Woven Easter Basket

This is the Woven Basket die set from MFTstamps.com. If you should want to make this a free standing basket to hold treats you need the Trapezoid Treat Box die also from MFT:



I have used these dies in the past for a basket on a card front, treat holder basket, and I masked out the woven part of the die and used a small hearts border embossing folder for the red Valentine treat holder:

For the Woven Easter Basket I am posting today I used the two die sets but wanted to change the front of the basket so it would look like a woven Easter basket. 

Using kraft card stock from Mikes I cut strips of 1/4" wide x 11". Then used a light brown ink and sponged the edges of the strips. Wove them together into a square piece. Using the basket die as a pattern I put that die on top of the woven strips (on the backside) and traced the basket die using a pencil. Once that was done I put red sticky tape on the inside of the pencil lines and then cut out the pattern piece - - as you can see in this photo I have enough woven strips to make two baskets:

The reason for the red sticky tape to be on this piece before I cut it out was to be sure to hold the woven strips together. Once the woven basket front was cut out I cut out the other pieces for the basket --- a basket front, back, and two Trapezoid Treat Box pieces for the insert inside the basket. So I had the four pieces for the basket/insert as well as the woven piece.

Before I put things together I used a decorative punch for the pink across the basket front and I also used the accessory dies that come with the basket and cut out a bow using the pink card stock. Using a Marvy scalloped circle punch and punched that out. Then stamped and punched out a Petite Petals flower on scrap white/GP card stock. Then used the Trio Flower punch I punched out a pink flower. Using the bone folder I curled the edges of these three punched pieces. Layered them together using glue dots and put a pink crystal in the center of that. Put these on top of the bow I had cut out using a glue dot. Set this aside.

Assembled the basket/insert using red sticky tape. Using the ATG I added adhesive to the backside of my woven piece and put that on the basket front. Using the ATG I put the decorative punched pink piece across the top of the basket and put the flower/bow pieces on using a glue dot.

Here is the woven basket:

A closer photo of the woven front:

And a closer photo of the flowers/bow piece:

Filled the basket with pink paper shred from the dollar store and that awaits treats for the Easter holiday. Another look for the MFT basket die set. TFL and YOLO

Easter Peeps Card

Had seen this card made up on   www.frenchiestamps.com  --- if you go to her blog click on videos at the top of the page and this card should be the second or third video. I was not sure it would be as easy to make as she makes it look in the video but it is and here is my version of her card:

And opened:

I used the Peep die from an Easter die set from MFTstamps.com for my yellow and the pink Peeps. This card opens even more for a greeting inside or you can put your greeting on the backside of the egg:

I used the 110 lb weight white card stock for the white egg base and then I used printed card stock for my egg lid and bottom -- since these are light weight papers I put them on a base of 65 lb weight white card stock from GP. This helps to give my prints more stability. Frenchie had used double sided card stocks for the two eggs she made for her video.

Another cute idea from Frenchie and a detailed video to match -- thanks to her for sharing. TFL and YOLO

Splatter Card

  ***  This card was chosen as a Favorite of the Week on Splitcoast Stampers ***  Happy me  :0)


Have seen all over that the "watercolor technique" is back again on cards and projects. Saw a card done by Brenda K that I really liked and she said the card goes together quickly. . .  but if you use the real watercolor technique you need drying time . . . so I thought I would give this a try.

She used a stamp set and ink that I do not have but I have enough other items that can substitute nicely. Here is my card:

For my card I used a base of Bermuda Bay --- cut and scored that and set it aside. Then cut a piece of green card stock for the piece behind the stamped white piece. Set that aside.

For the stamped piece I cut my white/GP card stock to the size I would need for the card front. Decided I would use Pool Party for the coloured ink on the card. Using a stamp from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set I inked the stamp -- stamped it at the top left side of the white/GP piece -- then stamped it again below that -- and again below that. You only ink the stamp the one time and keep stamping it down the left side of the card stock below your other image -- I stamped it three times and each time is lighter than the other image. Here is a closer photo of the stamped side:

For the flower I used a stamp from Hampton Arts "Watercolor Daisy". Stamped that over the grunge stamped area on the left front of the white/GP piece. Used StazOn black ink for that.

The greeting is from the Express Yourself stamp set and the stamp I used is "always thinking of you" but I did not want the 'always' on my card so I just inked the "thinking of you" part of the stamp and stamped it on the lower right front of the white/GP piece. Set that aside.

