Tags with the Crafter's Cafe

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge theme is Tags. We're sponsored by Rick St. Dennis, MFA, Angie's Cards & Digis, and Melonheadz Illustrations. I used "I Think I've Lost My Buttons" by RSD to create a tag atop a box for lost buttons!

I originally decorated this recycled box for the first Pile It On Challenge of 2012 ... I removed the top portion and remade it into a box for loose buttons.

Inspiration/Challenges:
Brown Sugar: Buttons
Crafting When We Can: Buttons Galore
Simon Says Stamp: Tags (2nd entry)

Update: This was chosen as the Winner for Crafting When We Can #109!

Thank you for visiting & hope you'll join us at The Crafter's Cafe,

Recycled Cat Food Can

I've often been inspired by our neighborhood cats, so I was excited to be able to help out my neighbors this week by feeding their sweet felines. The first time I fed them I knew I just had to alter one of the cute little cans!

I used cat food packaging for this entire project, from the can & lid for the box, to the outer cardboard for the book pages. Everything is covered with paper or ribbon, except for the outer parts of the can lid (because any embellishment on those parts impedes the opening of this fun box, which I know from experience.)

My husband figured out how to flatten the can's interior edge, using a spoon & a can opener. I covered the inside with a burlap ribbon that I bought at a rummage sale at the church across the street.

I made the paw-print pattern using the Catty font by Anke-Art. I converted two of the letters into cut files in SCAL and made the round frame for the front. It was cut from the same woodgrain-patterned paper I used throughout this project. I printed the "2015" in brown on a textured yellow paper using the same font. I think it look a bit like a flower! To finish the cap, I simply wrapped the top side with a green ribbon.

The cat cut file is from the My Family set by Bird. The cats are cut from textured papers to represent the colors of the featured felines.

The pages are bound with an orange ribbon. I wrapped more ribbon around the book, adhering it only to the front so that it easily unwraps. To secure it, I used a tiny key charm from Cousin/Designs By Me.

I had so much fun making this, and I got the best hugs from my neighbor when I gifted this to her!

Challenges/Inspiration:
2 Creative Chicks Challenge #25: "Anything Goes" (No Cards)
All Crafts Challenge: Anything But a Card
Open-Minded Challenge #34: Recycle (2nd entry)
Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-Invent April Challenge: Recycle
That Craft Place: Alter Something

Update: This received an Honorable Mention for the Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-Invent April Challenge.

Thank you for visiting & for inspiring my crafting,

Vintage Peter Rabbit Box

Mom sent me some Prima wood veneer embellishments, and as soon as I saw the little wooden box that they come in I knew I'd have to alter it! I'm not alone in this emotion: one of Mom's friends has been making the sweetest vintage curio boxes out of them.

Click photos to enlarge

I distressed the box with Vintage Photo ink, and then covered the inside of the squares & the outer box with a patterned Vellum tape. This was time-consuming & exacting work, but totally worth it! I sorta sealed the tape by painting the front of the frame with Crackle Paint.

I used two double-sided papers, both by Graphic 45: Fairy Folk from the Once Upon a Springtime Collection (so bummed that this is discontinued!), and April Cut-Aparts from the Place in Time Collection. I inked the squares with Vintage Photo distress ink and coated them with Crackle Paint (Ranger).

For the shrinky-dinks and the sentiment, I used my Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter Stamp Set by Crafter's Companion. I stamped the images with black Staz-On ink and colored them with stamp markers. I also made them into little buttons by punching holes with my Crop-O-Dile. I shrunk them in my toaster oven, and sewed them onto lace flowers (originally a ribbon) with white thread. 

The sentiment was stamped in Aegean Blue chalk ink (VersaMagic) onto manilla paper. I distressed it with Antique Linen and put it in a metal frame. Using Glossy Accents as an adhesive, I dipped the piece in Microdots for a little something extra.

The satin ribbon roses, yellow lace, and daisy are from my stash, and the wood bird is from Prima (not from the set I used for the box, though). I Colored the bird with Copics to make it match with the other bluebirds.

I pierced the top of the box with an awl and strung the ribbon through with a needle to make a hanger. I finished the box with some copper Liquid Pearls and chipboard corner embellishments from Make It Crafty (actually part of a freebie I received with an order, which was part of a prize). I covered the chipboard with more Vintage Photo ink and Crackle Paint.

Inspiration/Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge: Button it (Shrinky-dink buttons)
Come and Get It Challenges: Anything But a Card
Crafter's Companion March Challenge: Vintage
Kaboodle Doodles: Anything But a Card
Paper Crafting Journey: Anything But a Card
QKR Stampede: 3 of something (3 buttons, 3 roses)
Sarah Hurley March Challenge: Recycle 
Sassy Studio Designs #167: Recycle

This isn't my usual sort of project, but I'll definitely make another one. I have a collection of tiny shells that would make a cute beach-themed box, so stay tuned! This one is going to Mom & Dad as an early Easter present, so I made them a little gift card, signed by all us including their grand-animals!

I also made a gift box and matching tag:

Thank you for visiting,