Still Time for Last Minute Gifts

Yes really there is, if you choose the right one there's still lots of time to make it.  Linda has been busy again making gifts for her girlies to give to their dance teachers.  A quick, easy and economical gift yet they will be recieved with joy and pleasure.   

The first photo shows a nicely shaped candle holder with  a lovely manger scene stamped onto tissue paper and then podged onto the glass.  Yes, that's it!  I told you it was a quick and easy craft.  You can see it with the tealight candle lit illuminating the babe and mother and then looking down into the candle holder you can just see the tealight flickering.  So how many are you going to make?  Wouldn't it look lovely with some holly and berries, a snowman or Santa.

Rachel was busy at school today with her classmates making an explosion box and I believe Jonathan and his class will be making one later this week.  I don't have a photo of what Rachel made today but we do have two samples in the store and here's another example I found. 

Two really fast gifts, and if you decide to make one or the other and need help, then drop into the store and we'll be pleased to explain in greater detail.

 

I'm also including a couple more of the little gifts Linda put in the girlies advent boxes.  You could make these as accents on a gift package too.  She made a christmas ball ornament by cutting and gluing together 6-8 small circles from pretty christmas paper.  Snowflake earrings in their own special colours.  A Snowman pin from a craft stick.  A photo keychain from an old keychain.  And two cute little pinecone elves with pipe cleaner legs and arms and embellished with felt.

Perhaps you are a needlecrafter though?  Well there's still time for some quick little gifts there too.Click over here for some quick little cross stitch patterns.  I loved the teddy bear and the snowman as you scroll down the page.

Here's another idea I found to dress up a simple pair of scissors.

 

 Or how about using your Silhouette Cameo to personalise a simple hairbrush like this.  Now that must surely get your creative juices flowing as you think of a thousand things you could personalise.

  

 Perhaps you're a jewellery maker and this is more your style?

 

Jump ring chain jewellery is something I like to make and though it's certainly not a quick gift, we do have  a really good book in the store that teaches this style.  Linda has it posted in the newsletter and if you mention that you saw this post on the blog, then you can purchase the book for 20% off regular retail price.

I wanted to share a touching story with you and it's about my great-niece Brianna, shown here in this photo

.  Most of you know of her Daddy, my nephew Brian who brought both a gold and silver medal home to Canadians in the last two Olympics.  Although he is undoubtedly proud of that achievment, he cannot possibly be as proud as he is of his lovely daughter.  Brianna wanted to donate to their local food bank, so off she went with I'm not sure which one, but her Mommy or Daddy and shopped for that donation herself.  Choosing all the foods she wanted to give to someone in need.  No she didn't have the money to pay for it herself, her Mommy stepped up to the plate for that one because Brianna had already used her money to buy a Lego gift for a six year old through the Santa's Anonymous program.  She surely has the true spirit of Christmas in her heart and I would challenge each of you as you read this to "pay it forward" in some small way and cause that spirit of Christmas to be spread throughout our community.

Until Later...Happy Crafting
Lilian

Are you ready for Christmas?

We are ready at the store, so be sure to drop in for our 12 Days of Christmas Sale. 

Starting on Tuesday December 11th every day for that day only, there will be different products on sale. 

Check out the list below to see the day to day sales that will be going on until December 24th on in stock items only.

Tuesday Dec 11th :)             

All embossing folders -  25% off 

Wednesday Dec 12th :)         

All Christmas stamps - 20% off 

Thursday Dec 13th :)   

Imaginesce Fashion Flower kits  -

regularly priced $25.49 just $8.00 today

Friday Dec 14th :)

Christmas Ornament Beading kits by the Beadery - 15% off

Saturday Dec 15th :)

Zutter Bind-it-All Machine (one only) - reg $79.99 just $55.00 today

Monday Dec 17th :)

All Wooden Block Stamps - 30% off

Tuesday Dec 18th :)

All in One Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Kit

reg $15.99 just $6.00 today

  

Wednesday Dec 19th :)

All Spellbinder Dies - 25% off

Thursday Dec 20th :)

Add a little bling to your paper crafts with Imaginesce i-rock tool kit

Reg $42.99 just $20.00 today

  

Friday Dec 21st :)

All sizes of Scrapbook Albums -  15% off

Saturday Dec 22nd :)

Imaginesce All Occasion Build a Card Paper Pads - 25% off regular price

  

Monday Dec 24th :)

Latch  Hook Kits - 15% off

Make sure you check out each daily special and send your personal Santa in to the store on the appropriate day.

