Art With Heart November Blog Hop Featuring Boxes And Gift Bags

The Art With Heart Team are back with another inspirational Blog Hop. This month we are featuring Gift Bags and Boxes, just in time for the Christmas gift giving season. The bags and boxes featured are all made using current Stampin’ Up! products and any of our wonderful team members are happy to help you with the supplies you will need to reproduce these beautiful projects.

This is my first time I’ve ever made something like this and I’m so excited to be sharing with you my Explosion Box. I’ve used the gorgeous Let It Snow Specialty DSP and coordinating coloured Cardstock plus many other Stampin’ Up! products. 

Instructions to form the box are as follows

1.       Thick Whisper White Cardstock @ 21cm x 21cm square for the box

2.       Score at 7cm, 14cm both sides and fold the score line with Bone Folder

3.       Cut lines towards the base of the box please refer to photo of Grid Paper and instructions

4.       Cut away shaded pencil part with Paper Snips

5.       Inner - cut to measure 4 pieces of DSP @ 6.5cm square and cut 2 to make triangles

6.       Use preferred Adhesive to adhered triangle pieces down and secure a thin line of glue to form a pocket

7.       Place the other 2 pieces of DSP on inner squares

8.       Outer – cut to measure 4 pieces of DSP @ 6.5cm square and adhered to the outer of the box  

Instructions to form the lid are as follows

1.       Thick Whisper White Cardstock 11.2cm x 11.2cm square for the lid

2.       Score @ 2cm each of the sides and fold the score line with the Bone Folder

3.       Cut out the shaded pencil part with Paper Snips

4.       Use preferred Adhesive to adhered corners together to form the lid and make sure lid fits over box

Now the fun part begins! When it comes to decorating an Explosion Box the possibilities are endless. I wanted to use the colours from the Let It Snow Speciality DSP and to have a 3D item in the middle of the box. You can leave the centre blank and put a gift inside the box instead is another option.

Instructions to create the Christmas Tree are as follows

1.       You will need the following Stampin’ Up! products Sprig Punch, Twinkle Punch, smallest Layering Circle Dies, strip of Let It Snow DSP 1.3cm x 11cm, Real Red Glimmer Paper, Sliver Glimmer Paper, Sparkle Gimmer Paper, Take Your Pick Tool and Piece Mat

2.        You will also need a clean plastic bottle lid, tooth pick and Blu-Tak

3.       Punch out a number of Sprigs in Real Red and Sparkle Glimmer Paper and piece a whole at the end of each sprig with the Take Your Pick Tool and Piecing Mat

4.       Die cut out Real Red Glimmer with Layering Circle Die and thread onto toothpick

5.       Put a small amount of Blu-tak inside of bottle lid and secure the tooth pick into the Blu-tak

6.       Place a strip of Tear & Tape to DSP and adhered to outer of lid

7.       Thread Sprigs onto tooth pick to form a Tree

8.       Punch out star with Silver Glimmer Paper twice and attached to the top of the tree

I’ve used the Stitched Shapes Dies and Layering Circle Dies for the different layers of circles throughout the inner of the explosion box. I have also used the Delightful Tag Topper Punch for little messages to pull out.

For the lid I’ve attached the Real Red 1” Ruched Ribbon and formed a bow. I’ve used the Beautiful Boughs Dies to create the leaf and pinecone images with the dies. Shaded Spruce and Costal Cabana with some added glitter using Stampin’ Glitter and Shimmery Crystal Effects.



I hope I have inspired you to create an Explosion, the possibilities are endless with different Cardstock and DSP. I’m so glad I’ve taken part in the latest Blog Hop and created something I normally wouldn’t do. All of the products I’ve used will be at the bottom of this blog.

Thank you for stopping by!

The next hop in the Blog Hop is the very talented Andrea Sargent.



