Noble Peacock Mini Gift Bag

So I was asked for something small, simple, shiny and perfectly formed for slipping a note (cash!) in... This little bag ends up 1 3/4" wide x 1" high x 1" deep when finished... And as you can get 6 of these from one piece of 12x12 card or paper... they are very cost effective too!

So here you are... with a few crafty tips and the Recipe and a Tutorial along the way for you...

But before I start! A quick round up of news for August...

Get £25 more for free if you sign up with Stampin' Up! now... and an extra £8 to spend in September when you place your order... Click on the picture below to find out more...

But now back to today's creative share...  the Noble Peacock Speciality foiled papers and Foil Sheets are perfect for the job requested... as they are simply decorative with the perfect shine!

And suitable colour-wise & pattern-wise for those "difficult to craft for" men folk and teens in our lives too... which just keeps life simples!

Craft Spa Recipe
Cardor Paper 6"x 4"
Foil - 3.4cm Square
Dies - Stitched Shapes dies - 3cm Square die
Stamps - Itty Bitty Birthdays, Family Party
Ribbon - White Metallic Ribbon (3"), Navy Bakers Twine(7")

Craft Spa Tutorial
1. With panel PORTRAIT. Score at 1" (2.5cm)
2. With panel LANDSCAPE. Score at 1", 2 3/4", 3 3/4" & 5 1/2" (2.5, 7.5, 9.5 & 14cm)
3. With panel LANDSCAPE... with short section/bag base to the bottom... score from top (0) to about 2" (5cm) at 1/2" and 3 1/4".
4. Bone Fold all score lines
5. Cut out small end tab
6. Fold and adhere to close at side (folds flat nicely to do this)
7. Close off top as required (punch a small hole(s) if you want to close off with ribbon)
8. Decorate as required

Note that you definitely need to do those half score lines (pt.3) at the sides of the bags as these Noble Peacock papers are so lovely and thick!! But you can get away without doing these with thinner papers... as the bag will just push in at the sides without the aid of a score line! But I would still recommend these extra scores as then the sides are much neater!

And some extra tips for you...
(1) Clips are the easy way ( and by far the quickest) to close these off...

The new Mini Library Clips being amazingly perfect! But I only had one of these to use (which I yanked off a swap to be able to show you! Thanks Anne...I have put it back now!!!)

So everyone coloured the retired Gold Library Clips instead... and no-one used the ribbon and twine method (as per the SON version!) Far too Fiddly Faddly!

(2) The Stampin Blends are great for coloring your clips or ribbons to close these little bags... I used Dark Old Olive for both the ribbon and clips in these shots... though I highly recommend using the Granny Apple Green for your ribbons instead as they keep things much lighter and brighter! And still co-ordinating...

(3) The Noble Peacock papers are white on one side... and patterned/foiled on the other... so any edges facing you show up! Quickly resolved by a quick swipe of your Stampin Blends along the edge... Yes ... I did that!!! I assembled mine the wrong way round!

So then ... after explaining at length to stick the decoration on the front side - and so not reveal that white edge where the bag is stuck together (so the back side!) - and so this step not being required... in my haste to demo/assemble...  I did it again!!

Luckily no-one else did! But maybe you can tell now!!! How annoyed am I with myself!! Better make another one then...

Tuesday Tutorial - Large Gift Bag from 2 sheets of 12x12 paper

Coming quickly back to the really large lovely bag I shared here last week... as my lovely crafty friends have been busy making their own over at my place... so I now have some more using different Share What You Love papers to share with you...

Plus a step by step Tutorial for you too... as well as a link to a Video Tutorial here that was created and shared by my lovely Stampin Up upline (aka mummy), Julie Kettlewell...

But first... the original credit must be given to the lovely ex-Stampin Up-demonstrator, Caroline Hallett... so much so... that this bag was even named the "Hallett Bag"...

But unfortunately Caroline closed down her Stampin Up blog and all its tutorials when she moved onto crafty pastures new... so luckily Julie shot her video tutorial... so that we can all continue to create this lovely bag... as it is one that has been on my To Do list for quite a few years...

You will need 2 pieces of the same pattern of 12x12 paper to create the bag...

Craft Spa Tutorial
REMEMBER THAT YOU NEED TO DO THE SAME ON BOTH 2 PIECES OF PAPER....

