Stamping with the Stars

Snowman Cube

SPOILER ALERT:  This is one of the projects we'll be making at our stamping club next week.

When I found these cute little note cubes, I knew I'd just have to use them in one of my workshop projects.  The really cool part is that I didn't know until I set the finished cube into the base that the short, chubby snowman in front would fit perfectly in the slot.

Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp set:  The More the Merrier, Hostess Level 3, Pg. 17

Paper:  Not Quite Navy cardstock (CS), Pg. 156 #101722

Ink: Basic Black, Pg. 155 #101179Real Red, Pg. 156 #101133; Garden Green, Pg. 156 #102272; Only Orange, Pg. 156 #102696; Ballet Blue, Pg. 157 #100907; Sahara Sand, Pg. 155 #105208

Accessories: Blender Pens, Pg. 192 #102845; Sticky Strip, Pg. 192 #104294; Red Gingham Ribbon, Pg. 183 #104827; Mini Glue Dots, Pg. 192 #103683; 3/4" Circle Punch, Pg. 186 #107217 White "Post-It" Note Cubes; Baby's Breath; Rubber Band

Wrap the rubber band around the cube to hold the sheets tightly together while you stamp the image.  If you want that short little snowman to fit into the base slot, try to center him as much as possible.  Also, be sure to stamp about 1/4" down from the top so you don't cut off your snowman's head.  Repeat on all four sides.

Squeeze a little ink onto the covers of the inkpads and use the Blender Pen to pick up a little of the ink.  Color in the image as desired.  Scribble on scrap paper in between each color to clean the pen.

After coloring the snowman images, I used Sahara Sand to give the snowmen and snowbank a little depth.  (My coloring doesn't look nearly as sloppy on the real thing as it does in this close-up!)

Measure the bottom of your note cube and add 1-1/16".  My cubes were 1-7/8 x 1-7/8", so I cut a 2-15/16" square. (Or, as I call it, 1/16" short of 3")

Score 1/2" on all four sides and snip the corners as shown.  Use the 3/4" Circle Punch to punch out the half-circle slot in front. Add Sticky Strip and assemble the base.  I should tell you that the Sticky Strip in this photo did not come from Stampin' Up!  I used some 1/8" Sticky Strip I had on hand.

Use a Mini Glue Dot to attach a few sprigs of baby's breath to top of the cube.

Tie a ribbon around the cube and base, covering the Mini Glue Dot and you're all done.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll be inspired to try one of these note cubes for yourself.  This would be a perfect little Secret Santa gift, don't you think?

Mickey

In the Pink

Today's card was created for the Pals Paper Arts In the Pink Challenge PPA14 to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month and  Karol Harris, and her loving daughter (and PPA Design Team member), Kris Kilcoyne. 

I'm also dedicating my post to my very dear friend, Germaine, who is also fighting this battle.  I have no doubt that she will win, because she is the smartest and bravest person I know.

The only requirement for this challenge was to use pink, so I made my first pink Christmas card.  Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp set:  Gifts of Christmas, Pg. 37 #115372

Paper:  Whisper White Cardstock (CS), Pg. 155 #100730; Pretty in Pink CS, Pg. 157 #100459; Brushed Gold CS, Pg. 159 #102935

Ink:  None!

Accessories:  Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Pg. 194 #113439; Petals-A-Plenty Embossing Folder, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 21 #116824; Oval Scallop Frame Die, Pg. 199 #114521; Hobby Blade, Pg. 191 #102449; Craft & Rubber Scissors, Pg. 191 #103179; Gold Embossing Powder, Pg. 188 #109129; Heat Tool, Pg. 188 #100005; Embossing Buddy, Pg. 188 #103083; VersaMark, Pg. 190 #102283; Pretty in Pink 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Pg. 183 #109032; Snail Adhesive, Pg. 192 #104332; Dazzling Diamonds, Pg. 180 #102023; 2-Way Glue Pen, Pg. 182 #100425; Fine-tip Glue Pen; Stamp-a-ma-jig, Pg. 191 #101049

Cut Pretty in Pink CS 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" and score at 4-1/4" to create the card base.

