Every few years, my mother's very large extended family gets together to make applebutter the old-fashioned way, in huge copper kettles over an open fire, using long wooden paddles to stir the apples as they cook. It's a two-day process, and takes about thirty to forty people altogether. The end product is worth the effort, and the family tradition is priceless. Plus we all leave with plenty to share. A jar of "secret family recipe" homemade applebutter is one of my favorite hostess gifts.
For my project, I've taken a plain jar of applebutter and packaged it up all nice and pretty. I first covered a small chipboard box with some pretty Melissa Frances designer paper, then I prettied up the jar itself (details below), and last I added some wide striped ribbon and a maple leaf-shaped tag bearing the Romans 12:13 Plain Jane and a butterfly from Enjoy.
For the tag, I cut a piece of ivory card stock into the leaf shape using one of the new Spellbinders Nested Maple Leaf dies. With the die still in place, I sponged on Ranger Distress ink in various shades of browns (Antique Linen, Tea Dye, and Vintage Photo). I removed the die, then stamped the Romans 12:13 Plain Jane in Ranger Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The butterfly shadow is stamped in Vintage Photo ink, and the butterfly outline image is paper pieced and popped up.
Here's a closer look at the jar top:
I layered classic and scalloped circle Nestabilities for the jar top, then added the stamped "Enjoy" sentiment and two butterflies from the Enjoy set. (The butterflies are done the same way as the one on the leaf tag). Last I added some ivory trim to the band. Before I tied the ribbon on, I used a few dimensional glue dots to secure the jar to the inside of the box so that it won't slip around. I almost don't recognize my plain little canning jar anymore. As they say, presentation is everything!
That's it for me! I hope you can play along in our Project Parade. Just make a project or card that fits with our Happiness for Hostesses theme. Verve stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em, we love to see 'em. Then just add a link to your creation to the Mr. Linky form in DAY ONE's POST before 8PM Mountain September 12. Two lucky participants will win a stamp set of their choice from the Verve Store. We've also hidden another $25 gift certificate somewhere along the parade for a random commenter. So if you like what you see, be sure and give a little shout out in the comments of each post! Have fun and good luck!
