BUTTERFLY TERRARIUM GIFT SET

Bring the springtime right inside with this beautiful spring butterfly in the delicate, yet sturdy terrarium to keep it safe and protected. Hang this sweet little terrarium and enjoy the butterfly's company. Give this beautiful piece of spring as a gift with the matching card and gift box! Worried about cutting out all those windows? If you have an e-cutter have no fear, an SVG file is included with the tutorial package so you can quickly be on your way to putting together this butterfly's home!

This is the March Bonus project at Craft Project Central, and it was designed by Amanda.  Qualifying for the bonus tutorial is easy . . . just subscribe to two or more months in a row, put the Craft Project Central badge on your blog, or refer a friend to the site.  When your friend subscribes, just let us know!

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

For today's MISM project, I paired Stampin' Up!'s Butterfly Basics stamp set (which I l♥ve) with a paper from the Adventure Bound stack.  What's not to love about a card with visual interest and texture and easy to make in a snap?  Card stock colors are Crumb Cake and Calypso Coral.  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Butterflies Framelits and Tea Lace Paper Doily.  

Have a fantastic week!

PAPER PUMPKIN TO THE RESCUE

I needed some invitations to send to my family this week, and the March My Paper Pumpkin had the perfect contents--just what I needed!  I really enjoyed the stitching part, although I have to admit that it took me longer to complete than it probably should have.  On two of the invitations, I used a little DMC floss that I had on hand to coordinate with the color of the puffy heart and star embellishments.  I really enjoy the My Paper Pumpkin kits each month!  Stampin' Up! made some awesome changes/improvements to the kits about a year ago, and I haven't been disappointed yet.  Maybe you'd like to try a subscription?  Just click on the "Subscribe Today" link in the left sidebar.  It's that easy!

BOKEH GIFT ENSEMBLE

Let’s get out of those winter blues and make a couple of bright and cheerful projects that you can keep or send to someone that needs a little brightness to cheer them up.  All you need is a Big Shot, a few circle punches, the Basic Butterfly Stamp Set, Butterflies Framelits, and some bright cardstock!  Gift ensemble includes a shaker card, matching pen, and keepsake box!

The tutorial for this bright and cheery project, which was designed by April, can be found at Craft Project Central.

RUSTIC OFFICE DECOR

This Rustic Office Ensemble is the perfect gift for a college graduate or someone starting a new job or a new phase of life! This gift offers functionality, décor, and words of advice that can encourage and uplift the man in your life every day! The framed sentiment can either stand on the desk or hang on the wall to remind the recipient of important elements of success. The magnetic board holds a handy, custom notebook and can also be a place for photos or reminders. The pencil holder and business card holder are coordinated perfectly and keep necessary items within reach and clutter off the desk. The matching card tops of this ensemble and gives you a place to congratulate your man on his accomplishments!

The tutorial for this great project, which was designed by Julie Warnick, can be found at Craft Project Central.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project features inlaid embossed strips of Stampin' Up!'s gorgeous Gold Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper and Spring Flowers embossing folder.  The detail shows up better in the second photo.  This technique is such an easy one, and it definitely adds interest and texture to any card.  The stamped flower is from the Crazy about You stamp set and was punched with the Flower Medallion punch.  Finishing touches to this card are the leafy stem and round flower center, both from the oh-so-useful Flower Frenzy Bigz L die and--last, but not least--the Crisp Cantaloupe thick Baker's twine.

WINNER!  WINNER!  WINNER!

With my March 14th blog post (HERE), I mentioned that I had a one-month FREE subscription to Craft Project Central to give to one lucky person. The one and only easy requirement to get your name in the drawing was to leave a comment HERE, and I promised to announce the winner today.  I appreciate each of the kind comments and the time taken to get entered in the drawing.  The winner is:

Carol Haffner

who wrote, "Great project….beautiful cards!!!!!"

  Congratulations, Carol!  

If you'll email me at randari at hotmail dot com, 

we'll get your subscription started.

FIELD OF FLOWERS CANVAS

Blue skies, a field of flowers and butterflies!  This Field of Flowers home décor canvas will brighten up your home and make you long for Spring!  With a few simple supplies you can create a gorgeous piece of art for your wall.  A coordinating card for any occasion is also part of this set…just in case you decide to make an extra canvas for a lucky friend!  This canvas is sure to brighten any wall!

The tutorial for this gorgeous and colorful project, which was designed by Michelle, can be found at Craft Project Central.  Have you subscribed to this month's AWESOME tutorials yet????

CAMPOUT GIFT BOX & POP-UP CARD

Do you have a hard time coming up with project ideas for the men in your life?  This Campout Gift Box & Card may be the perfect solution if they love the outdoors!  This 4” x 4” gift box features all the makings of a perfect outdoor getaway – a tent tucked into the trees, a cozy fire, stars in the sky, and even a “cuddly” guest!  The pop up card completes the set and is sure to bring a smile to his face!

