Tag: Gifts

Give "Fourth" a Little Sparkle

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Looking for a quick Independence Day favor? Try this!

Stampin’ Up!’s 1″x8″ cello bags are perfect for a few sparklers and dress it up with a label and shimmery star…it’s festive and quick for your 4th of July celebration or a gift for a friend.

Project Recipe (all supplies from Stampin’ Up!) :

Stamps: Simply Stars, Label Love
Ink: Smoky Slate and Real Red ink pads
Paper: Midnight Muse & Whisper White card stock, Silver Glimmer Paper (124005)
Accessories: Artisan Label (130920), 7/8″ Scallop Circle (129404) and small Star (retired) punches. 1″x8″ Cello Bags (124134)

And for those of you with children, THIS is a genius sparkler safety tip: Use a large plastic cup as a Sparkler shield to keep little ones from getting burned!

Have a SAFE and happy 4th!
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Bring on the Cake Class

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Birthdays come just once a year, so wrap them up with cute cards & pretty packages!

Bring on the Cake Class

Create cards, gifts, bags & tags at this fun class on Thursday, June 27th at 10 a.m. OR 7 p.m. You’ll also take home the Birthday Cake Stamp to keep for future creating! Remember to bring scissors & adhesive (SNAIL and Sticky Strip recommended). Cost: $18. 

Also at the class: LAST CHANCE for the BOGO (Buy One, Get One) sale of my retired items! When you buy any of my retired stamps and accessories before June 30, you will get the same $amount to spend in the NEW catalog (pay shipping and tax only on the new order)!

Register for the class by June 22nd:

UPDATE: I do have many retired sets listed in the “For Sale” tab above from previous years (the prices listed there are discounted and not the prices for the BOGO event). I will not have time to upload the newest retired sets until the beginning of July, and whatever is left will be discounted and therefore not available for the BOGO offer. 

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Showered with Love

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It seems that weddings, births and deaths comes in clusters. Happily, I am in the midst of weddings and with a daughter that just got engaged last week, there is more to come 🙂

Today I wanted to share the shower my friend Rita and I hosted for our friend Sariah. I shared the invitation I created with My Digital Studio here and we used it for part of the decor:

We served sandwiches and guests made their own sugar cookie “fruit pizza”:
We played the guessing jar game  though what I failed to mention in the original post (which I’ll fix today) is that after you have made your guesses, the answers are revealed and whomever is closest to the correct answer wins that jar or container! We didn’t play it quite like that at Sariah’s party, but I think I would do it that way if I could do it over again. 
At the shower we called it the 5 Senses Game because they could feel (household items were tied up in the pillowcases below), smell or taste (spices from the kitchen), hear (some things were wrapped up) or look at the jars to make their guess (see). 
Here are some ideas if  you are doing this for a household shower:
  1. A small jar of chocolate chips (our half pint held over 300 chips!)
  2. Spices (just wrap a paper around the label and let them smell/taste): Basil, Oregano, Pumpkin Pie Spice, etc..
  3. Wrap a box of band aids or staples and let them shake to see if they can guess the sound
  4. Put household items into a pillowcase to let them feel them. In one we had kitchen utensils such as a garlic press, salad tongs, vegetable peeler, etc. In another were household items like a calculator, a 9 volt battery, a ratchet screwdriver, etc…
  5. A jar of paper clips (guess how many)
  6. A jar of loose change (guess how much $)
  7. Take the labels off cans (like mandarin oranges and sweetened condensed milk) and see if they can guess what’s inside.
You could also have them guess how much something weighs or what day the groom’s birthday is on (a calendar). Remember to NUMBER each item and let everyone have time to make their guesses. 
There were plenty of awesome gifts (you can imagine why she is blushing if you look at the bag): 

And finally, I was excited to try out this cool recipe from the gals over at Our Best Bites for a favor for each of the guests. It’s great for hands or feet! And it smells good enough to eat. 
Which technically, you could do. 
It was a beautiful shower for a beautiful friend.
I’d love to hear how any of these ideas work for you. Leave me a comment if you try something and tell me how it goes!
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Cap & Gown: A Gift for Grads

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Today was a proud moment for a mother:

As my graduating senior had a few friends graduating with him, I came up with this fun gift which incorporated a few of his favorite things:

There must be an official name for the pocket than hangs off a bottle, but for today’s purpose, we’ll call it a pop-pocket, which I made from the Oval Accent Bigz die, the Big Shot and a few well placed score lines. For the owl, I added a few wings (with a scallop oval punch cut in half) to the owl punch (such a cutie) as well as a cap and tassel to dress him appropriately.

