confetti by lexi

matchboxes of any size

during the last release while sharing projects with perfect match, i shared templates for making two different sizes of matchboxes. i also mentioned that it was easy to make matchboxes of all sizes with a simple formula, so i thought I'd share that today. the finished size of this one is 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 1/2" but using the same steps you can make them any size you like. 

 

once you decide on the main size you want your box, you can easily figure out your sizes of cardstock to cut. for the box portion, starting with your width and height, you add your depth once on each side, and again on both the top and bottom (or twice to the width and four times to the height), so for 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" with 1/2" depth, we need a piece of cardstock measuring 3-1/2" x 5-1/2".

 

then you score the depth all the way around once and a second time on each width as shown above.

 

next, you snip the corner pieces as shown and add adhesive. i like to trim the corner pieces at an angle as well to help with folding the flap that hides them.

 

once you fold up the sides, the corner pieces fall into place and then you fold the extra edge over to cover them up.

 

for the sleeve you need a strip of cardstock the same width as the length of the box, in this case 3-1/2", with an overall length to equal three times the width of the box plus two times the depth. so 2-1/2" + 1/2" + 2-1/2" + 1/2" + 2-1/2", for a total of 8-1/2", scored following the same pattern, width, depth, width, depth, width.

 

i chose this particular box size so that i could add a window using the heart die from matchbook medley. any window cutting and stamping should be done to the center box size panel as shown above. i backed the window with a layer of clear cardstock so that my contents could be both protected and seen.

 

to complete assembly, fold the two sections on the right of the box over, add adhesive to the last box size section and adhere to the first section from the left. i like to have the bottom sections overlapping to create a more solid structure and support.

 

once adhered, the box pops up to the right shape, a perfect fit to slide over the box base.

 

decorate and fill for the perfect valentine (or birthday or anytime) treat! dies are great, but having tricks like these up your sleeves adds a bit of flexibility to match whatever you're packaging - pun intended!

happy stamping!
:) lexi

celebrating the past, present and future: 2007

i started off as a papertrey ink customer with nichole’s very first stamp set in 2007, staying up late for every reveal, following the design team members, submitting entries for guest star stamper - the works! in fact, my blog is very much tied to papertrey ink, beginning in january 2007, about a month before the release of paper tray and filled with so much of that first year of stamps before i spent time on a couple of other design teams. so I definitely wanted to play along during today’s walk down memory lane. 

some of my favorite sets that year were the various labels sets. hershey's nugget labels were one of my first and often projects when i found stamping several years prior. i stamped "it's a girl chocolates" to give to visitors and staff at the hospital when both of my girls were born, and again for most of my friends, chocolates for back to school teacher gifts, various holidays, you name it! i absolutely loved nichole’s new take on the idea, and couldn't wait to add it to my bag of tricks. I was particularly excited about limitless labels and the coordinating year-round possibilities, so with valentine’s day around the corner, i decided to stamp some labels and relive the sweet magic!

i often gave them in bags or set them out in bowls, but i also enjoyed creating custom class valentines for my girls to give to their classmates, so i pulled out my punny valentine, also released in december 2007, and whipped one up. nuts for you valentine - i just love this squirrel! 

and of course i used the cute nugget tins papertrey carries as well. in fact, i paired the two sets together in a tin for a round of "guest star stamper" back in the day and received honorable mention. i also found a halloween blast from the past nugget project using the label stamp from spooky sweets for another 'mention...

so fun! now that i have showcased how this product from the past has remained a classic, it's your turn to share your ideas for the future! stop by nichole's blog to share a new project you make with this product, or just share a creation that is somehow inspired by what i made. get crafting and enter today so you can be eligible for a fantastic prize!

enjoy the trip down memory lane - ten years, wow! i'll be back a little later in the series to share my favorite pieces of confetti sets beginning with 2012 when i started designing. until then...

happy stamping!
:) lexi

alphabet wall art

good morning! we've made it to day five of the papertrey ink august countdown to new stamps and one more look at my new background stamp, alphabet soup. today, i'm going big - instead of cards, i've put together two examples of personalized wall art.

i love personalized items in kids rooms - letters, monograms, framed birth announcements, etc. by isolating a single letter, the alphabet soup image would be perfect for just that sort of artwork. i knew right away that i wanted to create this with secret agent. the idea of "highlighting" the letter both with color and the magnifying glass was so fun and i couldn't wait to make it happen!

