The joy of boxes!

I love boxes! You can use them for so many different things - decorating a room, storage for special treasures (and those things that are not so attractive...), organizing all that stuff that we continually must have... you name it, you can put it in a box!

For my upcoming Summer craft market, I made some fun gift boxes that I would like to share with you.

The first set of boxes are Scrap Fabric Paper Doll kits (of course, I found this idea on Pinterest...! Thanks to "This Mama Makes Stuff" blog and her post found here). I decoupaged the outside of the boxes and added some adorable little pom-pom trim to give them that extra something special. Inside, I made instructions for use and included:
- 4 templates of paper dolls
- bag of scrap fabric, buttons, ribbons, flowers and any other little bit that I found laying around my desk
- glue sticks
- scissors (2 so the child can do this with a friend)
- example paper doll made by my kids

The boxes above came in a set of two, one large and one small. I used the smaller size for the doll kits and now have the large ones that I can play around with. As many of my friends and family know, I love to bake and make those baked goods pretty, so I have all kinds of cupcake paper liners and sprinkles. What do the above make when one adds a pretty decoupaged box, some flower cupcake toppers and a flag bunting that can go onto a cake?? Why a BAKING KIT in a pretty box, of course!

Hope you like them!
J xx

Notebooks with a vintage, shabby chic look

One of my dear friends told me about an image she saw in a magazine where someone stamped images onto muslin cloth and then sewed them onto paper for cards or a notebook cover. Well, as this combines both my love of stamping and sewing, I had to do it! And, I found the greatest stamp sets while in the US that have a vintage and shabby chic look. So, here's what I made!

As I like this look so much, I also made a couple of cards. My favorite is the bicycle!!

And now I am off to sew for the morning while the kiddies are at school.
Have a great day!
J xx

New photos uploaded to my Flickr site!

I've just uploaded loads of new photos of the bags and paper things I've been busy making for my upcoming Summer Craft Market.

You can click on the link to the right of the post under the "Follow me" button to check 'em out! Here it is again if you just want to click from this post.

J xx

Bags of Tags

I've been a busy camper making cards, a variety of bags, notebooks and of course TAGS for my upcoming market. Here's a sneak peak at the packaging for my tags. Each bag has 5 large, 5 medium and 5 small tags made with a mix of papers, stamps and embellishments. I love the look of the white doily on the top, don't you?

Here's a couple more pics of the bags:

Front of bag

Back of bag

Back to work now!! Lots left to do but I will try to pop in again with other things I am planning to sell.

J xx

Ribbon Bookmarks

Hi there strangers! Long time, no see... Spring is always a busy time for us, with Spring break for two weeks (back in the US with family - yeah!!) and what seems like 100 local holidays where the kids are out of school. I remember loving May in Zurich when I was working and had no children...now it is more like "...Really?!?!?! Another day off of school?????"

Being the Pinterest fanatic that I am, I came across a very cute and VERY EASY post for paper clip bookmarks with ribbons tied to the top (here's the post if you are interested). Holy cow, was it ever correct in saying it was easy!!! Here's what I made for my upcoming market...and I made about 35-40 of them in under 1 hour!!!  When I was at my Mom's for Spring break, I found one of my favorite books, "The Secret Garden", and just have to use it in my display. What do you think?

Have a wonderful weekend!
J xx

A Summer Craft Market

Looking for a unique present? Want some time away from the kids to shop in peace while Daddy watches the kids? Bring a friend and join us on Saturday, 1 June 2013 for a Summer Craft Market. Refreshments and other edible goodies will be available in addition to our featured artists, who include (but are not limited to): 

J Blume Bags, Tags & More (jblumebagstagsandmore.blogspot.ch) – handmade tote bags & zipper pouches, as well as a variety of hand-crafted cards and paper products

Dennise Camara (schmuck4u.blogspot.ch) – handmade jewelry and charms

Monica Slavici (www.facebook.com/Gandalf's Beard) – hand-crafted fairies

Location:

Unterortstrasse 5 C, 8804 Au*

                                                                                                          

Time:

10:00 to 15:00

Contact:

Dennise Camara (079 227 91 53; mdennise@hotmail.com)

Julie Blume (076 561 31 33; mjzblume@yahoo.com)

*  Located approximately 5 minutes from the Au train station.  Turn right (as if going back towards Zurich) and follow road until the first left turn (Unterortstrasse). Market will be held in the first multi-story building on the left side of the road (Artzt sign points into the parking area, and you will then walk up the metal stairs). Market located in “Gemienschaftsraum”. Signs will be posted. Parking in the lot by the building is limited. Cash sales only.