Designer Box

Too late to wrap this year's Christmas presents, but you can use this Designer Box to wrap presents all year.  Here's a good solution to making gift boxes for all those odd shaped gifts.

DESIGNER GIFT BOX

Just click in the top left corner to download the instructions.  You have the option to open the file or save the file.

Just Punchy

Isn't this the cutest tag?  I just love it!  I got my inspiration from a few I saw on Splitcoast and just had to make one.  The circle is a Nestabilities Circle and the reindeer is from punches - oval; 5 flower punch for ears; snowflake for antlers; Boho Blossom for his hair!  See what you can come up with using your punches!

Votive Candles ... my way!

I stamped some votive candles this week and they turned out soooo cute!  It was super easy too.  After I did the candles, I made a little box to put them in.   Here they are:

Here's what you do:

• Choose any stamp you like and stamp on TISSUE paper.
• Punch out your image with a circle punch (3/4" worked for me) that is close to the size of your candle.  (easiest to sandwich your tissue paper between copy paper to punch)
• Punch a small hole in the middle of your design...then thread the wick of the candle through the hole.
• Your image should be resting on the top of your tea light.
• Simply heat the tea light with your heat gun until the wax melts over top of your stamped image. While the wax is still melted, sprinkle on a bit of glitter if you want it glittered.

CLICK Here for the box pattern.

Here's a close up of each one I made.

We are leaving in the morning to start our trek to Texas for the holidays so you might not hear from me for a few days!  We are driving and expect to make it in about 3 days.  I'm so excited!!

Holiday Cookbook

Click on THIS link to download a great holiday cookbook from Stamp TV!!

Now - get to baking!!  Christmas will be here before you know it!

Thanksgiving is but a memory

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and all I'm left with (besides left-overs) is tight clothes!!  I have got to get back to eating better!!  Why is that so hard?? 

I want to share a few Thanksgiving memories.

These are cards I made and sent.  Similar but different ribbon.

This is a card I sent to my friend, Judy.  That Gobble stamp made it so easy this year!

This is from Carol, my SU upline.  The sentiment is from a SU wheel that she cut apart.

This is from a good stampin' friend, Vicki.

This is from my Texas friend, Margaret.

And here is our table on Thanksgiving!

Aren't the flowers beautiful?  They are from our good friends, Sharon & Bob.  They usually spend Thanksgiving with us, but this year went to Texas instead to spend it with Sharon's sister. 

These are placecards I made (notice .... no names so I might be using them again next year!!).  I did let them take the matchbox treats home with them.  I filled them with Breast Cancer M&M's in memory of my sister, Debra who died from breast cancer 2 years ago at Thanksgiving.

Tag Box Instructions

I have had a few requests to share the pattern for the Tag Box and tags I made in yesterday's blog posting.  I actually got the instructions from another gal's blog.  Here is the link to her blog.  If you make one of these, send me pictures so I can post them here!!

Happy creating!

Gift Tag Holders

Hope you had a spooky but safe Halloween!!  We have friends in town and to celebrate Halloween and also Sonny's birthday, we went out to dinner at a great little restaurant in Lincolnton and then went to a Haunted House!!  I don't think I've ever been to a haunted house before.  It was fun!  We were definitely the oldest people there plus we stood in line for about an hour!!  It was done at an old mill in Vale, North Carolina and done pretty good with people jumping out at you and guys chasing us with chain saws!  Doesn't that sound great???

My daughter has been off all last week doing some serious house hunting in San Antonio.  She will close on her Bethesda condo November 9!  She narrowed her Texas houses down to about 8 on Saturday and went out with her realtor and good friend, Lisa, to make her final decision.  She made an offer last night so we are hoping it goes through and she will able to buy and get moved in before Christmas.  The house she is making an offer on actually has a swimming pool which will be great for the Texas heat, BUT .... the pool has the Texas A&M symbol in the tile on the bottom of the pool!  It will definitely make for a conversation piece.  If you know anything about Texas, you know that people there are divided in 2 camps - UT or A&M (kind of like NC State & UNC).)  Ashley went to Trinity and has friends from UT & A&M so it's no biggie to her!! 

At Christmas, we all need gift tags to attach to all those presents we spend too much money on!  I have made a couple of holders for gift tags.  These would make a nice little hostess gift.

This one is a little folder/card.  It is made similar to a gift card holder but it holds tags!

I used Kraft cardstock that I cut 5 x 8 1/2".   Score it at 2 1/2" and 5 1/2".  With the Word Window punch, punch 2 slots for your tags (side by side) at 1 1/2" up from folded edge.  Tape down and decorage.

This one is a little box that is shaped like a tag.  Below are the tags that go in the holder.

Happy Mothers Day

To all the mothers out there, I'm sending a big way to go and a reminder too to take a few deep breaths along the way.  However you choose to commemorate this day, with family or on your own, with big fete or quiet respite, at home or out on the town, I hope you have a glorious day and that you connect with yourself and your family and enjoy your celebration.

In this month’s Real Simple magazine, Judith Newman  lists  10 things she suggests we all ask our mothers this Sunday.  On her list: 

1. What’s the one thing you would have done differently as a mom?
2. Why did you choose to be with my father?
3. In what ways do you think I’m like you?
4. Which one of us kids did you like the best?
5. Is there anything you have always wanted to tell me but never have?
6. Do you think it’s easier or harder to be a mother now than when you were raising our family?
7. Is there anything you regret not having asked your parents?
8. What’s the best thing I can do for you right now?
9. Is there anything that you wish had been different between us — or that you would still like to change?
10. When did you realize you were no longer a child?

I don't agree with all the questions up there - especially Number 4 - but they are thought provoking.  And you ought to ask some of them before it's too late and your mother is not around for you to ask.   What would you want to ask your mother?   What would you want your children to ask you?   What do you think the answers might be?

My family will be coming over on Sunday and we will celebrate the mothers among us (my mom, my sister and myself) with a cook out.  I just wish my own children could be with us too.  But, I will be meeting Ashley in Texas next weekend.  She has already sent my Mother's Day present which I will open tomorrow.  I am holding out hope that I will get a call from my son.  I didn't receive a card so I doubt that I will receive a call, but I can still hope, can't I?  My wish for this Mother's Day is that by next Mother's Day, our relationship will be better. 

Here are a few cards I am sending to friends and family this Mother's Day.

Happy Easter

Hope the Easter bunny found your house!

These are a couple of Easter cards that I sent out.

This one is from a retired SU set and one I actually got in a swap a few years ago.

This one I made.  I just love this paper and find myself hoarding it!  The blue check and the flower are from Parisian Breeze DSP and it is cardstock weight.   I matched it with a piece of Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand and Whisper White.

Easter Baskets

I received the cutest Easter basket today in the mail from my Monday Mailer pard, Betsy.  She made this basket using the Sizzix Scallop Envelope Die.  And .... she filled it with packages of M&M's, a pen she decorated, a magnet and the cutest little bunny that sandwiches a chocolate mint patty.

Well, after seeing this, I got busy.  I have a Board meeting tomorrow so decided to whip up a few of these baskets for my friends.  Won't they be surprised!  I didn't have time to do all the little accessories, but I did get the baskets made.  Now, I just have to leave the house a little early in the a.m. and stop by the store to get some candy to put in the baskets!

This one I used the new white Jumbo Grommets that are in the Occasions Mini catalog (p 19).