You Make My Heart Skip a Beat - MFT Creative Chat - The Creative Process

Pin It

It's time for the MFT Creative Chat. The My Favorite Things Design Team Creative Chat is a monthly feature, where we are challenged to explore our creative spaces and share valuable organizational methods, tools, and shopping strategies with you. You'll be able to peek into our creative spaces, ask questions, and share your own ideas in the MFT forum.  This month, we were asked the following questions:  

Show us your creative mind at work.  Take us on a journey through a card-making session, start to finish.

How do you select colors, layout, embellishments, and overall design?

Share your creative process with us.

Visit Kim's Blog for a full list of designers that have taken up the challenge and get ready to delve into the minds of our creative team.

Sharing my creative process was a fun concept for me.  I am a very analytical, mathematical, and methodical stamper.  I have a system... LOL

My *basic* card making "recipe" is:

1. Decide what "style" of stamp set I will be using (what line, sentiment only or coloring involved, etc)
2. Choose a patterned paper pack
3. Choose a specific stamp set
4. Stamp image and color, when necessary
5. Choose layout for card and get layers cut and ready
6. Stitch layers with sewing machine
7. Choose embellishments and ribbon
8. Assemble card
9. Add finishing touches
10. Decide whether I will finish the inside or not. (Is there another stamp from the set I would like to use?  Need to add another sentiment?)

Climb into my world of rules, steps, and procedures as I create this card using Jump for Joy Pure Innocence.  :) 

I almost always start with a basic idea of what "line" of stamp sets I want to use.  In this case it was Pure Innocence.  I had no idea which set I was going to use, but I knew I wanted to start with the patterned paper.  It usually ALL starts with the patterned paper.  The patterned paper dictates everything else during a card design (in lots of cases), so this is a typical "step 1" for me.  I decided I wanted to use the cute Echo Park Yours Truly 6 X 6 patterned paper pad.  

After I chose the patterned paper, the stamp set was next on my list.  Because the paper was themed, I wanted a lovey dovey stamp set to coordinate with it, so I chose Jump for Joy Pure Innocence.  The stamp set includes cute love-themed sentiments, so it fit the "feel" of the paper well. 

Let me clear up something about patterned paper... just because they all come in a pack, does NOT mean they all go together.  Often times, there are certain patterns that can mix and match, and others that really don't mesh well, so I often pull a handful of patterns that will mix and match well, to start with.  These are the patterns I felt had potential.  I chose some of the more "light" patterns - meaning they were appropriate for this style of stamp.  It's all about making it flow and trying to avoid clashing elements.

My next step is USUALLY to start the card, color the image, etc, but this time I wanted to grab some matching ribbons before I got started so I could decide how to color her, paper-piece her dress, etc.  I KNEW I wanted to use ribbon so I needed to see what my options were.  I grabbed ribbons from my pink, red, and white drawers.  

I hadn't used this paper pack yet, so I needed to color match my Copic markers to the patterned papers in the pack.  I hold up the paper to my chart, determine the best color matches, and jot them down on the cover of the patterned paper pad.  Next time I want to use the pad, I won't have to color match again, as I have already written them down and can skip that step.  

Next, I grabbed some card stock that matched the patterned paper colors.  I wanted to have them at my disposal in the event I needed some plain card stock.  The bonus of having all this stuff picked out, is that I can create a couple cards after this process, which makes for more efficient stamping.  After all the matching is done, you can spend all your time on creativity.  

I knew I wanted to paper-piece her dress, so I chose a pattern to use for her dress.  I tend to choose SMALL prints for paper-piecing the PIs because you want your pattern to show, and to look realistic (like material would on a real dress).  I stamped the image once to color, once on the patterned paper, and another time on white card stock because I knew I wanted to piece her collar and belt on with more white.

I colored her with Copic markers, and cut out the pieces for her dress.

Then, I added my paper-pieced dress.

Next up was the collar and belt.

While I generally don't enjoy pink and red together, that is what the patterned papers called for, so I added small touches of red on her barrette and belt to pull the patterned paper together with the image.  I like things to meld and blend nicely.

