Fancy Gift Box

This week the challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is called FOR A GIFT. We want you to make something vintage or shabby chic that is useful for a gift but not just a card. It can be a gift bag or box, a gift card or money enclosure or even a gift tag.

This week Jytte Grund Jensen is joining us as a Guest Designer. Please make her feel welcome and visit her blog to check out her lovely work.

Renee has also created another wonderful tutorial for you so take a look at that and it may just inspire you to make something similar.

This week is our last challenge for 2012. The designers deserve a break but we will be back with a new challenge on January 5th.

I have created this little purse box that will hold my daughter's birthday gift. Her birthday is January 15th so I always buy something for her at the same time as I get the Christmas gifts. I also made a mini version to put ponytail elastics in for my Granddaughter for Christmas.  Edited to add link to pattern.

I am going to enter this project in the following challenges:

Creative Moments Bloggers Network - Anything But A Card
My Craft Spot - Wrap It Up
Really Reasonable Ribbon  - Anything Goes & Ribbon

Paper:  29th Street Market
Tools & Embellishments:  Beads (My Stash), Crinkle Seam Binding (Live & Love Crafts), Satin Ribbon (Fabricland), Flower Punches (EK Paper Shapers), Gems (Michaels), Frond Punch (Martha Stewart), Milled Lavendar Distress Ink (Ranger)

Show Me Thursday at Sassy Cheryl's

I don't usually have a lot of time to take photos of what is on my office desk for Show Me Thursday over at Sassy Cheryl's.  Besides it is usually covered in the documents I am posting for my Son-in-Law's books but today I have a photo for you.  It isn't a great photo but I wanted to get everything into one shot.

My 6 year-old Granddaughter is getting into crafting in a big way and I decided to make her some card kits and add lots of supplies for Christmas.  She has never been one to play by herself but she will now sit for 2 hours at a time creating and begging for more time.  She was here last weekend and was making tags for her presents and I was thrilled with how creative she is with great ideas for decorating her tags.

There are three cases chock full of all sorts of things and she is going to be thrilled with papers, ribbon, flowers, brads, beads, clear stamps, buttons, glue dots and runners just to name a few.  Most of the supplies are from my stash but I did purchase a few things on sale and at the dollar store along with the large plastic case and the 3-drawer bin.  My husband supplied the divided plastic box.

You will also notice my new toy in the background.  Thanks to the Queen of enabling, Shirley Swoope, I now have a Cameo but I have been sooooo busy I have only made one cut with it.  I do have plans to play with it during the holidays in between social engagements (and the dratted books).

Holly Vine

The challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called STENCILS & MASKS.  We want you to make vintage or shabby chic cards using stencils or masks to create backgrounds or other elements.

I bet are wondering where my stencil or mask is.  Well check out the holly vine that I created from this cheap plastic stencil that has been in my crafting supplies for a zillion years.  I used distress ink to stencil it and then hand cut it.  I had originally intended for it to be a border but I really did not like it as a border and am very happy with this outcome.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Christmas at Sweet Stampin Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
Creative Moments - Anything Goes/Buttons & Bows
Freshly Brewed  - Christmas
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Embossing
Bearly Mine  - Santa is on his way
Deep Ocean - So This Is Christmas
Top Tip Tuesday - Christmas
Lexi's Creations - Christmas
Paper Playtime - Christmas Colors
Paper Pretties - Use Ribbon
Unstampabelles - Christmas (No Stamps)
C.R.A.F.T.  - Christmas
Delightful Challenges - All About Christmas
It's All About The Vintage - Christmas
Alphabet Challenge - V for Vintage
Crafty Mess - Vintage Christmas

Image:  A. Koupie
Paper:  Dovecraft
Card Stock:  Cream (Staples), Red (Lasting Impressions)
Tools & Embellishments:  Fired Brick and Crushed Olive Distress Inks (Ranger), Gems (Michaels), Snowflake Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Ribbon (Fabricland)

Leaping Stag

The new challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called Distressing so we want you to make vintage or shabby chic cards or other paper-crafted projects featuring lots of torn edges and inking.

I have done another Christmas card to add to the stash, which is not growing fast enough.  This one has a sort of collage feel to me with all the different bits and pieces even although it isn't a real favourite but it is flat enough to mail with regular postage and for me that alone makes it a winner.

The holly leaves were hand cut from buckram (or crinoline as it is called in certain areas) and then dyed with Forest Moss Distress Ink.  The scalloped circle has been embossed and then sprayed with Pearl Glimmer Mist before the edges were inked with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.  The paper edges were scuffed up and torn and then they were also inked as was the sentiment.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Pixie Dust Studio - Winter Holiday Creations
Whimsy Inspirations - Use Tradional Christmas Colors
Party Time Tuesday's - Anything Goes
ABC Challenges - Anything Goes
Use Your Stuff - Patterned Paper

Image:  Hand cut from a stencil
Sentiment:  Computer Generated
Paper:  My Stash
Tools & Embellishments:  Pearl Stickers (Dollarama), Buckram (Fabricland), Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Snowflake Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Wave Scissors (Fiskars), Forest Moss, Peeled Paint & Aged Mahogany Distress Ink (Ranger), Pearl Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels)