, so I could make my second one without so much hand pain.

no time to buy another craft mat! I just had to be careful of the holes, or I would have painted my new ikea furniture! oh dear. I took a bamboo skewer, wooden ball and some baker’s twine…used liquid glass from Close to My Heart to glue all in place, painted red and sprayed with glitter. This took care of my cherry!

While that is drying…off to make the gift box. just a rough measure I know I need a box 4 X 4.

Select my paper...EDIT---as the photos show, selected the paper, screwed up, due to wine...select different paper, because that was the last of the pretty pink, paper. Add to notes, do not drink wine and create at the same time.

Follow the easy box rules. For the lid, I found a die cut that would fit inside the 4” Square. Once I die cut the "hole" just cover with acetate you have been hoarding. of course that means you will have to remember where you stored the acatate!

I forgot to tell you, I decided that I wanted my lid to only have 1" sides.

According to the "easy box rules" and my memory of 3rd grade math. I know I need a 4" lid, and 1" sides x2. Add 1/8 so it will fit on top of the 4" box...

4+1+1+1/8 = 6 1/8

So I just cut my paper to 6 1/8 square and scored 1 inch on all 4 sides, found a die that would fit in the middle of the 4" square, die cut, clip corners tape and took another sip of wine!

Here is the other cupcake I made! The first one took loads of ribbon, which I had to gather myself….this was very hard for a person that does not have any grip with hands….oh heck, let's be honest here. I don't have much grip on anything!

If you took the time to read this, please leave a comment! I love to read your comments! I would also love it, if you joined by blog site. If you do, each time I blog, you will be notified. Just click here to join.

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WOYWW-196

It's Wednesday again! Boy does that day just roll around quick! A few weeks ago I was working on weaving a card. I told you all, I was not going to give up on it. Well I am telling you, I got out my scissors and cut it up to tiny little pieces, THAT FELT SO GOOD! I was humming Ya gotta know when to fold them. I feel better now that I got that off my chest.

So what's that up yonder! I grabbed my blocks my hubbie cut and sanded for me. Painted them last night and having dreams how to decorate them!

A gal by the name of Julia is having an open house! Go visit her blog and it will open up the world of craft rooms all over the world to you today! She calls it WOYWW. What's on your work desk -Wednesday.

 

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WOYWW-195

A day late and a dollar short....this past week has been so busy for me. I am so excited my order for Graphic45 came in! I ordered from Pretty Papers, Pretty Ribbon, my first order, and was so surprised at how she shipped! Each item was wrapped in pretty tissue, tied with a different colored satin ribbon, along with extra papers and a rhinestone application, and a hand signed note. I thought it was my birthday, opening a special gift! My hat is off to Renee, for her style!

Can't wait to use this beautiful paper!
This week was spent in labeling chairs for work. Our conference room chairs, disappear, with broken chairs put in their place...so this is what we are trying!

yep, vinal! They really turned out cute! I ran out of the sparkly silver I was using, so until it comes in, At least I got the room number on them. I sent the cut through with my paper layed out 24x12 and of course my paper cuts the other direction of 12x24....this is the reason I ran out of vinal! Ruined a good part of it. I love vinal. While I was doing this, I also made a sign for the door. My daytime job is Working in the IT department. I made labels for 15 chairs!
LoJack is a software package that allows you to locate a stolen device, like a laptop, when stolen. it also allows you to wipe the drive, so that the perpetrator can't use your data...so "LoJack enabled" really put smiles on everyone's face!
Still working on my weaving project...not giving up..if you are wondering why I am telling you all this, stop over at Julia's place and find out!

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WOYWW - 194

 

What do you get when you mix Tara's craft studio , Amazing Paper Grace AND a material list, that contains a discontinued item...

ONE CRAZY, FUSTERATED OLD WOMAN!

I seen that beautiful basket, I had to stop all projects I was in and do it right then!

Of course, I did not have the die....nor could I find one for sale...I could find a similar die that had 4 extra holes...hummm, then I thought, use your Pazzles and cut your own....well....I have been working on this since the 15th when I received my blog email....that's 5 days ago!

When you mix Tara and Grace with Amazing Paper Grace together, I think, I have entered craft Heaven...although...this time, presenting such a beautiful project and you can't buy the die (it's been discontinued) totally flustered me.