Next, I choose a general layout and lay it all together to see how it looks.  I do this before adding adhesive to anything.  It's always easy to switch things out, and I like to have an idea of how the card is coming together before I commit.

I liked how all the pieces and patterns were looking together, so I went ahead and stitched the layers, chose some pink twill from my stash to add a little strip behind the image, and got the card base layer ready.  I wanted to add an embellishment (or three) and peeked in my pink, red, white, and gray drawers to see what I could find that would complement the image, and I found these pearly brads.  Sweet, simple, and just what the card doctor ordered.

I wanted to jazz up the image, so I grabbed some pink twine, threaded it, and sewed it on so I could lay it over the jumprope on the stamped image.

I used the Best Glue Ever to adhere the twine to the image.  Just a little dab'll do it. 

Because the card was a little plain, I wanted to jazz up the image a *little* more and opted for some 2 mm Swarovski Hot Fix Crystals for the buckles of her shoes.  

I just keep adding things until it looks right to me.  This was a clean design, so I called it "good" and this is my finished card:

Thanks for joining me for this month's MFT Design Team Creative Chat.  Don't forget to head to the MFT Blog so you can see what the rest of team has in store for you.   I'll see you tomorrow for the start of MFT Teaser Time!  *YAY*

You Make Me Happy

Pin It Hi all and thanks so much for stopping by today.  I have a quick and easy card for this week's MFT Wednesday Stamp Club 56.


I kept the focus on the Fringed Perennial Die-namics and added a small sentiment from Clearly Sentimental about You.  I layered the panel containing the flower with the Open Scallop Doily Duo Die-namics, added plenty of layers and stitching, and topped it off with black brads to make every layer POP.

Remember, you can get all the details by visiting the MFT Blog and the MFT forum on SCS (look for the most recent WSC thread).  You'll need to upload your card in the SCS gallery using the keyword shown on the sketch. You will have the chance to win up to $20 in MFT money. One winner is chosen at random each week!

Go get sketchy with MFT!

Elegant Single Cupcake Box - A Photo Tutorial

Pin It

Hello all and welcome to the MFT/Scor-Pal Blog Hop.  We have teamed up with the Scor-Pal design team to bring you projects that incorporate both MFT Stamps and Die-namics, and the wonderful products from Scor-Pal.  Head on over to the MFT Blog for a complete list of participating designers from both MFT and Scor-Pal.  There are a couple prizes along the way, so be sure to comment for your chance to win a prize.  


For my project, I revisited a Single Cupcake Box that I created MANY years ago (you can see it HERE).  A lot has changed, including my scoring tool of choice, so I wanted to re-do, improve, and use all the nifty tools that make stampy life easier.  

My first version of the cupcake box was very "cute", so this time I wanted to add an elegant touch.  I found exactly what I was looking for in the MFT Rolled Rose and MFT Large Rolled Rose.  I die-cut many of them in coordinating patterned paper from Prima and assembled a bunch of them.  I also cut a ton of leaves from Upsy Daisy and a couple Leafy Flourishes, which ended up being mostly covered up with the flowers.  The sentiment is from Tag, You're It and was stamped on the large Fishtail Banner from First Place Award Ribbon (I cut off one end).

I created a "cupcake liner" by scoring kraft card stock every 1/4", accordion folding, and then placing it in the cupcake "well".  You could also add an actual cupcake, but I didn't make any, so I filled it with fancy "Chocolate from Around the World" instead.  The top of the insert was decorated with a patterned paper strip and the word "sweet" stamped with the Monogram Alphabet.

I made a window using my curvy cutter, and added some heavy acetate to "seal" the box after cutting the hole out.  All the roses are glued down with hot glue to keep them in place.  I tucked leaves in all around the roses to add some detail.

The inside of the box is lined with patterned paper to add a decorative touch.  I also decorate the rim of the lid with the green gingham patterned paper.

