Thanks and Giving

October 15, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

People all around us are kind and give, often more than we have asked for. I love those people. They inspire me. To be creative, and more importantly, to say thank you right back.

A full sheet of bermuda bay card stock went into this tall and lovely gift bag. The scoring was done vertically at 2″, 4″, 6″, and 8″. A quick twist horizontally for one more score at 2″ to make the bottom of the bag. Two hole punches on opposite sides and the ribbon was squished in. A very tight fit, it didn’t even need to be knotted off or adhered.

A leftover card front was scored in half to make this tiny card. Just big enough to echo the stamp used on the bag both on the card front and inside. The sentiment comes from the same lighthearted leaves set and works perfectly. Plenty of sponging and this lovely project was all done. All I need is something wonderful to put inside. I just need to decide who needs it.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Birthday Jar Wishes That Last

October 12, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

It isn’t my usual project to share, but I do make these particularly often. The idea is lovely and I get to put a lot of retired product to good use. I do hate to ignore it, so I thought I would share a way to use it differently.

I bought some of those washi sheets having no idea what I would do with them. Until this fun series of projects came about. I work with the young ladies in my church, along with several other ladies, and we come together as a team in a large variety of events from large to small and everything in between. Of course we celebrate birthdays! And that is what this is.

I decorate jars and vases with washi paper punches to the mood I am in. Sometimes I use framelits, or punches, or both. I have a large collection of last springs sale-a-bration ribbon, so it always goes together. You know how I love to coordinate as much as possible. So these jars are created for each young lady or woman in our group. We all then write inspirational wishes, birthday wishes, and just kind words in general to fill the jar. Then, the recipient can read them all at once, or read them one at a time, or open them over time when a bad day happens and they need a pick me up. Something sweet for whenever you want them. So, try something different with the awesome product you have, either current or retired, it is all wonderful!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Color Me Irresistible

October 10, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Fall events are starting to pile up and that means plan ahead and get it done early. This isn’t quite early, just one week, but that helps, right? There is a church youth dance coming up next weekend and we are hosting the pre-dance dinner party. The theme is black and white, so we are going along with that for the decorations, and yes, party favors. I think these will do nicely.

These two are very simple, as should any favor should be, especially if you need to make several quickly. I started both of them with paper sized at about 4 x 6 1/2. Simple scoring for the gift bag and a hole punch to thread through the ribbon. Done and done.

Can you go wrong with a classic sour cream container? I think not, especially when you are working with this ever so lovely silver foil velum. I think silver wrapped candies or white mints would look so pretty inside. Maybe even both? Works for me!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Delightful Birthday

October 8, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

It has been a while since I made a matching set like this. For a while it seemed like I couldn’t get enough of them. But, you can only use so many, and share so many, and eventually store so many. I took a break, but found my way back. So much fun!

One full sheet of the wonderful ‘Color Me Irresistible Specialty DSP’ was used to makey great set. I love that is has white sheets that can be altered to any color or tone, but I also love that it comes in colors and patterns. The options are great, so diverse.

A pretty gift bag with a lovely matching card has to be one of my favorite things. I think people feel special when the attention to details are brought together like this. The assembly was pretty direct, nothing very fancy. Simple work and lovely results, my favorite.

Have a creative day!

Moana

One Big Meaning Tiny Treats

October 7, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Welcome back and thank you too! Going back to work yesterday, after taking a long weekend off, left me thinking I should give a little thank you to my student TA’s. They are a great bunch and were honestly quite happy with these treats.

I kept things very simple, because I knew they would really just want the candy. So, I used some adorable retired ribbon, with an effort to keep it neutral. I have young men and knew they wouldn’t appreciate anything too girlie. However, I did give them color choices and they picked the ones they liked best. Three of five kept the little tag in their things. How cute is that!

What do we gain from this? First of all, saying thank you is so important. Secondly, it doesn’t have to be huge and elaborate to be appreciated. Honestly, these took me maybe ten minutes from start to end, including a quick set of photos. Having great tools to work with makes all the difference. Give something like this a try. This punch combo is fantastic! The 1 3/4″ circle punch is large enough that lots of sentiments fit inside quite easily. Add the 2″ circle for a tiny border and it looks so great!

Have a creative day!

Moana

All About Sugar Fry Box

October 6, 2015October 6, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

It is so nice to be home, even though I miss my college kids. After falling asleep at a ridiculously early hour last night, I woke up full of energy and enthusiasm. Maybe that is why I migrated to a fun treat box! I do have some thank you’s to give out today. I have five student TA’s at school that I know kept things just as I like them for my return from a four day weekend. They are awesome!

So is this adorable fry box die. As soon as it hit the catalog last year I had to have it. Along with its hamburger box friend. They just make me giggle. And to have a coordinating stamp set makes it even better! I love sharing treats and kindness, but when it looks as cute as this, I like it even better.

