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Wednesday 31 March 2010

...Free Spirit Boy Day 3, and New template


Good afternoon!
I'm late posting today due to a bit of wind, we had some snow and a few gales here last night and the electricity was interrupted for a short while. We got off easy there are still about 20,000 homes without electric today I believe!!

Anyhow, welcome to the third day of posting for the April release, we have 2 new stamp sets for you and today I'd like to show you a neat little packaging idea. The Rubber Band Box!
Casting around for ideas on packaging for 'Men', I remembered a dinky wee folder I had as a student, it was held closed with a piece of elastic and I always loved how it worked, so I translated that idea into a little box! You can see two versions of it in the photo above - these are the large and small sizes. Templates for both sizes will be included in the PDF! Hoping to have an SVG version available too!

Tomorrow we release the two stamp sets and the template here on the blog at 7pm my time! call back to see the stamp sets in their entirety and to join us for a Blog Waltz - yep, the Dt will be having a blog waltz, showing off more fabulous inspiration for masculine cards!! Today Julia, Belinda, Anya, Bonnie and Laurie are showing samples - pop over to see what the ladies have made!!!

Looking at the picture below you can see how these work! They are so fabby! I love these, and they are so easy to make and customise, endless possibilities with these! I am especially pleased with the wee rounded ends and the scoring that allows the card to roll smoothly around the edges, These are boxes that will look great dressed up casually or simply styled for a formal look!


You can see above how I filled mine with sweets and cookies, universally acceptable, yum! But, I can see these making excellent packages for all of those 'men' type gadgets we like to buy the boys, ipods, mobile phones, watches, all sorts of wee goodies will be extra special when presented in these wee Rubber band boxes.


Above, I use thin white elastic to secure my boxes, which I coloured up with copics to match the colour scheme of my gift ensemble. Above, the sentiment and star are from Free Spirit Sentiments and Free Spirit Boy. The box was randomly stamped with the graph paper stamp from Off Beat Backgrounds.


I completely customised the little box by stamping the inside with the circles stamp from Free Spirit Boy. I then sponged as well to make the Kraft card a shade of blue (Distress ink Chipped Sapphire) so that it would contrast well with the outside when opened. The elastic was coloured red this time. If you scroll down, you will see how the elastic is secured inside but I want to tell you about the card first!



I'm sure you are absolutely nothing like me and are there, at exactly the right time, every time, with card and present for your birthday boy! LOL, Well, I am ALWAYS late, I have absolutely no memory. So, with that in mind I included a couple of sentiments that I will use over, and over and over!

Above you can see how I added the age of the recipient to the card, (the numbers 0-9 are included in Free Spirit Sentiments) and below that the word 'Already'. I love how this captures the feeling that someone is growing up so fast! and when you pair it with the 'Sorry I missed it" sentiment, it is such a better way of saying 'belated birthday wishes' to a teenage boy.

I added another little image of a skater-boy to the inside of my card, (from Free Spirit Boy)along with a little background stamping with the graph paper stamp from Off beat Backgrounds.


I want to show you a neat trick you can do with the little bicycle stamp, or indeed any stamp for that matter. I love the look of distressed stamped images but I don't necessarily ALWAYS want a distressed feel on my cards sometimes I like clean and simple. It is so easy to get some different effects from your stamps just by inking them up slightly differently, for my card I inked the stamp but then leaned a little harder and 'rolled' the stamp around the ink pad, so that the non-stamping base of the bike stamp picked up some ink as well. then I stamped badly! LOL, Yep I leaned too hard and smooched, and i get this fab wee distressed effect!!


Below, on the left, you can see that the stamp, stamps perfectly well when used normally. Heavily inked and smooched as I just described and you get a fab distressed look. Two looks for the same stamp. And, below that again, if you ink up 'badly' ie, be sure to just touch the stamp to the pad without trying to get an even coverage, you can have another slightly cleaner, but still distressed look!

I love tricks like this that let me get loads more value out of every stamp! I could have made the boy stamps all have a distressed finish to them, but then, you have only one design option, distress every time! By making these stamps clean and graphic, you have the choice to mussy them up or keep it clean!! Love that!! Love versatility!! Go - try it on stamps you already have, I'll bet you can get stacks more mileage out of your stamp collection this way!!



Back to the Rubber Band Boxes - here is what the larger template will look like cut out - you can see I went ahead and added little eyelets at the ends to match my card, (the position of the holes is marked on the template) I think it gives a professional finish and it will prevent strain on the edge of the wee holes where the elastic goes through.


