Painted Polka Dots

for this gift, i found gift wrap that was watercolour painted polka dot paper. I think found a bright green ribbon and hand-painted a card to match for the birthday girl. i always like the gift wrap to dictate what the ribbon will be and the gift tag. in the case of this wrap, i couldn't find a tag to match, so dug down deep to my inner artist...broke out the paint and brushes and went to town.

A Little Bit of London

as a little treat to my one of my friends studying at college, i found a few english goodies for her at an art show i attended in january. so keeping with the london theme, i used kraft paper and handmade london 'theme' tags for the gifts.  i then found a cute card at one of my favorite shops in geneva to write a little note to her. 

Creamy and Colorful Caramels

i made another batch of caramels and used a new recipe. they were just as delicious as my original recipe, except they took one hour to make instead of three. this batch was also smaller, i cut about 60 pieces. my original recipe cuts around 145 pieces. this time, instead of gifts, i sent them to friends who had emailed requests and shared them with my lovely co-workers. i put them in pink chevron paper bags, sealed with my personalized seal in gold.

Treat Your Mistletoes

as part of some christmas gifts, i included a pedicure kit in a muslin bag (which i made) and attached homemade label using some clever holiday lingo and a pretty jingle bell.

Creamy Caramels with a bit of Sparkle

every christmas season, i make my famous caramels. i always try to come up with a clever way of packaging them. this year i chose mason jars. i topped each gift off with silver tinsel, and a pin of a pink poinsettia and fun mini ornaments. the caramels stay fresh for up to 3 weeks, however, as in most cases they get eaten within a few days, they are that good. 

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

its that time of year, when i start researching and looking through all the cookie recipes i've found and loved over the years. this recipe i found about three years ago. they are called 'chocolate peppermint' cookies. they taste just like girl scout thin mints....they are amazing. this recipe requires the cookie be dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candies. i made this batch for a cookie exchange, so to make sure they fit every one's taste, i made white chocolate and dark chocolate cookies. 

presentation is everything!!!!! so of course i made sure to bring my cookies in treat boxes that matched the theme of the cookies i made. i always try them before packaging them up, these of course were delicious!

From Me to 'U'- Fabric Monogram Letters

as a house warming gift for a dear friend of mine, i decided to make them fabric letters, using the monogram of their first names. i chose colors that suited their tastes and color scheme of their new home.

i was deeply honored and humbled to receive a picture from my friends, showing my gift hanging up in their kitchen. it was such a fun project to create and love that it has a special place in their wonderful new home.