Spa Gift Set

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope the week went by pretty quick for you. I know it did here. We have a busy week coming up with family visiting!! We're definitely looking forward to that, and I know they are too, since they will be getting a reprieve from the Texas heat!
Anyway, today's project is perfect for a Friday afternoon, or weekend, or any time, really. We made this super cute relaxation kit for our brother's girlfriend's birthday.

 

We figured that after having to deal with our brother all the time, she needed something to help her relax! This box has everything she needs, except the wine, but only because they frown up sending wine through the mail... We were busy in the kitchen making the various scrubs and bath salts (not the drug kind, don't worry!) and decorated the mason jars with little labels. Michael's had some great finds in their Dollar Spot, or whatever they call it with all of their matching items. We went with the purple and teal color scheme, and found a really cute matching box, which is just a photo box.

The card to go with it is a 5x7 with a chica in the same color scheme. Since no birthday card is complete without some glitter, we added some to the bathtub to make the bubbles look extra inviting.

 

 Here are the box and card together. I hope she enjoys some alone time with it!

 Thanks for stopping by!

A Sweet Treat, for a Little Witch!

Happy Friday! I know it's been a few days since we've had a new project up, but it's been one of those weeks when all you want to do after work is take a nap. And then fall asleep until 8:00 and decide to just go to bed. We've also been pretty busy with our Etsy shop orders, which is always exciting!!
So, getting on with today's project! After coming up with four or five different ideas (which we'll probably end up posting sometime this week), today's project kind of just came together, and we love how it looks! It is a little witch hat treat container:

How cute is this?! It is actually a cake box from Tags, Bags, Boxes, and More. The opening for the box is actually underneath the brim of the hat. It looks small, but it can hold quite a bit of candy and other treats. We were inspired by all the nicely decorated witch hats you can find on-line, with all their flowers and glitz.  We had thought of making a centerpiece, with just a cone shape, but then decided to make the box into a treat container.

These two are close-ups of some of the decorations. I love these flowers! We got the Flower Shoppe cartridge and now everything is going to have flowers on it!! Can't wait!  And of course, the little creepy crawlies that are hanging around, including the bat flying out of the flowers.

We are entering this project into a few challenges:
* Cooking with Cricut- 3D Treats
* Bitten by the Bug2- 3D Halloween Treat Containers
* Decorate to Celebrate- Halloween Party Part 2
* My Sheri Crafts- Halloween
* Cricut Fanatics- Creepy & Spooky Halloween
* Go Fish Challenges- 3D Halloween Projects
* More than Favors- Halloween

Thanks so much for stopping by! And for being patient with our little break! :)

Can I Have S'More?

Today's project is a fun little one. It's a great idea for gift giving or for any reason!

I'm sure you've seen the ornaments with s'more pieces doing different things (if you haven't, look up s'more ornaments- so cute!) Well, we thought this would be a fun take on the s'more. The best part is that you won't get sticky hands with this one! You can't see it so well in the picture, but the graham cracker and chocolate are detailed down to the ridges between sections.The snack mix inside is made up of mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham cracker cereal. Not the healthiest of snacks, but it sure is tasty.

S'more of the Day: Turtle S'mores

What You Need:
Marshmallows
Graham Crackers
Mr. Goodbar
Caramel Sauce

What You Do:
Place the chocolate bar on a graham cracker half. Drizzle caramel over candy. Toast your marshmallow and place on top of the filling. Sandwich together.

Thanks for stopping by!

"This is SO Tinsel!"

Welcome to another Tuesday. I don't know about everyone else, but I spent the day thinking it was already Wednesday. That would have been a bummer...Anyway, going along with our 'Christmas in July' theme, here is today's project.

Today's movie is the Disney made-for-tv movie Prep & Landing. The movie follows Wayne and Lanny, members of an elite elf group. As members of this group, they work together to prepare rooftops and chimneys for Santa to land. Our project is based off of one of the promotional posters for the movie, where they are getting to work.
The project is actually a treat box/gift holder. There are three sections to it. The two parts on the side, where the garland is hanging from, have lids, which would be perfect for holding something small, like little candies. There is a bigger box, without a top,which could be used to hold some more treats, or cards.
Thanks for looking! Join us tomorrow for another project, based on one of our favorite movies!

"What's Your Favorite Color?"

Hi there! Today's project is based off another of our favorite Christmas movies.  I love the Buddy-isms in Elf, like, "I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite." (And who doesn't love Zooey Deschanel?!)
So in honor of Buddy, we made treat holders to look like his shoes. (Unfortunately, we didn't have any candy, candy canes, or candy corns hanging around... and syrup would make a really big mess.)