Project Recipe:

  • Paper: Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White and Smoky Slate card stock.
  • Accessories from Stampin’ Up!: Big Shot (113439), Oval Accent Bigz Clear die (127005), Simply Scored (122334), Brights Brads (119740), Cherry Cobbler Baker’s Twine (123125 Punches: Owl Builder (118074), 1-1/4″ Scallop Circle (127811), 1-1/4″ Circle.
  • Other: Curling Ribbon

With Braden after the ceremony. his dad and I were very grateful for reaching this Milestone! It’s bittersweet to watch your babies grow up.
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A Happy Hello/Goodbye Sale-a-Bration

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5 days left of Sale-a-Bration and I’ve had fun demonstrating these boxes at my March parties from the Happy Hello Card Kit:

The instructions for the boxes are on Barb’s website HERE...and my only change/suggestion to make it easier is to put your card on the Simply Scored with the flat side flush against the left side and score at 1″, then flip the card over so the other flat edge is flush against the left side and score again at 1″. Turn the card so the blue chevrons are on the left edge and score down the edge of the pattern at 3″.

I used a clear envelope with the sticky flap cut off for the “bag” inside the box and filled it with chocolate, my favorite treat.

They are really fun to make, but since the kit comes with 8 cards and envelopes (and everything else to make these cards)…

…I had a lot of these cute envelopes left over! What to do with them?? So I came up with this:

It’s a gift card holder!

Here are the simple steps to make your own:

1. Cut white card stock 2-3/4″ x 9-3/4″. Score at 1-7/8″ and 5-7/8″ on the Simply Scored Tool (122334).  Punch a half circle (I used the 1-3/8″ punch) on the smaller flap edge and the Scallop Trim Border punch (118402) on the larger side edge. Adhere sticky strip to the very edge of the smaller flap sides.

2. On the opposite side of the card stock, stamp your image. NOTE: This image is from the Carry On set which is only available when you host a party and will be retired at the end of May…call me today to schedule a private class 🙂

3. Remove red from sticky strip and fold in to create pocket. Add a small strip of colored card stock under the decorative edge and mount the pocket to a 4-1/4″ x 3″ piece of card stock.

4. Take the envelope from the Happy Hello Sale-a-Bration card kit and score at 1-3/8″ and 4-1/2″ using the Simply Scored.

5. Insert a 3-3/4″ x 3″ piece of Designer Series Paper into the scored envelope and mark with pen so you know where to trim:

6. Remove the DSP, trim and adhere to center front section of envelope. Trim into the envelope flap along score lines, fold and adhere to sides (or remove). Insert card into envelope.

7. Punch 8 layers of Creped Filter Paper (129393) using 1-1/4″ scallop circle punch (127811) and push brad through the center of all circles. Scrunch each layer up to form flower. Spray flower with Stampin’ Spritzer (126185) filled with rubbing alcohol and 4 drops of re-inker (I used Melon Mambo). Create a belly band with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch (119275) and insert flower brad to secure in the front.

Voila! A beautiful way to present a gift card AND use up those gorgeous envelopes from the Happy Hello Card Kit from Sale-a-Bration!

to purchase the items used in this tutorial and get the Happy Hello Card Kit FREE when you spend $50…but hurry! It’s only available through Friday, March 22nd when we must say GOOD-BYE to Sale-a-Bration 2013 😦

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Sisters & Sunshine Jars

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These are my sweet sisters, Megan and Mindi:

Hard to believe, huh? Yes, we all have the same parents: But while they got the talents and looks (that beautiful dark skin!), I got the…well, I got the…

…okay, I got the great sisters!