If you have a broken link or have come to this blog hop midway, you can view all the participants below:



Rachel Palmieri

Sharon Davern

Rebecca Jacovou

Kathryn Ruddick

Catherine Proctor

Vicki Boucher

Andrea Sargent

Sujatha Harding

Rachel Woollard

Tina Gillespie

Kate Morgan

Kathryn Mangelsdorf



Happy Crafting



Vicki Boucher



Product List:

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas
Dies: Beautiful Boughs, Stitched Shapes and Layering Circles
Punches: 2" Circle Punch, Sprig Punch, Delightful Tag Topper Punch and Twinkle Builder Punch
Paper: Let It Snow Speciality DSP, Real Red Cardstock, Coastal Cabana Cardstock, Basic Black Cardstock, Thick Whisper White Cardstock, Shaded Spruce Cardstock, Real Red Glimmer Paper, Silver Glimmer Paper and Sparkle Glimmer Paper
Ribbon: Real Red 1" Ruched Ribbon and Bermuda Bay 1/4" Mini Striped Ribbon
Other Stampin' Up! Products: White Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, Versamark, Shimmery Crystal Effects, Stampin' Glitter Stampin' Pierce Mat, Take Your Pick Tool and Memento Tuxedo Black

Colour INKspiration Challenge #68

Hello and welcome back,


Tonight I will be sharing with you a card that I’ve created for the latest Colour INKspiration Challenge #68. The colours for this challenge are Shaded Spruce, Blueberry Bushel, Pretty Peacock, Coastal Cabana and Silver. I just love this colour palette showcasing different shades of blues, greens and with a touch of silver. You can also add Basic Black, Whisper White, Very Vanilla and Metallics.

This challenge runs for 2 weeks and will end at 7pm (AEDT) on Monday 9^th December 2019. I hope you’ll enter into the Colour INKspiration Challenge, we would so love to see your creation.

To keep in the theme with the photo I was inspired to create a Christmas card for this challenge. I’ve seen so many Christmas decorations in these colours at the department stores lately. I just might have to decorate my Christmas tree in these gorgeous colours too!

To create a watercolor wash background I’ve used half a sheet of Stampin’ Up! Fluid Water Color Paper, Aqua Painter, Clear Block, water and drops of ink in the above mentioned colours. Which can all be purchased from my Online Store.

For the background I simply used an Aqua Painter brush to wet the Stampin’ Up! Watercolor paper then with the Clear Block I added a drop of ink of each colour or you can also use the Ink Pads as well. I started off with Coastal Cabana the lightest colour and then mixing the other colours together. I like to use the Clear Block as a palette. Adding more water if needed for a washout look and use a tissue to remove any excess of water or colour. I wanted a subtle look for the card, once the ink was dry, I could then add my layers to the card.


I’ve used the Stitched Stars Dies, Beautiful Boughs Dies, Tree Punch and Itty Bitty Stamp Set for the greeting. 

The larger Stitched Star is in Vellum and the smaller one is in Silver Foil. I’ve die cut out the branch in Whisper White, used Shimmery Crystal Effects and Stampin’ Glitter to give the branch some sparkle. The silver Christmas tree is simply punch out using the Sliver Glimmer Paper. I just love the greeting how it’s not in a straight line, but curvy for a change. I used Sliver Emboss Powder and heat set with the Heat Tool. Layering all these items together with Silver Metallic Thread in between. 

I’ve added more glitter to the Watercolor Paper with the Shimmery Crystal Effects and Ice Stampin’ Glitter. For the last addition I’ve added a few of the Woven Threads Sequin Assortment.

The card base is Thick Whisper White, then a layer of Silver Foil and followed by the layer of Watercolor Paper.

Make sure you visit our Facebook group to enter your creation, we would love to see which colour combination you choose and it’s so much fun to share too!

Click to join Colour INKSpiration Facebook group to partake in the challenge. All you need to do is up load a photo and if you have a blog you can link it back to your personal blog. Share with your crafty friends so they can join in with the challenges too.

Hope to see you there!

Now for more inspiration please click on the next button to see our Guest Designer Cheryl Miller. 

I just love her card and how she’s used the colours for this challenge. 

Thank you for stopping by today!

Happy Crafting

Vicki Boucher

To purchase any of these products I’ve used today you can click on my direct links above or visit my Online Store here.