Personalized Gift DIY Idea

I saw this idea over on Pinterest and fell in love. Take any plain dish – and turn it into a personal gift or work of art 🙂

do it yourself - permanent marker on a plate
 

Actually I think the one in the pic has poetry written on it – or it might be Edgar Allen Poe (The Raven?). But no matter.  Buy a simple plate at the thrift shop. Write your favorite muffin recipe around the edge using a Sharpie.

Then bake the plate for 30 minutes at 150 degrees in your oven (or more – I’ll doublecheck on that). Presto! The writing is permanent.

Then bake the muffins, load the plate up, and take them to your sweetie or favorite neighbor as a gift.  You get to show off, you get to play with a new art form, and your sweetie gets his (or your) favorite  muffins.  This is a win!

P.S. And of course, what a darling way to make a personalized gift for someone special. An anniversary gift for your fave couple – with their names and wedding date. A birthday gift for your mom with a quote she loves. You get the idea!

P.P.S. Oops! I almost forgot to give credit! I couldn’t find the original source – but it was first pinned by the beautiful Marissa Villasana on her ‘Crafty’ page – and she has some wonderful ideas over there to check out!

New Technique – New Kanji Necklace

This is going to be exciting. I’ve been experimenting with a new technique – and some super affordable Paper Jewels.

One of the reasons Paper Jewels are expensive to make is because they are incredibly time-consuming. There are approximately 30 steps – and hours of work, in small increments, to complete each piece. So I thought, there ought to be a way to make a more inexpensive Paper Jewels line that incorporates some fun kanji designs – and takes less time – and, well, costs less too!

Well there is, and here’s a sample:

Paper Jewels kanji necklace that says Bijin, or Beautiful Woman

The kanji says Bijin, or Beautiful Woman (or hot babe!)

It makes a great gift for your sweetie. The paper design is behind a sheer glass cabochon – replacing layers of (time consuming) lacquer. The chain is an 18″ faceted ball chain, silver plated over brass – both easy to use and easy to trim to size if you like.

She’ll love it – and it costs way less than “traditional” Paper Jewels. Like, $25 versus $55 or so.

If you and she are on a budget, she’ll love the price thing, too 🙂

Kanji earrings that say Woman

Even though I’m not supposed to say it, I am crazy about these earrings – I love the color, I love the floral accent, and I think the Japanese kanji is graceful 🙂

Deep Pink Paper Earrings...the Japanese kanji says Onna, or Woman

The deep pink adds a burst of color to your winter outfit – and it looks great in Spring, too. The kanji says Onna, or Woman.

The earrings are lightweight of course, and not too big (about 1-1/4″ long) and the earwires are sterling silver. This is the way jewelry ought to be (I know I’m biased, but still) – fun to wear, a little bit funky or crazy, and comfy.

And did I mention pretty?

Kanji jewelry that says Bijin – Beautiful Woman

I’ve put up some new selections with the Japanese kanji “Bijin” – which means beautiful woman, or hot babe 🙂

This is one of the most popular kanji choices at Paper Jewels – which I think is kind of cool. People want to tell their sweeties that they’re beautiful (or hot!) What a nice thing to tell your honey 🙂

Here are some new choices:

earrings and lariat necklace with the japanese kanji bijin

You can find them here:
Sapphire Vintage Glass Heart Lariat Necklace with Bijin Kanji
and
Pink and Purple Bijin Earrings
and
and Turquoise Bijin Earrings.

Tell your sweetie she’s hot – you’ll make her day!

White Jade, Amethyst, and Mother’s Day

If you’re one of those people who actually gets presents before the absolute last minute, you have my admiration. And I have a suggestion for a wonderful Mother’s Day gift.

My “White Jade and Amethyst Mother’s Necklace” has a large white jade briolette, natural amethyst teardrop, and a lacquered paper pendant charm with the Chinese pinyin, or writing, that says “Mom”. (The chinese word actually is “ma ma”!)

If you’re married just a year, with a new baby, of course this would be PERFECT. Your paper anniversary (the first year anniversary), and a new mom too? She’ll love it – and you 🙂