Friday, March 30, 2012

Easy & inexpensive gift card holder

I love giving gift cards to people so they can buy what they want, but I also want them to feel like they are opening a gift too.  These gift card holders are so fun & easy and make the recipient feel like they are opening a real gift – and you can write in it too, so you have a card and gift in one!


Finished bag


How to:

Get a basic brown paper bag - lunch bag


Fold bottom of bag up

Sew the seams together - I use the zig zag stitch because it looks cute.  If you don't have a sewing machine, you can just tape together.

 What the "pocket" looks like - this is where the gift card will go


 Punches I used - the white ones are Martha Stewart and the black one is Stampin' Up

I didn't have an actual gift card to put in, so I used a painted credit card! :)
The tag on the bag is from this post.
If you make one of these, please post a picture on Face Book - I would love to see what you create from the how to's

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Art Bra to benefit BCRC

I am SO excited to be able to be a part of this this year.  I was going to make this bra last year, but other little things got in the way…stupid cancer.
If you live in or around Austin, I STRONGLY recommend you attending this event – it is a super funky, fierce and feminine event to support BCRC.  For more information, check it out here.  If you are interested in donating an item to the silent auction, just let me know!

Here is a glimpse of the art bra I made to model in the event…IT IS SO AWESOME…I can’t wait to be able to show you the whole thing!

I am naming it "Emergence": In philosophy, systems theory, science, and art, emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Gift box for son

With me mailing out stuff for Etsy lately, my son (who is 4.5 yrs old) has been all over me to send him a surprise box in the mail.  I hit the skylander mother-load the other day and knew this was the perfect time to send him his surprise box.
I had seen this balloon idea on Pinterest.  I wish I had more balloons to fill to whole box, but it was what it was and he will love it just as it is.  We had some candy left over from Valentine’s Day, so I threw some of that in as well.





 I made him a simple tag with the fun monster on it (you know, all boys love monsters!) He will be so excited to open this…I can’t wait!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Sweet Charity

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back.” ~Anthony Robbins

I am HUGE believer in giving back.  I do believe it is part of us – who God made us all to be – givers, helpers, lovers, etc.  I have been so blessed in my life; I want to share those blessings with others.
10% of ALL canvas sales & 25% of ALL postcard sales go toward non-profit. 

When you check out on Etsy, in the comment section, just put which non-profit from the list here you would like your % of sales to go towards.

Now, some people don’t list a non-profit, so for those I have decided to “feature” a non-profit for 3 months at a time…if someone doesn’t list a non-profit, it will automatically do to the featured one.
Discover Hope will be the first featured non-profit.

What is Discover Hope?
DiscoverHope creates dignified solutions for women in poverty through our Microcredit Plus Model. By combining loans with learning, we provide access to credit as well as access to knowledge. We believe that women in poverty have the potential to lead and to take charge of their lives. The impact of these efforts positively affects communities for generations, creating a legacy of hope. We currently work in Cajamarca, Peru and are working to create a second Latin American work site in the future.

Loan Women are able to start and grow their businesses with access to capital through microcredit (small loans of about $150)
Learn Women request training on the skills they need and we create the classes

Lead The women step into their own positions of power within their village banks and through our leadership training
Legacy Starting, growing and owning a business positively impacts the women, their families and their community – it’s hope that lasts for generations

We believe in organic development “from the roots up” beginning with the dreams and desires of the women we serve. The focal point of our work is to facilitate enterprise and develop the resourcefulness and intelligence of women. We honor the value and potential in every person, especially those born into a cycle of poverty.
The greatest lesson of successful international development can be summed up in one word – LISTEN. By being present in the community, we have deep knowledge about the needs of women in poverty in Cajamarca, Peru. Each year, DiscoverHope collects feedback from the women about their participation, discoveries and needs. This is what the women tell us that they want and so it is what we create:

  • Opportunity to access credit without needing a history of collateral
  • Safety and stability in credit borrowing
  • Creation of jobs and micro-businesses
  • Increased income
  • Building collateral through participation
  • Working toward economic independence
  • Educational opportunities for personal, business, finance
  • Health education and clinical support
  • Home infrastructure improvements
  • Overall improved standard of living
  • Increased financial security for family
  • Increased self-esteem and personal power
It is a GREAT non-profit. I think all the time, what if I wasn’t born into my family, here in the United States, but still had my creativity – how would I make it work?  This is a great way to help women born without all of our blessings help themselves and their families.

If you have a non-profit you would like me to add to the list (I am going to keep it around 10 at a time), please leave me a commit with that info.  If you have an email address, that would be super helpful.  All I ask of the non-profits on the list is to spread the word about them recovering a % of sales – to help them earn more!
Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given to you.  Deuteronomy 16:17

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Gift Tags

The winner from yesterday is: Leigh Ann.  Please email me at EmbracingLifeLoveArt@gmail.com

So after I showed my friends a picture of the packing, they gushed about how they want me to make tags for my etsy shop…what do they think I am…a crafting machine?!?! J Maybe they are right!
 I thought I would do a quick tutorial of them for y’all also!
I start with lots of 6X6 paper out of paper packs…I LOVE paper!! I think I might have a small problem with paper hoarding!
Sizzix machine
I use papertrey ink dies…love them!

PAPER!!!



Sizzix Machine loaded up with dies...just lay paper on top and crank out!


Box of yummy goodies!


Yes, I sew paper...ALL the time!

Layer a few strips from you box of goodies


Small paper sack with barlap, strip of paper that was punched and half of dooly

 Finished bag with tag!  SO fun to give! 


For today's drawing, like my Etsy page for a chance to a set of 10 bags and 10 tags!! You will fall in love with using these for little gifts!!  And yes, I will be making some for the etsy shop soon! 
Have fun.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

And the lucky winner is.......

EVIN!!!!!!!

Congrats and please email me at embracinglifeloveart@gmail.com to discuss your canvas!!

AND, there will be another drawing tomorrow morning and Friday so keeping checking back!!!

Today's prize pack will include: 3 packs of your choosing of Project Sending Love postcards (each pack has 10 cards) and 5x7 Love canvas.....GOOD STUFF!!

To enter todays drawing, share my blog or Facebook page with your friends on Facebook. Once you share it, come back here and comment - shared (or whatever you want to comment!)

I will draw tomorrow at 9am!!



Oh also, I will be adding new postcards to the Project Sending Love lineup sometime next week...I will let y'all know when they are up and ready!!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Grand Opening - WELCOME!!

WOW, this is a day I have dreamt about for a long time now!! Welcome to Embracing Life, Love & Art.

I have had a vision of a business that embraced my love for God, my love for life and my love for art for a LONG time now and the day is finally here.  I couldn’t be more excited to share this day with you.
Please look around the blog, ask me questions, visit my etsyshop, facebook, etc and let me know what you think!

To start things off on the right foot here, I want to give away a painting of your choice!  It can be a custom name, a house, cancer love girl – whatever!
To enter:

Go to my Embracing Life, Love & Art FB page and click “like”

Come back here and leave a comment that you “liked FB page” (and anything else you would like to leave me!)
I will pick a winner Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m.

Check back again Wednesday to see if you are the winner AND for another drawing chance!!

I will be showing you so many things here on the blog – my thoughts on how to Embrace Life, Love,  Art & God, different house projects I do, Project Life stuff and so much more.  Again, welcome and please pass the word along!

With love,
Renee