A Craft Care Package for Your College Kid

One of the benefits of having pretty much every craft item known to man is the ease at which my girls (and heck, the entire neighborhood for that matter!) can count on me to have just the right thing they need when it comes to making projects for school.  Glue?  Check!  Punches?  Check!  Paper?  Check!  And on and on and on....

So of course, as our oldest daughter prepares to leave for her freshman year of college, I keep thinking to myself, "What if she needs a paper cutter at one in the morning?  What will she do?!"  As if that is going to happen, right?  Well, I can rest a little easier because I put a box of basic school supplies together for her.  You can do the same thing, too!  If your kids are still too young for this, put together a box anyway.  I'm sure you know someone who knows someone who is heading off to school.  It will be fun for you to make, and even more fun for the college kid when he/she needs a permanent marker to make a poster for a party and is too broke to buy one.  All of these items are so inexpensive to buy during this time of year.  Wait a month, and you will be shocked at how expensive they suddenly become; especially in college bookstores.



Some basic items for your college box can (and should!) include:

Permanent markers

Colored pencils

Regular markers

Glue

Scissors

Paper cutter (because every piece of paper should be straight!  it looks so much more professional!)

Tape

You-name-it

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I was going to leave the box plain white, but how could I possibly live with myself?  Go ahead and decorate your box to match the student's school theme!  They will love you even more...guaranteed!

A Stationery Box for the College Kid

In keeping with my latest obsession of making boxes and stationary, here is an idea for something you can make for a college-bound kid. 



I made the card resemble the Duke "D" by cutting out part of the fold and by rounding the corners.



The cards are perfect for college students to use as thank-you notes or invitations to school-related events.  I also made smaller gift tags that can be used as mini note cards, too.



Don't forget to stamp the envelopes! 



Tuck everything away in its own little compartment inside the box:



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Here's a review of the other boxes/ideas:

  Baroque Motifs

  Faux Suede Box

  Well-Worn

Another Fun Stationery Box

Lately, I have been obsessed with making boxes and filling them with stationery.  I ordered a custom stamp for Sharon and made her her very own box of personalized stationery.  I'm hoping that because it's handmade, she'll forgive me for being so forgetting her birthday. 



(If you look closely at the box lid, you can see that I used my trusty drywall tape as an embellishment.)

Here's the inside.  I love the lid.



The lid's pocket holds 3" x 3" notecards and envelopes.



Here's a top view of the box and all of its goodies and compartments.



In addition to including Sharon's personalized name stamp inside the box, I also included three wine corks that I wrapped with hemp twine.  She can use the twine to attach the cards to packages.



Don't you just love these fun colors?  They are Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, and Lucky Limeade...all from Stampin' Up!  





TIP:  I used Mod Podge to apply the Designer Series Paper to the box.  It is much easier to use Designer Series Paper than it is to use heavy cardstock to cover the box. 

Mishmash: Part 2

Alas, here is another mishmash masterpiece.  Let me just say that making mishmash cards has been so liberating for me.  I am so OCD.  The fact that these colors don't really match seems to work for me, though.
Try it!  Throw all of your scraps and stuff into a big pile and go to town.  You might surprise yourself!  Share your creations by leaving a link to your blog in the comments section below.

A Mishmash of Color & Stuff

Mishmash is actually a word.  Did you know that?  It really is.  It's in the dictionary, so it must be legit, right?  It's spelled "mishmash" or "mishmosh," however you prefer.  Either way, it means the same thing.  "A hodgepodge of stuff."  (That's a HODGE podge, not a MOD podge...hee hee  :) )
In the ever-ongoing process of cleaning my craft room, I decided it was finally time to finish all of the half-finished card projects that were cluttering my desk and getting on my nerves.  I decided to blend everything together...I put EVERYTHING, including scraps of paper and embellishments that could never seem to find homes, in one big pile, grabbed coordinating colors, and went to town.
Here is today's example of a mishmash card.  I'm pleasantly surprised with the results.  These are colors that I would never use all together at the same time, yet somehow they seem to work.
You know what they say...desperate times call for desperate measures.  I have been desperate to clean that room, and darn it, one day it will happen.


Come back tomorrow for an even more mishmashed card.  You'll be inspired.

College Pride Week: Make a Mini College Scrapbook (Tutorial)

There are so many "firsts" in life.  You know...first baby, first day of school, first hair cut, etc.  I thought it would be fun to memorialize our daughter's first few days at college. 
I made this mini scrapbook to save photos of the days when I drop her off and help her move into her room.



