Personalized Milk Bottle Party Favors

Hey y'all!  It's Amanda here today.  While I have yet to tire of the mason jar drinks, I thought I would try something different with these cute little plastic milk bottles I found on Etsy.   With summer birthdays in mind, I dolled up the milk bottles to act as functional party favors.

Each milk bottle comes with it's own label so party goers don't get their drinks mixed up.  I also drilled a small hole in the top of each lid where I could insert the straws.  While not completely spill proof, it is sure to help minimize any mess that kids are bound to make.

I wrapped the bottles with coordinating patterned paper.  This also helps tiny hands grip the sometimes slippery bottles.

The straw flags were super easy to make.  I trimmed a strip of patterned paper, folded and stapled it into a small loop, and inserted the straw.  Piece-o-cake! 

Happy summer!

Supplies: From Special Delivery: Calvin's Race 2039, Dillon 2040, Jack 2043, Label Stickers 2052; chevron straws, milk bottles (Cupcake Social/Etsy) 

Gallery Idol 2013 Round 4: Use 10 Embellishments

Wow!  I can hardly believe that I have advanced this far in Gallery Idol 2013.  THANK YOU to all of you who have voted and have encouraged me along the way!  I could not have made it this far without you! 

The challenge for Round 4 was to make a card with 10 embellishments.  When I first sat down to make this card, my desk was covered with embellishments of all sorts and had no idea where to start.  I picked up a piece of rustic wood paper and paired it with a mini yellow polka dot envelope.  At this point I knew I could put away the flowers and pearls and take my card in a more masculine direction.  Check it:

Here is the embellishment line up: three stars, one speech bubble, two arrows, one envelope, one zipper, and two chipboard embellishments.  That makes for a grand total of 10 embellishments.  Whew! 

The yellow polka dot envelope is from Fancy Pants, the filmstrip chipboard die cut and metal stars are from BasicGrey, and the wood veneer arrows are from Studio Calico.

Again, the chipboard arrow is from BasicGrey and the zipper is from my stash.  Zippers are my favorite secret embellishment.  You can use separate halves or keep them zipped together.  There are all sorts of fun ways to use zippers on cards. 

DON'T FORGET to visit the Gallery Idol Contest page and VOTE!  You don't need to be a paper crafter to vote (hint, hint friends and family).  If you are not already signed up, it only takes a couple of minutes.  

Thanks SO much for stopping by today!

Amanda

Gallery Idol Top 10: THANK YOU!

I am SUPER excited to announce that I have made it to the Top 10 in the Gallery Idol 2013 competition and will compete in Round 4!  THANK YOU for your votes and encouragement along the way.  It is an honor to be included with these talented ladies! 

Inspired by 75 Card Challenges, the challenge for Round 4 is to create a card with 10 embellishments.  I foresee myself swimming in a desk covered in buttons, sequins, wood veneers, stickers, pearls, rhinestones, and more.  

Voting for Round 4 starts this Monday at noon MDT.  I'll be sure to keep you all updated!  

Thanks again for sticking by me! 

Amanda

Masculine Cards with Doodlebug Flower Box

Good day to you!   Just popping in today to share a masculine card made with Doodlebug's Flower Box collection.  This collection has a notable feminine feel, but has some amazing masculine prints and colors.  Check it: 

The houndstooth and woodgrain prints in this collection are perfect for a masculine card.  I trimmed the chevrons from patterned paper and added a woodgrain speech bubble.  I think it makes for a very masculine card indeed. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Amanda

For the Boss of Sauce: A Father's Day Gift Idea

I don't know about you, but I have the hardest time finding a Father's Day gift that my husband will like.  Socks and ties, while useful, are trite, and anything else he really wants often costs hundreds of dollars.  Fortunately, past experience has revealed that I can never go wrong with gifts of food, so I decided to make a BBQ sauce gift pack.

I die cut the BBQ sauce carrier using THIS die from Silhouette.  I increased the size of the file to accommodate the slightly larger BBQ sauce bottles.  The carrier was super easy to assemble and the BBQ sauce inexpensive making this a fun and easy gift for dad, grandpa, hubby, uncle brother, etc.

Admittedly, the carrier is probably not functional since the BBQ sauce is so heavy, but it still makes for a nice presentation.

I wrapped each bottle with a piece of patterned paper for a more coordinated look.  However, they are easily removable so dad can see exactly what he is working with.

The circle letters on Spencer are 1/2" across making them a perfect fit for your 1/2" circle punch.  I used the little letters along with the Alpha Stickers to complete the label.  

Have a happy Father's Day celebrating with those you love! 

