ETA:  Please scroll down for the CD and DVD templates.

Welcome to the first ever Paper Garden Projects Garden Walk blog hop.

Take a stroll through the blogs of all the Paper Gardeners and enjoy some wonderful Holiday inspiration.

While you visit, subscribe to each Gardener’s blog and take note of each designer’s name and their special treat listed in their blog post.

Once you finish your garden tour, send an E-mail to custserv@papergardenprojects.com with the list of designers and their special Holiday treat.

Everyone who sends the correct list of designers and treats will be entered in a random drawing to win one of 3 prizes. You need to send an e-mail to the address above; please don’t leave your list as a comment. You have until midnight (EST) on Nov. 24 to make your list and check it twice….

The first prize is a festive collection of Holiday paper crafting goodies.

The prize includes:

• The Classic Christmas Prism Cardstock Collection
• A Penny Black Jolly Follies clear stamp set
• Green self adhesive rhinestones
• May Arts red grosgrain ribbon
• May Arts tan twill ribbon
• May Arts white rickrack ribbon
• A collection of coordinating dew droplets and buttons

The second prize is a $7 gift certificate to the Paper Garden Projects store.

The third prize is a $5 gift certificate to the Paper Garden Projects store.

During the Garden Walk,  sign up for our Newsletter using the side bar (over there —>) and we’ll send you a coupon code for an extra 10% off your total order in the Paper Garden Projects store.

So put on your walking shoes and go for a garden tour (or just stay in your jammies – we won’t tell). Here is the garden tour guide list.  Don’t forget to note each designers special treat so you can enter the prize drawing.

Cathy – you are here at the start of the tour – Mel is next

Melissa (Mel)

Tracy

Debbie

Amber

Lorelie

Tangii

Tricia

Cathy’s Garden Walk Project

For my Holiday Garden Walk, I thought I share a project to make gift packaging for CDs  and DVDs.

Included in this post are templates for both the CD and DVD sized packages that you can print directly on your cardstock.  Both projects are similar, but the sizing is a little different.

Here is the inside of  the DVD case packaging (which also fits Wii games by the way).

To make the package, I used the Elegant Holiday Prism pack for all the cardstock.

The base of the box is made from a 11″ tall by 5 1/2″ wide piece of Herbal Garden Medium.

The base is scored at 2 3/4″ from the top to make the front flap, then scored at another 5/8″  to make the top edge (see the diagram).  The rest of the cardstock forms the back of the box.

The pocket was cut from Sugar Cream cardstock.  You can download the PDF template here.  Print it on the back side of the cardstock and cut the solid lines, score the dotted lines.

(One note about my templates….  I tend to set my templates at the bottom and side edges of the cardstock so I don’t have to cut as much and I don’t waste paper.  Most printers will not print all the way to the edge, so you might get a little blank edge where you have to extend score lines.)

I decided to use 2 buttons with scrappers floss from the I Want it White  embellishment kit for my closure.   The embellishment kit contains all kinds of ribbons and embellishments that can be customized with Copic Markers.  In this case, I colored the scrappers floss with my YG-93 marker.

I added a Blush Red Dark edge for the flap punched with the Threading Water border punch and positioned my button right above it.  Then I lined up the flap on the box pocket to position my other button.

I used my needle tool to pierce the button holes through the cardstock.  Then I fed the floss through the holes and the button, tying it in the back.  The scrappers floss is stiff and easy to feed through the holes.  I added a piece of clear tape over the ends for extra security.

Then I created the rest of my decorative elements.

I embellished the flap with some strips of left over Sugar Cream embossed with the Holly Ribbons Embossing folder.  (I lightly inked the embossing with the Corduroy distress ink and a duster brush to bring out the details).  I also added some mattes of leftover Herbal Garden and a Matte of Blush Red Dark.

I used images from the  Holly Day Critters clear set by Penny Black. The “Just For You” sentiment is from the Anytime Sentiments clear set.

I colored my images with Copic markers (adding a wee bit of glitter to the snow) and cut my main from image out with a Spellbinders die.  I inked the edges with Corduroy Distress ink and a duster brush.  Its matted on a Blush Dark scalloped rectangle.  I created another embossed strip in green for behind the image.

The panel for the inside flap measures 2 1/4″ high and 4 3/4″ wide.  The red matte is 2 1/2″ by 5″ (it covers the button threads…. and give a place to write a greeting).  It is also colored with Copics and inked with Distress ink.

Then I simply assembled the box – applying adhesive on the folded back flaps of the pocket.  I used more floss around the buttons to hold the box closed.

The CD box is made in the same way, except the flap can extend all the way to the bottom of the box.

The box base is made from a piece of cardstock measuring 10 1/2″ long by 5 3/4″ wide.  It is scored at 5″, then at another half inch to make the box back, top and front flap.

Here is the template for the CD box pocket.

For this box, instead of buttons I simply used the Basic Grey Magnetic snaps. Very quick and easy (and fun to open and close!).  But you could cut the top flap a little shorter and use the button closure above.

Other things used here:

• The Frosty Fun Prism Cardstock pack
• Stamps:  Snowman from the Letter to Santa Cling set and the Fall and Winter Boarders clear set
• Versamagic Turquoise Gem ink
• Copic Markers
• Threading Water Punch
• Spellbinder circle Dies

So you made it to the end….   That was my project to share, and here is my Holiday Treat for your list:

Designer Cathy – Treat:  Sparkly Snow

Now head on over to Mels’ Blog next to see how her garden grows….

And don’t forget you mail your list to custserve@papergardenprojects.com to enter the prize drawing!