Stars & Stripes Blog Hop with Creations by AR

Hello and welcome to the Stars & Stripes new release blog hop with Creations by AR!  Today we are featuring two files: the Bordered Box set and a Gourmet Takeout Box.  All Creations by AR files come with 3 files - SVG, DXF, and PDF (for those of you who cut by hand).  I was having so much fun with these files I think I finished them in record time! You can win your choice of these great cutting files just by leaving a comment by Noon Central on Friday 6/22.

Here's a closer look at the Star Bordered Box (the set also comes with a heart bordered box and a diamond bordered box):

I chose to keep this one simple for a fun centerpiece.  (I'm thinking of making several more for my upcoming family reunion near the 4th!)  I used a basic pattern paper for the box and a solid cardstock for the stars.  I added a fun embellishment and it was ready to be filled.  I poured a bag of floral gems into the box and arranged my cake pops in them.  I wish I had some white tissue paper on hand to fill in with; I think it would look a lot better!

Now, for the awesome takeout box:

This file is so much fun - I cut it from plain white cardstock and used random stamping to decorate the box before I assembled it.  And let me just say that this box goes together perfectly!  Once the flaps are folded over the handles they stay put all on their own.  I stamped and cut out some embellishments to finish it off.  I can't wait to make some patriotic cookies to pack up in some of these!

Products used to make these boxes:

• Elemental paper pack 
• Moonstruck and White Daisy cardstock
• American Celebration stamp set
• Moonstruck, Cranberry, and Sunny Yellow stamp pads
• Color-Ready Alphabets Cork
• 3-D Foam Tape
• Scor Tape

Be sure to check out all the other Design Team members' blogs for even more ideas using these box templates! (Don't forget to leave a comment before you go, for your chance to win your choice of these two files.)

Adela Rossol:   http://cbyar.blogspot.com/

Amy Park:   http://tethered2home.com/ 

Lisa Somerville:   http://www.lisasomerville.com/

Lori Brown:  http://savingmine.blogspot.com/

Lyn Bernatovich: http://lynspaperpetunia.blogspot.com/

Magdalena Cortez:   http://axesdesigns.blogspot.com/

Patti J. Gilliam: http://www.cherisheachpreciousday.blogspot.com/

Sue Kment:   http://suesstampingstuff.blogspot.com/

Oh, and just in case you're interested, the cake pops were delicious!  I make mine the old-fashioned way, kind of.  Cake pops started as a way for bakers to use up the scraps of cake cut off from leveling or carving cakes, basically a way to make money off of crumbs!  I didn't have any crumbs around, so I made a new cake (from scratch).  I crumbled pieces into a bowl, mixed in some almond pastry filling, and kept mixing in more crumbled cake until I couldn't mix in any more.  (Most people mix theirs with frosting, but I didn't have any on hand and didn't want to make any!)  This resulted in a nice dense mixture that I could scoop with a small spring-loaded scoop.  I froze them for about 20 minutes while I melted some white candy melts.  I dipped skewers in the candy melts and stuck them in the pops, then I dipped the entire pop and decorated some.  Super easy and YUMMY!

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope to see you again soon.