Boutique Boxes and bags

So yesterday I posted a card made with a stamp set I have had for a while (even though I didn't really use it until this week) and promised I would be sharing old favourites and highlighting some new products too...so today I thought I would quickly share with you something I made using the new Boutique Boxes Designer Printed Kit  (item no 129306) which is on page 25 of the 2013 Spring & Summer Seasonal Catlaogue.

This kit comes with everything you need to make some really cute gift boxes. In the pack there are 8 die cut boxes which are pre scored and printed on one side with a cute mini polka dot design, 8 printed mini note cards,a sheet of die cut decorations which includes leaves, paper
 buttons, gorgeous doilies and some borders, 16 buttons, 4.6m crumb cake & very vanilla bakers twine and some stampin' dimensionals....all you need  to add is a little adhesive and some imagination.

The catalogue picture shows a sample of a decorated box so I thought  I would share with you this quick and simple project I made. Instead of  closing the box I took the longest flap and turned it over  and adhered it to the outside to leave one end of the box open and  I added a handle which I secured with mini brads.  I  decorated the turned down flap with some co-ordinating cardstock and designer series paper and added the doily, button, bakers twine and leaf  decorations from the kit. The just for you is from the A Little Greeting stamp set which I bought with the boxes as part of the money saving bundle (bundle item 131104  at £11.95)

All that was left to do was to pop the gift inside the bag and it was ready to go.

Until next time, take care

Christa   xx

Do you ever find....

Do you ever find yourself drawn to the same stamp set over and over again?  It seems I am really making the most of the Clockworks stamp set...which is a little strange when I realised that I actually got this set last year -  but never used it until this past week...and now I have started, I just can't stop!

I used it again on this card that I made for my Dad whose birthday is at the end of this week. This time
 I used black card as the base and used whisper white card  stamped  with basic grey and midnight muse ink for the background...and of course because the base card was black I repeated the stamped background for the inside of the card too.

The sentiments used were from the fabulous Perfectly Penned stamp set (another huge favourite of mine)  and the DAD was stamped using Morning Post Alphabet set...which also includes the pointy fingers.  I originally resisted this stamp set because I didn't think I would ever use the pointy fingers...and again I have used them three times in the past two days...so it just goes to show how wrong first impressions can be.

I promised a friend who is a bit of a secret stamper (you know who you are), that I would re-visit some old favourites this week and also highlight some of my newer products too...so this is a revisit day...the next post will feature at least one of my favourite new products...

Until then, take care

Christa   xx

Just for fun

I have seen several cards for men using clothing as the basic design  and  decided to give it a try for the card for my nephew's birthday. I didn't have a template or guide so it took me a little while to figure out the exact dimensions for each layer but I was quite pleased with the end result...and hope that when Jonathan opens his card today it will make him smile.

For this project I used  the following cardstock: sahara sand ( for the base card) whisper white ( for the tee shirt - the detail was made using the 2" circle punch), basic grey (for the jacket...which I edged with basic grey ink and gave it the distressed treatment using the distressing tool in the spring & summer seasonal catalogue) The shirt and collar I made using designer series paper (retired and no longer available but suited my project perfectly). The badge was created using the Blue Ribbon stamp set with not quite navy ink.

With a little imagination, some card and designer paper, almost any card can be made to reflect the style of the recipient... I have a few other ideas along similar lines that I plan to try in the near future... but for today I wanted to share this one and to wish my lovely nephew Jonathan a very Happy Birthday!

Until next time, take care,

Christa   xx

Grungy Birthday

While the whole world goes hearts and roses crazy, I have been enjoying some inky fun of the more grungy kind using sets I own that I have not used as often I as should.

I have seen a  few designs lately using basic grey and various shades of yellow and I really liked the idea of combining the traditional drab and the bright and summery...

So for these two cards I opted for basic grey and summer starfruit and I choose to use the Clockworks and Blue Ribbon stamp sets.

For the card above I used the small background stamp from clockworks set , greeting from Blue Ribbon set, basic grey and summer starfruit ink, sponges, bakers twine, mini silver brads, dimensionals and the paper piercing kit and piercing tool.


For the card on the right I used the large and small background stamps from the clock works set, the blue ribbon stamp set, basic grey and summer starfruit ink, sponges, scallop and plain circle punches and dimensionals.








I carried on the same design for the inside of the cards too.




So that is what I have been up to while the world went romance crazy... now that the madness is over I plan to take a look at some of the newer products this week...and also take a look back at some old favourites too.

Until next time, take care


Christa   xx

Ta- Dah!

It is HERE the fabulous new Spring Summer Seasonal Catalogue. Forty pages filled with gorgeous new products that really do include something for everyone...


I will be back later with some of my own personal favourites but in the meantime you can download your copy right here . If you would prefer a paper copy please contact me today and I will pop one in the post for you.


Until later,

Christa   xx