My Little Creative Escape: MFT Pep Rally-{Baskets and Boxes}

Now that we've teased and tempted you all week long, it's almost time for you to shop for your favorite Brand Spankin' New products from MFT. But first... it's time for our Die-namics Feature and Pre-Release Pep Rally!

Our Design Team has been busy creating jaw-dropping and inspiring projects for you, and we've saved the best for last. We've taken an in-depth look at this month's Die-namics, while re-visiting the amazing sets being released tonight at 10 PM EST RIGHT HERE in the MFT Boutique. And while we are at it, how about we make your life even easier with a "cheat sheet" of all that's new? Head over to the MFT Blog to print out a shopping list. Here are the details about the upcoming release:

You can attend the New Release Party on February 4 from 8-10 PM EST HERE in the MFT forum, where you can WIN PRIZES!
The MFT release, including all new stamp sets and Die-namics, is on February 4 at 10 PM EST. You'll find all the newest products HERE at release time.
If you'd like to see all the designers' posts for today, please click on over to the MFT Blog NOW. Be sure to leave comments as you go for the chance to win one of 2, $10 gift certificates given away daily. The winners will be posted on February 4 just before the release party, on the MFT blog.

I have so much to share today. Grab your favorite drink and enjoy. The Die-namics releasing this month are soooo, so fun!!
I love the new Large Heirloom Hybrid Rose. The bits and pieces work beautifully together and alone, or only layered once, or twice, or many times!!!

Check out my pretty Spring bouquet with the gorgeous new Woven Basket Die-namics and Trapezoid box.
Here is the basket of pretty flowers I created. I used the TRAPEZOID BOX to sandwich between my two basket pieces. It's a match made in heaven. I cut two baskets from Kraft cs and gave them a quick sponging of walnut stain distress ink to bring out the woven pattern that is embossed on the card stock when you cut it. Love that!

I then cut a bunch of flowers with the LARGE HEIRLOOM HYBRID ROSE DIE-NAMICS, in different patterns (from an older MME paper pack) and made my blooms. I make sure to put a foam dimension between my layers, so they really stand out.

I used the Decorative Circle, topped with a Circle Stax 1 Die-namics to create a little tag. The sentiment is stamped in MFT Kraft ink from the DG-Springtime Wishes stamp set.

Here are some detailed shots of the finished flowers. I reeeeaaaallly love how that rolled center just adds so much dimension.

Here you can see I added a few of the rolled centers, just by them selves. They were great for filling in some dead space in my basket. I also used the beautiful new, LARGE LEAF FILLED FLOURISH cut from a brown polka dotted pattern. I snipped it apart and tucked in the bits and pieces, here and there.

And here is the pink completed flower. YUM!

I thought a few of you may wonder how I got the flowers into the basket. So I snapped a few pictures of my process.

I started with a small piece of packaging foam. I cut it down to size. You won't see it, so it doesn't have to look pretty.

I stuck it down inside my completed basket, inside the TRAPEZOID BOX. I used a piece of scor-tape to secure it in place.

Then I dug through my crafty supplies and found some wire (yep, it's from my SU days and I kept it, knowing it would come in handy one day). I decided to attach it to my flowers so I could bend and mold them into place. Plus, it would stick into the piece of foam and hold my blooms in place.

Here are my petals for the pink flower, before I stacked them together.

I cut a piece of wire (with my old, craft scissors, NOT the ones I use for paper or ribbon cutting). I folded the wire in half for more stability and then threaded it through my petal center. I secured it with another piece of Scor-tape. Don't worry about the wire showing. It will be hidden by the next layer.

Then add a foam dimensional to the flower center.

Next, add the second flower layer and add another piece of Scor-tape over the center.

Then complete the layered flower with the rolled flower center (included with this Die-namics).

Here's another look at the completed, Spring Flower Basket.

I decided I needed a sweet little card to match my flower bouquet. I am taking the Clean & Simple 2 card online class, so I wanted try what I've been learning. This is probably a stepped up, CAS card, but I think it still fits!

I also used the Retro Sketch from last week to help me along. The fishtail piece is from the SENTIMENT STRIPS DIE-NAMICS, and the tab on the right is from my favorite ACCENT IT-LABELS AND TABS DIE-NAMCIS set. I also used the new, to be released, EASTER ELEMENTS to cut out the teeny little flower I added beneath my Sour Apple button.

Here are the copics I used to color this new Doodle Garden, Springtime Wishes. I just adore her! The sentiment was stamped in the new SOUR APPLE PREMIUM DYE INK you can purchase tomorrow evening. yeah for new INK!!!

There is another great 3-D box releasing this month and it's called the CONE TREAT BOX. With all the Spring time products and Easter sets being released this month, I couldn't help but think of this box as a carrot! So I made a few and topped them with different Die-namics. That's the cool thing about this box.....sooooo many Die-namics can be used to complete this box and give it a different look and feel every time you make one.

I used the fabulous new background stamps, SPRINGTIME BACKGROUNDS. To make fun patterns on my CONE TREAT BOXES. Cut out the box, (I used Sweet Tooth Cs) and THEN stamp the pattern on them. A small strip of Scor-tape on the flap and this box comes together really quickly and easily.

Here is a close up of my GRAPE JELLY Ink in the hounds tooth pattern.

Since I was thinking carrots, I stamped one in some orange ink, with the Chevron pattern. I used the DAINTY BOWS DIE-NAMICS to top this one. I cut it from Sour Apple and Jellybean Green felt. I added the sentiment from EMBELLISHED EGGS stamp set, in Grape Jelly INK. I also stamped a little SPRING BACKGROUND chevron. The tag is a Decorative Circle Die-namics. I tied the tag onto the bow with some Hemp twine and a pretty Grapesicle button.

It was hard to photograph these boxes, because of their unique shape, but here is another look with my orange one standing up.

The purple cone box was topped with the same felt, but this time cut from the LARGE HEIRLOOM HYBRID ROSE DIE-NAMICS. The tag was cut from a Traditional Tags Die-namics. I used Black Licorice Ink to stamp the sentiment and added some more hounds tooth with GRAPE JELLY INK. I love the tone on tone colors. The Grape Jelly card stock is yummy!

That's it from me today. I've got MORE goodness to share tomorrow night at our New Product Tour, after the Big Release Party!!! Hope to see you there!

Hop on over to Kim's Blog now for the All the Pep Rally excitement!!!