Gift Guide - Creative DIY Edition

If you are anything like me, you love to give others the gift of creativity.  There are so many unique, creative gifts for adults and children out there to choose from but here are a few of my personal favorites.

Bear Creek Design on Etsy has some adorable needle felting kits that would make for a wonderful introduction into this craft. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/87501408/diy-craft-kit-needle-felted-snowman?ref=shop_home_feat


There are lots of jewelry making kits out there but I thought that these two below were very unique (which I love) and I think they would make a great gift for a teen or adult.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/130090283/diy-kit-knit-bangle-personalize-and?ref=favs_view_3

https://www.etsy.com/listing/156670016/diy-kit-miniature-embroidery-hoop-with?ref=favs_view_5


Sewing is a useful skill and these craft kits make learning to sew fun!  I mean, really, who wouldn't want to make this adorable pig?!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125043489/make-your-own-piglet-craft-kit-sewing?ref=listing-shop-header-1

And with the woodland animal trend and that oh so popular fox song (yes, you know the one), I think this adorable DIY pillow kit would be a huge hit this year.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125043489/make-your-own-piglet-craft-kit-sewing?ref=listing-shop-header-1


Goose Grease offers these great paint-your-own peg doll kits.  This one below is a family set which would be fun to do as a family but they also have couple and ornament kits too.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/114415098/diy-wooden-peg-doll-craft-kit-make-it?ref=shop_home_active

For the urban farmer, I think this DIY cheese kit would be a fabulous gift!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117406903/mini-diy-farmers-cheese-kit-3-batches?ref=favs_view_1

How about a unique guy gift...a beer making kit!
http://gifts.redenvelope.com/gifts/brooklyn-beer-making-kit-30118910?ref=HomeNoRef&q=kit&viewpos=5&trackingpgroup=productsearch

And for the tree lover or gardener...a bonsai kit.
http://gifts.redenvelope.com/gifts/bonsai-growing-kit-30111209?ref=HomeNoRef&q=bonsai&viewpos=2&trackingpgroup=productsearch

Now, how about a little gift for all you scrapbookers out there like me!  :)  Amazon has some great deals on one of my favorite albums, We R Memory Keepers.
http://www.amazon.com/We-Memory-Keepers-11-Inch-Leather/dp/B003W0TJDY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386649057&sr=8-1&keywords=we+r+memory+keepers+8+1+2+x+11

And you can score some amazing deals on scrapbooking goodies over at All Scrapbook Steals.com
Right now they have Crate Paper's Bundled Up and American Craft's Peppermint Express on sale for 40% off!  Plus you can get an extra 10% off your order by using the code TRYUS

If you (or someone you know) is interested in photography, I highly recommend the courses over at Creative Live which are currently all on sale.  They also have some business, music, and even Project Life courses too.  A few of my favorites that I have seen bits of when they were live are with photographers Ana Brandt, Sandy Puc, Kelly Brown, Lori Nordstrom, Jasmine Star, and Tamara Lackey. 

If you are looking for more unique gift ideas, you can check out my Etsy Gift Guide HERE.

30 Days 30 Prizes

Crate and Barrel is having a countdown to Christmas giveaway...30 Days 30 Prizes.  It has already begun but each day you can visit this link http://www.crateandbarrel.com/Giveaway and enter to win the prize for the day!

Be sure to check out my Etsy Gift Guide for some great holiday gift ideas too!  :)

Great Gift Ideas - Etsy Edition

Today I wanted to share some great gift ideas that I have seen while browsing Etsy.  I just love finding unique gifts for the special people in my life and Etsy is a great place to do that.  Although, sometimes I end up finding more for myself! :)  Hope you find a few items to add to your wish list!  (*Just a note*- I am just sharing these purely for the joy of sharing.  I have no affiliations with these shops...the items shown are just things I have discovered and wanted to share with my readers.)

I have fallen in love with these mini terrariums.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/162152910/tear-drop-terrarium-kit-duo-collection?ref=favs_view_3   I am thinking that a group of three would look great hanging in my kitchen or office.  (LOVE that you can hang them so they don't take up counter/shelf space!)  I am partial to these teardrop shapes but the globes are great too and I think they would make a great gift for just about anyone.

These fun pencils from Earmark would be especially great for the teachers/writers in your life.  And you can stick with your favorite phrase or choose a variety of sayings...such a great way to personalize this little gift!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/62417609/pick-a-pencil-12-pack-makes-a-great-gift?ref=listing-shop-header-0

Here are a few gifts that would be great for a host/hostess:

The mustache trend is still going strong and these fun glasses would be perfect for a guy or girl and likely to bring about some lively conversation and laughter.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/84328113/mustache-drinking-glass-fun-drinking?ref=br_feed_37&br_feed_tlp=home-garden

 

How about this sweet, engraved butter knife... http://www.etsy.com/listing/88623484/spread-the-love-custom-hand-stamped?ref=listing-shop-header-0

 

And even though it is a butter knife, you could probably use it for soft cheeses along with this stunning, slate cheese board (which you can even write on...great for a party and selection of cheeses).  http://www.etsy.com/listing/116085440/slate-cheese-board-16-x-8-with-soapstone?ref=shop_home_feat

And these tea towels are just too lovely to ignore...such beautiful color and design.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/86364623/set-of-original-illustration-tea-towels?ref=listing-shop-header-2

For the ladies, who wouldn't enjoy a relaxing (and pretty) spa set.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/169441962/spa-gift-set-boxed-gift-set-bath-set?ref=listing-shop-header-2

There are a ton of wonderful photographers on Etsy and while art can be a very personal preference, if you know someone well enough you can probably find a piece that they will love.  This has been a favorite of mine for awhile now.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/86883979/30-off-sale-nature-decor-flower?ref=shop_home_active

 

 This little coin purse is so dainty and feminine...it reminds me of my grandma.  Perfect for women of all ages and something that she is not likely to already have.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/90772539/holliday-gift-under-30-lace-and-yellow?ref=shop_home_active

How about some ideas just for the special kids in your life...

