Gift ideas Day 3

I think I mentioned my new love of jewelry making back in the summer after I had tried my hand at making some neckalces for my mom. Well, it has turned into not only another hobby for me but a business, believe it or not. Here is a matching set I made recently for an order...

Jewelry supplies are readily available not only in big box stores but also online in many places as well. I order some of my supplies from Craft Fantastic, which I actually found at the scrapbook shows I work. ;) Etsy is also a great source for beading and jewelry supplies. My favorite glue to use is Diamond Glaze by Judikins. Fast drying and water based so it cleans up easily. You could order your supplies in bulk (qtys of 10 or so) and make personalized gifts for your family, co-workers, etc. for as little as $3-5 per person. And you can use scrapbook paper or images you print from the internet or even fabric pieces to complete your jewelry pieces. Visit my etsy store: HandmadebycreativeK8

Gift ideas Day 2

Happy Monday! I am back today with another great gift idea. And the best part is that this gift is VERY inexpensive! I mean, could be as little as $1, if you already have the vinyl on hand like I did. So, let's get to it. What is today's idea you ask? Well, customized/personalized water bottles. :)

You can pick up these aluminum water bottles just about anywhere, including the Dollar Store! A friend of mine snagged up some in our school colors and I added Rockets and the player's numbers to them using vinyl. Her hubby coaches the team and they are going to be the player's gifts. Cute eh? And check this one out...

College rivalry is B.I.G. here in OK, and I am sure it is in every state. So I dolled up a silver water bottle for the OSU Cowboys fans. A die cut machine, some vinyl and a $1 water bottle from the dollar store and you have yourself a super easy, and super inexpensive yet thoughtful gift. You could even add some fabric or ribbon strips to the top or maybe a personalized keychain. So many possibilities!

'Tis the season...

Gosh, I can't believe December is already here. What a year 2012 has been. Christmas will be here before you know it so I thought I would take the next few days to share some gift giving ideas. First up is glass etched baking dishes. It may sound difficult, but this is actually a fairly simple projcet. And, if you have a die cut machine, this project is even easier.

Sorry the pics aren't the best. These were for an order and by the time I was done, my natural light was g.o.n.e. But, you can still see the images in the bottom of the dishes. I searched online until I found the images I wanted them imported them into my Funtime software. After vectorizing the jpeg's I sized them then mirrorred the image and cut it from vinyl. I had to "weed" the vinyl, taking away the actual die cut because you want the "negative" for this particular project. Then I used transfer tape to move the vinyl to the dish. I spent about 10 minutes centering and placing the image then burnishing the vinyl WELL to make sure there were no bubbles where the cream could get under the vinyl. Then, I applied the cream and waited. The whole process, start to finish, took about 45 minutes per dish. That includes searching for the images, the whole nine yards. Not too bad really. If you are looking for some fun ideas, do a search on pinterest for glass etching. Cute stuff!