like several other projects this week, i isolated the j to ink and stamp in orange zest. unlike those, i then masked it to ink and stamp the rest of the image in blueberry sky. i continued the orange and blue theme over to secret agent himself, adding in the blue details by fussy cutting and paper piecing those pieces right over the orange layer. i chose smokey shadow as my "black" for a bit more of a soft look. and i included acetate on the magnifying glass - of course!

next, i had to challenge myself to create a girl version. i wasn't sure what i was going to create around until i remembered super succulents. my girls are so into succulents! once again, i isolated and masked to get the c in green (for colleen!), while stamping the rest of the letters in pink.

using the various die cuts and stamps in the set, i created a hanging garden and hung it from the alphabet panel. because the focal image is smaller, i decided to go with a busier leafy background layer in soft stone. it's a little like wallpaper and it's the perfect backdrop to the plants! big sis mignon was a little annoyed that i didn't highlight the m. and i have to say i agree, but i'm thinking i should have done L!

well, that's a wrap from me officially. although i may have to post again tomorrow - so many ideas, so little time! definitely check back. until then, be sure to head over to nichole's blog for the daily scoop and links. and then start finalizing your list for when everything goes live on papertreyink.com tomorrow night...

is your wallet ready?!
:) lexi

 

supplies used ~ alphabet soup (available august 15th)

InLinkz.com

release day bonus post!

today's the day! new papertrey ink stamps, including my new set give me a hand, will be available and ready for purchase tonight at 10 pm eastern. i have so many more ideas in my head for this set than i was able to put to paper for the countdown. there are just not enough hours in the day (or night actually!), especially in december. i did manage to get one more really fun one done to post today. and considering that my tree finally went up this weekend, it's a timely one, too! so i've been picturing the hands throwing snow all week, which led to a little give me a hand + tinsel and tags mash up and this merry & bright snow ornament came to life. i snipped the house and deer off of their respective layers to simplify the scene and make room for the hands to take center stage. for added color interest and to coordinate with the banner, i double inked the ends of the sweater cuffs. then, using the back full circle die to trim the arms and sleeves to fit, i added them as an extra layer on foam tape, bringing them into the foreground. add a little snow, close it up, shake, and hang. first ornament on the tree! these are so much fun to make - i think i'm addicted!! i also wish i had a little real snow to go throw myself, but we don't and rarely ever do, so i'll have to be happy with stamps and fake flakes instead! speaking of stamps...

here's the full give me a hand reveal! phrases, hands, sleeves, jewelry, and dies - lots of mix and match options!! be sure to visit nichole's blog for the complete product release details and the design team's release in review and contest. they'll make you need things you didn't know you wanted...

happy shopping!
:) lexi

flashback friday :: boo! guess who! (updated)

i've noticed a lot of activity on my original post from october 2007 on spreading halloween fun with the game of boo'ing. i included the poem i used for others to download as use as well. it didn't print well for me last year, so i thought i'd take a flashback friday opportunity to compile the various you've been boo'd! idea photos i had and include an updated version of the poem. first up, from that original post, a dollar spot bucket filled with various candy and other seasonal treats, with several stamped details, of course - and a handmade ghost for the recipient to hang near the door. i love great finds like this bucket!

next, card stock treat bags from my recent pieces of confetti papertrey ink stamp set haunted borders, released in august. the set includes some cute stamps for creating fun halloween tricks and treats! make your own bags or decorate some ready made ones.

like these gift bags from 2008. i added decorative halloween paper to dress them up a bit, with the handmade ghosts taking center stage. quick and easy with supplies on hand!

here's a peek at the contents - spiders, skulls, and ghosts, oh my! plus halloween wrapped microwave popcorn. a little decorative paper adds just the right touch!

and finally, a new updated boo! poem, designed using art from an invitation i posted last week. it's slightly different from the one on the original post because i lost it in a computer transfer or something. so again, i found it online and set it up with my own images. as with the last one, it's scaled to fit on half a page of printer paper. you can add it to a document twice in a landscape layout and print two per page. or you can simply print to fit and it will print larger and fill most of the page. there's only two weeks to go...

happy boo'ing!!
:) lexi

original posts: october 12, 2007, october 31, 2008, and august 13, 2014

merry kiss-mas in review

wow! what a merry whirlwind of a week with kisses all around! my desk is covered in red and green and mistletoe and i love it. i had so much fun creating with this set. cards, tags, and even decor items - such great possibilities! the design team knocked it out the park as usual, but i especially loved erin's treat boxes, including one with chocolate kisses! i thought of pairing the phrase with red and green kisses when they came out, but i completely forgot that there was a chocolate kiss image in scent-imentals. which already lives here. and now i have more to stamp...!

