Picnic Kit

Here's a gift for springtime. This was inspired by mason jar kits I've seen for various things. This kit has lots of things for a picnic.

I've included outdoor toys (like bubbles), tupperware (I like this set, since it has a wide variety of sizes), and a gift card to Whole Foods. You could also add plasticware or sunscreen.
I packed it in a basket, but you could use a mini cooler. The whole thing is wrapped with a vinyl tablecloth.

Mother's Day

My mom has way too much stuff, so for Mother's Day this year, I wanted to make her something creative and useful. I made several different blank cards, and stamped some sentiments on separate pieces of cardstock to be added as she sees fit.

Don't you love my messy table?

I couldn't find a good gift box, so I cut and resized a tissue box, wrapped the cards and envelopes in tissue, and tied it with a ribbon.

After all that cardmaking, I couldn't bring myself to make an actual Mother's Day card (plus I don't have a sentiment for that--for shame!), so I just made a little tag.

Cute Kitty and Adorable Dino Knit Hats

As I waited for my son to arrive nearly a year and a half ago, I made him this hat:

Recently, I altered the design into a dinosaur vesion.:

These can be really simple to make. Start with a hat pattern that you're comfortable with. It can be knit, crochet, felt, or fabric, just as long as it fits well. If you don't want to bother making a hat, you can also use a purchased one.

I made the cat hat using stockinette stitch with a garter border.

For the dino hat, I used single ribbing with a garter border. I don't recommend using ribbing, since I had a really hard time decreasing it smoothly (i.e. it's not smooth at all), even after trying several methods.

Anyway, here comes the cute part. The ears and spines are made using a tutorial for a triangular shawl that I can't find on YouTube anymore, but here's the pattern for the spines specifically:

(I'm sorry I can't remember needle size, but they were quite small)

Begin with a slip knot on your left needle (like you would have to begin crochet)

Row 1: yo, knit 1

Row 2: yo, knit 2

Row 3: yo, knit 3

Continue this, increasing by one each row until you have 12 stitches. Then knit two more rows without yo or increase (so you'll have 3 rows of 12 stitches). Bind off, and you've got one spine. Once you have enough, just sew them on in as straight a line you can.

If you're making cat ears, sew them on with a slight curve to the center of each ear. This helps them stand up, and shapes them more like actual ears.

DIY Envelope Template

Here's an easy way to make an envelope template to fit any card size. You'll need an envelope that's too big for the card, scissors, and tape (removable if you want to be able to resize the template).

Gently unfold the envelope.

Cut it into four pieces. It doesn't have to be exact, but cut so you cross somewhere near the middle.
I like to number the pieces before cutting to help keep things in order, but you don't have to.

Place your card in center of the envelope pieces, and fold the envelope around it so it fits properly.
Tape the pieces in place. You should only need one piece of tape on the side without the flap.

Now you have a template. Trace on your paper, cut it out, and glue it together as the original envelope was.

DIY Stamps in a Tin

What you'll need:

craft foam

glue (unless you use self-adhesive foam)

tape

punch in desired shape

cardstock

empty Altoids tin

Cut a piece of cardstock to fit inside the tin. 

Punch shapes out of the foam. I used some self-adhesive foam shapes from the dollar store, and punched stars.

Glue the shapes to the cardstock. 

Add tape to the backside of the cardstock, to create a slick surface. This is so you can remove the tape from the next step easily.

Roll a piece of tape inside out (try not to make it too bulky) and use it to stick the slick part of the cardstock to the smooth underside of the Altoids box.

Now you're ready to stamp!

If you used pre-cut shapes, and you actually like them, you can just make them into stamps without any punching.

When you're done stamping, just remove and throw the rolled tape away, or reuse with another stamp. 

You can create several stamps and store them in the tin.

Card with a Pocket

I like Inkadinkado's Sing Like No One's Listening stamp so much, but I used it as a magnet instead of a card, so I thought it would be nice to create a card that would hold it.

First I needed a pocket. I originally used a regular piece of paper to make a template, then recreated it with a piece of cardstock. It's basically just a piece that's folded in half, then both sides are folded back at the right size for the magnet, and taped. Here is the back of the pocket:

For the front of the pocket, I used an Inkadinkado bird (one I previously cut in two, but still works just fine), watercolor pencils, and a couple of jewels.

I watermarked the background of the inside of the card with my xmas carol stamp, to infuse a bit of holiday spirit.

For the front of the card, I used another Inka bird stamp, and did emboss resist with watercolors. The sentiment, by Momenta, was stamped with Versamark + pink pigment ink on one half + lavender dye ink on the other, since I don't have pigment of that. It's a bit messy, but I'm okay with it.

Owl Window Gift Tag

Here's a gift tag I made for my nephew.

I embossed an owl from Inkadinkado on the inside of a small card.

Then I punched a piece of scrap with a 1inch circle punch. Using the punched piece, I decided where I wanted the window, and measured the distance from the top and side. Then I made marks on the front of the card to guide my punch.

I stamped "Who?" on the outside, and on the inside, wrote my nephew's name.