My most-used DIY tools for papercrafting cardmaking scrapbooking

Years ago I ran a swap on Stampin' Connection to create punch samplers. It helps to see which shape will best fit the stamped image I want to use and vice versa.  I LOVE this thing and I highly recommend you make yourself one.  Since mine was assembled by collecting the punched pieces of card stock (CS) from many different people, it is a mish-mash of colors.  We used 3"x3" pieces of CS (you get 16 from a single 12"x12" sheet), punched out and labeled the square with the name of the punch.  To get them all on a ring, punch a 1/8" hole in the same spot on each piece (or do what I did and use this project as an excuse to acquire a Bind-It-All!!)    Recently, I added the smaller die cuts I have to the ring as well as some of the actual punched shapes.  I seem to take those off the ring to see how they look layered or on a card, so not sure if they will eventually have a ring of their own or something else.

Since I use the punch sampler all the time, I thought it might be useful to have a sampler for my embossing folders, too.  I used 8.5"x11" cardstock this time, and cut each piece into 16.  That keeps the sampler reasonably small, while still giving me a quarter of a card front worth of each texture.  Running every EF I own through the Big Shot didn't take as long as I thought it would, and I love the result.  Really helpful to decide which texture is the best fit for a given card, and I use EFs on almost every project.

Hope this inspires you to make yourself some tools!

Happy Crafting!

Masculine card with antique sailing ship

Created for the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge - check it out!

Most of the cards that I've seen using the Nautical Expedition DSP are small prints; the backs of these papers have very large images, mostly more suitable for scrapbooking, which has been typical of Stampin' Up! DSP - small pattern on one side, large pattern on the other.  For this quickie card, I used this lovely cutter ship from the "back" side of the paper, and embellished with a sanded and inked strip cut from a Kleenex box, a strip from the Cherry Cobbler red side of the paper and some Linen Thread.  The Cherry Cobbler sentiment is from Vintage Labels, and I stamped just the edges of one of the images in the That's the Ticket set in Sahara Sand to form the background.  Thanks for stopping by!

Another Banner Day, another masculine birthday card!

This card uses some self-adhesive banners that came in a kit from Stampin' Up!  The white heat-embossed sentiment is from Happiest of Birthdays.  So much nicer in person, I think I should start using my proper camera again instead of my phone, don't you think?

Made for the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge - check it out!

Book-style Card Box Measurements

Feel free to download / print these directions and measurements and use them.

Link back to the full tutorial...

Did you make one?  Share it here on the Linky!

How to make a book-style card storage box

First, I have to give credit to The Efficient Crafter for the idea.  She made her box a little differently because she used patterned paper.  I used cardstock, so I didn't need as many layers for the box to be strong enough.  Also, to make my version you'll only need one 8.5"x11" sheet of Whisper White or Very Vanilla, and a half sheet of 12"x 12" of whatever color you choose for the outside, plus whatever you'd like to embellish with.

Score your 6"x 12" cardstock at 4 7/8 and 7 1/8.  This will form the outside.

To create the two inner pockets, cut a 3/4" strip off of the long side of a sheet of 8.5"x11", then cut the remaining piece in half to get two 7 3/4" by 5 1/2" pieces. 

You're going to make a slanted pocket that looks like this from the outside.  If you want the pocket to reach the top (it would look tidier), you'll need to cut two pieces that are 7 3/4" x 7" instead, but I thought this way would use less CS and once it's full of cards, it won't matter so much.

Score each inside piece at 1/2" and 1 1/2" in from two short sides and one long side...

Cut away the 1 1/2" squares at the bottom corners.

Measure up two inches from the bottom of one side flap on each piece and mark it.  If you're using paper that is the same on both sides, you don't need to worry about making the two pockets mirror images of each other, but I've shown it that way in case you're using a textured or patterned cardstock for yours.

At the 2" mark , make a cut straight across to the second score line.

Now comes the tricky bit... cutting the diagonal.  Turn your card stock along the cutting line from the top of your 2" flap to the top of the card stock where the next score line is... you can just make out the top one in my photo:

You should end up with something like this:

Red liner tape is a strong adhesive, put it (or something similar) along the inner edge of all the 1/2" tabs, like this:     

(Hint: If you're going to use Fast Fuse or an ATG, then you should wait until you're ready to assemble everything before putting adhesive on the tabs.)

Vintage Book Card Case

I made one of these card-carriers full of note cards for my kid's teacher last month, and liked it so much I wanted to make some more, so this is for a special someone who never forgets a birthday or special occasion.  Going to fill it with a little bit of everything; it will fit up to EIGHTEEN cards and envelopes if they are CAS, fewer if they have more embellishments.  I just LOVE how this came out!!!  

Colors:  Night of Navy, Very Vanilla
Framelits:  Apothecary and Timeless Tags
The embossed kraft card stock is Natural’s Composition Specialty Paper (retired).

Click here for a detailed photo tutorial. (better for beginners)

Click here for quickie printable directions & measurements. (for more experienced crafters)

Vintage Vanilla & Blushing Pink Bride All-Occasion Cards

These laser-cut cards were in the Stampin' Up! Occasions catalog a few years back and I finally opened the package!

This first one was embellished with Blushing Bride DSP and pleated ribbon as well as some Venetian Lace Crochet Trim.  I don't think it could get any more feminine if it tried!  I had to cut the card apart and trim it down a bit, then I used the die-cut panel as a card front and popped it up with lots of dimensionals.  I think the shadow of the die cut on the DSP creates lovely depth to this card, don't you?

This set of cards had some with floral die-cut hearts, and others with a lacy die-cut edge.   

I put a DSP behind the border with a pattern of Pretty in Pink and Chocolate Chip showing through the lace.  Inside there's a pattern of pink glitter on an ivory background.  The pink satin ribbon is held together with Fast Fuse, giving the front a little more interest and covering the seam between the papers on the inside.  One piece of ribbon goes all the way around the front of the card, then a second smaller piece is folded in half and adhered to line up with one edge.

I think you could use these cards for feminine birthdays, weddings or valentines; what would you use them for?

These cards were created for the Feminine Anything Goes Watercooler Challenge.  Check out the other great submissions here.