Craft Consortium. Tell The Bees, Mini Shaker Gift Box

Today is my first post as part of the Craft Consortium Design Team.

Who are they?

This is what they have to say on their 'About Us' blog page...

Craft Consortium is an Award winning, family run, Crafts Manufacturer & Wholesaler; We pride ourselves on delivering innovative, design led product offerings for the Creative Arts, Crafts & Hobbies Industry.

Since our worldwide market launch in 2015, Craft Consortium has quickly established itself as The premium crafting Brand in papercrafts and home décor, with the Craft Business Awards accolade: Winner of ‘Most Innovation Collection 2017’ for our Santoro -Kori Kumi papercraft collection, and nomination for the award ‘Best Papercraft Manufacturer 2017’.

And I get to play with their products and let my imagination run wild.

Little old me!

It's an absolute privilege...  and I'm already having a blast.

But seriously, who wouldn't?

These truly are beautiful product ranges...

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So today's offering is a little shaker bee box...

And yes, it's a little bit of work to put together., but if you've already got a gift box die to hand or a plain box in need of decoration it's really not too much work at all.

Let me show you...

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I made my box using Always & Forever - Non Shedding A4 Glitter Card - Silver. 

Once that was made, it was simply a case of cutting some of the Tell The Bees Premium Paper Pad front and back cover to size.  

(You see, as well as having some gorgeous and 'oh so handy' extra topper elements, these pads also have a pretty design printed on the inside of the covers that is just begging to be used.

And as I hate seeing anything with craft potential go to waste and I love using product packaging this seemed like the perfect option).

Add a die cut circle to what will be the top of the front of your box, glue on an acetate layer to the back (again - mine's cut from scrap packaging) and then build up a frame along the inside edge.  

I chose to use layered up die cut frames (which I cut to size before gluing together), but foam tape can work equally well.

As for the rest of the front of the box?

If you look at the photo you'll notice that I've inked onto a piece of scrap vellum using Stazon Timber Brown along with the honeycomb stamp from the Tell The Bees - Clear Stamp Set. 

I glued this into place - just along the edges so the glue can't be seen - and I also glued down those four Tell The Bees - Sequins that you can see.

Why would I do that?

Because as much as I love shaker cards, tags, etc.  I hate the fact that all the sequins end up hidden in the corners.  Gluing a few into place means that no matter what, they at least will always be seen...  and that makes me happy!

You should hopefully be able to see in this photo that I've distressed all the edges - top and sides - and then added some Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  

Once dry, I've wrapped Always And Forever - Elegant Lace Ribbon - Heart Chain  around the side pieces...  and then I've glued them into place on the box.

As for the top of the box?

Carefully add those loose sequins onto the top of the vellum - keeping well away from the edges.

Pick up your top piece that has the acetate on and glue around the inside edges before very carefully putting into position over the top of the sequins.

Do not pick up the box until completely dry!  Not unless you want your sequins stuck in the corners and all along the edges!

(I placed my die cut plates carefully onto the top to help everything get a firm, tight seal).

And there you have it...  the basis of your box.

Now how you choose to decorate it from here is entirely up to you.

Me?

I cut out bees from the inside front cover and bees from one of the sheets of the paper pad.  

Then, using scrap card I drew around the outlines, cut out and glued and layered them all up.  

I also added some of these...

Santoro - Kori Kumi Resin Flowers And Leaves Set.

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So there you have it.

One little shaker bee box.

There's also 15% off selected Kori Kumi lines...  while stocks last!

So be quick and go take a look.

(Shop link at bottom of page/sidebar).

Wishing you a happy day wherever you may be...

Donna. x

Mini Gift Bag & Tag Set, Christmas, (Poppystamps) Holly Twig

Do you ever look through the gallery when you add your submission to a craft challenge?

I do...  and it never fails to amaze me how so many people can all come up with different ideas for the same theme.

So with that in mind, I wonder if you can correctly guess the challenge theme just by looking at my photo's...

'Christmas' or 'Use Holly' would be my guesses I think...  or perhaps 'Make A Christmas Project That Isn't A Card'...  or 'Use Ribbon' even...



But did anyone get it right, I wonder?


Poppystamps
PSC#36


It's not obvious at first glance is it?
But actually I think I've got quite a few dots on my project...  it's just that a fair few of them are 'oh so subtle' that they are easy to ignore.

Unlike my 'Enamel Dots' for the berries or that Polka Dot Ribbon!


