Small Thank You Matchbox

Bertie’s school year put on afternoon tea for their grandparents as part of their project for the term. It was soooooo lovely to be invited and I thought it was only manners to send his class a special little “Thank You” from me.

I didn’t want to make a card, little ones love boxes with hidden surprises so I decided to take one of the Papermania Bare Basic, large matchboxes I found in the three items for £1 basket in a local charity shop, so they worked out at 33p for a pack of 3 or 11p each, bargaintastic!

As the box was a little deep I built up the bottom with several layers of cardboard scraps

…… before adding a “proper” bottom, with a handwritten message on pale green gingham paper ………

…….. and puffy stickers that I believe originally came from Paperchase ages ago.

I used the same paper and embellishments on the top of the box ………

…….. the two sides ………

…….. and both ends …….

……. keeping it all very clean and simple.

I sent it into school with a chocolate heart each for the children as an extra little treat and thank you for all their hard work. Thank You’s are a very important lesson to learn for little ones and it’s up to us adults to lead the way, instead of always seeming to ask them “What do you say?”

Easter Bunny Tree Decoration

I’m really not sure about this idea ………. I think I’ll only make one more so that Iris and Bertie have one each, but something about it just doesn’t make me want to make any more than that.

It follows the exact same pattern as my hanging snowmen decorations, using a painted, wooden domino piece and mini craft sticks, plus black flat back gems  a pink confetti heart and ribbon embellishments ………. 

I can’t tell you why it doesn’t gel for me, perhaps it’s the green hat, my least favourite colour or perhaps an Easter bunny needs be more rounded to achieve the cutability factor …….. ???  I don’t know!

Two Very Simple Easter Bunny Brooch/Badges

No real great shakes today for these two Easter bunny brooch/badges made for Iris and Bertie to wear on their school coats for the run up to Easter.

The bunny embellishments originally came from Hobbycraft, either last year or the year before, I forget.  These were the last two I had left.

All I did was add two, black, flat back gems over eyes and a gold ringed pearl in the centre of the flower, before using a small amount of Ranger Glossy accents on the nose, the glittery part of the ears and on the flower, all for a touch of extra dimension ………..

……. before adding a bar brooch fitting to the back, using E8000 glue for a really secure fix.  As I said, no great shakes but something cute for those two little rascally rascals!

40th Birthday Mini Easel Favour

This is the “card” I made for The Lovely Laura’s recent 40th birthday.  To be honest, there were no great shakes in putting it together.

I used a wooden easel (bought on eBay from China), a tin birthday cake embellishment, scraps of gingham paper, and a small length of silver thread.

I started by making the bunting to go along the shelf and top of the easel.

Which I then glued onto the easel itself.

I then added the birthday cake to which I stuck a foam pad on the back for a little extra dimension.

The sentiment was done using a fine tipped, white Posca pen.  I also added self adhesive numbers on the cake, which looked rather flat so I added a little Ranger Glossy Accents to help it stand out a little more.

Then came all the fiddle fart, some tiny silver stars and clusters of three white dots to fill the background and join everything together, plus the extra bunting at the top.

As I said no great crafting shakes, but something (without the numbers) I could make a few of at one sitting, so I am never get caught without a card.

Bargain of The Week

10p from The Works ……….

……. it would be rude not to!  I just need to justify the HUGE expense by using it!

Easter Bunny Brooch

A little brooch today, with Easter in mind.

I started off with two tiny MDF rabbits (from eBay) adding two, flat back pearl tails, a plain, 1.5ins diameter wooden disc, and wreath from a box of 20 Papermania Bare Basics Wooden Shapes (Wreaths), along with a paper scrap, yellow nail art gems and a bar brooch back.

I covered the disc with the paper and coloured the wreath in with an olive green Whisper pen……..

…….. before gluing them both together.

I cut a tiny bit of foam pad and stuck it on the back of the rabbits so that they would stick without a gap on both the wreath and disc.

I then flooded the centre of the brooch and the covered the wreath with Ranger Glossy Accents ………..

…….. finishing off by scattering a few yellow nail art gems around the wreath.

Last, but not least, I glued on a brooch bar onto the back of the brooch along with a little faux stitching using a black biro so that the ink didn’t bleed into the wood.

Something a little bit different ……. done and dust.

Altered Altoid Tin - Christmas Scene Tree Decoration

This is the original idea that was behind my investing in a tidy pile of 18 small, silver tins ……

I started by lining the inside of the tin, on both sides, with scraps of  snowy patterned paper, using the templates I made after making my Easter bunny tin, which made the whole process so much easier.

I then moulded a small piece of air drying, paper clay for the snow, applying PVA glue to the back to keep it in place.

While the snow was still soft I added two very small bottle brush trees, cutting one side flat, so that they could be glued against the back of the tin. I also removed their wooden stands to expose the wire, which could then be sunk into the snow with a good dollop of glue.

The tiny baked Fimo snowman was made beforehand, with added red cotton thread scarf, wire arms and features drawn using a black and red fine point Sharpie pen.

I made a small indentation in the still soft clay and with another generous dollop of PVA glue the snowman was set in position.  Paper clay takes approximately 24 hours to dry through, depending on the size of the project.

The white wooden heart came from a pack of 60 (all the same size) from The Works. I found these packs on the sale for half price, so it would have been rude not to buy them, especially as I think I may also be able to make a few brooches using them as a base.

I used a black, fine point Sharpie pen for the writing and faux stitching and again glued it into the tin.

This is the stage when I forgot to take  a few more pictures as I became so wrapped up in all the tiny embellishing bits, my apologies ……….

……. however, I added tiny white snowflake confetti to both sides, with minute silver, flat back gems in the centre, plus faux stitching round the edges of the paper inside (which, I should have done at the beginning!), a sprinkling of ultra fine, white glitter on the snow and a silver nail art heart to the side.

On the lid I put a silver coloured, metal label, two plastic snowflakes, a few more confetti ones, tiny silver, flat back gems and clusters of three dots using a very fine nail art pen.

On the back of the tin I glued a small, silver bail so that the tin can be hung on a Christmas tree branch.

I am really thrilled with how the tin turned out, it’s something a little bit different and I think I’ll make at least another ten or so. I need to keep a few tins I aside for other ideas …… but they all ought to all be used up by Christmas, it’s no use having them just sat sitting in a drawer, so hopefully there’ll be a few more ideas to use them to come in the next few months or so.

Plastic Snowflakes

I have been banging on about getting some more plastic snowflakes because after ordering 300 three years ago, I am down to my last few. Back in 2019 they cost me £6.58, this time round they were £12.09 ……. buying from China doesn’t seem such a bargain these days!

Heads Up - Flying Tiger – Carrot Boxes

I nipped into Flying Tiger in Cheltenham last week and just had to avail myself of several of these gorgeous carrot shaped treat boxes. At £1 for pack of 6, what’s a girl to do?

These will be perfect for Iris and Bertie to take into school filled with a few foil wrapped Eastery treats as a small “Thank You” to the staff in their classes at the end of term, plus I will make sure I keep a couple back for them too.

I also bought a couple of these picture frames for Iris and Bertie instead of making them an Easter card, again only £1 each.

There is glass in the frame, but I am thinking I could take it out and then fiddle fart with the pictures, adding a little glossy accents here and there, goggily eyes and a 3D flower embellishment perhaps?

They had some really nice Easter bits and pieces, shoulda, woulda, coulda taken a few pictures if I’d have thought and the prices in Flying Tiger are always reasonable and well worth a look if you have one near you.