CD Envelope Tutorial Using Crafter's Companion Ultimate Tool

Good morning! Yesterday was my wedding anniversary (8 glorious years with the best man in the entire world!), and I always make something for him every year, even before we were married (in fact, today we celebrate the anniversary of the first day we met, 10 years together to the day!) So that's a 10 year tradition I just can't break :)

He was desperate for a new CD for his truck, so I took the liberty of burning him one along with some bonus tracks I thought he'd like. Of course, I was out of jewel cases. What's a girl to do? Why, pull out the Ultimate Tool and Boxer Board and make a custom envelope, of course! Want to make one of your own? Follow along with me and I'll give you the simple instructions. You'll need the following:

• The Ultimate Tool
• Boxer Board
• 12X12 sheet of paper
• Paper trimmer
• Tape Runner or liquid adhesive
• Craft knife
• Scissors
• Stamps and embellishments of your choice

Alright, here we go:

1. Cut your 12X12 paper down to 6X11.

2. Pull out the Ultimate Tool and put the Boxer Board in place. Butt the long side of the paper against the side with the handle and score on the 1/2" mark. Turn the paper and score the other long side, also at the 1/2" mark.

3. Butt the short side of the paper to the side and score at the 5" mark.

4. Turn and score the other short side at 1".

5. Now get out those scissors, and after folding along all scored lines, cut away the long pieces along the bottom and the two small rectangles out of the flaps. Make it look like the image below :)

6. Using your tape runner, get adhesive on the side flaps. When you're done, fold up the bottom piece and adhere the flaps to it...

...like this.

7. PANIC MOMENT. I realized I hadn't yet planned out how I was going to close it. So...I grabbed a pen and marked a half oval that I then cut out with my craft knife. Problem solved!

I used the edge of my craft mat (because I had already adhered the sides!) to cut the half-oval slit. Mistakes can always be worked around!!

 There, now it closes!

8. Choose a stamp and add to the front. I chose the Stamp It Australia EZ Mount Stamp Set 67 - Birds & Butterflies which I stamped with Memento Paris Dusk ink and Rock-A-Blocks. I decided it needed a bit of trim, and loved the vintage-y feel to the paper and stamp....so I chose this roughed-up ruffle in a nice cream color. I used my Collal Tacky Glue to keep it all in place.

The finished product!

9. Add embellishments as you wish. I added a sentiment from the Crafter's Inspiration magazine, not currently available in the store, but watch for it! So many great freebies, like this sentiment. AC Alpha stickers to match the Memento Tangleo ink, and this baby's done!

It's easy to make an envelope for every occasion with the Boxer Board and Ultimate Tool!

xoxo

Khristen

Playing With Falling Feathers

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week! I snuck in some playtime, and decided to pull out my Sheena's A Little Bit Sketchy - Falling Feathers EZ-mount stamp set. It is one of my favorites! I started with a piece of grey cardstock and misted it lightly with a bit of blue Glimmer Mist. After stamping the sentiment (part of the Stamp It Australia - Set 60 - Friendship Sentiments EZ Mount stamp set) onto the banner-shaped cardstock, I misted it as well. The feather was colored with Spectrum Noir pens (HB3, HB1, and the blender pen), then coated with Crystal Stickles. Stickles were also added around the banner piece, and after a piece of ribbon was added along the bottom, I adhered the feather (after fussy cutting, of course) with foam squares. Little yellow adhesive pearls add a nice finishing touch!

If you don't have this stamp set, you need to hurry to the Crafter's Companion store! It's a must-have! Watch for that tutorial I promised early next week :)

xoxo

Khristen

Crafter's Companion September Challenge: Embossing

Good evening! It has been a crazy weekend around here, and I've finally carved out some time to write this post. I love how easy this month's challenge is at the Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog! All we want to see is some embossing on your card. I decided to use both my Ultimate Tool and an Embossalicious Embossing folder to create this quick and easy beauty.

 I used my 6x6 Petite Dot Embossalicious embossing folder for the teal cardstock, adding a strip of vellum that I emossed using a design on the inside of The Ultimate Tool. I find vellum super fun to work with on The Ultimate Tool, it makes it easy to see the outline you are to emboss underneath the paper!

 Yellow brads to adhere the strip to the card base, and Black Diamond Stickles accent the top and bottom.

I stamped another piece of vellum with this fun sentiment from the Stamp-It Australia Unmounted Stamp Set 60- Friendship Sentiments, spraying the back with Stick & Stay adhesive and outlining it with the Stickles as well.

Quick and easy, and quite pretty! I love the combo of teal, black, and yellow!