Supplies: From Special Delivery: Dillon 2040, Calvin's Race 2039, Guido 2042, Jack 2043, Spencer 2046, Alpha Stickers 2051; milk carton die (Silhouette)

GCD Studios The Paper Cut: June Issue

The June issue of GCD Studios FREE online magazine, The Paper Cut, is now available to view.  This issue is packed with trendy color combinations and creative ideas for summer.

The interview with DT coordinator, Heidi, is so much fun to read, and you'll love the section titled We Heart Nerds.  Hipsters and non-hipsters a like will like these fun projects!  I made some fun altered mason jar drink that you can find on p. 29.

Happy Tuesday to you! 

Gallery Idol Round 3 Card: Make Your Own Stamped Background

I'm am SO excited to be back for Round 3 of Gallery Idol!  THANK YOU for your votes and support!  I would not have made it this far without YOU!

The challenge for Round 3 was to make our own stamped background.  As I was looking through my stamps, I found a lonely little hexagon stamp.  I started playing around the hexagon stamp and here is what I came up with: 

To create my own background, I repeatedly stamped a hexagon on patterned paper.  I colored parts of the pattern with watercolor paints to give the background an eclectic feel.  I stitched the background paper to a panel of coordinating patterned paper.

This card is full of contrasts--hard and soft, artsy and neat. I love that the definition of the word plain sits in the background of a card that is anything but plain.

I added a variety of whimsical embellishments, including sequins, wood veneer, ribbon, stitching, and chipboard stickers.  The combination of hard and soft elements also plays up the contrasts on this card.  

DON'T FORGET!  Visit the Gallery Idol Contest Page and VOTE!  You don't need to be a paper crafter to vote (hint, hint friends and family).  If you are not already signed up, it only takes a couple of minutes to do so. 

Forever grateful, 

Amanda

Supplies: dictionary paper (Pebbles); green diamond paper, chipboard (Crate Paper); wood veneer, hexagon stamp (Studio Calico); sequins (Avery Elle); ribbon (May Arts); watercolor paints (Lyra)

Gallery Idol Top 15: THANK YOU!

I am excited to share that I was voted through to Round 3 of Gallery Idol 2013!  I am honored to be included with the rest of these super talented ladies!  But I couldn't have done it without YOU.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support! 

Here are the top 15 Gallery Idol contestants in alphabetical order.  Aren't they a gorgeous bunch?  

The Round 3 Challenge is to make our own stamped background.  Voting for Round 3 starts on Monday at 12pm MDT and you can be sure I will send out a reminder.  

Thanks again for all of your support!

Amanda

RCC 82: Bring on the Sun

Hey everyone!  Welcome back to Ribbon Carousel's monthly challenge! 

The theme for this month's challenge is Fun in the Sun!  I created a fun and bright card featuring a happy sunshine.  

I layered a bunch of paper strips from Doodlebug's Fruit Stand collection and added a ruffled ribbon border.  To make the ruffle, I simply gathered the ribbon as I stitched it to the card. 

For extra happiness, I added a couple of pearls to the sunshine's cheeks. 

Each month we are giving away a Ribbon Carousel to one of our randomly chosen challenge participants! 

There are three rules to be eligible for the prize:

1.  You MUST use ribbon or twine on your creation.

2. Your project must be based on the theme of the month.

3. You must add  a NEW project  to the inlinkz on the Ribbon Carousel blog and link directly back to your project on your blog or online gallery.

Easy as pie!

Good luck and enjoy the start to your summer!

Amanda

Gallery Idol 2013 Round 2 Card: Defining Dad

In case you missed the news last week, I was named as one of the Top 20 finalists in Paper Crafts magazine Gallery Idol 2013 contest!  If you are unfamiliar with Gallery Idol, there is a new challenge each week where the finalists are narrowed down by voters, like you, until there is one paper crafter left standing. 

The theme for Round 2 is Defining Dad so I created a card shaped like a bottle of BBQ sauce.  The result--the Original Boss of Sauce.   

What dad/grandpa/uncle/brother doesn't love to grill?  I combined a couple of die cutting files to create the bottle and die cut some fonts for the label.  While this card has a lot of pieces, it was pretty easy to put together.  I can't wait to find the perfect recipient for this Father's Day card! 

DON'T FORGET!  Visit the Gallery Idol Contest Page to VOTE!  And you don't need to be a paper crafter to vote (hint, hint friends and family).  If you are not already registered, it only takes a couple of minutes. 

Thanks SO much for coming by today! 

Amanda

Supplies: Barbeque set 43006, life card 39873, 8 piece star and scalloped mat set 14198 (Silhouette Online Store); cardstock (Doodlebug); Lauren Script font (Microsoft); IFC Insane Rodeo Bold font (dafont.com)

Gallery Idol 2013 Open Audition Cards

If there were only more hours in the day for paper crafting!  Between managing the farm, teaching, and regular ol' family stuff, I managed to sneak in a couple of late entries into this year's Paper Crafts Magazine Gallery Idol card making competition.   

