Gift Jar Inspiration - Let's Get Hopping... Round 2

I missed the Let's Get Hopping... Round 1, so I didn't want to miss Round 2 - and I almost did! Thanks to our Blog Hop leader, Jennifer, for letting me sneak in. (This is what happens when I'm not consistently blogging and too much time is spent working and not playing LOL!)

Do you ever find yourself with some household items that you're saving and thinking, "One day I can make something really cute out of this..." Well, I'm one of those people, too! I took this cute little drink jar (I don't even remember what tasty beverage was in there - or when I started hoarding it) and turned it into something cute. I liked the idea so much I, used it for inspiration for my stamp club group project!

I love Stampin' Up!'s Delightful Daisy stamp set and coordinating punch! You may remember the card I did as a sneak peek for the annual catalog back in May (see it here). I'm sure this won't be my last time I use this set.

Check out how much texture and shimmer are on those flowers!

Thanks so much for hopping by... hopefully this inspires you to want to stop hoarding and start creating something beautiful with everyday items like beverage jars!

Now let's see what amazing project Sherry Espinoza has created!

Happy hopping!

A Lesson From my Childhood

I'm old. Okay, maybe not old, but I do remember when cassettes replaced 8-tracks and the days long before Spotify. I also remember - even way back then - the emphasis put on the environment and the need for recycling. Earth Day was still new, which began five years before I started school, and there was a call to reduce, reuse, and recycle. We collected aluminum cans and newspapers, and we were rewarded with classroom parties for those who collected and recycled the most. As a child of the 70s, my focus was limited, but today,  I'm the one sifting through my family's trash, making sure no items are carelessly tossed when they should have made their way to the big blue bin.

Hubby and I do quite a bit of shipping and receiving in our business, so we try to save boxes and use them to ship orders to our customers. Not pretty, but it makes me feel better knowing these containers have a longer life than just a one-time use. The same can be said for the bubble wrap. But knowing I couldn't use all that I had collected, I remembered my friend Maria makes cookies and ships them to people, not only across the country, but overseas as well.

Sure Maria creates fun cookies for birthday parties, baby showers, and weddings, but she also receives orders from those who have loved ones serving in the United States military, and often her cookies are shipped to deployed service men and women. Much TLC goes into the baking, decorating, and packing to ensure safe arrival.

 

Did I mention Maria sometimes donates her cookies to those who are deployed far from home? As a momma of three Marines, Maria wants those who are unable to be with their loved ones, feel (and taste) as much of home as possible.

Aren't they adorable? She's even made cookies for me on occasion... most recently for my crafting retreat in June which had a "summer fun" theme.

Thank you, Maria, for helping the environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling. And thank you for being a Marine momma... helping to take good care of our troops - one cookie at a time.

Refreshing!

I've always liked my blog, but I've wanted to move in a different direction lately - and have a blog that inspires me. Honestly... if I'm inspired, perhaps you would be inspired, too! I'm a part of a Stampin' Up! demonstrator group on Facebook that challenges us to blog more... something in which I definitely need. Someone had posted about another fellow demonstrator designing elements for her blog, and I was immediately intrigued. So I contacted Jane from FancyThatJane.com and we began a creative journey to refresh my blog design.

I'm one of these people who has a hard time taking what's in my imagination and bringing it to life... usually because what's in my brain doesn't translate to the real world, so connecting with Jane was amazing! She was able to guide me/my thoughts and help capture the essence of how I wanted my blog to feel... natural, soothing, and welcoming. In short, I wanted my blog to make me happy, and I wanted that happiness to shine through and, quite honestly, make others happy. Jane created exactly what I envisioned.

Without going into too many gushy details about what I loved most about working with Jane, I'll just tell you this... she is witty, fun, detail-oriented, professional, and creative (of course, so much more... but those qualities are most important to me). If you are interested in redesigning (or starting) your blog, or have any graphic projects that you need help with, please reach out to Jane through her Facebook page. You'll be happy you did... I know I am.

It's a Silver Celebration!

As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, we advance in levels based on sales and our team. One of my team members advanced to Silver and I wanted to do something to help her celebrate her accomplishment!

I had no idea what card I wanted to make, but I knew it had to be silver... so I pulled out all all silver supplies and just let go. I'm really happy with how all of the silver elements came together and created an elegant card. I may have to use this one for weddings or anniversaries... or even a 25th birthday!

It's really hard to photograph the silver foil paper, as it picks up the lighting and turns it almost gold (or champagne). But trust me... this card is GORGEOUS in person (if I do say so myself)!

Inside the card I offered my sincere congratulations, along with her choice between two gifts... one to play with, and one to help her grow her business - if that's her goal. Whichever she chooses, I'm sure she will enjoy.



Product List

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00	Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate [141653] $12.00	Silver Glimmer Paper [135314] $5.00	Silver Foil Sheets [132178] $4.00	Celebrations Duo Textured Impressions Embossing Folders [142760] $9.00
Silver Metallic Thread [138402] $3.00	Metallic Enamel Shapes [141678] $7.00	Rhinestone Basic Jewels [144220] $5.00	Fast Fuse Adhesive [129026] $10.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00