Gift Ideas – My Crafts are Like a Box of Chocolates

Lip Balm Gift on a Card

April 6, 2019 beccreates1

Hello! Are you also so glad it’s finally spring? I hate the winter! Today I have a card that is also a small gift! My 7 yo son loves his kindergarten teacher and talks about her a lot even though he’s in grade one. So we decided to send her a fun card so she will know he still really cares about her. (She’s very fond of him too.) AND, it’s my month to be hostess at Crazy 4 Challenges! This week I’ve asked the team and players to use at least 3 metallic or metallic coloured embellishments. Oh, and I have an awesome guest designer this month, Cindy Lawrence!

c4c 19 lip balm card.jpg

The cool plastic bubble is by MFT as are the dies needed to cut the the frame and the window in your card so the recipient can pull out the lip balm. I cut the window only partially so it left a flap. I didn’t score it so it stays closed quite well. In addition, the plastic bubble has small divots that hold the lip balm in. The hugs die is from Heffy Doodle and all the papers are by Kaisercraft. It’s hard to see but there is a tiny I MISS YOU on the top of the card. It’s from Painted Butterflies by Altenew.

For the challenge, I added a ton of tiny gold stars all over the white space on the card. I love that they are the perfect colour of gold (IMHO) and not too shiny. You can get these matte stars at Lucy’s Cards. I hope you can pop on over to see the team’s designs and especially the awesome card made by my guest designer, Cindy Lawrence! Her Copic colouring is super amazing! She’s so inspiring! I can’t wait to see the designs made by everyone who can play along with my challenge this week!

Enjoy, Rebecca

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Share Handmade Kindness Challenge

November 7, 2015 beccreates1

So have you heard about this challenge? Jennifer McGuire started this challenge to share something handmade with others. This week we were to share with friends or family.

I made this necklace for my BFF. She is a piano player, teacher and general music lover. I know that she adores the shape of a treble clef so I made her a treble clef pendant out of sterling silver wire. I’ve already given it to her and she LOVES it. Now I have to wonder what the coming weeks will bring if we’ve already covered friends and family!

Enjoy, Rebecca

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Fall Thank You Card and Candle

November 1, 2015 beccreates1

We have another fabulous inspiration photo this week at The Shabby Tea Room. I love the softness of the photo and the fall colours.

I decided to make a card and a candle as a gift. It will probably be a hostess gift at some point. I added lots of sparkle using gold glimmer mist and a Wink of Stella pen. The ribbon on the card is sari silk ribbon I bought from eBay. It’s so lovely to work with.

The background was stencilled with ink then I stamped over it before I removed the stencil. Then I sprayed it with gold glimmer mist. I also added some to the card base.

The candle is one from the dollar store in such a cute little tin. I added paper to the bottom and wrapped gold twine around the lid. On top I added layers of paper, seam binding ribbon and a cute little apple die cut. If you die cut corrugated cardboard and it flattens too much, use a fine tipped embossing stylus to pull up the bumps.

I love having small gifts on hand to use in a pinch. Do you create items to have in your stash besides cards?

We’d love to have you join us this week at the The Shabby Tea Room. You don’t have to make a card, make anything you like! We love to have as many participants as we can get, new friends or old.

Enjoy, Rebecca

Entered in:

CAS-ual Fridays Chic Challenge: Tic Tac Toe (closed)

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Throwback – Autumn

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Anything Goes

Paper Players Fall Thank You Cards

Graphic have embedded links to challenges.

RECIPE
Stamps: French script-SU!
Ink: Antique linen, vintage photo distress, kraft-PTI
Paper: chocolate CS-PTI, vanilla, olive, various browns CS-SU!
Accessories: fall dies-Echo Park, leaves-Elizabeth Craft, sentiment-Mama Elephant

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Pumpkin Treat Box

September 21, 2015 beccreates1

Hello and I’m glad you are joining me for another week at The Shabby Tea Room! This week, we had a yummy inspiration photo.

I don’t celebrate Halloween so I made some fall decor instead. I plan to put coffee beans and a faux tea light in there. I took the colours from the photo and decided to use the black plus white and one other colour scheme. I just substituted ivory for the white and dark red for the yellow/orange combo. The cute little treat box is from The Cutting Cafe who is our sponsor this week. It was a breeze to print out and construct; I highly recommend you check them out!

