Crafty Christmas Toothbrush

Remember earlier in the year when I bought these toothbrushes for 10p from Asda?

Well, this is what I have come up with using my “Sharpies” permanent pens for Christmas 2010 …..  I did post the first toothbrush I decorated a while back, it was flowery with tiny gems stuck in the centre of each flower, however, I road tested it while I was on holiday and the “Sharpies” didn’t hold out quite as well as I had hoped, so I have applied a couple of  thin layers of clear varnish to this one, which I hope will endure the vigour's of the Festive Season!
I know it’s sad and I should have better things to do ….. but what the heck ……. I am going to make a couple more and put them in two Monkey's Christmas Tut!
 
Ho, Ho, Ho!

Bulldog Clips for Mini Calendars

A couple of people have been asking where they can get mini bulldog clips for calendars etc., last year I bought mine from this e-bay seller - and received excellent service.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/144-Spring-Paper-Clips-Bulldog-Type-Small-21mm-Yellow-/200532897068?pt=UK_BOI_Office_Office_Supplies_Stationery_ET&hash=item2eb0b12d2c

He has them in yellow and pink and they cost £3.50 for 144 plus £2.24 P & P.

Date Book with Pockets

I wasn’t sure what to call this little book …. it’s a bit of everything really.  I’ve made it using my Bind It All and have put in twenty pages that I have edged with doodled lines.

On the first page I have put a complete Anita’s calendar tab, but on the next twelve pages I have split the tab up so that I have one month per alternate page.

 

On the other page, I have made a small pocket to put receipts, tickets, etc. in.  I am forever looking for receipts and scribbled pieces of paper with phone numbers on …. I thought  this would be a handy way of keeping them safe.

I’ve then decorated each page very simply with punched flowers etc. because I didn’t want the book to bulge

The back pages are for addresses, birthdays etc. I have just handwritten the titles on them and left the rest of the page blank.

Christmas Pudding Tree Decoration

I’ve made this Christmas pudding tree decoration using a tin from a set of twenty four wedding favours bought from HobbyCraft, it was an expensive impulse buy, but now I am determined to use a few of them this Christmas …..

I drew round the tin and made the pudding base with brown Bazzill paper, topped off with white glitter paper. I’ve glued a loop of thread between the two paper layers so that the tin can be hung on a Christmas tree branch

That’s all there is to it. The holly is made using a punch, and I’ve doodled a few currants using  white and black gel pens and finally, no project of mine would be complete without a few flat backed gem berries!  All I need to do now is find a few sweeties to pop inside.

Snowman Soup – New Packaging

I’ve come up with a new design for my Snow Soup packets.  Last year they sold really well and hopefully the new design will attract new and old customers.  I will put a sachet of hot chocolate, some mini marshmallows, a candy cane and a red foil wrapped heart shaped chocolate in a square cello bag.   I’ve used a digi scrapbooking set called Little Joys to make up the design from:- http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/product.php?productid=16188&cat=0&page=3

Alphabet Beads - Top Tip

The alphabet beads I have used the the project below were a present which I believe came from Cox and Cox http://www.coxandcox.co.uk/products/alpha-bead-kit-60gm3mtr-cord and I think they were quite expensive at £6.

However I have done a little research for you on e-bay.  There are lots of alphabet bead sets, but also it is possible to buy sets of 50 single vowels like a's and e's, which is brilliant as they are the first letters to get used up.  So what I would suggest, if you are making bracelets etc. for Brownie groups would buy a couple of alphabet sets plus a extra set of each vowel - the shop below has sets of 50 single letters for 90p + 90p P&P

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Angs-Attic/Alphabet-Beads-by-the-letter-/_i.html?rt=nc&_fsub=2079338015&_sid=76809655&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1581&_pgn=2 - and I don't think it would take much to put together a matching set.  Hope this top tip is of help!!

Friends Forever Friendship Bracelets

I made these bracelets for a friend’s daughters 16th Birthday sleepover.

I’ve used alphabet beads, 0.5mm red waxed cord, spacer beads and a few left over stickers.

The bracelets couldn’t be easier to make.

I made a sheet of backing cards using publisher and cut them to fit the cello bags I wanted to package the bracelets in.

To make it look a bit more professional, I  have added another piece of card on the back so the surplus cord on the bracelets cannot be seen and a fancy 3D sticker as a bag seal.

I know it’s all a bit of fiddle fart but sometimes it’s the packaging that makes all the difference, a bit like Easter eggs!

Christmas Pillowcase

Do you remember the brocade pillowcase I got from a local market for £1 a few weeks back, well I’ve embellished it ……

I know it’s only a few clear flat backed gems, but it’s going to look so beautiful at the bottom of someone's bed this Christmas.  I am still toying with the idea of gathering it with a thick black velvet ribbon just under the embellished bit, but I’m not sure, I need to see what it looks like with presents in first.

