...chocolat....mmmmmm January 2010 Release

I'm cheating slightly!! LOL. Yep, I'm previewing my new set, Sweethearts, which is due for release in the next day or two, BUT I'm also showing you another set, Faux Fun, which will follow hot on the heels of the Sweethearts release!! In effect there will be two sets released, one will be available for purchase in the next day or two, the other will go on sale next week!!

I did intend only to release one set in January but the other set is so packed full of frillies that it simply screams to be out in time for Valentines Day, so I'm pulling it forward!! lol! Hope you don't mind!

The upshot is that the January release is split - one set available this week, one set available next week!!

And Yes, of course It will be possible to have both ship together if you like both sets!! I'll explain later.


The Sentiment is from the Sweethearts clear photopolymer stamp set releasing this week! Tempted to open it tomorrow...but I've a few samples to get through, we'll see. I dressed up today's box to be a suitable gift container for sweets. It's eminently suitable for Valentine's but it's also good for any other time you might want to give sweets. It so happens this box is destined for my DH but I can see me using that particular sentiment on gifts of all sorts for my children!!

This sentiment fits beautifully in my fancy label die from who else but Spellbinders!!lol.

I used the large spotty heart from the Sweethearts set. It is easily punched out with an EK success paper shapers heart - (it's a pink punch, I believe the smaller pink heart punch also works with the med size heart from this stamp set, Bonnie used it on a card but I don't own the smaller punch to show you here, however I'm remedying that as we speak...lol)

I then used one of the smaller hearts stamps from the set and over stamped it on the spotty heart. Once dry I glossed over it with some of that Ranger glossy accents stuff, love that goo, the way it dries shiny, it makes it look like one of those wee dome sticker thingies!!lol



On the inside of the box lid below you can clearly see a lace border satmp - this is one of the stamps from next weeks set - Faux Fun. Here, I've embossed it in gold to match my colour scheme, which comes from the sweets I'm giving away in my box. I also lined the inside of the box with a co-ordinating gold card.



I've used the lace stamp again on the outside of my box (the cardstock was stamped and embossed before sticking to the box), I love how it fills the space with lots of detail and interest without being too busy. I deliberately finished the end of the lace stamp with one pointed end and one grooved end. This allows you to make longer lengths of 'lace' for scrapbook pages etc, tho the border stamp is a cracking 6 and 1/4 inches long!

Below you can see how I arranged the stamping so that the pointed end of the lace stamp just finishes before the point of the box on both sides and also on top where I stamped it with versamark.


I covered my box completely in card, and I want to share a few tips with you for doing this. The top of the box was easy. I just traced around the lid and cut out the heart shape for the top. I versamarked and 'gilded' the edges with gold embossing powder and the heat tool. As well as looking pretty nifty it camoflages 'wobbly' cutting! LOL.

Before adhering the heart to the top of the box I covered the sides of the lid. I taped the card to the sides easily enough and made plenty of snips along the top so's I could fold the excess down. It's not necessary really, I'm just a footerer. I could have cut the card the exact height of the lid and just stuck the large heart shape on top but If you're going to do that, take a moment to go along the 'raw' edges of your box with a matching copic marker, or even a matching child's marker, I didn't have the matching brown and so I used a brown felt tip that Santa left one of the wee folk! lol. Scroll down to see the areas I coloured before covering my box, it makes the final presentation so much neater and professional. There are no pale patches of box showing out anywhere.



Here is the product I started with, its a set of 3 card boxes from Ikea. I used the middle sized box. They are fab and come with this fancy open work lid, which I didn't need on this occasion as I wanted mine plain. You could of course use any heart shaped cardboard box, I just thought I'd show you what I used.


Hope it tickles!!