Autumn Placecards...What for?

Making placecards for the big Thanksgiving feast seems like just one more thing to do at an already hectic time, especially when everyone nowadays grabs a paper plate and gathers around the T.V. to watch the game. However, I have found that guests really like seeing their name in print on a pretty keepsake arranged around the table. It doesn't take more that a few minutes to do simple ones like the top two shown here. They are just a folded pieces of cardstock with a label and leaf sticker (left) or die-cut labels glued onto wide decorative ribbon. The bottom two placecards have room for a photo and a name. They were made fancier by cutting a half circle on the back of the card next to the fold. I used the Coluzzle system but you could just trace a jar cover with an craft knife to make the cut. Stickers/artificial leaves and embossed sayings complete the placecard. Rubbing the edges with gold or copper ink gave them an antique look. After Thanksgiving you or the guests can use the placecard to embellish a scrapbook page...hey that could be an activity for non-sports-watching guests. In fact, making the placecards could be a good way to keep the kids busy while you are cooking. I hope this entry has given you thoughts about why it is an excellent idea to invest some time in making placecards for Thanksgiving this year. Have a good Gobble Gobble Day!

And the Winners Are..............

Wait! Was there a contest? Well, yes and no. No , there wasn't an official contest but yes, there was a secret contest going on all year. As usual at this time of the year I start thinking about all the things for which I am grateful. I thought about how thankful I am for all of you who take the time to read and comment on my blog and decided to make a contest for you. I went over all the past year's comments and counted each one to determine who were the most helpful by giving me feedback. Okay, enough already....... who won? Cheryl (Life is Sweet) is the big winner. I will be contacting you, Cheryl for a mailing address so I can send you a Ben Franklin Crafts gift card and some craft goodies. Three other winning blog visitors who left lots of terrific comments are Kris (K-Lusive Kreations), Janis Kamimura (Creative Expressions), and Shirley N. (Stamping for the Fun of It). I will write you a blog comment to obtain your mailing name and address so I can get prizes to you too. Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit my blog. I am very thankful for your interest and hope that I've given you something interesting to read in return.

Simple Earrings for Gifts and Craft Fairs

Now is the time for crafters to crank out those gifts and craft sale items. To me the easiest and most economical ladies' items to make are earrings. In comparison to necklaces and bracelets, earrings require a minimal amount of supplies and time. Here are three examples (click on the photo to enlarge the image) that I whipped out in one sitting (1-2 hrs.). The eliptical pair on the left simply required jump rings to link together the two components. The earrings with the green peridot beads were a bit more work and used 26 gauge gold filled wire to attach the bead to the square wire frames and teardrop filigree dangle. In the center is the earring that took the longest to assemble. Finding just the right size of garnet to fit in the triangle sterling silver frame and wiring it on with wire added a perfect touch of color. (For earrings try to use sparkly or bright colored stones, which although small will catch the eye.) Of course the silver earrings could have been left plain or just adorned with a teardrop pearl. For gifts and craft fairs I think that you should make your earrings with gold filled or sterling silver components because for just a bit more cost you will upgrade your work tremendously. Remember Christmas is a time when everyone likes to splurge and give the best that they can afford. Okay, get crafting!

Autumn Blessings Card

I was just planning to test out my new EK Success leaf border punch, but somehow I ended up making a card. It started with the punched border which didn't stand out on the card so I taped an autumn leaf glittered gauzy ribbon on the inside of the card so that it would show through the punched design. Next I used some metallic inks and stamped leaf designs above the punched border. That didn't get the effect that I wanted even after I added the gold stamped and heat embossed words 'Autumn Blessings'. When I glued on the piece of mini autumn leaf garland, the card looked more complete, but it still needed something. Because I had just purchased the Penny Black wood handled Christmas hedgehog stamp, it was on my desk and for some reason I could visualize it on the card. After stamping the image on white cardstock, coloring and cutting it out (removing the holly branch), I glued it on to the card with Fabri-Tac. I'm really pleased at how this card evolved and became something better than I imagined....and to think it all started with just testing out a paper punch. Playing with your craft tools and supplies is probably the best way to create something new and unique. (The photo below shows the stamp and punch that I used.) I hope that you've enjoyed reading this post and will return to this blog site often for inspiration and ideas. Thank you for visiting!

