Friday, February 1, 2013

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:
-
glassine bag or kraft paper bag
-
scrapbooking paper
-
-baker’s twine
-
gift tags
-
glue stick
-
scissors
-
 -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.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

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:

$25.00 USD

$6.00 USD

$3.50 USD

$17.50 USD

What are some of your Valentine Favorites from Etsy?

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Cute & Girly

It's no  big surprise that I am a lover of all things cute and girly! 
My motto is & always has been,
"The cuter, the better!"
Raise your hands if you live by this motto too!

Here are a few things I am currently loving:
Handmade Heart Pouches & Heart Ornaments, ILYtifftiffer

Handmade Amigurumi Bunny Rabbits with Carrot Pouch, WereRabbit2006

Fancy Japanese Candy Mix

Mini Envelopes, Sunflower Stationary

Washi Tape

Monday, January 21, 2013

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?

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 
Wishing you all a year full of health, happiness & prosperity! 


 
My Goals for 2013
1. Eat Healthier, Exercise More
I really hope to make healthier food choices in 2013! I won't lie it'll be a huge struggle for me just because I enjoy sugary things like chocolates and Pepsi. Not to mention my favorite meal of the day is dessert! Yes, I consider it a meal! Anyways, all joking aside, I really do hope to make healthier decisions all around- food and exercise wise! I'm looking forward to the healthy and very active year ahead! 
2. Take More Pictures
In high school & my early 20's I used to take pictures galore. I feel like throughout the years, I haven't been taking as many pictures on my camera. Yes, I do snap the occasional picture on my iPhone but even though it's convenient, it isn't always the best quality. I know this seems like such an easy goal, but if you know me, you know it isn't easy for me. I always get so caught up in the moment that I tend to forget to capture it in photograph sometimes... okay the majority of the time! That's why I plan on changing things this year... So here's to taking more pictures with my camera in 2013!
3. Stop Being A Doormat
This is actually a continuation from last year. I feel like I have improved a lot on this throughout 2012, but in all honesty it's still a "work in progress". There are times I find myself still letting people walk all over me because I have such a hard time saying "no" and drawing the line. Here's to sticking up for myself & learning where to draw the line in 2013! 

What are your goals/resolutions for 2013?

Love,
Cindi & Lansen