DIY: Ribbon Embellishments & Monograms

So you may remember the Fabric Covered Kraft Letter project I did for the baby shower a couple months ago...well, this is another spin on those! I am obsessed with these Kraft letters from Paper Source, and think there are SO many creative ways to decorate and use them! I LOVE giving them as gifts, and these two were recent presents for my flower girl, Sophia, and her new baby brother Carlo! (Ok, I know the C is slightly girlie for a little boy - what can I say, I love yellow and I tried to make it boyish with the brown, OK?). You can use whatever paper, fabric, and ribbon you have in your craft cupboard and create the ultimate personalized monogram present! I covered these in gift wrap sheets from Paper Source, and did the edges with chocolate brown grosgrain ribbon (and a hot glue gun). Now lets get to the embellishments...

Cut four strips each of a wider ribbon and coordinating thinner ribbon in the same lengths.

Trim the edges if you'd like...

Start layering them on top of each other in a cross pattern...

Use a dab of hot glue in the center between each ribbon layer.

After the 4 layers are cris-crossed and glued together, find a button to affix to the center.

Then cut two longer strips of the wider ribbon to make the hanging ribbon pieces (is there a name for those?) and attach to your letter. These are also GREAT package toppers, pins, or would be adorable affixed to a homemade greeting card.

For a super easy and more feminine embellishment, just find a bunch of coordinating ribbon in different colors, textures, and widths (I used some tulle ribbon, the same chocolate gingham, mint green vintage seam binding ribbon and some hand dyed pink silk ribbon) to create a fabulous layered ribbon.

Tie them all together in a lovely bow and use a dab of hot glue to affix to your letter!

Seriously, these would be adorable hanging on bedroom doors, above a bed, or on a bookshelf.

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Semi-Homemade Cookie Sandwiches

Semi - homemade Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches = EASY + DELISH! I made these last week, amidst moving boxes and kitchen disaster, and found that you can totally be Sandra Lee and make yummy stuff in the kitchen that's not entirely from scratch (but still looks/tastes kind of scratch-ish). So I bought some Funfetti Cookie Mix and Frosting...

And had some Rainbow Nonpareil Sprinkles and Guittard (YUMMMM) white chocolate chips....

And made these little sandwich cookies that are slightly reminiscent of circus animal cookies (did you love those like I did?). All you need to do is follow the cookie instructions, use the frosting in between two cookies and gently smoosh together. Then melt the chocolate with a TINY bit of cooking oil (makes it more smooth and drizzly) and drizzle over the top in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle away with rainbow nonpareils (or any sprinkles!) and you have easy and QUICK cookie sandwhiches. These are great for a party, gift, shower, or to take to your kids school or to the office for a birthday. Enjoy!

PS I stilllll haven't unpacked my camera charger, sorry again for the lame iPhone pics. Hey, I try ;)

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Friday: Fabulous Finds for Dads & Grads

Happy Friday! Today I am so excited to introduce our guest blogger, Lauren!

Lauren creates style boards for The Lounge at San Francisco Style Unveiled, a fabulous inspiration site/blog for stylish and savvy brides and beyond! Above are two of my faves she did recently for Earth Day. So, we asked her to put together some gift guides for Dads & Grads exclusively for f&f...and next week she'll be bringing us some summer must-haves!
Get excited, this girl has got some great taste...

Dads
Father’s day is approaching quickly and it is time to celebrate that very special man in your life! Here a few things to show your dad that you love him and appreciate him! I am thoroughly amazed by the Kindle; it is SO cool! I think anyone would love to have one of these! I also came across this unique little item, whisky rocks! I have never heard of them before… but it is a GREAT idea! They keep your drink cold without diluting the flavor. Yes that simple. I also love Tom’s shoes, not only are they comfy and stylish but the profits go to such a great cause! You can read more about that here (link). I just wanted to share a few ideas to get you thinking about dad season!

