Wednesday, December 19, 2007

gift card christmas


yeah - around here it's the year of the gift card
i have bought non GC gifts for my immediate family (husband and kids) and a few for the husband's family gift exchange (which will take place on the 29th) but this year i've purchased a lot of gift cards. For a few reasons - mostly because i haven't a clue what to buy certain people! In my mind a gift card is a wonderful gift i'd love to receive (no guilt spending) so i'm thinkin some of the recipients wil be quite pleased (i have a few who ask for GC's to particular stores. It goes without saying i love these relatives !).
Of course I have guilt about all this GC'ing. As much as I love giving and receiving them, its still feels like cheating.
(yes, I'm nuts)
So to assuage some of that guilt i decided to make cute GC holders.
(heaven forbid i let myself totally off the hook, right?)
And while I was making the GC holders, I was also doing the latest Rick Rack challenge at Caardvarks ! (it's a two-fer folks!)
I used a Cuttlebug Snowflake embossing folder to create the pocket portion of the GC holder. I topped that with the Rick Rack. I stamped the HoHoHo (from Purple Onion Designs Holidoodle sentiment set ) in versamark and embossed that with white EP. I took some Making Memories snowflake charms that I had in my stash and punched a hole in the top of each. Then i cut out the little white tags using my Quickutz and used some of their rubons for the teeny tiny to: from:. I strung the charms and tags on a piece of bakers tiwne and then tied that to the rick rack. Finally, I stitched all around the blue to create a pocket to hold the GC.
I have to say I'm rather pleased with how they came out. I know the recipients will enjoy them as they are ones who appreciate such things as handmade GC holders.
An aside - i've been offline since yesterday early afternoon. My router decided to die and I finally arranged to get a new one sent to me just a few minutes ago (over the phone with a very nice technician). The joy of the broken router will be fully realized when my husband and daughter get home and realize my computer is their only way on the interet. I can see I will be off the computer a lot between now and when that router arrives. (Which probably is just as well seeing as I have a very long list of things to bake, presents to wrap etc. huh?) Anyway, I thought I'd quick post this and get on my way to do some more shopping and then hit the grocery store for a big shop. I have a very lengthy list - mostly consisting of baking supplies. If all goes well, I will be done with my shopping by tomorrow and then this house will turn into a bakery and wrapping emporium :-) Hope to check in sometime later......

8 comments:

Andrea, said...

Fab cards, love the colours and the embossing

Cindy said...

Love those card holders! We are soooooo on the same page when it comes to GC's. I love em, hub thinks its not "personal" enough. Hey, I would much rather have a gc than something silly that I won't use. : )
Those card holders are adorable.
c

June Houck said...

These are darling! And I'm with you on the gc's...I love the guilt-free spending. And I usually buy something I would not normally buy for myself; so doubly guilt-free :) The only gift better than a gc is something homemade, but since you managed both...a gc and something homemade...you are giving truly wonderful gifts that are very much appreciated!

Sandy said...

Wow what a wonderful work. Lovely Cards.

Jean Katherine Baldridge said...

what a super great idea to make these, and how adorable they are! and they look like they hold FUN! which is as it should be!

I love your new pic.

lauren bergold said...

tracy is a caardvark...AGAIN!!! (lookout girl--you're a REPEAT OFFENDER now!!!) :) and may i say how much i LOOOOOOVE the GC holders? lemme count the ways:

1. they are PERFECT for the rickrack challenge (i don't pick the winner...but if i did...these would have a real chance!)

2. they are super-cool as "personalizers" for the GC's in question

3. they are just all-round awesome as little pieces of ART!!!

...have i mentioned lately...how much you *ROCK*??! :)

ps: i have done the same thing re shopping this year...& inflicted the same guilt upon myself! and you know what?! i'm stopping that RIGHT NOW...b/c i've realized that i, too, *love* getting GC's! i have never, ever, opened one and thought, "well, that's REAL CREATIVE...not!" au contraire! i go, "whoopeeeeeeeee! i'm goin' to BORDERS and buy a whole mess o' magazines (or something equally impractical & un-necessary) and feel absolutely *zero* guilt! HOORAY!!!" so THERE! thank you for curing me! :)

Sue McGettigan said...

Way to work off the guilt Tracy - super cute card holders - but why exactly are you feeling guilty when you're actually giving something so cool?? I love gift cards - I can choose anything I like, yay!!

Anonymous said...

They are just gorgeous!! :)
Happy New Year.
Vanessa.