They have been life-savers for me throughout my life (my interior designers, fashion consultants, reality-check, manicurists and wedding planners) and while we love each other more than life itself, sometimes we don’t always see eye to eye, which makes me love this quote:

“If you don’t understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly 
and want to wring her neck at the same time, 
then you were probably an only child.”  ~Linda Sunshine
Remind me to tell you about the “Die a Virgin” incident….but I digress.
Last month was Mindi’s birthday and after all her hard work on the wedding, I wanted to do something really special for her. At a scrapbook retreat, my friend Jennifer F. shared an idea for a “Joy Jar” she made for one of her sisters and I ran with it:

That is the jar. Doesn’t it just bring a smile to your face? I like to think of it as a “Jar of Sunshine” Here’s the top:

Mindi doesn’t fully realize the amount of joy she brings into the lives of others, and I wanted her to get a little taste of what a blessing she has been in my life. And occasionally, the world seems a little dark to her and when she struggles against depression, this jar holds a few ideas of ways to let in the light 🙂

Inside the Sunshine Jar are envelopes with an opportunity to discover JOY:

Sometimes they are opportunities to serve, sometimes they are opportunities to play, occasioanally they are chances to grow and sometimes they are just FOR FUN! Once in a while there is a number on the card and it corresponds to a gift wrapped individually in a bag. 
Because Mindi’s husband is the manager of a hotel and they travel ALOT, and never do they stay at less than a 4 star hotel…this luggage tag was one of my favorite coordinating gifts
 
(in case you can’t read it, it says “I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth…but not to Motel 6”)

Joy Jar Recipe:
All from Stampin’ Up! unless indicated by *asterisk. To order supplies to make your own, click HERE.

  • Stamps: Feel Goods (Spring Catalog pg 21) and Blue Ribbon (Catalog pg 33)
  • Ink: Tangerine Tango
  • Paper: Try Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper (item 125409) Card stock: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight
  • Etc: Paper Doilies (129399), Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine (122976), Punches: 1-3/8″ Circle (119860) and 1-3/4″ Scallop Circle (119854). Simply Scored Tool (122334) to make the rosette on front. Big Shot (113439) and Scallop Envelope Bigz Die (113462). Wide mouth jar and lid. Ribbon.
  • Optional: Iridescent Ice embossing powder (101930) and heat tool (129053) 

 
Here are some ideas if you’d like to create your own Joy Jar/Jar of Sunshine, here are a few ideas of opportunities to include inside and as coordinating gifts (and BTW, Mindi, these aren’t necessarily in your jar):

  • Pay for someone’s order behind you at the drive-through restaurant (include $)
  • Blow Bubbles (wrap a jar of bubbles)
  • Read a book to a child
  • Try a new exercise (dvd, gym trial membership or workout clothing)
  • Take a flower to a friend just because
  • Crank up the music and DANCE!
  • Write 20 things to be happy for in a journal (wrap a new journal)
  • Listen to classical music for half an hour
  • Make a fruit smoothie in your blender
  • Take a drive alone. Park somewhere with a view and thank God for your eyes.
  • Bake cupcakes (wrap a cake mix, cute cupcake wrappers, frosting & sprinkles) and share some with a friend
  • Go on a picnic
  • Share your favorite scripture of JOY
  • Send a card to a friend
  • Take out the trash for your neighbor
  • Give them a reason to practice a talent: Do they paint? Wrap a paintbrush. Play an instrument? Give some music! Craft? Give them a Paper Pumpkin* subscription 🙂  *choose me as your demonstrator!
  • Plan a party for friends (Murder Mystery Dinner? Minute to Win It?)
  • Pop Pocorn and watch a movie (wrap popcorn)
  • Build a fort
  • Forgive someone
  • Clean out your purse
  • Get a pedicure (gift certificate or nail polish)

Help me build this list! I know there are other great ideas out there, so share them in the comments, please!

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Feel the Love

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Valentine Treats for Someone Sweet

TWO special offers to prepare you for a Happy Heart Day!

Treat Giving: Complete with the exclusive Happy Heart single stamp and 50 (that’s right, fifty) 1″x8″ cellophane treat bags! Item 132771~Valentine Treat Bundle,  $5.95.  

Card Giving: FREE Sealed With Love Simply Sent Kit (10 love notes) when you buy the brand new My Little Valentine Stamp Set! Item 132242~ My Little Valentine Bundle (clear mount stamp set), $9.95. Also available in Spanish or French.

Click the picture above for details and remember this special is only available through January 21st!

It’s an Ornament! It’s a Gift! It’s a Kit!

