Silver Butterfly Gifts

Hello Friends

So - a wonderful private Catholic school here in Ottawa (Maryvale Academy) is holding a Gala dinner as a fundraiser this weekend and I was honoured to be asked to contribute a gift for the Silent Auction table.  Some of the items being bid on at the Gala include rare vintage wines and weeks away at Florida vacation homes, so anything I might contribute is far less substantial.  But I did want to donate something that I thought might interest 'somebody', so I designed what I consider to be a wonderful Butterfly gift set.

Butterfly Gift Set - Viewed from above

Set of NoteCards, Box of Chocolates, TeaLight Holder & Table Decor

Box of Chocolates - Opened

Perhaps the most exciting piece of the collection is the beautiful box that holds some Ghirardelli chocolates.  Yum, yum.  Rather ironic that the sentiment on the top of the box says, "The Best things in life aren't things", but the "thing" inside the box is something that many of us crave!  

No matter -- this saying is one of many lovely sentiments included in a new stamp set from the Spring Catalogue called Feel Goods (w129681, c129684) and although this particular one ranks as one my favourites, they are all wonderful.

The basic design for the box was borrowed from a fellow SU! demonstrator in the US.  And the box can be re-used once the chocolates are consumed - either to re-stock with chocolates, or to hold another gift of some kind.

In addition to the box of chocolates, the collection includes a set of 12 all-occasion notecards with a silver embossed butterfly as the main image.  In the photo you see most of the notecards tied up with a ribbon but there is a single one standing 'on display'. 

Also included in the gift set is a table centrepiece comprised of a central tealight holder and surrounding decor elements.  These were all fashioned from aluminum flashing (think roof repairs) and were cut with the Big Shot. 

Tealight holder

Tealight holder - side view

The tealight holder is a set of nested blossoms (embossed with the Big Shot too) with butterflies sitting on petals.  The surrounding decor elements are cute little blossoms that make me think of the jacks we played with as children!  The entire ensemble is designed to be small enough to not take up too much "floor space" of your table, but striking enough to really be noticed.  I am going to have to make a second set for myself as I honestly love this entire ensemble!

The last part of the gift set that is not pictured here are 3 aluminum garden stakes that match the tealight element.  The garden stakes were also die-cut from flashing using the Big Shot, then embossed with various designs.  They, too, have butterflies attached in various positions and in various sizes.  I regret I did not take a photo of them before I delivered the gift set to the organizers of the Gala, but trust me when I tell you that they are a striking addition to any garden or potted plant.

Alas and alack, I will not be able to attend the Gala on Saturday night since I will be with all 4 of my children at a weekend Choir Camp retreat.  However, my darling husband will be at the Gala with dear friends of ours.  I wonder whether he will bid on this ensemble, just to get at the chocolate.  Do you think I should tell him I have more chocolate stashed in the basement??  Naw - the money goes for a good cause.  If he wants to bid on my chocolate, who am I to take away his fun, right?    ;)

Hope you are all looking forward to a wonderful weekend!  But don't be in too much of a rush to get there.....enjoy the rest of your week until the weekend is upon us.        
God Bless,       ~Cynthia      <><