So head over to the blog and enter your own creation in for the chance to win a gift certificate to the store, and there's a bonus prize this month: the chance to be a guest designer! Woo hoo! So what are you waiting for?! Check out the blog for details :)

xoxo
Khristen

A Little More Crafter's Companion Christmas

I don't know what it was about this month...maybe the cooler weather....maybe the kids heading back to school. Whatever it was, I made quite a few Christmas projects! Here's a great card I whipped up using Crafter's Companion stamps and Delicata ink, soon to be offered in the store.

 I turned to the Stamp-It Australia Holiday Collection - Tree Whirl stamp set, the Sheena's A Little Bit Festive - Loving Christmas stamp set, Claudine Helmuth Rock-A-Blocks, the Snowman Delight & Candlelight Embossing Board, and of course that gorgeous Delicata ink I am so very much in love with.

 The oval shape is embossed and cut out, then stamped.

 I had to ink up the edges, and love the gold-on-red so much!

Everything is raised up with adhesive foam squares.

I love how easy Crafter's Companion makes it to bring together a lovely card quickly! Don't forget to like our Facebook page in order to see sneak peeks of new stamp sets before they hit the store, and all sorts of inspiration and tutorials!

Birthday Week At Crafter's Companion!

Birthday week is almost over...you didn't miss it, did you? Well, there's still time to cash in on some fabulous deals and receive free stamp sets with your purchase! Head over to Crafter's Companion to check out all of the fabulousness!

Here is one of the stamp sets up for grabs. I made a quick card with the freebie Stamp It Australia - The Snowflake being offered if you spend $50 (did i mention orders $50 or more receive free shipping?)

 You need this stamp! I am absolutely head over heels in love with it!! I chose to mist the stamped piece with Red Velvet and Key Lime Glimmer Mist, followed by Silver Mister Huey. I love the sparkle! The colors matched perfectly with this piece of EP Season's Greetings, and I mounted it all (after distressing, of course!) to a sheet of SC Wonderland woodgrain paper. I love this card (and that I'm getting a headstart for the holiday card season!)

Sparkle sparkle! Love it!!!!!

So what are you waiting for? You have until August 19th to take advantage of Crafter's Companion's birthday deals and take home one or both of the freebie stamp sets! Watch later this afternoon for the other, which I added to a layout.

Don't forget to check out the Crafter's Companion USA Facebook page and follow them on Twitter for even more inspiration. Our design team has been loving these freebie stamps!

xoxo

Khristen

Crafter's Companion July Challenge: Die Cuts

Good morning! It's time for a new Crafter's Companion challenge. This time, we want to see you use a die cut or two on your project. Here's what I came up with:

I turned to the Stamp It Australia - Friendship Sentiments unmounted stamp set for my card, stamping it on a doily die cut in Memento Espresso Truffle ink, and adding another doily die cut and a Studio Calico chipboard butterfly. I adhered it to the embossed cardstock (Embossalicious 6x6 Petite Dot embossing folder, to be precise) with my extra strong permanent tape runner. That is mounted on a sheet of Crate Paper DIY Shop paper (LOVE the black and white!) A simple yet fun card to give to any of your loved ones!

I hope to see your creation entered for a chance to win a gift certificate to the Crafter's Companion Store! Head to ***this page*** to see more inspiration and find the link to enter your project.

Crafter's Companion Easel Card

Good morning! Finally getting around to sharing this easel card I made last week. We're at the end of softball season though, so that means back to normal amounts of crafty time :) After this week, the season should be over. First playoff game is Tuesday, wish the girls luck! I think there was a game every single day last week! It was insane!

So...I pulled out my Ultimate Tool to make this easel card, using it to score the card base. It features a wonderful Stamp It Australia Imagine - Friendship Sentiments unmounted stamp set sentiment (my favorite stamp set, so many great sentiments for any occasion) stamped onto this fun Teresa Collins - He Said, She Said speech bubble (the paper is from the same line) with Memento Rich Cocoa ink. I popped it off the card with foam squares, and added a gray ribbon and pearl strands behind it.

 On the inside, I added another ribbon and a bow made using the bow maker feature of the Ultimate Tool. I love how easy it is to make a perfect bow! A few  buttons, another strip of the patterned paper, and a sentiment included as a freebie in the Crafter's Inspiration magazine completes this card!

That's it! Looking forward to some crafty time today, but not sure it's going to happen. Monday is my busiest work day, and my oldest has a chorus concert (the last concert of the season YAY!!!) I have, however, scheduled another post for later in the afternoon :) Watch for it, it's another quick card. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

xoxo
Khristen