Thursday, February 18, 2016

Paper Cake Treat Boxes (Part I)

**UPDATED 02/18/2016**

The template now works!

Click HERE to download the three-page Paper Cake Treat Box Templates!


Original Post from June/2010:
This three-tier cake is made from paper.  Each tier is made up of eleven individual paper cake slices that are attached to each other.  The pieces come apart easily, so when the party is over, each guest gets to take a piece of cake home.


Fill each cake slice with candy or any other special treat.  You could even fill each slice with money, which would be a fun and new twist on a money tree.  (This would make a great end-of-year teacher gift...each child could make one or two slices and fill each slice with a special thank-you note.)


The cake makes a great centerpiece.  You can use an infinite amount of color combinations based on the occasion.  Imagine how beautiful the cake would look made out of white paper for a wedding!  Make it out of pink or blue for a baby shower.  Endless possibilities!

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Want to Learn How to Make Your Own Greeting Cards?


If you have ever wanted to learn how to make your own greeting cards, now is the time!  Read more about our February Stamp Camp HERE and register to attend this fun event!  You will have the best time ever!!

stampin_up_stamp_camp_diy_cardmaking

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Dollhouse Dream Come True

On Saturday morning I set out earlier than usual with one goal in mind:  to buy paper doilies.  I needed to finish a custom order of Christmas cards for a client.  I wanted to buy the doilies and then spend the rest of the rainy day tucked away finishing up the cards.  (You can see the Christmas cards I made for this client for past Christmases HERE and HERE.  I just realized that I didn't blog about last year's card because I was so bogged down with making cards for a craft show.)

While I was stopped at the traffic light near my house, there were several yard sale signs staring me in the face.  This is a usual occurrence for Saturday mornings in almost all suburban neighborhoods in America. I usually ignore them.  Who needs more junk anyway, right?

However, for some reason, these signs spoke to me.  I heard a voice in my head say, "Wooden dollhouse."  I usually ignore such nonsense, but this time I listened.  I actually had to make a u-turn, which sounds like no big deal, but for me it was.  When I have a mission to complete, even if it seems trivial, like buying paper doilies, don't get in my way or ask me to change my plans. This was different, though.  I eagerly turned around, mostly out of curiosity, to see what that little voice in my head was leading me to.

Just as I pulled up to the first house, a lady was hauling away the most beautiful light blue Victorian dollhouse.  WHAT????  I missed it by 30 seconds?  You have got to be kidding me!  I found out that she paid 50 bucks for it, so I didn't feel too upset about missing out on it.  When I took a closer peek, I noticed that it was made from a kit with the paint gobbed on.  It was much prettier from a distance.  But I was still a little miffed!  Why did that little voice speak to me, if it meant that I missed out?

Of course I became immediately obsessed with the idea of visiting every other yard sale in that neighborhood because I was determined to prove the voice in my head right.  I didn't want to feel like I wasted my time.
Look what was waiting just for me...

dollhouse custom yellow

I am so glad I stopped at the next sale and asked if they had any dollhouse stuff.  The little voice in my head was right!  I am so glad I listened!  Best part?  It was $25.00.  The family forgot to put it out in the morning when they hauled out everything for their sale.  They only remembered about it when I asked.  Turns out their grandfather made it for them.  He was a builder, so you can just imagine the time and thought that he put into building it.  I made sure a million times over that they really wanted to sell it.  They had zero interest in keeping it. You know how the saying goes...their junk, my treasure.
I immediately drove my little gem to my parent's house because it needed some TLC.  My dad is the perfect person to help with such projects because he is the only person I know with the patience to do this to the entire house, every little nook and cranny:

dollhouse yellow custom

Here are a couple of shots of the inside:

dollhouse wood fireplace custom

Look!  It has three fireplaces and a sun room.  Can you stand it? 
dollhouse fireplace wood floors custom

dollhouse sun room fireplace custom yellow

We bought a tiny can of "sample" stucco paint for under $3.00.  Here is the final result:

yellow dollhouse custom

Aren't those little planters a hoot?  And look closely at the little gold door knobs. And the CHRISTMAS TREE WINDOW!!!!
yellow dollhouse custom christmas tree window

I finally did make it to the store to buy the paper doilies.  I picked up a couple of pieces of dollhouse furniture, too.
******
(Do you love dollhouses, too?  Click HERE for a tutorial on how to make a small paper house.)

yellow dollhouse before and after

 
(The blog post "Dollhouse Dream Come True" by Charlene Harreveld first appeared on eWillow.com's Paper Clips.)

