Enjoy the Little Things in Life Gift Card Holder with G45 Cafe Parisian and RRR
Hello, Ribbon Lovers! I am a fan of little things. Itty bitty babies, teeny tiny desserts, ladybugs, delicate blossoms, miniature books…all things small delight me. So when it came time to create a very special birthday card and gift card holder for one of our dear daughters-in-law, I went small and made this Enjoy the Little Things in Life Gift Card Holder.
I’ve had this 3″ x 4.25″ matchbox stashed away for quite some time, just waiting for inspiration to strike. First, I covered it with some Graphic 45 Cafe Parisian Patterns and Solids paper. Then I created this easel style topper for the box.
The focal image is an ephemera card from the collection which just so happens to be the perfect fit for the matchbox. To dress it up even more, I added a pretty Salmon Pink Seam Binding Bow and some gorgeous Petaloo blossoms in coral and white. (If you’ve had a hard time color matching ribbon to this collection, this ribbon is spot on!)
The easel top opens to reveal a little gift pocket that is just the right size for a gift card.
Since the box slides open, I had to fill it with something cute.
So I created this itty bitty birthday card, then tied it shut with more pretty ribbon.
The inside has a belly band that is just the right size for an individually wrapped Ghiradelli chocolate. Then I fussy cut a small image to create a tuck spot for my hand written note.
This Enjoy the Little Things in Life gift card holder was such fun to make that I am going to look for more matchboxes.
I hope I shared some ideas you can use in your own crafty adventures! If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.
Graphic 45 Tea Time Note Cards Tutorial with A Place in Time
Hello, G 45’ers! You all know how much I love paper. But did you know that I also love tea? I start every morning with a soul-satisfying cup of English Breakfast tea. It makes me a kinder, gentler Kathy. LOL When I can combine my love for tea with my love for paper, I’m a really happy gal. This Graphic 45 Tea Time Note Cards Tutorial is the perfect gift idea for any tea lover. I can see this being used as bridesmaids gifts, a bridal shower gift, a Mother’s Day present or for your own enjoyment. I’ve housed these shabby chic beauties in a lovely gift box with a shaker top. Would you like to join me for a cup of tea?
Choosing a Color Palette
Color can make or break a project. While there are all kinds of creative styles, I like it best when colors work together in harmony. When I found this darling image of genteel ladies sipping tea in the April pages of A Place in Time, I was drawn the coral accents in the border and on the table. This image set the color palette for my project.
To give my shabby chic Tea Time note cards a place to rest, I altered a G45 Ivory Staples 5″ square Mixed Media Box. I love the window opening on the cover, and discovered a quick and easy way to “frame” it with designer paper.
Cut a 5″ x 5″ square of designer paper.
Center it on the top of the box, making sure everything is straight and even.
Secure it with repositionable tape.
Open the box, and use a pencil to trace around the window opening.
Remove the paper from the top of the box and die cut with the #6 Spellbinders Nestabilities Large Classic Square.
Glue a 4.5″ square piece of clear acetate cardstock to the back side of this paper. Let the glue set before proceeding.
The rest of the box is very easy to cover, as it is all straight cuts!
Adding the Shaker Top
Here are the steps to follow to make the shaker top
First, glue the focal image to the inside of the box. This particular image is slightly larger than the window opening, so you will have to size it before you glue it down.
Next, cut waste chipboard or shipping boxes into strips that are almost the same width as the “frame” you created for the box. Glue these strips to the back of the “frame” making sure they don’t show. It takes a little longer for glue to set on acetate, so be patient.
Now, fill the window cavity with small seed beads, small sequins, or glass glitter. Do not overfill, or the shaker elements will get stuck between the two layers.
Then, glue the “frame” to the top of the box.
Heat Emboss Southern Ridge Trading Company Frame #133 with Stampendous Golden Sands Embossing Powder and glue in place.
Finally, add Petaloo Coral Botanical Blooms, Rose Silky Crush Ribbon and metal pieces.
A Peek Inside
Decorating the inside of the box is as much fun as decorating the outside. Again, it is all straight cuts, so it’s very easy to do.
The postcard image from the April pages makes a wonderful pocket.
What’s in the pocket? A sweet little tag booklet with a chipboard cover!
The box will hold 4 sweet little tea time note cards.
Tea Time Note Cards Tutorial Video
Use an assembly line approach to make these cards, and you’ll only spend between 5-10 minutes on each one. Don’t believe me? Watch this YouTube Video to see the proof.
I hope I’ve shared some ideas and/or techniques in this Tea Time Note Cards tutorial that you can use in your own crafty adventures!
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheerio,
kathy
Supply List
Please note that I have provided links to products whenever possible. However, some items may have been in my stash for some time, and are no longer readily available online. Feel free to substitute.
Graphic 45
A Place in Time (you can use the DCE, or the original. I used both.)
Beautiful Mother’s Day Wishes Easel Card with RRR and Graphic 45 Cafe Parisian
Hello, Ribbon Lovers! I’m popping in today with a beautiful Mother’s Day Wishes easel card that you can make in under an hour. Nothing says “I love you” like a handmade card, especially when it is topped with beautiful Really Reasonable Ribbon.
I put this sweet 4.25″ square easel card together with bits and pieces that were left over from another project. The focal image from G45 A Place in Time is a near perfect color match for the background papers from G45 Cafe Parisian.
I die cut a Cheery Lynn doily from Ivory cardstock to help break up the patterned layers.
After building my easel card base, I fussy cut the vintage ladies from the focal image. Then I backed them with waste chipboard and layered them over the image background. This created wonderful depth and dimension with very little fuss.
The “stopper” is easy to make. First, cut a panel of the blue dot paper from Place in Time. Mat it on a slightly smaller piece of chipboard. Wrap with Wild Rose Swiss Dots Grograin Ribbon and glue to the card base. Then use your Zutter Bow-it-All Tool to tie a double loop bow and hot glue it in place. Add a string bow tied with Ivory Natural Burlap and glue to the center of the bow. Top with a button,
Tie a second bow with Burlap String and glue to the left hand corner of the image. Add flowers. Then glue 3 little buttons down the side of the card.
It takes under an hour to make Mom a keepsake card that she’ll cherish for years to come. And, you used up some paper scraps in the process. Win/win!
I hope you found some tips and tricks in this beautiful Mother’s Day Wishes Easel card that you can use in your own crafty adventures. If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.
Keep Your Face Toward the Sunshine Card with Graphic 45 Cafe Parisian
Hello, Ribbon Lovers! While playing with the scrumptious ribbons in the April Ribbon Club Collection, I made a great discovery. These ribbons are a near perfect color match for Graphic 45’s Cafe Parisian collection. I combined 3/8″ Honeycomb Light Coral Satin Ribbon with some paper pretties to make this Keep Your Face Toward the Sunshine Card.
If this card doesn’t say “springtime” then I’ll eat my hat! LOL I love this very fresh and unusual color palette.
Ephemera cards can do double duty when you cut them apart. I used the back side of one to make this sweet little tab on the side of my card.
Then I rounded off the corners and hand wrote my sentiment on the remainder.
This vertical border makes a great pocket for a mini note card. I’ll write my personal greeting here.
Have you played with your ribbon club collection yet? It’s always a great assortment, but this month, it’s extra special!
Hope you get time to play with paper pretties soon!
The easel top opens to reveal a little gift pocket that is just the right size for a gift card.
Since the box slides open, I had to fill it with something cute.
So I created this itty bitty birthday card, then tied it shut with more pretty ribbon.