1. Place the paper in front of you.. with the pattern in the direction that you want it on the final bag...
2. Turn the paper 90 degrees...
3. Place on the trimmer & line up at 11 1/4" on the Top Bar and chop off the 3/4" strip as your handle

4. Place PORTRAIT on the trimmer (check 11 1/4" along the top)
5. Score at 1 1/4" & 10"
6. Fold over one of these "edges" to form the top of the bag...
     NOTE- Think about the pattern direction of the main bag side and foldover section...
7. Adhere this Top edge

8. Place LANDSCAPE on the trimmer (check 12" along the top)
9. Score at 1/2", 1 1/4" & 2" (NOTE - do score from the same side on both pieces)

10. Fold over & Bone Fold...
       Bottom = Mountain Fold
       Sides = Mountain/Valley/Mountain
11. Cut off slim 1/2" bottom outer section
12. Dart up sides of left and right hand score lines to create a base tab

13. Apply Tear n Tape down long thin 1/2" side tab/section
14. Remove some of protective tape top and bottom so that protective tape folded out...
15. Place down onto flat side of other piece of paper and line up...
16. Pull out rest of protective strip & adhere
17. Repeat for other side

18 . Apply glue onto bottom tab
19. Fold over one bottom edge and stick to glue...
      NOTE that the bottom sections don't each totally cover the whole depth of the bag... nature of the design..
20. Tape onto the other bottom edge, remove part of protective strip... and fold over to stick (put your hand into your bag to be able to apply some pressure!)

21. Apply tape about 2 1/2" from either side on the top edge of the bag
       NOTE this is different to the 1 1/4" used on my original bag and in Julies video... but the "stresses" were too much... so this way is easier and more robust!!

22. Adhere handles

23. Decorate as required
I used the Large die cut Label from the Share What You Love Embellishment Kit... plus a 9.9 x 6cm piece of card... corner rounded & and tag hole punched with the Detailed Trio Punch... with a simple stamped Oval from the Detailed With Love stamp set... tied onto a handle with 12" of Bakers Twine... and finished off with a bow from 13" of ribbon

3D Thursday - Chocolate in a Suitcase!

Just sharing a lovely project made for me by fellow team member Nic Baker...

Isn't this gorgeous... using the Petal Passion papers and Petal Palette stamps... papers only available for another week (or while supplies last if sooner!) Petal Palette carries over... but not as the stamp & die bundle with that 10% off if you order before 31st May....

Nic is a real love... she always makes me and gifts me a treat when we see each other at the 6 monthly Stampin' Up! On Stage events... her way of saying thanks for all the projects and "stuff" I share on here... I know she finds some it of it useful! Love that my shares inspire others!

Again thanks Nic... simply stunning... and the chocolate was rather yummy too!!!

Centre Stage Gifts

Quick share of gifts made for my friends, team mates and Centre Stage buddies Julie and Sharon for last Friday night down in Telford... though, due to traffic and a very long journey... we arrived at the hotel so late... that we had to wait till after the event to open them this time... 

And what a dilemma... devour the pages of the new catalogue or open the gifts first... what's a demo to do !!!

So a Gift Bag Punch Board medium sided bag using the Foil Frenzy papers... cut 6" high...so 2 from a piece of these 12x12 "more like card than paper so perfect for gift bags" papers... directions as per this bag here... standing about 4 3/4" tall...

Decorated with Stitched Shapes die cut squares with Crafting Forever greetings and hand cut Perennial Birthday flowers on the back and bag...

Along with a stamped Stampin Up logo on a stitched square on the front... care of a retired stamp set....

And then came the "oh, why is this so difficult bit"... as I laminated the stitched squares for the front and back so as to prolong the life of my labels... and then spent well over an hour searching and trying all sorts of glues to stick the laminated squares on....! Got there in the end though... Practical but nicely covering up the other logo on the device!

The gift was a practical and handy little one... a little charger to recharge our phones mid On Stage event on the Saturday... as we demos always take so many photos of team mates, display boards and presentation screens... that the phones don't usually make it through to the end of the day!!

But more of all that on another day...

And suffice to say I received really beautiful gifts from Julie and Sharon... but again more of that on another day...

Merry Little Christmas Memories & More Foiled Gift Bags

Made some more of the Striped Treat Bags shared here earlier...

Again using the Memories & More Merry Little Christmas pack and the Foil Snowflakes for a very quick & easy ... but stunning in the flesh... make... 

So much better than popping gift cards and small gifts in an envelope... and 10 days ahead of time! That's a first!

    
Love all of them... even used a few of the stickers in the card pack too...

All finished off with the Quilted 1/4" Ribbon... as I realised that it co-ordinated with them all for an extra pop of colour,...

Memories & More Merry Little Christmas Gift Card Holder

So when I made these using Petal Garden and the Striped Treat Bags... I decided that they would make for a great quick wrapping idea for all the gift cards I send this year... but using the Merry Little Christmas Memories & More Card pack instead... further details in the earlier post...

So more to follow using other cards in the pack... but I thought I would share the first as no doubt it will be very last minute when I get to do the others...

