Matryoshka Dolls Decorative Tape

Matryoshka dolls, also known as Russian nesting dolls, dress up what would otherwise be plain, ordinary packing tape. While I can see using this for actual packages, the first thing I thought of when I saw it was "crafting," since I've been reading more and more blogs lately about clever crafting ideas. So I think this would be a cute stocking stuffer for a crafter, or for someone who likes nesting dolls. (I have to admit, I love them!)

What: Matryoshka Dolls Decorative Tape
Where: FredFlare.com
How much (as of today's post): $10.00 (plus shipping)

Personalized Hibiscus Ink Stamp

I realize it's certainly possible to find less expensive personalized stamps, but since this is a Friday (= luxury stocking stuffer day!) and I think this personalized hibiscus stamp from FineStationery.com is especially elegant, I'm going with it! The stamper stands 4 1/2 inches tall, and contains a black semi-permanent ink cartridge that is good for approximately 800 impressions (refills are available including several other colors). The stamp itself has the hibiscus in the center, surrounded by personalization of up to 60 characters (including spaces) around the outside.

As you can see in the example, there are lots of potential uses for this! One is as a family stamp with everyone's name, while another is a more traditional return address stamp with the actual address. Yet another use would be a stamp to personalize greeting cards you've made yourself, with text such as "For You, lovingly handmade by Jane Doe", for example.

If you don't care for the hibiscus (I admit I'm biased -- I have a tattoo of a hibiscus), there are plenty of other designs, including holiday themes such as a Christmas tree or a Christmas train. Have fun browsing the site!

What: Personalized Hibiscus Ink Stamp
Where: FineStationery.com
How much (as of today's post): $40.00 (plus shipping)

Watercolor Wheel Stack Pack

Yesterday I was at Texas Art Supply and came across this adorable little set of 24 watercolors arranged in a stackable wheel. The four layers stack and snap together, and the opaque lid can double as a palette, making this an incredibly compact little set that is absolutely perfect for a stocking stuffer. And at less than $5, it's appropriate both for kids who are just beginning to experiment with painting, to hobbyist watercolors who need a small set to carry around on nature hikes. Pair this with a couple of brushes, and your favorite artist will be in business!

What: Watercolor Wheel Stack Pack
Where: MisterArt.com Discount Art Supplies or any art supply store
How much (as of today's post): $4.74 (plus shipping)

Gluguls

I'll be honest, I'm not 100% sure you can still get Gluguls, because I bought mine well over a year ago. I hadn't thought of it until last night when I needed a glue stick for a craft project and found it jumbled in with a bunch of my craft supplies. But then I thought, what a great stocking stuffer for kids! These Gluguls are glue sticks in character form, including Rocket Robbie, Power Paige, Metal Matt, Downtown Dylan, and Cowboy Cody (that's the one I have).

I do hope they're still available (the link below to Amazon shows the Gluguls as currently unavailable, alas). A search on Google does show that you can still get them at artsuppliesonline.com, and for only $1!

And if nothing else, these sure are a lot neater for kids to use for their art projects than actual bottles of glue!

What: Gluguls
Where: Amazon, craft stores, drugstores, etc.
How much (as of today's post): varies (under $5)

Skein of Yarn (with book as Paired Gift)

Every time I go into Michael's or another craft store, I drool over the pretty yarns, but I've so far restrained myself because I don't know how to knit! I will learn someday, but right now I'm concentrating on inkstamping and making greeting cards and art trading cards.

But if you know a knitter, a terrific stocking stuffer would be a single skein of pretty yarn -- with a book of one-skein products under the tree as a paired gift! A search on Amazon for the phrase "one skein" or "one-skein" brings up several books to choose from, all full of projects that need only a single skein of yarn. The one that really caught my eye was 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant, but there are books ranging from simple projects to glamour knits.

You should be able to get a gorgeous skein of yarn for under $5, and a book for less than $15, which means the total gift would be less than $20. Or, if your knitter already has a one-skein book, you can just go with the skein and have a stocking stuffer that's less than $5. Sometimes craft stores have $1 clearance skeins, so you could get a couple if you wanted!

