Gable Box Die & Text Block: Halloween - Day 3

Good morning, everyone! Welcome back for Day 3 of Papertrey Ink's August countdown! I wanted to start by saying thank you all for your enthusiasm over the Gable Box and Text Block: Halloween Dies. I'm so glad to hear you're looking forward to using them for yourselves. I've been having a blast with them and I have a little more inspiration to share with you today. How about we get on to the projects!

Let's start with the Text Block: Halloween Die. I wanted to make a small candy bag for my nephew to carry around this year. He's still young and they don't do too much Trick Or Treating, so the size of this bag will be perfect.

I started by adhering a piece of True Black striped patterned paper to a white lunch sack. I trimmed the both down with a pair of pinking shears and cut in an opening on the front of the bag. Then, I xyroned a piece of Summer Sunrise cardstock and die cut it using the Text Block: Halloween Die. I stuck the resulting die cut shape to a piece of clear cardstock and then used 1/8" Scor-tape to attach it over the opening bag, creating a window (so he can see his treats as he goes)!

Next, I die cut the monster shape from Tremendous Treats: Halloween from white cardstock and stamped him with the coordinating image using Palette Noir ink. I colored him with colored pencils and colored over his eye with a glue pen. I sprinkled that with clear embossing powder and heat set once the glue had fully dried (the "fully"is important here; if you don't wait it will bubble when you heat it).

My bag needed a handle, so I backed a length of Limeade Ice saddle stitched ribbon with a strip of Limeade Ice cardstock and adhered the ends to the sides of the bag. I used the cardstock to make sure the handle stayed upright so little hands would have an easier time. I also wanted to make sure they'd stay secure, so I stitched True Black buttons all the way through the bag for a little decorative reinforcement. I sure hope Charlie likes it!

I wouldn't be a good Auntie if I didn't make a little something for my niece, too. I don't think Miss Josie Mae has enough hair for these yet, but my sister will surely love them.

I put together the hair barrettes using the Clever Barrette, Beautiful Blooms II #1, Button Up #2, and Heart-2-Heart #7 Dies from Harvest Gold, Vintage Cream, Aqua Mist, and Simply Chartreuse felt. I wanted the packaging to really let the barrettes shine, so I cut my Gable Box shapes from clear cardstock. Here are some tips for creating a Gable Box from clear cardstock:

• Try not to run your die through your machine more than once. If you can get it cut through in one pass you'll be in better shape. The clear cardstock has a tendency to want to shift in the machine on multiple passes.
• Rescore over the score lines for easier folding. It still won't be the easiest thing to fold, but it will be better.
• The newer your cutting plates (and less scarred up) the better.
• Fold before you assemble. You can manipulate the parts more easily when they're separate.
• You'll probably want to disguise the adhesive in some way. Clear cardstock is...well, clear, so you'll want to figure out some way to hide your adhesive a little bit.

I created my own faux washi tape for the corners using the tutorial Nichole did in a Make It Monday way back when. It worked perfectly! I used one of the small blocks in the Background Basics: Random Stripe set to get the pattern on my tape. I wanted it to be subtle, so I stamped off the Aqua Mist ink before stamping for soft results.

I also wanted a little platform to fit inside the box, both for stamping my sentiment and for giving my clips a little boost. I made my platform (using the diagram you'll find below) from Aqua Mist polka dot patterned paper. I stamped and heat embossed my sentiment with white detail powder. I popped it inside my box, filled with custom crinkle shred (just strips of paper run through a crimper), and nestled my hair clips on top. I finished the packaging with a tiny white crochet thread bow.

Here's the template I used for my platform. I don't know if it will print to scale, but it will at least give you something to follow.

Well, that's all for me today, friends. I'll be back tomorrow with more projects featuring the new Gable Box and Text Block: Halloween Dies. In the meantime, Nichole, Ashely, Betsy, Danielle, Dawn, Erin, Heather, Laura, Laurie, Maile, Melissa, and Lexi all have additional inspiration for you to enjoy. I'll see you tomorrow!

Recipes:
Trick Or Treat Bag
Stamps: Tremendous Treats: Halloween - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: True Black Striped Patterned Paper, Limeade Ice, Summer Sunrise, Clear Cardstock - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Nior - Palette
Other: Text Block: Halloween Die, Tremendous Treats: Halloween Die Collection, Limeade Ice Saddle Stitched Ribbon, True Black Buttons - Papertrey Ink; Clear Detail Embossing Powder - Filigree; Glue Pen - Zig; Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Orange Twine - American Crafts; Foam Tape - Scotch; Xyron; Scor-tape; Pinking Shears

Flower Barrette Packaging

Stamps: Boutique Accessories Mini, Background Basics: Random Stripe - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Aqua Mist Polka Dot Patterned Paper, Limeade Ice Patterned Paper, Clear Cardstock - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Aqua Mist - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Gable Box Die, Clever Barrette Dies, Beautiful Blooms II #1 Die, Button Up #2 Die, Heart-2-Heart #7 Die, Melon Berry Buttons, Harvest Gold Felt, Vintage Cream Felt, Aqua Mist Felt, Simply Chartreuse Felt - Papertrey Ink; White Detail Embossing Powder - Filigree; Paper Crimper - Fiskars; Scor-tape; Tissue Paper; Embroidery Floss - DMC; Crochet Thread