And before I leave... remember that Free Shipping on ALL orders starts at 11pm tonight, Sun 26 November GMT for us in the UK... any order value... direct ship by UPS to your door within 4-8 days... Ends Monday 27 November 10.59pm...

Click here for my Online Store... and don't forget to enter this month's Stampin Rewards Host Code 392YRRXW for a free gift and the new mini catalogue(s) from me to arrive in December...

Or a few hours left if you still have your eye on a reduced item in the Online Extravaganza Sale... ends 10.59pm GMT tonight! But do bear in mind that if the overall saving is less than £4.95... you would be better to wait a minute for Free Shipping from 11pm...

On Stage Wrapped Gift

 

So I was at On Stage Local in Solihull the other weekend... and had a blast with Stampin' Up! & fellow demonstrator friends old and new...

So ... a little share today for my Tuesday Tips.... of a simple way to gift wrap when you have a gift for a friend... but just a minute left before you need to leave the house!!

Grab a plain white bag... know you have lots of those somewhere... (if not I have a lot but with flat handles!) and a couple of pieces of paper from a 6" Square paper stack... Petal Garden used here...

Trim a piece of Old Olive card to 6 1/4" W x 7 1/2" H... and one piece of paper to 6" W x 2"H

Adhere all parts and trim the gap with Washi Tape - Basics Pack 1 in the pinks used here. Add a quick Thankful Thoughts stamped and a little stamped & Bunch of Banners die cut Soft Sayings card kit greeting - or two... and a few Rhinestones to finish...

Pop your gift in the bag... and tie a 1/4" Stitched Edge ribbon around the handles to close & seal...

And off you can go....

A deserving apron gift (and with such appropriate wording!) for a demo friend that continually inspires me and most of our team... thanks again Julie...

Gift Wrapping using Memories & More Petal Garden

Really simple and quick to make... but (I think) so beautiful ... small gift wrapping... using the Memories & More Petal Garden card pack and the Gold & White Striped Treat Bags... finished off with a half Foil Snowflake and Rich Razzleberry 1/4" Stitched Ribbon  

There was one each for my lovely fellow Silver Elite + team friends that  joined me at the Centrestage event at On Stage in Solihull last week... just to say a simple little thanks as we do all support each other in so many different ways... and I for one really appreciate that...

Just a small M&M card... matted onto a Rich Razzleberry mat... with a half snowflake attached to the back at one corner... And a quick tip for you... if you put a Glue Dot on the front of the Snowflake in the centre they are really easy to position & stick in place to the back of that mat!

And inside... well not immediately obvious... but very small chopping boards!! All with something personal to the receiver... These are just attached to one of the larger M&M cards in the pack

I treated myself to one too... and have actually been using it every day this week!!! So much easier to wash up after chopping just one tomato etc for my sandwiches!! 

And Kate... oh no! I forgot to photo yours!!! Silly old me... would have been nice to share in the different colourway...

Petal Garden Memories & More Gift Bag

Coming to the end of the series now... with what may be the simplest handmade gift bag ever!

A medium sized 4 3/4" high gift bag using the Gift Bag Punch Board... using a piece of 6" x A4 long Thick Whisper White card (29.8cm or about 11 3/4" for my US readers) decorated with just one of the Petal Garden Memories & More cards... and Calypso Coral Ombre Ribbon to close off...

No excuse for me not to quickly and prettily wrap up anything to gift now... though I may just add a few pretty flowers when it is time to go...

Click on my heart icon below to order through my Online Shop and earn a gift from me when you enter the current Host Code...

Foil Frenzy Happy Birthday Gorgeous Gift Bag

 

Another shiny make care of the Foil Frenzy papers... this time a simple Gift Bag using the Gift Bag Punch Board

So this is a medium-sized bag about 4 3/4" finished height from half a piece of 12" paper... Simply decorated with Lots of Labels die-cuts and a bit of Happy Birthday Gorgeous stamping

And a tip... these Foil Frenzy papers are actually Soft Sky... but Pool Party is used for the ribbon and stamping instead... as it kind of works better! The shimmery nature of the ribbon and the brightness of Pool Party just co-ordinating with the shine of the papers better!

This is a project we made at Julie's last Quarterly training... and I have to admit that it took me a while to remember how to use the Gift Bag Punch board!!

For those of you feeling the same!! Here is the Stampin' Up! video to remind you... But fear not... mine is still out in my crafty space and it may be used a few times in the near future!

Simple, quick but effective make (once you remember how to use your punch board!)... and a robust gift bag care of the fabulous Foil Frenzy papers... what's not to love!

Craft Spa Recipe
Foil Frenzy Paper 6" x 11". Score at M (medium) for front & back...