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!

Vintage Photo Page

This photo of my grandmother and her parents and sister has always been one of my favorite family photos. The original is framed and protected, but I scanned it so I could put copies in scrapbook albums. On this page, I tried several different techniques. First, I took a piece of copper tape (used for stained glass) and lightly sanded it to create a lot of rough surface area. I brushed on patina medium and let it sit until it had the effect of oxidized copper that I wanted. After lightly spraying with a clear sealer, I peeled the backing tape off and mounted it to my card stock. The other experiment was to seal a grungeboard element (from Tim Holtz's "Elements" collection) with multipurpose sealer and apply a coat red base paint designed for gold leaf application. When that was completely dry, the adhesive sizing is applied and allowed to dry until tacky. I used a variegated leaf and covered the top surface and edges, brushing away the extra leaf with a stiff paintbrush. After sealing, I had a beautiful accent piece that blends perfectly with antique photos. The final touch for my page was to add a rub-on flourish and accent with blue "gems."  This is a technique best used with copies of photos rather than originals, as the patina medium and leafing adhesive and sealers may not be safe for archival use.

Have a wonderful day!

Still on a Fall kick...

This is another easy, but unique, touch when giving food gifts. I make cards that fit on the top of disposable cake and bread pan lids. It's fun to coordinate them with any holiday and then either give with a homemade treat or the ingredients and instructions to make and bake themselves. This Halloween pan is great given with brownies topped with peanut butter truffle topping. The recipe is here:
     

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Ingredients:

1 pkg. brownie mix (to bake in 8 or 9 in. square pan) or favorite brownie recipe and necessary ingredients

¼ cup butter, softened

¼ cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 teaspoons milk

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 Tbls. butter

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease bottom of 9 x 9-in cake pan with non-stick spray or shortening.

Prepare brownie mix as indicated on package or recipe. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until done. Cool.

In a small mixing bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth and fluffy. Spread evenly over brownie.

In a glass measuring cup, microwave chocolate chips and butter on High for 30-60 seconds, until melted.

Stir until smooth. Cool slightly and spread over peanut butter filling. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Here's my brownie recipe:

Favorite Brownie Recipe

1/3 cup shortening                                           ¼ t. salt

1 cup sugar                                                      ½ t. baking powder

2 eggs                                                              1 t. vanilla

2-oz unsweetened chocolate, melted              ¾ cup flour

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well. Add melted chocolate and blend thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared 8 or 9-in square pan. Bake at 350° F. for about 30 minutes.

I love to give pumpkin bread and muffins around Halloween and Thanksgiving, and I deliver them in these:

Try making them yourself, or buy some I've made on my Kits page or etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/RabbitHillEmporium?ref=pr_shop

Thanks for visiting,

Lesli

Think Autumn!

 
  I know, it's too early to be thinking about Halloween. I guess it's my hope that if I concentrate on events that occur in the cooler months, it will take my mind off of the 100+ degree temps outside. I love decorating for Halloween. Not the gruesome stuff, just the fun--costumes, black cats, pumpkins, witches, bats and things.
  I like giving little gifts in recycled containers, and one of the most useful are the drink carriers from fast food restaurants. The separate compartments make it easy to tuck a jar of pasta sauce, a package of pasta, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of your favorite beverage, without the expense of a basket. I also like to deliver jars of cookie mix with toppings and hot cocoa mix and marshmallows in a decorated tote.
  This one I plan to fill with a package of pumpkin muffin mix and spiced cider mix.  Afterward, the recipients can use it as a "Trick-or-Treat" carrier for one of their little goblins.  Small children don't need an enormous treat bucket, but for bigger children, one of the larger carriers (four drink sized) would be great.
  If your treats will be heavy, cut a piece of heavy cardboard the same size as the inside bottom of the tote and slip it in as you assemble the tote to reinforce it. You can use packing tape across the ends where the tabs fold in for additional stability, too. After that, wrap the box with a strip of decorative paper or wide ribbon (or layer a couple of elements like I did) and add your main embellishment. I cut two pieces of heavy scrapbook paper 2 1/2" x 12" and scored them every 1/4". I folded them like a paper fan, overlapping one fold to join the two strips together into one long strip and then again into a loop. Flatten out to form a ring. It's easier to first adhere it to a circle of paper (about 3" in diameter) and then top with your decorative elements. I used a vintage graphic that I glitzed up with a little bit of glitter and flocking, then added a word strip. Quick, easy and useful!