Quick Picks Thursday : 12.22.11

December 22, 2011 // kristen // 0 replies

The “Teacher’s Pets” window, created entirely of paper (300 different types) and featuring hand-lettered labels (in Latin) for all of the animals by Bernard Maisner, from Bergdorf Goodman’s incredible 2011 holiday window display (see all of the amazing windows in the “Carnival of the Animals” display)

This Week’s Picks

♥ Free printable Owlways Christmas stationery & gift wrap by Jinjerup and My Owl Barn

♥ Loving the new “A Ride Through Town” poster by Alex Pearson of Familytree (screenprinting by Kangaroo Press). Check out the “making of” video on the Familytree site – very cool!

♥ Such pretty free printable holiday gift tags by Ash & Anchor.

♥ Super cute woodland holiday (free) printables by Stephanie Fizer for Oh My! Handmade Goodness.

♥ Snazzy Retro New Year’s Eve party printables from Ellinee.

♥ A sweet Starry Christmas Angel printable from allsorts. – via pin

♥ Love the bright colors in this woven paper ball garland by Jessica of How About Orange.

♥ The last video tutorial in Etsy’s How-Tuesday gift wrap series : confetti bomb! (easy to do and a great idea for wrapping wine/champagne)

♥ The Amsterdam NY 2012 Benefit Calendar, a project by Jodi McComb of Paisley Tree Press and a collaborative group of urban explorer photographers, helps victims of Hurricane Irene. All proceeds will be split between the the 2011 Montgomery County Flood Fund and Amsterdam Urban Renewal Agency.

photo by Ricky Zehavi

Thank You Cards

December 21, 2011 // kristen // 2 replies

It’s a good idea to keep a stash of thank you cards on hand throughout the year, and it’s especially handy to have a collection of lovely thank yous on hand after the holidays when we’re letting friends and family know how much their gifts meant to us. Here’s a roundup of some of the wonderful thank you cards that have caught my eye during my recent web travels.

1. fir fronds thank you by Wit & Whistle 2. whimsical, illustrated thank you by Kate Hindley for Red Cap Cards 3. heart letterpress thank you by Dear Lola, 4. magenta letterpress thank you by Print! Print! Print! 5. elegant letterpress thank you cards by Honizukle Press 6. confetti letterpress thank yous by Printerette Press 7. gold foil stripes thank you by Rifle Paper Co. 8. flag letterpress thank you card by Anemone Letterpress 9. letterpress thank you notes (gorgeous textured paper) from Fresh Heifers 10. leaf letterpress thank you cards by Tabletop Made 11. bird letterpress thank you card by Byvik Ink (interior says, “Translation : thank you! thank you! thank you!)

images from their respective owners

Printable Holiday Tags of Christmas Past

December 20, 2011 // kristen // 2 replies

I’m taking a trip down memory lane today and sharing some of the free printable holiday gift tag downloads that I’ve designed for both Paper Crave and Domestifluff over the past few years, along with a set that I designed exclusively for Gifted Magazine this year. If there’s one thing that I know about holiday gift wrapping, it’s that you can never have too many gift tags, and I hope that some of these designs will strike your fancy!

“Mod-Century” printable holiday tags for Gifted Magazine (8 pages of free printable tags by different designers start on page 130):

Mid-century style, patterened printable holiday tags from 2010 (also available in a pink colorway with coordinating printable pattened papers):

Also from last year, “No Peeking” printable tags designed exclusively for Simply Modern Mom:

I had a lot of fun designing these wintry printable gift tags in 2009:

And, finally, a bright, patterned set of printable holiday tags (available in three colorways) from 2008:

A Few More Free Printable Holiday Goodies

December 19, 2011 // kristen // 0 replies

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is less than a week away! Are you ready? Gifts wrapped? Cookies baked? Eggnog chilling in the fridge? If you’re all set, then I bow to you and your masterful skills of organization. Me? Well, I’m getting there, but I still have much gift wrapping, cookie baking, and eggnog making to do.

I thought I’d do one more little roundup of free printable holiday goodies for those of us who may need some last minute tags, boxes, labels, and decorations for our holiday festivities. Some very cute designs in this bunch!

1. free printable Wood Type holiday kit by ellinee (includes flags, tags, labels, a banner, and gift wrap sheets) – via pin 2. printable holiday knit gift tags by Eat Drink Chic 3. gingerbread cutie gift box and holiday labels by Paper Glitter for Glue Dots 4. printable holiday gift tags by Hank + Hunt at The Sweetest Occasion 5. Kittens in Socks printable garland (Ziggy Stardust-inspired kitty = awesome!) by happythought 6. festive holiday printables from Thank You Cards Shop (includes recipe cards, gift tags, and thank you cards)

images from their respective owners

Weekly Wrap #99 : Fun with Neon Glitter

December 16, 2011 // kristen // 0 replies

I have been on the Neon Love Train™ since it left the station, and seeing all of the fun neon-colored goodies around me over the past year gave me the final nudge that I needed to pick up the neon glitter that I’d been eyeing up every time I made a trip to the craft store. Now I can make glittery neon crafts to my heart’s content, which makes me very happy, indeed.

I couldn’t resist adding a little neon glitter action to the Holiday Wishes Gift Tags that I added to the k.becca shop recently, and the result is a set of merry and VERY bright tags that practically glow against black tissue wrapped boxes. There’s no doubt that any gift tagged with these tags will stand out among the other gifts under the tree. Have I mentioned that I love this glitter?

Check out the video tutorial, or keep reading to see instructions for this quick and easy holiday craft.

Supplies Used

Holiday Wishes Gift Tag Die Cuts
White Cardstock
Die Cutting Machine*
Tsukineko Essential Glue Pad
Martha Stewart Crafts Neon Glitter
Glitter Tray (Recollections brand from Michaels)
Black Tissue Paper
1/8″ White Satin Ribbon
Tape
Glue Pen or Marker (optional – for touch ups)

* I still use a Silhouette SD, which is no longer being manufactured as of the release of the Silhouette CAMEO.

Instructions

1. Using a die-cutting machine (a PDF file is also provided in the tag download for those of you who would like to cut out the tags by hand), cut the gift tags onto white cardstock.

2. Place a tag, right side up, onto a piece of scrap paper and use a glue pad to cover the entire front of the tag with a thin layer of glue. Immediately cover the tag with your choice of glitter (use a piece of paper or a glitter tray to catch the glitter that doesn’t stick to the tag). Tap off any excess glitter, set aside, and allow to dry for at least 15 minutes.

3. Thread ribbon, twine, or string through the tag loop and attach to your package.

photo by Kristen Magee