Ears To You Easter Baskets

Happy Friday!!

Wow ... Friday (and March) already!!  I'm not sure exactly what I did all week ... as I didn't get much crafting done!  Then again ... I guess what I DID work on took a few days from start to finish.  Check out these adorable little baskets I popped in with my Club Girls' orders this month:

Isn't it cute??  I stumbled across one I made about 3 years ago.  They were cute then and they're cute now!  I remember them being a little time consuming to make ... but that was before I had my new Stamping Trimmer.  OMG did that tool make these quick little treats!  ... well ... it would have been quick if I didn't decide to make 40 of them *lol*  You know me ... if 1 is good 40 is AWESOME!  And AWESOME they were when they were all lined up in a box!!  Here's a pic of all the pretty colors I used:

I used the polka dot pattern from my Soft Subtles Designed Paper Pack.  I have been hoarding these pads of 12 x 12 paper ... I figured I should crack them open before they retire!  The 12x12 sheets are PERFECT for this project ... there is virtually no waste!  What I love even more is that the little rabbit image (from the single stamp "Ears to You" ... item #132659 - $8.95 ... has a polka dot pattern on him ... and matches the DSP polka dots.  I LOVE when that happens!!!  Seriously - I was absolutely GIDDY over that little revelation (and then I worried about myself just a little over HOW giddy I was over that little revelation!  Sometimes I REALLY think I need to get out more *lol*) 

AAAAAAnywayyyyyy ... Perhaps you would like to know how to make these?  Well ... I'm gunna tell you whether you want me to or not because I took a whole swack of pictures to show you :)  So here goes.

You cut your 12x12 paper into 5 1/2" x 5 1/2".  (**  little note - not crucial but to use your paper in the most economical way ... you slice off 1 " from the first side of your sheet - then rotate it before cutting it at 5 1/2" and then again at 5 1/2".  This will give you one strip of DSP left over that is 1" x 12" and a second strip that is 1" x 11")

Right. 

So you have (4) 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" squares from (1) sheet of 12" x 12" DSP (see picture above)
Take your FABULOUS Paper Trimmer and score (with the light gray scoring blade) on all (4) sides at 1 3/4":

Now you use your DARK grey cutting blade to slice up to the first intersection on the left hand side and the right hand side of your paper - first slice from the top down to the first intersection - then slice from the bottom UP to the first intersection.  Oh ... it's hard to explain - check the secon picture to see what the finished piece should look like - that will help explain what I'm trying to say:

 

(I tell ya - this trimmer is SO awesome for this project.  It only took me about half an hour to score and cut all 40 pieces.  SLICK!)

So!  Once they are scored and sliced you fold on all the score lines.  I then rounded the (4) corners with my paper rounder punch.  Ok.  I have a confession.  I used my RETIRED corner rounder punch ... not the current one.  The retired one just gives a more rounded corner and I like that ... but since it's retired you can't buy it ... you have to buy the non-retired one.  Mean, huh?  Sorry.  Creative license :)

Now ... I didn't do this next step next ... but if I were to do it again I WOULD do this next step next.  I would stamp the sentiment in the middle square!  (naturally I waited until all 40 were assembled before I did mine ... nothing like a challenge!)

Oh ... guess I should have rotated that.  Oh well - cock your head :)  I used the Happy Easter sentiment from Delightful Dozen (page 140 - $30.95 clear; $40.95 wood)

Next you want to start taping the sides of the basket together.  Apply tape to the inner squares like so:

Can you see it?  I did it at an angle from about the middle of the left hand side of the square down to the right and from the middle of the right hand side of the square down to the left.  Then you fold the sides up like so:

this is how it looks from the inside:

Get it?  Hope so - I'm getting confused *lol*.

Next you want to cut your handle pieces.  I used my leftover 1" strips of DSP and cut them at 5 1/2".  I also cut strips of a coordinating color 1 1/4" x 7" for an accent
I used: 
Pink Pirouette with Regal Rose
Pretty In Pink with Rose Red
Baja Breeze with Not Quite Nave
Bashful Blue with Marina Mist
Certainly Celery with Gumball Green
Marina Mist with Midnight Muse
Perfect Plum with Elegent Eggplant
Rose Red with Raspberry Ripple
So Saffron with Chocolate Chip



Now.  I would highly recommend you attach the 1 1/4" inch piece to the INSIDE of the basket like so:

I made ONE like this and then decided I would make the other 39 with the handle attached to the OUTSIDE of the basket.  Big mistake.  One day I will realize that the laws of physics don't change just because I want them to.  I WANT the snail adhesive to hold handles on ... but it doesn't ... and it never will ... and I wish I would accept that ... and stop trying to prove otherwise time and time and time again.  If you do what I did you will wake up the next morning to 39 baskets with handles popped off and you will then have to spend another 1 1/2 hours reattaching them with sticky strip.  SO!  You can use snail if you attach the handle to the inside of the basket.  Please.  Trust me on this one.  Snail - inside - sticky strip - outside.
Now!  Attach the 1" DSP strips to the handle like so:

You run snail along the strip of DSP and then attach it the solid cs as shown above.  DO NOT attach the DSP to the solid CS before the solid CS handle is attached to the basket.  Why?  Because I said so.  Trust me.  If you do it before attaching it the curve that is created bubbles the DSP strip and it looks yucky.  Again - hard to explain.  Just know that I've done it in the past and this is the way to go.



It's ok that the DSP strip is a little short - the rabbit pieces will cover it anyway.

Next you just punch out two scallop circles in the solid color you made the handle from - one for each side.

 
I then used my markers to color just the single rabbit from Ears to You two times and punched it out with the 1 3/8" circle punch and attached it

I had planned to add easter grass but I HATE that shiny, static plastic stuff that the cat likes to eat ... I was going to buy some ... but couldn't find nice paper grass ... and then I was going to make some with my paper crimper and my paper shredder ... but then I realized life was too short to do that for 40 baskets so I just put an egg in them without any grass *lol*.  The eggs are from Costco ... you get 40 of them ... I thing they were $9.99 ... and they are the PERFECT colors!!

 

You can also add a little bag of small eggs .. whatever you have on hand :)

Well!  THAT seems like a lot of work but to be honest it took longer to take the pictures and write this post than it did to make 40 of them!  They look fantastic when they are done with the matching egg inside.  Give one a try - fun!

I won't be posting for a few days ... I'm off to Calgary tomorrow for the Regionals - Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!  I will have lots of swaps to share when I get back though so pop in again soon!

Have a stampy weekend :)

Tam