"POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE" GRAD GIFT

It's time to think about gifts for graduates, and I wanted to use Stampin' Up!'s Pomp & Circumstance stamp set to decorate a package.  The box was cut with my Silhouette Cameo using a cut file designed by Samantha Walker.

Additional Stampin' Up! products used to decorate the box include the Decorative Label punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Coastal Cabana card stock and twine.  Now that I've made this box and kept the stamping and embellishing to an almost-bare minimum, I am thinking of ways to make it more exciting and kind of wish that I knew a graduate this year.

As you can see, this box could hold quite a nice gift, including a couple of gift cards and/or a wad of cash!  I should make one for Mother's Day and see if my guys want to fill it up for me.

MASON JAR "FUN BANK"

This is another project that was created for my niece's wedding.  My sister, Renee, wanted a fun way to give cash and gift cards to the newlyweds.  The idea was that my niece and her husband could open one envelope each month for the first year of their marriage, and the envelope would either have a gift card or cash that they could put to good use.  After tossing around several ideas, Renee and I decided to decorate a canning jar and then use Stampin' Up!'s Envelope Punch Board to create twelve envelopes to fit inside.  

The decoration of the jar was kept simple with a polka dot monogram against a punched scallop circle from Basic Black card stock, which was adhered to a pretty Tea Lace paper doily.  Simple adornments included a coordinating paper flower and pearl jewels, and the doily itself was adhered to the burlap band around the jar.

It would have been wrong to not have anything decorating the back of the jar, so we thread twine through two button holes, and glued the buttons to the burlap.  BTW, Stampin' Up!'s Chalk Marker was used to label the Fun Bank, and the label was placed on the lid.  Don't the pretty envelopes look nice inside the jar?  How fun would it be to receive a jar full of envelopes that were stuffed with gift cards and cash?!?! 

HELLO SPRING ART GIFT SET - APRIL BONUS PROJECT

Welcome Spring, and add some bright colorful flowers to your décor with this lovely art piece. Or give someone else some Spring sunshine and flowers with the matching card!

Can you say gorgeous?  I think the photo itself would be a pretty decoration.  Amanda designed this project for the April bonus tutorial at Craft Project Central.  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!

A DIGITALLY-CREATED INVITATION FOR A BEAUTIFUL WEDDING

On Saturday, April 26th, my youngest niece got married, and it was a beautiful day--no one could have wished for better weather!  I have been waiting for months to share photos of the wedding invitation that I designed using Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio (MDS), and here they are! 

The Happy Together Trifold Card Template is one that I have used several times in the past to design cards for my own use, and I thought that it would make a perfect wedding invitation because of the opportunity it presents to include photos on the backside, making it a keepsake for those who receive it. 

Maybe I'm biased, but I think my niece's family is adorable.  ;-)

Some of the MDS products used to design the invitation include:

Stamps:  Wedding Words, Happy Together, Frames with a Flourish, Decorative Overlays

Embellishments:  Happy Together, Fancy Frames, Downtown Grunge, Mis-Stitched, Burlap Ribbon, Staple & Stitching, Basic Pearls & Rhinestones, Delicate Adornments, Baker's Twine, Paper Doilies

Template:  Happy Together Trifold Card

Punches:  1.25" Square, Perfect Label

Kits:  Follow Your Bliss, Limited Edition

Another awesome Stampin' Up! product that my niece used for her wedding was a cute and perfect Circle Monogram personalized stamp, which she designed for the bags that were placed on the Candy Buffet.

Notice the tall "Love" shelf in the center of the above photo?  That shelf was made by my husband and was one of our gifts to the newlyweds.  I thought it was nice that the wedding coordinator saw it on rehearsal night (when we gave it to my niece) and wanted to use it the next day at the wedding!  She definitely found a fitting and perfect place for it, right by the cake and all of those delicious cupcakes which were prepared by my mother.  It was a beautiful wedding, a beautiful day, and I hope it will be a continued beautiful life for Haley & Matt and their two gorgeous sons.