Can you say adorable?????  I mean, really . . . this is the cutest thing that I've seen in a while, and (as of this writing) I haven't even seen the whole project yet.   The tutorial for this project, which was designed by Melissa, can be found at Craft Project Central.  Have you subscribed yet?  Surely, the idea of TEN tutorials for $10 appeals to you.

TELEPHONE CARD FOR AUNT BETTY

I don't think it's really been that long since I sent a card to aunt Betty, but it certainly feels like it so I chose this handy dandy cut file (that I purchased quite some time ago from the Silhouette online store) and made this card.  I love shaped cards!  I can't imagine that anyone loves them as much as me, but I'm probably kidding myself.  As a matter of fact, the desire to make shaped cards was the main reason why I purchased my first electronic cutter (and then another and another).  Shaped cards and boxes . . . love 'em!  This little retro-colored telephone card is en route to aunt Betty, and I'm sure she's going to love it.

STANDING SCRAPBOOK FOR BABY

This scrapbook is perfect for displaying a dozen pictures of a new baby, using an inexpensive frame that is transformed into spectacular standing scrapbook. The double sided pages can be turned to showcase different pictures at different times. This project combines the Sweet Dreams Designer Series Paper with the Something for Baby stamp set into a fresh and fun scrapbook. It would make a fabulous gift for any new parents or grandparents, as well as a great class or club project. Includes instructions for a matching card.

Wouldn't this make a great gift?  This project was designed by Yapha Mason, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.  Have you subscribed yet?  As usual, this month's project tutorials are awesome!

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

I needed a gift bag recently and wanted a quick way to decorate it, and so I pulled out Stampin' Up!'s Calypso Coral Celebration Add-On Kit.  If you're looking for a lot of bang for your buck, treat yourself to this kit!  What's not to love about that stitched garland?  There's plenty of it in the kit, and it can be cut to whatever size you need for cards, scrapbook pages, boxes, gift bags, etc.  It is made up of Calypso Coral, Basic Gray, Crisp Cantaloupe, Crumb Cake, and Gold Foil circles.  I used two of the Banners Framelits to cut the two banners (in the top left corner) from some of the designer paper included in the kit.  Although the kit includes the streamers (♥ with adhesive already in place ♥) and a Stampin' Spritzer to use for coloring them, I chose to leave them white for my bag.  I used some of the Gold Foil included in the kit, along with the Butterflies Framelits, to cut that gorgeous butterfly, which made a perfect embellishment for the bag.  The Celebration Add-On Kit (either Calypso Coral or Bermuda Bay) has many perfect purposes, and it definitely makes it easy (and quick) to give a plain gift bag a festive flair!

BASKET FULL OF NOTE CARDS

The project featured at Craft Project Central today is the one that I designed.  Following is the introduction that I wrote:

With this tutorial, learn a quick and easy way to assemble the Berry Basket, which you’ll fill with an assortment of 3” x 3” note cards that feature the Adventure Bound Designer Series Paper Stack.  The note cards, which feature an interesting variety of designs, are perfect for a vast selection of events and occasions.  If a larger card is what you need, there is a project in this tutorial that shows you how to take one of the note cards and convert it to an A2 greeting card that also doubles as a gift card holder.  

On Monday, March 23rd, I will give to a lucky winner a FREE one-month subscription to Craft Project Central.  To be entered into the drawing for the subscription, all you need to do is go HERE and leave a comment on the post where my project is featured.  Be sure to visit my blog on the 23rd to see if yours was the winning name.  It's that simple! 

"HOORAY, IT'S YOUR DAY!"

I received a Stampin' Up! order yesterday, and tucked among the goodies was the "Hooray It's Your Day" kit and the Well Worded stamp set (and coordinating Mustache die, of course).  Before ordering the kit, I had noticed the two stencils that come with it, and I couldn't get them out of my mind.  Had to have them.  And so I pulled out one of the cards from the kit, the sunny burst stencil, and used a sponge to apply Daffodil Delight ink onto the front of the card.  I love this stencil!  My card also features a die-cut Bermuda Bay balloon (from the kit), striped washi tape (from the kit), white twine (from the kit), and three wooden stars (from the kit).  If you haven't studied the contents of THIS PARTICULAR KIT, please do.  It is a kit that will definitely work for you, and the planned projects are awesome.  Of course, it's not against the law to use any and all of the contents to create projects of your own design.  ;-)

ENVELOPE PUNCH BOARD DESK CADDY

This darling desk caddy is perfect for office supplies, stamping supplies or anything else you want to organize on your desk.  It’s made using the Envelope Punch Board and so easy to assemble!  This Desk Caddy makes the perfect gift for anyone and can be altered for men, women or children – simply change out the Designer Series Paper and embellishments to customize, add a coordinating greeting card and you are set!  Or make one for your own desk or make several to sell at Craft Shows! 