I use buttons to secure my elastic, perfect for all those wee buttons you don't use! LOL. I simply thread it through and tie a knot, you can trim the end quite close if your knot is tight enough!



Then just thread the elastic through the hole, making sure that the button is going to be on the inside of the box. Run the elastic across the front of the box and in through the other hole. secure with another button and trim, you don't need to pull the elastic too tight because when the box is folded up and stuck together, the elastic will automatically tense up.



Below, Box strung and ready to fold up and stick. I did all the stamping and adding the sentiment panel before adding the string and buttons!


Phew, did you make it through!! LOL

Hope they tickle! and I hope you can call back tomorrow to view the DT blog waltz, now, what do we think of wee boxes??? LOL

24 comments:

  1. Well, Claire - you KNOW how much I love my little boxes - these are a must have for me!!!! The elastic closure is just terrific and your decorating and scoring of the CS is just super! what a great gift holder!!! and all your guy stamps are so fun for them!!

    I'm going back to look at it all again!

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  2. Hi Clare,

    OMG you have totally blown me away with your amazing samples. I feel quite giddy with your creative stitching and ink effects. This has to be the best masculine set of stamps out there - so edgy - I absolutely LOVE everything about them.

    Thank you too for making my heart smile with your sweet comments over at my place - you won't believe how treasured they are :D

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  3. So glad to hear you are safe and sound Claire! I love storms but not when they disrupt blogging - lol! Fab creations as always Claire - what a lovely template - such a wonderful design!

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  4. mmmh Claire - what a nice box - I LOVE boxes... hope you ordered enough sets, cause these sets are wanted, that is clear from now! Count me in!!

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  5. Oh wow; the boxes are brilliant; love these new stamp sets!!

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  6. The more I see of free spirit boy the more i need it NOW! I can't wait until the store is open and I can place my order! This box is fabulous! Perfect for a boy themed box, lots of fun, and not frilly! (But I'm sure I could make it frilly without much work!)

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  7. Beautiful Claire just love it all!
    You have such great ideas!

    Hugs Holly.

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  8. Oh my goodness, how fab is that elastic closure box?! Genius! I don't enjoy making manly cards, I always struggle but that stamp set looks like it will make male projects so much easier - I LOVE the look of that circles stamp!

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  9. This is one awesome and amaZING project. I just love the color combo, images, and of course your creative style.

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  10. Thanks for all the great tips and techniques today Claire! Very helpful. The boxes are so SO cool! And the distressed card is fabulous.

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  11. Hello!
    Great guy cards, you make it look so easy & I love the wee boxes :)

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  12. Can't wait till tomorrow! I NEED this set. (Haven't said that for a long time... I've seen lots of sets I'd love to have but not one I NEED like this one.)
    THANK YOU for sharing all of your creativity!

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  13. I really love this! It's really hard to make anything masculine! I love everything that sparkles and is flowery, but men... well that's a whole nother species! LOL! Thanks for sharing I really like it all!

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  14. Sorry to hear March is roaring out like a lion over your way. We had the most incredible spring day today...a perfect day for a bike ride so good timing on the bike stamp! Love the little box!

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  15. I love this peak Claire, this set looks fabulous...I have two boys and always need a set like this!!

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  16. It's wonderful to see some masculine items this release. This is always the hardest kind for me to make and I even have two sons. Thanks for making it easier and for releasing the templates in SVG format. Your line of stamps is so unique and you and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them.

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  17. Love love love the boxes. What size paper do you have to use this? I love it. When can I buy it?

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  18. wow !! thank you for doing the male thing !! Its an answer to an never ending problem ( things for men )

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  19. Brilliant - simply Brilliant Claire. This rubber band box is ideal for so many occasions and I love this type of closure. FANTASTIC!

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  20. wow i love these distressed projects x
    We have a competition running on our blog www.fiskarettes.co.uk you could win a years free subscription to a craft magazine. Check us out.
    Jayne xx

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  21. Love these wee boxes....hey....I'll have to miss The Archers! The only 'soap' I follow....7 00 pm Radio 4......good job I can hear it on IPlayer!
    Looking forward to the fun later.

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  22. Hurry up 7pm! I need new stamps!!!

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  23. I was just thinking "hurry up 7pm"! I think there's only another hour wait? Dunno, I can't do the time math that well... :)

    Loving the new sets and can't wait to see the whole thing! I also love the overstamped bicycle image! I do that so many times by accident, now I can say I've distressed it! Yay!

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  24. Wow,wow,wow! That box is just amazing! What a brilliant gift idea for a boy. Sooo clever, I love it!

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Thanks for taking the time to comment, :) I read them all and I appreciate you taking time to visit!