What: Skein of Yarn (with book as Paired Gift)
Where: Yarn - any craft or fabric store; Book - Amazon or any bookstore
How much (as of today's post): $1-$5 for yarn; $12.32 for book (on Amazon)

Free Halloween Coloring Pages from Land O'Lakes

Free is always good, right? And things on the internet are great for those of us who leave things to the last minute! So here is a link to the Land O'Lakes website, which has several free Halloween coloring pages that you can download as PDF files. These have so many possible uses!

• Something to keep your own kiddos busy on Saturday when you're rushing around trying to finish up errands before trick-or-treat or party time.
  
  
• Something you can tie up in a scroll with black or orange curling ribbon, to surprise your kids with at the breakfast table on Saturday.
  
  
• And last but not least, if you're a stamper or crafter, you might utilize portions of these pages as digital stamps, to color in yourself for cards, tags, or Halloween treat bags. I especially like the page with the three little trick-or-treaters dressed as a witch, a cat, and a pirate. These little cuties aren't quite as adorable as the Anya and Ian stamps from the Greeting Farm, or Bella and Bronte from Mo's Digital Pencil Too, but they're really pretty darn cute and I can just see them on cards!

[NOTE: I first came across these freebies at Nicole's Nickels. Also, please note these images are copyrighted, so make sure you credit the Land O'Lakes site and don't send them around willy-nilly -- send people to the Land O'Lakes website instead!]

What: Free Halloween Coloring Pages from Land O'Lakes
Where: Land O'Lakes website
How much (as of today's post): free!

DIY Patterns for Felt Halloween Candy, Cookies, & Jack O'Lantern

It's the last Sunday before Halloween, so for my Etsy post, I thought I'd feature a Halloween item that you can either do yourself if you're quick and crafty, or give the patterns to the crafter in your life as a little Halloween gift. Etsy seller Umecrafts sells lovely patterns and tutorials which she sends via PDF file on e-mail, which means you don't have to pay or wait for shipping. This particular set is an adorable jack o'lantern that you fill with a set of Halloween cookies and candies.

If you're crafty but not quick enough to do these in time for Halloween, be sure to check out the Gingerbread house and cookies set for Christmas, or take a look at her wide selection of other food and cake patterns. Honestly, some of them look good enough to eat!

What: DIY Patterns for Felt Halloween Candy, Cookies, & Jack O'Lantern
Where: Umecrafts (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $5

Hardwood Peg Ink Stamps from Etsy Seller Norajane

Here's a type of ink stamp I've never come across before: tiny images mounted on hardwood pegs that are 3 1/2 inches long. Not only are these images from Etsy seller Norajane adorable and perfect for creating borders and patterns, they're easy to use and are therefore suitable for beginners, including children, as well as experienced stampers. The prices are also terrific: as low as $2.00 for some stamps, and only $6.00 for some of the sets, such as the package with a bow you see above.

As often happens when I post about Etsy sellers, the hardest part is choosing which images to show! Pictured above are holly leaves, the box and bow set, and the pumpkin, all lovely seasonal choices. To the right are the tree frog, pine cone, owl, and ladybug. What I haven't pictured are the candy cane, poinsettia, apple (great for making teacher appreciation cards or gifts), starfish, cat, button, pocket watch, rabbit (suitable for Easter), antique phone, and a large selection of birds, flowers, branches and vines, and leaves. It's difficult to choose, but with such low prices you can get several without breaking the bank.

And of course they're the perfect size for stocking stuffers!

What: Hardwood Peg Ink Stamps
Where: Norajane (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $2-$6 (plus shipping)

Stocking Stuffers at an Art Supply Store

If you have an art supply store near you, it is probably a treasure trove of stocking stuffers! Today I went to my local store, Texas Art Supply, and here a few of the things I found there:

• Pocket Posh mini-puzzle books from the Andrews McMeel Publishing Company, including sudoku, sukendo, word search, brain games, logic puzzles, and more.
  
