Fancy packaging

I have found it is just as fun decorating and packaging the project , as it is to make the project.

I didn't have a gift bag big enough for my baby album, so I just made one.  I used some teal fabric out of my stash.  I just folded a 1/4 yard of fabric in half and sewed up the sides.  I cut the top with pinking shears and had a gift bag in 5 minutes.

I ripped a 4 inch piece of linen into a strip, frayed it on the edges with a wire brush, and tied it into a bow.   I added a flower, seam binding  and small flowers to the ends of the bow.

I made a tag , cut from a manila folder, and embellished it.  I made a ribbon rose from a teal and beige organic ribbon, lace,  and added other flowers and leaves.

You now have 2 gifts in one.  The bag can be "re-purposed" , and the gift that is in the bag.

My fabric stash now will be getting smaller, because all I want to do is make gift bags.   I would love to see any "fancy packaging" you do with a gift.  Send me a photo.  "Happy Wrapping!"

Baby Frame/ Album

It's always exciting when a new baby is coming into your family.  I always make a special gift for my nieces and nephew's first baby.  How do you make a gift when there is no theme, no colors, no names, and no sex of the baby yet???  (They are waiting to pick all this out when the baby comes.)

I went to their baby registry and saw that the new "baby neutrals" are blues, greens, oranges, and brown.   So I took the colors from the onsies and baby accessories they picked out and began to create.

I didn't just want to just alter a frame; I wanted it to be more than a frame, so this is what I came up with.

I took and 8x10 frame and added a piece to each side of the frame.  The inside of the left side of the frame can be used to document the weight and height of the baby for the first year.

The right side of the frame is for pictures for each month of the first year.

When attached, it looks like this.  The picture frame can be used for their favorite baby picture.

The outside of the book was fun to create.  I cut a tree branch from a wood grain paper and placed it where leaves would overlap the next page.  I placed magnets in the leaves and under the paper on the adjoining side so it would automatically close magnetically.

I finished up with flowers, trims and flourishes.

I hope "mommy and daddy" enjoy the gift, and they know that alot of love went into creating it.
I anxiously await the birth of my next "great nephew or niece."

Here is the baby card: (sorry, had to do some pink and blue!)

Old fashion "Ladies Diary Card

Quick post here.  Graphic 45 has come out with the most beautiful paper line called "A Ladies Diary."
It's so beautiful and so vintage.

I couldn't wait to make a card with it.  I finished the outside.  Still have to do the inside.  I'm making it
an easel card with some stickpins.

Here is what I've done so far:  I used a "Cottage Cutz " diecut to make this lacy envelope. It was already embossed- white on white.  I took some Lindys Stamp gang " Dark Chocolate Truffle" and put some on a baby wipe.  I lightly rubbed over it and it made it a vintage effect.  I added flowers and a pink resin flower.

I used some of the chipboard that comes with the line and popped it up and added some bronze embellishments and flowers.

Here is the finished front of the card.  Love how it is turning out.

Will post the inside when I get it finished.

I am linking up with: theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com