Two Ways to Package the Cash!

I always give my son and his girlfriend money for Christmas along with other smaller presents so they are able to get something they really want - that will fit - etc! This year I just gave them cash so they wouldn't even have to go to the bank to cash a check (my son sometimes forgets to cash a check for a while!) but I wanted to dress it up a little bit rather than just tuck it in an envelope....

So - for April - who loves purple - I made this cute little purse using a die from Papertrey Ink. I stamped the sentiment from Compliments of the Season by Waltzingmouse and then die cut it using Fancy Tags from Spellbinders - cutting off the left edge where I put my hand made felt flower. Then I just tied a piece of wrinkled seam tape around the handle as well as the roll of cash - which I then tucked inside the 'purse'!

For Josh I wanted a masculine look -so I used paper from Cosmo Cricket Wanted/Slim Jim. I cut two panels using the Top Note from Stampin Up, then I cut one in half and layered it over the full cut. I used Scor Tape on two sides and the bottom to hold it securely - then just stapled it to 'guy' it up!

I stamped the sentiment - again from Compliments of the Season from Waltzingmouse - and die cut it with Labels Sixteen Nestabilities. I adhered that to the bottom half. Then I added a jumbo brad and looped a piece of ribbon through tying it with twine.

I put a metal clip on the bills to hold them together and tucked them into the gift card! April always appreciates my special packaging - she will put this on her desk at work or on a shelf at home.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Purse:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Compliments of the Season

Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI, DP My Minds Eye 29th St Market

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Milled Lavender

Accessories: Favor it Box 1 - Papertrey Ink, Fancy Tags - Spellbinders, Felt & sticky pearls - Michaels, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, wrinkled seam tape - http://www.prairiebirdboutique.etsy.com

Top Note:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Compliments of the Season

Paper: Creamy Caramel - SU, DP Cosmo Cricket/Wanted/Slim Jim

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress - Tea Dye

Accessories: Labels 16 Nestabilities, Top Note Die, Jumbo Eyelets, & Ribbon Originals Alpine - Stampin Up, Twine - PTI, friend metal clip - Making Memories, Staples - Close to my Heart.

Crafting Some Gift Containers

Today I thought I'd share some gift containers I've made for my various gift giving needs this Christmas. Above are some bags of Sugar and Spice nuts decorated with stamped and die cut stars from the Waltzingmouse set Seasons of Love. I'm giving these to the Surgery Residents that I work with. They always need a little snack to give them strength during the long hours they work!

My friend Lisa makes beaded jewelry and I commissioned her to make this pretty little bracelet with a heart and the letter 'E' charms on it for my 4 year old God-daughter, Eden. I'm going to tell her it means 'I love Eden'! Lisa gave me the bracelet in this pretty star bag. I thought Eden would love to play with this cute little purse box that I made to tuck it all into! And finally - we always give our mailman a gift card to somewhere each year. This year I slipped a Dunkin Donuts one inside this festive stocking I made - template designed by Claire

Before I go - I just wanted to share this red sunset we had last Sunday just as our 12" snowstorm ended - I took this from our front door and you can see a corner of our decorated fence as well as the pretty red sky above our neighbors roof.

Thanks for coming by today!

Colorful Warm Winter Wishes

I decided to make another one of these cute Beanie hat gift card holders using the Color challenge over at Split Coast which was rose red, mellow moss and so saffron.

I also used polka dots (on my DP the nested buttons and the brad) which was hostess Joan Ervin's Doubledog Dare challenge to us this week. To make the fringe on the top of my hat - I used a Spellbinders Labels Trio and just cut slices on one end and attached the tag to the back of the hat behind the button!You will find Carolina's beanie tutorial here My sentiment is from the Waltzingmouse Stamps Sewing Box Christmas set.

I just love these cute little hat gift card holders - Don't you?!? - I think I'm going to try a masculine one next!

Thanks so much for coming by!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Sewing Box Christmas
Paper: Rose Red, DP - SU
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Crop a dile, eyelet, glue dots, brad - basic grey, spellbinders labels trio, edge punch - EK success, Prima flowers, prima leaves, vintage buttons - PTI, dew drops, quickie glue stick, dazzling diamonds - SU

Happy Holly Day Beanie

Today's Try a New Technique challenge over on Split Coast was to make this cute little Beanie Gift card holder. How fun is this!?!

