I made these cute little bags for my sons' teachers this year. Back around May/June, I started seeing these cute little paper backpacks popping up on a lot of blogs for end of school year gifts. I've kept the idea in the back of my mind, knowing I'd use it one of these days. Christmas seemed to be a good time to try it out.
I searched the internet for a pattern and found this one at Split Coast Stampers. Since I have a Cricut and SCAL, I decided to convert her PDF pattern to a file I could cut. After working out the design to a cuttable version, including the right sized holes so I could use my Crop-A-Dile Big Bite and its grommets, I cut seven of these.
I realized nothing would really fit in the front pocket, so it's merely decoration. The stamp on the front is from Just Rite Stampers. I bought the set before Christmas last year and just now used them. (I'm really bad about buying stuff then not using it.) The name tags were cut first and then stamped with an Inkadinkado set that also hasn't been used until this year. (See what I mean? Lol.) So, even though the names aren't even, I think it lends a little bit of character to the package. Or maybe I'm just making excuses for myself, lol.
I was told that the teachers really appreciated them. The insides held chocolates and a Target gift card.
Below is the side and back of one of the backpacks.
A few weeks back, a co-worker came across my blog. Well, really, she had emailed my home address about something completely non-work related. My response included my normal signature, which includes my blog address. She was curious, so she went to go look.
She's getting married in November and has had so many troubles with planning her wedding. She found the perfect venue, but it ended up closing due to the economy about three months before the wedding date. She had to find a new venue on or near the wedding date and within her budget and general location...and QUICKLY...which took her a while. Before the first venue closed, she had almost purchased her invites online. Thank goodness she didn't, or she would have wasted all that money! So anyway, she saw my blog and that I make cards and she liked the cards. She asked me to make her wedding invitations. I was extremely hesitant...I mean these are her WEDDING invitations! But she felt she'd be happy with whatever I came up with, so after consulting with her about what she liked, we worked together to come up with this design.
We didn't have much time to get everything together, plus Michaels had all of their 12 x 12 paper 40% off that week, so getting enough paper to do them all was a real challenge -- many stores were sold or had depleted stock -- but she was able to find it all after visiting, I think, five Michaels stores.
I cut the black and pink patterned paper on my Cricut using SCUT. The belly band seal is the Just Rite monogram stamper with Damask borders, and it and the scalloped circle were cut with Nestabilities. The invites were printed on my inkjet printer and hand-cut to size.
All in all, she was pleased. I thought they came out very nice, as well. Thankfully, I only had to make 50 of them. I think I might have turned her down if it had been many more, lol! There was also a RSVP and Information card that was printed and hand-cut to size, not pictured here.
Thanks for looking!
My Father-in-Law's birthday is coming up very soon. I'm pretty sure he doesn't follow my blog, so I'm pretty safe in posting this early. :-)
I used Papertrey Ripe Avocado for the card base and rounded the corners with my EK Success corner punches. I used my brand new EK Success Upper Crest border punch for the Ripe Avocado strip on the right. I also used my Distressed Stripes Cuttlebug folder to emboss the white strip. The patterned paper is from a K & Co Scrap Pad to Go. I stamped the Just Rite border in Dark Chocolate on white cardstock and used my circle Nesties to cut it out. I stamped the Just Rite sentiment with Versmark and used Stampendous Detail White embossing powder to heat emboss it. I used my circle punches (Fiskars and EK Success) to cut out the Ripe Avocado and Dark Chocolate layers of the sentiment. The ribbon is from American Crafts Brown Classics collection. The buttons are from Basic Grey, and the twine tied through the buttons is from Papertrey.
I hope he likes it. He's one of those rare people who actually saves my cards, which makes me feel pretty good. :-) Now....to pick a present, lol!
I'm a little late posting this, but I finished it up last minute and didn't get a picture of it until just a few days ago. :-) This is the card I made my son for his seventh birthday. He actually asked me to make his card this year. Isn't that sweet? He's a boy, and I really didn't think he cared, but he asked me to, so of course I'm going to!
So...the little robot guy is from a Sandylion Boys acrylic stamp set. Actually all of the picture stamps are. I colored in the little guy with Copics. The "happy birthday" sentiment is from Hot off the Press Expressions. The sentiment inside was made (I should have taken more time!) with my Just Rite rectangular stamper and my Brayton font.
I used Inkscape to create the planet terrain, including the crate
rs. I actually cut that separately with my Cricut and SCAL and used it as a mask to ink onto the planet. I poked holes around the edge and used my white gel pen to simulate stitching. The white stamps on the front are embossed with clear. And the borders inside are both from EK Success.
I think he really liked that I took the time to make it for him!
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