.....altered book studio.....: Papaya! Design Challenge

I am a big fan of Anahata Katkin and her company Papaya!. I have her beautiful wall calendar and journal. So I am proud and excited to participate in the first ever Papaya Design Challenge. I read her blog, plus the company blog everyday, so I quickly signed up when the call went out last week and was one of the first lucky 25. woo woo!!

We each got to pick two decorative papers and 5 letter gift tags from their line. They sent us the supplies along with a stack of cool papalicious stickers and labels.

Ok – there is a catch, right? Sure is! We each have to create something with their products and send them pictures, videos, blog entries, whatever we can to get them excited about what us paper crazy people might do with their stuff.

In this case, more specifically, we are to create cool gift wrapping ideas. I need an actual gift giving idea – to help me come up with something to do with my new paper. Next month my mom, my sister and my niece are coming for a visit. It is a repeat of the craftapalooza event we had last year. Read all about it here.

So why not create a real crafting retreat for us girls, complete with welcome goodie bags?? I’ll make gift bags for us girls and fill them with treats. Oh – and one step even FURTHER. I'll actually make some gifts too!

I used cigar boxes to hold gift card sets made out of the papers. I decorated some guest soaps. I also altered a plain journal. Two gift bags, two decorated cigar boxes, two gift card sets, a set of guest soaps and a journal - all created and inspired by Papaya! gift wrap paper!!

Here is a cigar box covered with dictionary pages and accented with Papaya! Indian Floral paper and a sparkley Papaya! sticker. I hate cutting things out - i only do it if the effect will be awesome. Dontcha think it is??

Here is another cigar box covered with a gorgeous Pam Garrison paper called Vintage Tangerine. No need for fancy embellishment - the paper is so lovely - Pam uses vintage wallpaper to create collage in her journals. I just added a bit of white gesso around the edges and a key with a tattered piece of ribbon.

Here is a nice shot of a group of items i created- yeah - me - i created all these things from two sheets of paper! A gift bag, a covered cigar box, a journal and some note cards and envelopes.

Oh yeah - and some soap. Here is the box of guest soaps that i covered with hand painted deli paper and accented with a band of the Pam Garrison paper. (too beautiful to give away...)

This is the deli paper i used - having a large assortment of colours is key! Here is the last time i made a big batch.

And i covered the lid of the box as well. I accented it with a scalloped strip of dictionary paper and some leaf trim.

Here is a gift bad i covered to hold another cigar box. I used a Dominoes Pizza take out bag - just glued on the Papaya! paper and added some trim and ribbon.

Here is the gift bag and set of soaps. You can see i added a pretty pearl H and some organza ribbon.

Here is a blank journal that i covered with paper and added some ribbon, rickrack, lace and a tin bird. A bit of black sharpie highlights the details.

Here is the inside.

To make the sets of note cards - I cut out shapes and swirls from the papaya paper. I found a set of blank note cards and envelopes in my stash. I used the paper cut outs to add style and colour to the note cards and envelopes. Just applied with some glue stick.