Fun gifts for boys who travel a lot

Our friends' boys range in age from 10 to 3, but I think they were all tickled with the little gifts for them. First of all, I made them each a decorative personalized notebook using old calendar pages:







Their dad and grandpa love to hunt, so I guessed that they'd enjoy these animals. I had to laugh after their son pointed out that the trophy buck had a nice 10-point rack. I hadn't thought to count! :)

I wanted to make them a little something to "play" with, too, so I finally got around to using an idea I've had for years ...



Traveling car tins ...



You can find these mini cars at Dollar Tree, 8 in a pack. Not all of them are from Dollar Tree, though, because I pick these up secondhand whenever I can find them. My first idea was to add magnets to the bottom of the cars, but I was out of magnetic strip and couldn't run to the store for more. So I just put 3 cars and a road sign in each tin and called it done.

They were thrilled! I didn't realize it, but the middle boy had been asking his parents for these tiny cars for months. They hadn't been able to find any, so he was especially thrilled to finally get a few.

I really enjoy making little gifts for children. They are always so appreciative!

A fun gift for a girl that travels a lot

We had another missionary family at our house last night, so I didn't get a chance to post these pictures. I went to college with these friends, and it's always nice to reconnect with college friends!

They have four children who are doing a LOT of traveling while they're back in the States, so I wanted to make them some little gifts that are portable and fun. I changed a few ideas more than once, but here's what I decided on for the girl (8 years old) ...



This is what the tin started out looking like. I had picked it up at a thrift shop filled with the original contents for $0.25. My kids had fun with the pipe cleaners and yarn, but I wanted it for the suitcase-type tin. It's not a tiny thing, either. It could almost hold a regular-sized sheet of paper. After I decorated it, it looked like this (personalized with her name):

And then, of course, I filled it with fun things ...


There are ten notecards and envelopes inside. I left them black and white so she can color them (with the provided crayons) and send them to her grandparents - or anyone else she'd like. I also put a few mini gel pens in that small tin on the left, along with the crayons. That way, she can write inside the cards, too.

The tall journal is for all the secrets girls her age like to write down. I didn't do anything to it, other than stamping her first initial inside the flower. It matched my patterned paper quite well!

And then there is the magnetic paper doll set. I had this set all made up to go into a different container, but the magnets in the other container weren't strong enough. After I finished everything else, I happened to think about this being tin and the fact that the paper doll would stick just fine inside. So I attached her and most of her accessories to the lid of the tin. I experimented, and they stayed on even when I toted it around for awhile. For the fussy little accessories, like the shoes, crown and stuffed animal toys, I decorated a second Altoid tin and put them inside. That way, they won't get lost.

She seemed pretty happy with it, and I was happy with how it turned out!

Anniversary card for my parents

Saturday is my parents' 39th wedding anniversary, and I wanted to send them a special card. [Yes, they married on Halloween. Don't ask me why they chose the date because I still haven't gotten a satisfactory answer on that one! ;) ]



Supplies: digital image (Super Coloring); paper (Serendipity by ATD, Recollections); Vintage Corners die (Cuttlebug); satin ribbon, rhinestones, image coloring with oil pastels and blended with baby oil.

Now you're probably wondering why on earth I chose this image for this card. Every couple seems to have "their song." My husband and I have "Only God Could Love You More," and my parents have "Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water" (by Simon & Garfunkel). I wanted a bridge image, and this was the nicest one I found as a digital image. I really wouldn't have minded buying a digital image for this card, but there are no bridge digital stamps that I could find.

I had fun coloring this image! I bought a small set of oil pastels at Ollie's last week for $0.49 because I had been told they created a lovely effect. I was not disappointed! I put the boldest strokes on by using the sticks directly on the paper, and then I blended that out to the edges to create that nice, soft effect you see. It looks really "artsy," but it's incredibly easy!

I couldn't think of a perfect sentiment for the outside, so I decided to save the words for inside.



