Don’t Get a Your Tinsel In a Tangle : Mixed Media Card
What Do You Shop For?
It’s time to start thinking about the holidays. I am amazed that despite it being on the same date every year, I still feel unprepared. To be honest, I am a last minute gal when it comes to gift ideas. I never know what to give and I feel immense pressure to make it perfect if it is handmade, not to mention that it takes more time. I admire the people in my life that always give a gift that is uniquely me. I wonder how they know what to choose. They just say,” I saw this and I thought of you.” Of course I am thinking that I must not pay attention to my friends because somehow I don’t know what they like to the point where I can go shopping and pick them out from a group of items.
I found THIS article that has a lot of great tips for giving gifts. The one I never thought about was to pay attention to what they buy for themselves. What a great idea. I rarely go shopping with other people so perhaps that is something I will have to work into my friendships.
What are your tips for gift giving?
What is your favorite gift to give or make?
Creating the Card
I started with a PaperArtsy stamp in the background and layered vintage paper on top. I stamped another PaperArtsy stamp on top and outlined it with a white pen. The Christmas tree image is a Jofy stamp that was colored with Distress Markers. I used a tea bag to frame my sentiment and some pom poms on the edge for texture.
The card was finished off by brushing on some gesso with the edge of my finger. It really helped to soften the lines.
Tea Day
Today, I am joining the T ladies hosted by Elizabeth and Bleubeard. It’s a miracle but after 3 weeks it is nice to be back to blogging! I am sharing a Coconut Oolong tea that I purchased on our visit to Colorado Springs this summer. It is yummy but can be strong if not steeped properly. I have to be in the mood for this tea but when I am, it is delicious!
I am also sharing a picture of some filled biscuits that I made a few weeks ago for a church event. I didn’t taste them but I thought they looked pretty. I found the recipe from a recent read. It has so many pretty pictures and yummy looking recipes. If you are throwing a tea party, give it a try.
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
Hi Kate-I really love this card very much!!
I am with you-I have never been good at gift giving at all-lucky I guess for us we haven’t needed to give gifts for many years now as we don’t have family-and we have a few friends that I do usually make things for. I like to make soaps, or food items. Happy T Hugs Kathy
I’m blaming Lisca for being late visiting. She made me so hungry with her food, I took time to get something to eat. Of course, after I did that, I promptly fell asleep. I’ve been so busy getting ready for the hard freeze tonight that I forgot to eat. I also apparently have forgotten to sleep, too (grin). Of course, those tea biscuits look pretty awesome, too.
Your card is amazing. I adore how you use so many recyclables as well as beautiful stamps. This is an amazing card.
I make most of my gifts for friends, but some of my friends don’t appreciate handmade gifts. Therefore, I try to find something I know they will like that I can actually afford. I have some high end friends who have more money than god, so it can be a challenge at times. I enjoyed reading the article and liked the one about checking their blogs. I did that with my friend RO. I knew she liked planners from reading her blog, so sent her a special planner for her birthday, along with a gift card for cheeseburgers, which she also loves. If your friends have blogs, that can be as valuable as going shopping with them. For example, if I were to buy you something, it would be a rare tea or some nice variegated thread. I’d never know what you had or didn’t have in the way of craft supplies, so I’d leave that to your husband.
Thanks for sharing your incredible postcard and your lovely tea with us for T this Tuesday. And thanks for the link to gift giving, too. Really valuable article.
Hi KATE; LOVE THAT MIXED MEDIA CARD; SO CREATIVE AND DIMENSIONAL; WOW! Sorry for the caps! Those biscuits look great, I’m sure they would taste good with tea or coffee. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie
I am lucky, my Brother asked me to not make gifts as they move soon and have enough stuff already.
It´s difficult. Once I thought, hmmm, Big Niece might love this!
Nope – her Grandma was quicker – yes, she loved it, but not twice. Ever since I ask what to give and try to find something local in addition that Grandma has no grip on 😉
The card is beautiful! Tea time here, soon, too – Happy T-Day.
What an amazing card and such a fun sentiment too! I buy Christmas presents for people throughout the year as and when I see them so that takes some of the stress away …lol 😉. A cup of your tea and some of those delicious looking biscuits that you made would be perfect about now too! Happy T Day wishes! Hugs, Jo x
Its a fantastic mixed media card Kate and the sentiment about the tinsel did make me smile.