Using a multi-butterfly punch from M Stewart I punched out my butterflies from scrap card stock. Added clear crystals from my stash to the center of the butterflies. Once those were done I put the card pieces together using the ATG and then added the two small butterflies to the card front using glue dots:

This card does go together quickly and is an easy way to add interest to the card front. And the stamp I used gives the front of the card a 'splatter' effect. TFL and YOLO

Treat Bag Holder -- Card stock free

One of the reasons I bought the QuicKutz Treat Bag die was to be able to make my own treat bags at home that would have the details that comes on the gift/treat bags sold at the stores. I like the tiny scalloped edge detail on the top front and top back of this Treat Bag die. Here are the two Treat Bags I just made and I did not use card stock for either:

Due to the size of the die to make these Treat Bags that are 6 1/8" high and 4 1/8" wide once cut out and assembled you would need to use 12" x 12" card stock. Although I have the 12" x 12" card stock I wanted my Treat Bags to be lighter in weight and be more flexible. So what to use?

The brown bag on the left is a piece of brown paper from a roll of brown paper used for mailing a package. The pansies print on the right is gift wrapping paper by Innisbrook Wraps. Using the brown paper I can stamp on the bag, use Washi Tape or add trim to it to dress it up yet it still has the flexibility of a paper bag. By using the gift wrapping paper for the bag on the right I can let the print be all the design I need and add a tag or a little bling here or there. But with both of these papers the small scalloped detail is still shown on the die cut piece:

To show the size this Treat Bag is I am showing it with an envelope pouch I had made for BOO Day (Halloween):

These Treat Bags can get filled up with various treats, tickets, candies, etc. Also due to the size of these Treat Bags you would be able to fold over the top front and add ribbon or twine to close the bag if you would like. TFL and YOLO

Irish Blessing Card

Card is on a green card stock base. Cut a piece of darker green card stock for the card front. For the embossed white background piece I used the St. Pat's Background embossing folder from Darice. The shamrock card stock is from Recollections at Mikes. Typed up the Irish Blessing on the computer and printed it out on white/GP.

To make this card I cut and scored a piece of green card stock for the card base. Then cut the darker green for the card front. Used the St. Pat's Background embossing folder from Darice to emboss the white card stock and as usual when I use an embossing folder I emboss two pieces of card stock at the same time. This makes a softer embossed impression and it prevents the card stock from tearing/ripping on the embossed areas. Once that was embossed I put the folder and the extra embossed piece back in the file drawer for later use.

Cut a piece of the shamrock printed card stock 2" wide and put that across the upper part of my white embossed piece. Trimmed the white embossed piece to the size I needed and used the ATG to put this onto the darker green card stock. Then put these onto the card base front.

Printed out the Irish Blessing on the computer onto white/GP card stock. Cut this to the size I wanted. For the three shamrocks next to the Blessing I used a stamp from Delafield Stamp Company and green ink. Once that was done I cut a piece of green card stock to go behind the Blessing piece. Used a small circle punch for the small green circles in the corners and put those on using a glue pen. For the button I dug out a button from the button jar and ran jute/twine through that leaving the 'tails' in the back of the button. Trimmed those to the size I wanted and put the button on using a large glue dot. Put the Blessing piece on the card front using pop dots for dimension.

Here is a closer photo of the embossed white piece:

TFL and YOLO

Easter Cut Away Card

Blue card stock base is from Close To My Heart. The white is GP and the lighter card stock is Pool Party. The stamped basket/eggs image is a stamp from Serendipity Stamps from 2007.

To make this card:  Cut and scored the blue card stock base as usual. Then using the trimmer cut 2" off the right front of the card. Set this aside. Using white/GP TWO PIECES I embossed them in the Cuttlebug using the Cuttlebug Scrollwork embossing folder. Trim one of the embossed pieces to the size you want for the inside of the card. Put that on the inside of the card using the ATG. Then used a greeting stamp from Repeat Impressions from 2002 and using blue ink I stamped the greeting on that:

Set that aside. Cut a piece of white/GP larger than what I would need and stamped my basket/eggs image using StazOn black ink. Set that aside.

Using the second embossed white card stock piece I cut it to the size I would want for the left front of my card, lining up the design so it would match and look continual when the card is closed:

The "for you" tag on the basket image is a stamp from the SU Teeny Tiny Wishes "Just for You". I only inked the "for you" and stamped that onto scrap white/GP. Used the jewelry tag punch for that and added a blue crystal to that. Put that on the basket image using a glue dot:

And this photo shows the card standing up:

TFL and YOLO

Easter Bunnies Card

To begin with the background on the front of this card is the Acrylic Distressed Technique that I saw on frenchiestamps.com. Here is the first card I had made using this background technique:

For the technique you cut your card stock for your card base and score that. Then you cut your piece that you will be using for your background a bit bigger than what you will need for your card front. For my Easter Bunnies card I used white/GP card stock. Using a foam paint brush I brushed on pink acrylic paint from the craft store to cover the front of my white/GP piece. Set this aside to dry. While that was drying I used StazOn black ink and stamped the bunnies stamp from Whipper Snapper onto white/GP. Set that aside. Decided to use a coral card stock for my card base and that is from Close To My Heart. Cut and scored that. Once that was done I set it aside.