You can find Carolina's tutorial here (Note: I adhered my circle of designer paper to a circle of card stock to make it more sturdy - the directions have you just cut a circle out of DP.)The top of the hat lifts up (there's an eyelet involved!) and reveals a gift card (all I had available was a Kohl's discount card for the pic!) tucked inside!!

My stamps are from two sets by Waltzingmouse Stamps. The large holly and sentiment are from Sewing Box Christmas and the small holly on the top of the beanie is from Very Vintage Christmas.

These are really easy to put together - I'll be making a few more of these for sure. You should try one too - I know you are giving a gift card to someone right? !

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Sewing Box Christmas, Very Vintage Christmas
Paper: Vintage Cream, Ocean Tide - PTI, DP Cosmo Cricket/Jolly by Golly
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Chai - PTI
Accessories: Saddlestitched ribbon: PTI, adhesive gems - K& Co, eyelet, crop a dile, tag trio spellbinders, swiss dots cuttlebug folder, copics: YG03, R08, Curvy Cutter, Scalloped punch - EK success

A Gift Card From Santa

I just had to play along with the Try a New Technique challenge over on Split Coast - the challenge was to use Claire's wonderful Stocking Gift card Holder template . You can see all the stockings in the SCS gallery here.

I'm still in the Featured Stamper mode from yesterday (see post below) of using textured card stock - so my stocking is made of 3 colors of green Bazzill. (the top lifts up and you slip the gift card (or cash!) into the stocking!)

I ran faux stitches around the top, toe and heel using a brown Copic. The stamps are Waltzingmouse Very Vintage Labels No 4 and the sentiment is from the secret set.

The wonderful ribbon is from Sharon's No Time to Stamp Ribbon Shop. I hung the tag around the ribbon with a chain from Michaels. I sponged around all the edges with chai ink - which qualifies this for the CAS challenge to use sponging. I kept the embellishments simple in the clean and simple tradition.

This may be my last post for a bit - got lots going on for a few days - I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving time - I hope you are sharing this time with some loved ones - but regardless of who we are with - we need to remember to count all our wonderful blessings and thank God for them! I'll be back soon with some pics of my adventures.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps: Very Vintage Labels No.4, Secret Set
Paper: Bazzill
Ink: Chai - PTI, Meadow - Adirondack
Accessories: Nestabilities Labels Four, ribbon - Sharon's No Time to Stamp Ribbon Store, scor tape, vintage buttons & twine - PTI, chain - Michaels, square eyelet - Making Memories, crop a dile, copic - E59

A Gift Card so You Can Buy Coffee

Here is a fun pop up gift card holder that I made for the Try a new Technique challenge on Split Coast. You can see the instructions on making this here in the forums

Basically it's a 4 x 12 piece of paper that you score at 4" and 8" along the 12" side. Fold and crease the scores. Then you fold the middle square in half (that creates the center piece inside) You cut a slit in that fold to slip your gift card into and adhere the 3 edges (not the side with the slit). Then you adhere it to a 4 1/4" square.

I used this fun coffee themed stamp set from Artful INKables called Warm Drinks for Cold Days for my Starbucks Gift card included in the slot inside.I used a word window punch to punch the slot for the card instead of just making a slit with an exacto knife as it instructs in the tutorial. I also added ribbon around it so it could be tied shut - something you might want to omit or at least leave untied if you were mailing it! (too bulky!)This is a really easy and quick gift card holder - perfect for any gift giving event!

If you love this Warm drinks for cold days stamp set - use this code when you order to get 10% off your entire Artful INKables order: save10JA Kristin also sells ribbons by May Arts and fun charms too.

Who do you need to make a gift card holder for??!! I hope you try this out!

I appreciate your coming by today!

Stamps: Warm drinks for cold days: Artful INKables
Paper: Polly Red: PTI, Baja Breeze: SU, DP: Lil Davis Designs-Endless summer
Ink: Dark Chocolate: PTI, Baja Breeze
Accessories: sponge, oval & rectangle nestabilities, prismacolor makers, Silver pen: Creative Memories, foam dimensionals, word window punch, scalloped circle punch, key tag punch: SU, Ribbon Originals Alpine: SU