Monday 16 March 2015

I can sing a rainbow [and buy one, and gift-wrap it too].

 
 Hi hi.
 
If you caught my rainbow craft tutorial last week then today's post will explain a little more about why rainbows are on my mind right now. And it's not because of St.Patrick's day tomorrow ... because, until last week, I didn't know rainbow crafts were a big thing for that ... no, here's the reason why I've been chasing rainbows in the last few months ...
 
It's that time of year again, when I head off to a converted barn in the most picturesque of countryside locations. Think Spring lambs gambolling in rolling fields; think dry-stone walls and trickling brooks; think waking to the sound of cows mooing in the milk shed; think having to walk to the end of the drive to get any kind of reliable phone reception.
 
Both the route to the phone signal and the whole crafting-weekend-away is a well trodden path by now. Our March 2015 trip marks the 12th time I've been away with the same group of friends, to the same area of the North Yorkshire countryside, and every year we've had something of a running theme for the weekend.
 
And every year we wonder if maybe we should maybe stop picking a theme.
 
Then every year ... we pick another theme!
 
So far our themes  - which have an effect on everything from our menu to our projects and also the gifts we buy to exchange - have included: Afternoon Tea Party, Alice in Wonderland [remember me in that dress?!!!], Halloween, Easter, Christmas [both in November and March ... which thereafter became known as Marchmas] and America. And our latest was: the Rainbow.
 
And so, no sooner had we finished with our Christmas theme during last October ['Octomas' didn't catch on] then we were thrown into plotting and planning to hunt out:
  • 7 suitable gifts,
  • one in each of the colours of the rainbow [the ROYGBIV version] 
  • with a maximum spend of £10.
And so ... after some bargain-hunting and colour-seeking here's what I ended up buying:
  • A RED Pritt-Stick.
  • A box of ORANGE scented toiletries heavily reduced in the post-Christmas sales. [They're called Orangegasm; so clearly we're not the only ones who like to glue two words together to create a new one a la 'Marchmas'!]
  • Rolls of washi-tape in YELLOW and GREEN.
  • Flowers in BLUE felt and INDIGO paper, and finally ...
  • A packet of fudge sweets  ... because the packet was VIOLET!
I thought it was a decent mix of something that [hopefully!!] smells nice with some useful crafty bits that whoever gets my gift can use while we're away; plus some sugar to keep them going if they feel like crafting until bedtime!

The second half of the task was to wrap each of the gifts in matching colours and fortunately I had a pack of issue paper on hand to help me with that part:
Then I dropped everything into a kraft gift bag which I customised using patterned papers [the rainbow fish design is actually some Paperchase wrapping paper I've been saving for about a decade!]:
And, of course, the tag is the one I made using the rainbow embellishment from my tutorial last week. If you missed the tutorial last week, here it is again, just click the image to be taken to it [it should open in a new window for you].
http://notesonpaper.blogspot.com/2015/03/-rainbow-craft-tutorial.html

By now [this is a post I've scheduled ahead of time] not only will those 7 gifts be in the hands of their new recipient ... I too will be on my way home with a rainbow of gifts in my bag.

And as our thoughts turn to what the theme for next time might be ... I feel it's only right that we should go for gold ... after all isn't that what you're meant to find at the end of a rainbow?

----------------------------------------------------
 
I know that my group of friends isn't the only one that takes itself off for a creative weekend at this time of year. So do feel free to share any blog posts you've written sharing your springtime crafting adventures in the comments and we can all drop by and compare converted barns and  craft projects!

Julie :-)

9 comments:

  1. Oooh, and I am sure the recipient was delighted :). Very thoughfully chosen. Looking forward to hearing how it went, and perhaps as little peek at what came your way.

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  2. I got the green Washi tape!

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  3. Hoping you had a wonderful time!

    I had no idea that rainbow was a St Patrick's day thing either..

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  4. That sounds a lovely idea and I expect everyone was finger crossed that they would get your beautiful bag. Your retreat location sounds wonderful!! I declined one retreat as I have so many other things going on this time of year, but I am looking forward to my next one in May. I have also been invited to go to a retreat in Nottingham to run a book making class, of course I said yes!! Retreats are such fun, especially when you know the people as well as you do. I look forward to hearing more about it.

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  5. What a fab selection of goodies! I love the blue felt flowers/ The retreat sounds amazing! x

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  6. What a great selection of gifts you managed to put together! Can't believe it's your 12th trip! How wonderful! Hope you had a nice time!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to hear about it!!!!!!!!

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  7. Add me to the list of those who can't wait to hear about your trip ... and of course, I hope you had fun [am sure that you surely must have!] : )

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  8. What a fab gift, hope you had a fab time, can't wait to see pics and hear about your crafting adventures.
    Claire
    xx

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  9. I love this idea so much that I lurve it more. I love having gifts where so much thought and care goes into the present and the recipients can't help but love it for that alone. I too am off in September for a blogfriends retreat it's our 4th trip but 2nd in the same lovely venue. I wonder if we might do something along the same lines. Last year I was given lots of owl themed gifts, now I wonder why?

    Hope your weekend was colourific
    Jo xxxx

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