My daughter had to have emergency surgery last week (she’s fine… and luckily the appendix is not a vital organ). But in my worried state I needed to keep my hands busy so I decided to make her some gift card tag folders. One thing led to another and next thing I knew, I was making a box to hold the tags. It was one of those nights…

I bought some Grafix Rub-Onz film probably a year ago and decided it was high time to use it. I laid a nameplate out in Illustrator using the Duetica Piper font. Duetica is a cool on-line lettering system that you can subscribe to. The software allows you to test out many versions of each letter so you can customize the word or phrase to look just how you want it. When we were working on Jess’s wedding invitations, this was one of the fonts that she liked so I used it here. The red, white and blue color theme reflects her job- she’s a LTJG in the Coast Guard.

You will need:

access to Duetica fonts
Sizzix Big Shot die cut machine
ScoreBoard Notebook Pocket die (on sale for $15.99!)
3 sheets of 6″ x 13″ matboard
red half pearls
ribbon
3 tags- 6 1/4″ x 3 1/8″
kraft paper
embossing folders (I’ve used one of my brand new sets coming out in December)
Distress ink pad- Lipstick
stencil brush

Box:

1. Cut out three Notebook Pocket dies from the red, white and blue matboard pieces in the Big Shot machine. Assemble each box.
2. Lay out a background design in your photo-editing software. Import the text you have selected from the Duetica site and insert in the design. 
3. Following directions, print label (or desired graphic) on Rub Onz film. You will have to print in mirror image mode for designs with text.
4. Rub image onto box! It worked- so cool!
5. Stack three boxes together. Run a line of double sided tape down the back of the ribbon, then wrap around the bottom of the stack of boxes, keeping them even. Wrap a strip of kraft paper around the top and tape in place.
6. Sew a paper ruffle on your sewing machine. Crumple and adhere to the kraft paper strip.
7. Slip a paper handle down each side and fold up. Adhere to strip. Cover strip with adhesive backed ribbon
8. Add adhesive pearls to finish off!

Tags:

1. Emboss bottom of tag using Textured Impressions borders. Score at 1 3/4″ from bottom.
2. Run thin line of double sided tape down both sides of the shorter flap. Fold up to make a pocket.
3. Rub ink over embossed sentiment with stencil brush.
4. Add ribbon to top of tag.
5. Insert gift card tag in each box.

Write your message on the back of the folder, insert your gift card and present it to your neighbor and thank them for picking your paper up while you have been away on vacation, for your babysitter, caregiver or teacher. These are so handy! Make a bunch of them to give as gifts or to use yourself.

Feel better Jess! Love you…

I bought this frame a while ago at Ollie’s for $1.49. I loved the flower at the top and knew with a fresh coat of paint, a beautiful font, some glitter and a little elbow grease, this could really be something special.

You will need:
access to Duetica Lettering system
frame with glass
paint (Cloudless and White by Plaid)
Stickles (turquoise)
Copic markers
white paper
Sizzix Big Shot machine
Sizzix Textured Impression folder: Lace by Eileen Hull (coming in December!)
pearl embellishment- Queen and Co

Instructions:

1. Paint frame and dry brush white on top for vintage look. Color carved flowers with Copic markers for accent. Add pearl to flower center.
2. Run white paper with Textured Impression folder through Big Shot. Using an almost dry stencil brush, lightly highlight raised images with aqua paint.
3. Go into Duetica Lettering site. If you have not been here before, take a minute to watch the quick tutorial that explains how the system works, then sign up and give it a try. So easy and cool!
4. Select desired font (I used Mandolyn- my all time fave!). Scroll through capital letter you wish to use as a monogram.  Be mindful of the area you have available to work in. Letters with long swashes and high ascenders and decenders may not work for this project (although they are SOOOO pretty!)
5. Import letter into your design program. I used Illustrator and created a template that was 4″ x 6 inches. I added a black border and arranged the letter to a size (270 points) and position that I found desirable.  Print on a piece of copy paper.
6. Lay glass on top of letter, using 4″ x 6″ border to align.
7. Take Stickles bottle and (with a steady hand- no diet Coke before this!) , start tracing over the letter allowing the glitter to follow the thick and thin of the letter. Put in an out of the way place and allow to dry.
8. Assemble frame, glass and paper. Hang on the wall or set on your desk.

Other options for assembly might include backing frame with pretty fabric, vintage lace or table linens. Book page flowers might be added for a more dimensional effect on the top of the frame as well as ribbons or trim.

This “E” reminds me of how my Grandma Mamitsch used to write my name. She had such beautiful penmanship! I have a small leather notebook in her perfect copperplate hand where she wrote bird and butterfly names next to stamps with their pictures on them. She later gave it to me and I love looking through it. I think that’s where my appreciation of beautiful fonts and writing began.

Stay cool my friends! It’s going to be a hot weekend…