CAMERA SCRAPBOOK, BOX, PEN & CARD

Springtime brings to mind warmer weather, end of school, and vacations. Why not get your vacation scrapbook ready now? This little scrapbook was designed to look like a camera, and it will hold your 4” x 6” photos or post cards. While on vacation, pick up a post card or two each day and mail them home with a little note of your highlights for the day. When you get home, add them to your book and voila…you are done! Bonus, you have a box for gifting or keeping it safe with room for extra pictures.

This is an adorable ensemble with a fabulous idea behind it to enable you to start the process of recording vacation memories while on vacation.  Judi Sparks designed this project, and her complete tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

OH, SO FUN BOX!

I love learning (and sometimes figuring out for myself) how to make all kinds of boxes, and this one was actually a blank prototype that was waiting to either get turned into something or land in the trash.  When my sister left her jewelry here a couple of days ago, I needed something to put it all in so I decided to put the blank box to use.  It was decorated very, very simply with designer paper--easy peasy.  Even though the ribbon would hold the box closed, I decided to add a little extra security by wrapping a band around the center.  What's fun about this box are the decorative tag tabs which were created with Stampin' Up!'s Scalloped Tag Topper punch, and it just happens to be really handy that the punch cuts a slit perfect for the ribbon.

GINGHAM GARDEN GIFT SET

Nothing says "Thank You" or "Thinking of You", to me, more than fresh baked bread. Even better... fresh baked bread beautifully wrapped! This week I will show you how to dress up your favorite mini loaf of bread with a beautiful bread box, oval punch bow and matching card using Stampin'Up! Gingham Garden Designer Series Paper. Perfect for spring, perfect anytime!

Isn't this a gorgeous set?  Martha Stewart designed this project, and her tutorial can be found at Craft Project Central.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project is a little late, but I wanted to first post a photo of the latest tutorial available at Craft Project Central.  I mentioned in that post that I enjoy learning to make boxes, and such was the case with this little basket.  Actually, I made a larger version of a Bag in a Box using the Envelope Punch Board and, instead of giving it a boxy shape, I turned it into a basket.  My designer paper was 7-1/2" square, and I punched and scored at 1-3/4" and then slid the paper over to the 5" measurement and punched and scored again.  After that, I just used the previously scored lines to determine where to punch and score on the remaining three sides of the paper.  I used Stampin' Up!'s Pomp & Circumstance stamp set and a piece of taffeta ribbon to decorate the box.  Easy peasy and ready to fill.

SHOP WITH ME, PLEASE

Now is the time to dust off the Wish List and place your order because there will be NO SHIPPING CHARGES from April 21 thru April 25.  That's like getting an instant 10% off of your order!  Stampin' Up! has released the list of retiring products today, so be sure to check it out.  NOTE that all retiring products (including stamp sets) will only be available while supplies last so, if there's something that you want, GET IT NOW.  To place an order with me, just visit www.regina.stampinup.net, and click the SHOP button in the top right corner.  Don't forget to enter the current Hostess Code (V74TASNM) when you order.  After adding the first item to your order, there will be a space near the bottom left where the Hostess Code can be entered. 

ELEGANT GIFT BOX & CARD

Make this elegant gift box for anyone for any occasion--a birthday or a wedding. It can hold a gift card, jewelry, or candy. It also looks great on a desk holding office supplies. It is very easy to make, and you don’t need a lot of craft supplies. You can leave it simple or add different embellishments to suit your style. Great for a stamp camp or as a class project.

I am always ready to learn to make boxes.  For some reason, they have captured my interest ever since I discovered the joy of playing with paper, and this one designed by Monika Davis is on my list of projects to make.  You can make one, too, by visiting Craft Project Central and getting your subscription started.

GRADUATION CARDS & TREATS

Get ready for graduation season with your choice of gift card holder, money (or check) holder, and fun fold graduation cap card. Includes two graduation themed treat holders as well.

The timing is perfect to start creating for the graduates in your life, and Yapha Mason has designed some awesome choices with this ensemble.  Her tutorial is available at Craft Project Central.