Coffee, Chocolate, & Friends

Whew!  I apologize for being absent lately.  But, yeah, I've been crafting {smile}.  My last craft fair for this holiday season is Friday.  And well, between working full-time, taking care of my DH, attending 3 holiday dinners, and one doctor visit (that left me unable to walk for a day and a half) I haven't had a lot of time to post.  But, I have been taking pictures, so soon, my life will slow down a bit. {smile}  Pipe dream?  I hope not!

The wonderful ladies over @ Craft Hoaders Anonymous Challenge have a great challenge this week.  They want to see your holiday craft hoard used.  I don't know about you, but I have tons of holiday crafting supplies: pattern paper, embellishments, stamps, sentiments, trinkets, ribbon, buttons, and oh so much more!  I actually have so much holiday hoard supplies, that it is boxed up after each holiday season, because I don't have room in my craft room for all of it.  How incredibably crazy is that?  (between you and me, my husband doesn't use the word 'crazy' when the subject is brought up.  Lets just say that.)

Ok, so for this first project, you are probably thinking that I am not really showcasing my hoard collection, but this is a super cute gift.  

I attended a holiday dinner with a gift exchange for the lovely ladies that I stamp with.  For the gift exchange, there was a price limit of $10.  Ok, do you know how stinking hard it is to make a gift for $10?  If you craft, I'm sure you know what I am talking about.  If you don't, lets just say, it's difficult.

Anyways, these ladies are all Stampin' Up! demonstrators, so I felt the need to use current SU! products.  Hmm.  Maybe this doesn't qualify as a 'hoard'.  But, I have a lot of stuff!

I used the new holiday DSP (Nordic Noel).  I just love the houses.  The bright cheery colors is always a plus!  So, I positioned my DSP, so that the cut would be a row of full houses and not chopping them off. (It's the OCD in me.)

I matted this pattern paper onto coral card stock.  I added a strip of pool party cotton ribbon.  And yeah, I had to sew it on.  I made a simple bow.  But it still needed something, so why not add another bow.  Right?  So, I added another bow with the new gold shiny ribbon.  It help pull the baked brown sugar colored house out.  I also added one of the new snowflake charms to the gold bow.   To keep the sewing stitches from showing on the underside, I matted this whole piece onto a piece of cherry cobbler card stock.  I used a corner rounder punch to all the corners.  You know, since the corners are rounded on the tin.  (OCD shining through)

I used one of the new coffee collection stamp sets.  I stamped the coffee cup twice on shimmer white card stock in chocolate chip classic ink.  I stamp the coffee cuff onto  the back side of the house pattern paper, that how I got the stripes.  I fussy cut the cuff out and adhered it to the top coffee cup.  I put foam tape between the two coffee cups and adhered them to the front of the tin.  To jazz up the coffee cup, I added a tiny pool party button tied with white bakers twine.  I thought it gave the coffee cuff that 'home-made' feel.

For the inside of the tin, I wrapped some chocolates with the same DSP, and added a Starbucks gift card.  I actually found a Starbucks gift card, that had the same colors in it!  Yahoo! (another OCD affliction)  It's the one with the holiday Christmas tree that is decorated with ornaments.

And yeah, I added a piece of the coral card stock to the bottom of the tin.  (another OCD problem.)  I like things to look 'finished'. Not just 'done'.  I hope someone out there knows what I mean.  And now I realize that when I took this picture, I forgot to add my gift card addition.  Ugh!  

Anyways!  the lovely ladies over @ Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge want to see you use a portion of your hoard collection, and make something!  Oh, and don't forget to share!

Have a great day!  And who knows I may end up adding another project!

Angel Gift Card Holder

Whew!  Sorry I have been absent.  I have been crafting all hours.  I did very well at the Tramway Community Church Arts and Craft Fair last month, and have been busy making more stuff to sell at todays Arts and Craft Fair @ La Cueva High School.  And, well, I did very well at todays craft fair, too. So, I am heading back into my craft room to get more stuff made.  My next (and last) Arts and Craft Fair this holiday season is Friday, December 12th, at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Here was one of the new gift card holder I made:  

I found these adorable angel buttons at a big box craft store.  I just love how it looks with this holiday pattern paper.  I was busy getting these crafted, and packaged, that I forgot to take the photos before it was packaged.  {frown}  

What is stamped on the bag topper is what is stamped inside the gift card holder.  Also, it is heat embossed in white.  (the back of the topper shows what color of embossing powder I used on the inside.)  The tiny tag says: Holiday Happiness

I used Snow Village pattern paper by Pink Paisley.  The base is made with pool party card stock by Stampin' Up!.  The tiny tag was made with the tiny tags die by Paper Trey Ink.  The tag was stamped in Baked Brown Sugar classic ink by Stampin' Up!  The sentiment is from a tiny sentiment stamp set that is easily 8/+ yrs retired by Stampin' Up!  I believe that it was from a spring/summer occasional catalog.

