DIY Valentine's Day Pocket & Coupon Code

Hi Ladies! This is Dana from Sunflower Stationary, and today I’ll be sharing with you a simple Valentine’s Day (or any day!) project.

Before I get started, there is one thing you should know about me: I am a big believer that when you give someone something (big or small), it should be packaged as cute as possible! It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Have a Tupperware of brownies you want to share with a friend? Simply tie a little baker’s twine around it, to add a little “cute.”

Have a notecard you want to give? I say, ditch the envelope and stick it in a decorated glassine bag instead!

Nothing says THOUGHTFULLNESS, than a little extra effort. But extra effort doesn’tnecessarily mean it has to be difficult.

Here, let me show you:

Today, we are going to make a little pocket that can be used for holding Valentine’s Day cards, treats or any other little item(s).

DIY VALENTINE'S DAY POCKET

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

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- glassine bag or kraft paper bag

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- scrapbooking paper

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-baker’s twine

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- gift tags

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- glue stick

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- scissors

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 -small hole punch

STEP 1:

I like to start with the gift tag, first. I selected a multi-colored polka-dot gift tag that has a baby blue backside. I put a small hole-punch at the top. I cut out a heart from some scrapbooking paper (you could use a heart-shaped punch, if you have one) and positioned it on the gift tag. To attach, I used my glue stick on only the half of the heart that touches the tag, and let the folded half remain sticking upward.

 

When the heart is attached, I usually take this time to personalize it. In this instance, I will be giving the finished product to my sister, who is expecting her first child and is due the first week of February!

STEP 2:

Now we’ll get to work on our glassine bag. What I did here was, I took a 12 x 12 piece of scrapbooking paper, and I cut a strip about 1.25” wide off of one end to create a band.(You really don’t need to be so precise.) Then, I laid my newly-cut band face-down and positioned my glassine bag (also face-down) on top of it. Then, I folded the sides of the band so that they would overlap around the bag. When I was comfortable with how everything was positioned, I removed the glassine bag, and using my glue stick, applied glue to the entire back-side of the band. Then I carefully placed the glassine bag (still face-down) back onto the band, being careful to line the sides with the creases I had made on the band earlier.

At this point, your glassine bag should look like this:

STEP 3:

Now, we are going to tie a little baker’s twine around it. I usually just sort of eye-ball it, so I don’t have an exact length for you to cut. I determined how long I wantedmy baker’s twine to be, and then I took the baker’s twine and back-tracked it to create a double layer.

You want your baker’s twine to be long enough to tie a simple bow. I usually make mine extra long and trim the excess later. Better safe than sorry, right? 

STEP 4:

So, next begin tying your knot. I usually make mine a little off to the side, and not-so-centered, but hey...this is YOUR project, so feel free to make any adjustments that suit you. We’re not ready to complete the knot just yet...just get to this point:

Remember that tag we made a few steps ago? It’s time to thread that through the ends of the baker’s twine “like so” (as my grandma would say!):

Position your tag the way you want, and then continue tying your knot to secure the tag in place, also making sure that the twine is tight enough to stay snug on the bag.

You could trim the ends of the twine at this point, but I always like to add a little bow when I can:

STEP 5:

Now you have a super cute pocket that is just waiting to be filled up with thoughtful items! Me? I’ll be using this as an envelope for a very special card to my sister, letting her know how proud I am of her and that I’ll be praying for her & the days ahead as she experiences the adventures of motherhood.

Thank you for reading my post. I hope I was able to inspire you to be creative and to put that little extra effort into something you can share with someone special!

Interested in purchasing something from my etsy shop? Now through Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), you can use the coupon code BECREATIVE13 to receive 30-percent off your entire order.

Etsy Picks: Valentine Favorites

Is it just me or did January fly by in the blink of an eye? I can hardly believe that in a few days it will be a brand me month. Whenever I think of February. I think of Valentines Day! I can honestly say that I'm not huge on celebrating this holiday, but I do enjoy browsing around & shopping for Valentine Goodies! 

What girl doesn't love pink, red and heart shaped things?! 