A challenge! I love puzzles....by day I work in an Computer Network and Engineering department that has the responsibility of over 100,000 devices to keep track of and keep working....talk about puzzles. What makes there good in that environment, is I won't quit until I master it....or at least until I think I have mastered it! LOL.

So, after trying to make my own failed...trying to get others to make it for me, failed...running to Michaels and buying the die you see above comes very close...it just might work...still working on the weaving pattern. I found the die on eBay in England! Cost me a bloody bid paying the difference in our monies and having it shipped to me, but, come hell or high water, I'm gonna make that basket.

So that's the green thing laying on my desk.....wonder why I am telling you this? It's Julia's Idea! Click on that last link, to find out why!

 

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Liebster Award

 

Today, I had the best surprise ever!  Maisie at Maisie Moonshine’s awarded me the Liebster Award!  What an honor and pleasant surprise!  Make sure you pop over to her blog to find out all about this wonderful award!  While you are visiting Maisie, do take the time to check out her blog….it’s simply WONDERFUL!

ABOUT THE AWARD

This award was designed to be a blog award in the pay it forward fashion. Once you've been nominated, you award it to five blogs that you like that have fewer than 200 followers, to encourage new visitors to visit these blogs.

RULES FOR ACCEPTANCE

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog. Post the award onto your blog. Give the award to five bloggers who you appreciate that have fewer than 200 followers. Leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you have given them this awesome award!

PAY IT FORWARD

Here are five awesome blogs that I think you should check out:

Shaz of Silver Wolf Cards
Sandi at Eat Write Dream Stitch
Barb at King Designs
Riya at Yori 2 Yayie 
Maureen of Scraps of Live by Scrappymo

Please do take the time to visit these ladies, I am sure you will be blessed, as I was…I know you will enjoy there work!

WOWWW -193

And what a fun mess that is! I am almost done with my Valentines for my co-workers. I recently purchased a big shot off Facebook. I found some sell boards there and met a lovely lady who does what I do. Isn't that the biggest blessing! Meeting new folks who love to paper craft as much as you do! Anyway, I purchased a big shot from her along with a Sixxiz mini milk carton die. I am loving the big shot, as it takes fewer turns to crank the cut out than my grand caliber. My Grand Calibur has a larger platform, so it's still my favorite, however the big shots ability to cut thicker material like chipboard will enable me to do some fun altered art projects that I have been wanting to do.

See that big round wooden bowel....found that at a thrift shop. That was something I bought that never, ever had a home. I was about to toss it out when I tried it out in my craft room. I put a lazy Susan under it and toss things I am working with, in it. These are the things I need to put away, when the project is done. As you can see, it's has proven to be a good catch-all!

My favorite way of meeting new craft buddies, is through this blog. On Wednesdays, I plan to visit craft rooms all over the world. Pop over to Julia, at the Stamping Ground started this 193 Wednesdays ago! For a wonderful time exploring how other folks organize there craft rooms, you simply must visit! The photos you will see is, "what is on there desk on Wednesday morning". Usually messy, just as mine is. This is one time, you will never feel guilt for not cleaning up befor company!

 

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WOYWW -191

My desk, as I woke up to it this Wednesday. Really! I discovered sell boards on Facebook this past week and have been busy selling items along with selling my last item on etsy! It's been a bit of time since I visited my own Etsy store, and LO and behold I did not have any items active but the one I sold.

I had run across some cassette holders at a thrift store and bought both for 10.00. I went to a Facebook crafting group and asked if anyone was interested prior to it going on ebay and was told to go to a sell board...HA, had no idea what they were talking about....a few questions later and I was a member of:

• The junk yard group
• Paper Scraps and more destash
• Scrapbook deals

I posted the cassette racks, and minutes later both were sold for 40.00 each and the buyer emailed me the shipping label, all I had to do was take it to the post office and put the label on it.

I went to put a new card in a clear bag envelope and what a mess! I had more clear jackets than carter has pills. Years ago I had purchased 3 packages of clear card jackets (100 jackets in each bag). Each time I would go get out a clear envelope I had to mess with those jackets...so heck I took a photo, and asked it anyone wanted them on one of those sell boards and poof, within minutes sold!

So, interesting week...found a place to sell things I don't use or need. Of course, this meant I bought a big shot and the new zutter bow maker with my new found money..

If they don't work out, I suppose they can be sold to another paper crafter....

