Watch Out Postie There's Something In The Box!!!

Good morning to you all. It's time for another challenge over at Stampotique and this week's theme is Out Of The Box! Sadly it's my last week as GDT, so I'd like to thank Carol and the rest of the team for having me as it's been a complete blast and has made me try things that are shall we say "are a little uncomfortable" and that I perhaps would otherwise not have bothered with! :D

Now when I first saw this challenge my heart kinda sunk little and I wondered what on earth I could do! Then, as it does, inspiration struck and I thought I'd literally make something Out Of The Box! :D

So I've made DS his birthday card ready for September (oh get me Mrs Organised!!!), and this is what I've come up with - what do you think?

I used the sentiment stamp Don't Wait Open me Now! by Kristen Powers to create the stamp. The other images have either been carefully lifted from mail I've received, doodled or nabbed off of the internet! The card has been tied as though it's a parcel and when you open it, you find this Little Whisker Monster With A Sign  by Kira Nichols popping up inside!

This was a really easy card to make once I sussed out the basic popping mechanism and how to best place the monster so that the majority of him was on display!

The card base measures 6" x 6" and is made from Kraft cardstock. I've used some old papers by Basic Grey that I found in my stash. The glitter dots on the kraft card have been punched from the same papers, glued in place and then stickled. The image has been coloured with Flexmarkers and then accented with Glossy Accents and Stickles. I've used a white gel pen to write the message on the sign.

I drew the balloons and coloured them with metallic Promarkers before attaching them to some acetate. The stars are from a bag of table confetti and I've simply heat embossed them with some copper embossing powder. 

All I have to do now is keep my fingers crossed that a) I remember where I've hidden it and b) that DS likes it!!!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xxx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

PanPastel UK - Anything goes

The Crafty Pad - More than one fold

Crafts & Me - Birthdays

Inspire Me Fridays - Anything goes

Crop Stop - Let's hear it for the children

Anything goes - Polka Dot with a Birthday theme

Celebrate the Occasion - Happy Birthday

Make It Monday - Anything goes

The Cutie Pie Challenge - Anything goes

It's Not What It Seems!!!

So what do you think I've got to show ya all today? Another notebook? Wrong :D It's a faux book card!

I've seen a few of these book cards on my travels around the land of blog and eventually I decided to have a go at making one for my GDT project over at Stampotique. I'm going to give this to Hubby for his birthday - if DD doesn't nab it first!!! Anyway, here it is - really picture heavy post so my apologies!

I made the card base using this tutorial - there are loads out there, but this one is really clear and simple to follow. I kinda had a plan in my head as to how I wanted this to look, but there were a few things I hadn't decided upon as I wasn't sure they'd work or for that matter look right. So the card has been constructed in a completely bizarre manner and the actual concertina part was added at the last minute!!! :D

The first thing I did was cut the kraft paper to fit the book/card (I'll call it a book from now on, so that I don't confuse you or myself) and distress the edges by rolling them and inking them. I then added some faux stitching.

Before gluing the papers in place I experimented with my fastener, once I was happy I taped and glued the loop part in place and then added the kraft papers to the book. I poked holes where I needed the button to sit and then simply tied it in place.

I stamped several of the Leaf  images onto an old book page before cutting out and inking with Distress Inks. These were then arranged in the book and around the frame before trimming to size. I used my Spellbinders Foliage Die to cut some leaves and again inked with DI's before arranging them into the book pages. I also cut one of the leaf sprays down and attached it to the branch that Owl With Wings sits on, before colouring the image with pencils.

The background was inked using Distress Inks and then mounted onto the book and the back of the "pages" frame.

I gently swiped the book pages with Antique Gold acrylic paint on a baby wipe, this gives a really distressed look. The sentiment was computer generated. I've popped it out a little from the frame using black pop dots.

The quote was computer generated and then printed onto kraft paper, which again has been distressed and faux stitched.

So there you have it, one Faux Book. I really hope you liked this as I have another one to show you very soon! :/

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Materials:
Leaf by Jo Capper-Sandon
Owl With Wings
Kraft Paper
Card
Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, Forrest Moss, Broken China, Chipped Sapphire, Brick Red, Walnut Stain and Tea Dye

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp & Show - A Bit Of Brown
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Fashionable Stamping Challenges - Nature
Stamptacular Sunday - Fabulous Folds
Hotshot Crafts - Distress Inks
Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes
Pixie Dust Studio - Birds