Gifts

Birthday Blooms with Blackberry Bliss

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

And a happy good morning to everyone!  I do love a Friday that is full of promise and enthusiasm.  The only problem is that I usually have my goals too high and get frustrated when I fall short.  Either way, I love Friday and the fun evening often in store.

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This little thank you is so adorable, yet lovely.  I used a half sheet of very vanilla for the box, scoring at 2″, 4″, 6″, and 8″.  Then turning one quarter turn, portrait now, to score at 2″ for the bottom.  I used a companion piece of very vanilla for the stamped and embossed layers. The piece is cut first at 3 1/2″ so the stamping could be done.  I just used the large floral image to create a pattern.  Then the second cuts came at 1 3/4″ each, needing four of these all together.

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Before they were attached I embossed them with the fluttering embossing folder.  Such a nice result.  I layered them up with dimensionals and thought about leaving it just the way it was, but continued on with the plan.

I made the tag from the scrap left over from stamping and punched it with the extra-large oval punch.  A added a ribbon handle and attached the tag to the under side of the ribbon tail.  A few butterflies later and a smidge of pearls and I was ready to add my treats.  So much fun, just so much fun.  Now to deliver!

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Love You Bloomin’ Love

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Just when I thought I could sit down and make something new my time got snatched up. It seems to happen that way more often than I would like, but we do what we have to do.  So, I grabbed a leftover kit from last months workshop and turned a card base into a box.  Pretty cool if I do say so myself.

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I stamped tone on tone with mint macaron using one of the larger flowers from the Bloomin’ Love set to create the background pattern.  My tag was a tiny piece of very vanilla which measured 1/2″ x 4″.  After I stamped the ‘love you’ sentiment from the same set I punched a banner at the end with the bitty banner punch and sponged around the edges with the same ink.  I curled the banner a bit before I set it in place.

The cardstock was cut at 4 1/4 x 11″.  All ready to be a tall folded card.  I scored along each of the long sides at 1″, turned it one quarter turn and scored at 5″ and 6″.  Those last two scored would become the hinge side of the box.  Scoring, snipping and a bit of gluing later and this little box came together.

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I chose the large satin ribbon for my bow.  That is such a rich ribbon.  I just wrapped it around the short side and tied a pretty bow, leaving the tails a bit longer than normal.  I usually wrap my boxes up more, but wanted to be able to slide the ribbon off easy to fill with treats when the time came.  I also decided to add a tiny basic pearl on the banner, but just one.  How cute is that?

Have a creative day.

Moana

It’s Your Day!

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Yesterday was one of my TA’s birthdays.  Boys turning 14 don’t want a lot of fluff, just cut to the good stuff.  I stopped on the way to school and picked up a large chocolate bar and wrapped in this awesome, retired, water color patterned dsp.  He is also an artist, so I knew he would appreciate the water color theme going on.

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It was so easy to assemble.  I placed tear n’ tape along three sides and wrapped the large candy up.  First I wrapped the paper around fairly tight and sealed it like a flat tube.  Then, I just removed the other strips of tape to flat seal the ends.

I took the scraps of my linen thread and wrapped them around and tied a knot.  I just took my hand painted, and stamped of course, gift tag and looped it through one of the extra strands.  Another simple knot and this lovely package was ready to go.  Sorry I didn’t get a photo of the finished product, but I wasn’t sure just what candy I would be able to get. Stores out in the country don’t always have a large selection.  The way the paper was prepared I could have turned it into a large sour cream container styled  box and been just fine as well.  For the win!

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Hello Perfect Plum

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Living in the country has its perks, but sometimes it can be frustrating.  For example, when you live far enough out you are restricted to satellite internet.  It is slower for one thing, but when it is very stormy the weather interferes. Sometimes it stops it all together.  That would be this last weekend.  Bummer.  Let’s catch up.

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I made this lovely little gift set for a friends daughter.  She had the role of Violet Boreguarde in a children’s musical this last weekend.  Of course the gift bag needed to be filled with gum, because that is what Violet is all about.  That was so much fun!

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I also dug out one of my old stamp sets from 2004.  I wanted to create the look of bubbles, for the gum of course, and this set came to mind.  I don’t even remember the name of the set.  When you purchase quality it lasts for sure.  This set is twelve years old and worked like a charm.

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I brought in perfect plum, elegant eggplant and some gold encore ink for this set.  Violet did indeed get a golden ticket after all.  When the scene came for her to change into the large blueberry, she had this inflatable suit that literally made her look so huge and round and most definitely violet in color.  It was a great night.  The grin she made when she looked in the bag was fantastic.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Because You’re So Nice

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Nice people are just, well, so nice.  Saying thank you is always fun and feels great, but why not take it up a notch.  That is just the kind of thank you a super nice person deserves.

