Blast From The Past - Candy Cane Mouse From Christmas 2010

Google “candy cane mouse” in images and you'll get lots and lots of results, this is my version.

I initially downloaded a template from this site:-http://dawnsstampingthoughts.typepad.com/dawns_stamping_thoughts/2008/11/candy-cane-mouse.html (Thank you Dawn), but when I started making it I decided to change the colours, ears and face a little bit.

I’ve added large googly eyes and faux sticking, hoping to get a soft patchwork toy sort of effect. The ears are stuck on using a sticky foam pad for extra dimension.

This is my protype, the tape looks awful! It will be replaced by a thin strip of foam pad under the cane, that won't be seen.  I was just in too much of a hurry to get the mouse photographed.  So my apologies for the shonky and very unprofessional finish!!!

Blast From The Past - Sizzix Christmas Favour Box From Christmas 2013

I have been wracking my brains trying to think of a festive idea to use as a gift idea for all the bags of starlight mints I bought back from Las Vegas …..that filled my suitcase to bursting point!
And then I remembered my Sizzix Bigz XL Shaker Box Die (Item # 655134), that hasn’t seen the light of day for at least two years!!!  OMG, it was perfect!

I used it to cut the red striped card from Payper Box I got a few weeks ago which just spelt Christmas to me!  Not wishing to waste any scraps, I stuck the piece that came from the window in the bottom of the box as a background to the sweets.

The inside of the box didn’t look quite right, it needed a little something else …..

…… but it had to be flat,  so I decided to punch some red scallop edged hearts and then add a Christmas message using a white gel pen, sorted!

I used Marc’s band idea from his Christmas cards to make one for the boxes to stop them flapping open, using a strip of contrasting red card …… and creasing it using my box maker board.

I then made the sentiment decoration using my Stampin’ Up scalloped punch, scraps of card and gold, white and silver  Christmas circles from Craftwork Cards http://www.craftworkcards.co.uk/products/1585/in-circles-christmas-gold-silver.html

The felt holly leaves and berries were from this years Hobbycraft Christmas collection  but I just couldn’t find them on the website to make a link! I think a tub of 12 cost about £2.99/3.00.

I made twenty six boxes in all, some of the decorations on the band vary, because I ran out of the holly, so it was an excellent opportunity to use up all my other bits and pieces that have been hanging around in my Christmas embellishment box for far too long!

Candy Rainbows

My friend Josie sent me this picture and link with Tom and Laura’s “rainbow” wedding in mind ……
http://catchmyparty.com/photos/525090 – it’s an idea I have seen before and I just love ….

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/03/st-patricks-day-rainbows/

They are made using American sweets/candy called Twizzlers ….

….  I checked out to see if they are available over here, and yes they are …. from Amazon, Ebay and other online shops specialising in American products, with prices varying from £1.19 a pack to £1.99+,  so making them for every wedding guest would be rather prohibitive ….. but nevertheless it’s such a lovely idea ….. it’s one to keep on the back burner! 

I may also try and find a few packs when I am in Las Vegas to bring back because when I did a Google search on them there were lots of other lovely ideas I would also like to try out.

http://www.icandystore.co.uk/twizzlers-rainbow-fruit-twists-53g-403-p.asp

http://www.cybercandy.co.uk/store/Hersheys-Twizzlers-Rainbow---American-03453201.html

Elizabeth Shaw Mints Meet Angry Birds!

Do you remember when I found a blog written by Debbie Naylor that blew me away …. especially with her very simple instructions for making the red Angry Bird.

Well, Debbie’s  idea spurred me on transferring the idea  to using with Elizabeth Shaw mints.

So I gathered my various punches to adapt the idea …… as I didn’t have all of the same ones as Debbie, but the basic circle shape is made with a Stampin’Up 1 3/4 punch.

and started to punch, stick and put them together.

This is when I started to doubt the end result…!

Here they reminded me of mad fish! (now there’s and idea ……)

And finally it is the beaks and eyebrows that finally make the character!  I am thinking that these sweets would go down very well at a boys birthday party …… now all I need to do is work out how to make the other characters!!

Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisp - Birthday Medal

I should really start another blog called “100 Things To Do With An Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisp”!

I thought it would be fun to make a birthday medal using one of these infamous chocolates!

There’s not a lot to it, I’ve just used a scrap of stripy card, some peel offs, a scallop circle punch, some glittery corners, a few flat backed gems and a Craftwork Cards die cut birthday sentiment.