Happy Shopping

Lilian

Guest Blogger and a Share

Linda has some more inspiring small crafts for you that she will be putting into her girlies Advent Boxes.  Great that you don't have to have them all ready for the first of December, you can slip them in along the way.

Here's what she's been busy making whilst I've been away.

 Aren't they just the cutest little crafts, the girls will love them.  Amazing what a little felt, chipboard, tongue depresser, bead and wooden bird can make up isn't it.  A sweet little snowman pin to wear all winter long.  A pinecone elf that just touches your heart with his pipecleaner legs and bead head.  And of course the lovely beaded snowflake earrings, they'll wear them often I'm sure.

And here's what another busy crafter has been up to.  Candice made 55 of these adorable Candy Cane Cards for her golf group.  Just look at the work she's put into them!  She made a little clothes hanger for each one, see the sewn felt toy bag too, the hat the coat....absolutely stunning work Candice and such attention to detail. 

For this effort you earn the title of

"Crafter Extroadinaire"



Being that I've been a little busy in the past few days, a fellow crafter has stepped in to fill the breech and blogged for us.  

The wonderful Internet is bringing this blogger to us from the U.K.   Having received numerous lessons through the Craft Nook, Di has fallen in love with both Distess and Alcohol Inks.  

But here, you read what she has to say.....

We have been tasked at work to make a gift for our Secret Santa gifts or provide the tools for someone to make something.......the additional request being that  it must be in a jar.  

My first thought was.....Ok, so where shall I go for this?  

Home made jam,  chutney,  Nah!  I’m not into cooking, the irony being I just open a jar !!! 

So thinking cap on.

The lady who I was tasked with creating a gift for  is a very appreciative person, who acknowledges the work put behind any gift.  In addition she  is rabbit mad and was heard declaring how she loved a little bunny air freshener she had seen for a car.  

Luckily this reached my ears too.  Once I had hunted out said rabbit I was up and running with the task for creating a gift around a rabbit and a jar!   Daunting!

I thought I’d share my efforts, I think it has come out ok and I  hope she will enjoy the gift as much as I enjoyed the creation.

Ears and tag card to go inside the jar

Tools used,  coffee jar, alcohol inks,  double sided tape,  glitter,  card stock, Christmas themed papers and embellishments, ribbon,  distressing inks, glue runner.
I think she will like it!   At least it is a secret if she doesn’t.  (Please don’t tell).  LOL 

Happy Crafting

Di

Thanks Di for that lovely gift idea.  Using the jar that ordinarily would be thrown out was brilliant too, and such a difference once you coloured it with the Alcohol Ink.  Always good to repurpose items.   That tag card has been made over and over again since we presented the first class for it a few years ago.  Always a favourite,  I'm sure your co-worker will be thrilled to receive this gift.

Linda and I have more to share with you on Monday, so make sure you drop back to the blog to read about it. 

Have you signed up to receive automatic updates from the blog?  That way you don't have to try to remember to come back and you won't miss any specials that may be placed here.  To do that you simply type your email into the spot that says   -  "KEEP UP BY EMAIL WITH WHAT'S NEW AT THE CRAFT NOOK".  It's on the right sidebar just below the photo of the store.

Lilian

Hooray the Snow is Gone!

Can you tell I'm not a winter person?  I didn't realise when we came to Canada back in 1967 just how much the far north got!  I'd learned about it during Geography in school, but just didn't "get it" how much came each and every winter!   Sigh...I'm not entirely Canadianised yet I guess.

I've got some fun stuff to share with you today, along with some of the samples of what the ladies did in the second gifty class.  I showed them how what they learned last Thursday night could bebuilt onto make another larger gift and they loved it so much they asked me to share the instructions on the blog.  I can't take credit for it, I saw it on Jennifer McGuires blog and the timing was just right as we were making a mini one in class.  A mini what you say?  A pinwheel and it was great to see how this technique which some of the ladies had tried themselves somewhat unsuccessfully in the past, magically worked for them with a little instruction on Thursday night.