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My daughter got some much needed study notes help last night from a friend.  She had re-written her notes for a big test, threw away the old messy ones, or so she thought.  Yup, she threw out the new ones, with the latest additions as well.  She reached out to a friend and they came to the rescue.  Favorite candy bar, MilkyWay.  Mission accomplished and the thank you is on it’s way.

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This is a smaller version of a sliding box I had made earlier last month.  Instead of using full sheets of 12 x 12, I used two 6 x 6 pieces.  Same principal of making the score lines just 1/8″ in and it works pretty darn good.  I think I would have liked it more snug, but the candy needed the room so I didn’t want to chance it.  My daughter was so excited to take it to school today and share it with her buddy.  Me too.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Shine On Birthday Gift

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It seems like I have gift bags and boxes on the brain lately.  Nothing to be done about that but enjoy the ride.  This one was a touch different than my usual, but only because I wanted to show both sides of this awesome craft card stock.

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I created a tall slender gift bag using the entire sheet of paper.  I gave additional score lines along the center of the side panels for a much easier fold when the bag was shut.  The tops of the sides were removed which left me with these pretty top flaps, which when folded over showed the foil patterned side.  So very pretty.  The pack has several prints and the paper is very hearty.  You could really put heavy items in these and they will be quite secure.

I hadn’t had out my trusty petite petals punch for quite some time.  Kind of like a long lost friend.  It sits on its shelf, along with the others, but other toys were getting more use.  When I was at a bit of a loss as to how I wanted to finish off the embellishments, there it was.  Worked like a charm and made me very happy with the results.  Now I will have to make a card to match it instead of the other way around.  Something different for a change is nice.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

It’s My Party Gift Box

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Instead of a large bag, which is what I had planned, I went with a gift box.  I had cut a strip of the dsp for two card fronts and thought to use the remainder of the sheet for the bag now turned box.  I love using a whole sheet up for several projects, especially when I get to make a coordinating set.  Two more cards for this little grouping.

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I think my scoring tool has to be one of my most used tools.  I do enjoy making gift bags and boxes though, so it is a great fit.  This one is two inches deep and plenty large enough to hold plenty of treats, small gifts, or even some home made soaps.  Sometimes I make a box for a specific gift, but I often go shopping through my stash for one just the right size. When you blog as much as I do, there are always plenty of choices.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Where was my crafty side yesterday?  Getting ready for a wonderful engagement party for my son and darling fiance, that’s where.  Not to mention making all of these bad boys.  Yup, over fifty of them.

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The game was to pick a gift and give it to the couple with your introductions.  As they opened it you had the opportunity to either tell them what the gift item would be good for, or offer wedding advice.

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Then, you got to ask them a question, a get to know you question. It was so great to get to know her, and my son with her, so much better.  Good food, good laughs, and even a pinata contest.  They each had their own and we all cheered them on to see who could bust theirs open first.  So many laughs.

Now we get to enjoy another fun day with them and other family.  Weddings can be just so exciting!  Loving every minute of all of this adventure.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Hip Hip Hooray for Today!

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

What kind of fun events do you get excited for?  There are so many special days to celebrate it is hard to choose just one.  For me?  Well, today is all about celebrating the special meeting of my future daughter-in-law.  I have to admit, there is a bit of nervous energy going on there, more than I am aware of I am sure.  But still, what a wonderful day to celebrate.

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I am in love with this tiny little balloon punch.  It has two friends, a tiny cupcake and a tiny candle, but I can’t get past the balloon.  I have a thing with tiny things and this fits the bill perfectly.  They are just big enough to fit a dimensional behind so they get to look like they really are floating.  And if you use your bone folder across the linen thread it will curl just a bit.  It makes me smile.

The framelit is from a set two piece set that makes pop up card centers.  I trimmed the sides to give me this huge tag.  It was very difficult to throw out the inside cut pieces.  They were perfect!  I played with them, told myself to throw them in the bin, I did, then I got them back out, played again and tossed them again.  Seriously, get a grip.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

 

Need a Last Minute Gift Bag?

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When was the last time you went to a white elephant gift exchange?  We got to enjoy a Valentine’s themed one last night and it was so fun.  Imagine a large group of you all circled around just laughing like crazy.  I love fun like that.

