Babyface Favor Box

In my shameless, burning desire for more grandbabies, I have designed yet another baby-related shower accessory: a baby-faced favor box. 

The box is a 1½ inch cube - just the right size for a good handful of pastel butter mints or pink or blue M&M's. It is sized for cutting on a Baby Bug, but could be enlarged for a larger cutter/larger gift - maybe even to wrap the mom-to-be's gift in. I used a pale peach paper for the face, which is glued to the top flaps of the box. I also made a face stencil so that you could marker-in the areas under the facial cutouts. I used rosy chalk to give the baby's cheeks, chin & ears a blush. The face & curl can be cut from whatever color matches the new mommy & daddy's complexions/hair color.

The svgs for the box and it's components, along with the face stencil and a picture of the finished box, and a sheet of tips is included in the price of $5.00 US. Upon notification from Paypal of funds received, I will email you the appropriate files, including the scut2 files for cutting on a Cricut. Please use the "Donate" button to order, and leave a note telling me which file it is that you want. Thanks for your interest! I appreciate your business so much! 

Laura

Thanks Peeps!

Thanks so much to those sweeties who sent notes wondering if all was well, here, since I haven't posted in a while. I have been taking care of my elderly mom in our home for the past couple of months. She has osteoporosis, and fractured a disk (this is the 5th time this has happened! Her spine is full of cement!) She is back in her own home, now, and is doing fairly well, but I don't think she'll ever be able to walk without a walker again. I appreciate any prayers you feel led to pray for her.

I am working on some things for the blog, but in the meantime, wanted to share this little "Family Album" I created for my granddaughter, using the free, downloadable software from Zoom Album Creator. You can download the software here. It lets you select the photos you want to use, then helps you crop them, and then turns them all the right way, so that when you print them out all on one sheet of 8½x11" piece of paper, they are all turned the right direction. You then make just two slits in the paper (I scored all lines in between the photos first - glad I did), and begin folding to make the book. (The website has complete instructions.) I used semi-glossy photo paper, and I cut my own chipboard pieces, (by hand - I NEED a deep-cutting blade!) and taped the pages together with permanent adhesive, but you can buy a kit with sticky-backed photo paper and the chipboard cutouts already done for you from www.zoomalbum.net.

The outside cover has her picture on it, and the inside consists of pictures of the faces of all her daddy's side of the family. Some family members live far and wide, and hopefully this will not only help to keep them familiar to her until we get to be with them again, but also help her to learn everyone's names. I am making another one for her mommy's side of the family. The books are 3x3" - so cute, and just the right size for a little one's hands (or a grammie's purse as a brag book!)

Ethan's Quiet Book

Near completion! Yeah!!! The letters each hide somewhere on their page, and are attached with Velcro so that they can be used on the last page to practice spelling the little one's name and/or stored in the little pocket. The peanut in the elephant's mouth is on a string so that he can be "fed". The tent, of course, unzips; the fire hose winds around the carrier; the worm in the apple can be pulled part-way out, and the eggs can be removed from the nest and "cracked" open to reveal two birdies and the letter 'N'.

My kids actually got me my Cricut for my birthday last year thinking I could cut felt with it, and thus it would help me with my busy book designs, which I would love to grow into a business - they're so much fun to do. Now, with SCAL, I would have a blast making up patterns for cuts. If anyone has experience cutting felt or fabrics with their Cricut and would like to leave me some advice, I'm all for it!

Quiet Books - Busy Books - Pop-up Books - Just Plain FUN!

The little Scotty dog pictured here was made from a free pattern offered by Jenny B, an extremely talented children's book illustrator, at one of my all-time favorite blogs:

http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/ 

I don't know if there are many of us out there, but I, for one, am wishing that the Cricut could cut felt. Thick, fuzzy, felt. I am in the process of working on two quiet books - one for my granddaughter(s), and one for a little fella named Ethan. Now, I only have one granddaughter - the beautiful little Juliette pictured here -

and I started out making this quiet book only for her, when she was just 6 months old (I know my discipline level - I was aiming to give it to her for her 3rd birthday.) A year later, although I haven't worked on it steadily, I have put in enough hours to know that it will stay at Grammie's house for all of Grammie's little girlies to play with when they come over. It is a labor of love, and a lot of work. Now, granted this particular quiet book is on rather a grand scale. It will be a doll house when it's finished, with doors that connect rooms (pages) together, and cupboards that open, an armoire in which the little outfits can hang when not in use, as well as seating for two & a doggy & toys for the little mistress of the house to play with. It is, for all intents and purposes, a pop-up book in felt. I loved pop-ups so much as a kid that I still try to get one for at least one of my kids for Christmas every year, just so I can indulge in it's pages. (Robert Sabuda, you are my hero!) I digress.

It is my plan to post my progress on this book, as well as Ethan's book, so that I will have some impetus to get it done. Ethan's book is nearly finished. In fact, today is his first birthday, and while he is still too small to play with it, I will attempt to get it to his mama within the week in honor of his birthday. Oh, yeah, I also intend to make one for all of Grammies little fellas, too. When they come along.

Disclaimer: The characters in this book are fictional and are not based on any actual persons, although the dolly's hair, eyes and complexion bear a striking resemblance to my own (especially the hair, unfortunately)!

On to the pix. These are only layouts so far - none of the pages have been sewn (or backgrounds ironed - oops!).

