Friday 4 July 2014

Pillow box bags

Last Friday (crumbs, already a week ago now!) I met up with Sarn, Sam and Debs for lunch in Southampton. As things were so busy here I did fear I'd end up going empty handed and that really stressed me out. However, lying in bed on the Tuesday night, I had a sudden little brainwave for at least a starting point. Then I remembered some little 'cuties' I had here and this was the end result:

Sigh, the contents were such a tight fit that the pillow boxes did get a bit distorted but I still thought it was worth showing a different way to use the pillow shape.

I used:

- papers from DCWV's 'Preppy Princess' paper stack - I've had them since the beginning of time (almost!)

- Sizzix 'Box, Pillow' die - Sarn will remember how I went totally crackers trying to source this discontinued die about a year ago:)

- after assembling the box sides I used SU's 'Large Oval' punch to create the handles, I got the idea from here, and then popped the other ends inwards and fixed them with double sided tape because the contents were gonna be little bit weighty and also a tight fit

- the little tags were just circles die cut from snippets of card and a teeny butterfly (punched with a Woodware punch) added then topped with a little pearl

- the sentiment came from a discontinued Elzybells 'Mini tag' set, stamped using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' ink pad

- the little 'cuties' were popped into the 'bags' with a teeny scrap of tissue then the handles were tied together with pink gingham ribbon and the tags attached with iridescent cord

And here's one of the 'cuties'. I'd bought these teeny carved stone elephants in Thailand last October as little gifts:

He's only about 1" high although I have to say, his Mummy didn't teach him to clean his ears did she?! 

Len and I both tend towards Buddhism due to our frequent trips to Thailand, plus I'm a bit superstitious and do believe that elephants are lucky, especially white ones.

Elephants are often associated with good or bad luck and, in Buddhism, they are also regarded as a symbol of strength, wisdom and prudence. The elephant is a sacred animal in Buddhism because it was said to have offered flowers to Buddha. According to Buddhist beliefs, elephants should be placed high on a mantel or shelf, or on an altar.

Superstitious people believe that an elephant can bring bad luck if its trunk is pointing downwards towards the ground. When an elephant's trunk is facing up it is supposed to bring good luck. Even if the elephant's trunk is facing down, with a little upturn at the end, this should still bring good luck.

The elephant's luck-bringing properties are now even better known because of the increasing interest in the Oriental practice of Feng Shui. This set of ideas, based on the principle of yin and yang, attempts to improve balance and harmony in man-made environments, particularly with the positioning of furniture or objects in the home. According to Feng Shui beliefs, the trunk of an elephant should point toward the front door or to any door to the outside. It is believed that this can draw in money and prosperity. 


Mind you, I did have a bit of a giggle when I found the above explanation on the web - some wag had responded 'You could stand it on its head and that wouldn't change what's in store for you'. Maybe so, but perhaps every little bit helps :)


Di
x

19 comments:

  1. Love these little boxes Di, what a shame the die is out of production! The elephants are gorgeous too, Cathy x

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  2. These are such pretty little prezzy holder for some quite lovely little prezzies!

    I am very familiar with Feng Shui as when you sell a home in the Vancouver and suburbs areas of the Lower Mainland, you often get offers subject to Feng Shui.

    Most people here are aware enough to stage their homes in a manner to bring good Feng Shui !!!

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  3. Such sweet little bags Di, pretty paper and the tags are lovely xx

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  4. An interesting twist on the usual pillow bags - clever. Thanks for sharing the interesting facts about elephants. I knew they Ornaments) were supposed to be kept facing in a certain direction but never really knew why.

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  5. Hello Di, your little boxes are fabulous, especially the little decorations, and what a little cutie elephant.
    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  6. Dear little elephants. I'm not into all the superstitious stuff, but I did admire the way the Budhists lived their lives when I was in Thailand.
    Your pillow boxes are so pretty and they turn a gift into something rally special. Kate x

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  7. Love the pillows and the way you've altered them with the punch. Elephants are one of my favorite animals too and these sure are cute :)

    Hugs
    Em x
    Creative Em

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  8. How very sweet & thoughtful of you to craft these pretty little gift boxes for the lassies you were meeting, and loved the tiny elephant. Have an SIL who has collected little elephants over the years, and she had told me they are supposed to bring good luck. Well, she's just turned 84, I think had a reasonably good & happy life, so who knows? Maybe it works! I'm sure they were delighted with the boxes and the contents. Both are delightful. TFS & Hugs - ps...I enjoyed the background info too! Maybe I'll start collecting elephants too!

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  9. Hello Di, your pillow box gift bags are lovely - pretty paper and you can't beat gingham ribbon. The little elephant is super cute too, despite dirty ears. Know someone who collects them who would agree with the superstitions attached to them and would never have an elephant with a trunk turned down in the house!!! Thanks for sharing. Hugs, Elizabeth xx

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  10. Hi Di

    I just love my dinky little elephant thank you . . . and the packaging he came in.

    As luck would have it . . . I had already placed him on a shelf with my craft punches so I can keep an eye on him.

    Thanks again.

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  11. Ahhh I love how you've altered the pillow box die, which I am lucky to still have! I have also been lucky enough to have ridden an elephant, and been 'kissed' by one! they are my absolute fave animal, and I completely understand why they are held in such high regard! xxx

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  12. I have a jade elephant that we bought in Singapore and I was told that I must always place him so that he was facing doors or windows. No idea why or where it came from lol! Beautiful little gift boxes and such a lovely gift for the lovely girlies! Karen xx

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  13. The little pillow gift boxes look so cute and I really enjoyed all the white elephant lore!!

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  14. Thanks fur sharing how you made the pillow box/bags - I was going to ask about those!
    My little Elephant has joined his 2 big brothers on my windowsill - so far everyone's getting along famously :-)
    Thank you
    Debs xx

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  15. Super idea for the pillow boxes - must try making some of those.

    Have you ever had a go at riding an elephant? We had a short ride in Hua Hin, but by far the best elephant riding was up in Chang Mai - one of those experiences you can remember and still smile about (I was much younger in those days) xx

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  16. Well, I think they are really cute! I sometimes get brainstorms at night before I go to sleep too!! Sometimes that's what puts me to sleep. Ha! ;-) I love them and would open them carefully to keep!!

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  17. Evening Di, Thanks for calling by :0))
    Love the box bags, what a great idea instead of the usual pillow boxes.
    Your little Ellie is so cute too.
    Thanks for your interest in our caravan...We love it! We were always in the Caravan & Camping club as we had a VW Camper and know the site at York. Wished we could have got a space for tomorrow ;o( everywhere is booked solid! so going by car very early morning so we can see the bikes leave.
    Huge Hugs Mau xx

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  18. Sweet, Di! It doesn't get more charming than these little pillow boxes filled with good luck efalumps!! Lucky girls! Hugs, Darnell

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  19. Mines been facing the door since November though he does have nice clean ears just in case. I love my little chap to bits. Hugs Mrs A.

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