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So, you are supposed to keep things simple, and of course funny.  I rarely have gift bags on hand since I make them most often.  This was the case for sure.  I found a pack of Valentine’s Day paper and got to work.  This lovely wrapping disguised three most odd and interesting gifts.  They were some of the first so get picked, so tricky of me.

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This large red one was so fun.  It actually slides open and closed with a long tube thing going on.  It could have help a long item up to 20″ easily.  How cool is that?  Pretty cool. I had ladies ask if they could keep them when the kids were done.  Of course!  I love making great packaging like this.  And I didn’t have to spend a bunch on bags.  Maybe with ribbon these were $1.50 all together, that is it.  Awesome!

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Oh Hello Baby Box…

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When something is this tiny, all you can do is giggle.  Especially when you are greeted by an adorable little smiley face that is just large enough to fit inside a 1/2″ circle punch.  The ribbon is just 1/4″ wide.  I absolutely adore tiny things.

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This is made entirely from my to be filed scraps on the side of my desk.  Just like the flowers from my last project.  I guess if I keep pulling from there I won’t have anything to file back.  There is a thought.  I am hoping to spend some time cleaning up a bit today.

The dimensions of this box are 1″ x 1″ x 3 1/4″.  How about that?  I wasn’t sure if the striped dsp would match up okay, but it did pretty darn good.  I tried to save on dsp and cut only a strip off the end to snip up into place.  If I had cut a square and then my strips they would have lined up better, but I chose to save the dsp.

A double layer of the bitty banner punch with one tiny little stamp.  The image is from the Hello free Sale-a-bration set.  As I have said before, I love it when a stamp fits into a punch.  Makes my life easy and keeps the images super clean.

I thought about putting candies inside, switched to a chapstick, but I think I could even put a lovely lipstick inside.  I will have to see what I get up to on this one.  Love it though!

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Perfectly Artistic Gift Box

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Sometimes you just need a big box to fill with treats.  I have found that if I keep treats on hand to put in my blog projects, I just eat the treats.  So this guy is on display empty, but I imagines it with Lindt truffles, the white chocolate ones that come in a white and silver wrapping.  Wouldn’t that be lovely?  Thought so too.

Perfectly Artistic Gift Box

I did use a whole sheet of paper for this project.  But when it is a free paper pack, love that Sale-a-bration, it is easier to do that.   I had to fight the urge to tack down my banners so the sentiment was easier to read.  I will need to remove the ribbon to fill it up for gifting, so I  had to just let them dangle.  I do like how they look with the ribbon tails though, so I am good with it.

After I did my scoring and folding I ran the paper, folded in half and half again, through the big shot all at once with my oval framelit.  I know they are designed to be used with one layer of paper at a time.  I have found that when the design is simple, they do great with more than one layer.  I would be cautious with cardstock, but the dsp worked like a charm.  That way my oval windows were all exactly the same placement.  And that makes me very happy.

Perfectly Artistic Gift Box

Have a creative day!

Moana

Bouquet Bigz L Die Meets Thrift Store Skirt

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

My daughter gave me a challenge.  She took a photo of this wild skirt she saw at the thrift store she works at.  She wanted to see it made into a card.  Well, I took it a different direction.  And yes, the skirt looks this wildy.  How fun!

Bouquet Bigz L Die Meets Thrift Store Skirt

I made flowers using the Bouquet Bigz L Die with real red.  It was actually the maiden voyage of that die cut.  As I looked at it I decided I could spend way too much time playing with it.    I distressed the petals before I put them together.  Even though it adds time in the process, it was worth it.

Bouquet Bigz L Die Meets Thrift Store Skirt

I attached them to a rectangle of black cardstock so I could put the flowers on the ribbon and not the box.  Makes for easy opening and the opportunity to re-use both the box and the flowers.  This box though.  The pattern of this paper is more than fun, don’t you think?  And with a simple wrap of satin ribbon it was done and ready to be used.

Bouquet Bigz L Die Meets Thrift Store Skirt

Have a creative day!

Moana

CD Gift Envelopes

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More gifts?  Well of course!  Giving little favors to people is just one of my favorite things to do.  I have found that nearly everyone I give to loves a hand made gift.  Works for me!

CD Gift Envelopes

These are actually decorative covers for some holiday CD’s I gave out this holiday season.  There are a few little treats inside and a horrid extreme sour warhead candy cane.  My daughter loves them, I am not a fan.  But those that got these gifts also appreciate sour stuff like that.

CD Gift Envelopes

This particular last minute gift set was so close to Christmas that the paper was on clearance!  Good for me, but definitely cutting it a bit too close.

CD Gift Envelopes

Have a creative day!

