Tea light gift boxes

I should be making Christmas cards really but sometimes I get an idea and just have to give it a go. I bought some tea lights and thought I could make some gift boxes with those for my next trading day on Monday. I am not the best at construction as the first attempt in my bin proves. However after an adjustment in calculations making sure the lid was slightly bigger than the base I made these.

I cut a star out of the lids and then used some cute MFT tiny stitched tag dies, sparkly poinsettias from Hobbycraft and some bells and berries from my stash.

I would like to enter these into anything but a card challenge at Crafteezee.

Pretty boxes

Some more of my boxes ready for my first hospital shop next Monday. I bought a new colour Rustoleum chalk paint, coral. It show up its true colour on the heart box on the left, such a delicate peachy pink. I add ribbon, lace and flowers and butterflies on the larger boxes. They sell well particularly the smaller and heart boxes.

We had a night away at Potters last night to see a 60's show.   We  really like it there, activities, good evening meal and wine included and will be looking forward to breakfast there this morning and maybe some activities, often a quiz in the mornings, before heading home.

Foamarin flowers

A very early start for me this morning as we are at he hospital shop with my card and gifts. We like to set up the night before but now that the powerboat racing season has started we have to set up this morning as hubby was volunteering driving a rescue boat last night. I hope my back holds out as it is still rather painful.

So I wanted to share my first foamarin flowers with you. There are some incredible flowers around made with this but I am quite pleased with my first attempts. I watched a demo at Ally Pally and bought some foamarin and stamens and had a go. Here is the lilac one in the middle on this box.

And here is the white one which actually has lilac edges I coloured with ink but they don't seem to be showing in this picture very well.

So these boxes will be on sale today. I will be experimenting with the faomarin some more. If you haven't seen it then it is a very thin foam which stretches especially after heating, There are some great videos on you tube and some wonderful examples in blogland and on Facebook.

Lots of boxes

I have been busy decorating more boxes as I am preparing for sales to increase with Christmas present buying increasing. As you may know hubby paints them for me. He sets up his workshop with a table in the conservatory and is quite happy in there playing his vinyl on his vintage radiogram. I used ribbon and lace from Crafty Ribbons and flowers from Wild Orchid. The butterflies are from The Works and Poundland. 

Challenges

In the Pink photo inspiration 

Simon says Gift it 

Noor! Design UK flowers and lace

Gifts

Today I thought I would share a few of my latest gifts which I shall have on my stall on Wednesday at the hospital craft fair. I am starting with one of my gift boxes. Hubby paints these for me. The best paint we have found, and we have tried several is Rusteeze chalk paint. I imagine it is similar to Annie Sloane, another one we want to try but I don't think you can buy it in Norwich. I add ribbon and lace mainly from Crafty Ribbons, flowers from Wild Orchid and sparkly butterflies.

These are magnetic pegs. I actually bought these in America but usually I cover pegs with washi tape. I add magnetic tape to the back and wooden embellishments to the front, some of them coloured with Wink of Stella pens. I use a simple scallop border punch by Martha Stewart and the put them in cello bags.

Finally some more of the plastic canvas hearts I have been sewing. I love sewing these as I can do it whilst watching TV provided it isn't something which demands my full attention like Call the Midwife or a movie. I have made several in different colour combos and patterns. I add a ribbon loop and back with felt.

More decorated boxes

I have been making lots more stock as I have 4 more craft fairs before Christmas. I thought I would share some more of the pretty boxes I sell which hubby paints and I decorate. He really enjoys painting them. He sets up his table and cloths in the conservatory, plays some vinyl on his 70's radiogram and paints. We have tried various paints, the newest is the pink which is a chalk paint and went on very smoothly so I shall be checking out what other colours are available.

The pleated ribbons are from Stamp an Create, the lilac one from Fantastic Ribbons. Both of these were challenge prizes where I won vouchers for their shops. The lace is from crafty Ribbons. Flowers are from I am Roses, pearl sprays from Wild Orchid and I coloured the wooden butterflies with Zig and Wink of Stella pens.

Challenges

Sparkles anything but a card 

Noor! Design UK anything goes

Bizzy Becs anything goes

More gift boxes

My next craft fair is on Wednesday. This is at the hospital, they do 4 a year and I always do well so hopefully this one will be good too. Hubby painted these for me last week and I decorated them all yesterday. My favourite is the deep purple one of course, I used flowers from I am roses, lace from Crafty Ribbons, various ribbons from stash, pearl sprays from Wild Orchid, wooden butterflies painted with a Zig Woodware pen and a clear Wink of Stella pen and a burlap butterfly from Poundland plus pearls and pearl hearts.

This is my second post today, please scroll down for my earlier post. You can find my candy on my candy page.

Man box

As you know I sell painted and decorated boxes at craft fairs. I decided to try making a box for the men for a change. It is hard to find presents for men at craft fair so I have just made one and will see if it sells. The box has been painted grey and then lightly distressed.

A close up of the decoration. I used a TH cogs die. The large one has been sanded and I then added gilding wax. The second one was die cut from black and I then added bronze embossing powder. I wanted to make both cogs distressed rather than perfect colouring all over. The metal wheels and cog are also TH,  the washers are from hubby's garage and I added a key charm.

Challenges

Everybdy Art circles 

Country View add some texture 

Cute Card Thursday masculine

Don't forget to enter my candy.

Decorated boxes

I have several craft fairs before Christmas and I am buy getting more stock of everything made. Today I made various gifts including these 3 boxes. I sold out of all my boxes when I did the hospital shop three weeks ago so hubby has been busy painting some more for me to decorate. He is a much better painter than me and it frees up my time for crafting. The butterfly ribbon and lace are from Crafty Ribbons. I painted the large butterfly with a Zig Woodcraft pen and used a clear Wink of Stela pen on both butterflies.

The ribbon on the bottom two chests came from stash as did all the flowers. The wooden hearts are from MDF Craft Supplies and they have been coloured with a dark pink Wink of Stella pen.

I bought my first clear Wink of Stella pen last Summer and have never been impressed with it as it wasn't very sparkly. It ran out so I started on a new one and it is so sparkly I now realise the first one must have been faulty. Bit late to discover that now but having never had one before I didn't know how sparkly they should be. Oh well, live and learn.

I have just taken a picture of my October candy so that will be up on my blog in a few days.

Heart boxes

More decorated gifts for my craft stall. I bought these wooden heart boxes and hubby painted them for me. The ribbon and lace are from Crafty Ribbons and I added various flowers, pearl sprays and pearls. I am hoping these will sell quickly so I can make some more as I think they are really pretty.

Challenges

Papertake Take your pick (lilac and purple for the box on the left) 

Creative Card Crew lace 

Inky chicks hearts 

Allsorts roses

More Boxes

I bought some wooden boxes in America to decorate to sell at craft fairs. Hubby has spray painted this one in a random pattern. I added ribbon and lace from Crafty Ribbons, pearl sprays and flowers.

The next 2 are really small and cute and the ribbon from Crafty Ribbons matches beautifully. Again painted by hubby. It takes him longer to paint them than it does me to decorate them! He paints them with primer and then the top coat. They are all painted inside too.

Tissue Box

I bought a couple of tissue boxes in Hobbycraft to decorate and this is the first one I have done. Not the easiest of things to photograph and the ribbon looks purple but is in fact light brown!

This is the top. The box was painted cream and I then added paper to the top, raffia lace, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, a paper bow from Hobbycraft and flowers and pearl sprays.

A second box

This is the second of the MDF boxes I decorated. This one has been painted cream. The gorgeous ribbon around the sides is from The Ribbon Girl. I then attached lace around the middle.

The top has been covered with fabric paper from the First Edition Rose Garden pad. I then used DIs on a wooden birdcage and bird and added a large rose, cabuchons and pearls.

Challenges

Simon Says Anything goes 

Papertake Take your pick (ribbon and lace)

My first decorated MDF Box

I bought 2 MDF boxes at the NEC show from the MDF Man and now I wish I had bought more as I loved decorating them and they look so pretty. This is the first one I am sharing with you today and it will be on my stall at the hospital shop. Hubby undercoated it in white and then sprayed a mottled pattern in purple on top. I attached guipure lace and pearl trim from The Ribbon Girl around the sides.

The top and inside of the lid were covered with paper and I then added pearl sprays and flowers. The middles have been Stickled (is that a word?)

Challenges

Papertake Soooo girlie 

Bizzy Becs Anything goes

Scribble and Scrap Anything goes 

That Craft Place Anything goes

Early start today as we have to be at the hospital around 7.30 and won't be home until about 5 so I will link up and bloghop this evening. Enjoy your day x