1.Grid-It Organizer 2.Logitech Harmony One Remote 3. Tom's White Bimini Stitchouts 4. The Kindle 5. Teroforma Whiskey Stones

Grads
Graduation is such a big day and what better way to celebrate this milestone with something special! I came across a few gift ideas for all the graduates out there. I have officially discovered Pat Says Now, I only wish it was sooner! Look at these trendy and cool laptop cases they make, very stylish! And what could go better with a laptop than these Memory Men USB drives. Can you say ADORABLE!? I want them all…

1. Ipod Touch 2. Sunnan lamps 3. The Flip Camera 4 Laptop Sleeves 5. Triangle Frame Bike Bag 6. Memory Men

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!!
Enjoy the three days with friends and family...see you Tuesday!

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DIY: A Fabric Birthday Corsage

I had a hankering to craft a birthday gift for my dear friend, Molly, who came up to the city last weekend to stay with me and celebrate. When I was in NYC earlier this Spring, I went a little CRAZY buying fabric with Amanda of Untamed Petals. So I have stacks of this gorgeous fabric and am not sure what to do with it! I decided it was time to get to work and USE my lovely yards of NYC fabric for gifting...so I created a quick and easy fabric strip rosette corsage. I know there are TONS of great DIY tutorials on how to make fabric pins, but here's my super fast version. Forgive the image quality, I can't seem to locate my camera charger (moving, boxes, you know how that goes) so I was stuck with the iPhone to capture the project.

Start by cutting strips (they do not have to be perfect or totally uniform in width, just keep them relatively the same in length) of fabric. It doesn't take much to make these, so it's great for using up scraps you have lying around. You can also mix and match fabrics too!

Layer the strips in a criss-crossed manor...I doubled up two strips per layer, but there is no rhyme or reason to how you do this step.

Once they're all layered, do a big pinch to gather the layers together. I use a couple dabs of hot glue to keep the layers in place before I did this. Then get out a needle and thread for a really quick rough stitching...

I just did a couple of big stitches where I had the fabric pinched to hold the gathers and pieces all together. Then I repeated the entire process with a coordinating fabric...

I made the complimentary rosette slightly smaller than the original (just cut shorter strips). Then hot glue the rosettes in a cluster onto a pin, and cover your glue with a piece of fabric backing for a finished look.

I used a pieces of chip board, cut down to size, to create a backing for the pin. By punching two small holes, I slipped the pin through and attached to the backing. I also punched two more holes to tie a bow through, then stamped the front with HAPPY BIRTHDAY and the back with my "HANDMADE BY" stamps (both from Paper Source). And, voila! The pin is complete, perfectly packaged and doubles as a gift and birthday card all in one! It probably took me about 20 minutes total to create this Birthday Corsage...these also make great package toppers or can be attached to a headbands or handbags for a different look. So versatile and easy!

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Easy Salsa Recipe

For Mother's Day I made my Mother-in-Law's favorite salsa recipe to take as a gift/appetizer. This is a SUPER easy recipe and most of the ingredients you can keep in your pantry to have on-hand. To dress it up as a hostess gift, use my favorite Weck Tulip Jar, a cute tag and some jute twine to tie it all together. Voila! Serve with your favorite tortilla chips...

Weck Jars are AWESOME! They come in great sizes and shapes. I loved the Tulip Shape I used because you just take off the lid and it's the perfect size for dipping right into! I purchased mine at Heath Ceramics in San Francisco, but they also sell them online here and here. I just love the metal clasps, don't you?

Hope all of you Momma's had a GREAT day and were loved and pampered by your kids and hubby's! Happy Monday!

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New in the Shop...

So I'm moving to a new flat in SF this month and I'm cleaning out my workspace! There are lots of new goodies in the shop, and I'll continue to add more all month long as I FINALLY force myself to take photos of all the crafty goodness I've been meaning to create and sell! From supplies like envelopes to packaging to tags and labels...even some vintage finds!

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I LOVE Emerson Made.

