Busy little bees

We've been so very busy lately, that we realized we've been neglecting our blog!  But we have some good excuses. 

First and foremost, my business partner (the Dayna of Dayna Lane) had her first son.  Tyler was born Saturday November 7th.  We are so excited to have another little man in our family.

Then, we've been working on finally doing home parties.  The great and unique thing about our home parties is instead of ordering things at a party and then waiting weeks to get them, you take home what you buy.  I just love instant gratification!

Finally, we were getting ready for our largest craft fest of the year at the University of Florida O'Connell Center.  Even though it was held the day of the SEC Championship game, we still had lots of people come out and shop all the booths looking for handmade gifts.  I just love meeting all the other artisans and seeing how talented people are.  Plus it is so nice to see the general public spending their money with crafters versus going and buying a generic gift from a box store.  I also got to meet some of the nicest people at the show.  Next to us was Millie from Fallin Oak Glass who makes gorgeous stained glass pieces (I even bought a pendant from her to use in a necklace).  Then across from us was Kevin from Clay Orchids who made these amazing flowers out of clay.  It took me going over and watching him make one to believe they weren't real!  So if you are not able to make your own gifts this year, please at least go online or to a local craft show and support crafters.  Handmade gifts are so much more personal and thoughtful, and at least you know who is getting your hard earned money!

First Ever Dayna Lane Gifts Giveaway!!!!

Okay everyone, we've been hinting at it a bunch lately, but it's finally here...our first ever DLG giveaway!!!!  We want to say thank you to all our loyal fans, so we are beginning it with our September Fanfare raffle. 

First what everyone wants to know is, "How do I enter?"...easy peasy.  There are many different ways to enter, and each thing you do gives you an additional entry, so you can enter multiple times. 

Here's the ways:

1) Become a fan of our Facebook page
2) Make comments on our Facebook page (each comment is an entry)
3) Suggest a name for one of our new jewelry pieces in the comment section of the photo corresponding to the piece.
4) Become a fan of our Blog
5) Make a comment on our Blog
6) Post something in our website Guestbook
7) Register to be on our email list
8) Become a fan of our Etsy store by clicking it as a favorite
9) And of course, any purchases made qualifies you for an entry as well.

So, the important part.  What do you win?  Instead of giving you our choice of a gift, knowing everyone has different tastes, we decided to just let you pick.  So we are giving away a $25 gift certificate to Dayna Lane Gifts to be used on anything your little heart desires!

Make sure you enter as many times as you like, but all entries must be received by September 30th, 2009 at 11:59:59 PM EST.  We will randomly draw a winner from all the entries received on October 2nd, 2009 and the winner's name will be posted on our blog, Facebook page, as well as emailed directly. 

Now that you know the rules, how to enter, and what you'll win...get a move on.  Time is running out and you want to get as many entries in as possible.  Thanks again for being such a loyal fan!!


-Meg & Dayna

Teacher Appreciation Gift

Now that back to school time is upon us, why not make a cute little apple pot as a gift for your new teacher! It is great for their desk, and can be used to store all sorts of things! Materials Needed: 3 inch Terra Cotta Clay Pot 3 inch Terra Cotta Clay Saucer Small Wooden Spool Fun Foam Paint Clear Acrylic Sealer Spray Glue (hot glue gun preferred)

Instructions: Wipe down your terra cotta pot and saucer with a damp cloth and let dry completely. Paint the clay pot and saucer red (figure 1) - let dry. Paint a face on pot (figure 2). Paint the wooden spool green. Once all your paint is dry, spray it with the clear acrylic sealer. Flip the saucer upside down and place it as a lid on top of the clay pot. Glue the wooden spool on to the bottom of the saucer (figure 3). Cut a small leaf shape out of fun foam and glue it to the wooden spool. Your apple is now done! A great place to keep treasures, candy, or other small items. Of course, if you don't have the time to make a gift, you can still show your appreciation with a gift from our website. Our beaded badge holders make a wonderful teacher gift as it allows them to wear their school id badge with style.

Back to school craft ideas

With it getting closer and closer to back-to-school time, we are going to start giving out some great tips on back-to-school crafts that will get your kids excited about going back. What better way to cheer them up than with flowers? This craft is for a flower topped pen or pencil.

You'll need: a silk flower, stick pen or mechanical twist pencil, super glue, and floral tape (optional items are crafters' tape (can usually be found in the scrapbooking aisles...it's double sided and will state that it holds ribbon, paper, etc) and ribbon)

-First, cut the stem off the silk flower to about 2" long.
-Strip off any rubber exposing just the wires.
-Place a dot of super glue under the flower and place it centered on top of the pen/pencil.
-Wrap the wires around the pen/pencil, keeping the flower centered on top of the pen/pencil.
-Now wrap the entire pen/pencil with floral tape to keep the wires covered and in place.
-If you want the "natural look, you are done! But if you want it to be brighter, keep going...
-Wrap the pen/pencil with the crafter's tape, removing the top side of protective paper as you go to expose the sticky side.
-Now wrap the pen/pencil with the ribbon, pressing gently to make sure it adheres as you go.
-Place a dot of super glue along the top seam and bottom seam of the ribbon just to give it added strength.
-Let it dry, and you are ready to write your schoolwork in a bright sunny style!