It gets harder as the years go by to buy gifts for friends and family. Children are easier to buy a gift for . Our close adult friends of many years agreed a long while ago not to buy gifts, just send a card at Christmas and remember the bottle of wine if we called to visit.
It works for us and is stress free.
Your biscuits looked delicious and would be vert welcome with my afternoon cuppa.
Happy T day wishes.
Yvonne xx
I haven’t given gifts to anybody but immediate family in ages. I used to make gifts. I potted plants one year, made soap one year, made soup mix one year, flavored coffees and teas…. Those cookies look light as a feather. Sweet! Happy T Tuesday!
OOhhh this is an Amazing card Kate !! I loove the so beautiful stamps for the background, the layers, the tree, the tea-bag, and the quote. Great pomponss.
Happy T-day !! Those biscuits may be delicious. Sometimes I have to think a lot before buying some gifts, I also like very much to make some presents, as cards.
I wish you a very nice day, and send big hugs,
Caty
My first thought about your post was geeze, we haven’t even celebrated Halloween! But you’re right if you’re making gifts or cards you need to start early. Gift giving makes me anxious and one reason that I’m not fond of Christmas. Too much pressure to find a gift that isn’t underwhelming. Hopefully, the article will have some good pointers. Your tea sounds like the perfect de-stresser , and the cookies look delicious.
I’m like you when it comes to gift giving, Kate. The last couple of years, I’ve opted to go smaller for Christmas with pretty generic gifts like a box of handmade chocolates. Instead I buy more personal gifts throughout the year. When one of my friends mentions they’d like to buy or can’t find or really need, etc. I go shopping for that very thing. This has been a big big hit with my friends because it’s such a special surprise.
I love the card – especially the phrase. lol.
Happy T-day! Eileen xx
Your Christmas artwork is beautiful. And you are right: it’s time to start getting ready for the holidays. I thought I would have plenty of time to make Halloween artwork, but now it’s two days away and I only made a few art pieces. So next I need to start now on Christmas artwork, because who knows what might derail me, like happened with Halloween. (Long story short, new computer, Microsoft Windows 10 bloatware.) I’m also the same as you when it comes to Christmas gifts: others give me the perfect gifts that I love, yet I struggle to figure out something special to give them. Watching what they buy is a good idea, but I’m also like you there: I don’t usually go shopping with the people I buy gifts for. The biscuits you made look delicious. Happy T-Day!
That is a great piece of art Kate and I like the Christmas art that isn’t 100% traditional but still feels like Christmas. And nice cookies. They look fascinating. I haven’t seen this cookbook but I love reading cookbooks so I might have to check it out. I hope it was a happy T day Kate. Hugs-Erika
What a lovely mixed media card. You are so gifted.
Presents? We don’t give presents at Christmas. But I am usually quite generous throughout the year and always want to give people things. Here people give each other their produce, and I don’t have produce but I give home made jam or home baked cakes which I am good at. I also give the gift of expertise or knowledge. I mean that I teach people what I know best and do that for free. Like I do craft workshops on Wednesday. At the moment we are making Christmas decorations. I also teach Spanish to people that are less advanced than I am. (My Spanish is not perfect but it is a lot better than most ex-pats that live here) . The grandchildren live abroad and we buy them presents when we see them in person and for their birthday they get an online present. In the UK they have something called Moonpig. They send a card plus a present to someone in the UK. You can design your card and there is a choice of presents.
I hope that answers your question.
Happy T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
Kate your card is beautiful, so much texture and colours.
Living so far away from family means it’s too expensive to send gifts so we give them money, easier for us, usually we see them just before Christmas if not on the day we buy a book or small gift and chocolates to open and put money in a gift card.
Happy T day
Jan x
I absolutely ove your card ! Fabulous use of the jofy stamps! The Christmas gift article was very helpful – I can think of a few people this will help with! I have got back into baking again but dont eat them myself…..maybe an occasional taste! Belated Happy T Day! Chrisx
Your mixed media project is gorgeous! Love all the elements you put on it. You are very creative. Your tea sounds good, as I like strong black tea. I haven’t been to Colorado Springs area for at least 4 years. Miss it. We usually go to Estes, now instead, since our relatives are no longer there. Have a great week=end!