Here are a few of my Valentine Favorites from Etsy:

My House of Dreams

Valentines Ornaments (Set of 5)

$25.00 USD

Sunflower Stationary

Cute Hearts Business Card Envelopes (Set of 12)

$6.00 USD

Thurston Post

Valentine Gift Tags (Set of 10)

$3.50 USD

Paper and Present

Valentine Craft & Packaging Kit

$17.50 USD

What are some of your Valentine Favorites from Etsy?

My Thoughts: K.slademade

I first heard about K.slademade back in October. As I was flipping through OK Magazine. The K.slademade Pale Pink Tip Pouch & Tassel were featured in OK Magazine's Gift Guide in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

The cute pink leather pouch and matching tassel instantly caught my eye and I immediately headed over to my computer so I could browse the K.slademade website. Talk about love at first sight, I fell in love with everything and I had such a hard time choosing what I wanted... all I knew is that I needed to buy something from her shop. I initially wanted to purchase a bag/clutch but I couldn't decide between The Brooklyn Foldover & The Heather Crossbody. Since I couldn't seem to make a decision, I decided to keep my first purchase small. 

Before purchasing, I did a little research. I read that all orders are MADE UPON PURCHASE. It can take up to two weeks for Kelsea, the owner of K.slademade, to fulfill your order. 

My first purchase from her shop was The Pale Pink Tassel.
It took a little over a week before I got an email saying that my order was shipped. Kelsea, ships her orders via USPS Priority Mail. I know that Priority Mail can take anywhere from 2-4 days for delivery. I was surprised that my order arrived from Indiana to Hawaii in just TWO DAYS! 

The tassel arrived in a box, tied in a ribbon & adorned with a monogram K sticker. Perfectly wrapped for gift giving. The tassel keychain looks exactly as pictured and would make the perfect bag charm or keychain. I use my K.slademade tassel as a keychain- it makes finding my keys easier & much more fun!

My Second Purchase was The Heather Crossbody in Black.

I decided to get it with the short 18" chain, because I wanted to use it as a shoulder bag, rather than as a crossbody. 

The turnaround time was quick, it took about a week for her to ship my order! I received my order in about 5 days. The Heather Crossbody came wrapped in navy blue tissue paper, secured in a plastic sleeve! 

I am head over heels in love with this bag. I am usually a sucker for large totes, but for a long time now I have been looking for something on the smaller side that will fit only my necessities. Also, an added bonus, I don't have any black purses... this is my very first! I love everything about this bag- the quality, the chain detail, the tassel & the simplicity of it. I love that it forces me to only carry the things I need, rather than carrying my whole life in my bag like I tend to do. 

If you'd like to see what I carry in my Heather Crossbody, leave a comment below and I'll be sure to do a quick post on it! 

Anyways, all in all, I am a huge fan of K.slademade and I highly recommend her shop to all you bag lovers! I love her shop so much that I already have a list of K.slademade goodies that I want to buy next! 

Be sure to check out K.slademade!

I'd love to know, what are your favorites from K.slademade?

ILYtifftiffer Giveaway ***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

I will be honest with you and say that I wasn't planning on doing another giveaway until January... but my friend Ronya, surprised me with an email asking if I'd be interested in doing an ILYtifftiffer Giveaway... Heck yeah, I do! I definitely couldn't turn down the opportunity... I am a huuuuge fan of ILYtifftiffer. I first heard of ILYtifftiffer through my friend Marcy, who happens to be a  huge fan of her as well! 

ILYtifftiffer is a shop based out of O'ahu, Hawaii. (Yes, that means all of her products are "Handmade in Hawaii"). Ronya sews and sells an assortment of cute pouches at affordable prices ranging between $8.00-$14.00 USD. 

 You can find ILYtifftiffer in the links below:

Etsy

Storenvy

My Experience with ILYtifftiffer

I first contacted Ronya, when I was interested in ordering a customized camera case for my brand new camera. She was such a sweet girl from the get go- very approachable and responded to my emails right away. I gave her the dimensions  of my new camera and she instantly worked on a sample for me. After the sample was done she sent me pictures to make sure I was happy with the design. After okaying the sample, I then picked out a fabric I liked and voila my order was done the next day! She worked on my order so fast and I couldn't have been happier with the results. It took her less than 2 days to fulfill my order and she even sent me a matching pouch as a surprise! I can't even express how happy I was with my order... it looked even cuter in person and the quality was beyond what I had expected. When I bought a Kindle a few months later, I was in the search for the "perfect kindle case" and after searching many shops, I couldn't find anything I liked... That is when I decided to ask Ronya if she could possibly make me a customized kindle case, she happily obliged. Again, I gave her the dimensions of my Kindle & she went ahead and made a sample for me to look at. I then picked out a fabric I liked and it was done by the next day! I received my kindle case in a couple of days and I couldn't be any happier wih it! It was perfect, exactly what i hoped it would be and more! Ronya is always such a pleasure to do business with and never fails to exceed my expectations. 

