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."

Dyed Bat Droppings Halloween Treats

Now this is a fun Halloween party treat. I cut, stamped, and aged my mini bag toppers, then filled the bags with candy and attached the topper! I filled my bags with Hershey's Kisses, but for children, I would use brightly colored candies like gumballs, jelly beans, M & M's, Reese's Pieces, or Skittles.

Here's a closeup of the topper:












These are available for sale in my etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RabbitHillEmporium

Package of 10 Toppers with empty bags.

Christmas Shaker Tag

Here's a fun project to share photos of your children with family and friends.  This is a wood tag with the center cut out so that the tag forms a frame. I purchased these from Lara's Crafts, but you could make your own with 1/8" craft plywood and a scroll saw.
   Cut a piece of decorative paper the same shape as the tag and cut the center out so just the frame is covered. Cut another piece of decorative paper the shape of the tag without the oval cut out (this will be the back). Use the tag as a pattern to trace the oval opening on the wrong side of the paper so you will be able to use it as a guide for your photo placement. Cut an oval of acetate slightly larger than the opening and adhere it over the opening. You can use really thin, super sticky scrapbook tape or a very thin bead of glue. Adhere the cutout piece of paper over the acetate. I ran mine through the Xyron filled with permanent adhesive, but any method that you like will work. Just remember you are working with paper, so you don't want a glue that will wrinkle the paper as it dries. I trimmed the opening with tiny string beads, but other trims or glitter could be used, too. A few paper or fabric flowers, beads, charms, etc., finish it off.
   Choose your photo. I used ones that I printed from my computer, choosing a sepia or brown tone, rather than full color. After printing the photo, I cut it out around the head and body. I added butterfly wings behind the body. I used an assortment of vintage paper and clip art to make a mini collage for the background, then adhered the photo on top, making sure it was centered in the oval frame. I added a gold filigree butterfly and halo, but crowns and Santa hats are really cute, too. Turn the front of the frame over and put about 1/2-1 teaspoonful of micro beads or glitter in the well formed by the acetate. I used large old-fashioned snow type glitter on this one. Don't use too much; the opening isn't that deep. Too much will fill it up and the picture won't be visible. Adhere the backing paper.
   Paint the edges with gold or silver acrylic paint or a metallic paint pen. Antique around the edges, if desired. Add ribbon through the hole at the top and it's done. These make beautiful tree or wreath ornaments and package decorations.  Enjoy.

Another Envelope Accordian Album

This is my latest envelope album. I never knew they were so much fun. Here are the inside pages:

Inside Front Cover

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Faux Leather Bits

I love this technique! It is so easy and adds texture and interest to those little projects. All you need to get started is a sheet of tan craft foam, dark brown or black ink pad, a stamp, and a heat gun. Cut out the foam to the size or shape you want to use. Holding the heat gun about 5"-6" above the foam, heat until foam starts looking puffy and curling up around the edges. Turn off heat gun; quickly press inked stamp onto surface of foam where you want your design and press down hard for about 15-20 seconds. Lift the stamp off the foam. Your stamp should leave a deep inked impression in the foam. You can lightly ink around the edges and raised areas to enhance the carved leather effect and add depth. Here, I've done a small tag and some individual letters. You can use decorative edge scissors to trim your bits or cut out your pieces with a personal die cutter.

Jingle Bells?

 

 Not sure why, but I got the urge to do something with a Christmas theme this week. I've been making gathered medallions of all sizes from aged coffee filters. This tag uses one that's about three inches in diameter, has glitter around the outside edge and a vintage Santa punch-out in the center. I aged a standard shipping tag in a coffee/cinnamon/vanilla mixture and looped about 10" of deep red satin ribbon through the hole at the top. After wrapping a 1" wide piece of gauze around the center of the tag three times, leaving the ends about two inches long in the front, I applied the medallion and a strip of paper with a Christmas message above it. The finishing touch is a faux leather tag, embossed with "Believe."  Quick and simple, but will look great on a package under the tree!