Moana

Treat Boxes for Friends

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I worked ahead so I could enjoy the holiday.  These little treat boxes have already been delivered and hopefully enjoyed as well.

Treat Boxes for Friends

I am finishing up just a few things before the evening is done, and sharing this little bit of joy is one of them.  Just a little reminder to share more of yourself with those around you.  Even if Christmas was yesterday, keep the spirit going strong.

Treat Boxes for Friends

Have a creative day!

Moana

Cookie Close-up!

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As the holidays get rushing along, try to find the simple sweetness they can offer.  Sharing kindness and treats can be so much fun!

Cookie Close-up!

Good friends give more than they receive often enough.  Just trying to do a little for those that do so much for me.  And yes, there is more to me than paper crafting, sometimes.  Just kidding!

Cookie Close-up!

Have a delicious day!

Moana

Just the Right Box

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What do you do when you have an odd sized gift?  Make your own box, that is what you do.  It also needed a little extra reinforcing.  Heavy weight craft card stock to the rescue!

Just the Right Box

I used two 12 x 12 sheets to wrap this lovely little gift.  It didn’t quite reach around the back, so that is why I had to use a second sheet.

Just the Right Box

I have been surprised how often I have gone to my paper to create a specific gift box.  I guess I will have to be mindful to keep more of that in stock.  A quick wrap for that last minute gift, just the thing I needed.

Just the Right Box

Have a creative day!

Moana

Big Gift Box

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How big is big?  This one took two 12 x 12 sheets to make it work.  This bag/box measures 5 x 6 x 6.  How awesome is that?  The gift inside is pretty much hilarious.  Another gift exchange for my husband at work.   Quite the group there.

Big Gift Box

I could have fit at least six stamp sets inside this guy.  That could double for DVD’s or any other combination for sure.  It is made with last years craft holiday paper so it is super sturdy.  I could have made a fun tag and decorated it more, but it was a quick make this morning.

Big Gift Box

Could I find gift tissue to match?  Nope.  No worries though, there was a Santa hat close by and it did the job quite well.  Actually, I think this might be a repeater idea.  I probably won’t remember it, like the measurements for the awesome bag.  It was a custom design for this huge mug.  One thing at a time, and getting last minute holiday fun done is more important.

Big Gift Box

Have a creative day!

Moana

Flameless Candle Favors

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Two days off in a row?  What is up with that I would like to know.  Well, these little babies are to blame.  Well, these are the ones left over from the original 150 I made.  Yes, there were 150.

Flameless Candle Favors

Our church youth group decided to go Christmas caroling to a few nursing homes in our area and well, the final decisions came a bit late.  We normally would have collected fuzzy grippy bottom stockings, or made knitted hats or something along those lines.  I live in a small town and couldn’t gather up enough of those kinds of things this late in the holiday season.  So, it ended up being a paper crafting moment, or two, or more.

Flameless Candle Favors

My Saturday was spent making these little treasures.  If you weren’t making a ton it would be a super quick craft.  I cut 6″ squares, scallop trimmed the tops, punched two snowflakes on opposite sides and tucked in a candle at the bottom.  The candles got a little extra grip from glue dots to make sure they stayed put.  It is a tight fit, but just in case.  They are tubes so you can turn the candle on and off without taking it out.  Pretty simple, but very nice.

As we sang the kids passed out lit favors to the nursing home guests.  It really was a lovely experience for everyone.  Christmas is about giving after all.

Flameless Candle Favors

Have a creative day!

Moana

Paper Pumpkin Re-Make

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What says thank you better than a big bar of chocolate?  A really pretty bar of chocolate with a coordinating card, that’s what!  I really like how this Paper Pumpkin set got used  so differently than I normally do.

Paper Pumpkin Re-Make

I have mentioned my teacher aides before and how awesome they are.  The holidays are the perfect time to share that gratitude.  Especially when they feel special and others get to see that too.  Okay, they are teenage boys that love to feel awesome and oh so cool.  This works very well, just like they do.

Paper Pumpkin Re-Make

I used the card base to wrap over my vanilla cardstock and it fit around so nicely.  I was able to give it nice little scores and get two swipes of fast fuse to keep this together.  After a hefty wrapping of ribbon, I know it is so secure.  These holly leaves and little adhesive backed berries are so adorable though.  I could definitely get into a die cut to make more of these.  I will have to look around for one.

It is fun to go to work when you have this kind of joy to share.  Besides, today is the last day of school before a very nice and long three week break.  Phew!

Paper Pumpkin Re-Make

Have a creative day!

Moana