He wears yellow tights with a green tunic, so we added green and yellow on top of his black boots, complete with curly toe!

Remember, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

Thanks for stopping by!

Who's Ready to Light the Grill?!

Today we have another box to share with you. This one can be used for different things, like most of our little boxes. It would be a cute place to put salt and pepper shakers at a picnic if you take out the grill rack, or as a gift box, or favor. I guess it doesn't have one specific use, which is great! I love how one cut can be used for so many different things. (The tool box for Father's Day week was the same.) I wonder what else it can be used for??
Anyway, here it is.

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- Everyone's favorite lunch meat, Spam, was introduced in 1937. (I'm sure there's an original can somewhere...)
- The BBC broadcasted its first televised news bulletin in 1954.
- In 1996, Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be cloned.
- Today is National Apple Turnover Day- yum!

Picnic Basket and Sandwich

We have two projects to share with you today. When you go on a picnic, you need a basket and food. Well, we have paper versions of both today!

The first one is the picnic basket. It opens up and everything! I'm very excited about it. The weaving was harder than I thought it would be, but definitely worth it!

The second part is the sandwich. This was a fun project to make and I think it came out really cute! I inked the edges around to make the box look like crust, filled it with cheese, lettuce, and tomato (paper of course), and "cut" it down the diagonal. The hardest part was making my cheese slices the right size, go figure! This box was cut out small, but if it was cut to to 4.5 or 8 in, it would make a great napkin holder!

 Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec in 1608
- The US first savings bank opened in New York City in 1819
- Idaho became the country's 43rd state today in 1890. Ooh, we'll be there in a few days... 

A Cute Gift Idea

Good morning! We hope everyone is having a nice week so far. Today's project is one any little girl (or not so little) would flip for...OK, just kidding, but anyway. This is a two-part project that would be a perfect gift or favor for a beach party, or a spa party, or a bachelorette party. I'm sure there are a few more ideas out there. The first part is a little box we made. It is in the shape of a flip flop:

How cute is that?! We've seen similar projects on-line, but they looked so big and clunky, and we didn't quite like that look (although there are some super cute decorating ideas for them out there.) It's hard to tell in the picture, but our box measures about seven inches long and 1.5 inches high. The top is also embossed with some waves. The flower is handmade, as well. The second part is a little beach cover-up:

Another cute idea! In the last few weeks we've made two different cover-ups. The first one is pink, with a white ruffle edge. Unlike this one, there are no straps. This one has two braided straps and a ruffle around the edge. They're just towels with some extra "pizzazz". The two we made use the same fabric as our shower curtains, since they'll be used mostly in the bathroom, and not at the beach, in our case! Put the two of these projects together and the gift ideas are endless!!
Thank you for stopping by! Have a great day!

Today's Party Trivia:
- The first main-line passenger train to use electricity completed a test run from Washington DC to New York in 1895. A few days later, the train was opened to the public.
- The world's first automated teller machine was installed in England in 1967.
- Today is National Sunglasses Day.

# 1 Dad Bag and Card

Thanks for stopping by today! We hope everyone is having a great week so far and are looking forward to the weekend! Today's project is a little gift-giving set. We say "little" because the card measures 4"x"4 and the bag is actually a bit smaller than that.

Our set contains the matching bag and card. As you can tell, we used the same blue-brown color scheme from earlier this week.

The little bag would be perfect for some small treats, or even a gift card!
Thanks for looking!


Today's Party Trivia:
- The US flag was adopted by Congress in 1777.  160 years later, in 1937, Pennsylvania became the first (and only) state that celebrates Flag Day as an official state holiday
- Hawaii became a US territory in 1900. It wouldn't become a state for another 60 years.
- Today is National Strawberry Shortcake Day! Sounds like the perfect dessert for tonight...

Father's Day Gift Box

After the success of our Mother's Day gift box, we thought that maybe dad would like one too. But he wouldn't want flowers and teddy bears and girly things. So we thought, and thought, and came up with a tool box! Of course he would like a tool box! Our dad has so many tools, he probably doesn't know what he has any more. We used to have a ping pong table, but it hasn't seen the light of day in years since it's covered with dad's things. It's his work table now.

Ok, so this tool box won't hold any tools, but it does hold treats! And dads like treats... and it has a shelf for a gift card, so dad can go buy some more toys to play with. (Just make sure to reinforce the bottom so they don't all spill out.)