So, I kinda wish I could have a do over on the glass glitter I added to the burgundy roses. I was a bit too much for such small flowers and while I scraped a lot of excess away, I still regret it. But it wasn’t bad enough to bother wasting the flowers and starting again especially since I attached them with E6000 glue! It’s a fabulous glue for bulky 3-D items but no way are those coming off with out major tearing.

I do hope you will play with us this week! We have fabulous prizes for the top winners. Be sure to visit the blog to see the FABULOUS creations by our awesomely talented designers and leave em some love!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: damask-Gel-a-Tins
Ink: Archival black-Ranger, Peeled Paint Distress
Paper: vanilla, celery CS-SU!, black CS-PTI
Accessories: roses- Really Reasonable Ribbon, lace-stash (from my wedding favours from almost 18 years ago!), silver gel pen-Pentel, leaf die-Spellbinders, sequins-Theresa Collins and Ellen Hutson, Glass Glitter- Recollections, Art Institute, Glitter Ritz

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Messy Wire Wrapped Bangle and Earrings

April 13, 2015 beccreates1

I’ve been making jewellery again! I find it really creatively inspiring to try making something other than paper crafts once in a while.

I started with a typical wire bangle but used much more wire. When I finished the first round of wire, I made sure it fit me perfectly then just kept wrapping! Some of the beads were added to the bracelet at the beginning and some in the subsequent wraps. I added the charms last. This may seem difficult but I assure you it isn’t. If any one would like to know how, maybe I’ll make a video!

There is room for more charms if I want to add more. I also made some earrings to match.

The earrings are made from silver sheet that I sawed myself. Then I textured the metal with a ball peen hammer. I also made the ear wires. The Chinese Crystals are from ZnetShows. They have the most gorgeous beads. These arrived in a mix of the black, clear and white. Some of the clear ones however, have a silvery coating on half the bead. They are so shiny! I have also made a barefoot sandal using these beads but I need a pedicure before I can photograph it.

They also make the best cultured sea glass beads, pendants and pieces. Full disclosure, I was provided with these beads but I wouldn’t use them unless I thought they were high quality.

Enjoy, Rebecca

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Thanks Card Set

March 18, 2015 beccreates1

Sadly my great-uncle is in the hospital dying. My poor great-aunt has been there as many hours as is humanly possible. Lots of people have been helping out, bring food etc. So I figured she will need some thank you cards shortly.

This first card is for the Sweet Sunday Sketch. I liked the wonky panel. I like my banners to point to the right though so I flipped the sketch. The banner is actually made from white CS swiped with Tattered Rose ink. It took ages because my pad is a bit dry. But the colour was perfect with this Theresa Collins paper.

This next one is one of my favourite CAS sketches. I die cut the Thanks and coloured it with Copic markers. I only used two so the ombre isn’t that pronounced but it looks nice. W5 and 7. Very simple but interesting.

The last card layout was one I stumbled upon. I started by trying out the colours I was thinking of using on a scrap in the bottom. I didn’t like the colours so I stamped another bunch of hexagons higher up. This colour combo was much better but when I looked at my scratch paper, I had a much more interesting layout than the single cluster I had planned. I added two more clusters, to balance everything out, and ta da!

I had one more happy accident. I had planned for a totally flat card. Very mailable but boring. But I couldn’t think of what to add. Then I goofed and inked the stamp I always stamped in yellow in the aqua ink and stamped. Not a pretty colour, NUTS! So I stamped it on scrap paper, cut it out and added it with foam dots.

The top left and bottom right most hexagons are up on foam dots. I hope my aunt likes these. I kept her in mind when I made them as she loves soft colours and quilting. I think the hexagons look like quit squares, don’t you?