I first saw this technique of cutting out the oval in a Petals-A-Plenty embossing folder over at Patty's Stamping Spot.  The only difference is instead of cutting out the oval on both sides of the embossing folder, I only cut out one side.  This has two advantages:  First, I'm basically a lazy person, and this is a whole lot easier.  And second, I can actually pop the oval back in and emboss the full sheet as intended.

You'll need an oval shape to trace onto the embossing folder.  The Oval Scallop Frame die works great if you have one.

Once you trace around the oval, cut it out.  I used the Hobby Blade to get it started and then cut around the oval with the Craft & Rubber Scissors.

Yes, I actually wore "Sharps" gloves when I cut the oval out of the embossing folder.  (My husband bought them for me the last time I cut the tip off my finger.)

Insert a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Whisper White CS into the embossing folder and run it through the Big Shot.  I usually spritz the CS with alcohol before embossing it, but I forgot this time.  Still, I think I got a nice crisp texture.

Here is a piece of cardstock I ran through after popping the oval back into my embossing folder.  Looks fine to me.  Now I can cut a rectangle out of my spare folder!

Dust the embossed CS with the Embossing Buddy and use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to center the image in the oval.  Stamp with VersaMark, apply Gold Embossing Powder and heat set.

Now use the 2-Way Glue Pen to fill in the dove.  I also used a fine-tipped glue pen to get into the tight areas.  Apply Dazzling Diamonds and tap of the excess.

 Layer the image piece onto 5-3/8" x 4-1/8"  Brushed Gold CS.  When I made my card, I attached the embossed piece with Stampin' Dimensionals, but I wasn't thrilled with the results, so I recommend attaching it with Snail Adhesive. (When you're attaching an embossed piece to CS, apply the Snail to the base CS so you don't flatten out the embossed piece.) Wrap Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon around the layered piece and tie in bow.  Attach to the card base with Snail.

We're all done. I hope this tutorial will inspire you to submit your own entry in to PPA's In the Pink Challenge.  While you're there, check out the links to other websites for more information on Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Thanks for stopping by.

Mickey

Serene Snowflake Card

I'm so excited today!  I just found out that my Serene Snowflake Ornament was chosen to be one of Pals Paper Arts Artist Picks this week.  They even sent me that cool blinkie thing you see in my left sidebar!  If you haven't checked out this site yet, click on the blinkie.  A lot of my ideas start out as one of their challenges.

Okay, enough bragging.  Time to get to today's tutorial.

This just might be the Christmas card I send to my friends and family this year.  I think the glittered snowflake beautifully sets off this simple two-color card.  Well, three colors if you include the gold embossing. 

Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp sets:  Serene Snowflakes, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 26 #115438; Snow Swirled, Pg. 36 #111690

Paper:  Very Vanilla Cardstock (CS), Pg. 155 #101650; Very Vanilla Textured CS, Pg. 155 #106530 (Optional); Not Quite Navy CS, Pg. 156 #101722

Ink:  None!

Accessories:  VersaMark, Pg. 190 #102283; Gold Embossing Powder, Pg. 188 #109129; Heat Tool, Pg. 188 #100005; Embossing Buddy, Pg. 188 #103083; Dazzling Diamonds, Pg. 180 #102023; Snail Adhesive, Pg. 192 #104332; Ribbon Originals, Pg. 182 #116231; Fine tipped glue pen

Cut Very Vanilla CS 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" and score at 4-1/4" to create card base.

Rub the Embossing Buddy over 3-3/4" x 5" Very Vanilla CS.  I used Very Vanilla Textured CS on my card because I happened to have a piece already cut.  I do think it adds another nice texture to the card, so I'll probably use it for all of my cards.

Stamp the snowflake image in the upper left section and apply Gold Embossing Powder.  Use the Heat Tool to heat set as shown.

Add the sentiment.  I used the Season's Greetings sentiment from the Snow Swirled stamp set.

Use a fine-tipped glue pen to fill in the open areas of the snowflake as shown. I used a Quickie Glue pen I found at a local craft store.  Sprinkle on Dazzling Diamonds and tap off the excess.