This is what we made on Thursday along with two other gifts, but this is what I'm focusing on.  By die cutting 10 (five for the front and five for the back) Christmas ornament shapes with a pinwheel on the front and back, we made this lovely ornament to gift to a friend.  Not only that, we worked again on how to make boxes, so that the whole concept is becoming clearer for the ladies.  Here we have one designed to fit the ornament perfectly with the centre cutout so that you can see inside, except that we went on to put a Christmas greeting in the centre of the cutout after this photo was taken.  There is also gold embossing on the edges of the ornament.  Everything looks so much better in real life.

However it's the pinwheel I wanted to talk about.  Just a couple of weeks after I made this, I tripped over a video of Jennifer McGuires that she had done for Studio Calico and I thought it would show the class how they could take what they learned and grow it into something bigger, so here's what I made.

 This ornament/wall hanging has a twelve inch span and can either hang from the top and spin as both sides are decorated, or it could hang on a wall with one side or the other showing.  Jennifer showed just decorating one side, but I thought it would be neat to do both sides and with the right papers chosen it could be flipped after the Christmas season.  I really didn't choose the right papers as the words on the burgandy paper are all Christmas words!  However a smart person could.  What you can't see too well is that on the reverse side what is in the centre is a small round mirror.  I couldn't get a good photo angle without including myself in the mirror. 

Now I'm not going to go through all the steps to making this as Jennifer has an excellent tutorial right here .  I did make some changes to her directions which I will try to cover for you.  One is that I didn't use Glossy Accents, I used Scotch Glue.  This is an excellent glue, but remember not to use to much as you will end up waiting for it to dry...you only need a little and then spread it around.  For the large back circle I didn't mix the papers and I cut four pieces - four inches wide.  For the centre pinwheel, I cut three pieces - one and three quarters of an inch wide.  To space the centre I put a jar lid in the middle and then covered the space with a used CD, embellishing on top some more.  The edge is Scotch Glue (Jennifer used Glossy Accents) with glitter sprinkled on it.  I didn't glitter the back because I didn't want it to look so "Christmassy" (is that a word...LOL), and I reversed the centre pinwheel to be opposite to the back of the large one.  Remember this is double sided paper, so there is only one large pinwheel.  For this ornament I only used three sheets of double sided paper, some glue, glitter and embellishments for the front and a round mirror for the back.  There is still a great selection of Christmas paper in the store so drop in and see what you like.  For just a little over $7.00 this would make a great gift.  

Have you been picking up some of the kits we mentioned in a recent blog?  One person found the angels to be the answer to two group gifts that she often struggles over. So somthing like 40 angels later, her problems were solved!  

We still have angels, nativity and Christmas tree kits that you can see if you scroll down two posts.  Don't wait until they're all gone.

We've noticed a change in the crafters this Christmas as many more men are coming in to purchase product to make gifts.  Families are once again exchanging names, only this year we are hearing more that the gifts have to be made not purchased.  One man drew his seventeen year old grandsons name.  The grandfather was in his eighties and it was at first a big challenge for him to come up with a gift.  However after a walk in the bush and the find of a uniquely shaped piece of wood he's going to make a mantel clock for his grandson....how neat is that!  Another man drew his wife's name for the family gift exchange and after a bit of thought and some trolling around the internet watching some you tube videos, he came in to purchase a set of Knifty Knitter Looms and he's making his wife a sweater!  I'm telling you ladies, these men stretch high when they are challenged.

I almost forgot to show you the wreath we created last Friday late afternoon.  Didn't take long to make at all and only used a small amount of felt to make the flowers and leaves and a small styrofoam wreath form wrapped in the ribbon of your choice.  A sprig of berries and a few beads in the centre of the flowers  finishes it off.  The flowers are made by cutting a circle, then cutting through that circle in ever smaller spirals, then you wrap them around themselves to make the flower...easy peasy, and again for much less than $10.00 another quick (about an hour) and easy gift.

Well I didn't get my page finished, it's well under way, but not complete so you'll have to wait to see it.  I've created a shape ready to cut out of my Silhouette and have another that is in the thought process still.  Suffice it to say, it's not done....however all my Christmas cards are in the mail now and I  have another sample craft to show you next blog.