It only has a few pages.  By making the scrapbook "mini," it is much easier to complete.  You won't feel overwhelmed by having a huge scrapbook.  All you have to do is use a few photos that capture the important moments.  I'm looking forward to taking a couple of photos of her dorm room after she is all moved in and the room is all set.  I can pretty much guarantee that her room will never be as neat and tidy as it will be that first day.  :)



SUPPLIES:
Click HERE to order
Cardstock in your school's colors 
Ink in your school's colors 
Ribbon in your school's colors 
Paper cutter with scoring blade 

Directions:
For the Cover:
1)  cut a piece of cardstock 4-1/4" x 11"
2)  score the 11" side at 5", 5-1/2", and 6"

3)  fold in half along the 5-1/2" score line

4)  cut a slit along the 1/2" score line
5)  round the corners

For the Inside Pages:
1)  cut two pieces of coordinating-colored cardstock 4" x 10-1/2"
2)  score the 10-1/2" side at 4-3/4", 5-1/4", and 5-3/4"
3)  fold in half along the 5-1/4" score line
4)  cut a slit down the 5-1/4" score line
5)  round the corners
6)  fold all pieces into a book
This is what you will end up with:


For the ribbons:
1)  cut three pieces of ribbon
2)  insert through slit and tie


Decorate the cover and you're done!

Halloween Candy Explosion Box Tutorial

Make a cute candy box for Halloween!  The best part about this little gem is that the box "explodes" when you take off the lid.  What a nice surprise!





Supplies: 

Paper cutter with scoring blade

Decorative paper

Embellishments

Double-sided tape

 











For the lid:











Fold in the side of the box, put the lid on, and you're done! 

Wait!  Don't forget to fill the box with some yummy candy...that's the best part, right?!

Ribbon Rose Tutorial

Ribbon roses are very easy to make!  You can make them any size, large or small.  You can also use any size and type of ribbon. 

To make these roses, all you need is ribbon, scissors, and a very heavy-duty double-sided adhesive.  The best thing to use is either Stampin' Up!'s "Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets" or their "Jumbo Sticky Rounds."  (Note:  you can also use sticky strip or double-sided tape; however, if you use either of these two you must first adhere them to a piece of cardstock so that your roses have a supportive backing.  Just cut a piece of cardstock a little bit larger than the size of the rose you want to make, and then cover the cardstock in sticky strip or tape.  Then you will be ready to go!)

**  If you would like to order "Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets," click HERE, then click on SHOP NOW and enter Item #120805.  You get 12 sheets of 12" x 12" blank sticky sheets per package for $14.95 USD plus S/H.  You can also use the sheets with the Big Shot machine to create custom shapes.  Pretty Cool!

**  If you would like to order "Jumbo Sticky Rounds," click HERE, then click on SHOP NOW and enter Item #127852.  You get a package of 12 sticky rounds that measure 2-1/2" in diameter for $4.95 USD plus S/H.

Ok!  Now that you have your supplies, let's get started!




1)  If you're using the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets, cut out a square a little bit bigger than the size of the rose you want

2)  Peel off the pink covering to expose the adhesive

3)  Stick one end of the ribbon onto the adhesive and begin twisting

4)  Keep twisting and adhering the ribbon while at the same time forming a circle

5)  Continue twisting and adhering until you make the rose the size you want

6)  Tuck and adhere the end of the ribbon underneath part of the rose

7)  Cut out the rose

8)  Peel off the back of the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet and adhere the rose to your project

(If you use the cardstock method, all you need to do is apply the rose to your project with your regular adhesive)

Can't Leave a Good Cover Blank

My husband travels quite a bit with his job.  Every once in awhile he has to attend conferences.  We love when he returns home from a conference because he comes home with lots of goodies for us.  He brings us  promotional gadgets from different companies, like pens, notebooks, Band-Aids, combs, shoe polish, tooth brushes, etc. 
A couple of months ago he brought home this lovely gem:  a blank notebook complete with a pen.   When I saw the blank cover, I couldn't wait to haul out the Mod Podge and paper and go to town!  I think this whole thing took me two minutes (literally) to make.

 

If you ever find yourself in this situation, just grab some scraps of decorative paper and have at it!

Is there a medication for when a person sees a blank canvas and breaks out in hives?  ;)

Howdy, Folks! Guest-Room Pass-Along Frame

I adorned a basic frame with ribbon roses and embossed chipboard letters to make this guest room pass-along frame.  Display it in your guest room and then allow your guests to take it home with them to pass it along to their guests, and so on, and so on.

Come back tomorrow for the ribbon rose tutorial.

How to Make Your Creations "Pop"

By Adding One Small Extra, Your Creation Can Go From Boring to Amazing

When I first created this card I was happy with it because I thought it had an understated elegance about it and that's why I liked it. 

However, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing.  I added a cute little butterfly and I'm glad I did.  I think the card went from being okay to being an eye-catcher.  I'm all for drama and bling!

Which one do you like better?