Recipe box

With the credit crunch I try to hand make as many gifts as possible. It's not always an option because sometimes you know the recipient is the type of person who does not appreciate handmade gifts, but for all those who I believe do appreciate them, I try making the present and save myself a few quit at the same time :-)
For my friend's birthday I made this card the other day, but I wasn't sure if I was going to have the time to hand make a present too. Last night I could not sleep and got thinking about a tutorial I came across a few days ago for a recipe box; since my friend is a great cook a recipe box seemed like the ideal handmade gift for her. So I got started this morning and this is the result:

For measurements and instructions on how to make this recipe box, see Just Give Me Stamps Blog. Laurie Shmidlin is very talented and the tutorial is very easy to follow. I had some interruptions so I can't tell you how long it really took me from beginning to end, but the box itself is only a matter of minutes. It takes, as usual, much longer to decorate it: finding matching papers, ribbon, punches, images, etc. :-)

I used 270msg red and white cardstock for the box; the paper is from DCWV, Spring Stack; the images are all digital from Clipart and coloured with Letraset Promarkers; alpha stamps are Gstudio; ribbon from my own stash; Circle, Oval and Scalloped Nestabilities; scallop scissors; Red Versamagic ink.

I would like to enter my recipe box to the following challenges:
Digital Tuesday - Gift Set
Double Dutch: I choose Challenge #41, Box it up
Ooh-la-la Creations: Stripes
Creative Friday - Monochrome + sketch
CowGirls Sunday Stamp'en - Anything goes
Timbroscrapmania - Free theme

Thanks for your comments, have a nice week!