Easter Baskets

Okay- I'll get to the post in a minute- I just want to share something exciting with all of you...... hehehehehehehehehe I am going to have Stampin' Up! Stuff!!!! Yea- I know!!!!! and No- I don't own any SU! stuff yet. I have been wanting, for the past year, to throw a party and place my very very first order. See- when I started papercrafting- it was as a scrapbooker (and oh- was I SO not good at that!) and I didn't think throwing catalogue parties were anything to write home about. I didn't stamp on anything- so why bother buying stamps and ink and buying packs of paper when I can go and buy paper at my local SBS? Then a couple of years ago I started getting into card making (also- very very bad start- I like to think I'm improving tho!) and that expanded to papercrafting/gift making as I wanted to make my own boxes. I stumbled upon candy making during this time because I wanted the whole gift to be personalized and I started buying Papercrafts Magazines to find templates for different box patterns. THEN while doing a internet search for various templates- I wonderfully and magically came upon Splitcoast Stampers and have been inspired, amazed and in love ever since. That was about a year ago- and I found blogs and wonderful inspiration from fellow paper crafters. And most of them had this in common: products from Stampin' Up.

Now- I'm an all or nuthin' kind of girl- so I wanted to wait til I could place a HUGE order (meaning have the money to afford a huge order) and that has brought me to here. A year later- my FIRST party is in two weeks and my wish list is GINORMOUS with inks, stampin' around wheels, paper, cardstock, stamp sets and punches. *sigh*. I'm so happy- AND eager to play with my new 'toys'! hehehehehehe

OKAY now that THAT'S said and done- on to today's post :) Easter is just around the corner and today, for many, is the last day before the holidays for the kiddos. So I never whipped up any Easter gifts for teachers before- it's always been cupcakes for the class. I think class gifts are cute and all- but really- kids at that age are just going to tear them apart and eat the goodies inside. Sure it was fun to make all that- but all the time and money FLOOSH down the drain. I never thought of making something just for the teachers before- and when I did- it was always too late (again- it typical Brandie fashion) SO this year I actually did it and here's what I came up with:

So I sort of got part of this idea from clearlyistamp- (I don't know the blog address- but they have some amazing ideas on there!) but I did mine a bit differently. Where their's was a basket- mine is more of a box. Not what I had sketched- but hey, it turned out okay :) So taking a 4x4 inch peice of cardstock patterned paper (you want the strength) score at .5 inch all the way around and just cut and paste a basic box bottom. Using acetate- 2.5x11- score at 2.5,5,7.5,10 and glue in the tab. (make sure you have about 1/16th of an inch on each side to shimmy in the box bottom). Put sticky strip along the bottom of the acetate and squeeze it together as you slide it into the box bottom. Press to adhere. I made the lid the same way- but I didn't glue it on. I made the picket fence REALLY easy and DID lift that from clearlyistamp. I cut some white CS into 1.5x0.5 strips and pointed the edge. Pretty simple :) For the flowers and butterflies I used my Marvy and Fiskar punches. The paper was fun: take some white vellum, and ink a slab of it (maybe 3x3 in square?) and while the ink is still wet- pour a mix of 1/2 fine glitter, 1/2 fine embossing powder (have it pre-mixed). Shake off the excess and then use your heat emboss tool to emboss it. Go over it slowly- as I have blistered MANY a vellum :) Careful when you punch it tho- sometimes the ink will lift off. Then I just added stickles, a tag and some sheer ribbon and done! I even covered the mini chocolate bars!

I am happy with it :) I just hope the teachers like them- they seemed to. I added some Easter grass to give the chocolate some 'lift'. Ohhh- I'd LOVE to find a chocolate bar cavity like these little nuggets so I can make my own. I would also love it if Wilton had different colours of foil. Maybe they do and my local Michaels is just too red neck to carry it lol.

SO! There I am :)

I am thinking of making a few more for my neices and nephews as a quick easter gift. They are older so they'd appreciate it better than younger kids would.

Now if I don't blog before then- I wish you all the best this Easter season- may the peace and joy of our Lord Jesus be with all of you as we remember His death and celebrate his ressurection- peace!

~Brandie~