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE

Thanks for Your Support and Ombre Thanks
Stamps: Thanks all ways-PTI
Ink: cup o joe-HA, tattered rose, frayed burlap-Distress
Paper: Theresa Collins DP, kraft, white CS-PTI
Accessories: die-Mama Elephant, W5, 7

Hex Thanks Cards
Stamps: Hexagons, Thanks all Ways-PTI
Ink: harvest gold, sweet blush, melon berry, aqua mist-PTI
Paper: white, harvest gold, sweet blush, melon berry, aqua mist CS
Accessories: foam dots-Sticky Stuff Store

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Balloon Tag and Package

February 11, 2015 beccreates1

A matching tag and packaging was another PTI challenge. I had just made the tag in the post previous to this one with a set I neglect and thought about stamp sets I don’t use often enough for this tag.

I bought Everyday Button Bits a while ago second-hand and I’ve only used it once. So I decided to use it and use up some of those enormous buttons I don’t use much. I don’t use Vintage Labels a lot either so it made for a good match. I think this would make a good baby gift package.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: as above
Ink: archival black-Ranger, Hawaiian shores-PTI
Paper: white, aqua mist CS-PTI
Accessories: chartreuse, wisteria, spring rain buttons-PTI, labels 1 dies-Spellbinders, cloud dies-PTI, washi tape-stash, baker’s twine-Divine twine

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Warm Winter Wishes Gift Bag for WMS PJ Party

November 15, 2014 beccreates1

This is for the Wrap It Up Warm challenge to make a gift bag or box with a cozy feel. I hope the ‘hugs’ sentiment is sufficiently cozy.

I used a Wink of Stella pen on the swirl on the patterned paper. The handles came from another gift bag, I have no idea how long it’s been since I saved them but it reinforces that my hoarder ways are sometimes quite useful! (Well, I am a saver but it’s not so bad as hoarder status… yet!)

The base of the box/bag is a cracker box. I modified it since it was too big as is. I just cut it down so that it was less than 6” each dimension because I had originally meant to use 6×6” paper on it. But as it turned out, I used 12×12” paper and ended up using less (ok, only a smidge less) than a full sheet to cover the entire thing! Yeah! I even cut the fancy tag shape from the remaining paper! I added ink to it to darken it and make the silver EP stand out. I used the silver EP on the snowflake too.

I hope you have fun visiting other stops linked to the PJ party!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Say It Loud-WMS
Ink: Versamark, night of navy-SU!
Paper: Echo Park
Accessories: marshmallow and clear sequins-Pretty Pink Posh, tag fie-Spellbinders, foam dots-The Sticky Stuff Store, bells-Michaels, twine-?, stickers-Echo Park, Lindeman snowflake die-Memory Box, snowflake brad-?, silver EP-SU!

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ZnetShows Cultured Sea Glass Necklace

October 1, 2014 beccreates1

I am on the Znetshows Design Team! They make the most marvellous cultured sea glass and carry a wide variety of glass pearls and Chinese crystal beads.

Today I’m featuring the fabulous cultured sea glass. They have so many colours and shapes. I love how these bright colours work so well together. I added each of them to the basic ear wire with a briolette-style silver wire wrap. The green bead is actually on the ear wire. There was a kink in the end of it but I straightened it then kinked it back in place to keep the bead from falling off. I used round beads, eclipse shaped pendants and the leaf shapes.

These were super easy to make, they only took about 15 minutes. They would be great to make assembly line as gifts!

Enjoy, Rebecca

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Blush Pearls and Hearts Bracelet

May 16, 2014 beccreates1

I’ve been making lots of jewelry lately but I’m a bit behind posting. This one tinkles a bit as I wear it and so reminds me of faeries!

It is made almost entirely of jump rings. So except for the pearls, it is all made of wire! The jump rings silver plate for the non-coloured ones and coloured aluminum for the pink ones. The pink is quite subtle so enlarge the pic by clicking on it if you’d like a better look. The little hearts are made from silver wire which I shaped then soldered closed. I also made my clasp, from the same wire I think. 18g silver.

Considering I’ve never made anything like it before, I am thrilled with it! I’m really new to anything made with jump rings, called chain maille, and new to soldering too. I am going to be selling these so let me know if you are interested! The jump rings and pearls come in lots of other colours too. And if hearts aren’t your thing, I can substitute your choice of charms. If you know jewelry, it’s a basic chain made of the silver rings with two pink rings in each silver one, one on each side.

Enjoy, Rebecca

All supplies available at Fire Mountain Beads or ArtBeads.