Gift Tubes

Basic instructions for gift tube construction are now on my tutorials page.

More Halloween

     One of the things I like about vintage cards is that they're fun and cheerful, especially Halloween cards. None of our current culture's morbid gore and guts themes. I couldn't resist making another easel card with this cutie. I glittered and flocked the pumpkin outfit and added gold leaf accents on the hat band and candle posts. Here's a picture of it open:

Autumn is a Second Spring...

What to do with the cardboard spools leftover when all the ribbon has been used up? Make a gift tube! Separate one side of the spool from each of two same-sized ribbon spools and cover the other side with decorative paper or card stock. Cut a sheet of acetate wide enough to wrap around the tube portion of the spools and as tall as you want your box. Super sticky double sided tape applied to the bottom spool and the back seam of the acetate tube will hold it all together. The tube on the lid slips down inside the acetate tube.  A strip of decorative paper or ribbon (or both) around the bottom and top of the acetate tube will hide the cardboard inside and make it more beautiful. Fill with a bag of colorful and savory soup mix for those cold winter evenings that are coming and tie a tag with a suitable message and instructions for making the soup with ribbon wrapped around the top. Unique and fun.

Materials: Tim Coffey Fall by K&Company paper embellished with Ranger Clear Holographic embossing powder. Tag was made with the Spellbinders Labels Four Die. Everything else is from my personal supplies of miscellaneous leftovers... Message was printed on the tag using my home computer using CK Calligraphy font.

Extra views:

Top of box.

Tag

Inside tag.

Cool Nights Mean Warm Dinners

This must be family favorites week for us. It was sooo hot for so long this summer, that now we're taking advantage of the cool weather with hot meals. Tonight, we enjoyed French cuisine in the form of Beef Burgundy and French Bread (homemade, of course). Not being consumers of alcoholic beverages, I substitute white grape juice or apple juice for the wine. I like the white grape juice best, so that's what I use most of the time. You can also use it in fondue to replace the wine, it works great! Here are the recipes:

Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)--aka "Mushroom Meat" at our house!

¼ lb. salt pork                           2 lb. lean beef cut into 2” cubes

1 ½ t. salt                                  coarse ground pepper

2 T. flour                                   1 ½ c. apple cider or white grape juice

1 clove garlic, crushed               1 lb. pearl onions, peeled

1 lb. mushrooms                        1 Tablespoon parsley                                  

3-4 large carrots                       1 bay leaf
½ t. thyme

Place all the ingredients in a large slow cooker. Cook on high for about 6 hours or low for about 8. Skim off fat and remove bay leaf. Sprinkle with additional parsley, if desired.

I use frozen pearl onions when I'm short of preparation time. I also substitute bacon for the salt pork.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Serve with French bread and a green salad.

French Bread--aka "Symphony of Crackle" (from Ratatouille)

Ingredients:

6 cups flour                                   1 Tablespoon cornmeal

1 Tablespoon yeast                        1 egg white

1 1/2 teaspoons salt                       1 Tablespoon water

2 cups warm water

Directions:

   If you prefer to use a bread machine, follow the manufacturers directions to prepare the dough. 

OR

   In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using dough hooks in a stand mixer. Stir in as much of remaining flour as possible.

   On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make stiff dough. Knead for about 8-10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. 

   Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll each half into a large rectangle; roll up from long edge. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.

   Lightly grease a large baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat egg white and water and brush on. Cover with a cloth and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

   Preheat oven to 375 degree F. With a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes across the tops of the loaves. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped.

   Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Autumn Leaves and Apple Pie

This was a quick to put together gift box. I'm thinking apple turnovers as little gifts. Make a batch, slip a few into this easy boxes, hand out to your friends. The box pattern is a basic pillow box, about 4.5" x 6", and the image is a freebie from The Vintage Workshop, http://blog.thevintageworkshop.com/?p=3264. Just cut out, score, fold, and stick together. I trimmed the outer edges of the image, so I could use only the leaves and message. Then I used gold embossing powder to enhance the lettering and UTEE mixed with a little cinnamon (yes cinnamon) to deepen the color on the darker background leaves and add depth. I cut a long strip of parchment colored cardstock with the EK Success leaf border, did a little shading with Copics, then glittered with Martha Stewart Sunstone, Green Agate, and Peridot ultra fine glitter. I wrapped that around one end of the box and layered the image on top. Fold in the ends. How easy was that?!

Muffin, Anyone?

    Around our house, nothing says autumn better than pumpkin treats. Our favorite muffins, pie, bread, even waffles and pancakes are made with pumpkin and traditional pumpkin pie spices. Sometimes, there's even one or two left over to share! 

     This variation of the box-in-a-bag pattern provides a great gift package to share one jumbo muffin with a special friend. The box is cut with an acetate covered window so the recipient can admire the beauty of muffin perfection and wistfully anticipate the fragrant yumminess until the moment finally arrives when it can be opened and savored. Mmmm. I also slip the muffin into a separate plastic bag before placing it in the gift bag/box, but it isn't necessary. I just like to regift my bags and boxes sometimes, so the inside bag will keep any moisture or oils from ruining the package. It measures 4" square on the bottom and 6" tall; just right for one jumbo muffin. 

     Instructions for a basic Box in a Bag can be found here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/boxinabag/

Materials: K&Company Tim Coffey Fall paper, Bazzil Basics parchment colored paper, clear acetate, Spellbinders Labels 4 for the window and closure tab. Ribbon and ink from my stash.

Here's the recipe!

Pumpkin Spice Jumbo Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan.
Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes; then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

***Sometimes it's fun to add about 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter before filling the muffin cups.

Steampunk, Baby!

