Spring Koffermarkts in Thalwil and Schaffhausen

My "Koffer" filled with lots of paper products and cute Easter goodie bags

Lots of goodies for Easter baskets :-)

Sorry for the lack of posting recently... It's been busy, busy, busy around here with the new shop, The Creative Café, and preparing for two upcoming Spring Koffermarkts. For those of you who do not know what a Koffermarkt is, it is a special market where handmade products are sold and displayed in suitcases or old trunks. So if you are looking for unique, handmade gifts in an unusual and artsy setting, a Koffermarkt is the place to go!

I will be participating in the following Koffermarkts over the next two weekends:

Handgemachte Unikate aus dem Koffer - Koffermarkt Thalwil
Date: Saturday, 21 March 2015
Time: 11-17
Place: Schützenhalle, Dorfstrasse 65, Thalwil (parking lot across the street)
Link: http://kreatives-koefferchen.jimdo.com/frühlings-koffermarkt-thalwil-21-03-2015/

4th Annual Schaffhauser Koffermärt
Date: Saturday, 28 March 2015
Time: 10-17
Place: Schaffhausen Hotel Kronenhof, on the Kirchhofplatz in the old town part of Schaffhausen*
Link: http://koffermaert.blogspot.ch/p/offnungszeitenpreise.html
* Parking is limited in the old town, so public transportation is the best way to get there.

The pictures above show my Koffer and I'm still busy making a few more goodies!

Hope to see you there!
J x

Easy DIY Christmas Packaging Ideas

I love pretty little packages. I mean, what girl doesn't like a gift wrapped in cute paper and tied up with twine, ribbon and other little embellishments like buttons, stamps and doilies? As you can see from previous blog posts and my Facebook page, I've already been busy making some kits for my Etsy shop and market :-)!

With Christmas just around the corner (7 weeks and counting...), I thought it would be fun to have a post on some easy DIY ("do it yourself") packaging ideas you can use to dress up your Christmas or Advent gifts.

1. Use fabric instead of ribbon 

Using a cotton fabric, make a cut on the selvedge edge of a piece of fabric (the long side that is "bound" along the edges) about one inch from the edge, or however wide you want your ribbon to be. Tear the fabric from the cut all the way down to the bottom and pull off the extra threads.  Do both sides if you want it to look "shabby chic". Alternatively, use shearing scissors (the ones that have the zig-zag teeth on them) to cut the fabric piece to the size you want. Use in place of ribbon to tie around a box, envelope or package.

Here's an idea for packaging using a wide fabric ribbon
(this will be the packaging for my Child Apron & Baking Kits :-)!).

2. Decorative paper envelopes for gift cards

Use a template (you can find loads on Pinterest) or a Stampin' Up! Envelope Punch Board to make adorable little envelopes for gift cards. Decorate the outside with stamps, ribbon, doilies and top with a tag and small wooden clip. Here are some I made with the SU! punch board for my Etsy shop and Christmas market.

3. Brown Bag It

I love all the brown paper gift bags that I see popping up on Pinterest all the time. Who knew those brown paper lunch bags could be so cute!! You can stamp on them, print sayings or images on them (check out this tutorial I found on Pinterest), make the top edge scalloped using a punch, and then top them with whatever you have on hand, such as, scrap papers cut into flag bunting, punched Christmas trees or hearts, doilies, lace, tags and the list goes on and on...!!  Here are examples from three different kits I made for Christmas. Each kit includes all supplies to make 5 gift bags (one design per kit). As you can see on the bag on the right, I made my own fabric ribbon to tie the bag closed.

4. Scrap fabric & paper gift tags

Cut out tags using kraft-colored paper (I normally cut my tags to be 2 inches wide by 3 inches high, but you can cut them in any size you like). I have this tag punch from Stampin' Up! that works great for creating the tops of the tags. Then you can decide if you want to use scrap fabric or maybe you have a lot of scrap decorative paper from other projects...or use BOTH! Glue or sew onto the tags in a random way, add some text of your choice (either using stamps or printing off your computer) and voilà, you have a unique gift tag! Here are a couple cute ideas I found on Pinterest.

