More firsts and ideas for packages

If you read Monday's post you know I've been talking about all the projects I've tried for the first time. The next thing I tried was cardmaking.

I don't have a bunch of the fancy tools that hardcore cardmakers and scrapbookers have so I had to make it up as I went along.

Inspired by Karen's insane cupcake book (her description, not mine) I decided that would be a perfect thing to put on the front of the card.

I knew right away I wanted the frosting to sparkle because ever since I was a kid I've loved things that sparkle. Don't card cupcakes seem like something that should be sparkling?


I freehand cut the "frosting" and coated it in glitter. I also freehand cut the "cake" and "wrapper" part of the cupcake. I tried - on a sample piece of paper! very important! - to see what drawing on the ridges would look like. Uh. Yeah. Not good. Now what? Heehee! You'll never guess! I stole a tube crimper out of the shop (not the craft area, the fixing cars area) - mechanics, etc. use them to squeeze all the stuff out of tubes and each side of the rollers happen to have a crinkle cut. I stuck my cupcake bottom in there and turned the knob - out came perfectly crinkled cupcake!


With the bottom having actual texture to it, my frosting wouldn't fit so I glued a piece of foamy stuff on the bottom so it sticks up a bit and gives it some dimension.

I still think the candle looks like a lighthouse but hey, I learned stuff.

Once you've gone to all this trouble to make things and make them pretty, you don't want to be sticking them in just any old gift bag or box. So to make it interesting, and to also make do with what I had - which was a Christmas clothing box with snowflakes and tapemarks all over it - I covered the box with brown paper and stamped a pattern all over it. I really recommend stamping the paper before you put it on the box (ancora imparo, right?). Then I grabbed some ribbon scraps and attached them to the box as well. For an extra embellishment I made a pom pom, thanks to Martha's instructions, and attached it to the top. I completed the look with a freehand cut, layered leaf-shaped tag. Now it's personal!

For the second box I just made a pom pom and attached it with a tag with funky cut edges and another piece of scrap ribbon to a pre-made Chinese take-out gift box. I love the red and silver.

My first real attempt at cardmaking, my first stamped wrapping paper and my first pom poms - check!