valentine kit & packaging, part 1

hi all!  i got the chance to take a lot of photos yesterday and so i'll have quite a bit to show you in the next few posts.  i'm pretty excited to share these things with you, especially since i've been such an absentee blogger lately.

i've been putting together a few Valentine kits and i'll show you the first one today.  i even had a chance to photograph them in use so you'll get to see how you can use the different pieces of each ensemble, too.  i don't know about you, but i have such a fondness for packaging and these kinds of kits--especially when other people put them together and show examples of their presentations.  it really helps tie everything together and i'm hoping that my kit and packaging inspire you the same way i've been inspired by others. 

two of my kits are very similar in nature.  both are inspired by Valentine's Day, but i also think most of the pieces work for any occasion.  the first kit features a red and pink color scheme while the second (which i'll show you tomorrow) features red and brown.  i included my usual accessories--doilies, twine, small clothespins, tags, etc--making these kits great for everyday treats and perfect for Valentines!

the contents of each kit come packaged in a 5 x 7 muslin bag which i am kind of obsessed with right now!  i've had them for a couple of months and have only just now gotten around to using them.  on this one, i stamped the scalloped frame image and then the {be my valentine} sentiment.  i used regular dye inks with both clear and rubber stamps and they turned out just fine. i made sure to put a piece of thin cardboard inside the bag first, though, so that the stamping didn't bleed to the backside of the bag.

i stamped a row of red hearts onto some mini wood clothespins--aren't they darling?!  again here i used dye ink and a clear stamp.  i will say that this ink was Stampin' Up! Real Red and the images came out pretty clear.  however, i also tried a Memento ink and the image seemed okay at first but when i looked at it several minutes later, it had bled.  i suggest doing a few tests if you want to try this for yourself.  {*the pink ink on the muslin bag is Memento Rosebud and it worked well there.}  

i have been making a lot of toothpick flags lately and included some here.  above are small heart flags and below are larger ones.

 

the washi strung tags are more of my recent favorites, too.  although they're perfect for Valentine's Day, i also think they'd be great to attach to a gift for a friend's, sister's, daughter's, or mother's birthday.  

more tags...simple bitty punched tags and small strung tags with a couple of mini hearts on them--perfect for writing the recipient's name.  and how about the pink and red confetti envelopes?  i could make those all day long, seriously!

lastly, the red and pink twine--twenty yards each.  that will go a long way!  and, of course, 6 small clothespins in pink and red washi patterns.  i cannot get enough of that heart tape.  you could definitely say i am smitten!

and now for some wrapping ideas...i love small boxes--especially small kraft boxes--all bundled up like this, don't you?  they're truly eye candy for me and i pin photos like this to my Pinterest Wrap A Gift board whenever i see one.  for this box i trimmed a piece off of one of the doilies {hint: this is a great way to extend the life of the kit!} and laid it on top of a piece of torn washi tape (not included).  then i wrapped some of the pink baker's twine around the box and used one of the mini heart clothespins to secure the small white tag to the package.

 

here is one of the glassine envelopes with a few candy treats inside.  again here i used just a piece of the doily--they'll go far if you use snippets like these.  i clipped a bitty tag to the package with a small washi clothespin.



another doily paired this time with the red baker's twine, a small heart toothpick flag, and a small white tag.  i also tucked a bag of the confetti in there.

for this little box, i slipped a washi tag behind some pink beaded bracelets (not included).  so simple, but really cute--this would be a wonderful way to wrap up a small gift for one of my nieces.

i'll be listing this kit in the Etsy shop by the end of the week.  in the meantime, please come back here tomorrow because i'll be showing you the red and brown kit contents, as well as a few more ways to use the kits for packaging up treats.
{edited to add Etsy links:  red and pink kit; red and brown kit}

have a happy Thursday, folks!