The doll can be slipped into both the bed and the big pink chair.

The dolls can be slipped into the chairs behind the table. The light fixture is an homage to my love of contemporary design, I had a traditional chandelier, but it just got lost on the "wallpaper". All my rooms need baseboard - I see that, now. More to come.

Bundle of Joy

OK - It was one of those sleepless, arthritic nights that I am getting somewhat used to. I awoke up around 2 AM, and almost instantly this little swaddled baby came to my mind, and then of course I couldn't wait to get to my computer to work on the design. The baby's face actually is cut from the blanket, and folded over to pop up beneath the layers of blanket. It is supported with two layers of 3D dots.

The svg includes the blanket pieces, the baby's head (no face - I used a stamp for this), the wording, the jumbo scalloped border and under-border, and the tiny flowers that are filling the 'e' and 'o'. The daisy swag is from my dressmaker's trimmings box, but you can find it at Joann on a ribbon spool in their scrapbooking department. It is made by Wrights, and is called "Daisy Chain". The svg is $1.50 USD. Please use the Donate button to purchase, and leave a note about which file it is that you want. Upon notification from Paypal of funds received, I will email you the svg. Thanks a bunch!

Onesie Card with Lined Envelope

I loved making this onesie card. Got the svg from http://thealliancetrader.blogspot.com. She has some really cute stuff over there. She has made favor boxes from these onesies...so cute! I made a 3½" lined envelope to go with it, which is included in the svg file, along with the flowers (a couple different kinds.) I made the digi paper I used to line the envelope, and doctored the color in Photoshop, adding the black centers for the flowers. There's a nice 1½-inch circle left when the neck opening is cut. I used it to make the envelope embellishment. The little outfit this card will accompany is pictured below. It says, "You are my sunshine". Adorable.

Good old Walmart! This is a new line they're carrying. The quality is very good (retired dressmaker making this comment, so...). The fabrics are very nice and the details are perfect. Wishes & Hugs is the name of the line. Hope you like my card! If you download the svg, please leave a comment...I'd love to have some feedback! Is anyone out there???????

The svg file is here.

Bun in the Oven Gift Box

I saw the inspiration for this cute little oven over at Julie Campbells blog, stampedinhisimage.com.

She had seen it done by Lauren Meader for a baby shower gift. Lauren has a video showing how to make a cupcake (or "bun") out of little socks - so cute!

(Lauren's original box is here.) I had a blast making this - hope you do, too. I would love to see pictures, if you try it! 

I used flowers for the burners, cause I thought Julie's were so cute, but Scrappingtable.com has a dingbat named Jirai that looks just like little stove burners. I outlined the stove top with black.

I added knobs on the front, and used tiny brads to attach the handle & make a hook for the gift tag/oven mitt on the side. The towel & oven mitt are paper...this was a practice in restraint for this old dressmaker! I used acrylic for the window in the door, reinforcing it with a frame on the inside so I could use the brads to attach the handle. An svg file follows for all the components but the box, which is too big for my baby bug, but is easily cut using the template below.

The dimensions are:

Paper 8½ x 11"

Scores for long side:  1", 4", 7½" 10½" (you will score the remaining two lines after scoring the short side.)

Scores for short side: 2½", 6"

Now go back and score at the half-inch mark, between the edge of the paper and the 1" score line, stopping the scores at the score lines made on the short side.

Score the "drawer" at 1 1/8" for the fold, and then, if you like, score some decorative rows, stopping before you get to the edge (I scored mine in a descending order, with each row getting a little longer toward the bottom.

Fold on all score lines except the last two.

Cuts: Cut up to the 1" score line, then cut away the 1/2" x 2½" pieces next to the 1" center bottom tab. Cut remaining dark lines shown in the template above.

Use strong tape to adhere the sides together - I used Terrifically Tacky red tape.

The .svg file is here.

Just for fun... you've got to watch this video - so great!  It gets better and better...enjoy!

Two more baby cards - what can I say...It's a freakin' epidemic!

Both of these were inspired by cards I had seen a while back. I copied them to my computer without making a note of the creator(s), not knowing that I would ever make and publish a card from the ideas. If you are the creator, or know where I found these, if you send me a link, I will give credit where credit is due, including a link. 

 

"Adorable" Card

I am certainly in the new baby card mode these days, for sure. I actually do have preggers to give them all to, but I do love making them. For this one I used Plantin, Cuttin' Up, Walk in My Garden (flowers), and Joys of the Season (sprig).

Here's the screen shot and link to download the cut file:

Hello Kitty (Sitting) - svg included at the bottom

I made this for my granddaughter's first birthday party, to put on a gift bag. I used Plantin, Paper Dolls Dress Up (hair bows & whiskers, made from pirate sashes), New Arrival (for the flattened oval face - looked better than an oval from Plantin). and Speaking of Fall (the little megaphones I used for the sleeves). You could cut little triangles by hand to substitute for these. It's hard to see in the photo that it is dimensional: the face is popped, as well as the elements of the bow, and the feet. You'll need to use the Hide Selected Contour feature to hide the inner circles of the flowers used throughout the design...I can't get them to stay hidden after saving the file. Any pointers on that?

 

This screen shot shows the cut file for the black components:

This one shows the white cuts:

And this one the light pink small pieces, the dark pink body, and the little yellow oval nose:

The cut file is here.

I have since converted this into an svg. The file is here.