PRETTIE..HOLIDAY & GIFT PLANNING

The internet is a fantastic tool! I only wish the onslaught of holiday catalogues and gift guides I have been inundated with in the mail (despite signing up here to have my name removed from their mailing lists....) looked half as enticing as these wonderful Digital Holiday collaborative and free E-Zines which include decorating and styling tips, menu guides, holiday party planning ideas and gift giving showcases!!

From Sweet Paul the Holiday 2010 Issue (don't forget to get lost in his lovely Spring and Fall 2010 issues as well!)

From Creature Comforts and the principle author of one of my favorite blogs - Nice Package..... is Gifted Magazine which includes some amazing tutorials on how to make your gift giving one of a kind!

The TomKat Studio has a shopping guide perfect for everyone on your list as well!

Rue Magazine has plenty of design, styling ideas to keep you busy decorating throughout the New Year too!
Happy browsing! If you know of any other great E-Zines that you would like to share please leave a link in the comment section! Happy Holiday Planning :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Illustration by Charlotte Byi and reproduced by Grandma's Attic

THANKSGIVING.... TRIVIA

Inspired by this post but looking for a few more challenging questions for the competitive adults in our brood. I came up with this pre dinner Thanksgiving Trivia quiz, the winner getting to get the first slice of chocolate pecan pie!

I am going to print out on cream colored linen bazil cardstock and place under the napkin at each place setting with little yellow golf pencils..... See how well you scored!! You can download yours here! After cutting at reference points each trivia card will measure 4.5 x 6.5".

Answers: 1-B (102), 2-C (1621), 3-C (3 days), 4-B (Horn of Plenty), 5-C (3,500), 6-B(North Carolina), 7-D (25mph), 8-A (Israel), 9-D (4 inches), 10-B (Lincoln)

PRETTIE...THANKS TAGS

Our family have so many reasons to give "Thanks" this year and we are especially grateful for the blessings and support of good friends and neighbors - especially when family is far away. I am going to help celebrate the season and say "thanks" to let them know in a small way that they are appreciated by all of us - by making this fabulous Dark Chocolate Bark (only 5 ingredients + you can freeze it for up to a month if you needed too!)

After the chocolate hardens I am going to break up into big chunks to put in cellophane bags and package inside these decorated Kraft gift boxes with this "thanks" tag - which you can use to give your own "thanks" to somebody special any time throughout the year...... Download here...

PRETTIE...GARLANDS

I have always loved streamers, garlands and bunting. They always project feelings of happiness, as well as sense of occasion. I love that they are appropriate for any celebration or event, that you can use them on packaging, in food and tabletop design as well as in your everyday seasonal decorating elements!

These stunning garlands are made from hand punched designer paper which have then been machine stitched together by Mara May - a very talented paper and scrapbooking crafter who also makes beautiful and one of a kind party hats too! The garlands are available here!

PRETTIE...MINI TUTORIAL..TREAT CUPS

I am thinking about the holiday season already....Neighbourhood gifts are a tradition and a lot of fun for the kids to deliver and receive. Traditionally I make some sort of ornament. This year I am going with white and soft pink so it can be displayed during Valentines and Spring (!?!) too. These would also make great shower, birthday or wedding treat/favor cups as well.

Equipment I used:

• Peat moss cups (mine are 1.5" at base and 2" high) from Home Depot
• Acrylic paint and paintbrush
• Crepe paper strip (1.5" x 36")
• Tinsel pipe-cleaners
• Bakers twine
• Fine cut paper shred
• Clothes pegs
• Glue Gun

Step 1 - Gather together all your supplies.Step 2 - Paint the inside and the outside of each peat moss cup with 2 coats of paint - let the paint dry thoroughly between each coat.Step 3 - Glue each end of the tinsel pipe cleaner separately on the inside of the peat moss cup approx 1/2" from the top, making sure that both ends are opposite each other. I let the glue cool down and "dry" for 20 - 30 seconds while steadying with my hand before I used the peg to hold the tinsel in place. The peg will help flatten the glue and the tinsel. Let dry.Step 4 - Remove pegs then gather your crepe paper strip to fit around the rim of your cup. (I used my sewing machine and gather stitched down the middle then pulled and bunched to the correct size) Fold your gathered crepe paper strip in half and glue at the stitch line (starting at one of the handles) to the top outside rim of your cup. Lightly glue a piece of bakers twine around the base of the gathered crepe paper (to help hide any irregularities!) Embellish with a little twine bow and the paper shred. Shape the pipe cleaner to the style of handle you would like your treat cup to have!

I am just going to wrap in a cellophane bag with a pink cardstock base and attatch a simple gift tag with some pink seam binding and deliver!

PRETTIE...EMBELLISHMENTS

How gorgeous are these paper embellishments from here? I would love to decorate some of my kraft gift packages with any or all of these goodies or make a lovely garland with those butterflies!! These yellow and light green hues are fantastic - they are also available in blue, peach, orange and red too!

Sasha of The Gilded Bee is a tremendously talented and generous crafter. She created this paper carnation tutorial which is posted on one of my other favorite blogs Oh Hello Friend... These flowers are make perfect year round or seasonal home decor accents and will look lovely on some of my gift packaging as well! Click on the link/s above and get "lust" in her nostalgia and use of color too!