If you are wondering why I am telling you this...pop over to Julia's blog and find out why!

 

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WOYWW - 190

I look forward to What's on your work desk on Wednesdays! Julia over at the stamping ground started this weekly haunt, if you would like to know more about it, pay a visit to her blog.

If you want to know what happened with the clothes pins, I finished the project and have several blogs, you will need to go back and view them

Today, is my dear hubbies 70th Birthday, and the poor guy came down with the flu on Monday. He iis still not eating. Today, I joined him in his misery...I told him, it was his birthday present....misery loves company....right? I cancelled all the festivities, but did manage to take one photo of my desk top. My shipment of Heartfelt creations came in and I started to play with this last night. There it sits...until my family and I get back on out feet.

 

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Crafting vs Football

HA, that's a no brainier for me!

I made sure lots of snacks were at arms reach, including my hubbies favorites, Deviled eggs and 7 layer dip and off I went to the craft room!

I finally finished all three gifts! Whooohooo! This has been a on-going for the last few posts, so if you want to know what's in the box, you will have to read the past two or three blogs.

This was my first bag topper, I really like how it turned out. I was a bit creative with the bow on the top. You can't see it, but the flower is an alternating mixture of the beige and blue ribbon. Well heck, I will run back and try and get a better photo of it. I took all my ribbon scraps I had left over from the three projects and threaded them on a needle, then hit it with my hot air gun. I glued a "diamond" down in the center of the Flower.

 

It looks like the football game is over, perfect timing! I am being told the Raven's and the 49er's are going to play in the 2013 Superbowl. Love it when football is on....I get uninterrupted craft time!

Oh, one more thing, that dear sweet husband of mine, made me another shelf!

I am loving this! No rod to take the ribbon off off. The following photo is the other shelf he made me for my wrapping paper. I had the bright idea to have him make it longer than the rolls so I could also use it for ribbon. Not one of my better ideas...

 

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WOYWW - 189

Julia, over at the Stamping Ground has got me blogging again! Julia hosts the WOYWW and this is the 189 week of a fiasco that goes on weekly. There is about 150 of us who spy on each other, each week…. WOYWW means “What’s on your workdesk – Wednesday.

So, with that being said, here is what my desk looks like right now.

I have been working on a project for a couple of weeks now. You can read back about the clothes pins fiasco that’s part of this project if you want to. I have been trying to put stuff away as I use it…I still have out my 1 “ circle cutter….because I have added marble magnets to the project I was working on last week. That pink thing over to the left of my IPAD is my electronic cigarette… and the box with the photo’s on it, houses the filters and junk….So hoping to quit that habit this year. LOL, I can see my dimensionals at the top center of my mat…do you do that? Use the outside of the dimensionals? I don’t throw away nuthin!

Notice my IPAD out….I have, I think, finally figured out how to make box’s any shape! That’s what the notepad is out there for…So, far I have made the cards, envelopes and boxes, clothes pin magnets and marble magnets! Sometime tomorrow, I will figure out how to wrap all this up…any ideas? All I can come up with is place the card in the envelope, under the box and simply tie with a bow with a tag. Now that I look at this photo, I don’t think you can easily see the clothes pins in the box, because it’s the same pattern! Maybe next Wednesday, I will have them wrapped and ready to go. It’s a good thing, I started this weeks ago, at the rate I am going. It didn’t help getting sick. Hubbie and Son are now sick, they think it’s the flue, but I think it’s just head colds…The little box all the way on the right, is for my son, I made a set of clothes pins for him. The box was made out of a casino flyer I received in the mail….hey had to upcycle!

Thank you for visiting!

 

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Color Swatch your Distress Stains!

I can go forever without blogging.  This is my second day home, sick with goodness knows what, son and hubby came down with it today, I refuse to say it’s the flu.  Don’t laugh, over this blog. 

It’s so funny to me, what I see on the internet, and decided I HAVE TO DO THAT…how about you?.

I was visiting RosA from Paperchase, and spotted her distress stain bottle. and decided I had to do that!

I2 of these came in a few weeks ago (got a deal on a package).  I am so loving the distress stains in a bottle, except, when grabbing for a color, I have to try several…trying to find the right color….

Anyway back to RosA.  I visited her site, and low and behold, right there in front of my eyes was her bottle with a color swatch on top!  I knew mine did not have that…..so, I wrote her, and she took the time to write back and let me know (humbly) that this was her brilliant idea!