I think this iceberg stacking toy would be lots of fun to add to any child's set of building blocks.  And you can pretty much guarantee that they will be the only one on the block who has it!  :)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/62727169/iceberg-stacking-toy-natural-wooden-toy?ref=favs_view_7

I have seen this next item, by Manzanita Kids, in person and kids ages 1-50 were getting down on the ground to play with it!  These sets are beautifully made and the building/playing possibilities are endless.  I think the castle would be a great gift for the knight lover!  And they even have a treehouse...so fun!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/106789966/building-toys-castle-towers-and-modular?ref=shop_home_active

 

 

Do you have a child who loves to dress up?  These masks would be a great addition to any dress up box.  I got my son the fox one for Halloween and he has played with a lot since then.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/73310320/wolf-mask?ref=favs_view_11

Can't forget the guys!
This keychain would be great for any dad, but especially perfect for the new dad.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/114405675/dad-keychain-in-copper-custom-hand?ref=tre-2725326806-4

If you have a guy who loves beer, these beer soaps make a unique gift. 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/115517392/beer-soap-set-of-3-gift-set-extra-dark?ref=tre-2725326518-13

And I have to end this post with a few, fun packaging ideas!

I love the chalkboard trend and these cards immediately caught my eye...such lovely design and sentiments.
 https://www.etsy.com/listing/167233539/assorted-boxed-set-of-8-christmas-cards?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=boxed%2Bset

 

This feather wrapping paper is simply beautiful.   

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/162180372/2-sheets-design-wrapping-paper-mint-with?ref=br_feed_23&br_feed_tlp=holidays

 

How fun is this personalized bag direct from the North Pole!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/167611242/personalised-christmas-stocking?ref=favs_view_3

 

 I bought these bags below last year, stamped in red, and found them to be great for packaging smaller gifts.  And I love that the recipient can reuse it...yeah for eco-friendly!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/85105654/christmas-gift-bags-cotton-drawstring?ref=shop_home_active

Do you shop Etsy?  I hope I have inspired you to take a look at some of these shops.  I will be posting more gift guides over the next week or two so stay tuned!

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving and holiday season!

Scrapbooking Your Christmas Card

Hello friends!
  I just got our Christmas cards in the mail and thought I would share a layout I created using our card from last year.  I decided to glam it up with a whole lot of sequins but keep it simple with just a few words about what Christmas means to me.

 

I get my cards from Tiny Prints and have been super happy with their quality. 

 

Do you scrapbook your Christmas cards?  I was watching a bit of Creative Live today and Becky Higgins was demonstrating Project Life and specifically talking about how to use the divided pocket pages to showcase all the holiday cards you receive.  Even if you have to cut up the cards at least you are not just throwing them away after Christmas and I think it is a nice reminder of the people in your life that year as well as a good way to document the changes in their lives (if you keep their cards each year).

On another note...

 Who is gearing up for black Friday deals?  I am big on saving money but not big on the craziness that has become Black Friday, especially now that stores are opening on Thanksgiving...that is just plain wrong!   However, did you hear that Walmart will be offering some pre-black Friday deals starting tomorrow?  They are matching some of the best deals from their competitors a week early.  I am hoping that Amazon will match their deals so I can just grab a few things I want online for the same great price! :)

 And if you are looking to save a little extra money this holiday season and you do some online shopping, I highly recommend Ebates.  You can check out my post here for more details or head on over to Ebates to see how you can earn an extra 2-20% cash back on your online purchases at over 1000 stores.  Plus, if you sign up now you will also get a $10 gift card!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Etsy Inspired Challenge #114

Hello all! Well, I have a weekend full of special time with my boys. Today we are relaxing at home...perfect for a Saturday, right?! And Saturdays are always a good time to do a little crafting too! So, this week for the Etsy Inspired Challenge we have another fabulous shop to spark your creativity. Happy Day Designs is a lovely jewelry shop with the most gorgeous color combinations...each piece is truly a work of art. I was inspired by these beautiful pieces.



I was immediately attracted to the green but when I saw that beautiful red in the shop too, I was inspired to create a Christmas card.

So simple but it still makes a statement, don't you think? I thought this design would make for a cute and simple gift box/bag too. The paper and ribbon are both American Crafts and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.

I was also inspired to create a festive treasury on Etsy.

You can see these items up close along with the links to the fabulous Etsy shops that sell them by clicking HERE.

To play along in the Etsy Inspired Challenge:
~Go to the Happy Days Designs shop and pick an item to be inspired by
~Make any creation you'd like and post a link to your creation on the EtsyInspired blog
~Please include a link to the shop in your post~Challenge ends on Friday Nov 19, noon Pacific time

~If you upload to an online gallery please use keyword EIC114

I'm sure there will be some colorful creations in the gallery this week! Especially since you could win a lovely necklace from Happy Day Designs or a stamp from our sponsor, Whiff of Joy, by playing along in the challenge! See the Etsy Inspired Blog for all the details.

And be sure to visit the rest of the Design Team to see their Etsy Inspired projects!

* Angie (November Guest Designer)

• Ashley


• De


• Emily B


• Emily N


• Joy


• Kerry


• Savannah


• Stephanie


• Virginia

Enjoy your weekend!