Cut Not Quite Navy CS 4" x 5-1/4". Layer the Very Vanilla piece onto Not Quite Navy CS with Snail. Using the Not Quite Navy ribbon from the Ribbon Originals set, wrap ribbon around the card front and tie.  Attach to the card base with Snail.

I haven't decided on a sentiment for the inside of the card, but I'll probably keep it simple so it can be embossed as well.

That's it for today.  Be sure to check in tomorrow to see another glitter card I made for the next Pals Paper Arts "In the Pink" Challenge in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Thanks for stopping by today.

Mickey

Autumn Splendor

This card is my entry for this week's Mojo Monday Challenge-MOJO110.  I used up a lot of my Autumn Meadows Designer Paper (DSP) scraps.  I also used some left over embossed pieces from the Autumn Splendor Thank You Card I posted last August.

Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp set:  Autumn Splendor, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 12 #116503

Paper:  Autumn Meadows, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 13 #116769; More Mustard Cardstock (CS), Pg. 156 #100946; Brushed Gold CS, Pg. 159 #102935

Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Pg. 156 #100908; Really Rust, Pg.156 #102549

Accessories:  Autumn Harvest Rub-Ons, Pg. 177 #115731; Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Pg. 183 #111367; Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Pg 194 #113439; Scallop Circle #2 Die, Pg. 199 #113469; Gold Embossing Powder, Pg. 188 #109129; Heat Tool, Pg. 188 #100005; VersaMark, Pg. 190 #102283; Blender Pens, Pg. 192 #102845; Sponge Daubers, Pg. 192 #102892; Circle Scissor Plus, Pg. 191 #112530; Glass Mat, Pg. 191 #1125312; Snail Adhesive, Pg. 192 #104332; Stampin' Dimensionals, Pg. 192 #104430; Mini-Glue Dots, Pg. 192 #103683; Gold Elastic Cord, Pg. 27 #109867; Paper Snips, Pg. 191 #103579; Glue Pen

Yesterday was kind of a rush, so I didn't take the time to take a lot of pictures.  In fact, I didn't take any until I was all done with the card, so we'll have to make the most of it!

 Stamp the leaf and acorn images onto Autumn Meadows DSP using VersaMark.  Apply Gold Embossing Powder and heat emboss.  Cut around the images with Paper Snips.

Use a Blender Pen to fill in the images with Really Rust and Chocolate Chip.

Run a 4" x 4" piece of Brushed Gold CS through the Big Shot with the Scallop Circle #2 Die.  To emboss the tiny gold dots on the scallop edge, I used a glue pen I bought at a local craft shop.  Unfortunately, the 2-Way Glue Pen in the Stampin' Up! catalog doesn't have a fine enough tip for this project.

Set the Circle Scissor Plus to 3" and cut a circle from the Autumn Meadows DSP.  Ink around the edges with Chocolate Chip and attach to the scallop Circle with Snail. 

Cut a lighter colored piece of Autumn Meadows DSP  1-7/8" x 1-7/8".  Rub on the "Bless your Home" image as shown.  Ink around the edges and attach to a 2" x 2" piece of Brushed Gold CS with Snail.  Attach the scallop circle piece with Snail.  (I'd like to use a lot more Stampin' Dimensionals on these layers, but then I run into postage issues.) 

Cut contrasting Autumn Meadows DSP as follows:  5" x 5", 3" x 3-3/4", 1-1/2" x 5". Ink around all of the edges with Chocolate Chip. 

Now, I did a dumb thing when I assembled my card.  Instead of just wrapping my ribbon around the 1-1/2" x 5" piece, I attached that piece to the 3" x 3-3/4" piece first, then wrapped the ribbon around both pieces before tying the bow.  That would have looked great if the scallop circle were smaller, but as it turned out, I just wasted a lot of ribbon that wasn't going to show anyway. *sigh*. 

So anyway, here is how you should assemble the card:

Cut More Mustard CS 5-1/4" x 10-1/2" and score at 5-1/4" to create the card base.  Attach the 5" x 5" DSP to the card front with Snail. Attach the 3" x 3/4" piece in the upper left with Snail as shown.  Wrap the ribbon around the 1-1/2" x 5" piece and tie in front.  Now attach that piece to the card front with Snail. 