I die cut the sentiment using Coolvetica font and placed neon Post-it Notes underneath the die cut panel.  I made a tiny triangle stamp out of a pencil eraser and embossed the triangles with clear embossing powder. 

I couldn't resist making another card from one of my all-time favorite paper collections: Cashmere Dame from Glitz Design.  I typically don't do shabby/vintage, but I love the sassy ladies and mod feel of the prints in this collection.  I created a custom sentiment using Impact Label font from dafont.com.  

Have a happy week! 

Amanda

Paper Flower Altered Embroidery Hoop Decor

Good day!  I am super excited to share a project that was recently published in GCD Studios The Paper Cut magazine.  Click HERE to read the latest issue--all for FREE!

I am totally digging the embroidery hoop trend and wanted to create a piece of fresh, floral decor just in time for spring.  I die cut a bunch of flowers and leaves and arranged them on a hoop covered in paper.

If you haven't tried it yet, patterned paper totally works for 3D flowers.  For flowers large and small, stick to patterns that are smaller in scale.

The botanist in me can't resist yellow floral centers.   They are always the perfect contrast to bright, colorful blooms.

The green ikat adds a fun twist to the leaves.  I placed them throughout to create a full, lush look.  

Always glad to have you stop by!

Supplies: From the Nostalgia collection: Floral Tile 1989; Circular Floral 1990; From the Pure Bliss collection: Ikat 2026; Alphabet 2019; Green Ikat 2020; Dainty Floral 2024; Bows 2028; Blooming 2027. From the Ambrosia collection: Adhesive Pearls 1887.  Seam binding (Schiff Ribbons)

350 Cards & Gifts Blog Hop WINNER!

The winner of last week's 350 Cards & Gifts Blog Hop is....

INDY!

Congrats, Indy!  Please email your shipping information to popperandmimi at gmail dot com and I'll get your copy of 350 Cards & Gifts in the mail!

And a HUGE Thank You to everyone for hopping and leaving kind comments.  They truly make my day!

Amanda

Graduation Gift Card and Money Holders

It's time to get into gear for graduations galore!  (I just earned an A in alliteration.)  Along with graduation comes gifts of cash, so I came up with a couple of different ways you can give cash or a gift card to your favorite graduate this year.

I used Doodlebug's new Cap & Gown collection for this box and card.  The blacks and silvers in this collection will coordinate perfectly with any school colors.  I die cut a box using THIS file from Silhouette.  I used the eraser tool to get rid of the detail in the center of the lid so I could embellish the top of the box as I pleased.  

I embellished the top of the box with a cardstock sticker and mini diploma.  Isn't the little diploma cute? 

The inside of the box has a clever insert that holds a gift card.

For those of you who are giving cash or a check, this beetle black trifold card is a perfect solution.  I added some patterned paper

This dimensional doodle pop sticker has a darling tassle.  You could easily swap out the twine for some that matches your graduate's school colors.  

This trifold create-a-card is perfect for stuffing full of cash.  Did you know these cards come in all colors of the rainbow?  Choose your graduate's favorite color or one that coordinates with his or her school colors.

Have a happy day!

Amanda

Heidi Sonboul Blog Hop WINNER!

Annnnnnd....the winner of the Heidi Sonboul Signature Series Blog Hop is....

Quattro!

Congratuations, Quattro!  Please email your shipping information to me at popperandmimi at gmail dot com and I will get your goodies into the mail right away! 

May you all have a wonderful week!

Amanda

Mother's Day Gift Wrap: A Die Cut Flower Box

Happy Saturday to you!  Amanda here today with a friendly reminder that Mother's Day is tomorrow.  Everyone loves to get flowers on Mother's Day, even if they claim they don't care to receive any.  Trust me (and my husband) on that one.  

While I am a sucker for a bouquet of fresh cut flowers, I also adore receiving and giving plants as gifts.  Give mom some pretty annuals and she will have blooms all season long.  As a bonus, you may even offer to plant them for her.

I die cut a box to fit the container of pansies I had purchased at the store.  Forgive the lack of blooms because at the time I photographed this project, it was still too cold to plant annuals.  This sad little plant was all I could find.  

I wrapped the box with a pre-cut border strip and added a label with some darling alpha stickers. 

I stuck a decorative paperclip into the soil to make the project a little more happy.  Plus, it is reusable and mom is sure to love that.  

May you have a joyous Mother's Day!

Supplies: From the Pure Bliss collection: Pink Honeycomb 2023; Alpha Stickers 2032; Label Stickers 2033; Paperclips 2035; Die-cut Borders 2036