A half sheet of card is all it takes to make this guy, plus a little scrap. I used cucumber crush, because it is just a super happy color. The sentiment was stamped on whisper white, fussy cut, layered on some more cucumber crush, fussy cut again, and sponged like crazy. Two mini silver brads finish off the front so nicely. And with some yummy treats all tucked into a bag, tied off with the lovely dotted lace trim, this little gift is ready to go. I did sponge the entire box to keep everybody coordinated. Love my sponging!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Banner Blessings Gift Box

October 5, 2015October 4, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

And here is my lovely gift box. I actually started with this and worked backwards to the cards I put inside. A different process for sure, but I liked it. And to be honest, I didn’t take very good notes on the product I used. Sorry, but now I am out of town trying to keep up. Ooooops.

The colors and elements of each card are represented in this box. Believe it or not, there is an easy way to get inside without messing it up so it can be used again. I thought that was pretty clever myself. I used my trusty score board to create this one, with the help of the angled plate. I wasn’t sure how it would work out, but it did. Now, on to the next project. That is after I get home from my drive from Utah. Maybe the desert will inspire me.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Thoughts & Prayers

September 28, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I took a day away to recover from a great birthday celebration for my youngest. I can’t believe she is 15 already. Family first, so it was all about her. Even so, some things still have to get going. These projects were made to give to the young women I taught a Sunday lesson. There were fourteen of them all together and they looked wonderful.

I usually share current product, but made an exception for these. The paper is retired from last year and the heavy bakers twine is from the last sale-a-bration. The stamps, doilies and punches are current though. I do love how things coordinate together so nicely though, very satisfying.

Setting a piece of paper on my score board is so liberating. A little bit of math and you are off and running. I cut the 12 x 12 sheets in half and went for it. They came together rather quickly and the girls really enjoyed them. I love to make things for people, I truly do.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Floral Gift Bag

September 24, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

The seasons are all backwards, so why not create a spring themed gift bag! Seems kind of silly to really feel like fall might have arrived, then summer heat, then what. Who knows, so I will craft what I like, and I like this.

One whole sheet of 12 x 12 dsp went into this bag. The dots are too much cuteness, so they had to be out front. I wasn’t feeling a particular stamp, so I curled a couple of flaps over to show the writing side. This paper pack is so adorable. A bunch of bright and happy paper going on.

The diagonal scoring plate is what helped this box happen. I scored on the 3″ marker, on the diagonal, on each corner. It worked out pretty darn good. I don’t always feel confident my scoring is accurate when using the diagonal plate, but when putting the bag together, my sides and corners matched up. Go me!

A few punches from the heavy whisper white cardstock and regal buttons for centers made the embellishments I wanted. The bag was sealed, but not sealed, with a stretch of dotted lace trim. It is stretched around the top, under the front and back flaps, and then tied in a bow. Just untie it and the bag will flop open. Easy to use and re-use. My kind of bag.

Have a creative day!

Moana

For All Things

September 21, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

It can be hard to get even the simple things done when you don’t quite feel yourself. That is why today’s project is super simple, just what I needed.

I started with a half sheet of very vanilla cardstock and scored every 2″ on the 8.5″ side which left me a 1/2″ edge to seal the box together. I also scored along the length at 2″ to make the bottom, and at 3/4″ at the top and then 1″ over from there. I know I am not very exact at sharing my measurements, but it works out I promise. Oh, I did do my stamping before I scored, forgot to mention that.

I have held the box together using the tear n tape adhesive. I do like that stuff, easier to work with than sticky strip. The flaps are folded together and adhered with the same and then I got to sponging. All the edges and even on these bitty little flowers. I love that look! I put the largest basic pearls inside each flower and grabbed for a scrap of ribbon. The dotted lace trim has a good bit of stretch to it, so it is held on just by that. Not a glue dot or anything. That makes it easy to use and re-use. A simple bow and it was all done!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Workshop Madness Day 4

September 6, 2015September 6, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

These two bags were my favorite favors. I do love the Sweet Hauntingshappy set. The sentiments are the best.i think they can hang around longer than just Halloween though. I do love it when a seasonal stamp can get used more than it was intended.

Sometimes I see a Halloween favor and it makes me want to host a party just so they can be used. These two did this for me, especially the bakers style box. The bottles labeled all cute are awesome. And how can you not love saying death by chocolate?

It is hard to tell, but the orange box is also embossed with ever so wonderful woodland textured embossing folder. I really hope it gets to carry over from this catalog.

I have saved my favorite Halloween themed projects to share tomorrow . So much fun!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Wedding Favors in Progress…

August 28, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I have to admit, I am a bit of a Stampin’Up! purist, but sometimes I have to dip into my other craft life for something very specific. A workup of wedding favor rough samples for example.