Well, I thought her idea was just the best thing I had seen all week!  So, notice, I am still working on those dern pins, which have a deadline…..off to another project I went…

yes….I have been told I am a butterfly, by sweet people and at work, I have been called Dory…….

But, it took me about 15 minutes to accomplish this. 

• I grabbed my 3/4 circle punch and punched some circles from some white card stock that was already laying on the table (hey, lets not get out a new sheet of paper, right?  I am also called a piffer, although I have never seen a definition for that word….I was told it was someone who always used scraps…)
• Ran 12 circles through the Xyron sticker maker
• Stuck them on top of the bottles and colored them in

of course, it took me longer than that to blog it…  Hope this helps you, if so, can you comment?  it lets me know, you read this….I truly appreciate any comment you leave.

Any idea, that organizes me, makes my day, Thanks RosA!

Clothes Pin Fiasco!

In my WOYWW - 189 Post, I said I would get with it and blog about the clothes pins.  Well here goes!

My first attempt at Clothes pins was a fiasco! I belong to the Amazing Paper Grace Club and receive a kit each month. This month had this project in it, however they forgot to include the clothes pins. I just used what I had. The magnet shipped to use did not work with my clothes pins. I can't tell you how long I played with this. Such as cute idea and oh so frustrating. I finally took the magnets off and gave the gift without the magnet. I called APG and they did mail me some clothespins...now I really did not care about the clothespins, but I did want to see how they were different than mine. They were really no different, a wee bit smaller and a wee bit wider. I guess I will never know why the magnet sheet would not work with my pins...I used E6000, zip dry, my ATG let dry over night, and 5 minutes after hanging them up the magnet would separate from the wood....

See the cute little box they will be present in. 

Bound and determined to figure this mystery out...I looked at Etsy. Sure enough, folks were selling them with a magnet.

I used modge podge glossy, on the next set. this made the pins sticky, so I switched to modge podge Matt and that did the trick!

Then I had this brain storm to put names on the pins....so I used the technique used commonly with candles of taping tissue paper to cardstock and send through the printer.

To easy!

All I had to do was modge modge it on! I thought I was so smart, but it soon dawned on me it was double work. As soon as I sanded, inked the edges of all those pins, I decided to make a set for my son. This time, I took a Sheet of 6x6 cardstock from a pad, taped it to a sheet of printer paper and sent that through the printer. I taped it to regular printer paper, because I was using cardstock. The example above I taped tissue paper to cardstock. I already knew my printer would not take the thickness of two pieces of cardstock without throwing fits and jamming. Can you see below where I used scotch tape all the way around the cardstock. For my printer, I had to put the paper in the tray upside down, yours might be diffrent.

This was so much faster!

The Joe clothespin was printed directly on paper. the others on tissue paper...you really can't tell the diffrence of either technique..All you have to do, is:

• Trim the paper to fit your clothespin
• Modge podge or glue the paper on the clothes pin
• Sand around the edges
• Distress Ink around the edges, if you want that look
• Modge podge to seal. (I prefer the mat finish, as it did not dry sticky)

I have made little boxes with my score-pal and now need to decorated to complete the gift. These can be used so many ways, here is just a few I can come up with

• Hold a photo
• Hold a recipe card
• Stick to the fridge
• Use on your desk to clip papers together
• Close chip bags

Do you notice the little magnets on the back side of the pin? These are earth magnets, very strong..I bought 100 of these magnets on eBay for .99 they were shipped from China for 8.00. So for 9.00, I received 200 each of 3mm x 2mm rare earth magnets. Ha, about a year ago...I live in the US and I have no idea what a mm is. So when they came in, they were so tiny, I had no idea how I was ever going to use them. SCORE!

Looking at the photos, you might not be able to tell how tiny the magnets are. HA, unless YOU know what a mm is. They really are not noticeable at all on the pins. I used E6000 to glue them down. First I put a small drop of glue on the pin, then dropped the magnet in it and pushed the magnet down, so it seated well against the pin. I have tested these with 5 sheets of 8 1/5 x 11 pieces of paper in them...they may hold more, I just quit testing.

I think I am safe. I do not think any of my birthday folks read my blog....

Oh sheesh, I just searched pinterest for clothespins! lots of fun stuff do to with clothespins.

 

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