Tonic Studios - Wine Bottle Gift Box

Giving a bottle of wine as a gift is popular these days and this Tonic Studio die just finishes the gift off beautifully.  Add a tag or other embellishments and you have an eye catching container.

I have found the trick is to use a medium weight card stock and you can make this out of one 12" x 12" sheet.  For the first one I needed to use 2 sheets but with careful planning you can squeeze it out of 1 sheet.  Cut the die 3 times and use extra sticky red tape to piece it together.  At this stage I found it easier to slip the sleeve over an empty wine bottle (a full one was too heavy).  Cut 2 circles out of matching card just less than the bottom of the wine bottle in size.  I laid the bottle in the sleeve on its side and popped one of the circles underneath the bottom flaps (in other words, at the base of the bottle) and attached it to the wine sleeve bottom flaps with double sided tape.  Stick the second circle on the outside of the bottom flaps and you now have a firm base.  If you don't get the base quite right you can always stand the container upright and stick on a thick ribbon at the bottom of the container.  This is also easier to do with a bottle in.

Embellish with the long rectangle panels that come with the die or if you use pretty patterned themed card then this might not be necessary.  I used a raffia type twine for the holes at the top of the die and an old Clear Dollar die for the sentiment.  The sentiment comes from MFT.

The downside of not drinking is that we never have any wine bottles around so I went down to the local recycling bin and rummaged around until I found a suitable empty bottle !  I have just found some pretty patterned Christmas card stock and will be trying that out soon.

Tonic - Verso Strip Die Set - Royal Shrub

In January this year I went to a craft fair and sat down at the Tonic make 'n take table.  As I am rather slow at making a card and do not like being rushed I opted to cut all the bits and pieces out and take them home to use.

The part used on this card is from the Verso Strip - Royal Shrub die set.  I teamed it up with background paper from my Creative Memories stash and added a sentiment from a Cuttlebug die set. The cats are from the Cheery Lynn Designs die called Meow Meow.

Tonic Balloon Weight Keepsake Box Die

I have been really busy in my craft room scrapbooking Xmas gifts.  Need to scrapbook 40 pages in all by the 25th and I am only just under half way there !  The upside is the pages are 8" x 8" which does make it a little easier.  Couple that together with larger photo's and it is relatively easy.

The other day on a visit to a local craft store I spied this Tonic die which I convinced DH to buy as a Xmas gift for me.  The die was not the easiest to cut out - I needed to use the Big Shot Pro and seem to have a bit of uneven pressure on the rollers.  Had to do a bit of hand trimming to finish it off.  Also struggled with the underneath part as it did not make sense.  Usually I am good at fathoming things out but this seemed to defy logic.  I think I need to try it again.  The Spellbinders scalloped and classic ovals with the Marianne D Rudolph die were used on corresponding sides to cover over an experiment which did not work out.

The idea of this box is that you cut out all four sides with a Tonic die (none of my extensive die collection worked) to get a lantern effect.  Then pop in a battery tea light, attach to a balloon and send off into the sky.  Not something I would do so I will stick to using it as a treat box.

Tonic Studio Indulgence dies

Another card which I cannot take credit for.  When I went to a craft fair a couple of weeks ago Tonic Studios were giving a free make 'n take.  This was a first for me and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of trying out a die company I had not used before.

The base lattice of this card is Tonic Studio Indulgence Round Window Boudoir Square Base with the bronze and bodice bits being a separate die called Indulgence Round - Basque.

The dies cut really well and this card was quick and easy to assemble.  It was so way out of my comfort zone in design but such fun to make.