You can actually see my ILYtifftiffer Camera Case & Kindle Case here.

Okay, now lets talk about the giveaway...

This giveaway will be done through Raffecopter & will run for two weeks!

One lucky winner will win:

1-Kawaii Print Patchwork Pouch

1-Mini Pouch with Matching Single Print Fabric

Giveaway Rules:

1. This Giveaway is open to U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY

2. You have from now until Monday, December 17th to get your entries in!

3, There is only ONE MANDATORY entry, which will unlock 5 other entries for you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for $25 & Under

I don't know about you, but I looooove Christmas Shopping... I understand that sometimes, Christmas Shopping can be a bit stressful whether it is because you have a long list of people to shop for or because you are on a tight budget. Anyways, I did some browsing on the web at a few shops that I adore and here is a list of cost friendly items that would make for fun gifts or great stocking stuffers without breaking the bank.

K.slademade

Leather Key Chain Fob

$22.00 USD

These leather key fob's are handmade by Kelsea, of K.slademade. 

Available in Black & Camel, Brown & Navy, Gold & Pale Pink, Navy & Neon Green, Navy & Orange, Navy & Red, Navy & Teal, Pink & Brown, Pink & Orange, Teal & Brown and Teal & Pink.

Stella & Dot

Love Bracelet, Light Bracelet & Courage Bracelet

$19.00 USD/each

These delicate beaded bracelets, feature brass chain, faceted beads and colorful cord accents. These bracelets are adjustable and would make great as friendship bracelets for you & your girlfriends! 

Sew Beastly

Small Ruffled Clutch

$24.00 USD

"Sew Beastly's products are handmade, ruffled accessories with sustainability in mind."- Sew Beastly

Available in a variety of different prints. Perfect size for storing all your daily essentials.

Gigi New York

Personalized Bag Tags

$25 USD

Available in Eggplant, Fucshia, Orange, Peacock, Taupe and Black.

Gussy Sews

Small Zip Pouches

$18.50 USD

"Every girl needs a little ruffled pouch to carry with her."- Gussy Sews

These handmade ruffled pouches are made with the cutest printed fabric and includes the Signature Gussy Ruffle. Measures 4" x 5.5". Comes in a variety of different prints. 

Happy Shopping!

xoxo

Sunflower Stationary Giveaway ***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

My good friend Dana is one of the craftiest people I know. She's always trying new things and taking part in fun DIY projects!  Earlier this year, Dana started making handmade mini envelopes and gift tags. What first started out as a hobby, turned into something a little more. In March, Dana decided to open an Etsy Shop, Sunflower Stationary, where she sells mini envelopes and gift tags. She has a variety of different prints listed in her shop and she comes out with seasonal items as well! 

Dana is one of the sweetest sellers on Etsy. She is very accommodating to her customers needs and provides excellent customer service. She packages all her orders very nicely and she always includes a handwritten "Thank You", which I think adds a nice personal touch. I always receive my orders from Sunflower Stationary in just under a week, usually somewhere between 3-5 days. As for the product itself, I'm always beyond happy with my orders! I am impressed with the quality of Dana's products and I know she puts a lot of time and effort into each and every one of her orders. 

My Favorites

Here are a few of my current favorites from Sunflower Stationary!

