"The Most Incredible Gift" - A Very Successful Secret Santa

So yesterday was The City Quilter's Staff Xmas Party and the main event of the evening was the Secret Santa Gift Swap. 

I'd been really nervous about whose name I'd draw for the swap - as a first timer I wasn't sure what type of gift was expected just that it should be handmade rather than bought - well we are a bunch of crafty ladies working in a quilting supplies store!.  I dropped lucky in the name draw - my swap partner was my good friend Karen and after some deliberation I knew that I couldn't go wrong with a present that included photos of her 1-year-old twins.

I decided to make a photo album - sure we all have photos on our phones and computers but how many of us have albums these days?

Here's How I Did It

• I downloaded 28 photos from Karen's facebook page - photos just of Karen, her husband and their babies starting with a photo taken during Karen's pregnancy and over the last 15 months since the twins were born.
•   I converted them to black & white images using Photoshop and then transformed them into Polaroids using Picmonkey.  
• Next, I mounted the photos in an album with black pages, one per page using double sided tape.
• I made a fabric cover for the album using two designs of Karen's favourite fabric: 70% cotton/30% silk blends from the Liberty Art Fabrics collection - Willows Garden Portsea Place Voile (blue & red) and  June's Meadow B Portsea Place Voile

• For the front cover, I took a mini canvas and applied a photo of Karen, her husband, and their babies.
•  I added "Our Family" text to the photo. 
•  I used Diamond Glaze to create a clear protective finish over the photo/canvas surface.   
• Once the surface was dry and hardened I attached the canvas to the album cover using double sided tape.

• I included a silver DecoColor Paint Pen so Karen can add her own notes and doodles to each page.

I'm delighted to report back that Karen was thrilled with her present, yes there were even tears and in her own words, as posted on facebook last night, it was "the most incredible gift from my incredible friend".  I think we can safely say that was a very successful Secret Santa!!!

You might be wondering what I received from my Secret Santa?

Well my Secret Santa turned out to be my fellow Bernina Sales Person, Janell.  She made me the most amazing chocolate fudge along with peanut butter, chocolate and oatmeal cakes and some to die for cranberry and white chocolate chunk brownies.  The best part of that is that they're all gluten free, just for me and I'm not sharing!!!  Thanks Janell, you're such a sweetie :D

Update Tuesday, 17 December 2013 - Here's a link to The City Quilter's facebook party photo album

The City Quilter's Staff Holiday Party, 2013

Now it's your turn, spill the beans - what's the best or maybe even the worst Secret Santa gift you've ever received?


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