Thanks for stopping by!

Today's Party Trivia:
- The Baseball Hall of Fame opened in 1939. 
- The world's largest twinjet, the Boeing 777, made its first flight in 1994.
- Today is Peanut Butter Cookie Day!! (A batch of those would make a perfect Father's Day gift...if they last long enough!)

Another Teacher Gift

Today, we have another teacher gift for the end of the year. Some might think that giving a gift of thank you notes is kind of silly- What? You want your own work back?! Well, let me tell you, thank you notes come in very handy as a teacher. It's nice having a card nearby, just in case a student surprises you. You can take one right out and write the note, instead of putting it off till later and (possibly) forgetting! So for today, we made a gift set of "Thank You" notes.  Add a pen and some envelopes and your child's teacher is all set.

We used multiple layers to make the apple and worm stand out on the front and the pencil on the inside. These cards are 4 inch squares, the perfect size for a quick note. (Which is also nice so the teacher doesn't have to think of how to fill up all that space!)

We entered this card set into the Fantabulous Cricut Don't Bug Me challenge.
Thanks for stopping by! Join us again tomorrow for another Kid-Friendly Friday! Have a great day!

Today's Party Trivia:

- The VCR was introduced by Sony in 1975. Who has any of those left?!
- Graceland was opened to the public in 1982.
- Today is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day- I hope it's sunny and warm enough for everyone to celebrate!

Slight Change of Plans

We hope everyone is having a great week so far. Look at that, it's already Wednesday! As you know, for the last few days, we have been showcasing some graduation projects. There were some more that we really wanted to finish (which could have been the start we needed to begin our own high school scrapbooks that had been planned years ago...) but things just weren't working like we wanted them to. We didn't want to show a half-hearted project, so we sort of changed the direction we were going in. Since graduation means the end of another school year, and that means thanking those who work so hard all year to get students where they need to be, we decided to make some gift sets any teacher would like to get! (OK, so if they're anything like us...)
Here is the first gift set we made. It doesn't have to be a "teacher" gift, per se. It would make a fabulous gift for a friend, for the holidays, or just for yourself!! This is a teacher one, due to the decor on the basket.

This is a perfect set for a coffee-drinking teacher, and what teacher doesn't like having everything she needs at her disposal?? The basket includes a bag of Margartitaville coffee(!), some individual creamers, and some snacks. It also includes a travel mug, complete with:

It's own little cup cozie! How cute is that pattern?? It's so fun and cheery- perfect for summer! (It is actually a homemade cozie- can't wait to make some more!) Below are pictures of two sides of of the basket.

Each little section has it's own little "theme". The first one is the arts and crafts, since that's the best part of elementary school! The other side is dedicated to the "specials", like  gym and music. And the last side is more "academic", with pencils and books.

This basket was a cinch to put together, except for some of the smaller cut-outs. And before we go, the last picture is of the matching card. The card is actually a little pocket. The little teacher can be used as a bookmark, too!

Phew! I think I covered it all! Now that that's done... We hope you come back for another gift set tomorrow! I have also entered this into the Cooking with Cricut "End of the Year" Challenge.


Today's Party Trivia:
- The first YMCA was founded in London in 1844
- Downtown Seattle was destroyed in an 1889
- In 1984, Everyone's favorite video game, Tetris, was released

A Gift for a Grad

We hope everyone is having a nice week so far. Today's project is a gift that any graduate would like to get. It is a three piece gift set that we came up with.

The first piece is a gift box we designed. It is modeled after a graduation cap, complete with a matching tassel. The sides and top of the box have also been embossed, to add a special touch The box measures 5"x5".

The next piece is a picture frame. The blue mat will hold a 4x6" picture.This is a perfect way to show off such a special day. The mortar board is also 3D.

 The last piece is a card. It is a 4x4" card that has a matching graduation cap. The inside of the card was designed to hold a gift card. This card fits nicely into the box.

 Thank you for looking. Come back tomorrow for another project!

Today's Party Trivia:
- Houston, Texas was incorporated in 1837
- In 1956, Elvis Presley performed "Hound Dog" for the first time. (I picture a young Forest Gump teaching him those moves...)
- One of the first personal computers, the Apple II, went on sale in 1977. (Oh, the hours spent playing the Oregon Trail and the Gold Rush game, where the people were made up of little squares)

A Crafty (Girly) Gift

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far. On the bright side, it's already Wednesday!
Here is today's project:

This is what it looks like from the outside. Doesn't look like much, but can't you tell how much I like making the flowers?! But, you take the top off and this is what's inside:

It's a stationery box. It is slightly taller than a recipe box, but it still holds quite a bit. And it holds everything in quite nicely, so it can be put off to the side and not be a messy eyesore. I based my colors off of the patterned paper- there is a dark green in it, but it's hard to see. The next few pictures are close-ups of what's inside.

