Easter basket | Bella Blvd

Easter is one of the cutest holidays. Everything is tiny — little pieces of candy, cute baby animals, and our little ones running like crazy kiddos looking for that last egg filled with jelly beans. 

Today Bella Blvd is looking at mixed media and altered projects, so I made this Easter basket using the Simply Spring collection and Color Chaos Clear Cuts. 

I added two treat containers with critter likenesses to my basket. The Simply Spring collection is just too cute — and perfect for making little gift bags, tags or cards for the Easter holiday.

The Clear Cuts overlays are perfect for making a unique basket. Make sure to throw in some grass and candy!

This idea would make a great hostess gift or basket for a wee little one who isn't expecting the overflowing chocolate goodness.

Supplies | Basket: Color Chaos: Clear Cuts (Pepper Confetti Clear Cut, Peep Confetti Clear Cut). Bunny Bag: Simply Spring (Pattern paper: Hippity Hop). Chick Container: Campout (Pattern paper: Campout Daily Details).

Thanks for stopping by here today to see my Easter project for Bella Blvd. Make sure to head over to their blog to see what the other gals made.

Samantha Walker Creative Crafters Team Blog Hop {handmade holiday gift ideas}

Welcome to the Samantha Walker Creative Crafters Team Blog Hop! You should have come to my blog from Cristal (Pinky) Hobbs' blog. To catch all of the fun from the beginning, visit Samantha Walker's blog first.

This month's lucky winner will receive a $10 gift card to digiplayground.com.  

...and be eligible for the free SVG/Silhouette file for this month. Be sure to look extra closely at Step #4 below to learn how you can get this FREE SVG and Silhouette Studio file:

To enter, just leave a comment on Samantha's blog during Wednesday 12/10 until Sunday 12/14. The winner will be announced on Samantha's Facebook page on Monday 12/15.

For additional entries:

1. Receive an additional entry for commenting on each of the other blogs in the blog hop.
2. Go here and follow Samantha Walker's blog. 
3. Follow her on Facebook.

4. Sign up for an e-mail subscription to Samantha's blog and you will automatically receive a link to a free SVG cutting file that you can download and use on your personal electronic cutter. If you are already a subscriber, just enter in your information in the secure form on Samantha's blog!  The free files will be e-mailed early next week!

To receive the additional entries and get the free files, mention in your comment on Samantha's blog that you have done so! 

Now for this month's theme: Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas

For my handmade holiday idea I made a gift bag using Samantha's tote bag cut file.

 A fun snowman file adds to the gift as a giant gift tag.

Supplies: Samantha Walker — Simple Bag Tote, Snowman

Keep hopping along with us for more summer inspiration! Your next stop on the hop is Cathy Harper— click on the image below to keep on hopping!

Thanks for hopping along with us this month! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is my last post for Samantha Walker's team. It was a fun two years and I'm so thankful for the time I got to spend with these ladies. Thanks to Samantha and Jamie for a great experience!

Halloween {bella blvd}

I love Halloween! It's one of the holidays that is just laid back and and fun. We host a small party on the day, and everyone at my job also dresses up and we go out for lunch.

To help celebrate the day on the Bella Blvd blog this week, I made this wine bottle gift tag and card. 

Many of you will be invited to a Halloween party this month, and if you do, don't forget the hostess! She'll be worried about any little ones attending the party that day, but likely to appreciate the gift of some wine after the festivities have ended. Mark the holiday with a cute tag for the bottle and you'll be sure to impress.

Supplies: Halloween Magic (Pattern paper: Funny Bones), Chipboard Icons, Paper Pieces Die Cuts, Trinkets

This card makes a great companion with the wine bottle or send it along to a friend. The cute mummy and vampire buddies are sure to bring a smile to your friend's face.

Supplies: Halloween Magic (Pattern paper: Funny Bones), Paper Pieces Die Cuts

Stop by the Bella Blvd blog this week to see what some of the other gals made.

Back to school {bella blvd}

This week Bella Blvd is celebrating Back to School! We've been sharing projects for the teachers and kiddos marking the occasion. 

First, I made this pencil gift box. It is quite possibly the most appropriate gift box for a teacher. I loved making this machine-cut pencil gift box cut using the Tiny Tots Flashcards A-L paper. I used the fun "A" flashcard as a gift tag and hand-cut a "hello" to make this box just as fun as whatever goodies I'll find to stash inside.

Supplies: Tiny Tots: (Pattern paper: Flashcards A-L), Treasures & Text Stickers. Summer Squeeze: (Pattern paper: Pocket Full of Posies)

Next I made this card. The fishies on the paper from Tiny Tots remind me of a school of fish, so I had to use them on my back to school card. 

A bold and vibrant die cut message in the middle of the card makes the teacher feel appreciated on the first day back to school.