Of course if you don't feel you are crafty enough, or just don't have the time, we do sell these pens, so just click on the link, but otherwise, have a great time getting ready for school and keep a lookout for more great back-to-school craft ideas!

Fresh new baby gifts

So, I recently joined Etsy (which for those who don't know is a artisans EBay) and have found some great new things on there. They have everything from jewelry to housewares, clothes and toys...all handmade so you are supporting an artist versus some big commercial giant. Makes you kinda feel good, right? And with so many of my friends being on the baby train lately (including my co-owner of DLG due the end of October) I was searching for new and unique baby gifts. One of favorites was this handmade giraffe rattle (I already have a friend in mind for this!) sold by ollierose on Etsy. You should check out Etsy for other great buys, but remember to buy your jewelry, scrapbooks, and gift baskets from us! :)

Summer with the kids

So by now you are probably running out of things to do with the kids this summer. A great way to pass the day is with some great arts and crafts that even the hardest to please kids will love. Combined with my love of all things Disney, Family Fun actually has a great website and a section dedicated to arts and crafts for the kids. They have projects you can do outdoors, even at the beach! My favorite is the "Footprints in the Sand" as it not only gives them something fun to make at the beach (or you can do at home if nowhere near the water), but also a keepsake to remind you of your fun this summer.

Jewelry making machine

So we've been super busy lately, and I feel more like a machine than a person these days. We've been cranking out new and exciting necklaces and bracelets in all different styles getting ready for our big show in December. Ever year we wait till the last minute, and are pulling all-nighters to get ready, but we decided to try to do things a little better this year (especially with Dayna expecting in October, we have to be prepared for anything!). So check out what we've been up to, and look out for new ideas coming soon that you can do yourself.

ID Badge Holders

Okay, so after working in a large company where we had to wear our ID badges at all times to get in and out of places throughout the building, I know first hand how annoying they are. And what makes them worse is the plain strap that you wear around your neck to display the ID badge. Well we finally have an answer to that...Beaded ID badge holders! They look just like a necklace, but they have a clip at the end to attach your ID badge. For those in the medical field, we have magnetic clasps, so if you have an agitated patient who grabs at your ID, it will come right off your neck, avoiding any possible injury to you (or your beautiful badge holder!). You can buy one to match your personality, or multiples to go with your wardrobe or holidays. They are all made with the same high quality that you all expect out of us, using funky beads, crystals, semi-precious gemstones, etc. So check them out, and tell a friend!

Homemade Gift Ideas

So, with Valentines Day right around the corner, and with our country in a definite recession, I was thinking of ideas for everyone to make their own gifts this year. Yes, I know it takes money out of my pocket, but hey I feel giving today. Plus, maybe if I save you some money on Valentines Day, you'll buy an even larger basket for something else later on. Who knows! :) Anyways, here is a list of 50 ideas for homemade gifts for all ages that I found online. These are all really simple to do, and you can buy all the supplies needed at any local craft store (like Micheal's Arts and Crafts store) as well as the instructions are all over the web. Hope this helps and you enjoy!

1) Personalized photo frame
2) Cookie mix in a jar
3) Dog biscuits
4) Pasta Dinner in a basket
5) Potpourri
6) Paperbag scrapbook
7) Bottle dried herbs in olive oil
8) Chocolate lollipops
9) Garden stepping stone
10) Fleece blanket
11) Personalized towels
12) Crafty lunch box
13) Gel candles
14) No sew sachet
15) Friendship bracelets
16) Folk rag doll
17) Butterfly or bird house
18) Kite
19) Sock monkey
20) Beanbag teddy bear
21) Broomstick skirt
22) Pillowcase dress
23) Totebag
24) Quilt
25) Cardboard box dollhouse
26) Kitchen apron
27) Advent calendar
29) Beaded candles
30) Sea salts in a jar
31) Personalized T-shirts
32) Bookmarks
33) Cell phone case
34) Dish towel angel
35) Beaded napkin rings
36) Beaded Fan pulls
37) Personalized switch plate covers
38) Country style personalized wooden sign
39) Etched glass candle holders
40) Photo letter frames
41) Mosaic tile hotplates
42) Marshmallow gun
43) Date night gift basket (filled with lotions, oils, etc)
44) Tile picture
45) Book clock
46) Trinket box
47) Photo serving tray
48) Personal coupons
49) Memory box
50) Love jar

Scrapbook Explosion Boxes

Explosion boxes are a scrapbook contained in a handcrafted paper box, usually with a theme in mind. When the lid is removed, three levels unfold to reveal spaces for up to 25 photos. These spaces generally are framed with different papers that all fit into the same theme. When closed these boxes are approximately 4" x 4" and the lids are embellished with a variety of items such as quills, vellum quotes, rhinestones, paper flowers, ribbon, beaded fringe, etc. They make wonderful gifts for a loved one or yourself, and themes like holiday boxes make wonderful collectors items. For example, you can have a new Christmas box each year, and place photos from that year's festivities inside so that it can be displayed for visitors to see how your family and friends grow and celebrate throughout time.