A friend is trying to make her sister’s wedding very special on a ridiculously tiny budget. I thought I could help out a little bit with some of my tools.

How can you not just love this adorable curvy box? I am so glad this framelit carried over from the last holiday catalog. I have used it so much.

This one is a slightly larger version of a favor I made using the Go Wild DSP stack. The shape was working for her, so I gave it a try.

The original request was a pillow box though. I brought out the die cut from my retired stash, yes I do keep those for sure. I am addicted to die cuts and keep them all. So, I embossed it as she had seen it done in tiny dots, also a retired folder. See how I am?

I do have to admit that the die cuts are all other brand materials, but the wedding is on the beach and that is the theme all the way through. I had the ribbon left over from a wedding favor production from last summer. That was a fun one. I made just over four hundred of those, yes four hundred. It took quite a few movie watching sessions to finish those up. Either way, these are some rough options for her to choose from. See how creative you can be with some nice paper and a few good tools?

Have a creative day, what’s left of it anyway. Can life just slow down a bit?

Moana

Thank You For Strong Girls

August 25, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I do so love a pretty little carton to give someone, especially when it is full of their favorite treat. I was thinking about my girls this morning, and how strong and amazing they are, and this treasure came to life.

I am so grateful for my daughters who remain strong through adversity. When a woman can stand up for herself, and truly value herself, it is something worth celebrating for sure.

I took a full sheet of this wonderful Color Me Irresistible Specialty DSP, cut off two inches from one side and began to score. Each side measures 2 7/8″, so you need to start from one side, measure that distance and score each time. This will leave you with 1/2″ on the edge that will allow you to adhere the box. The bottom score line also measures at 2 7/8″. I scored the top at 1/2″ and then at 3″. Although I am not the best at directions, it does come together pretty easily.

I stamped Thank You from the One Big Meaning set. It fit perfectly within the 1 3/4″ circle punch. I punched a 2″ circle from the Dazzeling Diamond paper and layered them with dimensionals. A lovely bow made from the Dotted Lace Trim finishes it off. I did do a bit of sponging on all of the edges. I love a sponged edge.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Floral Gift Box

August 20, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

When my daughter came home this week for her university break she brought this little birdhouse box with her. My mother had given it to her to deliver to me to try and create a version of it.

I don’t have a diecut that would do this, so I had to think it out a little bit. Although I had several frustrations, I ended up with something cute.

I started out with a piece of paper 7″ x 8.5″. I scored along the 8.5″ side at 2, 4, 6, and 8″ leaving an edge of a half inch. I turned it one quarter around and scored it at 2″. This became the bottom. Along the top, with the long scores going up, I proceeded to cut with my trimmer, not scissors. I cut along the score lines down to 2.5″ on all score lines. This gave the top flaps. Two of them were punched with the scallop tag topper and the other two were trimmed down a bit. My design became a bit flawed and I had to improvise a bit.

I stamped the paper with versamark ink and applied white embossing powder to give me the cute little flowers you see. They turned out so pretty. The rest of the box assembly was pretty basic. I know I don’t give a lot of detail, I get impatient. I am working on it.

Have a creative day.

Moana

One Big Meaning and Remarkable You

August 18, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

To get my mind off the heat last night I sat down at my desk and got a little more creative. It has been a bit since I spent this much time for one project, but to be fair, I didn’t have any idea what I was going to do when I sat down.

I used a whole sheet of tip top taupe to make the bag. Just simple scoring there, nothing fancy. I did forget to stamp before I scored, ooops. So, my stamping does have little crease marks on the edges. Can’t be perfect.

The base has two layers, tip top taupe and a stamped layer of very vanilla. I brought out the aqua painter again, oh how I love that tool. Just using the ink from the stamp gives such a soft look.

The oval framelits were put to work again for the focal point. What a lovely flower. I brought in tip top taupe into the flower and water colored it into the old olive. I can tell the color difference, but I can also see a hint of lavender forming. Interesting. Crystal effects really made a difference in the look of the flower. I could really use that stuff way too much. A final stamped sentiment layered with some circle punches finished the front.

A touch of dotted lace trim was put to the side and also used to make a simple handle for the bag. It really turned out beautiful.

Have a creative day!

Moana

You Always Do For Others…

August 14, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

The people in our lives that give endlessly, they are so awesome! They deserve much more than something like this, but always appreciate it. Someone has to something nice for them, right?

My school secretary is just that person. She even keeps the little containers I make her gifts in. She has a cute little collection. This one is a bit larger than others I have given her, but she deserves it! The beginning of school is always so hectic.

