Covered Shaker Box & Gift Tags

I love covering these little shaker boxes for the holidays with paper, fabric and ribbon.

I first saw the idea in MS’s Living a few x-mas ago where she used them to make little drummer boxes. I decided to cover one of these little boxes to hold little gift tags using the HA set of four Christmas Circles.

I covered the top of the box with a remnant of home decorating fabric and ribbon.

The bottom side is covered with paper that has been stamped with HA’s Santa’s Reindeer stamp.

The inside is covered with paper. Here's a close up of the inside with the gift tags.

Close up of gift tags.

I would have loved to use the scalloped nestabilities that I just got last week with these tags, but I didn’t realize that I need a special mat to use with my cuttlebug.

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Santa's Reindeer...

Second shaker box for the HA 2009catalog win a day submission.

I covered the sides of this box with two different ribbons .
I covered the top with paper and used the Hero Arts Santa's Reindeer stamp and a reindeer head stamp by inkadinkado. I also added a little bling.

Another view of the top of the shaker box.

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Passion for Crafts - offering some amazing Blog Candy

Some amazing blog candy is being offered by Debbie over at passionforcrafts until midnight (GMT) through April 30. Debbie is celebrating her blog's one year anniversary. Go check it out ...you won't be disappointed... and leave Debbie a note to wish her happy anniversary!

Another simple tree card

for the Caardvark's "tree" challenge.

The trees are drawn free-hand. I first attached iron on fusible web to the back of some fabric samples from a home decorating sample book I purchased awhile back from a store that was going out of business.

I drew the tree outlines on the back, cut them out and attached them, with the tree trunk, to cardstock and then added some stitching. The "lawn" is also fabric.

I like the colors of the trees and the overall color combination, but looking at it now it looks... blah....boring. I think I needed to add some add'l buttons or maybe some little flowers...or something...to the trees.

Oh well...thanks for looking!

A very simple cherry blossom tree card…

is my creation for the "trees" challenge over at Caardvarks.

The stamp is from a set of four clear tree stamps by Flourishes. I used Versa Magic pretty pastel dew drop chalk inks and a paper towel to create the look of the blossoms.

I was inspired by the beauty of our spring here in the D.C. area and as you probably all know, cherry blossoms are big here.

Perhaps it’s knowing that this will be our last spring (for a few years anyway), so I’m noticing just how lovely it is here with all the trees, the azalea bushes and other blossoms, especially since we’re headed to pretty treeless town...

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Distressed...

This is another version of the card posted below. I decided to distress it for the HA distress challenge, only to realize…at…the…very…last…moment that I hadn’t used any HA stamps on the card! Glad I caught that…before embarrassing myself deeply and submitting it to the challenge!!!!

I guess I was so intent and enjoying the distressing, that I forgot who and what I was creating it for...

Maybe the HA discussion threads such have a “bloopers thread!”

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With Deepest Sympathy…finding the right words

I find sympathy cards difficult to send…it's hard to find the right words to say during a time of sorrow.

Creating a sympathy card is equally difficult…I don’t want it to be bright and cheery nor do I want it to be all dark and gloomy…and it has to be heartfelt.


This past week we needed a sympathy card for a young man who was my son’s age and a school mate. I wanted this card to be special…just like he was known to be. I know Hallmark has tons of cards out there with touching real life sentiments, but I wanted this card to be completely and totally from our hearts and not some mass produced sentiment...written by a group of people sitting around a table somewhere…no matter how poignant or touching.

At the same time, though, I thought…how can I possibly be doing something so trivial as making a card!!! Or…how can I possibly send my trivial creation to a family whose heart is breaking?!

I thought about this long and hard…all the while working on this card...and then it hit me! I was creating from the heart. I had thought about what I wanted to say…how I wanted to say it…and the look of the card, especially since this was for parents of a young boy. I didn’t want it to be too adult or somber...nor too bright and juvenile.

Somehow, I don't remember why...I thought about butterflies and their short but beautiful life span and went looking for butterfly poems and found this, which I absolutely love...even though I’m sure it’s written (or even mass produced) on Hallmark cards everywhere!

Thanks for letting me share…