Follow Lexi Daly's board pieces of confetti: merry kiss-mas on Pinterest.

speaking of design team projects, as with every pieces of confetti release, i've pinned their projects and mine to a dedicated board. i'll continue to add any i create or come across, so be sure to follow it if you want them to show up in your feed. and if you make a merry kiss-mas! project you'd like me to add, just leave a comment with a link. of course, that goes for any of my sets - i love to see what you make!! hugs & kisses...

merry kiss-mas!
:) lexi

p.s. now i need to get halloween up in my house! my holidays are all over the place, lol...

tie one on!

hi! it's day four - just two days until merry kiss-mas and the rest of the papertrey ink october release are revealed and in the shop. as you can see from my inspiration pics, today i'm focusing on tags and embellishments that you can make with the mistletoe, particularly the die - things to tie up or tie on! (photo sources, clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6/center)

first up, a felt bundle of mistletoe - one of the first things i thought of when designing the die! i cut four, added small pearls for the berries, and attached them to each other using floral tape and wire. two face the front, and two face the back so that you can see berries on both sides if hung from a doorway. i left the wire long enough to bend down to create a hook and added a red and green string bow and hanging loop to finish it off. one other thing i did before attaching them to each other was to clip apart the leaves where it made sense to gain a little more natural movement. i designed the stamp with overlapping branches for depth when stamped alone, but was careful to have places where it would be easy to separate leaves for projects like this. one clip on the right, two on the left - use the image as a guide to see where the leaves meet but don't overlap that much, and then round out your cuts gently. this little bundle would also make a great present embellishment!

speaking of presents, next up i have two gift tags. first, a mistletoe bundle created from two paper die cuts tied to the top of instant photo die 2, which was cut three times and stacked. i love the two photo dies and this layout is one i've done before, placing an element right over the photo space, leaving it open. as for the mistletoe, i wanted the results to be less stiff than card stock usually is, so i softened the paper by rubbing it on the edge of my desk and breaking the fibers down a bit. once flattened it was much softer and more pliable and has a soft wrinkled texture, which makes it easier to manipulate the leaves without creasing and adds interest to the bundle. the large verse in the set fills the lower part of the photo frame nicely. i can't wait to find the perfect gift for this little card!

for the second gift tag, i had to create a faux chalkboard tag based on the print in my inspiration set - and because i thought the image would look cool that way after being stamped in red and green all week! black card stock; white embossed mistletoe, twine tie, and sentiment; additional offset stampings of each with white pigment ink, and lots of fun "chalk" smudges with more white ink and a paper towel - and voila! the back is blank, ready for another stamped sentiment or a personal note. this design would also be great on a full card.

and finally, a mini mistletoe garland inspired by the one above, which is probably bigger. originally i intended to create this in felt, but my order didn't arrive in time. i wanted it to look different from the first project, so instead of using the same felt again (actually you could make several of those and string them together!), i went shopping around my studio and found some printable canvas pages. not as soft as the felt and not as flimsy as regular fabric; stiff, but definitely more pliable than card stock. stamping did not work well because of the texture, and i wanted to be able to snip the leaves apart like with the felt, so having them fully colored (i used a copic) was better anyway. they look a little like gingham, but that's just the texture showing through. 

for the berries, i was running low on pearls, so i went looking for something else fun to try and came accross a pack of air dry clay. it was super easy to roll the tiny balls, which i adhered with glossy accents and the end result is so cool! i added a second die cut without berries behind each one to build them up a bit. to the second from the end, i also added a small tag with a mini clothespin. i cut it to fit the sentiment and punched the top corners with a tag punch. i can't wait to add this (and the felt bundle above) to my christmas decorations this year! and just like i said with the felt one, a single sprig and a tag done this way would also make a great gift embellishment as well. so what do you think? so much fun, it's addictive! there's one more countdown day and i still have lots more ideas, so c'mon back tomorrow to see. meanwhile, it's group post day so head over to nichole for the details and links. melissa has a post up with her new set as well.

hugs & kisses!
:) lexi

flashback friday :: born to ride

in honor of father's day on sunday, i am flashing back to one of the many motorcycle man projects i've created for my dad. when stampin' up released the born to ride stamp set (oh so long ago!), i knew i'd get a lot of use out of it. and i have - note cards, a photo album, and luggage tags in addition to this framed artwork. it's fun to come up with new and different ways to use the same stamps - that's one of the best things about this hobby! there's still a little time for father's day crafting - what can i make with it next?

happy father's day weekend!
:) lexi

original post: june 17, 2008

stained glass ornaments

hello! welcome to day four of the papertrey ink september 2013 countdown to new stamps, and another look at my new set stained glass, available for purchase on the 15th. today, i have ornaments! and another cool stained glass technique - one that looks even more like the real thing...