So I was the LUCKY winner of the Emerson Made giveaway on A Lifestyle Thing I mentioned awhile back. I was THRILLED, to say the least, because I have been a HUGE fan of Emerson Made for awhile now. Her styling and photography is so inspiring...and her creations are simply delightful! So when I received my package I was super duper excited to open it. Of course I had to take pictures, because, as you'll see, Emerson Made puts a LOT of time and thought into her packaging. It is a total experience opening something from her...



Packaging and branding are EVERYTHING...and it this girl has her brand perfected! Everything from the ribbon to the business card to the sticker is cohesive, charming and just plain LOVELY. I was especially excited to see the little "extra" flower pin she attached to her business card. As if I hadn't already won enough goodies...I get a free pin too?! YAY!





Ok so this is the part I loved MOST. Emerson wrote the sweetest thank you card (YES A THANK YOU....because, you know, I WON this gift....and she still writes a thank you?!?!?! That is just class!) telling me a little more about whats to come with her company and thanking me for posting about the giveaway on F&F, etc. Handwritten thank you notes take time and thought, and it speaks volumes about her brand, company & character! I looove her!





And these are the fantastic pins I won: "I Adore You" 3 Pin Bouquet. OBSESSED! I wore them to the baby shower over the weekend and also had them proudly on display in a photo shoot I styled (images and details about THAT biggie to come later this week!). Seriously, this girl has her niche nailed down. Her creations are as amazing!



Thank you SO much to A Lifestyle Thing for hosting this giveaway! I have never been more excited to win something in my life! And to Emerson Made, your brand and company are just marvelous and I can't thank you enough for my prize.

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Recycled Gift Wrap + New Felt Package Toppers!

New this week in the shop: Felt Poofs + Gift Tags for your packages!
Perfect when paired with Kraft Paper Gift Bags, recycled grocery bags and newsprint (The Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer is great for this!)!

So, I LOVE Trader Joe's. LIKE LOVE THEM. But I now am obsessed with finding ways to reuse their Fearless Flyer! Why? It's hilarious! The graphics are kitschy, vintage and FUN, and the colors are red + blue which is a great combo (and goes perfectly with the LOVE & XOXO Tags). It's easy to find ways to wrap a lovely package without buying rolls of gift wrap!






The Kit Includes Wrapping for 2 Gifts:
1 Medium Sized Red Felt Poof/Bow
1 Small Aqua Felt Poof/Bow
1 Yard of Jute Twine
1 XOXO Yellow Houndstooth Gift Tag with Red Ribbon
1 LOVE Grey Houndstooth Gift Tag with Red Ribbon





These are perfect for favors or parties! Let me know if you would like to custom order colors, sizes or quantities. Happy Wrapping!

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A Beautiful Idea

Have you all heard about A Beautiful Idea? Well, I recently signed up to be a part of this AMAZING movement, created by one of my favorite bloggers and etsy shop owners: Evie Schaffer. She, like many of us creatives, has struggled with the burning question of:

"How can I use my creativity for a bigger purpose...How can I help change the world?"

To help answer that question and fulfill her desire to HELP, Evie founded A Beautiful Idea. How does it work? Artists partner with A Beautiful Idea and create a product(s). They sell product(s) and donate the money to the current charity via A Beautiful Idea’s donation center.

It is really that simple.

If you are an artist, create. If you are an art lover, support A Beautiful Idea by buying our artists’ products, donating to our current charity, and spreading the word.

F&F has teamed up with A Beautiful Idea, and will be selling something special in the shop every month for charity. Currently, all proceeds are going to one of my FAVORITE charities: World Vision to provide relief in Haiti.



I have created a one of a kind Gift Wrap Kit, made with burlap, lace tulle, vintage ribbon and a kraft paper tag. Hand crafted and hand stamped with LOTS of love...this kit will make any package beautiful! It truly is the gift that keeps on giving...I hope somebody out there purchases it and uses it for someone extra special in their life!



If you have an Etsy Shop, I urge you to create something wonderful and team up with Evie and A Beautiful Project. And for all of you Etsy lovers/shoppers out there, here is a link to all the participating shops!



To purchase the Gift Wrap Kit, click here.

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