Made this plushie for a friend who is having her first baby (a girl) in just a few weeks. Hopefully, this will inspire sleep in the early weeks…and lots of giggles as the months go by.
Make your own with this tutorial (pdf) from Chez Beeper Bebe. 
If you love fabric, origami and clever ideas then you’re going to love Wrapagami: The Art of Fabric Gift Wraps by Jennifer Playford. This delightful book provides step-by-step illustrated instructions to wrap just about anything using fabric.
At the heart of this book is the furoshiki, a traditional Japanese square cloth used for wrapping a carrying items, a practice which dates back to the 17th century. Along with easy-to-follow instructions that will inspire a whole new approach to gift presentation, Wrapagami includes a brief overview of the history of the furoshiki, directions for creating your own furoshiki, ideas for reusing furoshiki and resources for purchasing furoshiki.
Not only is fabric gift wrap a creative and eco-friendly way to present a gift (no paper, tape or scissors required) — the fabric is a gift in itself, especially for those of us who love fabric.
I recently tried my hand at creating my own furoshiki and wrapping a few handcrafted treasures for a friend — a set of crocheted trivets (more about that in a future post), a recycled gift card mini notepad and a duct tape wallet.
Wrapagami is going to be a treasured item on my bookshelf that will get repeated use. I may even buy a few copies and wrap them wrapagami style to give as gifts.
Check out Jennifer Playford’s website for how-to videos or to purchase furoshiki with her original designs.
By the way, here is a close-up of the duct tape wallet for those who are curious. Crafted by Us has an amazing duct tape video podcast/tutorial if you’d like to make one.
Wrap on! 
watch out wine charm...there's a new kid in town
Wine charms, while fun to make and often a delightful little adornment on one’s wine (or martini) glass, are so…yesterday.
Alas, wine charms do serve a tremendously useful purpose — keeping your beverage from getting lost in the crowd.
But, what if your cocktail-container doesn’t have a stem?
Use your handy lime zester to engrave each guest’s initial into their drink’s lime. For the truly talented, try engraving a mini portrait or drawing (daisy, cat’s face, heart, sun, bumble bee…you get the idea). Thanks Better Homes & Gardens for this clever, creative tip just in time for all those Cinco de Mayo margaritas.
Of course, the wine charm still has its place. Who would want a glass of wine with a lime in it?! Rubber Romance Stamps (creator of very lovely stamps) has a clever wine charm tutorial using stamps and shrink plastic.
Cheers!
According to Gourmet magazine, the margarita is the most popular cocktail in the U.S.
And it is no wonder. This versatile beverage can be served straight up, on the rocks, or that frothy, frozen, slushy concoction that tastes especially delightful around 6 p.m. on a sunny Friday after a long week at work.
For those of you partaking in the upcoming Cinco de Mayo festivities why not include one of these delicious versions? (courtesy of Food Network)
Blueberry-Lime Margarita (hold the tequila for a yummy kid-friendly beverage)
No margarita discussion would be complete without asking, to salt or not to salt? How do you like your margarita?
And, one last thought…
“If life gives you limes, make margaritas!”
Stamping is an instant gratification craft and anyone can do it. Sometimes, though, with the abundance of ink choices available it can be a little overwhelming to figure what ink to use.
Ever wonder which ink will work best for your project? What ink to use when embossing? What works well on dark paper?
A Helpful Guide to Stamping is a handy, colorful, visually-appealing PDF to help you sort it all out. The guide, created by Archiver’s, also includes an overview of the different kinds of stamps — wood, clear and cling.
Happy stamping!
