Here is a way to give a bouquet of flowers that is a little different from the usual! Mount seed packets on skewers in a vase for a festive gift. Such arrangements can also be used for table centerpieces or party favors.
Seed packet holder templates
Laminating sheets (optional)
Scissors
Cardstock
Cutting mat
X-acto or craft knife
Metal ruler
Pencil
Double-sided tape
Small hole punch
Wood skewers (available in grocery stores)
Decorative paper flowers
Needle tool or awl
Decorative flower-shaped brads
1. Download the template Seed Packet Holders. It includes two holder templates. Cut out and if you like, laminate for durability.
2. Use the template that is the correct size for your seed packet and cut out a piece of card stock of a color that is harmonious with your seed packet. Fold it in half.
3. Lay the holder piece flat on your cutting mat and place the template over it. Cut four diagonal slits through both your template and the front of the seed packet holder. When you use the template again, if you like you can draw lines through it with a pencil to indicate where to cut on the front of the holder.
4. Push a wooden skewer through the back of the holder so that the blunt end of the skewer ends up inside the holder butted up against the fold. Tape in place.
5. Slip your seed packet into the front of the holder and poke a hole with a needle tool or awl in the holder piece at each corner of the seed packet.
6. Take four small paper flowers in colors that go well with your seed packet and position them inside four larger paper flowers. Poke a decorative brad through each flower to make a flower center. Push the brads through the holes in each corner and fold brads over on the back. If you can use the brad tines to help hold the seed packet in place as you spread them that is a bonus.
7. Put double sided tape along the sides and bottom inside your holder. Fold the front down and press halves together.
1. Download and print out one of the faux postage templates.
2. Tape a piece of acetate over the printed template.
3. Using a metal ruler as a guide and with the self-healing cutting mat underneath, use your mat knife or X-acto knife to cut out the squares on the template. You will cut through both the acetate and paper layers as you do so.
4. Remove the paper from the acetate. Now your template is ready to use.
Make the stamps
Tools and materials
Dye-based rubber stamping ink
Light colored cardstock
Colored pencils
Faux postage stencils
Sponges
Water container
Palette
Rubber stamps in a spring theme such as flowers and butterflies
Word rubber stamps for backgrounds
Tiny faux postage rubber stamps or other tiny word and number stamps
Decorative edging scissors
Heat tool
1. Tape a piece of light colored cardstock down on your work surface. Tape your acetate faux postage stencil in place over it, hinging it at the top with tape so you can lift the acetate between steps.
2. Squirt a few light analagous colors of rubber stamping ink on a palette. For example, light yellow, ochre yellow and light orange, or light pink and light peach. Sponge these colors inside the openings in the stencil while blending. Try to get the colors lighter toward the middle and darker toward the edge.
3. Lift the acetate (this is so that you don’t melt the stencil) and dry well with a heat tool. Stamp a word stamp as a background in a light taupe or light tan color. Dry the ink again.
4. Outline the inside edges of each opening with an analgous color of colored pencil – for example orange with the yellow inks, magenta with the pink inks.
5. Select a stamp for the main part of your image and stamp it toward the middle of each opening in burgundy ink.
6. Select some tiny faux postage stamps and stamp them in black around the edges.
7. Cut stamps apart with a decorative paper-edging scissors.
Following are the stamps I used in each sample.
The background stamp is by Stampington. Butterfly stamps are from 7gypsies then in black I stamped the following stamps from Carolyn’s Stamp Store:
Every once in awhile I like to participate in a challenge to stretch myself creatively. Canvas Corp is having a challenge called Joys of Spring, using the colors of these products:
Joys of Spring challenge colors
I don’t own any of the products in the photo but I do own some rubber stamps by the Canvas Corp brand 7gypsies and I used a few of them in my project. I decided to make some seed packets like the ones in my previous seed packets tutorial only in the challenge colors. Here are the results.
3 1/8 x 4 1/8 in seed packets2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch seed packets
If you would like to make some similar seed packets, here are some free templates that you can download and use.
Easter card with rubber stamped and stenciled decoration
Here is a project that will help you use up some paper scraps!
