Paper Bags & Clothes Pegs

Here's an idea for attaching gift tags or a little note to gift bags. These are regular sized clothes pins. I applied double sided sticky strip to one side and then decorated them with patterned paper or glitter. If you scroll down to the next post you will see them on some bags.
In the next photo you will see the flat bags that I am making in to gift card holders. The bags are 5 inches by 7.5 inches and I folded them over at 2.25 inches. The patterned paper for the front of the bag was cut just shy of 5 inches wide and 4 inches tall. The paper for the folded flap is the same width and 2.5 inches tall. This was shortened a bit when I trimmed it with a scalloped punch. I used a My Minds Eye Xmas paper pack so was able to mix and match all the different papers. You can see the finished bags below. If you are in Campbell River you can get this paper pack at She Runs with Scissors:)

Paper Gift Bags

If you don't want to decorate your bag, a sparkley clothes pin and a tag, which could be Birthday, Thankyou, or have no message at all, still dresses up the package. This plain bag has a single bar of soap inside. This would be a great way to add value to your products at a Craft Sale.

The bags with the patterned paper will hold a gift card and some chocolate for some of my favorite little people for Christmas.

Orange Chocolate Truffle Soap

Another soap inspired by a yummy candle. This one is Orange Chocolate Truffle with the orange layer scented with orange essential oil and the brown layer scented with the orange oil plus some chocolate fragrance. See how the line between the colours isn't perfectly straight? I should have waited longer between the pours. When you pour the first layer on a slant just waiting for the soap to set up enough to take the weight of the second layer isn't enough. It also has to be firm enough not to bow out when you set the mold flat. Could have been worse, but next time I will watch for that......

Xmas Soaps

These soaps are coloured with Cappucino mica (surprise, or should I say no surprise given my obsession with this mica) and fragranced with a blend of chocolate and peppermint. Some coloured micas were rubbed on to the trees and the candy canes had just a hint of mica rubbed on to them as well. I just used my finger tip. The mice were left naked, but they don't seem to mind, they know how cute they are:). Here's a little tip from the scrapbooking world to help your mica stay on the soap. Give it a light spray with some hair spray. Just a little though, you don't want sticky soap.

Cookie Cutter Soaps, No Scraps

My sister's method for making cookie cutter soaps saves you from having to remelt the soap scraps. Here are her instructions from an old newsletter:

This is a great option if want to make a few seasonal soaps to decorate your bathroom or include in gift baskets. You will need some waxed paper, cookie cutters and your melt and pour soap. The idea is to melt a small amount of soap initially, slowly pour a small puddle of melted soap on to the waxed paper that is just a little bigger than your mold and set the mold into it and allow it to set until firm. Then you just have to melt enough soap to fill the cookie cutters up, spritz the soap that is in the bottom of the cookie cutter with a little rubbing alcohol to make the layers adhere and pour in your soap. Since initially I was just melting enough soap to make a few puddles on the waxed paper, I used a small container and microwaved the soap in 10 second increments. Small amounts melt very quickly and you never want to over heat melt & pour soap. Once your soap has set just push it out. The excess soap will break away.

Cut Glass Butterfly

Trying out another new mold. Used two shades of blue plus a bit of green. I tilted the mold a little in opposing directions for each pour. An extra brick of soap is great for propping up one side of your mold.

Guest Size Swirls Mold

I used the Guest Swirls Mold to make some chocolates. I wish I had weighed the chocolate before I melted it because it was the perfect amount to fill the eight cavities of the mold. I was more focused on using up some leftover candied ginger I had from a baking project. So I cut the ginger up into about 1/4 inch pieces, melted the chocolate and filled each cavity about 2/3 full and then stuck a few pieces of the ginger in each one. Then I tapped the mold on the counter a few times, added more chocolate to each one and tapped a few more times to get rid of any air bubbles lurking below the surface. These look good, and its almost time for my midnight snack.

Salty Caramel Soap Kit

Eight only of this new kit. Includes a Soap Crafter 4 cavity mold, 1lb each of Goat Milk & Honey Soap, a bit of white mica & 30ml of Salty Caramel fragrance. If you prefer you can sub 1lb of Clear Glycerin for the Honey Soap and add your own colour. I think the Honey coloured soap works well with the Salty Caramel fragance - just sayin. The kit is $20.00

Ornate Deco Button

The Ornate Deco Button soaps are as cute as, well....a button! They come in at just under 2 oz each so a 2lb brick of soap will give you at least 10 soaps. I packaged these 2 to a bag in some glassine bags and stapled the bag closed with a bow. A gift tag completes the package. Can you see how in love with the Cappucino Mica I am? These soaps are made with goats milk melt & pour with a little glycerin added for shine and then coloured with the Cappucino Mica. This is way easier than cocoa powder. Brown soap with no lumps!

Pinwheels

These cute Pinwheel Soaps can be made with or without the popsicle stick. Just trim off the soap that goes into the stick section for a Pinwheel Cookie look. They fit perfectly in to the small cello bags and the corners of the bags are taped down with tiny pieces of tape.