Cut a piece of Gold Elastic Cord 4" long and tie a knot on both ends.  Fold in half and tuck it under the bow and attach with a Mini-glue Dot. Attach the acorns under the bow with Stampin' Dimensionals.  tuck the stem under the bow and stick it to the Mini-Glue Dot holding the Gold Cord.

Attach the scallop circle to the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals.

That's it.  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and will be inspired to create your own card. 

Thanks for stopping by today.

Mickey

Halloween Candy Wrappers

Need a super-fast way to dress up your Halloween treats?  You can wrap literally hundreds of Hershey's Nuggets in no time at all.  And it's all done with My Digital Studio, a photo-editing program and Avery's online printing site, so there's no mess.  You don't even have to go into your craft room for this project! 

The only supplies you need are the My Digital Studio software, some type of photo-editing software and a package of Avery 8160 Address Labels, which you can find at any office supply store.  And, of course, some candy.

Oh, I just realized, this will also qualify for Pals Paper Arts PPA13 challenge.

Go into your My Digital Studio program and click on Multiple Output Options.  Choose 8-1/2" x 11" Portrait and Create Your Own.  Give your project a name and click on OK.  Then choose Blank Page.

Now choose one of the Background Papers.  I used the new Cast-A-Spell downloads.  Fill the page with your desired background.

Now choose a stamp.  I used the Eat, Drink and Be Scary stamp set.  You don't need to adust the size because you can take care of that when you create the label. 

Now click on Share Project at the top of the screen and choose Export to JPEG.  Check the page and click on Next.  Choose the Large image size and click on Next.  You can leave the image quality the way it is and click Next again.  Then save your project.  Notice that for a couple of my labels I just cropped out a portion of the "skull" patterned papers.  Just save a page of these background pages to import into your photo-editing program.

Now load your file into a photo-editing program. I used Photoshop Elements, but any program should work fine.  All you need to do is crop around the image to get rid of the excess background paper.  Export again to a JPEG file.

Now go to the Avery website and click on Design and Print Online.   Choose Address Labels and type 8160 in the Product Number box.  Click Next and choose Blank Designs.  Click on the label and then choose Enhanced Editing.  

Now you can customize the label by adding shapes and your image.  Just remember to create the label from the bottom up, just like you would with ink and paper.  This is important because it may look right on the editing page, but it won't print out the way you want it to if you don't layer it correctly.  The last thing you want to add is the image by choosing Add Image, then click on From File.  Now you can resize the image to fit your label.

When you're done, Click on Finish and print your labels.

Now start wrapping your candies!  It always looks way more complicated than it is when you start writing these projects down step-by-step, but this is super easy  Once you create the labels, your kids will have fun helping you wrap the candy.  They could make their own treats to take to class (Are they still allowed to do that?)  or to just hand out to their friends.

That's it for today.  Now I have to go make meatballs and paint my face for the Vikings party.  (Just kidding about the "paint my face" thing.)  Go Vikings!

Thanks for stopping by.

Mickey

Serene Snowflakes Ornament

This is my entry for Pals Paper Arts-Anything but a Card-PPA13.  It's also one of those projects that looks much prettier in person than in the photo.

Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp set:  Serene Snowflakes, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 26 #115438

Paper:  Brushed Gold Cardstock, Pg. 159 #102935

Accessories:  VersaMark Pad, Pg. 190 #102283; Gold Emboss Powder, Pg. 188 #109129; Embossing Buddy, Pg. 188 #103083; Heat Tool, Pg. 188 #100005; Hobby Blade, Pg. 191 #102449; Cutting Mat, Pg. 191 #101087; Paper Snips, Pg. 191 #103579; Mini Glue Dots, Pg. 192 #103683; Gold Elastic Cord, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 27 #109867; Pretties Kit, Pg. 178 #109114; Crystal Effects, Pg. 192 #101055; Ornament

Dust Brushed Gold cardstock with Embossing Buddy to remove static.  Stamp image from Serene Snowflakes with VersaMark and heat set.