• Mrs. Grossman's Stickers, which is a brand I've not seen before. My favorite were the Eric Carle stickers from A Very Hungry Caterpillar
  
• Strathmore supplies for artist trading cards, including ATC-sized envelopes, and mini paper suitable for watercolors and acrylics already cut into the right dimensions
  
• Yasutomo Fold 'Ems origami paper -- the smallest size, 4 and 5/8 inches square, would fit nicely into a stocking, and a book on origami would make a great paired gift for under the tree
  
• Stuart Houghton ceramic monogram mini seals and wax
  
• assorted ink stamps (including an adorable polar bear I bought for myself)
  
• Copic markers (in case you're stuffing a stocking for serious crafter)
  
• Dover miniature sticker, activity, and temporary tattoo booklets

And this is just a drop in the bucket. So don't just stick to dollar stores, grocery stores, and drugstores for your stocking stuffers!

3-Pack of Natural Hemp Twine for Crafting

If you know a crafter who can never have enough crafting supplies, or an ink stamper who likes to make her or his own cards, these three-packs of natural hemp crafting twine might make a fun and slightly different stocking stuffer. According to the Grass Roots website, which sells environmental products, this hemp is: natural, biodegradable, durable, water-resistant, and chemical free. The description says that the twine can be used for "jewelry, beading, macrame, crochet and more", and I can see it being used to tie ribbons on natural-colored homemade greeting cards or on wrapped packages. I also like the color combinations, shown here from top to bottom:

• blues
  
• yellow, orange, and red
  
• purples
  
• dark grey, brown, and green
  
• black, white, and light grey.

Please note that the Grass Roots company is in Canada, which is great for all the Canadian crafters out there (and I do know there are a zillion of them, because I've been exploring ink stamping and card making blogs lately!). Grass Roots will ship to the United States, but of course that isn't cheap, through no fault of their own. So any Americans who like this idea for a stocking stuffer might be better off looking in the local craft stores for something similar.

What: 3-Pack of Natural Hemp Twine for Crafting
Where: Grass Roots website
How much (as of today's post): $9.99 (plus shipping)

BLOG GIVEAWAY !! Handcrafted Rubber Ink Stamp from Nikoart

Ink stamps are perfect stocking stuffers, because they're small, affordable, and fun. But instead of relying on the sometimes "tired" selection of stamps available at commercial craft and hobby stores, why not go for these unique handcrafted rubber stamps from Etsy seller Nikoart? The Etsy shop profile explains artist Nicole's process in detail, using red rubber that she mounts onto maple wood blocks to create these stamps from her own illustrations.

I have to confess that the first of Nicole's stamps to catch my eye was the tuxedo cat shown in the set above, which isn't surprising considering how many tuxedo cats I have at home.... But then I started browsing through her shop, and I felt like a kid in a candy store! The 1-inch tuxedo cat stamp can be purchased individually for $4.00, or as part of this set of four cat stamps for $15.00. Personally, I'd have to go for the whole set because the cat cleaning itself with its foot in the air cracks me up -- the other night one of my cats finished cleaning just like that, only he forgot to put his foot back down, so he just sat there looking ridiculous (in a completely dignified cat kind of way, of course!).

Aside from the cats, there's a wide variety of critters, all drawn with the same simple, clean lines. There are also two "storybook" sets: one with Alice in Wonderland (shown left), and one with Red Riding Hood. I especially like the White Rabbit in the Alice set! There are holiday sets for Christmas and Halloween, a nautical set, a farm animals set, and so on. If you prefer slightly larger stamps, there are several 2-inch stamps to choose from, including a mischievous little garden gnome. I wish I could show all of the stamps here, but you'll just have to go and look at them yourself!

Even the prices are great: $4.00 for the 1-inch stamps, $7.00 for the 2-inch stamps, and $15 for a set of four 1-inch stamps (including a custom set of any four 1-inch stamps of your choice). You would pay at least this much if not more in the craft and hobby stores, and the stamps you'd get there wouldn't be nearly as nice. These will make terrific stocking stuffers for kids, or any-occasion gifts for crafters of all ages. You can use these stamps to create handmade greeting cards, while kids can use them to engage in "picture storytelling" of their own. And of course they're perfect for artist trading cards, or ATCs as we card artists like to call them.