Adorable vintage flair paper and fabric tag from Love Stitching Red Blog

Check out these amazing Chrismtas tree scrappy tags from tracyBdesigns on Etsy

Pinterest is overflowing with ideas. Check out my "Packaging Ideas" board for loads of DIY packaging inspiration.

I hope this post has inspired you to get creative for the upcoming holiday season!

J x

Some highlights from my Simply Created Mini Album Workshops

I held one workshop this morning and have one more this evening making mini photo albums (5in x 7in) using the Stampin' Up! "Simply Created Mini Album Kit". The kit is adorable and has some great papers and accessories in it (of course, I had to add a few more goodies, including the cute crochet flowers shown above!). I haven't done much scrapbooking for awhile and it was fun to play with pictures and paper again! Below are some of my favorite layouts from the two albums I made for Mother's Day presents to take to America when we go for Easter. I'm so pleased with how they turned out and can't wait to see how the Grandmas like them :-)!

And here are a few other pictures of some bits and bobs that were available to the participants to use (and consume :-)!).

Have a wonderful weekend!
J xx

Spring is blooming and so is J Blume Bags, Tags & More!!

We have had an incredibly mild winter in Zurich this year and Spring sunshine and weather has been gracing us for the past few weeks. It amazes me every year to see all the flowers blooming in the yards as I go for walks around Thalwil - daffodils, snowbells, magnolia trees, and little yellow, purple and white flowers (I don't know the name) that just grow randomly in grassy areas. God is truly an artist when it comes to Springtime! These pictures are of a house I regularly walk by - can you imagine having a yard full of daffodils every year?!?! I LOVE IT!

Along with the blooming flowers, my business is blooming in the new year, too! I finally opened my Etsy shop this month and had my first sale - Yippee! Although it is open, I've been so busy with other projects and kids stuff that I haven't had a chance to list anything else yet...BUT IT WILL COME, I PROMISE! Lots of ideas are in the process right now :-)!

Other projects I've been working on include making 11 Scrap Fabric Doll kits (10 for one customer :-)!), a "create-your-own-notebook" box for a birthday party (box included notebooks and all the fun bits and bobs to make notebooks like we did for my birthday), and preparing for a couple of workshops. As you saw in my previous post, I am doing a mini album workshop in early April. The "Simply Created Mini Album" kit from Stampin' Up! is absolutely adorable and I can't wait to get my pictures so I can prepare a sample album for the class. It will make the perfect gift for Mother's Day or a special friend. You can check out my Facebook page to see some pictures of the kit if you are interested.

I hope Spring is also blooming in your area!
J xx

"Be my Valentine" - 10 Fun Valentine's Day Ideas

Given that Valentine's day normally falls right in the middle of my kids' winter ski break, I tend to forget about all the fun I had as a kid making Valentine's for my family and friends. Some people think that Valentine's day is just a commercial holiday meant to make money...which, I must admit, I also believe is true! Why do we need one day a year to tell people we love them when we can do it every day of the year?? However, this being the case, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to go out for an expensive fancy dinner or spend lots of money to give something special to someone you love. Why not have a party with your kids and some of their friends, or even your girlfriends, and make something fun and/or delicious? Send a handmade Valentine to those special people in your life who may not hear "I love you" or "You are awesome" or "Thanks for being my ...(friend, mom, dad...)" as often as you would like. Pick up the phone and call someone you haven't had time to speak to recently. Make cookies with your kids and share with your neighbors. The possibilities are endless! And, if you choose to make something, the handmade touch will make it all the more special!