Stamped Paper Flower Bulletin Board Pins

The original idea for these bulletin board pins came from:-http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2010/08/make-silk-flower-bulletin-board-pins/  where they were originally made from silk flowers, but I thought I could adapt the idea with materials that I had already.

To make my version I’ve used paper flowers, black StazOn ink and part of a Stampin’ Up stamp that had writing on.

For the centre of the flowers I have used these pins, which were a carboot find, bought for a few pence. I think that they may have originally been something to do with upholstery, but they are ideal for this project.

I stamped all the flowers first and then threaded them onto the pin, applying  plenty of strong PVA glue under the pin on the first flower and then a adding a dab to the centre of each layer to keep it all together, I find PVA adds a bit of strength to paper projects like this.

That’s all there is too them, not heavy duty I know, but pretty and a bit different.

I’ve made quite a few and will be putting two sets of four in my many pocketed Advent Calendar.

Snowman Soup

This is the snowman card I put in the Snow Man Soup packets

I used a square cello card bag to put the ingredients in, the card faces the front.

Behind it I put the hot chocolate sachet, candy cane and a small cello pretzel bag cut down a little for the marshmallows and a few metallic confetti stars.

A couple of people have asked me about this stamp - I got it from The HobbyCrafts Show at the NEC Birmingham a couple of years ago and it is beautiful in its simplicity.

It's called Grove of Trees, Ref. H895 and is available from The Craft Cow, prive £7.20
http://www.thecraftycow.co.uk/Flowers-Foliage-Trees_B22T0Z.aspx?page=1&sort=Default-ASC

Jingle Bell Phone Charm & Key Ring

I love jingle bells, they are so cute.  I try to hold back, but when I see the lovely ones they have in Paperchase each Christmas, I just cannot resist them, but I thought it’s about time I made something with them.

So, I have made a jingle bell phone charm using leads I found in HobbyCraft and jump rings that I have had for ages.

It only took a couple of minutes to make but there’s a bit of a knack to opening and closing jump rings, I’m not quite there yet, but I am getting better with practice.

I’ve also made a festive key ring, again using bells I got from Paperchase last year, jump rings and a blank key ring.  Simples!

These are going in my Many Pocketed Advent Calendar, I just hope the ringing doesn’t drive the recipient mad!

Penguin Christmas Card

I still have some of  last years Accessorize Christmas stickers left so I am still thinking of ideas on how to use them up – I don’t like to waste anything and this year I am trying to have a bit of an economy drive.

There is not a lot to this card – so I will let the picture tell the story.  I have used a brilliant white glitter card for the icebergs. 

My friend Lisa laughs at me when I go to buy white glitter card as I am VERY particular – I have been caught out too many times by what I have thought was brilliant white, only to find, when I get home, that it has a hint of another colour in it – now I always have a piece of the card I want to use it on to make sure it really is white!

Festive Tool Box Shaped Bon Bon Favor

I’ve used my Sizzix Bigz XL Carry All box die (SZ656279) for this idea

The die has quite a few parts, but is a doddle to put together

I decided it would be a lot  easier to embellish the box while it was flat, so I added a snow scene, using white glitter paper and doodling a few snowflakes using a white gel pen for the sky.

The penguin embellishments are from this years Accessorize Christmas range (£1.75 per pack) to which I have added tiny googly eyes.

They are so cute!

Once all the twiddling and fiddling was done, I put the box together.

Adding just a few small, clear flat backed gems to the sky for a bit of bling.

I’m going to fill these boxes with either Cadbury Snow Bites or white bon bons to go with the snowy theme.

Tim Holtz Tattered Florals and Leaves.

I am so guilty of desperately wanting Tim Holtz’s Tattered Florals and Leaves dies only to leave them unopened for several weeks in a corner of my craftroom  ….. if only I didn’t have to go to work!

But, I have finally been able to have a play, and I love them.  I have started out with a very simple idea, making some gift tags as I hate these horrid bow things!

I’ve used a variety of papers to see how patterns, thickness and textures work. This gold one is made from quite expensive embroidered gift wrapping  paper that I bought, only to find that it’s almost impossible to wrap with!  The centre is a snowflake brad with a clear flat back gem super glued in the middle.

My favourite is this red one.  I just love the paper. It came in my lovely parcel from Poundland in a sort of collage pack of bits and pieces.   It’s really thick spongy paper with the most fantastic texture. Unfortunately there wasn’t much of each colour, so I only made eight flowers like this. I am really hoping I can find some more similar paper on my travels, as I would love to make a Christmas wreath along the same lines.

Once the flowers/tags were made up, I put a piece of double sided  foam tape on the back so that they can be stuck on a parcel.

I’ve made up a box in various colours and papers and am curious to see if they take off when I put them in the staffroom.

Snowflake Charm Card

This is very much a case of a less is more.

The snowflake charm is from a card of Christmas earrings I got for 50p from our local market in Penkridge.