Tools and Supplies
Scissors
Decorative paper scraps in pastel and spring colors
Pencil
Paper cutter
Corner rounder
Cardstock
Scoring tool
Folding tool
Masking tape (low-tack type is best)
Sponges
Stencils with interesting background textures
Rubber stamps, including small letter stamps
Rubber stamping ink – black and assorted colors
Heat tool (optional)
Clean scrap paper
Glue stick
Small hole punch
Eyelets
Eyelet setter
Hammer
Instructions
Draw an egg shape 1 3/4″ tall on the back of decorative paper. If you have a die cut, punch or stencil that is around that size you can use that. Cut out egg. If you need inspiration for color schemes, scroll down to the bottom of this article for more samples.
Cut some thin strips out of a contrasting paper and glue them on the front of the egg. Trim the stripes around the edge of the egg shape with scissors.
Cut out a piece of paper 2 1/4 x 2 1/4″ for a background to the egg. Round the corners with a corner rounder. Stamp a textural stamp on part of of the square. In my sample I used a stamp from 7gypsies. Make sure the ink is dry, use a heat tool if necessary to speed it up. Glue the egg onto the square.
Cut an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ inch piece from cardstock for the body of the card. Score down the middle and fold in half.
On the front of the card, sponge some rubber stamping ink in complementary colors through some interesting background stencils. For my samples I used stencils from The Crafters Workshop. Hold the stencil and card in place with masking tape on your work surface if necessary while working.
When ink is dry, stamp a textural rubber stamp along the top and bottom edges in a complementary color of your choice. In my sample I used a stamp from 7gypsies.
Glue the square with the egg on it to the middle of the front of the card.
Stamp two large brackets on either side of the square in black. I used stamps from the set “Memory Craft Helpers” from Carolyn’s Stamp Store.
Cut two strips of paper 3/8″ x 4.25″. Using black ink stamp the word “Happy” in the center of one and “Easter” on the other. I used a stamp set with interchangeable letters to form the words. Randomly stamp a design in black here and there on one or both of the strips. For my samples I used a stamp from 7gypsies that looks like ledger paper. Glue the two strips in place above and below the square with the egg on it.
Punch four holes in the ends of the paper strips and insert an complementary color eyelet in each. Set the eyelets.
You’re done! If you want to make a matching envelope for the card, the free downloadable template “Square Envelope Template” will fit.
Would you like to make an Easter basket that you can cut apart and bury in the garden when you’re done with it? If growing conditions are right you might even be able to grow some wildflowers!
Tools and Supplies Biodegradable Easter Basket Template
Laminating sheets (optional)
Scissors
Pencil
Cardstock
Folding tool
Masking tape
Plantable seed paper
Rubber stamps
Rubber stamping ink
Clean scrap paper
Yes Paste
Piece of cut-up credit card
Stiff, short-bristled paintbrush (can be an old one – it’s for spreading glue)
4 clothespins or clips
Small hole punch
Raffia
Gift basket shred
Laminate the parts for durability if desired, and cut out.
Make the Basket
Trace the piece labeled “cardstock piece” on cardstock, and cut out. Make folds where indicated.
Cut a 3″ x 4″ piece from clean scrap paper to use as a mask. Make a loop from masking tape and use it to temporarily tack down the mask piece to what will be the bottom of the basket.
Rubber stamp the basket sides.
Remove mask, and fold up the sides. Apply Yes Paste to tabs and press to the insides of the basket. Hold tabs with clothespins or clips until the glue dries.
Trace the piece labeled “seed paper piece” onto a piece of plantable paper. Fold at the base of the basket. At the top of the flaps, fold in the opposite direction to make a liner.
Spread Yes Paste onto the inside bottom of the basket, and press liner into the bottom.
Spread Yes Paste onto underside of flaps, and press into place on the outside of the basket.
Cut out a piece of cardstock or seed paper that is 1″ x 8.5″. If using cardstock, stamp it with the same color you used on the bottom of the basket.
Cut out a piece of contrasting color seed paper that is .5″ x 8.5″. Glue this strip down the center of the 1″ wide strip to make your handle piece.
With a small hole punch, make holes in lower part of basket and handle piece where indicated on the template.
Line up holes and glue handle to basket. Hold in place with clips if necessary.
Take egg tag template and place on back of seed paper. Trace around with pencil and cut out. Punch two holes in egg where indicated on the template. Fold in half.
