More Arts & Craft Supplies Arrived From The Mail

I am on a roll! I love my craft supplies from Etsy! I just got two parcels over the weekend from the 2 shops in Etsy and they are adorable.

I bought some cute and tiny charms to use for my cards from Mondopuro. The rose cabochons, cameos and organza flowers are from jqloveh. These two sellers in Etsy are really prompt and their shipping charges are fairly reasonable too. Aside from that, they gave me discount vouchers for my next purchase and that's really so nice of them. So, if you're into crafts, I do recommend that you pay them a visit at Etsy and you'll find throve of trinkets and cabochons you can use.

Also, I got my 6th batch of supplies from my daughter who bought all the nice french laces, antique looking buttons, ribbons, tulle and Victorian-esque colors of satin fabric. I know what to do with them so I'm just waiting for my daughter to come back so she can help me sew small flowers out of the satin fabric.

I also have my ephemera and other Victorian era images taken from the public domain which I can incorporate in some of my shabby chic/Victorian inspired cards. In fact, I was too excited that I already made one card the other night.

Lastly, my very supportive hubby ordered a customized rubber stamp of my very own "logo" with my new email for my handmade cards and party supplies mini-business which I hope to launch before the holiday season. I'm just running the logistics and other legalities as I need to respect the commercial license of some of the images, shapes and stamps I wish to use in my designs. I hope I get everything sorted out including the shipping rates so I can finally open  my small business.

Please support handmade.

Great Gifts

I fancy receiving gifts. Who wouldn't? The best part is the anticipation of finding out what is inside the nicely wrapped present. The sheer joy of seeing the present itself gives me a warm feeling inside.

Oooh la la Cadeau will be a great place to scour for gift ideas for the coming Holidays. With the value of dollar these days, buying any item from them is like saving on discounts. What is more is the kind of presentation the gift collection has which will make you want to keep the boxes as well for your own use. The personal touch on these gift collection starts from the ribbons, the hand-written tags, the wrappers, and the intricate wrapping styles. Presentation is customized according to the recipients' preferences and you can tell that much care and thought has been given to ensure that the recipient of the gift will truly feel special; exactly what every woman wants to feel these days!

You can choose from a variety of carefully chosen gift collections between big boxed sets or small boxed sets depending on your budget. These gifts can be given for wives, students, friends, colleagues, and those who you would like to get well soon. As a recipient, I would not mind receiving even the small box because they are simply divine. See for yourself.

(small gifts)

However, if you are feeling generous, you may want to check this out as well:

(big boxed gifts)

They are amazing! My mom will love the big boxed gift set samples above because she loves scented candles and aromatherapy products. I am sure she will be thrilled to receive a set like that for Christmas.

Don't wait for long. Avoid the holiday cramming and get your gifts for your love ones now. They offer shipping to the US and Canada through UPS.

Budget Holiday Decorating

Times are hard these days. Even ordinary looking Christmas ornaments can cost a fortune now. Here are simple tips to get you through the decorating mood of the season while not having to burn your pockets.

Tip 1:

Don't throw out those old Christmas baubles. Instead, revamp their look by adding beads or glitters or cute ribbons (those excess from last year's gifts!!!). That should do the trick! Your baubles will look new and gleaming!

Tip 2:

Old socks? Loose garters on those not-so-old socks? Holes maybe? Well, give your socks a second lease in life by using them as Christmas stockings. If you don't have colorful socks to spare, just dye them in Christmas hues of green, red and yellow. If you feel like being girly or boyish, a deep shade of pink or blue will also do. I have old socks here which I converted to stockings. I stitched some scrap textiles I got from old rags that I am about to throw. Now I have a very economical Christmas stockings to be filled with "love."

Tip 3:

Decorate your table with a great centerpiece which will not cost you a cent! Well, this you can only do if you have spare Christmas ornaments you don't feel like putting up on the tree. In my case, I used my spare baubles which I redecorated to look like new, glistening baubles. I placed them on a colored bowl and viola! My very own Christmas mantle decoration. Here is another option, if you live near evergreens or coniferous areas, maybe you can pick up some of those pine cones. Put some glitters or sequins on some of their tips and put them on a colored bowl instead of the baubles. That's another option. Living here in the Middle East does not give me that option to use so I would stick on my old Christmas baubles.

Tip 4:

Going back to ribbons. Use them as additional decors to your Christmas tree. Red and bright greens will be perfect but any other color will be just fine.

Tip 5:

This will require a printer connection and a pc. Download some cute Christmas cartoon pictures and stick them on nice, used card boards. Ask the help of the little elves (in our case, our children) to cut-out the cartoons. Make sure your kids are old enough to handle scissors. Now, punch a hole and put some colorful thread or yarn and put on your Christmas tree or just hang on a clothes line and put little clips on them as Christmas cartoon swags.

Those are just few of the many other ways we can decorate during the holidays in a strict budget. If you have more tips to share, please feel free to leave a comment so everyone can enjoy the Holiday without having to feel guilty by spending on unnecessary things.

Enjoy! Let those creative juice flow.