Using coloured pencils I coloured in the bunnies image. Used the Spellbinders rectangle dies to cut that out. Cut a piece of coral card stock to go behind the bunnies piece. Put that on the bunnies piece using the ATG. For the greeting "Easter Greetings" I used a stamp from Hero Arts. Stamped that onto scrap white/GP card stock using coral ink. Cut that out using the Spellbinders Tags, Double Ended die set in the Cuttlebug. Set it aside.

The painted card stock was now dry so I put it in the Darice Easter Eggs Background embossing folder and ran it through the Cuttlebug --- whenever I emboss card stock I always use two sheets of card stock in the folder. For the extra embossed piece I just used white/GP and put it under the painted piece. I put that plain white/GP embossed piece back in the file drawer with the folder for later use on another project. By embossing two sheets of card stock at the same time you get a softer embossed image and you will not get any rips or tears to your design on your card stock.

Once this painted piece was embossed I used a sanding block and sanded the front of the painted embossed sheet. This will show your design off as well as accent it with the white/GP card stock showing through the embossed design. Once it was sanded I cut it to the size I would want for the card front. Here is a closer photo of the sanded design:

Using orange/white twine from M Stewart I tied the greeting tag onto the embossed piece. First I put pop dots behind the greeting tag to raise it up and keep it in place. Then used the ATG to put the painted embossed piece with the greeting tag on it on the card stock base front. Put the bunnies image also on pop dots and put that on the card front. Here is a closer photo of the stamped image:

I have searched for an embossing folder with Easter Eggs on it for sometime and finally found this folder by Darice @ AC Moore. Two problems with it --- wished the eggs were smaller on the embossing folder and also this folder is directional --- the eggs do not go in every direction so you have to pay attention when you are putting this embossed design on your card front. Here is a photo of the empty folder for you to see this better:

When doing this Acrylic Distressed technique be sure to do the painting first and allow time to dry. Also when you are sanding it can be messy so put down scrap copy papers on your work table to keep your mess to a minimum. I have learned to use a makeup brush to go over the sanded surface to pick up the paint/sanded paper residue -- do NOT blow onto your sanded project piece as the sanded residue will go all over the place. TFL and YOLO and again here is the card:

Ghirardelli Easter Treat Holders

Recent trip to the Big W I found the new Easter Ghirardelli candies. They come in a bag of two pieces and there are different designs in the white chocolate -- a bunny, a chick in an egg, the basket and eggs, etc. Each package has two different designs. Over the years I have made different holders for Ghirardelli candies:

and so it goes. . . .   but I just bought the SU Scalloped Tag Topper Punch and I wanted to use that for these new style Easter Ghirardelli candies. Here is what I made:

These candies are pre-wrapped in different colour wrappers so I matched my card stocks to the wrappers. For the turquoise wrapper I used SU card stock and a floral ribbon to close my holder. Since I used the floral ribbon I used a floral embossing folder from Cuttlebug --- Caramelo is the title --- to emboss the tag/holder.  For the plum wrapper on the right I used card stock from Close To My Heart and I used a checked ribbon for that. I embossed the plum holder using the Swiss Dots embossing folder.  For both of the greeting tags I cut them out using the Spellbinders "Charmed I'm Sure" tag die set. Then sponged the edges of the greeting tags to match the holders. This is how I made these holders:

Cut the card stock 2" x 5 /12". Score at 1 1/4", 1 1/2", 3 3/8", and 3 5/8. Put this piece into the tag topper punch with the end that has the 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" scored lines on it -- this will be the top of the holder. Punch the tag topper and then use a bone folder to make your scored lines sharp. Now emboss these in the Cuttlebug. Once they are embossed re-crease your scored lines. Put the Ghirardelli candy in the holder using a large glue dot on the back of the candy wrapper and put this in your holder. Wrap the holder around the candy and tie a ribbon around it and tie this in the hole at the tag top, as seen in the photo:

Stamp your greeting onto scrap white card stock and cut that out in the Cuttlebug using the tag dies. Sponge the edges of the greeting tags to match your holder colours. Tie the tags onto the ribbons using twine. Clip ends of the twine off when you are done tying them.

This is an easy holder to make and another version of a treat holder for the Ghirardelli candies. These would be cute treat holders to hand out at the office or to tuck into an Easter basket. TFL and YOLO.