Supplies: digital image (Leaves of Time) colored with oil pastels and blended with baby oil.

This is one of those graduation announcement cards, so I "had" to decorate both sides of the inside. On the left, I used this digital image and printed the words to the song underneath. I had to cut out a line or two of the song to make it even, but I chose the words that will mean the most to them right now.

They've gone through some hard times the last five years. Dad lost his good-paying job right about the same time Mom developed health problems that cost a great deal of money. That would be enough to send a lot of couples to divorce court, but not my parents. They're committed, and they love each other. They've been through hard times before, and they're in it for the long haul.

So I continued the last few lines of the song onto the other side of the card and finished with the traditional "Happy Anniversary" sentiment:

Oh, when you need a friend

I'm sailing right behind.

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind.

I really like how it turned out, and I think they will, too. I like making cards that are meaningful on many levels, and this is probably the most "meaningful" one I've created to date.

"Baby Animals" for My Kids

My daughter just had a birthday, and my son will have one within the month, so they have been receiving birthday money. A few weeks ago, they saw FurReal Friends at Wal-Mart and wanted them desperately. I think they liked the idea of bottle-feeding puppies! At any rate, we're used to thrift store prices, and there was no way we were going to just buy a $12 toy on a whim. (There's nothing wrong if you do, but our kids have plenty of toys already that we've gotten for much, much cheaper.)

We told the kids to start saving their money until they had enough. That way, they learn to save for special things. They have been trying to think of every possible way to earn money, and they finally earned enough. Added to that, they both had $3 birthday club gift cards to Toys R Us (free from the store) and my son's came in the mail yesterday. So we were convinced to go see if Toys R Us had them for a better price, after the gift cards.

Sure enough, they did. (Surprise, surprise!) But I was especially surprised that they had more than the usual run-of-the-mill puppy and kitten. They had a chipmunk, brown bear, chimpanzee, parrot, duck, kitten and two kinds of puppies. Both of the kids changed their minds about what they wanted when they found out that the dogs don't actually open their mouths to be fed. So here's what they got:

A chimpanzee for my little girl. Out of all the FurReal Friends, this and the baby beagle are my favorites. They are the cutest!

And a chipmunk for my son. It's a boy thing, I guess. He and his daddy both agreed on this one, while I tried to talk him into the baby beagle. :) He's happy with his choice, so I am, too!

Another "Hope" Card

Supplies: digital image (Fun Draw), sentiment (Elegant Word Art by Bethany); Nestabilities Labels 1 and 8; Textiles embossing folder (Cuttlebug); ornamental die (Cuttlebug); paper ($1 Tree, Recollections, gold tissue paper); Krylon gold leafing pen, satin ribbon.

I can't tell you just how much I love this card! I think it's one of my all-time favorites. Would you believe that it was also one of the quickest cards I've ever made?

My creative process went something like this:
1. Get out the ribbon and make another beautiful Becca bow.
2. Find an image I'd like to use it with, then grab coordinating papers.
3. Let my mind mull over the details while I put my daughter to sleep (about 30 minutes).
4. Make the card.

I think step #3 was the key this time (and for the last card I posted). I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I got into my craft room, and it was done in no time.

Do you recognize that gold-embossed frame? It's the leftovers from a previous card. I was going to throw it in the trash after I made that card, but then I thought it might make a neat frame sometime. I'm glad I kept it!

As for the card base, it's another of those almost-free graduation invitations I picked up a few weeks ago. This time, I didn't turn it inside-out. I decided to keep the "frame" part inside and use it to frame a suitable Scripture verse when I have occasion to use the card. Since this card could be sent for many occasions (thinking of you, discouraging times, death of a loved one), I decided to pick the verse when I send out the card.

I happened to think that I should start sharing the size of my cards, too. It does make a difference when you're trying to figure out how I fit all of that onto a standard-sized A2 card. :) Well, I didn't. It's 5.5x8.5" - the size of a regular sheet of cardstock folded in half.

