Handmade Holiday Hostess Gift

Happy Monday! Thanks for your sweet comments on yesterday's post! I'm sharing a post over on my other blog that you can read HERE. I'm mostly posting this here for people who use the link to my blog on Instagram....I don't have my other blog posted! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

All Things Red, White, and Blue

Independence Day is a little less than a week away so I decided I'd better get this post put together before the big day has come and gone! I've been having a ball creating all kinds of fun patriotic themed gifts and tags to give to a few ladies in the neighborhood! I made earrings, baskets, key wristlets, and tags! You can read more about the details of the sewn projects HERE. 

Up first are the tags that I created to add to the ribbon when I tie everything up! I'm putting the fabric baskets in larger cellophane bags and tying them up with ribbon, and a tag is always just the cherry on top!

I bought a bunch of things from Bath and Body Works included in their patriotic line this year and I just love the gingham, so that was the beginning point for these tags. The recipients will also be getting the cards I made for the Star Spangled Summer release from The Greetery. 

Here is another shot of my inspiration 

To begin these tags, I used the A2 Stitched Scallops Die and cut the smallest size from white cardstock. I added the gingham detailing by using the Scalloped Gingham Stencil; I love that it comes with stencils for all three sizes of the Die. Once that was done, I die cut the pieces I would need for the sentiment using the Land of Liberty Die from white cardstock. I did some gradient stamping with the Land of Liberty Stamp Set.

The flowers were made using the Bitty Botanicals Stamp + Stencil and then cut using the Bitty Botanicals Die. I added the dot to the flower centers using a journaling pen and then added details using colored pencils if applicable. This was the perfect floral addition to keep in theme with the cards. I just made a simple tag shape from Pure Poppy cardstock and then added the twine through the hole.

I had leftover fabric from the baskets, so I decided to make a few key wristlets using my updated tutorial.

I also got some new labels; as much as I love the P.S I Love You labels I have used in the past, they aren't always pertinent to the project. I loved them for Valentine's Day, but I wanted something a little bit different for these.

I made some patriotic earrings a few years ago and I wanted to make a few more to tuck in these baskets. I came here searching for the post with the old ones to remember the colors and faux leather I used, only to discover they were still on my camera roll from 2020! Woops! These are the new ones I made, but I will also be sharing the 2020 ones today, too! ha ha!

It looks like Taylored Expressions doesn't sell the Designer Dangles Dies anymore, but if you have them in your stash, that is what I used!

I bought all of my faux leather from an Etsy retailer called The Art of Fabric Folding. 

I bought the handmade labels forever ago at Hobby Lobby and I'm almost out; I'll have to see if they still make them.

These are the ones I made back in 2020.

I made 4 baskets in total, but only three key wristlets because one of my friends already got one from me and she also doesn't wear earrings. 

Here is a little peek at the basket all stuffed and ready to be wrapped along with THIS card that I just love! It is perfect for the baskets!

A quick shot of one of the baskets all tied up and ready to go! 

Here is what I put in each of the baskets, with the exception of the one I talked about earlier. 

I have a tutorial for these baskets that you can find HERE. I haven't made one in so long I actually need to follow my own tutorial! ha ha!

Well, that's all for today! I hope you all have a fun and safe Independence Day! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Happy Halloween Wishes

Hello friends! We've snuck right up on Halloween and I've just finished the last of my projects! I've been having such a fun time working on all kinds of Halloween projects and since the day is fast approaching, I will just be sharing them all on this one post! I pulled out my Halloween favorites but paired them with some everyday favorites for a unique look this year!

My first stop was the fabric store where I picked up these spooky fabrics which were the starting point for some of the others and then I just got a little carried away! LOL! I'll take you through my design process as well as any tips or tricks I learned along the way! I ended up making 3 of these Flutterby Baskets in total, but I'm only showing 2 of the 3 in this photo. I fell in love with the fabric I used for the bottom portion of each of the baskets and it reminded me of the classic  Just the Ticket stamp set from Papertrey Ink that has been retired. 

I decided to use that stamp set as well as the Just the Ticket Border Die to give these tags that same feel! I had such a joyful creative time making these fun tags! I LOVE vintage Halloween so these are just my cup of tea!

