The endless list of gift ideas is a long and boring one:  mugs, pens, gift cards, mugs, plants, calendars, did I mention mugs? For the love of God please don’t buy your kids teacher one more mug that says “Teacher’s Are the Best!”

To make things easier I thought I would compile a list of some of the unique gift ideas from my fellow crafters (and websites)that I have met in my travels. We have some amazingly talented people in Manitoba so let’s support their great work:

1. Dashing Parcels. Why not order a unique gift from Sylvia at Dashing Parcels? She carries only the finest Made in Manitoba gifts. www.dashingparcels.com

2. Unika Cosmetics. They have the best homemade bath bombs! www.unikacosmetics.com

3. Flights of Fibre. Unique felted and embellished handbags! www.flightsoffibre.com

4. Painting Rocks.  Joy hand paints garden stones of all sizes and shapes, using Manitoba Tyndall stone.  Custom orders and personalized stones are a specialty.                            Contact Joy at wickit@mymts.net

5. The John Russell Honey Company. Amazing Honey and available locally at many stores throughout Manitoba.  www.honeyb.ca

6. Soy Candles from Soy Harvest Candles www.soyharvest.ca

7. Chocolates from Chocolatier Constance Popp  1853 Portage Ave www.artisanchocolates.ca

8. Handmade pottery by Nancy Blokland  http://pinterest.com/nancyblokland/handmade-pottery-and-ceramics/

And of course if none of these choices work for you there is one more item that teachers absolutely love to receive….the LD Key Finder! Find it at www.lisadesignerjewels.com

Happy teacher gift shopping everyone!

Of course let me paint the picture for you. It is -40 C outside and it is dark and the seemingly endless abyss that is your purse has devoured your keys once again!

Well as I stood there digging for my keys on one of these such nights, I thought to myself. “There has got to be something I could buy to help me find my keys”  I also asked myself “Why do I live in this Godforsaken climate?” but that is for a different blog!

I Googled so many sites and all I came up with were key hooks that clipped onto the side of your purse with a hook that stayed on the inside to hang your keys. The potential problem with these type of purse hooks is that they might also hook other things inside your handbag in addition to your keys. I soon confirmed this suspicion with other girlfriends who owned one of these such purse hooks.

What I needed to find was a handbag key finder or key chain that attached to my purse on one end and attached to my keys on the other end. And it would have to have closed ends that would snap open very easily so they would not hook other things inside my handbag.

As I soon began to realize this was becoming more difficult a task than I first anticipated. There was absolutely nothing out there similar to what I had just described!

“Why can’t I just make my own then?” I wondered out loud.

And with that statement, the LD Key Finder was born!!

Of course, if I was going to create something this useful it would also have to be very attractive, fashionable and stunning as well. I decided that not just any bead would do. It would have to be a bead that was both durable and beautiful at the same time and something so unique that you could not buy it at your local craft store. Oh yes, and I would have to have many colors and styles available to coordinate with all types of handbags!

Yes I think this might work very well and so far I am not the only one that believes this. In just over one year since my key finder has been available, now more than 1000 smart women always know where to find their keys.

Why don’t you join us so you never have to say “Where are my keys……again?”

The view the many colors and styles of the LD Key Finder please visit www.lisadesignerjewels.com

That’s when she happened to see my LD Key Finder clipped onto my handbag. Could this be the unique gift she had been looking for? The more we talked about the LD Key Finder, the more she started to get excited as she realized that this would be the perfect gift for her bridesmaids. Not only was the LD Key Finder a beautiful piece of jewellery, it was also useful (it keeps your keys where you always need them) and very unique. She had never seem anything like it! And of course, the fact that each LD Key Finder could be personalized for each bridesmaid in their favorite color made it even more special!

Finally she had found the perfect gift to share with these amazing woman that would be sharing her very special day with her!

After I spoke with her, I started to wonder if there were other brides that were also faced with the dilemma of what to buy for their bridesmaids and if perhaps the LD Key Finder would be that perfect gift!

So for any bride that is looking for that unique, exquisite, personalized gift for their bridesmaids, why not consider the LD Key Finder. The LD Key Finder can be found at Lisa Designer Jewels, www.lisadesignerjewels.com