The first picture is a sample of what's included. There are five tags (circle) and five notecards (square). The box also holds five greeting cards and envelopes (second picture). It could probably hold a few more of each. Each element is slightly different, either by color or placement. Also included are a small address book and a pocket for your stamps.
This project was actually pretty easy, once I realized that the measurements weren't quite right. No matter how you try, an 8" piece can't go into a 6" box..I'm really excited with how this came out and I have so many other ideas for it!!
Thanks for looking!

To day's Party Trivia:
- Big Ben rang for the first time in 1859.
- The first "Decoration Day" (another precursor to Memorial Day) was observed in 1868.
- A stampede on New York's Brooklyn Bridge caused the death of twelve people. The reason for the stampede?? Someone started a rumor that the bridge was going to collapse.
- The first Indy-500 was held in 1911. (500 miles- talk about long and circuitous...)

A Sweet Treat

A bonus post! Not something we're used to, huh?! Anyway, after discovering the explosion box, we decided to take the idea and run with it. There are so many different things you can do with this idea. We have another birthday coming up and decided to make a sweet shop as a gift. This post is kind of picture-heavy, but that's because there is just so many layers and parts to it. Here is the outside of the shop:

The door is open- come on in! The sign is greeting customers, and says "The door is always open"! How great would that be, to have a bakery always open?! And then there is the cupcake border around the edges, with the frosting holding everything together! The next two pictures are the sides of the shoppe.

The first picture shows all of the goodies in the windows- all of the cupcakes, because who doesn't like cupcakes for their birthday?? And what's this?? A birthday cake?? With a candle? Let's take a closer look...Pop the top and:

This is the inside of the shot of the sweet shoppe. As you can tell, the shelves are filled with all types of little treats and the cake in the middle is just the icing on top! How sweet is that! As the other picture showed, the cake lights up, so the Birthday Girl can make a wish. (It's also the cleanest way to send a cake across the country) I don't know if you can tell, but there are also little purple curtain in the window, made from fabric.
I think that covers all of the little details. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope the Birthday Girl enjoys it, too! Thanks for looking and join us later today for another project!

We have entered this project into the Bitten by the Bug 2 Bakery Challenge.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's out there! And an especially Happy Mother's Day to our mom back home. This is (sadly) her first mother's day without any of her kids around in 32 years.
Here's what we made for her special day. There are a handful of pictures of this project. It was our first attempt at an explosion box (but now not our last! Think of the possibilities...) I think for our first attempt it came out pretty well. We felt like this was a good project for her. It's not a card, so she can leave it out for as long as she wants (even though it does say "Happy Mother's Day", you can't tell if it's closed.) And we added a little something in it, so she can treat herself to something nice!
If you've never seen a box like this, it looks like an ordinary box. The top here is probably my favorite part of the project.

...and then (in this case,) you tug on the ribbon and take the top off...and:

It opens up to reveal the inside! This box has  2 1/2 layers on the inside. The pictures only show the "crafty" areas. The layer on the bottom is here we each wrote our own little note to mom. No one needs to read that...;) The other two blocks were cut with Celebrate with Flourish)
The bear was probably the hardest part of it. We weren't sure that he would stand up on his own, but he showed us wrong. He's made from only ovals and circles- who knew?? (George & Basic Shapes) He could use some work, though. He's not nearly chubby enough. Luckily, you can't tell from the front!

We were going to go with the traditional flower route, but decided that with our past experiences with flower deliveries, that wasn't such a good idea. (one time they only gave us half of the flowers we were supposed to get, and the other time, the vase was broken in a hundred pieces when it got to the door.) So we made our own flowers for her! Since our best medium is paper, we made her some paper flowers on top of the box! Now her flowers won't die like they usually do. These are handmade flowers, with inked edges. The two light pink flowers actually started yellow, but e inked them and they look amazing (if I might say!!) And, as if she didn't know it was for her, there's a tag with Mom's name on it, in the shape of a heart, what else?!

That's all for today's project. I did enter it into some blog "challenges", because I'm just really proud of it!!

Cooking with the Cricut- Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Fantabulous Cricut - Mother's Day

Stuck on You Sketches - In Celebration of Mothers