Supplies: Tiny Tots: (Pattern paper: Alphabet Soup, One Fish Two Fish), Paper Pieces Die Cuts. Classic Calendars: Treasures & Text Stickers

Thanks for stopping by to see my back to school projects. Check out the Bella Blvd blog to see what the rest of the team has been sharing this week.

Teacher gifts {simply everyday me}

My friend Michelle at Simply Everyday Me has some of the best printables for making great gift boxes. 

Today I am sharing how I used her Ice Cream / Popsicle gift box for teacher/bus driver gift boxes this year. This was the last week of school, and I sent the boy off to school with these fun boxes filled with a gift card to the best local ice cream (Abott's) and a note from him thanking them for a great year. 

I decorated one side of the popsicle box with tags using the Summer Bliss collection from Echo Park. A little washi tape helped keep the bottom of the box closed — not because it really need it, but because an 8 year old was in charge of delivery the gift cards, if you know what I mean. 

Here is what the other side of the boxes looks like. Good enough to eat, right?!

I also want to note that I used Beacon 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue to put this together. The rounded edges really need something strong to bond that edge, and Beacon's worked perfectly!

I sure hope they enjoy their treats! And thank you to Michelle for sharing these fun gift boxes with me. If you are looking for unique and fun treat boxes for parties this summer, take a peek at the Simply Everyday Me Etsy shop.

Animal party mask {samantha walker}

Today on the Samantha Walker blog, I'm sharing a tutorial on how to make this animal mask for a child's party favor. 

We all have those animal cut files, here's how to alter them into masks without having to buy a separate mask file.

I hope you'll stop over and view the tutorial — you'll be surprised how easy it can be to alter files using your Silhouette software.

Supplies: Samantha Walker (Ice Skating Raccoon), American Crafts (card stock), Tombow (dots runner), Twinery (Stone).

Easter week {bella blvd}

Welcome to a week of Easter inspiration from Bella Blvd! Make sure to check out the Bella Blvd blog all week long as we all take turns sharing Easter goodness to inspire you. 

Shaped cards are always a treat to give and receive. Especially in the spring time! Bunnies, chicks, eggs — they are all adorable ways to send a greeting. I made this card with a Silhouette shape that I doubled, flipped and welded together to make a card.

Supplies: Lucky Starz (Pattern paper: Color Crazy; Color Wheel High Five), Crochet Hearts (White), Spring Fling (Miniatures)

For Easter, put your treats into a shaped box instead of individual eggs. Exchange a colorful pail instead of a basket for a fun variation on the expected eggs and basket. 

They'll be sure to brighten up the basket this year! I made these treat boxes using a carrot-shaped Silhouette gift box file, but then adding a hole at the top to fit the feathers as carrot toppers.

Supplies: Lucky Starz (Pattern paper: Carrot), Play Date (Pattern paper: Little Birdie), Spring Fling (Miniatures), Feathers (Juice), Designer Tape (Yellow Chevron)

I hope you are all looking at your stash of feathers a little bit differently now — instant carrot toppers!

Thanks for stopping by today to see my Easter inspiration with Bella Blvd.

Retro Canned-Ham Camper Trailer Box Kit | Review

A few years back, while scrapbooking online, I "met" a new friend, Michelle. Michelle has an amazing gift for creating 3-D projects. Not only does she design the project, but she also writes the instructions and walks you through the process of assembling it for yourself.

You can see her shop, Simple Everyday Me, on Etsy.

I put together a version of the Red Retro Canned-Ham Camper Trailer Box kit. Which also is a cupcake holder — which is awesome! 

SIDE NOTE: I have to apologize for the inconsistency in color. The red color you can see on the back window is more like the red you will get with this file. My printer ran out of ink and you can see that on the sides of the camper the window shades look more orange. That is my fault and not a consistency error on the file.

I really liked this project. I am more likely to use my Cameo for 3-D projects, but I really liked having the full download with extras as well as step-by-step instructions from Michelle on how to make this.

What glue you use will make a difference. I used Helmar's Quick-Fix Permanent Adhesive Runner. It is so sticky it is unforgiving if you try to move it afterwards. This camper is sure to stay together! 

I do advise using a small cupcake inside. A regular, large cupcake may get frosting on the edges of the opening when you try to put it inside. And the file comes with little flags and extras for both the cupcake and to decorate the camper. 

The rounded edges of the camper may make your heart skip a beat when you start to assemble it, but the tabs inside are cut so that they overlap each other and line up perfectly with the sides of the camper. Michelle thought of everything!

If you are in the market for a really unique gift box or party favor idea, I highly suggest you sneak on over to her shop and see what she's been creating.

Pinterest inspired {bella blvd}

Bella Blvd is going green today! We are sharing projects inspired by this Pinterest image. To see what the other gals made, swing by the Bella Blvd blog today.