Cut out image as shown.  I used the hobby blade to cut just outside the embossed circle in the center.  This may vary depending on the ornament you use.  The rest was cut with paper snips.  Curl each section downward.  I used the handle of my paper-piercing tool for this.

Flip the piece over and stick a mini-gule dot on four sections as shown.

Cut four pieces of gold cord about 4" long.  Tie a knot on one end and thread into a teardrop crystal from the Pretties Kit and place a tiny drop of Crystal Effects on the knot to hold it in place.  Cut the pieces even.

Remove the ornament hanger and attach the gold cords to the ornament with Mini Glue dots as shown.

Layer the Serene Snowflake over the gold cords and replace the ornament hanger. 

That's all there is to it!  I'm working on a little gift box for this ornament.  I'll let you know what I come up with.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mickey

October 'Thank You' Cards

The inspiration for this month's 'Thank You' cards came from two places.  The embossed ornament came from Sandi MacIver.  After reading her post a month ago, I ordered an extra Finial Press Embossing Folder right away, but didn't have the nerve to cut into it until now.  The idea of layering like-colored cardstock came from Mary Fish in her Holloween Trick post.

Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp sets:  None!

Paper:  Bella Blue Designer Series Paper (DSP), pg. 162 #113974; Not Quite Navy Cardstock (CS), Pg. 156 #101722; Very Vanilla Textured Cardstock, Pg. 155 #108693

Ink:  Not Quite Navy, Pg. 156 #103008

Accessories:  Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Pg. 194 #113439; Finial Press Embossing Folder, Pg. 195 #115963; Ornament Punch, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 27 #116794; Craft & Rubber Scissors, Pg. 191 #103179; Frost White Shimmer Paint, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 27 #116854; Silver Cord, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 27 #109866; Sponge Dauber, Pg. 192 #102892; Snail Adhesive, Pg. 192 #104332; Stampin' Dimensionals, Pg. 192 #104430; Mat Pack, Pg. 191 #105826; Mini Glue Dots, Pg. 192 #103683; Needle; Rubbing alcohol in spray bottle

Cut Very Vanilla Textured CS 3" x 6" and score at 3" to form card base.

Now you'll have to cut one row from your Finial Press Embossing Folder.  I know, it's scary, but it's worth buying an extra one, honest.  I used my Craft & Rubber Scissors, which cut through the heavy plastic like butter.

Cut a 2" x 6" piece of Not Quite Navy CS and spritz with alcohol.  This will give you a sharper impression from the embossing folder.  You could use water, too, but alcohol evaporates faster.

Place the CS inside the embossing folder. Sandwich between the cutting pads and place on Tab 1 of the multipurpose platform that comes with the Big Shot and run it through the machine.  The picture shows the Whisper White CS I started with before I changed my mind.  (Hey, it's only paper, right?)

Center the Ornament Punch over the impressions and punch out shapes.  You can get two ornaments out of each 2" x 6" embossed strip.

Sponge Shimmer Paint over embossing and around edges of ornament.

Cut Very Vanilla Textured CS 2-3/4" x 2-3/4".

Use the Mat Pack Template and a needle to pierce holes in the corners.  When finished use Stampin' Dimensionals to attach to card base.

Cut Bella Blue DSP 2" x 2" and ink around the edges with Not Quite Navy.  Attach to center of the card front with Snail.

I really like this "Vanilla on Vanilla" layering.  It looks so elegant.

Attach ornament to front of card with Stampin' Dimensionals.  Tie a bow in the Silver Cord.  I cut a mini glue dot in half to secure the bow to the card without the glue dot showing.

That's it.  These cards will go out to everyone who places an order this month.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial.  Let me know what you think!

Mickey

Thankful Thoughts, MOJO109

Today's post is another Mojo Monday  challenge.  The holidays are sneaking up on me fast, so I thought I'd better get busy on some Thanksgiving projects.

Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp sets:  Gifts of the Earth, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 15 #116501; Grateful Greetings, Holiday Mini-Catalog, Pg. 8 #116511

Paper:  Autumn Traditions Designer Series Paper (DSP), Pg. 160 #115668; More Mustard CS, Pg. 156 #100946; Ruby Red CS, Pg. 102030; Natural Vanilla CS, Pg. 159 #101650; The Write Stuff Specialty Paper, Pg. 163 #115674

Ink:  Okay, the image was stamped with Chocolate Chip, Pg. 156 #100908, and filled in with so many colors I lost track of them all.  You can fill the image in with any colors you like.  All of the colors are listed on Pages 155-157 of the catalog.

