Tea and Hot Chocolate

This is the outside and inside of the tea and hot chocolate holders that I made for Ken. The teabag holder design I found on Splitcoast but added an extra insert so that I could double the number of teabags. The hot chocolate holder design I found by Jeannie on a blog called Stampin Sunset to Sunrise.

Inside the Alaska Album

Today I am going to show the inside of the Alaska album that I made for Ken. I don't think I got a picture of the entire thing, so just imagine what it looks like all spread out. He was amazed.

One of the blogs that I follow regularly is Andrea Walford and her sister Sophia. Their things are amazing! I have never bought any of the instructions or templates that so many bloggers sell, but when I saw this album, I had to have it. (They had another one that I liked also but I was too late ordering it as it was sold out). Theirs was made up for Christmas, but I wanted something more masculine so I chose SU grey, sage, and nouveau chic designer paper.

The directions were so easy to follow and I am so happy with how it looks.

Ken's Christmas Gift

Now that Christmas is over, I can start posting some of the things that I made as gifts. This is the outside of the things I made for my brother Ken. The large book with the train is a photo album with some of our Alaska pictures. The box with a handle holds six greeting cards. The small book is a tea bag holder and the other book holds hot chocolate. I will be showing the insides in future posts.

Double Loop Chain

This chain is really different. It is a double loop. We don't know what the stone is but the chain is gun metal. The colors that are showing up on the chain are not there. It must just be the light reflecting.


Merry Christmas to everyone.

Blue Stone on Gunmetal Chain

Earlier we posted several chain necklaces. Here is another one that is similar to a purple one that he made. We are not sure what stone these are. They are a nice blue with black grain on gunmetal chain.

More Milli Flories

Here is another  milli flori no claps necklace. These beads are much smaller than the other one I posted and a different shape.

Christmas Thank You

My Thursday night band had a concert last night. We held it at the church where we practice. This is the card I made to give the church as a thank you for letting us use the church.
I like the way this card looks IRL. It is very regal looking, done in mustard and eggplant. It is a modified gate card. The three kings and shepards are on the outside of the card. The manger scene is inside the card. It was inspired by a card I saw on splitcoast by someone whose name is Michele.

Milli Flori No Clasp Necklace

We have several different necklaces that have no clasp. They are great for people with arthritis or metal allergies. This one has been quite popular because it can be worn with so many colors.

The Grinch Stole Our Band

I have played with a community band for about 20 years. The membership has been declining for various reasons and so has our director's health. About a month ago, he announced that he would not be able to return in January. We all decided it was best to dissolve the band. He hopes we may be able to reform in the fall. We will see.

Our last concert was tonight. Among other Christmas music, we played music from the Grinch. I made this card to give our director right before we played it. It has a poem inside about taking these pills to keep away the grinch. The pills are green tic tacs. Thanks to all the splitcoast grinches that I have seen for giving me this idea. It was a needed funny moment. I recently joined a new community band. Hopefully, it will continue to grow so that I still have someplace to play.

Gift Card Holders

All of these cards are designed to hold cash, check or gift card. The only part of the card that opens is the top note flap. Inside there is a half top note glued only on the sides. The gift is slipped in that section.

Amazonite

This picture makes this stone look a lot blacker than it is. There is black in it but it shows up more as an accent color. The blue is such a pretty color of blue. The square and round balls are amazonite with a similar color of crystal between them

Wintergreen Christmas

We have started to receive Christmas cards. I used to address my cards the Friday after Thanksgiving and mail them December 1. Now that I am retired, I guess I don't feel the pressure to get them out while I am off work. So mine are not even addressed yet.

Except for the base of the card, these were all made with scraps.  I don't waste very much of my designer paper. This SU paper was part of the Christmas series several years ago. It was called Wintergreen. I love the soft green and blues together. It is retired too so I can't get it any more.

December Birthdays

The December birthstone is turquoise or blue zircon. We have a lot of turquoise already posted on the blog. These two necklaces are very different than the other posts. The silver work on the stones are all hand done. Happy December Birthday to Bryan, Heather, and Tim.

Traditional Tiger Eye

This is what people expect to see when talking about tiger eye. The chain on the first piece is hand crafted using copper wire. The stones in the second piece are drilled uniquely and make a nice necklace.

Red Tiger Eye

When most people think of tiger eye, they think browns. This set is red tiger eye. If you look at it carefully, you can see the characteristics of tiger eye, yet it is a definite red color.