Say it with flowers...and chocolate!

Well there is a reason I promise for being so absent from my blog. Once again I've agreed to host a barbecue on Bank Holiday Monday (why do I do it to myself!), I'm hoping that the weather is going to be hot, hot, hot! Last week they were predicting 15^oC for Monday and now they're saying it will be 21^oC  Oh joy!...OK to some of you, you may think that 15^oC is a bit rubbish, but for us Brits that's tropical I can tell you, especially if we have no wind chill going on!  Anyhoo, I've been doing lots of back breaking work in the garden making it look all nice for people coming round. Organising a get together is a great way of making sure all those little jobs you've been meaning to do around the house....get done!  After Monday I'll be able to sit in the garden and just watch my veg and flowers grow over the summer.

Tonight I have made a little gift bag and put some chocolates in. The sentiment on the bag say's "say it with flowers and chocolate". This is so true for me, you're on a winner if you send me sunflowers or lillies, with some Hotel Chocolate! (especially the salted caramel ones!). Sorry waffling again.

I used the new Creative Expressions Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters mounted stamps. I love these new stamps, I can see them being used over and over again.

FRONT

BACK

I started off using Dylusions inks Bubblegum Pink and Squeezed Orange sprayed onto a die cut Tim Holtz gift bag.

I folded the edges and distressed them with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. Then I stamped a few Asters on the background too. Over the top of the background I used Creative Expressions Metallic Amethyst and gold gilding wax, just rubbed on with my finger down the bag.

I love it when the light catches the gilding wax.

I sprayed a sheet of good quality card with Lemon Zest & Pure Sunshine Dylusions Ink and stamped the Asters in different sizes on the card. I cut them out and attached them to my little gift bag. I used some Ice Stickles on the centre of the Asters. I stained a piece of vintage ribbon with the rest of the ink on my craft mat to match the colours of the bag and the flowers. I made the sentiment using a small set of Hampton Art alphabet stamps. Then I did some faux stitching around the edge.

In my little gift bag I put some squares of chocolate. I stamped a square piece of cellophane with the different sized Asters using a pigment dye ink pad. I set the flowers on the cellophane with a heat gun, only gently though, so as not to burn the cellophane.

Maybe we'll play some games on Monday and whoever wins, can have this little gift bag.

But I'm gonna make them work for it!

I've got a lot of catching up to do, so I'll be popping by your blog for a little look at your latest.

Have a great Bank Holiday weekend, make the most of it.

Michelle xxx