Accessories:  Mini Library Clips, Pg. 179 #109857; Elegant Eggplant 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Pg. 183 #109039; Blender Pens, Pg. 192 #102845; Sponge Dauber, Pg. 192 #102892; Snail Adhesive, Pg. 192 #104332; Stampin' Dimensionals, Pg. 192 #104430; Stamp-a-ma-jig, Pg. 191 #101049

The Mini Library Clip used in my card is one of the Deals of the Week I posted yesterday.  These little clips are so cute and at $8.99 they're a great deal right now. 

This project is so simple, I really didn't need to take anymore pictures for the tutorial.

Cut More Mustard CS 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" and score at 4-1/4" to form the card base.

Cut DSP 4" x 5-1/4" and ink around the edges.  Cut contrasting DSP 1-3/4" x 4", ink around the edges and attach to first DSP piece as shown.  Wrap grosgrain ribbon around the front and tape on the back.  Attach to the card base with Snail adhesive.

The image is stamped on 2-1/2" x 3" Natural Vanilla CS using the Stamp-a-ma-jig to center the image.  Choose the colors you want to fill in the image and squeeze the inkpad before opening to deposit a small amount of ink on the inside cover.  Use a blender pen to color the image as desired.

Ink around the edges of the image and attach to 2-3/4" x 3-1/4" Ruby Red CS with Stampin' Dimensionals.   Attach to the card front with Snail.

I cut one of the die cuts included in The Write Stuff Specialty Paper down to 1" x 2"  and stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip.  You could also use a scrap of Natural Vanilla CS.  Ink around the edges first with Creamy Caramel, Pg. 156 #103220 and then Chocolate Chip.  Clip on the Mini Library Clip and attach to the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals.

That's all there is to it.  I just want to add that all of the supplies I list are just suggestions.  My hope is that you'll be inspired to create something of your very own.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Stampin' Up! Deals

Throughout October, get all-new Deals of the Week—with select products up to 50% off! See below for this week’s Deals of the Week:

Dates	Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
October 19, 10:00 AM (MT) through October 26, 9:50 AM (MT)	114348	179	Basic Jumbo grommets	$6.95	$4.49
	109857	179	Mini Library clips	$12.95	$8.99
	122571	179	Circle Designer brads	$5.95	$3.99
	112581	179	1/2" Library clips	$6.95	$3.99

More Stampin' Up! Promotions!

 

Halloween Lantern

This is one of those projects that is just not going to photograph well, but I'll do my best.  The minute I saw the CD Case Box in Becky's 12 Days of Christmas download, I knew it would make a great Halloween lantern.  There won't be a tutorial posted here, but you can follow the link to purchase a pdf copy of your own.  The directions are very easy to follow and include instructions for 12 different projects.

I can tell you how I turned it into a lantern:

The side panels and lid were created in My Digital Studio using the new Cast-A-Spell Designer Series Paper download and the Eat, Drink and Be Merry and Holiday Blitz stamp sets included with the My Digital Studio software.  I created the pages using the 5" x 5" blank scrapbook option and printed them out on Inkjet Transparency Film.

I cut the images down to fit into the CD cases and attached the panels to Vellum cardstock cut the same size.  I inserted these into the CD covers and assembled the box according to Becky's directions.  I added a lid to my lantern by using the same measurements as the box base.  I then measured in an inch from the edge to cut an opening for the lid transparency.  I cut the Designer Series Paper 1/4" smaller and measured in 3/4" to cut the opening.

I wrapped  1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon around the top and used a scrap of 1-1/4" Old Olive Striped Grosgrain Ribbon to make a bow. 

It's hard to see in the photos, but it lights up nicely at night with a battery-operated tealight.

That's all for today.  I'm still fighting that nasty cold, but at least my water heater is working again---life is good!

Thanks for stopping by.

Mickey