Stacks On! Tsum Tsum Greeting Card *^.^*

We all know how cuuuuuuute Disney's japanese Tsum Tsum range is!
So i totally had to revisit the totally kawaii Tsum Tsum greeting card book - which i had previously used for Alice and White Rabbit playing card... and actually use it following the way the patterns were originally intended =)
But of course, i couldn't possibly just copy a greeting card exactly as it is prescribed in the samples - where is the fun in that!
The fun is working out how to do things within your limitations naturally LOL
Having left this until the last minute for a cute little bub's birthday, i could only get my hands on a limited selection of coloured cards to slice and dice.

i chose individual characters that "go together" somewhat and what i could make do with the colours i had - a Mickey, Donald & Pluto stacker.
I would have really loved to do a Lilo & Stitch but the colours didn't extend that far.

Turned out pretty cute with the slight misalignment of the stacking.
The "card" part is just Mickey's head.

Here it is standing - kinda looking very much like the flat photo =P

Side profile

This took about 2.5 hours (omg!) and can most probably be much quicker if i started with a knife that was actually sharp!
And it's not a good idea to use a chunky, fat box cutter even if its sharp. Small hands (well, not that small) and a chunky tool do not mix. Hand was not very happy after using that.
Pick a good slim Stanley knife or slender box cutter/retractable knife and the world will be your Tsum Tsum filled oyster.

Very cute and turned out awesome if i do say so myself.
Totally going to make more cut out tsum tsums just for the hell of it =D

Trying my hand at Cartonnage

im a very crafty soul and i am always trying out new handicrafts. The problem i have is that i enjoy making things, however, i dont enjoy keeping things. Like plushies... what to do with them after that are complete? im not big on buying soft toys as i find them kinda useless, as cute as they are.

I stumbled across cartonnage: the age old french art of box making. Awesome. Something i could make and could be kinda useful at least :)

i was keen on looking up some cartonnage or fabric covered box information before trying my hand at it, however, sad to say, there was much on the net... other than recycling existing "packaging" or "postage" boxes and hastily covering it a giant sheet of fabric for "pretty" storage solutions; or the small handful of site/bogs found were in french or the boxes were very .... matronly and outdated.

So without further ado, my very first cartonnage box!
It is a 'business card' box in the style of an envelope.

i referenced the japanese craft book that the box is sitting on... even though i can barely read japanese. You know what they say - a picture is worth a thousand words :)

I have always loved the Yve Saint Laurent "Y-mail" collection, so i borrowed that for front envelope design.
Call me crazy but i hand embroidered the design on... even though this was my first attempt at cartonnage, and the box could have turned out badly and with all that extra effort in hand stitching it, would have ended in tears o_O;

lift the lid and love the retro umbrella girls print! adorable!