November Tour de Freaks

Psst... If you are reading this post on November 19th, please note that we are getting the tour ready and testing the links to make sure everything is working. The official tour begins on the 20th, so if you cannot make the whole round tonight, hang in there with us!

  

 

  

Welcome to our November Tour de Freaks! This tour is brought to you by the Control Freaks Stampers members and if you have been following the tour, you should have gotten to my blog by clicking on the link provided by Janine Tinklenberg on her blog. If you are just starting out, make sure to visit all thirteen blogs that are part of the tour today by following the links provided at the bottom of each post. Our theme this month is Christmas Gifts and Snow! So without further ado, here are the fun projects I would like to share with you this month!

 

 

My first project: Framed with Love

Project info: The idea behind this gift came from a coworker who asked me for advice on how to package a bunch of gift certificates for a friend's baby shower. I suggested making a frame with a bunch of small envelopes and from there, the idea evolved into this project I am showing you here.

I used our Designer paper from the Brights collection to make the envelope. (My tip to you: gently unglue a small envelope to use as a template or use the Scallop envelope die with the Big Shot for faster results.) Since the paper is double-sided, you can just fold the top flap over and you get a beautiful envelope in no time. I decorated each envelope differently, with ribbon and accessories (I basically just flipped through my Caddy to see which embellishments I had that could work).

The frame is simply a canvas I got at the local art store and painted with our White Frost shimmer paint, before adding a bit of red satin ribbon, a Big Designer button from the Holidays mini and glueing the envelope in place with sticky strip. The nice thing about canvas is that they are inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes.

This idea can be adapted in so many ways: Use 24 envelopes to turn the frame into an Advent calendar. Slip love notes in each envelope for a Valentine's gift. Slip comforting notes and offer as a gift to someone who's sick. Write advice to an expecting mom. The possibilities are endless!

  

 

 
  
 

Stamps: Courrier d'hiver (Winter Post)
Designer papers: Brights Designer paper
Inks: Old Olive
Accessories: Red satin ribbon, Big Designer buttons (mini), canvas,White Frost shimmer paint,
mini envelope, brads, buttons, markers, jumbo eyelets

   

 

  

My second project: Card Holder

Project info: This is a card holder, with a page for each month of the year, where you can write the birthdates of your loved ones and insert the cards you want to send them on their birthdays in each pocket for sakefeeping.

You are going to love the dimensions of this, because they are so easy: use a 8½ x 11 page, score at 3 inches at the bottom and fold up. For the back pocket, cut a 8½ x 3½ piece of matching cardstock, score at ½ inch from the bottom, fold and glue to the back of the page using sticky strip. Then, to decorate with patterned paper, use a 8 x 4 piece of paper. Gotta love this measurement - perfect for 12 x 12 paper!

I used the Favorite Things set to stamp the birthday block and month tag. I used a marker to handwrite the month, but if you are stamping in English, you might want to check out the Full Calendar set, which is going to make your job that much easier.

 

  

 

 

 

 

Stamps: Favorite Things, Dot Dot Dot
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Marina Mist>
Designer Paper: Greenhouse Gala
Early Espresso, Versamark
Big Shot: Tasteful Trims die, Simple Letters Alphabet
Accessories: Satin ribbon, Floewrs, Vintage brads, Stampin' Pastels, Daubers,
Boho Blossoms punch, Border punches (Scallop, Eyelet, Scallop Trim), markers, sticky strip
 
 

 

 

My third project: Traveling Kit

Project info: Doesn't everything look better in a miniature format? This is a traveling kit, but the idea could easily be adapted to any kind of bottle or container you want to offer as a Christmas gift. Packaged nicely, everything just looks like a more expensive gift than it really is, wouldn't you agree?

For this kit, I chose an elegant black and vanilla scheme, which also matched the bottles and accessories I wanted to include in the kit, and selected the map from the Newsprint papers kit to fit the traveling theme.

I want to point out one of the details on the holder. I used my 1-in Circle punch to add the bottles in place and the holes are a little wider than the actual bottle, so the bottles kept toppling over to the sides. To avoid that problem, I punched a Scallop circle out of matching patterned paper, traced the bottom of the bottle in the middle, then cut between each scallop all the way to my pencil line. I folded the "petals" up, and used glue dots to roll a strip of paper all the way around the petals. To glue the holder at the bottom of the kit, I placed it on the bottle, added two glue dots at the bottom of it and slid it in place in the kit, therefore glueing it in place at the bottom. Neat, huh? This stabilizes the bottles in place and makes for a nice finish as well.

    
 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Designer papers: Newspring
Punches: Scallop Oval, 1-in. Circle, Scallop Trim border, Scallop Circle
Accessories: Black lace (mini), stricky strip, mini glue dots

 

And your link back to the next stop on the tour: Lisa Martz!

 

  

Comments

[Lisa M]

Cindy...I'm speechless! What wonderful projects! I love them all!

[Lisa Young, Add Ink and Stamp]

These are fantastic projects Cindy! I am in love with your idea of a traveling kit! I have plenty of people on my list who will love one those!

[Wendy W.]

You ALWAYS amaze me with the diversity in the things you create, Cindy-dear!! Great idea with the envelopes and the many ways you can use that project. The card holder is FABULOUS and the travel kit is just oh-so-amazing!! :)

[Holly/Rubber Redneck]

Love all your projects Cindy!

[Debbie Currier]

These are so wonderful! The canvas idea has so many possibilities! Thanks for sharing!

[kaydrenth]

Lovely projects! That card holder is adorable!

[Laura (scrapnextras)]

These are all freakin' amazing! Love that envelope gift card holder...it would make a fun kids game too or pick a prize or job! I love it!!