Crib Explosion Box

Hi Everyone,
I took a break from wedding things to make this explosion box for a co-working who is having a baby. I had so much fun making this box that I just had to share it with you all.  First I have to say I was under a bit of pressure to get it done as I was asked late in the game to make a card that would hold the gift card we were giving her.  Well I spent just about the entire weekend in the craftroom making it.  But I have to say I think it was because of the theme.  I just don't have a lot of "baby" themed graphics and papers kicking around in my craftspace.  I had said to the family if I needed to make a Christmas or Halloween themed explosion box I could have banged it out quickly.  I had spent so much time looking for graphics and making the crib that the whole thing got away from me.  In the end it was worth the effort because it came out awesome and my all my co-workers were excited to give the new Mom her gift card. First I have to show you a picture of my desk as I was making it.  This was my first so you know the paper scraps were flying! I even posted this on my facebook page. Here is the pic:

WHAT a mess!!! But then it all started to come together around that adorable 3-D crib that is perfectly sized to hold a gift card. Here are the pictures that I took and while they are not the best I am sure you will get the idea of how the box came out.

Wow, Do you love it too?? I knew I was pressed for time and searched for a crib file online but they were all for sale and I thought I could make one fairly easy just by looking at a picture.  I saw some really pretty ones for sale but I thought if I kept it simple I would be able to create it quickly.  I used my CAP2 software to make the file and  exported it as a pdf so that I could use my ZING and MTC to cut it.  Well all went well and I thought I would share the file with you all.  Here is a picture of the pdf file:

So cute! If you want to try to make the crib you can fine the pdf file here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/hkr6ldzmvlx3weh/crib_to_post.pdf
and as always for my MTC peeps you can download the file here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/wc8788k344oev2l/crib_by_lysa_and_huey_to_post.mtc 
 If any of you have any questions just leave me a comment and I will do my best to help.  I really love this explosion box card and will make more in the future. I am already thinking a wedding one would be fun to create.  I could just see a wedding cake in the center. Thanks for visiting and PLEASE enjoy the file and consider leaving me a comment, I so love to share files and comments inspire me to share more.
Lysa

Berry Basket for the Wedding

Hi Friends,
I can't begin to tell you all how far along with wedding crafts I am. I feel like I am really getting organized and ready to do the large scale supply buy. I have made a lot of samples for Sam to look at and one by one final choices are being made.  We wanted to make a wine and cheese basket as a favor or take home snack for after the reception. I was all over this one from the onset. My work peeps we too, telling me it was cost exorbitant. I laughed and said you're joking, I could bring this baby in for $8 each. Yeah well the joke is on me, because 1 mini wine bottle turned in to 2. 1 piece of cheese turned in to a piece of cheese and a mini summer sausage. The hershey nuggets became Ghiradelli. We had to add a charm to each wine bottle.  The saltine crackers became Carr's crackers. The basket filler went from shreds from the dollar store to custom shredded Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler cardstock. I could go on and on. I don't even want to mention that the berry basket paper went from SU black cardstock to this awesome shimmer paper that is imported from Italy and purchased from LCI paper. That happened when we decided the basket paper needed to match the invitation paper. Sure . . .  sure you want me to tell you how it all priced out in the end. Well all I have to say is . . . Can we really put a price on the smile on my and my daughters face? I do so hope you are laughing along with me and not shaking your head at how crafty crazy I am. I can't even tell you the full price out because I still have not packaged it under cello or made the outter tag.  Plus you know I have to add some ribbon to the outside too.  Oh well this is me, always was and always will be! So I have the berry basket file for you today.  First off here is a picture of the file:

If you would like this file the PDF is here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/lxfb54fbnd7j5vf/berry_basket_for_upload_with_notes.pdf
If you prefer the MTC file you will find it here it does not have score lines on the top strip:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/akbhww7ejgr40e8/berry_basket_mtc_for_upload.mtc
I also want to show you a picture of the cheese board with the kids name and wedding date added here is that picture:

The pictures of things you see along the way are all from the samples I have been making. All of the ribbon has now been changed out from Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler to Offray Sherry in satin.  The Stampin Up linen and seam binding ribbon was just freying to easily.  I could seal the edge of the linen but not the seam binding. Plus the shine of the satin is much nicer.  The tealight place card holders look so much better with the ribbon change out.
I will be making the final samples of everything from the invites to the basket in the course of the next few weeks so that I can get my supply lists ready. Wish me luck, the craftroom will surly be hopping!  Thanks for stopping by,
Lysa

Back, But Never Really Left

Hi Crafty Friends,
WOW, how long between posts? Too long!! First a quick catch up . . . spring cleaning, end of school year, heavy work load and knee surgery too. No need for the details on any of that. Simply put life has caught up with me for sure!! Through it all I have been crafting and gathering ideas. Wedding ideas! How is it that when a wedding is a year and a half out, one becomes obsessed with all things wedding. So I have one daughter and while I have never been a party planner type, I have resigned myself to the fact that I want it all to be perfect.  I have looked at favor ideas on pinterest, etsy, ebay and every wedding site on the net. I have purchased paper samples, favor samples, you name it I have already researched it. I am now done! The wedding is a year and a half away and it's time to rein myself back into reality. Now with that said I am starting with the most simple reception item I can think of.  The seating cards.  You know, when you get to the venue the little card that tells you what table you are seated at.  If you dare go ahead and google the phrase "wedding placecard holder ideas".  REALLY, there is like hundreds of ideas that would run from cheap to crazy expensive.  So my job as Mom of the Bride was to find the one we could afford, I could make, and the one that would fit the moment.  Come on peeps!, have some faith, I found it. and we love it!!! The venue where the wedding receptions is to be held has an awesome black grand piano at the top the this great staircase.  That is where the venue puts the seating cards.  So the guests come up the steps and the first thing they see is this beautiful piano. After much research and some trial and error, Sam and I thought some form of candlelight on the piano would be awesome, so why not incorporate candlelight and the place card together. The venue would not allow for wax candles so we knew going in that battery operated tea lights would be our best and only option.  I saw on google images some great tea light holders using them.  I ran (yes, ran . . . operated knee and all) down to the kitchen drawer where all my votive holders are and grabbed a plain 2-1/5 inch tall glass votive holder and got to work. I used CraftArtist2 to create the vellum wrap for the holder.  I printed the label on my Canon laser printer and foiled the label with silver foil that I bought from MyBindingCo.com. (for an awesome price, I might add) and I use my laminator to foil the label. Wow!  I can just see 60 or so of these sitting on top of the piano.  I think the best part will be that everyone will bring these to the table so there will be additional  candlelight on every table during the reception.  I have pictures and I only wish it was a picture of all of them, but for that you will need to come back and visit around November of 2016!  If you have any questions on how I created the template let me know.  Here are the best pics I could get:

Thinking that the SU Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon will be changed out for something satin.

I promise I will add a pic of them all at some point.  In the meantime, my next quest will be the bubbles. Gotta have bubbles at the church for sure! I can't even begin to talk about the favors for the wedding and for the shower.  We surely have become "go big or go home"! So much for the budget, oh well, only one daughter so I guess I am going BIG!!
Thanks for stopping by,
Lysa