Thank you for stopping by.  I will try harder to get some photos posted before the Arts and Craft Fair.  I know for sure that I will be making another dozen of the dry snow globe jar toppers.  Take care, and have a great weekend.  {smile}

Roses & Reindeer

Well, the crafting hasn't stopped.  But, I am taking a small break to post a few pictures.  I love sharing what I create, but I always under-estimate the amount of time it takes to photograph, edit, and post images. {frown}

A wonderful lady who works at my Dentist office, came by my last craft fair (@ Tramway Community Church) and purchased all of the gift card holders I had created.  {smile}  It is very nice to 'sell out'.  And this gave me the push to create some new ones, using some different pattern papers, and embellishments.

These little cuties are a blast to create.  It really forces you to think differently.  The space to embellish is only 4" x 2 1/2", with a slope.  So, it needs to be minimalist, without looking bare.  It's always good to have a challenge, right?

I forgot to photograph these before I packaged them.  So sorry for the cello bag glare.  

Speaking of packaging.  What is stamped on the bag topper is what is heat embossed on the inside.  Also, there is a dot on the back of the bag topper, to show what color of embossing powder was used for the inside.

Recipe:  The top gift card holder:  I used the roses G45 Christmas paper for the outer flap.  The polka dot pattern paper is Aqua dots & stripes by Echo Park.  I used garden green card stock by Stampin' Up! for the base.  I also used the new real red cotton ribbon by Stampin' Up!.  It is soft and ties some beautiful bows.

The bottom gift card holder:  I used Eskimo Kisses by Basic Grey.  That paper is easily 3 yrs old.   I only had scraps, so the top panel piece wasn't wide enough to fit across the whole card.  So I made it into a panel.  I added a text pattern paper So Noted by Carta Bella.  The gift card base is made with Pool Party card stock by Stampin' Up!.  I also used the new cotton ribbon by Stampin' Up! in blushing bride.  

I tied on snowflake charms from Stampin' Up!.  Yeah, they are new this holiday season.

I created two different by equally perfect sentiment pieces.  I stamped both in real red classic ink onto whisper white cardstock; both from Stampin' Up!. 

Look for these and many more different styles of gift card holders at my next craft fair this Saturday @ La Cueva High School, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Thank you for stopping by.  I'm heading back into my craft room, to finish some more gift card holders.  And a few more cards, gift bags, and gift card/box combos. {smile}

Inked Rose

I supported a local small business on Saturday.  Yeah, a local scrapbooking store.  I made a paper purchase, because I needed a few sheets to complete a project.  But, while I was there, I found some beautiful pattern paper. {smile}

I took a small break from holiday crafting, and made a Thank You card.  I used pattern paper from three different collections, three different companies.  And I am happy with the outcome!

the card recipe:  The card base is made with Not Quite Navy card stock by Stampin' Up!.  And yeah, it's a retired color.  But I still have a package of card stock.  I love the color.  It's dark blue without being too dark, and with a subtle gray tone.

Ok, the polka dot pattern paper is from Echo Park, Quotes.  This is actually the reverse side of the paper.  I love polka dots!

The text paper is from Carta Bella, their Sew Lovely collection, Lovely Floral.  And yeah, another reverse side of paper.  The paper on the other side, has single blossoms repeated.  But, I love the text. I adhered the text pattern paper onto the polka dot pattern paper, and then ran a simple border stitch with my sewing machine, before I adhered this piece to the card front.  That way, the stitching isn't seen on the inside of the card.

The bold floral pattern paper is from We R, Inked Rose.  The reverse side of this patten paper is stripes in the seafoam green color.

I matted the floral pattern paper onto a scrap piece of NQN card stock.  And then matt this piece onto Rose Red card stock.  

I added a banner piece to the top right corner and the lower left corner.

The upper right corner is a scrap piece of the polka dot pattern paper, matted onto a scrap piece of pool party card stock.  I added a button tied with silver bakers twine.

The sentiment was stamped in NQN classic ink, onto a scrap piece of whisper white card stock.  I created the flag end with scissors.  And stapled this piece.

