Created by Katie Cotton

Every month the My Time Made Easy design team does a year in review post! We take a template from the past (so not just the past year, but any previously released template and stamps to create something NEW for you all!)

*sigh* Unfortunately for me... my evening did NOT pan out like i had wanted it to!

I had a photoshoot that ran a smidgen long, but no worries.. plenty of time to work on a project until WAM, my 2 year old jumped off something in his room and cut his head bleeding all over. I spent a lot of time consoling him that it wasnt really that bad (no stitches this time, yea!) but by the time that was all over... well i just didnt have the will to muster a project together! So i decided my review post was just going to have to REALLY be a review post! It's a better option that never sleeping as i have a photoshoot tomorrow as well and 3 weddings on saturday! Gotta love the season! Hopefully it's new to many of you! It really is my favorite project i've ever made! :D

This project uses the You've Got Mail template (which is really designed to look like one of the blue mailboxes you see on street corners and grocery store parking lots) and I turned it into something else because it's always wonderful when you can get a little bit more bang for your buck when it comes to crafting supplies. Let's face it, it can be an expensive hobby once you accumulate so much!

If you want to see my original You've Got Mail project (where it actually looks like a mailbox!, click HERE). The change was super easy too. And i love the outcome! I used my SCAL to cut out my template, so when cutting the front piece, i added in a rounded corner rectangle. it's just a shape that comes with SCAL so i didnt need to do anything fancy.

Had i used a PDF the window could have easily been cut out with a craft knife or even a punch.

Here is my project!

Fun huh? Ok, well i thought so! The little details (so easy to change) is really what makes this switch from a mailbox to an oven. I added an oven door handle but just so it wouldnt look like a mailbox handle, i stamped on a little scrap of white paper to create a "towel". I also added 2 circle punch outs to create my stove.

The heart used on the towel was used all over the template. It's from the You've Got Mail acrylic stamp set. I also used the Home Made stamp as this little box is now perfect to give away home made baked goodies, or in this case... some soap that LOOKS like a homemade goodie. :)

Here is the heart again stamped onto my printed digi paper. This paper is from the Darling Dots collection and i just love this shade of pink! I used some pink ink to stamp the heart on top and then also added on some pearl baubles.

I also created a little matching note to include with the gift. This is actually a cut file called love notes and it's only 2.50! Here's a tip, you dont have to cut out everything in the cut file. If you are used SCAL, you just ungroup it, and only keep whatever you want to cut. Why spend a fortune on a scalloped heart punch or even nesties when you can have this one and just resize to fit whatever needs! Perfect!

The little cupcake in this picture is the same little guy that was sitting inside my oven in the pictures above. Believe it or not... it's SOAP! Super easy to make too. Just buy some melt and pour soap and some of those silicone bakewear muffin cups. I also poured out my left over soap onto a silicon baking mat and let it set a few minutes. In the meantime, i stamped a butterfly from the All A Flutter stamp set and cut it out. BUT there is a cut file for that too, which i would have used if i wasnt sitting in my kitchen. Then i just placed the cutout butterfly on top of the set soap, and cut around it with a knife. Easy peasy.

The Love Notes cut file also comes so that you can easily have a little note that opens. here's a little quick shot so you can see what i mean...

So don't be mad at me for my literal review! Instead, go love on the rest of the MTME design team and their awesome review projects!

Lauren Meader

Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Kathryn Berthiaume

Katie Cotton (that's me)

Lisa Kind

Monique Hansen

Tangii Crain