Sew & Sew Sewing Box
 |
| This is what I started with. It was pretty banged up and headed for the garbage. |
I love the adage, "A place for everything, and everything in it's place." That was the motto of my eighth grade Home Economics teacher, Mrs. Coker, who tried to pry open our 13-year-old brains and pour in her knowledge of a lifetime. At the time, I thought she was a silly old lady, but now I wish I had paid more attention in her class.
I love an organized house and have had that happen once or twice, but I always have another project on the horizon, and if you're a crafter, you know that you can clean and organize your workspace, but the minute you get out the supplies to make one card, it looks like Hobby Lobby threw up. That's why I'm constantly trying to corral the little pieces of a bigger projects in one location.
Sewing is a prime example. You have spools of thread, several sizes of pins, needles, both for hand and machine sewing, scissors, bobbins, needle threaders, beeswax...you get it. I also have not only my own sewing supplies, but those of my mother and mother-in-law. Those items are precious. I don't use them, but when I see them they always bring back a memory or two.
This little case was about to bite the dust. It had an injury to the corner of the lid and since it was just cardboard, it wasn't really worth repairing...until I received my EZ De's alphabet stamps. I was immediately in love. These stamps have it all: beautiful shapes and a lovely swirl pattern within each letter.
Ann also has a line of Crafters Ink with Clearsnap. The colors are rich, and the pads are juicy. You can use it on paper, wood, fabric, just about anything. My head is swimming with all the possibilities of projects to come.
Here's how I saved that little suitcase where I now have my mother's sewing supplies housed.
Supplies
Small suitcase or large box
Ann Butler's EZ De's 2"Alphabet stamps (KellyCraft)
Ann Butlers Faux Quilting stamps (Unity)
Ann Butler Colorbox Crafter's Ink, Aquamarine, Lilac and Limon
Small sponge
Clear acrylic block, 12" x 3"
Get-it-Straight Laser Square and Multi Mat Docking Station (KellyCraft)
Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger)
Heat tool
Big Shot (Sizzix)
Dress Form Die, Sewing Room, Tim Holtz Alterations for Sizzix
Patterned Cardstock, 6 sheets- Four sheets to cover the box, one to cover the lid edge and another for the stamping background. You will also need some 6" square scraps for the die cuts. (Graphic 45)
Chipboard, 3 6" square sheetsAmpersand stamp (Stampin'Up!®)
Ivory cording, 36"
Miscellaneous sewing notions: Needle, pins, buttons, thread
Large and mini Pop Dots
KoolTak Premium Extreme double-sided adhesive
Spray Adhesive (3M Super 77)
Masking tape, Pencil
Directions
- Repair any damage to the box if you are using a recycled find. Place two sheets of the patterned cardstock on the box lid and adhere with masking tape on the edges and where the two sheets meet. Flip the case over and trace the edge outline with a pencil on the back side of the card stock. Trim the excess and adhere the paper to the box lid with spray adhesive. Repeat on the box bottom if desired. I left mine as it was.
- Cut a sheet of cardstock into enough strips to wrap the edge of the lid. Adhere it with spray adhesive. Use Premium Extreme adhesive to attach the ivory cording around the top edge of the box lid.
- If you have the Get-it-Straight Laser Square and Multi Mat docking station, here's a great way to get your stamps to line up: Place the acrylic block in the corner of the laser square. Use the lines on the Multi Mat to line up the lower edge of the alphabet stamps. Place the card stock on which you plan to stamp in the corner of the laser square. Ink the stamps with Crafter's Ink (mix colors right on the stamp if you like), then use the laser square to get your stamps straight.Just carefully place the acrylic block with inked stamps facing down in the corner and press to get a good ink transfer. Ink and repeat for the second stamp. Pour on clear embossing powder, remove excess and use heat tool to melt. Trim the pieces, ink the edges and add the stamped layer to another layer of scrap card stock.
Line up your stamps using the Multi Mat grid.
Ink your stamps then use the Get-It-Straight laser square and Multi Mat to easily get the letters straight on your paper.
- Ink the ampersand stamp with Limon, Aquamarine and Lilac. Stamp on scrap paper and emboss. Cut out the ampersand and attach it to the box lid with pop dots.
- Ink several patterned square stamps from Ann Butler's Faux Quilting line from Unity Stamps with assorted colors of Crafter's Ink. Stamp on a piece of patterned card stock, emboss with clear embossing powder and heat. When cool, trim the squares into 1" pieces. Set aside.
Place all the Faux Quilting stamps on the block, ink with multiple colors and stamp, then emboss. - Fold a piece of an old pattern tissue into a fan shape. Use Premium Extreme to hold the folds in place and to adhere the pattern to the lid.
- Mount three pieces of scrap card stock to the chip board using spray adhesive. Cut the Sewing room die three times. Sponge ink around the edges of all three dress forms. If you want to alter the height as I did, just cut right above the base or right at the hem, then remove part of the column. Adhere to the box lid with pop dots.
- Wrap one or two of the thread spools from the Sewing Room die with thread and attach to the lid with pop dots. Fill in any excess space with the 1" quilt stamps, mounted with mini pop dots.
This piece was created in about three hours, including designing the project, cooking dinner and making a couple of false starts, so it's pretty easy. Now, instead of an overflowing sewing basket, I have a nice little case that looks great on my bookshelf in the sewing room.
If your Santa is struggling with what to get for his favorite crafter, send him to KellyCraft for Ann's stamps and the Get-it-Straight Laser Square and Multi Mat.
Be sure to hop through the blogs by clicking on tone of the names below:
Comments