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The ornament on the cover of the SU! holiday catalog is such a hit that we are making it available to you–just in time to deck the halls with terrific trimmings you’ve made yourself! We’ve simplified this fun project so that you can quickly and easily achieve the same results. Each kit makes TEN (10) ornaments…what a great deal!!! In addition to the kit, all you need is a glue gun, scissors, and adhesive. (Our Anywhere Glue Sticks [104045] are perfect for assembly.) Want greeting or place cards to go with those ornaments? The Ornament Keepsakes Stamp Set (W 128048 C 128051) gives you perfect coordination. Fancy a little sparkle and shine? Sprinkle on our Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter (102023)!

The Ornamental Elegance Kit (132832) is $14.95 and includes:

  • Die-Cut Cardstock Elements
  • Cherry Cobbler 3-1/2″ Scalloped Tulle Ribbon
  • Natural Linen Thread
  • Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons 
  • Large Pearl Basic Jewels

These are available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, so get yours today by calling to place your order or online in my Stampin’ Store!

Up-cycled Treat Tubes & Luminaries

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You know these little plastic containers that Stampin’ Up! buttons and brads come in?

Have you ever hesitated before throwing an empty one away thinking, “There must be some way to use this…” or, if you are like me, you just save them knowing that inspiration will strike and you’ll find a way to Up-Cycle them 🙂 Then you’ll love this idea!

This is a container I made by cutting an 8.5″ x 4″ strip of the flocked window sheet from the Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper (126901) and making it into a tube with Sticky Strip. Fit the tube into the bottom piece of the plastic button/brad container and then decorate as desired:

 
The top of the button/brad container makes a perfect lid for your tube! I created a Real Red paper flower for this one using a few scallop circle punches and added a little bling with our Rhinestone Jewels (119246):

While my tube was 4″ tall, you could create any height tube, keeping the width 8.5″ to make your tube, which is the perfect size to create a tube to fit into the containers you are up-cycling. Depending on how close to the edge you glue your tube, it may fit perfectly inside the bottom of the brad/button container OR if it is too large, slide it over the outside of the container. Then decorate it as desired and fill with something delicious, like home-made fudge!!

I also created a luminary by punching out a shape before making the tube and covering the opening with vellum and a stamped image. I left off the lid on this one…just drop in a battery operated tea light and you are good to go! This one has a ribbon handle so I can hang it somewhere:

 See you tomorrow for more fun Holiday packaging and gifts from your Stampin’ Up! stash!

Gift of Reading

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There is nothing better than a new book to give (or receive) at Christmastime! Aside from stamping, I’ve also worked in a bookstore may years (to support my OTHER happy habit) so as the holidays are coming up, I want to share a few of my favorite recommendations AND a coupon for your shopping pleasure 🙂

TO READ TO YOUR CHILDREN:

A beautifully illustrated story of a boy learning that to give is better than to receive (or keep), this book will become a treasured tradition for your family to read aloud for the holidays. You can also download the interactive App for your Ipad and while supplies last when you buy this at Deseret Book, you get a free CD of the book being read President Monson 🙂

BOOK MADE INTO A FAMILY MOVIE:
Christmas Oranges

A LESSON IN FORGIVENESS:

The true story of a man whose expectant wife and 2 of their 4 children were killed in a car accident caused by a drunk teenage driver. I wish I could give this to everyone I know: It made me think about how willing I am to follow God’s will for me, rather than insist that I know better than Him and about how forgiving truly frees us to live a life of purpose.

A BOOK TO COOK WITH:
My go-to blog in a book format! I love that they divide it into 4 seasons and another fav feature: The Roll-Over Ingredients, an index directing you to other recipes that use up ingredients when you bought more than you needed. Genius! Not to mention that my family has loved ANYTHING I have made from their first cookbook.

A FUTURE CLASSIC:

When we moved, I purged a lot of books, but this is one that I’ll be keeping because it beautifully defines what a glorious gift the ability to read truly is! It is based on the true story of Sang Ly who helps her husband collect trash on the largest municipal dump in Cambodia to keep their family alive. The reader journeys with Sang Ly as she discovers a secret about the grumpy old woman who collects her rent that will free both of them from the past. I read parts aloud to my husband and bawled out loud on the couch as I finished it. Click on the cover to see a video that tells you more! Seriously: Get this book now. One for you and one for your best friend.

There are many more I could recommend, but this post is getting too long as it is 🙂

So here’s the coupon (good through November 30) and hope it helps you get your shopping started: