Day 21 - Emergency Altoid Tin Stocking Stuffer

First things first: YULETIDE BLESSINGS TO YOU! It's the Winter Solstice today and our pagan bottoms are celebrating with a feast. The seasonal holiday fattening begins in earnest this evening.

Now, on to today's project, which I am super stoked about!

Every year Santa's elves get into the nog and he asks for a little help with the stockings. As much as I love opening my own stocking, stocking stuffing for others can be a pain in the rump. Searching for ideas is frustrating because so many of the suggestions need to be ordered in advance or are totally ridiculous. (I'm not sticking a $60+ item in a stocking just because it fits in there.)

One of the ideas I came across was for an emergency kit in an Altoid tin. I've got tins galore and it's a cute idea, so I compiled a list of necessary items. Having been teetering on the edge of a panic attack for the past few days, my items reflected a more emotional magical emergency.

Inside I've included stickers, glow in the dark band-aids, a pink unicorn, thimble, a glittery ring, a small book for jotting down good ideas and happy thoughts, a wee pen, friendship pins, good luck charms, chocolate, glitter, a wee crown and a spinner to help make life's difficult decisions.

 I'm well pleased with the bottle cap spinner. It's cute and the only options are good ones.

And believe it or not, all of that fits into an Altoid tin with a smidge of room to spare!

I've got some dinosaurs and slightly less glittery items to make a more 'masculine' version... but to be honest, if I'm giving you love, you're getting glittered.

Day 20 - A Tag for Lubbly Bubbly

Mr Pixie insisted that a wine tag be included in this crafty-advent-Christmas-countdown-madness. Who am I to argue with 'the idea guy'?

So I made this pretty sparkling thing with a Large Tag from Graphic 45 as the base and added some snips of trims and lace from my stash, a splosh of glitter and a vintage image.

Speaking of sparkling... we drink sparkling wine fairly regularly in this house. Even so, it always feels like a cheeky treat to pop open a bottle for no particular reason.

I'm not one for making resolutions, but THAT sounds like a lovely goal for 2017. To make and extra effort to celebrate nothing in particular, just celebrate. 

And perhaps we'll strive for a little more good natured cheekiness too.




P.S. How are you holding up? I'm frazzled.

Day 19 - Yuletide Magic

These glass domed doodads were sitting in the reduced asile in Michaels. I picked them up with the intention of putting little winter wonderlands inside. Finding myself in need of a boost of holiday magic, plans changed.

Instead of a miniature world, I've packed those baubles with magical herbs and a drop or two of oil.

I have one to hang to encourage glad tidings and sweet blessings for Yule. (We celebrate both Yule and Christmas... I'm greedy for the spirit of the holidays.)

There's a ring too, filled with herbs, so that I can keep some magic close by :)

I hope you're chugging along and not feeling overwhelmed. I'm just about to enter panic mode.

xoxo

Day 18 - Even MORE Rusted Tart Tins

I must have been half out of my mind when I made those rusty tart tins last year because it seems I have a never ending supply of them! Here's yet ANOTHER project using those metal bits...

I've simply affixed the tins atop wooden bits like this 3 Inch Tall Candlestick Holder and this Candlestick Holder. A bit of moss, acorns, glittery faux snow and inexpensive spun cotton mushrooms and you're done!

I did add these Memo Pins too, thinking that a little photo or sentiment would be a mighty adorable addition. I think these would be excellent as name/place holders! 

But they work just as well to hold paper birds and butterflies in place.

How are you holding up? 

I'm probably buried under a pile of laundry or cookies right this minute.

Deep breaths. We got this!

Day 17 - Gnome Shaker Ornaments

A week ago I promiced a second set of these shaker ornaments, and here they are. This time they're filled with gnomes!

I've used the Round Layered Ornaments Kits as well as Gold Ric Rac Dresden Borders Set  and Flat-Back Gold Star Studs - 12mm.

And I'll have to keep this post short and sweet because I currently have no home internet and my tablet is not a fan of working.

I'm an oldie and remember the days before the internet... but seriously, how did we get anything done?!??

Day 16 - Altered Jolly Blocks

An outstanding box chocked full of stuff arrived in the mail just the other day. It was from one of my craftster buddies. Cross my heart, some of the most generous people I know are crafters. ANYWAY, one of the really cool things inside the box were some old building blocks that I set to work on right away.

They're just a fun decorative thing, but I really like how jolly and cheery they are.

I had some of last year's Claus & Co. from Simple Stories in my stash so used mostly that.

They feel fun and festive and bright to me. Just the sort of thing you want to catch a glimpse of while swearing at the wrapping paper or getting stressed about the messy floors. 

I mean, who needs clean floors when you've got sweet blocks?! 

"Don't mind the crumbs and fur on the floor, look at these cute things!" *toss a block at your guest*

See! Floor problems solved.

Day 15 - Not at all Christmassy Leonard Cohen ATC's

These aren't exactly holiday themed but let's face it, not everyone is into happy ho ho ho seasonal sort of things AND it's awfully nice to give something that can be enjoyed beyond the holidays. 

I wanted to include a little handmade something in a package to an old friend. Nothing big, just a little something sort of sentimental.

 

That's the funny thing about little things - their ability to hold an awful lot of sentimentality.

I made these on the backs of playing cards that just happened to be the size of ATC's.

The quotes are all from Leonard Cohen songs or poems.

I suppose that while they may not LOOK Christmassy, they are filled with the spirit of the season. Sprinkled with care and given with love.