The three baskets were made for my boys' school teachers so I made three tags as well. To begin, I used the Tag Sale: Quilted die to die cut a black tag and then another one using the Halloween Prints Pattern Paper. I adhered them together using a tape runner and then got to work on the other elements used on the tags.

I made the large medallions using the same pattern paper and then added chunky silver glitter to the outside edge using liquid glue. The "31" numbers were die cut using the By the Numbers die collection. I die cut them twice out of black cardstock and then glued them together for stability. Then I added some Nuvo Crystal Glaze and some crystal glitter over the top.

The "halloween wishes" sentiment is from the retired "Spooky Sweets II" stamp set, which I use EVERY year! It's one of my favorites! I also added the cute little carnival Jack-o-lantern which is a sticker from Martha Stewart Crafts that I've been hoarding for a few years now. My sweet sister has given me quite a bit from that fun carnival collection and I just love it so much. Those little stickers inspired my next project! 

As I was lamenting the fact that I REALLY need a stamp company to make a stamp set so I can recreate those cute stickers, I was reminded of the hat card I shared on THIS post. My creative wheels starting turning and I decided to make a large, card version of that little Jack-o-Lantern. I used the Shape Up Series: Pumpkin and the Shape Up Series Pumpkin Sections for the pumpkin part. I die cut the pumpkin pieces using Canyon Clay cardstock and then added some Terracotta Tile ink around the edges of each piece. The pieces for the face are die cut once from Summer Sunrise and once from black to create the same looking face as the stickers. I glued the yellow portion directly to the pumpkin and then added the black pieces using foam squares. The crystal glaze and glitter are added over the top, just like I did for the "31" numbers on the tags.

The hat portion is die cut using the Party Hat Die as well as the Party Hat Trims die. I had to cut it MUCH smaller than the die cut to make it fit. It was a little bit tricky to put together with the smaller size and the poor pumpkins head has a bit of wear and tear under there! LOL!

I made another medallion for the top and in hindsight, it needed to be MUCH smaller, but oh well! I was having so much fun figuring everything out, but if I try this again, I will definitely do it smaller. I added some tickets, the heat embossed "trick or treat" sentiment, which is also from the Spooky Sweets II set. The star sticker at the top is also one of the carnival stickers from Martha Stewart Crafts. I couldn't locate my black crepe paper so I called the local party store to see if they had some. They assured me they did but when I actually got there, they directed me to the "butcher paper". My inner "Karen" was coming out in full force! LOL! I was super bugged and ended up just getting some burgundy crepe paper streamers (because they were out of black, of course!)  I used a running stitch on my sewing machine and gathered it up and then added a bit of black ink around the edges to give it a fun, vintage vibe! It is secured to the bottom of the pumpkin using ScorTape. I added the pumpkin to a top folding black card base using foam squares.

My final projects for today, and for the season, is a trio of spooky houses filled with candy and a tea light! These also went to my boys' teachers along with the fabric baskets filled with a caramel apple from a local chocolatier, a bag of candy and a hand lotion and lip gloss.  I wanted to create an actual scene that would be easy for the kids to transport. You should have seen me in the drop-off line giving them instructions on how to hold everything! LOL!

To begin, I die cut enough pieces to create the three houses using the Tiny Town: Basic Die. I also die cut enough pieces for each house using the Tiny Town: Spookville die. I used liquid glue and got everything put together. I set them aside to dry fully and made the trees and fence using the Tiny Town: Spooky Yard die. 

I glued everything to the green piece that was die cut using the Shape Shifters Oval 1 die. I've used the Shape Shifters before to create a scene, which I just love. The fence went on first and then I added the tree and the house, only gluing the front portion of the house. I decided to try adding black chunky glitter here and there on one house, but I didn't on any of the others. I used the witch from Spooky Sweets II and added the end of her broom to the edge of the chimney. I love how it looks like she is flying over the house! 

Well...this wraps up Halloween 2020! I hope you have a fun and safe holiday! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Keeping Christmas {Holiday Flutterby Basket}

 Welcome to June's installment of the Keeping Christmas Inspiration Blog Hop! Today I've got what I'm calling a "cheater project" (LOL!) because it is actually a project from this past Christmas that I never shared! My photos were last minute "on the fly" pictures so I could at least document all of my hard work, but I never really intended to share them, so please look past the questionable staging...this is real life people! 