One whole sheet of rich razzelberry for this gift bag. Doesn’t it look lovely? I didn’t have a project in mind, so I just reached to my paper files with my eyes closed, pulled the first file and there it was. I then turned to my punches and grabbed the first one I focused on. That would be the confetti hearts border punch. The rest just fell into place.

I did my favorite sponging and opted not to layer the base. Sometimes my fronts tend to curl a bit at the edges when I layer cardstock on cardstock with gift bags. So, after I punched and sponged I used tombo liquid multipurpose glue to get to the edges well to make sure it stayed down nicely. Perfect job.

A little matching cotton ribbon, subtle but still there, and the gift bag was done! Now I have the pleasure of getting the perfect treats and a gift to go inside. That will be a fun little activity for sure. Sea salt chocolates and maybe a lovely lotion. Sounds nice.

Have a creative day!

Moana

For the New Two

August 12, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Does this conjure images of a wedding couple or what? I do have another idea though. Honestly, I went with brighter colors for that other idea.

We often associate two as a couple, as in a relationship couple. Friends of mine are currently working as nannies for a set of twins. So, how about congratulating a couple on the birth of their twins? Get it? For the new two?

Well, I thought it was very clever indeed. There are plenty of gift ideas for baby boys and girls, but how about those twins? It will take longer for triplets and such, but I am sure there is a way.

This is made from a whole sheet of english garden dsp and isn’t it glorious? I paired it with the thick backers twine and went cherry cobbler all the way. A handful of punched and sponged hearts were the perfect embellishment. A small doily helped to close it off. The stamp is of course from the wedding set, For the New Two. I layered the tags using the scalloped tag topper punch, happens to be on sale this week oddly enough, and the hearts border punch as well. Quite the gift bag if I do say so myself, and I do.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Love

August 8, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

How would you suggest I celebrate my 200th blog post? Some would perhaps do a give away, a special sale, or something else full of excitement. I just might be a little different. How about showing something simple, something that I love.

How about just saying that I have loved my journey so far, and am looking forward to continuing. I do love being creative, love sharing it with others, and love the joy that comes from helping others find they are creative and talented too. There, love.

This cute little bag? How about using a 6×6 piece of paper, like this Go Wild DSP stack, scoring it at 2″ on all four sides, quick snip on both score lines on opposite sides, and watch it come together. A little hole punching for the ribbon, which I do love the dotted lace trim too much, and a sweet bow.

One tiny stamp with one tiny tag layered on another tiny tag. Two little basic rhinestones and it is all finished. I do love a simple project that shares more than just pretty product that is fun to work with, it shows you care about someone enough to do something special. That is what I love.

Have a creative day!

Moana

A Little Thanks

August 7, 2015August 7, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

What to do with a spool of silver metallic thread? Make butterfly antennae of course. This tiny, oh so tiny, tiny little bag is also closed with the same thread.

This bag is sized just right to hold a gift card and you could squeeze in a flat chocolate or two. How perfect a thank you is that? I do love giving gift cards to people and having them tucked inside something as adorable as this makes it even better.

I started out with a piece of cardstock measuring 4 1/4 x 5 1/2, yup, that tiny. I stamped half way down with my little butterflies, flipped it around and went down the other way. I did that so if you turn the bag around, my butterflies aren’t upside down. Clever, right? Thought so too.

My score lines were all about the 1/2″ mark. Just a tiny little bag here, so cute. Can you tell I love tiny things? Well, I do! And this bag is all done and ready to get that special gift card for some lucky friend.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Boho Chic Gift Bag

July 31, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

The UPS man brought this lovely little box yesterday that had some really fun things inside. One of which was the new striped cotton ribbon. I held off for a bit, but went for it when they went on sale.

I wasn’t disappointed, let me tell you. So, I wanted to make something that really put the ribbon out front. No stamping today, how odd. Some embossing though, had to have something. The boho chic embossing folder is really too cool.

That was also a new product I wasn’t very sure about. As you can see, the pattern is great and will be tons of fun. I haven’t gotten the designer series paper it coordinates with, but I will soon enough. Can’t have it all, at once that is.

This is one whole sheet of tangelo twist and two pieces of very vanilla. With my trusty score board by my side, I can make all kinds of fun boxes and bags. Such a great go to tool. Highly recommended.

Have a creative day!

Moana

studio824

Creativity for all seasons and reasons.

Favors

Thanks and Giving

Birthday Jar Wishes That Last

Color Me Irresistible

Delightful Birthday

One Big Meaning Tiny Treats

All About Sugar Fry Box

Banner Blessings Gift Box

Thoughts & Prayers

Floral Gift Bag

For All Things

Workshop Madness Day 4

Wedding Favors in Progress…

Thank You For Strong Girls

Floral Gift Box

One Big Meaning and Remarkable You

You Always Do For Others…

For the New Two

Love

A Little Thanks

Boho Chic Gift Bag