Thread raffia through 1/2 of the basket starting at the outside by one of the handles. Leave some trailing ends of raffia. Take another piece of raffia and thread the other half of the basket. Run one of the raffia pieces through the egg shaped tag. Tie ends of raffia together in a bow at the outside of the basket where the handles connect.
Fill with compostable gift basket shred and goodies, and you’re done! After you’re done with the basket, if you want to you can bury it in your garden and if growing conditions are right you might get some new wildflower plants from the seed paper!
Here is a card project that mixes an analagous color scheme with neutrals. An analagous color scheme is one that uses colors that are near each other on the color wheel, in this case blue, blue-green and blue-purple. The colors are so close together that it’s nearly a monochromatic color scheme – a design that uses tints and shades of one color. My samples were made as birthday cards, but you can make the card for multiple occasions by changing the sentiment stamp. This card helps you to use up paper scraps!
Tools and Supplies
Paper cutter
Ruler
Cardstock
Scoring tool
Folding tool
Rubber Stamps
Rubber Stamping Ink
Waterproof ink in light to medium neutral colors
Pigment or chalk ink in white or very light blue
Dye inks in various shades of blue
Dye ink in black
Clean scrap paper
Brayer
Freezer paper or temporary palette
Old lid
Flat sided white eraser like a Magic Rub
Paper scraps in neutral shades and blue shades
Flower punch
Circle punch that is a good size for the center of the flower
Thin navy blue marker
Glue stick
Directions
1. Take an 8.5 x 5.5″ piece of cream colored cardstock, score down the middle and fold in half.
2. Using some of your favorite background stamps, stamp in light to medium neutral waterproof ink colors in the four quadrants of the front of the card. Make the axis about three inches up from the bottom of the card so that the lower quadrants are taller than the upper quadrants.
Front of card with background stamps. The stamp in the upper left quadrant is by Inkadinkado and the lower right stamp is by Carolyn’s Stamp Store. The stamp in the upper right and lower left quadrants is by Hero Arts.
3. Place your folded card face up on some clean scrap paper. With your brayer roll out some very light blue chalk or pigment ink onto a palette or temporary palette made of freezer paper. I only had white ink so I tinted mine slightly with some blue dye ink. Roll the ink over the front of the card several times until designs on the front of the card are subdued by a light blue semi-transparent tint.
If you don’t have a brayer or suitable pigment ink you can make a wash out of acrylic paint or gesso and brush that over the stamped images.
Front of card with layer of ink brayered over the background stamps
4. Let the ink dry. Most pigment and chalk inks dry slowly so if you have to speed up heating use a heat tool or hair dryer. Heat tools are hotter than hair dryers so use caution. To test whether your ink is completely dry, place a piece of clean scrap paper over it and rub with a bone folder. Lift up the scrap paper. If no ink comes off, it’s dry.
5. Cut out an assortment of 1.75″ x 1.75″ squares of medium neutral shades and different light to medium blues. Stamp backgrounds with an assortment of neutral inks and inks in shades of blue. Leave a few blank. Make more than you think you will need so you can mix and match later on to get combinations that please you.
6. Outline the squares in blue ink by squirting a bit of ink onto an old lid and dipping the edge of your eraser in it. Use the eraser to transfer the ink to the edges of the squares. In the image below, the stamp at the lower left is by Inkadinkado and the stamp at the lower right is by Stampington.
7. Assemble a collection of paper scraps in neutral shades and shades of blue. You can use both plain and patterned paper. Punch out a bunch of flower shapes and circles for the insides of the flowers out of these scraps. Make more than you think you will need so you can mix and match to find good combinations as you’re assembling the cards.
8. Take some of the solid color center dots and stamp on them in neutral or blue inks.
9. Take some of the solid color flower shapes and stamp on them in shades of blue.
10. Lay four squares down on the front of your card and select four flowers and centers that you like to place within the squares. You can mix and match solid and printed colors if you like. A solid piece here and there gives the design a little breathing room.
11. Draw “stitches” with a navy blue marker around the inside edges of the four squares. Do the same with the insides of the circles.
12. Glue the circles to the flowers, then the flowers to the squares. Glue the squares down in the upper 3.75″ area of the card. Place a piece of clean scrap paper over all and burnish with your bone folder so the glue has a nice tight seal.
