Creative Cucina

I made this box for my sister’s classroom. It’s designed to hold the numbers for her class calendar, hence the “school days” title.

I used colored chipboard sheets and ran them through the Big Shot using the Bigz Clear Scallop Square Die. I attached each one by punching holes with the cropadile and weaving Crushed Curry Polka Dot ribbon through the holes.

For the bottom of the box, I used one of the chipboard scallop squares, glued in with Tombow Multi.

On the front, I decorated the box with tempting turquoise card stock, certainly celery, and whisper white. I stamped “school days” using the retired set Tidy Alphabet in real red, tempting turquoise, certainly celery, pumpkin pie, and daffodil delight ink.

The school buses are from the new set Every Little Bit, colored in with Copic Markers, cut out, and adhered to the box with stampin dimensionals.

The chalkboard technique, by nature of having to use dark card stock, sometimes results in a drab card. The chalk colors certainly help to brighten it up, but something about stamping on a black background is just counter-intuitive! So, I decided to use bright colors paired with the black to liven up the card a bit.

Card base is Old Olive, layered with Whisper white embossed with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. I stamped the flower from Pick a Petal on Basic Black card stock with White Craft ink. Then, I used the Stampin Up Pastels to color in the image with Rose Red and Pumpkin Pie chalk.

Here is a tip when using this stamp set: I like to start with the center of the flower first, then stamp my petals at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. Go back and stamp between each petal for an evenly spaced flower!

After rubbing the excess chalk off the card stock with a dry tissue, I paper pierced around the edges. Adhere the Basic Black layer to the embossed White layer with stampin dimensionals.

The ribbon along the bottom of the card is 1 1/4″ Pumpkin Pie Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, folded in half. I used some white string to loop through the button holes, then tied it around the folded ribbon, cinching it with a knot. The button is a large Old Olive button from the Bold Brights Buttons. A tiny glue dot on the back of the button helps it stay flat on the card. Adhere the ribbon edges to the back of the Whisper White layer with SNAIL or other adhesive.

For the last step of assembly, use stampin dimensionals to adhere the white and black layers to the Old Olive base.

There is something about the chalkboard technique on dark brown card stock rather than black that I like better. It looks warmer, and with fall right around the corner, I was in the mood to use the Season of Friendship stamp.

First, I stamped the tree with White Craft ink onto chocolate chip card stock cut with the Top Note Die. I added some leaves on the tree and along the ground with White Craft ink as well. Next, I used Stampin UP Pastels (chalks) in browns and oranges and yellows to color in the stamped image. After rubbing the excess chalk away with a dry tissue, your colored image is revealed.

I’m on a Victoria Crochet Trim kick lately. I did not think I would like it but ordered it on a whim and now I can’t stop using it! I wrapped the ribbon around the top note and added a sentiment from Whimsical Words stamped in Cajun Craze ink on Very Vanilla. I punched it out with the Curly Label Punch and attached it to the card with a stampin dimensional. To highlight the edges, I took a sponge dauber in More Mustard ink (my dauber had a little shimmer paint residue on it, hence the sparkles).

The card base is More Mustard layered with Cajun Craze (a perfect fall color). I embossed the Cajun Craze with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder before adhering it to the card.