I've rounded up 10 fun ideas from various websites that will help you in your quest for the perfect Valentine's day gift:

1. Make cute little burlap gift bags to fill with treats. All I can say is...adorable!
(from The Casual Craftlete)
 

2. Make these cute Valentine cards with clothespins. How simple would this be??!
(from Simply Kierste)


3. Make pretty "stained-glass" hearts to hang in your window.
(from Just Between Friends)


4. Print out this free printable and give to your kids and their friends. I couldn't resist the birds...!
(from Pretty Providence)


5. Round up your kids (or girlfriends) and have a Valentine's party (wine included for the girlfriends :-)!)
(from Brit Co)


6. Make treat bags for your friends, neighbors, teachers, kids and anyone else you can think of!
(from Black Eiffel)


7. Make DIY felt heart handwarmers - a great gift for a cold winters day!
(from Henry Happened)


8. Bake heart shaped sugar cookies and let your kids decorate them. Share with your neighbors!
(Royal Marigold has links to the recipes in the pic below)


9. Make heart cupcake toppers and serve on your favorite cupcakes (homemade or store-bought).
Image below was taken from Pinterest - it is so darn cute! You could also just punch or cut out hearts, add some glitter or little buttons and glue them to a toothpick. Et voilà!


10. Make Valentine's day party poppers - you could also fill with small candies or toys instead of the photo banner!
(from Flax & Twine)


Enjoy your week and don't forget to give someone special a big hug!
J xx

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that 2014 has started off on a positive note for you!

We are celebrating the holidays this year in our new apartment in Klosters, Switzerland, and got to check out one of the local traditions for New Year's day, the annual "Hotschrennen", or "pig race". For many in Switzerland, pigs are a symbol of good luck, so of course this would be something they would come up with to entertain the crowds of locals and foreigners alike on the first day of the New Year. In essence, they block off a small area right in front of the train station with wooden fences, add some snow (hills included) spray painted with lines going down it, and race 10 pigs in a series of races until one little piggy is the winner! Strange, but true! Given the huge crowd, we didn't actually see a race but the pictures above were taken when they were walking the piggies back and forth after one of the races :-)! We were also awarded with some music from a local band and from a group of Alphorns that stationed themselves on the top of the train station (picture above, too). What more could you ask for to start off 2014?

Best wishes for a happy and creative 2014 and I look forward to sharing more fun projects, some tutorials (yes, I have given myself a resolution to actually do a tutorial this year!!!) and much more!

J xx

THANK YOU...

...to all of you who came to our Christmas "Around the World" Market!!!!

It was a great day complete with snowflakes to get everyone into the Christmas spirit. I enjoyed meeting new people, talking with old friends and seeing so many other talented women with their own businesses in Switzerland. And the location this year was amazing! We will definitely consider doing another market at the Restaurant Neubüel in Wädenswil!

Here are a few photos of my stand (of course, I meant to take pics of the others, but got side-tracked...sorry, ladies!).

Now, a bit of rest on this rainy Sunday in Zurich. Tomorrow I'll get busy again with Christmas orders!

Enjoy your Sunday!
J xx

Creative juices are flowing!!!!

I don't know about you, but I love it when the creative juices are flowing!! This generally happens to me more when I am under a bit of pressure...like having less than two weeks to go until the Christmas market....! YIKES! I've been a total machine this week, sewing drawstring bags and totes, making gift bags with a mix of paper and fabrics (stamped and appliqued), stamping and gluing lovely papers onto notebooks, creating altered clothespins with scrap papers, sandpaper and a bit of brown ink to make them look aged....and the list goes on! I only wish my body could keep up with my creative side :-)!

Here's a few pics that will hopefully get your creative juices flowing to get crafty for Christmas and also to join me at our market on 23 November!

Totes out of plastic tablecloth fabric:

Gift bags - paper with fabric and reusable fabric drawstring bags

Altered clothespins - you never know when you need something pretty to clip on a gift or hold something special!

Scrap fabric paper doll kits similar to this post

A few of my favorite notebooks made from IKEA notebooks, lovely papers and quotes from "100 Gathered Thoughts (For My Beautiful Child) & Papers for Brilliant Ideas and Laundry Lists", an awesome collection of quotes on old-fashioned looking lined paper.

Happy crafting!
J xx