Tomorrow night is the BIG moment we have all been waiting for! This month's release is especially near and dear to my heart. The images contained in the 3-1/2 sets that we will be debuting are incredible and I am just SO proud of how everything has turned out. I know you won't be disappointed either! (And yes, I said 3-1/2 sets! I will be explaining the "half" set tomorrow, so be sure to stay tuned!)
On to today's project! Many paper crafters ogle the infamous z becky brown purses. (Note to peeping husbands: GOOD GIFT IDEA!!!) For those of you who may not be familiar with them, they are clear acrylic purses with customizable lids, handles, inserts, etc. I think the reason they are so popular is because of the possibilities they hold. There are hundreds of variations at your disposal, allowing you to personalize it according to your style & taste.It occurred to me last night that you could recreate the same look & effect of a z becky brown purse in miniature form by utilizing our Clearly Creative Card boxes! And they are cheap & easy to boot! We sell these boxes in packages of 10 for only $6 (that works out to 60-cents per box!). Their original purpose was to provide you with an easy way to package cards for gift-giving. Now you can use them to make adorable purses too!
First, you want to cut the box in half. From the edge of the main box body (not the end of the tab) the halfway point is 2-7/8 inches. I used a ruler and craft knife to make the cut.
Then you just assemble the two halves, like you would normally, just on one end. No adhesive is required to assemble the box halves. The slits used within the tab system hold everything perfectly in place! So there you have two purse bases from one box (that's 30-cents per purse!)
Next, you want to create a simple insert. I chose to use patterned paper, but of course you could use anything, like cardstock, printed transparencies & vellums, fabric, felt; the sky's the limit! You want you insert to measure 4-3/8 inches wide by 6-5/8 long. It is scored from 2-7/8 inches from each end.
All you need to do now is insert it into your clear purse base! Easy peasy, as my friend Mish would say! You can use a little tacky tape in the bottom to help hold the insert in place.
Next, I wanted to use some of our new stamps (which will be released Friday night) to create an embellishment for the front of the purse. I stamped this oval label image onto transparent polyshrink using New Canvas Palette Ink. The center strip of the label is blank so that you can interchange the sentiments. I chose to use "Happy Valentine's Day", which is one of 8 sentiments included in this set to fit this particular label!
This oval label is designed to coordinate with the Giga Scalloped Oval Punch. I inverted the punch and inserted the polyshrink for perfect placement.
After the label was punched out, I added a hole using a 1/4-inch punch. (When working with polyshrink, remember that EVERYTHING shrinks, including the size of your hole!)
I heated the charm and shrunk it down so that it looked like this! Isn't it the cutest thing ever! I just ADORE the way the scallops shrink down. Just too cute!
And here is the finished project! I added some ribbon handles by adhering them in place with tacky tape. I also made a second insert to "line" the interior of my purse. Because the base of this project is created from our sturdy boxes, you can really put anything in these purses without having to be conscience of the weight. They would also be long lasting since the outside is waterproof & will resist tearing. There is all kinds of fun stuff you could do to take this purse to the next level. The plastic that these boxes are made with is very substantial so that you could add actual hardware such as latches, unique handles or feet. I am really excited to hear about what direction all of you decide to take this project when creating your own! Have fun!
Today's Papertrey Puzzler...
Day 2: What weight is Papertrey's exclusive Stamper's Select cardstock?
SUPPLIES:
Ink- New Canvas Palette Ink
Stamps- Papertrey Ink
Paper- "Daniella" by Foof-a-la for Autumn Leaves
Other-Clearly Creative Card Box from Papertrey Ink, grosgrain ribbon from American Crafts, transparent polyshrink from Lucky Squirrel, Giga Scalloped Oval punch from Marvy, silver brad from Paper Studio, Terrific Tacky Tape from Provo Craft