As this was fairly straightforward to make I haven't included many photo's today, but here's a quick 'how to' guide showing some of the steps...


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Using Iced Spruce and Hickory Smoke Distress Inks, decorate the front, back and side panels of a MFT Die-namics bag using the Memory Box 'Tiny Dots' stencil.

 Then add some lines front and back (using a scoreboard) before adding punch holes and a circle cut out.

(MFT Die-namics Stitched Circle STAX).

Cut out a piece of scrap acetate to size (big enough to cover over the circle yet small enough to comfortably fit inside the box.  Add Red Liner Tape 'round all the edges and attach to a piece of scrap plastic food netting.  (Mine's from Babybel Mini Cheese).

Glue this into place on the inside of the front panel and leave to dry thoroughly before assembling the bag.

To cover over the glue tabs showing on the inside back panel of the bag, cut out an additional front section only of the bag die from Matt Silver card stock and trim it down left, right, and bottom very slightly.   Don't forget to add the punch holes - not pictured!

And glue into place.

Using Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Inks, add colour to the Poppystamps Holly Twig.  I layered mine up three times for durability before adding
my Glitter Red Enamel Dots.

Once dry, glue into place on the front of the bag...
and add the Polka Dot Ribbon.


(As you can see, I went on to make a tiny complimentary gift tag using the same basic idea - minus the netting but still including the acetate.  This gift tag is also made by Poppystamps - 1845 'Heart Taglet').


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Other Challenges I'm Entering...

NBUS Challenge #12
(First time using the Bag and the Holly Twig die).

Simon Says/Monday
Shimmer and Shine

So there you have it.

One tiny Christmas gift bag set.

Hope you like it.

Donna. x

Christmas Tag, Noel, Partial Snowflake

Tag You're It is back!!!

And what better way for me to say hello to you all on behalf of my very lovely team mates than to remind you that (like it or not) Christmas is coming...

Did I hear groans or 'whoops' coming from you, I wonder?

I have a very glittery tag to show you today...

...  and it's based this week on inspiration from the very lovely Tracey McNeely.

Now isn't that inky loveliness if ever there was any?

You may be wondering just how on earth my design came from this, but in reality that's an easy one to answer...

You see, Tracey's choice of stamp reminded me of a snowflake as soon as I saw it - and I had the perfect intricate die in mind.

So I turned things on their heads a little by pairing it with a tag that's not a tag, made the main focus  white by hiding similar colours to Tracey's tag underneath my main design and I made a feature of the sentiment, too.

Yet for all of that I've still got an equal amount of lovely 'white' space - even with two sequins that may have worked their way in somehow!

So how did I make my tag?

Let me tell you the supplies I used first...

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Supplies Used:

Dies:
Penny Black - 'A Pocket Full'
Memory Box - 'Dazzling Snowflake'
Sizzix/Holtz Thinlits - 'Vintage Tidings'


Holtz/Distress Inks:
Hickory Smoke
Seedless Preserves
Dusty Concord

Other:
Sequins
Cord
Glitter Card - Black
Crafter's Companion/Spray & Sparkle Glitter Varnish - Silver


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Take two scraps of card that are big enough to cut the notepaper die from and run them separately through your die cutting machine.

On one, ink up randomly and quite lightly with Hickory Smoke.
Add some water droplets (I just use wet hands and shake or clap them over the top), dab up the water with a paper towel and leave to dry.  Add more ink if desired and more water droplets until happy with the overall effect.
Then, once dry, place the snowflake die so that it's centre is fairly close to the edge and it's top is peeking out a little over the top edge of the tag.  Tape into place with slightly tacky tape (to prevent paper tearing on removal) and run through your die cut machine.
Then spray with Silver Glitter Varnish.

On the other, add random blobs of Seedless Preserves and Dusty Concord.

Glue the two tag shapes together.
(You will notice that I took the decision to turn one of my tag shapes back to front before applying ink so that the two don't quite marry up at the top.  It's a personal preference thing as I wanted a slightly more distressed look.  I also removed a small section at the top to let the colour underneath show through a little more).

Cut out the sentiment die three times and glue them all together.
Then once dry, glue into place...

Add a hole in the corner for the cord...

And add two sequins.



So there you have it.
A tag that isn't a tag...  that is a tag.

And why not?


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I hope you have the time to come and join us.
We've gone back to our old format - so don't forget to check in on the main challenge page to see the closing date!


'Bye for now...

Donna. x