Autumn Mini Coffee Cup & Carrier
Hello, friends… I’m not sure what the weather is like where you are, but this past weekend here, autumn arrived! The cool, crisp air and sunny, blue skies are a welcome change from the dog days of summer! (I know we may have an “Indian Summer” before we’re finished, but I’m glad the seasons are turning).
I have started my fall decorating around the house and planted some “mums” out front. Ready for some favorite warm drinks… mulled apple cider, hot chocolate, or pumpkin spice latte! I’m not really a coffee drinker (I know, shocker, right?), but if ever there was a time to start getting into coffee, it would be in the fall with all of those tempting flavors!
Well, when I saw the Heartwarming Hugs Suite in Stampin’ Up!’s August-December 2020 Mini Catalog, I knew I had to have it to create some cozy little gifts for family and friends. The suite includes some Christmas-y Designer Series Paper and ribbons (and it DOES make very cute holiday gift ideas), but why wait until Christmas??! I decided to play with my Gilded Autumn Suite (from the same mini catalog) and made this cute autumn version!
Of course, the Heartwarming Hugs Suite includes the mini coffee cups and carrier (you get 8 cups with plastic lids and 8 kraft carriers). These can be purchased separately, too, not just as an entire suite. The Warm Hugs bundle includes the stamp set and the Warm Wraps dies – these dies cut out the pieces you’ll need for the wraps around the cups. I made my wraps from the Festive Felt Sheets (also from the same mini catalog) and added contrasting trim die-cut out of card stock. The dies also include shapes that coordinate with the images in the stamp set, so making the cute, layered tags was a breeze!
The Designer Series Paper (DSP) used on the cups as well as around the carrier are from the Gilded Autumn Specialty DSP pack (aren’t they yummy?), and I used card stocks that coordinate with the DSP. The little leaves are punched out with a set of 3 punches from the Beautiful Autumn Bundle, and the little Acorn Trinkets and ribbons used are also from the Gilded Autumn Suite as well. Aside from hot drinks, these adorable little cups could be filled with cold cider or even candies (candy corn, anyone?). Use your imagination!
Yes, indeed, count your blessings and I hope they overflow!!
Sunflower Mini Curvy Keepsake Box
Isn’t this little box just the cutest?! Sunflowers just remind me of September. They are so bright and cheery…and they bring the birds around. I have gotten into the decorating fad that uses a tiered tray to display themed items and I change these items out almost monthly. I needed some sunflowers to fill my tiered trays this month. So, I’ve made this cute little box to fit the bill!
I knew that the Mini Curvy Keepsake Box would be just the right small size. I wanted to use a buffalo check plaid to make it have that farmhouse look that is so popular these days. I found in my “stash” of Designer Series Paper (DSP) – Stampin’ Up!’s name for their patterned papers – this Botanical Butterflies DSP from last year’s Sale-A-Bration event. (I’m sorry you can’t purchase it now, but you could easily substitute another paper for the box base).
Then, I stamped my sunflowers with Memento ink onto Whisper White Cardstock. This single sunflower comes from the Celebrate Sunflowers stamp set. I used Stampin’ Blends alcohol-based markers to color in the images. And I did not have the dies that coordinate with this set, so I just “fussy cut” around the image with Paper Snips scissors.
On this other side of the box, I stamped the sunflowers image from the Jar of Flowers stamp set and fussy cut this image out as well, after coloring with my Stampin’ Blends markers. After filling the box with some candy kisses (to give it some weight), I closed up the top by matching up the top handles and threading them through the slits on adjacent flaps (no adhesive needed for this box)! The flower embellishments are attached with Stampin’ Dimensionals. And, voila! My adorable little sunflower box is ready to display on my tiered trays!
So true. Don’t compare your progress to anyone else…we all have our own pace. As long as you have goals and are moving in the right direction, you are making progress!
Until next time, stay sweet and spicey!