The best part is that Nicole has kindly offered to send a two-inch stamp of choice to the lucky winner of my first blog giveaway! To enter, look at the selection of two-inch stamps here (a new window will open) and then leave a comment on this blog post. You can decide now which stamp you'd like if you win, or leave that decision until later if you prefer. I'll be taking entries from today (Sunday May 10) until Saturday May 16 at midnight CST, and will choose (in a random drawing) and announce the winner on Sunday May 17. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you, or to come back and check for your name, whichever you prefer. One entry per person, please.

Personally, I'd have to go for the little garden gnome. Or the Chessy Cat. Or the owl....

What: Handcrafted Rubber Ink Stamps
Where: Nikoart (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): ranges from $4 to $15 (plus shipping) / one 2-inch stamp free to the giveaway winner!

Versamark Pen and Embossing Powder

Today's stocking stuffer is an item I came across while making artist trading cards: the Versamark pen. I'd been to a Stampin' Up party (if you're not familiar with it, it's like a Tupperware-style party for ink stamps and scrapbooking supplies). Versamark "watermarks" your craft paper and card stock, making a darker mark in the same color as the paper. You can use the Versamark ink pad to watermark a stamped image, or you can use the Versamark pen to make freestyle watermark designs. You can leave it at that, or while it's still wet, you can sprinkle embossing powder onto the watermarks, tap off the excess, and then use a heat gun to melt the powder so that your design is now embossed. I've had really good results using both the Versamark pad and the Versamark pen.

I think the best way to find this item would be to go online and simply enter "versamark" into Google. I found the pad but not the pen on the Michael's store website, but I was able to find both on various craft and scrapbook supply sites. And of course there's always eBay. Paired with a little vial of silver or gold embossing powder, this would make a nice stocking stuffer for a crafter or artist. I'm guessing you can get both the pen and some powder for under $10 (before shipping) if you shop around a bit.

What: Versamark Pen and Embossing Powder
Where: Various craft & scrapbooking supply stores and websites
How much (as of today's post): approximately $10

Daily Extra: Free "Animals of the World" Coloring Book Pages

I just came across a link to this artist's page from a craft blog, and had to share! Australian artist Louise Elliott sells washable doll and animal kits, including her "Animals of the World" designs -- and for each one, she has a free downloadable coloring book page! She is also running a contest each month for kids to e-mail in their colored version of that month's animal, to be entered into a drawing to win the kit for that animal. But even if you don't want to enter the contest, kids should enjoy coloring these beautiful, unique pictures. And if you're crafty, you may enjoy making an animal from one of the kits.

Make sure to scroll down to see all of them! My personal favorite is the kangaroo, a portion of which is shown here. (Please remember that this image is copyrighted by the artist.)

I did a test print-out, and found that the following worked to get a nice full-sized coloring page:

• Right-click on the picture
  
• Choose "Save picture as..."
  
• Save the file to your computer as a jpg (and close the web page if you like)
  
• Go under "My computer" and locate the file where you just saved it
  
• Double-click the file name to open it
  
• Click "print". On my computer, this brought up a "Photo Printing Wizard". Click "next" and make sure the correct picture is selected, choose a printer, and choose one of the full-page printing options. Even if your computer doesn't have a "Photo Printing Wizard", you should hopefully still have an option to print the page at full size.

What: Free "Animals of the World" Coloring Book Pages
Where: Louise Elliott Design
How much (as of today's post): $0.00

Magnetic Needle Minders

These magnetic "needle minders" look just like old-fashioned cameo brooches, but are meant for keeping needles handy -- definitely a better alternative than sticking your needle in the arm of your chair (which is what I usually do), or through your shirt. You can either set it down, or actually wear it by using the magnet in the back. There are currently seven designs; the three shown here are "Butterfly on Blue", "Pink Lady", and "Cranes on Navy". (The Pink Lady has the added bonus that a portion of each sale is donated to breast cancer awareness and education.)

