Jul
17
…but don’t spend precious summer hours or all your cash on your hostess gifts, either. These cute little cards took me fifteen minutes this morning; add a little extra drying time if you use sparkles, but otherwise, you’re out the door faster than you can say “Bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers, take that!”
Card #1: Picture perfect
I was lucky enough to spend a semester in Ireland during my fourth year of university. I fell in love with the country and don’t go a day without saying “In Ireland…” I’m sure that part is charming to the people around me. So, for this card, I printed a picture from my travels there — from the Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow — in black-and-white and glued (with an ordinary gluestick) to a piece of purple scrapbooking paper cut to fit the small envelopes I unearthed in my craft cupboard. In small lettering, I wrote the location of the picture in purple ink. I added a little sparkle, because I like sparkle, but you don’t have to.
A note on sparkle: It’s easy to go too over the top with the glitter. I use Crayola Super Sparkle glitter glue, because it’s easy to use, in a sort of gluestick-slash-marker. I stuck to the white parts of the picture, just a little line here and there, to add unexpected shimmer. Don’t try to outline or colour in; it never really works out and ends up looking a little crazy.
Card #2: Be wordy
Find your favourite saying. I like silly things that don’t really have anything to do with anything, for blank cards. This one — “Sometimes I believe six impossible things before breakfast” — is from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. You could always use inside jokes or private memories as well, depending on the recipient. I wrote the quote in simple lettering but coloured over-top, first in one direction and then the other, with purple crayon. Yes, you read right: CRAYON. It adds texture and looks interesting.
Card #3: Simple stamps
Using a rubber stamp, place a single stamp in the centre of the card. Colour in with crayon and add a little sparkle. I added a little train of sparkly dots, too, but you don’t have to. It’s so, so easy, and really adorable.
For the envelopes, I just used the same ink to write ‘To:’ on the front. Makes it easy as pie for your gift receiver to use the cards.
Once the sparkles are dry, stack the cards and their envelopes and tie up with a pretty length of ribbon.
See? You won’t be late. And you don’t even have to stop on the way to the party.
Have a wonderful weekend!
I was on an organizing and cleaning rampage last night. I had worked myself up on the subway (and then the bus) ride home, thinking about all of the things I needed to do in my apartment. I walked in the door, dropped my stuff, barely said hello to my fiance, Blaine, and got started. It was 8:30 at night on a Monday. I should have been watching The Bachelorette or answering emails or something. No, I was elbow-deep in cleaning supplies. Blaine stayed downstairs and out of my way. Smart man.
When I’d finished, everything was spotless. I stood in my kitchen, hands on hips (not kidding), and surveyed the progress. Then my eyes fell on the door to the patio. One more thing to do: a quick fix for an ongoing problem.
You’ve heard about the sweet peas. They’re thriving, learning how to grow around the trellis nicely, and I’m delighted. But I had yet to figure out the best way to water them. We’ve had a fair amount of rain, but there have been a few days where the sun just saps the water away from my tiny little garden (if one kind of flower constitutes a garden). I’ve never had any plants before so I don’t own a watering can. I end up using a huge vase that pours water too fast and causes ditches in the soil.
But, last night, in the fix-it-up flurry, I came up with a craft solution: A mason jar watering can. Well, I didn’t have a mason jar, so I used a jam jar, but I think a mason jar would be the best. They are amazing. In fact, I could do a whole series devoted to my appreciation of the mason jar.
Anyway, here’s the easy watering fix. All you need is the jar, a hammer and a small nail (I used a nail usually used to hang picture frames).
Tap small holes in the top of the jar. Space them out so that you don’t end up with a downspout on one side.
Fill with the jar with water, screw the lid on and voila. No more downpour dents in the garden.
Check out the out-of-control sweet peas!
If you’re feeling especially crafty, this little solution can become a wonderful hostess gift. Use a slightly bigger nail, fill the jar halfway with water and put your choice of flower in each of the holes. A cute ‘To’ and ‘From’ label on the side and you have an adorable, reusable gift.
Of course, now I’m exhausted. No cleaning tonight.