Last but not least, hop over to the Spellbinders blog here to see the competition they are offering.  You could be the winner of $5000.00 worth of Spellbinders product.

Until Later, Happy Crafting

Lilian

Just a Quick Post Today

I had meant to post the gift tags that were made in the Christmas Card Class and totally forgot about them with all the other ideas.  So here as promised for Amie is a photo of the gift tags that were an extra in the card class.  They were quick assembly tags to show the ladies how they can use their scraps effectively.

I've been working on a layout from the Valerie Salmon "Got Sketch" layout I mentioned in the previous blog from here.   (I'm not allowed to re-post Valerie Salmon's sketch, so look at that from this link). 

I'm very much a two page scrapbooker, so had to come up with another page first to go with this sketch.  I found one on the Page Maps website (another "go to" favourite) that with a little adjustment I think I like.  You can see above where I started with the page maps sketch. It's an 8.5 x 11 page from September 2012, so I had to do some adjustment for to make it into a 12 x 12 page first.  

Here is the Page Maps sketch adjusted to a 12 x 12 to work for me. I didn't like the hexagons for this particular layout, so will use a paper to coordinate with the Valerie Salmon layout.  You can see other changes I've made such as flipping the layout, adding another narrow photo  moving the tall embellishment. and making the journaling piece larger.

Here's where I'm at with both pages adjusted and put together for a two page 12 x 12 layout.  I'm a bit "up in the air" as to which one of these I will use actually.  I like the narrow photos on the right hand page of the top layout, but may use the wider ones on the lower layout dependent on what photos I find.

So what do you think?  Any thoughts?  I'm still not sure about the bracket background, but didn't like it when I removed it and made it straight as the right hand page is.

Gotta run now, I'm working on a sample for tomorrow night's gift class.  It's to show the ladies how they can enlarge on what they will be making tomorrow.  You will get to see it after the class is complete.

Until Later, Happy Crafting,

Lilian

Hold on to Your Hats and Grab a Coffee- This Will be a Long Post Methinks!

Have you been into the store lately?  Linda and I have been busy making some sample crafts up for you to try by yourself for Christmas.  As we were showing them to the croppers on Friday night, we kept being asked..."do you have a kit for that?"

End result is that we've put together some instructional kits at very moderate prices for you to purchase if you choose and then duplicate over and over.

There are also some samples here of crafts Linda has made for her girlie's Advent Boxes.  Quite a challenge to figure out what to put in them given the size and not wanting to fill them all with chocolates.  Linda shared a number of her ideas with another Mom at the Crop Night as she has three small children that she fills Advent Calendars for.  Subsequently Jennifer went home with ideas and started kits for bookmarks and bracelets she will be making for her kiddies.

There's one sample of a painted and stamped wooden snowflake that I've made which is going to be added to a larger foam snowflake in the snowstorm at the cash register, (yes, we have the wood snowflakes in stock)   Don't know about the snowstorm?  I don't have a photo of that, so you'll have to drop into the store to see the storm we created inside on Friday to go with the storm that was waging outside.

I also have a couple of websites I want to direct you to.  One is for some really great scrapbook layouts.  The other for a free embroidery sampler design.  Did you see Linda mentioned in the newsletter that  we have some really nice assembled cross stitch kits in the store for just $2.99 that include all the floss, needle, fabric and frame that you need to complete the ornaments.  Easy Peasy!

Here's the link for the scrapbook layout. I particularly liked Sketch 151 here.  I liked the way in the first example the two tags were interpreted as photos.  You will see at the top right sidebar, you can choose layouts by the number of photos you have.  Who's going to make a layout from this sketch and email it to the store?  Will it be you?  I'll try and get one done this week, because next week I'll be in the city with family for a few days.

Okay so here we go with some photos for you to enjoy and hopefully be inspired by.  This one Linda put together in miniature for the girls Advent boxes, but we also have put this together for you as a kit.  It's Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.  Shown in miniature on the left as a hanging ornmaent and available in kit form on the right as a standing ornament for just $5.00.  Aren't they lovely and fitting as we remember the reason for the season.