1. Autumn Colors Business Card Envelopes (Set of 12) $4.00 USD

2. Fine and Dandy Collection Gift Tags (Set of 40) $5.00 USD

3. Pink and Green Owls Pre-Strung Gift Tags (Set of 40) $4.00 USD

4. Kraft Paper Hand-Stamped Business Card Envelopes (Set of 12) $4.00 USD

Sunflower Stationary Giveaway
Last month, Dana offered to sponsor a Sunflower Stationary Giveaway here on my blog!
One lucky winner will win the giveaway pack pictured below from Sunflower Stationary


Here's what the Giveaway Pack includes:
15 mini envelopes
5 designs, 3 each

48 gift tags
assorted

Giveaway Rules
1. You must be 18 years or older to enter giveaway.
2. This giveaway is open to both U.S. and International Residents.
3. To enter giveaway, visit Sunflower Stationary & comment below, telling me which item in her shop is your FAVORITE! Don't forget to leave your email address in the comment as well, so I can contact you if you are the winner!
4. You will have until November 17, 2012 to get all your entries in.
GOOD LUCK!

11/4/2012 UPDATE: I have decided to extend the giveaway and change it up a bit because I know a lot of you have been having issues with RAFFLECOPTER. Read the updated giveaway rules above. 

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November 18, 2012

It's time to announce the winner of the:

Giveaway!

I just want to thank Dana for sponsoring this wonderful giveaway! I truly appreciate it very much and I hope to have the opportunity to do future giveaways with you! Also, I want to thank everyone who  took the time out of their day to enter the Sunflower Stationary Giveaway!

The winner of the Sunflower Stationary Giveaway is:

LAURIE

Congratuations Laurie! Thank you so much for entering... I know that you'll enjoy your gift pack from Sunflower Stationary! I sent you an email, so be sure to send me an email back with your info!

GIVEAWAY: We Love Stitches ***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

A few months ago as I was browsing Etsy, I stumbled upon We Love Stitches, a shop based out of Singapore that specializes in hand-stitched goodies. For those of you who know me, you know that I am a lover of all things cute & girly... so it is no surprise that I instantly fell in love with this wonderful shop!

My first purchase was a cute Bunny Plush Keychain ($12.00 USD). At first I was hesitant to purchase from this shop, because the estimated shipping time was 11-15 days- I haaaate buying things online, because the wait is always pure torture for me. I decided to just go ahead with the purchase, because the keychain was too cute NOT to buy! I'm glad I went ahead with the it because I received my order in ONE WEEK! I was amazed at how quick my order arrived in Hawaii! What blew me away was the cute packaging and the quality of the product. I could tell that the seller, Christy, put A LOT of love into her work. Since then, I have purchased a few more items from her shop which includes: 

Kawaii Bear Keychain Pouch ($20.00 USD)
Kawaii Bunny Cellphone Charm ($14.00 USD)
Kawaii Bear Plush Keychain ($18.00 USD)

With every order, I am blown away by the amazing customer service that We Love Stitches provides, the fast shipping and the amazing quality of her products. She has definitely become a favorite seller of mine and I would highly recommend her shop to all of you! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Since I love We Love Stitches so much, I decided to do a We Love Stitches Giveaway for all of you in hopes that you will fall in love with the shop as well! Once you get your hands on these kawaii goodies, you will be hooked!

One lucky winner will win the two kawaii keychains listed below:

Kawaii Bear Keychain
($18.00 USD)

The Kawaii Bear Keychain is made out of felt and measures approximately 4" / 10 cm tall and 3" / 7.5 cm wide filled with stuffing . All details are carefully and securely stitched on with hand .

Bunny Plush Keychain
($15.00 USD)

The Bunny Plush Keychain is made out of felt and measures 4.5" / 11.5 cm tall
and 4.5" / 11.5 cm wide filled with stuffing . All details are carefully and securely stitched on .

GIVEAWAY RULES:
1. You must be 18 years or older to enter giveaway.
2. This giveaway is open to both U.S. & international residents.
3. You will have until October 20, 2012 to get all of your entries in! 
Good luck!

(Please Note: I am in no way sponsored by We Love Stitches. I have purchased the prizes with my own money!)  

a Rafflecopter giveaway ****************************************************************************************

October 21, 2012

Yay! It's finally time to announce the winner of the

 We Love Stitches

Giveaway...

 First off, I just want to thank everyone who entered my giveaway- it really means a whole lot to me that each of you took the time out of your day to earn entries toward my giveaway! I truly appreciate each and every one of you!

I used rafflecopter to randomly select one lucky winner!

The winner of the We Love Stitches Giveaway is:

DANA

Congratulations Dana & thank you so much for entering! I know that you'll love your goodies from We Love Stitches just as much as I do!