Given how pretty these needle minders are, I think they would also be great as a small Mother's Day gift, if the mother in question is a crafter. But really, these would work at any time of year.

(Note: I first saw this product in a post at the All About Applique blog.)

What: Magnetic Needle Minders
Where: Quilt Puppy website
How much (as of today's post): $9.00 (plus shipping)

Crochet patterns via PDF file

It's the last "Etsy Sunday" post before Christmas, and just when you thought you couldn't possibly order and receive an Etsy item in time for Christmas, along come enterprising souls like Amber with her Etsy shop Curls of Sunshine, selling not only her handmade items themselves, but also her patterns for crochet toys and dolls. And with today's technology, wham! you order the pattern and it's e-mailed to you as a PDF file, which you can then print and put in an envelope for your favorite crafter's Christmas stocking. (And if you're the crafter yourself, you can use these patterns to make these fabulous gifts yourself, though you may need a little more time!)

My personal favorite is the "Amigurumi Dinosaur" pictured above. If you're not familiar with the term "amigurumi", it's the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals or other anthropomorphic "creatures" (such as a personable little piece of sushi with a face). I don't know if the Japanese invented the concept of "cute", but they certainly have mastered it! I also love the puppy, and there are many others to choose from, including a monkey, an alien, and a bumblebee. These patterns are protected under a Creative Commons license, which means you can use the pattern, but not for commercial or retail purposes.

What: Crochet patterns via PDF file
Where: Curls of Sunshine (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $2.50-$4.50 apiece (no shipping cost!)

Prismacolor Colored Pencils

Prismacolor is one of the most well-known brands of quality art pencils, and a tin of 12 would fit nicely in a stocking, whether for the adult or teen artist, or for a smaller child you just want to lure away from the television set. This tin box set of 12 comes in "new colors" and "premier colors", although I have to admit I have no idea what the difference is! At $10.88 per tin on the DickBlick.com art supply website, they just miss being an "under $10" stocking stuffer, which is too bad. But they're a quality item that any aspiring artist would appreciate.

What: Prismacolor Colored Pencils
Where: DickBlick.com or any art supply or craft store
How much (as of today's post): $10.88

Sunprint Kit

I came across the "sunprint kit" on the Spectrum Scientifics blog, and I think this looks like so much fun! The kit comes with photographic paper and a sheet of acetate; what you do is put various objects on top of the paper and expose it to the sun, then put it in water to "develop" it. You end up with a white image of the object's shadow on blue paper, as shown in the picture to the left.

The product information says that this can be used by children age 6 and up. Honestly, I can't think of many people this wouldn't be fun for. I've just ordered one for myself to experiment with.

My only caveat is that the shipping costs are a bit prohibitive. The kit itself is only $6, but their flat shipping rate for orders from $0.01 to $49.99 is $7.95! So you may not want to order these unless you're ordering for more than one recipient, so that you can spread the shipping cost out a bit per person.

(And by the way, this would go great in a blue color-themed stocking, such as I wrote about on December 6.)

What: Sunprint Kit
Where: Spectrum Scientifics
How much (as of today's post): $6.00

Latch Hook Tool

When I was in 4th and 5th grades, I went through a latch hook phase, and the kits for making these simple decorative rugs are still out there today in craft stores such as Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and A.C. Moore. The kits don't usually come with the latch hook tool, though. So why not put the tool in the stocking, and wrap up an actual kit separately -- a "paired gift," as it were. Trust me, little girls love these kits, especially because they come in rainbows and unicorns and all those little girl themes, as well as branded characters.

Although I'm labeling this item as "for the crafter," I suspect most adult crafters may find latch hook too simple for their tastes, which is why I've labeled it "for girls" instead of "for women". (I'm never 100% sure of these categories anyway. As the pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean would say, they're more actual "guidelines".)

What: Latch Hook Tool
Where: Craft stores (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and A.C. Moore)
How much (as of today's post): varies from $1.99 to $3.99