     Ooh, la, la! C'est chic! Here's a headband/fascinator to bring out the haute couture gene in any little girl! Three handmade flowers (they look like magnolia's to  me) are nestled on top of a lace veil and topped with a feather boa and a peacock feather. The silk ribbon has a vintage style jewelry finding attached to it for just a little bling and sophistication. Sized for about 18-24 months, although the headband is elastic lace, so it's flexible. Beautimous! Too bad my little girls are not so little any more...

This is my own interpretation of the Lyla Rose Vintage Luxe pattern by SnazzieDrawers (Joy Stallard).

Thinking Ahead for the Holidays...

     I've always enjoyed having an Advent Calendar to mark the approach of Christmas. Some years we've had simple paper calendars with flaps that open, some years we've had the German ones with little foil-wrapped chocolates inside, and some years it's just been a simple paper chain that one of the kids has made. Now that my children are older, I wanted something more personal that I made especially for our family and that we could use year after year.
      This is a basic tree constructed from dowels and wood findings that I have painted and mounted in a 6" terracotta flowerpot ( I decoupaged the flowerpot).  For each day beginning December first and leading up to Christmas, I aged and decorated a shipping tag. One side has the number of the date and the other has a vintage holiday layout. I made two sets, one has the numbers cut from decorative papers and vintage cards (as shown above). On the other set, I used my printer to print the numbers using the Steamer font. Some of those are shown in the other photos. Each one has a satin ribbon tied to the top of the numbered side.
     Beginning on the first day of December, one tag is flipped around to display the pictures. The whole tree is close to four feet tall, so it looks great on a table top and can even be used instead of a pine tree. For those of you who don't like the hassle of pulling the ornaments out and putting them away again, or those who may be allergic to real and artificial trees, this might be the solution to your holiday dreads!
      Pattern and kits are for sale at my etsy shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/RabbitHillEmporium

Close-up of decorated tags.

Close-up of printed numbers. 

Halloween Greetings

 

     Here's my first attempt at an easel card. It was not difficult at all, and what a great way to pressure your friends to display the cards you give them! I made the base card from black card stock, framed the vintage card graphic with a pumpkin colored card stock, and also used it to cut a tag and a piece of paper lace for the inside. The sentiment is another (smaller) tag of parchment card stock that I ran through my printer. 

     The vintage card has flocking on the mask and the balls on the cap, and clear heat embossing on the colored lettering, with clear holographic embossing powder on the Jack-O-Lantern. I distressed the outside edges and mounted it on the front of the black card base. The charm in the upper left is made from inexpensive metal coin charms which I strung together with jump rings. I had to punch extra holes in the bottom of the large coin, but sometimes you can find them with holes punched in the bottom already. I inked up a swirl of white pearls to give them an antique look and applied them to the bottom corner.

     Inside, the sentiment is mounted on the pumpkin tag and adhered to the bottom center of the card. The paper lace is applied about 1/3 of the way down from the top of the inside panel. I then punched 1" flower shapes from parchment card stock and an orange and rust card stock (three of each). I stamped a witch on one parchment flower and lizards on the other two. After distressing the edges, I mounted them on top of the colored flowers and curled the petals up slightly.Finally, I used pop dots to attach them to the paper lace. This adds dimension and provides stops to keep the card propped up. 

 Supplies: Bazzil Basics card stock, Ranger Embossing powders, Martha Stewart Flocking Powder, Recollections (by Michael's) Adhesive Faux Pearls. Paper lace and tags were cut using Spellbinders Classic Lace Grand Die and Large Labels. Other supplies were leftovers from other projects.

Card front when closed.

Halloween Gift/Trick-or-Treat Tote

     This is my "up-cycled" gift tote. The base is a drink carrier from a fast food restaurant. It's about 8" square, 10" high, and 4" deep on the sides. I like the basic cardboard color, but I did apply some patterned paper to the center support and handle area to liven it up a bit. I also reinforced the tucked in flaps on the sides by wrapping packing tape around the outside of the tote. If you're going to use the tote as a gift box, you should cut a square of cardboard to set in the bottom as a reinforcement, too, especially if the contents are heavy. A strip of bright corrugated paper (or you could use crepe paper) that I topped with a spider-web looking ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon is all the bottom needs. The accordion-fold medallion is about 6" in diameter; it's topped with a piece of Halloween card stock layered with a vintage cutout that has been glittered, flocked, and heat embossed.  A couple of distressed tags with Halloween messages and a bow of sheer black ribbon finish it off.
     I fill these with an assortment of treats from my kitchen--soup mix, bread mix or crackers, muffins, hot chocolate or sparkling cider, etc. One fun gift is to bake plain sugar cookies and tuck a package of them in the tote, along with colored frosting and sprinkles or other decorations for a do-it-yourself cookie decorating kit. Later, the tote can be used for trick-or-treating; there's more room in there than it appears.

Side view 1.

Side view 2.

A Heart With Wings

 

I have been on a bit of a tag kick recently (that is, when I'm not making albums). They are like micro art collages for me. I get to try out new techniques and use new supplies without having to make a big project, or more specifically, without wasting my new supplies on a large practice project! Here, I cut out a card stock heart and stamped my sentiment. I attached grungeboard wings and a crown (from Tim Holtz) that I heat embossed with silver glitter powder. I mounted them on a handmade card stock tag with a bit of paper lace cut from music note scrapbook paper with a Spellbinders Classic Lace Grand die. Antiquing around the edges of the tag and heart adds a little interest and depth. I finished it off with leaves punched from dark green paper and handmade flowers from patterned scrapbook paper scraps. The final touches are a chain from a vintage necklace made from silver links and pearls to which I added a crystal drop, and a tea-dyed gauze "ribbon."