Give a Gift with Open Book & Craft Market

Our fellow CP Gal, Rebecca Luminarias, reminds us with Open Book & Craft Market, that it's never too late to gift a friend with a handmade something or other. And this gift idea is beyond beautiful: boutique-style notebooks tucked inside sweetly adorned glassine bags. It's the perfect surprise for just about anyone, especially the crafter-at-heart.

My friend Lara, a fellow creative recently said to me, "making things for other people is emotionally healthy in a way that nothing else is." Oh, is that ever true! It just makes you feel good to give something nice to another person. It doesn't have to be big or expensive; it just has to come from the heart.

One of my favorite gifts to give are small notebooks. I buy them usually because I'm attracted to their covers, but I like to imagine all of the amazing notes, sketches, and ideas that will soon fill their pages. While I didn't make the journal itself, I did adorn the gift wrap and create an extra special card to go with it.

I cut a strip of glitter from one of the banners in the Open Book bunting kit and layered it with blush pink crepe paper, a scrap of embroidered white fabric, and some shiny gold party tinsel I picked up at a discount store. As a finishing touch, there are two Open Book stickers with words pertaining to writing--'notes' and 'documented.' A strip of washi tape hides beneath the crepe paper to seal the bag closed.

For the matching card, I mixed pieces from Open Book with Craft Market (like the bottom layer of "Inspired" embossed patterned paper and the 'friends like you' sticker atop the chipboard medallion) to create some stacked pink and gold textural eye candy!

One thing I have always loved about Crate Paper is how easily you can blend all of their different collections. Each line is distinctive, yet they all mingle so nicely together.

I don't believe it's the amount of money you spend on a present, but the care you put into giving it that is the real gift. A nice, personal message inside the card goes a long way, as well. I was feeling all warm and fuzzy after this crafting session; I can't wait to send this little ensemble on it's merry way!