it's a little easeir to see in the detail shot because they overlap and you can see right through. pretty cool, right? i stamped each of the windows on clear cardstock in versafine onyx black ink and embossed them with clear embossing powder. then i colored them in by filling the spaces with glossy accents tinted with dye ink refills. a little time consuming, but not difficult at all - and i love the results! the frames were made using the coordinating dies, two cuts per window, trimmed to the final size after sticking it all together. punch a hole, add some ribbon or cording, and the ornament is complete!

here's a progress shot along with a few tips. use scrap acetate or something non-porous as a pallette for your tinted glue. (you can toss it when you're done!) the glossy accents worked well because it's pretty fluid, but other similar glues would work too. start with small dots of ink when tinting. apply the tinted glue to the embossed image with a toothpick, kind of pushing it into the corners as you go. work fast! it starts drying and can get gummy in the process. if you had stray embossing powder speckles, the tinted glue covers it right up, so don't stress too much with the embossing. scribble on your pallette with a white paint pen and add the glossy accents to it for white glaze. the clear cardstock will warp when you heat it. try bending it back with your hands or press the finished ornaments in a book after they are completely dry. and finally, while the whole ornament is transparent, the "back" becomes the perfect front - the glass looks smother and you see less of the bubbles and streaks. these would look great decorating a package, hanging around a bottle of wine for your party or dinner hostess, or given as a little thought all on their own. you could also use the same technique on a window card similar to the one i posted on day one. hopefully you can tell how much fun i'm having with this set!

nichole and the creative team have lots to share today - it's group post day, so it's best to follow the design team links from there. plus melissa is sharing more with her new sets as well.  and don't forget to stop by tomorrow. there's one more day of countdown projects to go and i have a hint for you: there won't be any christmas cards in the mix...

t.g.i.f.!
:) lexi

flashback friday :: happy meal

like yesterday's post, my flashback friday this week was prompted by a fellow blogger's post earlier this week. audrey of pink ink originals shared her version of these mini hamburgers and it brought back so many memories! i learned about these sweet little treats from a fellow teacher in my early preschool teaching days and they quickly became one of my annual "cooking" projects. i created step by step picture cards that my little students would follow around the table until they had a finished cookie burger, all wrapped up, complete with french fries to go with. you know, those canned potato sticks? perfect scale! it was definitely a favorite activity. and as with all of my classroom faves, i couldn't wait to create them with my girls as soon as they were old enough.

my younger daughter loved them so much that she requested them for a school birthday treat when she was in pre-k (she just turned 12 last month!), which is what these photos are from. my preschool teaching days were also pre-stamping, so for packaging then, i would go to mcdonald's and ask for a few unused burger wrappers and cut them into smaller squares. but by the time colleen was in pre-k, stamping was a part of my everyday life, so of course i had to stamp the packaging to mimic the real deal. these stamps are mainly from an old stampin' up! set (bbq fun?), with the exception of the atomic star, which is from hot potatoes - one of my oldest and dearest! of course, there are many new stamps out there today that would be great for this project. a cookie burger & potato sticks alone are pretty cool, but supercute packaging is what really makes it the happiest of happy meals!

let's eat!
:) lexi

original post: miscellaneous stamped stuff photo album

flashback friday :: luck o' the irish to ya!

with st. patrick's day tomorrow, i just had to flash back to these cute little pots of gold.  a simple heart makes a great four leaf clover, and a few strips of paper, the perfect pot to hold some gold - it's not too late to craft a lucky treat!  and if you just don't have time, follow the links in the original post to see how this idea started as an easter basket - there's plenty of time for that!

happy st. patrick's day!
:) lexi

original post: march 17, 2008

flashback friday :: it's carnival time!

a friend of mine was wearing this necklace the other day - a real life flashback to inspire this week's flashback friday!  i've made many of these over the years for friends, family, teachers, etc.  i love the small canvas and the resulting necklace is fun to wear.  this mardi gras design was one of my first and still my favorite.  seeing it on my friend's neck reminded me that i need to pull mine out and wear it soon!  mardi gras day is quickly approaching...

:) lexi

original post: february 3, 2007

fashback friday :: peeps s'mores!

with easter quickly approaching, i thought i'd flashback to one of my all-time favorite easter treats:  peeps s'mores!  the idea originally came from fellow a muse crew member, jennie, and has become a staple class gift for us ever since.  as fun as they are to give, they're even more fun to make and eat--be sure to watch the magic happen through the microwave window!

