Gift Card Holders -- Dress Up Your Gift Giving

When my children were little I loved finding that special gift they really wanted for Christmas but now that they are all grown up I find it difficult to get them presents because they just buy whatever they want as soon as they have the money. 

So now I give them gift cards which they can use on what they really want . . . and who doesn't need extra money. But a gift card (or cash) alone doesn't seem special enough so I package it inside a handmade greeting card!

You can make a left or right opening card with this fun fold technique.

You can hide a gift card or cash behind the removable tag on the front of this card.

The tag can be used for gift giving as well or just leave it in the card as extra decoration.

This fun fold video shows how to make the tag/gift card holder cards.

These two cute cards used the Sweet Little Stockings bundle of products.

The inside of these cards reveal a pocket for you to hide a gift card or cash.

If you'd like to recreate these cute cards have a look at my instructional video here.

You can even change any existing greeting card into a gift card holder using a bit of extra paper and a punch as shown in my Quick Tip video.

I hope I've inspired you to dress up your prezzy card giving this year and I'd love to see what you make!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #CreativeTherapy #KeepStamping #RubberStamping #CardMaking #GiftCardHolder #FunFoldCard

Tombstone Treat Boxes -- Tips and Tricks for decorating them

The Tombstone Treat Boxes from Stampin' Up! are so adorable and the perfect size to hide treats and gifts for your ghouls and goblins this Halloween!

The Tombstone Treat Boxes are shipped as a flat-packed kit ready for you to make 8 double-sided gift boxes which can also be used as table decorations. However by using a little Basic White cardstock you can make 16 single-sided boxes that are perfect to treat your little ghouls and goblins this Halloween!

There are two sizes for the inside of the Tombstone Boxes so you'll need to make a back section to fit the size front you are using. Either start with a 6" x 5" (15 cm x 12.5 cm) or 4-3/4" x 5-3/4" (12 cm x 14 cm) rectangle and then score all four sides at 1-1/4" (3.2 cm). After you fold and burnish on the score lines, cut a slit in each of the sides before sticking them together as shown in this picture (as well as in my video).

Here are some of the treat boxes I made using a variety of products from Stampin' Up!

You can even make them in to a light up box, like the two in the centre of the following picture. You just need to die cut an image into the front of the tombstone, add some vellum and use a battery-operated tea light in the box. This would be really spooky at night!

You can heat emboss a sentiment on the tombstone, but make sure you do this before putting the box together.

In my YouTube video I show you how to make this ghost using the Diorama Dies as well give you tips and tricks for creating with the tombstone gift boxes. You can have a look at my video here.

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #CreativeTherapy #KeepStamping #RubberStamping #Diorama #DioramaDies #TombstoneBoxes 

How to make a fabric face mask you can stamp on!

Now that things are slowly moving towards a 'new normal' I am gearing up to have crafting classes in my home again. To protect my students as well as myself, I decided we should all wear face masks while crafting in close proximity.

I looked online to learn how to make homemade face masks and once I found a design I liked, which I could easily make with materials I have here at home, I got started on sewing the masks. However, being a creative person I had to decorate them as well!

I started with a 5" x 9" (12.5 cm x 22.5 cm) rectangle piece of material which was not porous and had a flat surface so I could stamp on it. I marked 2" (5 cm) in from each corner and connected the marks with a diagonal line which I then cut off as shown in my video.

I folded down each long side 1.5" (3.8 cm) and ironed it in place, making a crease. I then folded over each short end twice to make a sleeve for the ribbon and sewed it in place. Next I folded back the long sides and placed a few small stitches on an angle to make a pleat which created a 3-D effect. You could even colour the image in with permanent pen like Stampin' Blends to make it prettier.

To finish up I pulled the ribbon through each sleeve, leaving a loop on the bottom of the face mask. After placing a bead on the ends of the ribbon I was able to secure them with a double knot. To wear the face mask, place the loop over your head and around the back of your neck. Tie the ribbon into a bow on the top of your head to hold the mask in place.

I hope you are able to follow my instructions and will make your own face mask to stay safe and healthy. Don't forget to decorate it with your favourite rubber stamp!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #Punches #Covid19 #FaceMask 

'Thinking of you' cards made with Covid-19 Giveback images

Stampin' Up! has created a Covid-19 Giveback PDF with some great sentiments and images relevant to the world's current situation. You can purchase this PDF file online for $12 USD and then you can print and use the them as many times as you'd like.



All the money raised from the sale of this downloadable file goes to two charities which are helping with the current pandemic: The World Health Organization’s COVID-Solidarity Response Fund and United Way Worldwide’s COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund.

Some of the Covid-19 Giveback Sentiments

I printed some of the images from the PDF and cut them out using dies, punches and my paper snips.



Originally I planned on using the Double Wonder technique to make a few simple cards which I would just place the sentiments on top of . . . but I got a bit carried away and made 44 cards! 