Don't forget to head to the rest of the team's blogs to see what fabulous inspiration they have for you today!

Kelly Lunceford  (you are here)

Lesley Croghan

Anita Madden

Broni Holcombe

Claire Broadwater

Julee Tilman

Kim Heggins (off this month)

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth

Rachel Bergfeld

Vicki Finger

Every year I make my famous and delicious Soft Ginger cookies. I usually package them up in cellophane bags with one of my handmade tags. You can see them in all of their delicious glory here on the cooling racks. I usually triple the recipe so that I can give them out to lots of our friends and neighbors. In the past I have put the cookie bags, along with my homemade caramels, jams/jellys/or lemon curd, and clementines into cookie tins or baskets. This past year I was so excited to put the treats into my Flutterby Baskets. You can read all about them over on my sewing blog Thimbles and Thread. 

To begin, I went to my favorite local quilt shop and picked up this fabulous assortment of fabrics and pom pom trims! Aren't they so cute? Picking out fabric is just as much fun as picking out pattern paper for cards!

I think when it was all said and done I made 15 baskets! Whew! I tried to make at least two of three for days on end! By the time I got them all sewn, I was cutting it close to get them all delivered WITH  the homemade treats I made as well. So...that's why I ran out of time to get some properly stages photos. This is me AT  the kitchen table, my neighbor list and pens out getting them all put together. Each basket also included one of the handmade cards I made last year during the year for my Keeping Christmas projects or Merry Monday. You can see one of my favorites peeking out of the basket here.

Once the baskets were all made, I had leftover fabric pieces that I didn't want to go to waste, so I made some of my Handmade Handwarmers as well. They were just the thing to tuck in with all of the treats!

I also had so much fun using up all of my tags that I had made during the year as well. This particular one is from the 25 days of tags challenge that Tracey McNeely puts on each year! I had a ball! Thanks for fluttering by!

Vintage Cherries {The final chapter}

Hello and welcome to the final installment of my Vintage Cherries collection. I had so much fun making it and I have enjoyed sharing it with you. I hope you have enjoyed it as well. I will be combining the final two designs in this one post as well as a fun vintage video montage that I put together. ETA: unfortunately it did not link up correctly so I will remove it. 😥

This first design showcases the Rosie Posie set from PTI and its fabulous sentiments that I just love! This design is so bright and cheery and sure to make anyone's birthday special. I also used the classic "Vintage Labels" set as well that really makes the sentiment pop. The gold heat embossing classes up any project.

The addition of some dry embossing adds some extra detail and dimension that I am always searching for.

 

Once again, you can see it peeking out of the Flutter by Basket. Now, on to the final design.

 I just couldn't resist making some handmade buttons for the same cherry stem image that I used in a previous design. I just love this "Button Boutique" set and knew how perfect it would be.

I also added the die cut thread card embossed with silver thread to tie in the pink pin tucked into the vintage lace. Simple but full of vintage charm. When I first bought this set, I didn't realize all of the fun references on each little thread card; this one showcases Matthew and Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey. Some of the others reference Anne of Green Gables, Pride and Prejudice and more! So fun!

 Thanks for fluttering by! P.S. On the horizon....End of year teacher gifts, birthday gifts and more!

Vintage Cherries {Hello}

Well, I'm over half way done sharing my Vintage Cherries card collection. I hope you've enjoyed seeing what I've been up to. I'm thinking of combining the last few designs because I have so many other things I want to share. I actually made a fun vintage video that I hope I will be able to share. I'll have to see if my phone will let me upload it.

Today's design showcases one of my favorite sets, Vintage Picnic, which was the perfect choice for this collection. I used Vintage Jadeite ink and paper for the perfect feel. The leaves in the white fabric were actually almost a perfect match. The lattice die cut piece is from the Make It Market Kit: Garden Gate. I also used the sweet florals from "Bitty Bouquet" to have coming out of the vintage picnic basket.

The picnic baskets are die cut and colored using copic and primacolor markers. I added glossy accents into the rectangles on every other space. I really like the dimension and shine it gave the baskets. The sentiment, which is also from Bitty Bouquets was heat embossed with white ink onto Kraft cardstock.

A few crystal clear sequins finish off the design. You can see how nicely it looks peeking out of the fabric basket. Thanks for fluttering by!