Babies and such . . .

Hello friends
I hope you are enjoying the warm temperatures and spring greenery that have finally decided to appear here in eastern Connecticut.

I journeyed to the suburbs of Washington, DC last weekend for my niece's baby shower. Baby L is due to arrive in mid-July but "like a fine wine" will come in time. It was wonderful to spend time with Mama L in her new home (well, new last year) . . . we don't get to do that very often  . . .

An elegant cake - would you believe made of diapers - made a beautiful centerpiece!

The banners I made using the Julie Nutting baby stamps added a whimsical touch to the traditional colonial decor at the shower venue.

Living with "the crafty gene" as my niece terms it, I created my shower gifts rather than shopping from the registry. Before we knew which flavor the little one would be, I had sewn a bright but  "gender neutral" flannel blanket. The hexagon print flannel is backed with navy and white dots . . . very washable and both picnic and car friendly. Tagged with a balloon image stamped from a  Tim Holtz set, I called it the "Take me to the park" blanket. It's ready to travel on lots of outings.

Stay tuned for the rest of the gifts next time !

Cheers!

S.

New Baby Keepsake Card

I was browsing around Papercraft Clubhouse in Westbrook one day, taking time to look at the many samples the store gals have put together using products from their inventory.

I was intrigued by a creation that is called a "Card in a Box."  It reminded me of a mini Jack-in-a-box with "stuff" in it.  I decided to embrace the challenge and look up how to make one.

Below is a photo of a similar card taken from the Sizzix blog (since of course I didn't photograph the store sample . . .)

See what I mean about the Jack-in-the-Box vibe . . .

There are numerous YouTube videos as well as diagrams, templates and written directions that appear after typing "Card in a Box" into a Google search box. 

Take your pick . . .

I chose one, followed the instructions and Voila! 

You are absolutely correct . . . the picture above does not at all look like the Sizzix  sample.  Did I  neglect to mention that the card has an open bottom and folds flat to fit into an envelope? 

Well it does. 

The photo above is what the recipients see when the envelope is opened.  The absence of a bottom to the box reduces bulk in the folding.  I'm told there was a bit of puzzlement initially after opening the envelope . . . but after a bit of manipulation, the surprise below emerged. Voila!

Card folded into shape

Left side of card

Right side of card

The stamps used for this particular "Card in a Box" are from the  Make It Market Mini Kit - Wee Folk sold by Papertrey Ink (online), while the heart paper is from a sale pack found at Michael's months ago.  Assembly involved folding and cutting paper for the box and then stamping and die-cutting the images for the pop-ups and for decorating the sides of the box.

This card was made specially for a new little baby boy found in a cabbage patch in Florida.

The "Card in a Box" came together fairly quickly and easily  . . . and was much appreciated by the little fellow's parents. 

Cheers til next time!