I hope you like what I've made and I apologise for the bad photography -- the sunshine wouldn't cooperate with me!

You can see close ups of these cards in my YouTube video.

In my video I also show you all the sentiments and images you will get when you purchase the Covid-19 Giveback PDF.



I rarely throw anything out so I have a large stash of bits and pieces from old projects which I used to make cheerful cards to #ShareSunshine with strangers.



I am going to drop them in to mailboxes on my walk down the hill here in Tuakau.

A few of the backgrounds are from very old 'attempts' at cards using embossing folders and inks.



Some of the embellishments and embossing folders are no longer available but they worked well with the images I printed.

The 'Quaran-tini' cards are for my family in the USA!

I hope I have given you inspiration to make some cards to share sunshine with people in your neighbourhood and to help raise funds for two excellent charities.


#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #Punches #Covid19 

Mailbag Make -- Bird Ballad Cards and Birdhouse

My next Mailbag Make focuses on the lovely Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper. This paper is very beautiful with it's many subtle colours and detailed images of birds, feathers and flowers. I discovered three projects online which are perfect to showcase this paper.

My first card is made from a design by Julie Davison which allows the sentiment to take centre stage, surrounded by the beautiful floral side of the DSP with a colourful bird cut from the paper.

Bird Ballad Card using Stitched Nested Labels Dies

My next card I cased from a Dutch demonstrator named Elly Rijnvis and it is the first time I have tried a double easel card.

Front of Double Easel Card

I've made a lot of easel style cards in the past but this is the first time I've tried a double easel one. I really love the way it shows off both sides of the designer series paper!

Double Easel Card

To add a little more dimension to this Mailbag Make I have included a little birdhouse I learned how to make from a video by Silke Trapani, a demonstrator in Germany. Of course it was a perfect match for the designer series paper with a fussy cut bird and some flowers to decorate the front of the birdhouse.

Mini Birdhouse with chocolate eggs inside

Have a look at my sneak peak video of this Bird Ballad Mailbag Make for more details and to find out how to order yours.

I hope you like this Mailbag Make and I'd love to see your completed creations!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #MailbagMake #BirdBallad #DoubleEasel #CurvyKeepsake 

Square Mini Album -- Good for any occasion!

I CASEd this idea from Monika Weiss, a Stampin' Up! demonstrator from Austria, and created a video showing how to make this little bridal book.

It doesn't use a lot of materials -- just one piece of 12" x 12" DSP, two A4 pieces of cardstock, a couple 11 x 11 cm squares of cardboard and 50 cm of ribbon to tie it shut -- so you can put one together fairly quickly.

You can click here for Monika Weiss' instruction sheet which is written in German, however the measurements are easy to read and I explain them in my video.

There are plenty of pages to decorate in this little album, 12 in total! This gives you lots of room for photos, signatures or other memorabilia.

You can decorate the inside pages with stamped images, sentiments or die cuts, but make sure you leave enough space for photos or messages from well wishers.

The bridal book is made with one sheet of Flowering Foils Specialty Designer Series Paper and Whisper White cardstock.

For the cover I stamped the bride from Wonderful Moments in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, coloured it with Stampin' Blends and then cut it out with the second largest rectangle from the Stitched So Sweetly dies.

I stamped the words 'For the Bride' in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with silver embossing powder before I fussy cut it out and popped it up using a dimensional.

I used lots of stamped images from Wonderful Moments, Stitched All Around, Good Morning Magnolia, Love What You Do, and Beauty Abounds to decorate the inside pages with Basic Gray ink.

For the first mini album I made, I used a piece of Animal Expedition DSP (retired) and the Animal Outing stamp set.

I made peek-through areas with some of the Animal Friends dies on a few of the pages and decorated the rest with stamped images coloured with Stampin' Blends.

This album would also be perfect for photos, a gift, an autograph book, a special birthday card or a mini scrapbook. There is no limit to what you could use it for!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #CraftHappy #ShareSunshine #trysomethingnewchallenge #Embossing #Scrapbook #DesignerSeriesPaper #MiniAlbum #BridalBook #PhotoAlbum 

Make lots of quick cards with a Memory & More card pack

If you need to make lots of cards quickly then you should use a Memories & More card pack! These packs come with 50 double-sided cards, stickers and other elements which are sized perfectly for making cards or doing scrapbook pages.

With two different sized cards in the packs (4" x 6" and 3" x 4") you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to putting a project together. These sizes are made to match perfectly with any of the card and envelope packs available from Stampin' Up! Plus with the included stickers you can make lots of cards without even stamping!

I used a few cards from the Magnolia Lane Memories & More card pack to make three different cards. I started by cutting three of the 3" x 4" cards into strips and then placed them on card fronts in slightly different arrangements.

The first card I made has the strips spaced slightly apart on a Magnolia Lane large card with a couple stickers and some silver thread to finish off the front.

For the inside I simply layered one of the printed vellum sheets over a large 4" x 6" sentiment card.