I hope you enjoy the card as much as I've enjoyed making it!

Pink and Girly!

Supplies: stamp (Studio G); paper (Making Memories, unknown glittered vellum, Recollections); ink: Colorbox and pink dye ink; Nestabilities Scallop Circles Large (Spellbinders); butterfly die and embossing folder set (Cuttlebug); Vintage Corners die (Cuttlebug); satin ribbon and kaleidoscope embossing powder.

This card was completely inspired by the bow and paper. This is some of the patterned paper and satin ribbon I got yesterday from Tuesday Morning.

I love the way Becca does those huge, gorgeous bows on her cards, so I recently watched her video tutorial and determined to get some beautiful, big satin ribbon and do some of them, too!

I got 10 yards of this ribbon for $3.00. After I did the math, I realized what a rip-off those $1 ribbon spools are at Michaels (for only 3-4 feet)! This is much prettier, and 1/3 of the price. That was a real eye-opener!

Anyway, it was wire-edged, but I remembered reading someone else's blog and they mentioned that you can just pull the wire out of the edges and use it like regular ribbon. I tried it, and it works beautifully. You can't tell there was ever wire in there.

I was inspired to try the big flower when I saw the scalloped flowers in the background paper. I cut the largest (about 4") out of glittery vellum, cut it to make a flower, inked the edges, and then backed it with a pink one I had done the same to (minus inking the edges). I initially planned to put it on with no backing, but you couldn't really see it.

When that was all done, I picked up my iridescent Stickles and glittered the edges of the scalloped circles in the background paper. As that was drying, I caught sight of another of those beautiful butterflies lying on my desk, and decided to use it, too. I rubbed my inkpad over it to catch the embossing, let that dry, then rubbed it over my Versamark pad and added the kaleidoscope embossing powder. After it was heat-set, it was a perfect match to the rest of the card.

So there you have it - a peek at some of my finds from yesterday, and a card that says a lot about my personality. I'm a pink, frilly, ruffles and lace kind of gal. :)

A very special birthday card (and cheap stamps!)

Supplies: mother image (Victorian Traditions), rose (Birds Cards), sentiment (Elegant Word Art by Bethany); paper (unknown, Recollections); fleur de lis border punch (EK Success); D'vine Swirls embossing folder (Cuttlebug); pearls, ribbon (sheer and grosgrain), rhinestones.

This whole card started with the roses. I love this digital stamp since I am such a "roses" person! I printed them onto the peachy-orange paper, then shaded them with my colored pencils and baby oil. It was really easy and very impressive! I don't know if you can zoom in enough to see them in any detail, but they are exquisite!

Then I wanted to put them on a very special card, and I thought of my mother's upcoming 60th birthday and this image I had printed out with her in mind. Everything just fell into place from there, and the card came together rather quickly. (If you read this, Mom, just forget what it looks like for a few more weeks! :)]

Do you like those tiny pearls at the edge of the paper lace? I've seen other people do it, but they used half-pearls. I've seen them at Michaels and almost bought them a few times, but there have always been other things I was more willing to spend my money on, and I've never bought them. Well, I had this string of tiny fake pearls (like you can get by the yard in a fabric store) from a banquet we went to in September. I simply cut the pearls off and glued them to the card. They are so small that it doesn't matter that they aren't half-pearls (i.e. flat-backed). They add very minimal bulk to the card.

And in case you can't see the sentiment well enough, it says, "The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example." My mother has always been a great example to me and has always had a great reputation. She embodied the lost art of motherhood, and I will always be grateful for her!



Now ... check out these stamps I picked up at Tuesday Morning today. They were only $0.99 each! That's even more impressive when you realize that they are 3x3" and 2x3". They had a few other stamps, but these were the only ones I was interested in. I also picked up a pack of 12x12" paper and some wide satin ribbon for my cards, but maybe I'll get to share those when they're used in a project soon!