Friday, February 28, 2014

Craft Show Display Ideas for Greeting Card Vendors

 
 

It's been a long time, folks!  I have two babies graduating in two months...one from high school and one from college.  Needless to say, things behind-the-scenes have been a little crazy.

I participated in my first craft show in December.  I made 800 cards in 6 weeks.  I am glad that I did it, but I'm not sure if I am going to do it again.  At this point, I really have nothing to lose by doing it...I already put out the capital to purchase the items for the booth.  However, the organizers need to get with the program and realize that they need to use social media to promote the show. 

When I initially decided to participate, I did a lot of Googling to get ideas on how to display the cards.  I had a list of "no-can-dos" in my head, along with a list of how I wanted the booth to look.

I DID NOT WANT:
  • to display my cards in baskets on tables
  • have to depend on a lot of other people to help with set-up/take-down
  • want to use anything too heavy for me to lift on my own
  • to have my booth look like something out of a county fair.  That's just not my style.
I DID WANT:
  • a glamorous booth
  • the cards displayed at eye level
  • something out-of-the-box
  • something I could, if needed, set up and take down on my own

I really wish I could remember my thought process for coming up with my final idea.  I know my thoughts went from hanging the cards on something to hanging the cards on Christmas trees, to hanging the cards on lighted trees.  I am really happy with the final outcome.  People even asked me if the show organizers were going to hand out prizes for the best booth. (Um...they didn't even have a Facebook page for the event, so no, prizes didn't enter their minds.)

Here is a look at the three tables I used.  I had a 10' x 10' booth, so I set the tables in an upside-down "U" formation, leaving room on the upper sides for chairs and supplies.


Each table had two 4' white trees with LED lights built into them, except for the back table, which only had one tree.  I used the back table as the "Welcome" table.  It is where I kept all of the signage and important info, like "We Accept All Major Credit Cards," info about placing online orders, business cards, etc.

I sold my cards in packages of eight.  I put each set of cards in a cello bag and tied the bag with hemp twine.  I used plain wooden clothespins to pin the packages to the trees.  Next to each tree I placed a sign with a display of each card in the package.  To take up table space, I put some single cards in baskets (which helped to increase sales) and added a little Christmas décor.

Here is a close-up of a tree and the accompanying sign.  It really helped to have the signs so I could show each customer the cards in each pack.


Some general pics...


Here is the master list of the supplies I used:
3 tables
3 tablecloths (amazon.com)
5 LED white trees (kmart.com)
black poster board (dollar store)
plate stands to hold the posters (hobby lobby)
clothespins (dollar store)
miscellaneous Christmas décor (my house)
electrical extension cords
********************
I was able to carry in and set up the entire display by myself, with the help of a dolly to haul in the heavy tables.  The only help I needed was from my dad, who rigged all of the extension cords so that they could all fit into one outlet thingy. 

Do you have any interesting ways to display cards at craft shows?  If so, leave a link to your photos in the comments section below.


Thursday, February 27, 2014

Follow Me on Bloglovin'

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I have tons of new stuff to share with you, but I have been busy with life.  New DIYs coming soon.  Promise!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Shadow Box Room Decor

You can view the other room décor items that I made for my daughter Erica's room HERE (giant paper rosette,) HERE (upcycled bulletin board,) and HERE (upcycled chalkboard.)

I purchased a bunch of shadow box frames several years ago from Target for $3.24.  (Does anyone ever buy stuff at Target that isn't on clearance?!)

This project was very easy to make.  I traced the "E" and cut it out, added some bling, and that's it. 

I am always amazed when I see all the things that can be made out of paper!

 
 
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Speaking of Target, what is the best thing you have ever found at Target on clearance?  I have found too many things to count!  I think the most useful things have been hurricane-supply items.  A few years ago, when south Florida (where I live) was hit with two major hurricanes, we were so happy to have that metal contraption that lets you make toast on the grill!  :)
 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Make a Giant Rosette to Decorate Your Room

You can read about the first two room décor projects that I made for Erica's room makeover HERE (paper rosette bulletin board,) and HERE (upcycled chalkboard.)

In keeping with the Parisian theme of her room décor, I made a giant paper rosette for her to hang from her ceiling fan's pull-chain.


I made the giant rosette with the "Designer Rosette Bigz XL" Sizzix Die from Stampin' Up!, found HERE.