Autumn Jewelry

When I was a little girl my family lived in Illinois for a short time. It was there that I became enamored with colorful autumn leaves and acorns. I made this necklace to celebrate my childhood memories and recent trip to the east coast. You can click on the photo if you want to see an enlargement. The photo doesn't show the true colors. The glass acorn is actually a very nice olive green and the chain has matching green crystals. Copper was used for the findings because I love the warmth and earthy color....so autumnal. The copper leaf and acorn charms were a lucky find, but I'm sure if you really search you can find something similar at Ben Franklin Crafts, a thrift store (leaves are popular in jewelry), or you can try the bargain bin in a department store. If you cannot find a chain with crystal links, you can fashion one yourself with beads and simple wire-wrapping work. I had a problem with the multi-colored pearls because their holes were too small to accomodate a copper head pin so I used a piece of copper wire and simply made a tiny scroll at the end to hold the pearl. Ben Franklin Crafts has strands of varied shaped fresh water pearls in many hues at a very low cost. If you decide to create a necklace like this one don't be overly concerned with making it an exact copy. Make it original....like you......one-of-a-kind. Remember, even though we don't really have an autumn season in Hawaii, we can enjoy the fall by crafting!

Finishing Up Halloween Gifts

As my Halloween crafting comes to an end and I move on to Thanksgiving, I thought I'd show you what I made after returning from last week's trip to the east and west coasts. The milk carton box with the scallop flap is a easily made with a Sizzix Pro Machine die and a 12x12 sheet of Bo Bunny cardstock. The window was made with a Nestible die and the cutout was used as the tag (embellished with a Bo Bunny sticker). Inside the box are some homemade treats (see photo below) packaged in a cello treat bag. The other treat box is a recycled container with a sticker decorated cover. Actually, I had some trouble getting the original label removed so I decided just to cover it up. The two Jelly Belly bags of candy were instantly made more classy with the use of scrap paper cut with a Nestible and embellished with Martha Stewart candy label stickers.

Here is what the treat boxes contain........dark chocolate dipped dried nectarines sprinkled with cashews. Using a Wilton chocolate melting pot (available at Ben Franklin Crafts), it's a snap to make these delicious and healthy treats. I hope you have the sweetest Halloween ever!!!!!!

New Neat Stuff from BFC

I was actually shopping for holiday items when I spotted these terrific new products. I love punches (as anyone who sees me shop knows) and so buying the EK Success cupcake border punch was a no-brainer because I also love cupcake designs. I have a cupcake birthday card in my mind just waiting for creation and I know the punched border will add the perfect touch.

Like all paper crafters, I really don't NEED more paper but when I saw the Bo Bunny floral set and all the new items that match like the flower clear stamp in the photo, I knew that they would jump into my shopping basket. LOL! At least I resisted most of the embellishment (for now).

The two little note pads in the photo are just a sample of the cute assortment now available at Ben Franklin Crafts. I particularly like these because of the sayings on the covers, colors, sparkle, and the fact the inside pages also have a matching design. I use these in my own bags and plan to include them (and a nice small pen) in all the purses I give for gifts.

I'm a sticker collector and have been for decades (really, I'm that old). The stickers of today are fabulously intricate but often pricey. These from Nicole Crafts are priced at a thrifty $1.50 so you can afford to get handfuls of the themed packs. I chose the tea time, bakery, Paris, and zoo set...later I'll get the baby set to make a card and a beach pack for a scrapbook page.

Yes, it is the holiday season so most of my purchases are for gifts or home decorating, but I still keep a crafty eye out for supplies I can use all year round. I hope that you'll shop at Ben Franklin crafts for your crafting needs and continue to read this blog to see what I've found at BFC that I just couldn't resist!