Yesterday, I got the chance to play Stamping Santa for my downline!
Two Cool Boxes: I made these cute little boxes from the Blossom Box Die and topped them off with a lovely Lace Ribbon Border Punch snowflake medallion.
Now, the Too Cool Santa still has a few more presents to drop off before Christmas, so I can't show you what's inside…but let's just say that this box is the perfect size for a round Stampin' Up! embellishment jar! *wink, wink*
Blossom Box Die Tips
I have to admit that I was a little bit intimidated by all the folds in the Blossom Box when I first got this die. But, once I created a couple boxes, the rest were a piece of cake.
TIP 1: Using a Crease Pad is a must with this project! There are tons of score lines, and you need them to show up well. I also used a piece of card stock for a shim.
TIP 2: Use Designer Series Paper, card stock is too thick for all the folds on this box. You'll need 2 pieces of 8-1/2 x 4-1/2" pieces, and you have to run them through the Big Shot one at a time.
TIP 3: Use a Designer Series Paper that has minimal print, at least when you are first starting, so you can see the fold lines better. I used paper from the Brights Designer Series Patterns Stack.
TIP 4: I discovered that it was a lot faster, and more precise, to use my fingers to get the folds in the right place, rather than trying to use my Bone Folder. I could find where the score lines met and pinch them to make them crisp, rather than blindly searching for the crease with my Bone Folder.
TIP 5: It helps to fold the lines in a certain order, but I didn't like the order that was suggested in the directions. I used Sticky Strip to attach the two sides of the box together first, then I folded the lines in this order:
- Pinch the center-most folds that will make up the base circle of the box. You can go back and make these more crisp folds later.
- Next, fold the vertical straight lines that go from the box bottom to the notch between the blossom petals.
- Pinch-fold the horizontal middle lines.
- Finally, on the remaining vertical score lines, you want to pinch and hold at the tiny pie shape between the base line and middle line, then fold the top of the vertical line over. Crease all these folds all the way around, then go back and hold them together to close the box.
OK—I know that without visuals, it's really difficult to understand what I'm talking about. Luckily, Dawn Olchefske has a wonderful video tutorial that will help you out! Find it here: Blossom Box Die tutorial.
Lace Border Snowflake Rosette
The pretty snowflake is created with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch and the Simply Scored Tool. I started with a piece of Whisper White card stock that was 1" x 8-1/2". Using the Simply Scored Tool, I scored along the long edge every 1/4" inch.
Next, punch along the entire length of the card stock with the Lace Border Punch, then accordion fold along the scored lines.
I used Tombow Multipurpose Glue to adhere the two ends of the card stock, and also to glue the medallion shape onto a 1" Circle Punch of Whisper White card stock to hold it in place. Sticky Strip will also work.
Again, it probably helps to have some visuals, so I'll point you to a helpful tutorial by Mary Fish: Snowflake Rosette.
I had so much fun making these! Really much easier to create than they look! If you live in the Fort Wayne area, I could even give you personal instruction on this (or any other project) in my Too Cool Stamping Studio! Just contact me to set up a time!
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Angie