  

For the Advent boxes and because her girls are such big readers, they will be getting more than one bookmark this season.  Here's a selection of what Linda has prepared for them in their appropriate colours.

Have you ever made a pom-pom from scratch?  These in purple and green are simple to make, yet interesting to use.  And the paperclips that became another style of bookmark. 

And finally the angels here made from paperclips which we've also put together into kit form for you with instructions for just .50cents.  Isn't that just the nicest little decoration that you could then make a box for (we've did that in class last week and will be again this week) and share with a friend without breaking the bank.  'Tis the season for sharing and giving.

Or how about this lovely five point star.  Cut simply from scrapbooking paper, scored appropriately, blinged and decorated with a final coat of podge to stiffen it.  This too is in kit form for just .50 cents.  Can you visualise many of these on your Christmas tree?

Linda made a stunning Christmas tree last week and although it took a little bit of time to cut out all the felt circles, the final result was well worth it don't you think?

This has been put into kit form including the styrofoam base, wood topper, pins, felt in the colour of your choice and the berries to embellish with.  And the price for this beautiful tree table decoration kit is just $12.50.

  

We also between us made up this fun snowman ornament, though we haven't put it into kit form, we do stock the Dylite balls, pom poms and felt needed to make this cute trio.  Look in the sock drawer for that lonely white sock and you've made up your own kit. 

And as a reminder here are some of the samples that we created last Christmas and you may want to consider making.

An empty water bottle, sock, pom poms and felt make this easy no-melt snowman.

 

Or how about this trio of Santa hats.  Made from three styrofoam forms, a little embossed foil, pom poms and felt a great craft to make with the children.  Embellished with some gift bows at the base another lovely seasonal craft.

Do you remember the rolled paper Christmas tree that we made in class last year?  There are so many pretty Christmas papers and this is a great way to show them off.  Roll some of it around your pencil, cut to various lengths and glued onto a backing paper and you have created another lovely gift to give to someone, or keep yourself.

 

This was another tree from last year created with strips of reversible scrapbook paper and using short sequin pins, pinned to a styrofoam base, topped off with a silver bell.  We lost count of how many of these were made last year, but if you didn't make one then, maybe you'd like to this year. 

 

Here's the final craft from last year.  (I did warn you it was going to be a long, but hopefully inspiring post).  We made this in class and cutting letters from chipboard, gluing paper to the front and embellishing the large bell.  Chipboard and bells are in stock.

I mentioned earlier about the snowflake that will be hanging in the middle of our snowstorm so hang on while I take a photo.

Not the easiest task given the light reflection.  Should have taken it in the daylight.  However I'm sure you can get inspiration from this.  Using a little paint, heat embossing a stamp and some Stickles or Twinkles on the top, this came together as a quick and easy craft.

Though we don't have the large foam snowflake in stock, it's been kicking around for years now, we do have the smaller wooden ones in stock.  They'd look great in multiples on the tree too wouldn't they.

 

And last but not least the promised website for the free embroidery pattern is here.  She's given some really clear directions to the cute and simple sampler.  We have some fabric in stock that I think would work perfectly for this sampler as well as a complete line of DMC floss and embroidery needles too.   Have you wanted to try embroidery but didn't know where to start?  We have some new designs coming into the store any day now as well as pre-stamped pillowcases and dresser scarves.  Still unsure?  Then ask us about how to start.  We both embroider, cross stitch and I have done crewel work as well. There's a sample up in the needlework section of the store.

So what was that, some twelve crafty ideas for you to work on.  No reason to be bored if you visit your local Craft Store for inspiration and supplies.  I'm going to have to dream up some new ideas for you next week too.

Did you miss coming to the Crop and Craft Night last week?  There's only one more before Christmas and last week there were many, many gifts worked on, ideas exchanged, programs taught and learned or aspects of previously owned programs explored in greater depth.  A great time and place to learn, laugh and have some fun with fellow crafters too.

Now I'm off to work on some more of my Christmas cards.  Can't show you them as many of the family look at the blog too.

Are you remembering your Manna Food Bank donation through Kraft Foods...it's making a difference 50cents at a time we are up over one thousand dollars...can we make it three before the end of the year do you think?

Until later, Happy Crafting,

Lilian