For my second card I glued the strips on a piece of 3" x 4" whisper white cardstock before embossing the piece using the Subtle embossing folder. This gave some texture to the design. I then used some more stickers to decorate the front including a sentiment.

My final card was created on a whisper white Notecard and I placed the strips with a small gap between each piece. I used more stickers from the Memories & More pack to decorate the front of this little card.

Have a look at my video to see how I cut the cardstock and for some tips on using the Memories & More card packs.

I hope you enjoyed these samples of ways you can quickly create cards.

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #MemoriesAndMore #Scrapbook #Notecard #KeepCalmAndCraft #CraftHappy 

Swaps Received from November 2019 Auckland OnStage

OnStage was so much fun! I love seeing my fellow demonstrators and all the products which will be coming out in the new year. It's such a great way to get excited about what's to come, especially when I currently have tunnel vision making lots of cards and gifts for orders and upcoming Christmas markets.

Paperartsie Team at Auckland OnStage

Besides getting my hands on the new Occasions and Sale-A-Bration catalogues, I love to get some new products. However I think my favourite thing about attending OnStage is getting to swap papercraft gifts with other demonstrators. It's such an exciting thing to do at the beginning of the event and is a great way to mingle with everyone there.

Freebies from OnStage November 2019

I know I can (and do) go online to get inspiration and ideas from around the world. You just have to look at my Pinterest page for the proof. But I like to get samples which I can refer back to whenever I want, which is why I love swaps! Plus it makes me feel so special knowing that someone made that little gift or card to trade with me! Here are pictures of the swaps I received this year and I have made a video showing them in more detail with the names of those who made each, if there was one included with the swap.

If you'd like more information about any of these please message me and I'll give you the details attached to the swap. Some demonstrators have included instructions or product details with their swaps and others have just included their names so you can look it up at their website.

If you'd like to enjoy the thrill of OnStage then you should join Stampin' Up! You'll get a great discount on your starter kit as well as an ongoing discount on any of your future orders. Contact me or your demonstrator for more information and maybe you'll be swapping with me at next year's OnStage!

#ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #PaperCraftIdeas #HandmadeCard #Swaps #OnStage2019 #AucklandOnStage #SaleABration 

Swaps for OnStage Auckland

I love making things with paper and swapping at the Stampin' Up! OnStage event in Auckland is a good excuse for me to get creative. To that end, I made little sewing kit holders to give to my fellow demonstrators on November 16th. I saw the idea online from another demonstrator, Tracy Grant, but I changed the design to turn it into a 'matchbook' fold and sized it to get the most out of the sheets of cardstock I used.

It Starts With Art Bundle

I used the It Starts With Art stamp set with matching dies for these little swaps. This is one of my favourite sets as it has such lovely images which are relevant for most crafters, especially if you are like me and love stamping as much as you love embroidery. The images are so cute -- re-inkers, ribbon, sequins, buttons, pens, clips and thread bobbins -- and they have matching dies so it is easy to quickly put a project together. 

I chose the colours of cardstock and ink to match the four colours of Nature's Twine that I used -- Grapefruit Grove, Mint Macaron, Crumb Cake and Blackberry Bliss. I then sized the matchbooks to fit the little travel sewing kits I had purchased online. Each base piece of cardstock was 5 cm x 14 cm (2" x 5-1/2") and I scored them at 6 cm and 12.7 cm (2-3/8" and 5"). I folded the cardstock in at the score lines and then stapled the smaller bottom piece in place allowing me to tuck the longer top piece into it to make the matchbook.

I embossed a contrasting piece of 4.5 cm x 5 cm (1-3/4" x 2") cardstock with the Button Button Embossing Folder and glued it to the front of the matchbook. I cut long button and ribbon shapes using the Arts & Crafts dies to decorate the bottom front of each little matchbook to cover up the staple.

In order to stamp the thread holders, I first die cut the shapes out of Whisper White thick cardstock and placed them in a template I had made for the Stamparatus. This allowed me to quickly stamp each one accurately, since I was making 80 of them. I then put some Snail Adhesive on the back of each one to hold the ends of the twine in place as I wrapped it around the shape. I used about 46 cm (18") of twine for each thread spool and popped them up on the embossed piece of the holder using Stampin' Dimensionals. I then glued a die cut button on to the twine in a contrasting colour.

Steps to make mini sewing kit holders

I finished them by using a bit of Snail Adhesive to hold a mini sewing kit in place on the inside of each little matchbook.

Here is my YouTube video showing exactly how I made these swaps.

Watch out for my next blog post where I will showcase the talents of my fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators with pictures of the swaps I receive. I love the ideas I get from swapping at OnStage!

#KeepCalmAndCraft #ComputerAndCraftDesigns #StampinUp #creativetherapy #StayHome #PaperCraftIdeas #HandmadeCard #Swaps #OnStage2019 #AucklandOnStage #SaleABration #MiniSewingKit #Matchbook