Handmade Birthday gifts.

I think I am quite lucky to have some friends who appreciate my creativity and enjoy receiving handmade gifts. Usually these are other crafty and creative people, most of whom I originally met online and become friends with through blogging. 

I think most of us creative peeps have had an experience of handing over something handmade or home grown to a recipient who casually casts it aside or can not hide the expression that says its not acceptable to them. 

This can be really hard to take when you have put a lot of love, not to mention time and thought into the gift being given, I know I have taken it quite personally at times and felt it as a personal rejection to a degree, as a result I have learned to only give handmade goodness to peeps who I know will appreciate this little bit of 'me'

Earlier this year, much earlier this year it was my friend Jakis Birthday. I set to work trying to make her some felted coasters which did not go according to plan and I lost my enthusiasm for the project. Then I found a coaster pattern which I thought would be perfect for her and set to work. I did modify this pattern a bit to suit myself, not just in the embellishing but the actual design I found it hard to follow , though that could be due to my own pattern reading inexperience rather than an actual problem with the pattern.

I searched through my buttons to find some with cute detailed embossing for teapot embellishments. I finally sat and spent a fun afternoon in the Studio to put the finishing part of the package together last month. I grabbed some of my fave PTI stamps and set to work making a one dimensional card (a challenge in itself for me). I cut some seed packets with the PTI seed packet die, from one of my very first loved Paper ranges BG gypsy. I stamped up labels on PTI place cards and attached to bands that will slide off, so if J wants to use the envelopes for something else they are ready to go, pretty and unblemished. I sent the seeds from Clematis, Aquilegia, Honesty and Love in the mist; that I had collected from my garden, along with the coaster, card and some pretty Bamboozle Yarn.

All received with love and gratitude, as always by my gorgeous friend, despite its very late delivery.