Crafty Blogger Links and some photos of Jenn Mason's SHOP LOCAL

Taken yesterday at Jenn’s Mason's SHOP LOCAL (and handmade) event at her home/studio (a recently converted carriage house) in Brookline, MA.

Jenn is the author of many great books including her latest and probably my personal favorite (at least until her next one comes out):

Altered Paper Jewelry
Artful Adornments from Beautiful Papers

To see an inside peek and some projects pop on over to this post.

The Impatient Crafter™
Madge shows you how to turn a tiny tin into a clever little diorama ornament! Another The Impatient Crafter™ Free Holiday Craft Project that's Kid Friendly and Mom Approved.

Swell Designer a.k.a. Alexa Westerfield
Alexa helps you get inspired this season with a compilation of crafty Christmas Ornament designs

I like the use of ladders for display purposes.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
The Sweater Surgeon is in a video (1:44 min in) from Threadbanger shot at Felt Club and a Handmade Holiday How-to for cutting a sweater into a Christmas tree skirt.

Layers Upon Layers
Profiled artist David Smith shows off his amazing mixed media creations.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Hot off the virtual presses - Get your copy of Connie's free 2009 Cross Stitch Calendar.

I totally support and love buying things made by others.

These pics were taken in Jenn's living room…which had been beautifully decorated for the holidays and turned into a fabulous showroom of artisan crafts!

Crafty Princess Diaries
A typical country mouse, aka the Crafty Princess, is in love as she views some of the pictures from the grand opening of a yarn studio in New York.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen shows you how to create an adorable wee cupcake fairy. It's another Christmas gift idea that's EZ and fun to create!

About Family Crafts
Sherri helps you find a reason to celebrate every day during the month of December!

This Bingo Card is a mixed-media holiday decoration. What a great idea. I have a stash of Bingo cards just itchin' to become something else.

Now on to day 4 of our:

15 days of Holiday Goodness Giveaways!

Simply leave your answer to each day's question in each day's comment section and we will randomly pick a winner of a book from each day's commenter. You can enter every day but you are only eligible to win 2 times! (You can go back and answer previous day's questions. We will be drawing the winners after the first of the year.)

Today's question:

4.  What is the most creative way you have given or received a gift? Do you go all out in the presentation of your gifts like I do?!

My Answer: The memory of the most unusual gift experience that comes to mind was the time I received 20 stuffed animals (little bunnies in red plaid outfits) that were packed in the smallest box you can imagine and they "sproinged" out of the box the instant it was opened so I was surrounded and covered in the bunnies, it was a bit of a "personal heaven" moment. Incidentally I had asked for 1 bunny and got 20!

I have to share another little tidbit about myself. My friends and I have coined the phrase, "instant collection" buying. That is when, in one moment, you buy at least 3 of something. You can say right away you have a collection. I have done this several times, once scored 5 decanter stoppers at a thrift store, so I had and "instant collection" of crystal stoppers. So that Christmas I had an instant collection of plaid bunnies!

Be sure to read the comments of others, maybe you can pick one up a good idea that will add a new spin on your holiday gift giving!

Comments

[Heather]

One of the fun ones was a pot of gold - a terracotta pot filled with one dollar coins. The next year was a note book (a book filled with 5 dollar notes)

My aunty is hard to buy for and her birthday is boxing day so mostly it is easier to give money.

[Doreen]

The most creative way I have given gifts is to play "hot and cold". My kids loved this when they were little...and it's even carried over now that they've grown up. I'll have the present hidden....and at some point (when they're far away from it so *I* can have more fun! lol) say "cold". Then the fun begins.
Doreen aka LuniLadi

[Casey]

In their advent chest, my kids often get treasure maps or a clue that starts them off on a scavenger hunt around the house for their little gifts. My husband used "creative" wrapping one year - he wrapped three CDs for me in Contact paper - with the backing removed! It took me a half an hour to get all of that paper off!

[Sherelyn Nichol]

Oh that is easy! The year my DH wanted a bowling ball, but I knew if I wraped it in a box, he would know what it was. So, i wrapped a box and put it in another box and wrapped it, etc etc until there were about 10 boxes to open. The kicker was in the smallest box was a note telling him to look in the bottom of HIS closet behind his shoes for his gift! It was there for about 3 weeks and he didn't see it. LOL

[melody]

My sister-in-law LOVES chocolate. For Christmas I gave her a book, which I wrapped in lively paper and attached via glue gun Hershey miniatures and bright ribbons. She was as pleased with wrapping as she was with the book.

[Marjorie]

I'm not terribly creative in packaging. The most I've done is to give a quilter a fabric wrapped package so they can use the wrapping. Or stuffing things into paper tubes and wrapping them as Christmas crackers.

[Gayle Richmond]

I have done the box in the box in the box thing a few times, but, for the most part, I just try to be creative with the card of tag.

[Tamara]

When I turned 13, my mom gave me the most special birthday. I was born just before Christmas, but this was one of the rare times I still had school on my birthday. My mom took the day off and spent the day getting ready. I came home to my favorite cake, which was decorated with 13 candy canes. I had 13 presents, including 13 thirteen-cent stamps, a personal ad in the newspaper that was 13 words long and a book with a special inscription on page 13. I was amazed at the thoughtfulness and felt very, very lucky to have my mom.

[Sherry Grove]

Last year I told my parents I bought Lion King tickets for my daughter for a Christmas present. They really wanted to go, but couldn't afford it, so we purchased the tickets for my mom and dad. We went to a thrift store and actually found a large plastic Lion King mug, so we wrapped that. My dad knew instantly what it was to represent. My mom kept looking at it, asking why he was so dumbstruck and excited!! It took her a while to figure it out!!

[Ina Ftacek]

I was playing bingo and bought a chance and won a doll with money $1.oo bills made into a dress. A dollar chance won $25.oo money doll...I kept her together because I still am fascinated on how this was made and added her to my doll collection. I also just received a gorgeous art box and inside was all alpha die cuts to use in my artwork as a christmas swap exchange gift.