I will have this card for sale in my Easy shop, HERE.  and if it doesn't sell this week, it will travel to my next craft fair on Saturday!  {smile}

Well, thank you for looking {smile}.  I'll post a few gift card holders I crafted this weekend, later this week.  Hope you come back for a look {smile}

Gift in a Jar

The title says it all!  A trend: gift in a jar.  A creative use for mason jars.  These glass jars don't hold just jelly anymore!  And who ever got us hooked, I thank you!  I can.  Yeah, I have a little farm girl inside of me.  I can blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and peaches.  I make Blueberry Spoon fruit, Christmas Cranberry Relish, Low Sugar Strawberry Jam, and Vanilla-Spice Peaches.  I love the whole process.  It's not hard, but you do need to pay attention to what you are doing.  And you get to enjoy the ripe fruit through out the year.  Oh, and I buy from local farmers.

Anyways, I have canning jars.  All sizes: 4 oz, 8 oz, and 16 oz.  Wide mouth, and regular.  But, back in Sept. I saw these super cute jar toppers.  A creative person, Betsy Veldman, created a die and stamp set, so you could create snow globes to put on your canning jar lids.  These were a limited edition, so only a few were made.  And so I placed my order on Oct. 2.  Well, they were already sold out (sales started Oct 1).  Do to the high demand, they did one more production and my order was finally filled Nov. 2.  But once I received them, I have been making little houses, tiny deer, and tiny snowman.  

I had created a few for the last craft fair.  (My order arrived the night before the craft fair.) and they were a hit.  So, I started making more.  The selling point: they are just too cute! and creative!  So, without further ado, here is a close-up of my favorite house color combination:

When I crafted these, I thought it was obvious what to put inside.  And to some shoppers, it wasn't so obvious.  So, for next Saturday's craft fair, I have added an idea list to each jar:

This is a finished jar.  To the outside of the jar, I added a trim around the lid, a 'Merry Christmas' banner, and a bow.  And yeah, no two are alike!  Inside the jar I have added an idea list of what to put inside the jar, and a tag.  These are actually a lot of fun to create!  But I imagine that they will sell fast, so let me get back into my craft room, and whip up some more!

Thank you for stopping by and having a look.  To see more of my crafts in person, visit my booth at this years La Cueva High School Craft Show!  I am @ booth B-34.

Magnetic 'A'

Howdy! and yeah, I have been crafting more {smile}.  It's really a joy and not a job.  I sometimes wonder what my dear husband thinks.  Hummmm.

Anyways, one of the items that I make and sell at the Arts and Craft Fairs that I attend are magnetic letters.  The letters measure approximately 4" tall, and anywhere between 3 1/2" to 4" wide.  I make them with the intention to be a monogram of sorts.  But really, after you make your purchase, you can use them in any fashion you desire.  {smile}

Each letter is uniquely decorated, and the back and sides are painted.  I adhere two very strong magnets to the back.  They cling to most metal surfaces: locker, metal message board, refrigerator, and such.

Now, from my style (shabby chic), you would think that my customer base is women.  Well, that isn't exactly true.  My youngest recipient has been a 5 year old boy.  And I sell almost half my letters to teenage girls.  Who would have thought?  But, if truth be told, I don't have a customer in mind when I create them.  I just love to craft.  So any (and all) sale is a good one!

Here is my latest addition to my supple:

To craft these letters, the easiest way for me to do these, is to think of someone whose name starts with that particular letter, and craft for 'them'.  I know, it's not very scientific, or easy to duplicate, but that is my process. {smile}  

And here is a little more truth: I crafted this letter with Rachel Ashwell in mind.  She is the creative mind behind the shabby chic couture collections at Target: yeah, the store.  I don't know her, but I was inspired by her 'work'.  

I do take special orders on magnetic letters.  Just convo me as to what letter, and what your likes and dislikes are.  For example:  'F' - love florals, polka dots, buttons, keys, pale purples, and silver.  dislikes are birds, hearts, and pinks.   I sell these letters for $8 each.  There isn't an extra fee for special orders.  Just a time frame.  I can easily create one in a two week time period.  But, I have done a special order in a week.  

So, if you are looking for an unique gift during this holiday season, for someone special: mother, grandmother, sister, bff, teacher, baby sitter, or a great co-worker, these make wonderfully personal gifts.  {smile}

I'm heading back into my craft room, to craft a few more! {smile}  On a crazy side note, I can't find any 'Z' letters.  {frown}.  I think that's odd.

Anyways, have a great day, and enjoy the last of your weekend!