Today the weather is bright and sunny, but frigid. I’m not a cold weather person so winter can’t be over soon enough for me. I feel like a toddler constantly asking “Is it spring yet?” and being repeatedly disappointed. While I wait I’ve decided it can be spring in my craft studio and hopefully that will keep me going. So this morning I pulled out the Pretty Pillowbox Dies (carried over from the July to December 2021 Mini Catalogue) and decided it was definitely time for the daisies to bloom.

WOOD EFFECT

I’ve made a couple of different designs using the Pretty Pillowbox Dies but today I wanted to do something a little different. The main pillowbox die has a flap so it opens up like an envelope, but I decided to change that.

I began by choosing one of the wood-grain patterns in the Heart & Home 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack. The one I selected is on the reverse of the bumblebee design and I cut a 4-1/2″ x 6″ piece. Then I used the main die to cut out the pillowbox shape.

To help with the next stage I folded the DSP along the ‘scored’ lines added by the die. Then I was ready to start stamping using the Sentimental Swirls Stamp Set.

I chose two outline stamps with three leaves as although they look similar they actually curve in different directions. I also picked out the two solid stamps designed to add colour to the leaves. Then using Mint Macaron ink I stamped a random pattern over the DSP, filling in some of the leaves and leaving others as outlines only.

ALTERED PILLOWBOX

Normally to assemble the box I would tuck in and overlap the curved sides and then glue them together. Today though I decided I wanted the curved side to be the opening which is more common with a pillowbox. However as I was testing it out I realised that this would be easier if the sides had a little thumb notch. So I went back to the Pretty Pillowbox dies to see if that might be an option. As it happened, I found a die that would definitely work and used it to cut a notch in each of the curved sides.

With the notches cut I then assembled the box by folding along the straight sides then fixing the ‘flap’ in place using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow).

DAISY DECORATION

To create the spring-like decoration I went back to the Pretty Pillowbox Dies. From scraps of Basic White Card I cut two flowers using one each from the two pairs of flower dies. Then from a scrap of Daffodil Delight Card I used the top of the tag die to cut a small circle. With the pieces cut I simply glued them on top of each other to create the finished daisy.

By this time I was thinking about a sentiment and for that I chose “for you” from the Sentimental Swirls Stamp Set. Then using Mint Macaron ink I stamped it onto a scrap of Basic White Card. Now I needed the label die again but this time I used it as it was designed. With the label cut I then stamped one of the leaf outline images along with the solid leaves to colour them in.

Returning to my card scraps I found a 1/4″ strip of Daffodil Delight Card and trimmed it to 5″ long. Then I wrapped it around the pillowbox and secured the ends over the fixed ‘flap’ with liquid glue. To hide the join I glued the sentiment on top. Then I finished off by adding the daisy to hide the hole made by the label die.

I have to say that once again I’m, delighted with how this pillowbox project turned out. It’s small yes, but simple to use and the extra dies included in the set provide lots of extra possibilities. I’m glad it’s still available and hope it’s carried over into the 2022/2023 Annual Catalogue which goes live on May 3rd.

For some more Pretty Pillowbox projects see these earlier blog posts:

• Pillowbox favour with a Christmas motif
• Pillowbox for Valentine’s & weddings
• Never a lovely scrap wasted

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