I was inspired by the image to use green, little banners and a "lucky" theme. This card isn't a St. Patty's Day card (though it could be), but rather a good luck card. I used vellum to put the word "good" to the back, allowing the word "luck" to be the shining star on the top layer.

SUPPLIES
Max: (Pattern paper: Text Me) Lucky Starz: (Pattern paper: Bell Pepper Starz), Treasures & Text, Color Wheel High Five. Family Forever: (Pattern paper: Sunday Brunch)

For my second project, I made a gift box instead of another card.

Using the Pinterest image for inspiration, I was used the green color, the clovers and liked the idea of a party with the banners in the picture. Because of the party, I made a little favor box that just happens to be filled with green mints.

Clovers and a Bella Blvd flower are clustered on the top for layering and a bit of fun for our little party box.

SUPPLIES 

Max: (Pattern paper: Text Me), Lucky Starz: (Pattern paper: Pickle Juice Starz, Bell Pepper Starz), Family Forever: (Pattern paper: Sunday Brunch), Baby Blooms a Bella: Champagne

Are you ready for the St. Patty's Day festivities? 

Handmade Holidays {pink paislee}

Pink Paislee has been celebrating 12 days of amazing holiday inspiration, and today is my day on the Pink Paislee blog. I created a gift box and paper-crafted ornament using the Pink Paislee Snow Village collection.

You can download the FREE project sheet that goes with my gift box and ornament on the Pink Paislee blog. The project sheets have detailed instructions on how to create and assemble these projects.

Below are some close-up photos of the gift box. I used 12x12 pattern paper from Snow Village to wrap the box — I may never buy wrapping paper again! We all have plenty of 12x12 paper, don't we?! 

I used a combination of the Paper Goods die cuts and vellum pieces as well as the chipboard stickers to get the textured and layered look on the front of this gift. Some sequins add a bit of sparkle.

I truly enjoyed making these projects and know that you will too! Make sure to stop by the blog and get the project sheet download.

Supplies (GIFT BOX): Pink Paislee Snow Village: Pattern paper (Peppermint Patty), Element Stickers, Paper Goods, Layered Chipboard Stickers

Supplies (ORNAMENT): Pink Paislee Snow Village: Pattern paper (Peppermint Patty, Buttered Rum), Silhouette Online Store (3d star ornament by Loni Harris)

Thank you for stopping by here today!

What's New: Holiday Gifts {bella blvd}

Yesterday on the Bella Blvd blog, we shared projects that used the latest and greatest product from Bella Blvd and holiday gift giving ideas. This is the Christmas Countdown Collection and it was perfect for this little sleigh and card that I made — I just love the bright colors and whimsical patterns.

I did use cut files from the Silhouette store to cut the sleigh, the boxes and all of the ribbons. You can find the links to those below in the supply list.  

My idea in creating this is that it would be a perfect way to give a few small gifts. Wouldn't it be great to open each tiny box and inside find a perfect trinket just for you? Once the gifts were opened, the sleigh and boxes could be displayed with the rest of the holiday decor. 

I also love the idea of a tiny card to go with the tiny sleigh and gifts. A few layers of stickers and a bow make this simple card extra festive.

Thanks for stopping to see my card and sleigh today. I had a whole lot of fun making this project and love how it turned out!

Supplies: Sleigh and gifts: (Bella Blvd: Christmas Countdown (Pattern paper: Christmas, Believe, Tree Park) Button Market: Snowflakes)
Card: (Bella Blvd: Christmas Countdown (Pattern paper: Believe), Captions, Tabs)
Silhouette Store: (Sleigh and Bow)

You can see more gift giving ideas on the Bella Blvd blog this week!

Gift box challenge {lily bee}

Today is challenge day at the Lily Bee blog, and it is also a week for thinking about holiday gifts and gift giving. So, my challenge to you is to make at least one gift box this season. 

It is so easy to buy a box for (or just bag) your gifts, that sometimes we forget to go a little further and really customize the presentation of the gift.

Here is my sample gift box for you using the We R Family collection from Lily Bee. It isn't a holiday-themed collection, but by using symbols of the season (like the buck), you can achieve the look without the santas and snowmen.

I was able to use my Cameo to cut all of these pieces (the buck, the tag, the bow and the box), but you could very easily find a box trace-and-cut template online even if you don't have a digital cutter. Plus, a real ribbon would do just fine!

So, there's my challenge to you this week: Make at least one of your gift boxes this season. You'll be so happy you customized the gift, you make like it even better than the present. 

Supplies: We R Family (Pattern paper: Game Night, Family Ties, Mother Daughter). Silhouette Store (Mounted Deer, 3D Present Cube, 3D Layered Bow)