I’ve just mounted mine on a piece of 10.5 cm x 7cm card and then put it into a 12.5cm x 7.5cm cello bag to give as a favour,  but it could easily be put on the front of a card instead.

As Featured In The National Badminton Museum……

As you know my sister and I try to come up with an idea for little token/fairing gifts for her to give to the various people she meets at some the sporting events she works at as a volunteer.

Well ……. a couple of weeks ago she was at the 102nd Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships for which she made these packets of recovered Cadbury miniatures with the event logo on (I merely put them in the cello bags and tied the ribbons).

….. Anyway to cut a long story short, a gentleman there was so impressed that one of these chocolates has now found a place in the National Badminton Museum, along with an Elizabeth Shaw mint version she made for the year before!!!!

We are already planning for next year ……. a shuttlecock with blue and green toffees in ….. watch this space!!!

http://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/text.asp?section=41

Easter Penny Bags

My “Penny Bags” usually go down well, so I have made a few for Easter.

They are nothing really special but with money being tight for a lot of people at the moment I think they offer reasonable value for money and the person who gives them knows that they are giving something a bit different as I will only be making about 20 of them.

I’ve punched the tags from a small blue gingham print card, added a wooden bunny embellishment, a bit of doodling and a handwritten “Happy Easter”

This is the first time I have used gusseted bags for my sweets which measure 7” x 3” x 1.5” which I found on e-bay from  http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Wrappings-and-Bows?_trksid=p4340.l2563 and I am quite impressed.

I put an assortment of 12 chocolate ladybirds (Tesco) 8 small easter eggs (The Range) and two chocolate bunnies from the Aldi pack above (£1.79) in each bag, tied with a pastel coloured ribbon.

My Suitcase of Crafty Treasure and Happy First Day Back At Work Favors …..

I was given a box of “crafting treasure” by a friend a little while ago and I am trying to use something from it as often as I can.  It’s so special  that I keep it all in a lovely old battered suitcase, so that its contents don’t get mixed up with my other stuff.

Anyway, I was looking through it and found these lovely little handbag die cuts and immediately had an idea for “little silly presents” for “the girls” to celebrate our first day back at work in 2011.

First I assembled the bags, using just a bit of glue and mini pegs to keep them together while they dried. What to put in the bags I wondered ………

I knew everyone would be back on their diets and chocolate of any description would be a out of the question, but not emergency rations ….. so I covered a Dairy Milk miniature to pop in each bag.

As a finishing  touch I tied on a small metal charm, also from my suitcase of treasure …… they are so cute I can hardly bare give them away now!

Hershey’s Kisses Mouse

I love Google images, it’s where I always go for inspiration or to double check an idea. Goodness knows what words I put into the search when I found this mouse!   Try Googling Hershey’s Kiss Mouse and see what you get.

It’s made by sticking two Hershey’s Kisses together. Hershey’s are an American brand of sweet but are not that easy to find here, but now and again Wolverhampton comes up trumps and occasionally you can find - “the hard to find”

All I’ve used are two circles of pink card to make the ears and have just scribbled round the edges, googly eyes, a pink flat backed gem for a nose and some waxed string (because it doesn’t flop) with a bow for the tail.  I have used the tiniest amount of PVA glue to keep them all in place.

I’ve stuck it on a very small kraft box, I thought I would make a few and put cracker type mottos in them  with a tiny weeny gift, like a  pair of earrings or a pencil sharpener etc. and have them instead of crackers at one of our festive meals.

Candy Cane Heart

This was a bit fiddle farty…….

I’ve joined two wrapped candy canes together using my hot glue gun (it didn't harm the candy),  but because the canes were wrapped, it was hard to disguise/hide the cellophane wrapper at the end of the cane. That’s when I decided to add a few thick, glittery table confetti snowflakes, with clear flat back gems in the centres to hide the joins.

I’ve used a loop of red ribbon to hang it up on the Christmas tree etc.

Jingle Beans Revisited

I made Jingle Bean Jars last Christmas and they were very popular.  I wanted to make them again but didn’t want to repeat the design.

   

So this year I have decided to use up some of the many Paperchase jingle bells I have been hoarding for a couple of years.

The jars are from Poundworld (4 for a £1). They don’t have them very often, which is why I buy in bulk when I see them.  IKEA do an almost identical version called Rajtan which cost £1.99 for 4.

The red snowflake is made from felt and is also from Paperchase and the red gingham ribbon is from Stampin’ Up but is now discontinued.

I keep meaning to make up a few extra jars to keep aside for unexpected birthdays – with Birthday Beans instead of Jingle Beans written on, but as always there just isn't enough time.

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.