 
The paper I used was not double-sided; it was decorative on one side, but plain white on the other.  Bummer!  I didn't let that stop me, though.  I just made two rosettes and carefully attached them together with sticky strip along the fan-folds.
If you look closely, you can see that the paper is different on each side of the rosette.
 

















I discreetly punched a hole between the fan-folds and tied a piece of black hemp twine so that I could tie it to the ceiling fan's chain. 

Monday, July 8, 2013

Upcycle a Bulletin Board with Paper Rosettes

My daughter Erica and I recently re-did her bedroom.  (You can see her upcycled chalkboard HERE.)  We found a plain bulletin board at TJ Maxx.  She had collected some postcards from IKEA when she was in the pre-planning stages of the room re-do.  We decided to put them on the bulletin board, but of course I couldn't stop there...

 
I decided to embellish the frame with paper rosettes. You can review the tutorial for the paper rosettes in my former blog post HERE.  The fabric flowers in the middle of the rosettes are actually embellishments that I removed from one of my favorite shirts.  The shirt accidentally got bleach stains on it and I couldn't justify throwing away the flowers.  I cut them off, and voila!  I stuck them to the inside of the rosettes with large push pins. 
 


I actually cut the rosettes in half to give the board a little more flair.


Saturday, June 29, 2013

Gate-Fold Cards

I have been really busy behind-the-scenes helping my daughter with a great cause.  She has started a charity called Cosmetics for a Cause.  Check it out!  The purpose of the charity is to collect and donate cosmetics and beauty supply items to women-in-need.  Now on to today's project...a lovely gate-fold card.  Give me a few days for the tutorial, though.    

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

An Invitation for a Golf Party

Golf is a sport that I admittedly do not understand.  In spite of the fact that there is literally a golf course on just about every corner where I live in south Florida, I have never had the desire to attempt to play.  Maybe I am afraid of another addiction! 

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

A Handmade Mother's Day Card

It must be difficult for my husband and my girls and my friends when it comes to giving me a card.  I think they feel paranoid, like I am judging them.  Wrong!

Friday, May 3, 2013

Upcylce a Chalkboard Into a Beautifully New Room Decor Item: Tutorial

My daughter recently redecorated her bedroom, and believe me, it has been long-overdue for new paint.  She went from Lily Pulitzer hot pink and lime green to a more mature color scheme of gray and dark purple.  The transformation was amazing!  The best and most fun part for her was taking all of the loose change that she found while she was cleaning

Monday, April 29, 2013

A French Invitation

My daughter asked me to create an invitation for her French National Honor Society club.  The club members wanted a nice invitation to give to their school's principal for the club's upcoming induction ceremony for next year.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Happy Birthday: Card Inspiration #5

Below is Card #5 in for your inspiration.  It is one of my favorites!  I love the saying, the colors, and the little mini rhinestones. 

Here is a recap of all of the cards from this week.  I hope you were inspired!



Monday, April 15, 2013

Happy Birthday: Card Inspiration #4


Below is Card #4 for your inspiration.  I like how it has a lot of colors but is pretty low-key.  Once again, I added glitter to the frosting to make it look yummy.  Our 5th and final card is coming up tomorrow.  See you then!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Happy Birthday: Card Inspiration #3

Here is a third card to inspire you.  I used another texture plate to create the polka-dot background.  I also added glitter to the frosting on the cupcake.  I love these colors!  Card #4 is coming up tomorrow.  Can't wait for you to see it!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Happy Birthday: Card Inspiration #2

Here is another birthday card for your inspiration!  I love the colors and the texture.  I like to use texture plates to create great background images.  The dimension makes the card looks so much more dramatic.  Come back tomorrow for card #3.



Thursday, April 11, 2013

Happy Birthday: Card Inspiration #1

I absolutely love the purple and yellow color combo on this card.  The paper doily against the sandy-looking background is a nice contrast, too.  Be sure to check back every day this week for birthday card inspiration.  Who doesn't love receiving a card in the mail, right?  A handmade one is even better!



Saturday, March 30, 2013

Wedding Card Inspiration: Card #4

First, Happy Easter!  I hope you enjoy your weekend and that you are beginning to feel like springtime is blooming.  Spring fever is in the air as we see buds beginning to bloom and longer days bringing more hustle and bustle with our outdoor activities.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Wedding Card Inspiration: Card #3

This card is a perfect choice for the bridal shower.  If you use this as the shower card, you can use the matching card, "Love on a Bicycle,"  (shown below) for the wedding card.  Once again, these non-traditional wedding card colors will be a hit with the bride and groom!

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