My mom regularly raids my jewelry stash. In fact, she's been known to call me on her way to an event to ask if I have anything made that compliments the occasion, and oh, can she swing by the studio for five minutes? I love that she's such a willing ambassador (did I mention she also carries my business cards with her at all times?), but it makes gift giving a bit of a challenge. When her birthday, or Mother's Day, or a just-because-day comes around, I don't want to give her more jewelry.

Which started me thinking about what other crafty folk do about gift giving. Do you usually make your gifts? Or do you keep a church and state relationship between what you make and what you buy/give? If you make things for a living, whether part-time or full-time, does buying something handmade by someone else feel like rare a treat? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

In the meantime, the Thanks Mom treasury is chock full of alternative treats to give this Mother's Day. Of course, I couldn't resist adding a few pieces of jewelry (I am my mother's daughter after all), but mostly these handcrafted items are inspired by other traditional Mother's Day gifts -- like flowers, cards, and candy -- given their own {NewNew} twist.

Susan
persuede