The tutorial for this awesome and handy project, which was designed by Laurie, can be found at Craft Project Central.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's snappy project is a card featuring Stampin' Up!'s Irresistibly Yours designer paper and Something for Baby stamp set and Framelits bundle.  The designer paper was cut with the Top Note die, and then I used the onesie die to cut the center of that shape.  The heart image from the Perfect Pennants stamp set was inked with Pear Pizzazz ink and stamped onto the resist paper, and I used a Q-tip to clean the excess ink to reveal the pretty white stars.  The bowtie was fussy cut from the patterned paper, which is from DCWV's "The Little Mister" collection.  And there you have it . . . a cute little card to welcome a baby boy.

LAUNDRY AWESOMENESS

I know that not everyone wants scented laundry, but this post is solely for those of you who do.  I love for my laundry to smell fresh and clean.  Love it!  For the past 5 years, I have been loving, using, and selling Scentsy products, including their Layers Laundry Care products (which is still a fairly new product line)--particularly the Laundry Liquid and Washer Whiffs.  I thought that my favorite laundry scents were Ocean, Scentsy Clean, and French Lavender, but that was before I decided--on a whim--to add Black Raspberry Vanilla Washer Whiffs to a recent order.

Let me just say that this product smells Heavenly.  As my clothes were washing last night, I couldn't figure out what smelled so good in the house . . . until I remembered the Black Raspberry Vanilla!  By the time the laundry finished and I emptied the dryer, I wanted to wrap myself up in it!  If you've never heard of Washer Whiffs, they're small crystals that you add to the washer along with unscented detergent.  They're not detergent . . . they're the smell-good.  ;-)  If you'd like to try this product (or any Scentsy products), just visit my web site or let me know how I can assist you.

BUTTERFLY MINI NOTE CARD SET

Make this beautiful mini note card set for a sweet friend, with a matching box to hold them and a sweet butterfly pin. Learn how to make your card look like it was bought in a store with heat embossing and glitter paper. Try your hand in a technique, called ‘Bokeh’ affect, and turn your butterflies into multicolored embellishments. Learn how to add simple, but interesting touches to your cards that will wow any recipients.  Great for a stamp camp, or as a class project.

Monika Davis, who designed this gorgeous ensemble, always chooses great color combinations.  Her complete tutorial for this project can be found at Craft Project Central.

GORGEOUS GOLD SOIREE FOR SKETCH CHALLENGE #45

Each month, there's a new sketch challenge at Craft Project Central, and this is the card that I created for Creating Pretty Cards - Sketch Challenge #45:

I have recently opened a pack of Stampin' Up!'s Gold Soiree designer paper, and it is oh, so pretty!  The papers in this collection have a different texture (silky smooth in an almost-glossy kind of way) than the typical DSP collections.  Let me put it this way . . . if Gold Soiree was a liquor, it would be top-shelf!  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on my card include Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, and Whisper White card stock, Crisp Cantaloupe twine, Butterflies Framelits dies, Essentials Paper-Piercing Template, Paper-Piercing Tool, and Stampin' Pierce Mat.  Below is the actual sketch, designed by Yapha Mason.  Be sure to view her free tutorial, create a card, and share it at Craft Project Central:

Did you know that for every 10 cards submitted for the Sketch Challenge, Craft Project Central will choose one winner who will receive a FREE one-month subscription to the site?  That would be a fun prize!  Don't miss the tutorial for the sketch, and be sure to upload your card HERE to be entered in the drawing for a FREE subscription!

FAMILY ESTABLISHED SHADOW BOX & CARD

Need an anniversary gift for that special couple? This shadow box is the perfect gift for them. It features their family name, along with the year they were married. Make one for them, and one for yourself. Make the coordinating card to make the gift complete! The shadow box and card feature the Butterfly Basics Stamp Set and the Butterflies Thinlits Dies. Directions on how to color the flowers and Gold Foil Sheets with Blendabilities is included in this tutorial. This would also make a great class.

What's not to love about the colorful sneak peeks for this project?  It. is. lovely.  The talented Christy Fulk designed this awesome project, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project has a fun layout and features the following great Stampin' Up! products:

Card Stock:  So Saffron, Whisper White

DSP:  Painted Blooms

Stamp Set:  Crazy about You

Punch:  Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (flower)

Sizzix:  Happy Heart embossing folder

Accessories:  Rhinestone jewels

I wish you a happy Monday and a wonderful week!

PAPER SUCCULENTS - GARDEN GIFT SET

Create the ultimate no-maintenance garden with these faux succulent plants! You’ll learn how to make five different succulents in a variety of colors and textures that will make the everlasting garden. The coordinating ‘succulent’ card makes for the perfect presentation to give this as a gift to someone special. The Gift Box is a quick,  cute way to add a little special wrapped treat or small gift to include for your recipient. Plus, you’ll get a great tip on how to wrap this Takeout Box without a lot of fuss using your Designer Papers!

I especially like this project, which was designed by Julie, because I recently made some faux succulents using my Brother Scan 'n Cut, and now I can make them using Stampin' Up! products!  You can make them, too, if you subscribe to this month's edition of awesome projects at Craft Project Central.