:) lexi

original post: march 22, 2008

thank you...

need a last minute hostess gift for tomorrow?  bottles of wine are always appreciated!  a quickly stamped panel, wrapped and tied around the bottle turns it into the perfect thank you card and gift all in one.  easy, peasy, fun & festive!

:) lexi

flashback friday :: thanksgiving place cards

i can't believe how fast time is flying by--how did it get to be the last friday before thanksgiving?!  here's one more flashback to a thanksgiving project from the past.  place cards are such a nice touch on the thanksgiving table.  i've done a few different versions here and there, but tying a tag to a mini pumpkin has always been a favorite.  the printing and stamping is a nice touch, but a handwritten tag would work well too.  just a few days left...

:) lexi

original post:  november 17, 2008

tombstone centerpiece

how about a fun decoration today?  it's easy enough to make last minute, too.  when you ink only the edges and skull design at the top of the graveyard gatherings cling stamp from a muse, you have a big open gravestone to play with.  i added the rip with the fancy alpha clear set and a single mouse from three mice silhouette and made two identical gravestones, adhering them to each side of a simple box.  a little florist foam inside weights the box, with some twigs and moss to fill it out.  you could also use it to hold pixie stix or a small cello bag filled with treats.  any way you use it, it's sure to be terror-ific!

:) lexi

flashback friday :: countdown to halloween

happy october!  'tis the season for ghouls and ghosts and the countdown to halloween.  this flashback is from an amuse-bouche last year, a fun little countdown calendar for those who love halloween as much as we do.  it's easy to make and would be something you could take out every october.  kids (and kids at heart) would love to turn the pages each day and a muse has the best collection of halloween images to make it perfectly frightful and delightful.  you can read about how to make it and see a few more pages on my original post and you can see all of a muse's halloween images by clicking here!

have a great weekend!
:) lexi

original post:  august 29, 2009

flashback friday :: boo to you!

it's halloween blog carnival time at craft critique, so it's the perfect time to flash back to some of my favorite halloween projects.  i posted this picture along with several others on halloween day 2008, so it should be more useful to share them again now so you can recreate them with time to spare.  (click the link!)  i love halloween--neighborhood boo!s, decorations, costumes, tricks and treats--frightful is definitely delightful!  do you have a favorite trick or treat you'd like to share?  if so, add your link to the craft critique carnival--i always love seeing what other fun ideas are out there.  plus, you could win a give-away, too...

happy haunting!
:) lexi

original post:  october 31, 2008

flashback friday :: calendar at a glance

with yesterday's calendar on my mind, i thought it would be fun to flashback to last year's design--a year at a glance.  similar to this year's calendar, i focused on a school themed display calendar and one image per month.  a muse has the best images to choose from and the different sizes of the calendar offer so many design possibilities. win, win!

happy weekend!
:) lexi

original post:  september 16, 2009

it's a muse calendar time!

I love the a muse calendar project for two big reasons.  one, with several sizes to choose from, they are incredibly useful & fun to play with.  and two, donations made in exchange for the calendars are always given to very worthy causes.  proceeds from this year's calendar will benefit charley's fund, a fund established to honor the memory of charley, daughter of amanda beers, long-time a muse friend and fellow blogger.  each year, i think linda outdoes herself in the calendar offerings.  this year, there are five formats!  my daughter's been begging me for a magnetic calendar for her locker since the first day of school last month, so I knew exactly what I wanted to do when calendar time rolled around.  she has a full calendar in her planner, so the 4 x 6 size is perfect for decorating her locker and getting a quick peek when she opens it to gather her books.  we wanted something simple that could withstand the action her locker gets, with no layers or paper, so it sits flat against the metal wall.  instead of printing on regular paper or card stock, i printed the calendar on printable magnet paper--easy peasy!  she helped pick a favorite image for each month and we added some lines so that she can write a few highlights.  since the paper is formulated for inkjet printing, it also takes dye ink well, much like glossy card stock.  i used copics to color it in, but because of the gloss, you do have to be careful not to color over the lines too much.  she can't wait to hang the first semester up tomorrow!  my fellow muses have outdone themselves this year too--all of their gorgeous calendars are featured this week on the a muse blog with links to each one for more information, so be sure to check them out.  then donate to charley's fund and get your own a muse calendar download so you can make something useful and pretty too!

:) lexi

A Note From A Muse:  The A Muse Calendars are a download product only.  Nothing will be shipped to you.  Calendar orders are only processed during regular business hours {monday to friday 8a to 5p}.  Once your order has been processed, you will have unlimited access to the file(s) you have purchased.