13. Cut out a .75 x 4.25″ strip of cream colored card stock. Stamp a sentiment in black ink on it. The Happy Birthday stamp I used in my samples is from Carolyn’s Stamp Store. Apply blue ink to the edges with your eraser. After the ink is dry, glue the strip to the front of the card and burnish well. Trim if needed. You’re done!
Optional embellishments: Sew small buttons in the flower centers or add a decorative flower blue eyelet or brad to each flower center. If you decide to sew on buttons, you may want to sew the stitch marks in step 11 instead of drawing them on.
Do you have any garden seeds left over from your spring planting? Seeds can make great spring gifts for gardeners, especially if attractively packaged.
Front and back of decorated seed packet
Here is how to make a seed packet like the one shown above.
1. Download and print out the PDF file Seed Packet Template. Cut out the template and if you like laminate it for durability.
2. Take some decorative paper with a subtle pattern on it and stamp some background stamps on it in complementary ink colors to make it more interesting.
3. Place decorative paper back side up on your work surface. Place template on paper and trace around with pencil. Cut out envelope and fold in tabs. Tape or glue all the tabs except the top tab. Leave that one open so you can add seeds later.
4. Cut out a narrow strip of paper with a decorative scissors and stamp on it the word “Seeds” surrounded by small brackets. Glue it across the top of the envelope about an inch down or whatever looks right to your eye. Trim the ends if needed.
5. Punch out a flower shaped piece of decorative paper and punch out a paper circle for the middle. Glue circle on flower and glue flower to front of envelope.
6. Stamp large brackets around flower.
7. Turn the envelope over and cut out a piece of paper that will fit on the back. You can stamp it with a rubber stamp that emulates lined paper like I did in my sample or use paper with lines printed on it if you like.
8. Stamp the words “Species”, “Harvested”, “Location” and “Notes” on the paper, then glue to the back of the envelope.
9. When you fill with seeds, write out the information about the seeds on the back where indicated. Then glue or tape down the top tab or seal with a sticker.
Here are links to some of the stamps I used in this project:
For this past Father’s Day I made my Dad a blank 6 x 6 journal for a trip we took to Toronto and New York City. Dad wrote notes about our activities in the journal during the trip and we are slowly filling the book in with photos. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite layouts as we go.
Because the pages are 6 x 6 inches, I’m using a smaller than normal photo format. Using Photoshop, I am making 4 x 6 inch photo montages that I am having printed at a local drug store. I cut the prints apart and end up with images that are small enough to fit several on a 6 x 6 page. We took a LOT of photos and I’m adding a lot of embellishments, so this book will probably eventually turn into several books.
Two-page spread of 6 x 6 scrapbook pages that use discarded photo negatives as a decorative accent.
A client of mine threw out a bunch of old photos and negatives, so I saved some of the interesting ones to use in mixed-media artwork. The tiny negatives shown above have nothing to do with the subject matter of these two pages shown here but they are so small you can’t tell and I was intrigued by them as a design element. I decided to include some on these pages attached by tiny brads.
To unify the look of the pages, I downloaded some free digistamps and altered them into a frame graphic which fit my printed photos. I had the frames printed out on clear transparency film and layered the film over my photos with more of the brads. The “Beautiful” stamp and the decorative papers I used are from 7gypsies and the other rubber stamps are from my own Carolyn’s Stamp Store collection.
Mixed-media shadow box ornament by Carolyn Hasenfratz.
The Holiday 2015 issue of RubberStampMadness is out and I want to let you know about it because my article “No Ordinary Ornament” is published within! If you want to read it check the newsstand at your favorite craft retailer or go to the RubberStampMadness web site to order a copy. My four-page article contains step by step instructions and templates which you can copy and enlarge. Here are some other highlights of the holiday issue – Current Issue.
Some of the rubber stamps I used in my samples are from other stamp companies and some are of my own design and are available in my online store, Carolyn’s Stamp Store.
I was due to give a presentation on “Scrapbooking With Memorabila” at the upcoming “Miles of Possibility: The Edwardsville Route 66 Conference” but it was just cancelled due to problems with the venue. If you want to view the slides and read my notes they are on this page. I will still be there as a vendor.