I'm not sure I would actually WANT to put a cupcake in this, because I wouldn't want it to get dirty and messed up, BUT that IS it's intended purpose.  :)  LOL  Chocolate is safer.  LOL  WRAPPED chocolate that is.  :) 
Here are the dimensions of the pieces, as well as measurements for scoring the Single Cupcake Box:
Cupcake Box Base

• Cut to 10 1/2 X 10 1/2
• Score along all 4 sides at 3"
• Cut along score lines on opposite sides, cut notches on both sides of each flap
• Assemble box
• If you'd like to line the inside of your box, cut 4 pieces to 2 7/8 X 4 3/8 and adhere inside box

Cupcake Box Lid

• Cut to 8 X 8
• Score along all 4 sides at 1 5/8
• Cut 3" hole in center of lid using a Curvy Cutter
• Add a piece of acetate to the inside of the lid to cover hole
• Cut along score lines on opposite sides, cut notches on both sides of each flap
• Assemble lid
• If you'd like to decorate the outer edge of your box lid, cut 4 pieces to 4 1/2 X 1 1/2 and adhere to flaps of lid

Cupcake Box Insert

• Cut to 6 1/2 X 6 1/2
• Score along all sides at a little more than 1" (1 inch was too tight, and I had to go back in and adjust my score lines a bit - you can do this by moving your paper around on the Scor-Pal and eye-balling 1+ a little inch
• Cut 2 1/4 hole in center of insert (will accommodate cupcake)
• Cut out the squares on the corner, and also notch the 2 sides of each remaining flap
• Fold in and place in box - It should be snug

Decorate your Single Cupcake Box!

Here is a tutorial, complete with pictures.  Use the dimensions listed above.  Photos are to show you how it looks during the process, every step along the way.  

This is my awesome Scor-Pal, which I use every time I stamp!  Start with the base of the box and score it along all 4 sides at 3".

Cut along score lines on opposing sides like this.

Cut a notch from each side of each flap (8 total notch cuts).  This helps you to assemble the box without having edges from the flap showing.

Cut patterned paper to use as a liner for the cupcake box inside walls.

Adhere patterned paper only to the areas shown, if you want to line the inside of the box to make it cuter.

Add adhesive to flaps as shown.

Assemble box by folding in flaps, very carefully.  Be sure to maintain the proper box shape when sticking down flaps.

 Add the other 2 patterned paper panels to the inside of the box, to cover the flaps you just stuck down.

Now, score the lid along all sides at 1 5/8.

To score at 1 5/8" on the Scor-Pal, move your paper over 1/8" (to match up with the first groove), and then score at 1 3/4, as shown here:

 Cut a 3" circle out of the lid.  I use the Curvy Cutter.

Cut a piece of acetate to cover the inside of the lid.  I cut it to 4 1/4 X 4 1/4.  Put adhesive around the edges of the acetate and adhere to the INSIDE of the lid.

Cut along opposing score lines.

Notch-cut each flap as you did for the box base.

Cut 2 pieces of patterned paper to decorate lid sides.

Put red line tape on flaps as shown.

Assemble lid.

Score insert, which will accommodate a cupcake.  Score each line a little MORE than 1".  1" was a little too snug. (instructions above with dimensions)

Cut 2 1/4" circle out of insert as shown.

Cut out entire square on each corner, as well as an extra notch on each side of each flap, as shown.

Stamp and decorate insert, then put in box.  It should be snug, but not too tight.

I added some patterned paper to the outside of the box edge as shown, just to add a little detail.

Here is the finished, "naked" box.

I decorated the lid with lots of Rolled Roses, Large Rolled Roses, Leafy Flourishes, and leaves from Upsy Daisy, along with a sentiment from Tag, You're It, stamped on a fishtail banner from First Place Award Ribbon.

Here, you get a peek of both the inside, and the lid of the box.  Fill the box with a cupcake, candy, or anything else you'd like.  :)

Thanks for joining MFT and Scor-Pal today!  Be sure to visit all the participating designers and leave comments for your chance to win one of the prizes.  You'll find the complete list on the MFT Blog.  :) 

If you use my tutorial, kindly link back to my blog post.  Thank you.  :)  Have a wonderful day and I'll see you tomorrow with a card creation.