The motto that I stamp by is, "If I am making one, I might as well make 20". This gives me one to use now and several to save for later! Following are some pointers that will make your quick gift stamping production more efficient.
Keep it simple! If you get too involved and detailed with your quick gift package stamping it will take too much time to create, especially if you are making 20! Choose basic stamping techniques and patterns that can be easily altered to fit any season or holiday. A tried and true gift packaging idea is the stamped fry box. 
Always cut and stamp in bulk, let me explain. When making a fry box do all of your cutting first, the boxes and tags etc. Then move on to stamping the yellow flower on all of the boxes and tags, and then chalk the center of each stamped flower and so on. This fry box is filled with a shower scrub mitt, shower gel and body mist. 
Occasionally I will have a difficult time finding the right size of template or ready made bag or box for my stamping needs. This gift box stamped to look like a roadway was made using a flattened Bigelow tea box as the template. With a quick look around the house you will likely find many things you could use as templates.
Nail polish and file look great in this window gift package. Using the Coluzzle Cutting System to cut the oval window and tag, this goes together very quickly! Remembering what color cardstock you used with each different nail polish can be tricky, but not if you make a color chart.
Creating your own color chart is easy and saves time and confusion at the craft store. When I purchase a package of paper I write down on my chart where I bought it and what specific color it is. Then using my favorite paper punch I take a small sample and glue it next to my description. I have made a similar chart with all my ink pads as well. When needing just the right color of cardstock or type and color of ink pad, this quick easy reference really comes in handy!
Many cards and gifts are easy to duplicate just by looking at them, but there are some that require a little measuring and reminders in order to make them look just as good as the original. To remedy this I started keeping a recipe card for each creation! On a 3 x 5 card I write the "name" of each creation, then the color of cardstock and ink pad (straight from the color chart) markers, scissors, and all the embellishments used and their measurements. This take out box will be so much easier to make next time with my recipe card reminder! With the fortune reading "A Successful Future" this little take-out treat box could hold fortune cookies and cash for a high school or college graduate! 
Now with several gifts on the shelf ready to give, you may not know just who they will go to or for what reason. Keep your options open by finishing the gift or card just to the point of adding their name or appropriate salutation.
This Get Well Soon pill bottle could be personalized at the last minute. On my computer I typed the poem and saved it in a file ready to be printed after adding the name following the RX. The poem reads:
RX (Insert name) 2BEWELLSOON
A SICK FRIEND IN DEED
REFILLS: YES, AS LONG AS YOU NEED
CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
TISSUES AND TEA
GET PLENTY OF REST
AND SOON BETTER YOU'LL BE
A cellophane bag holds a Cup-A-Soup, small package of tissues and a tea packet. Another fun use of house hold items is this Mini Pringle can.
This small can is the perfect size to fit two tennis balls. The can is covered with cardstock stamped with tennis rackets and balls. Green Maruyama attached with brads gives the look of a net on the court. When attaching cardstock to cans it is best to use a glue gun for a secure hold. As mentioned before, keeping a few gifts on the shelf is real handy and having a card recipe (instead of a recipe card) is very helpful. But as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
There are several ways to preserve the image for future reference. The obvious one is of course to keep a sample card. Creating a scrapbook like portfolio has been a real plus for me as I can flip through the pages and see a sample and recipe name of everything I've stamped. For the 3-D items a photo can be added to the scrapbook. For example, it would be very difficult to include this package of brownie mix into a book! 
Using a store bought brownie mix I carefully took the inside envelope out of the box and put it into a paper grass filled cellophane bag. Next, in a graphics program on the computer (I used Claris Draw for Macintosh) I typed the baking directions at the bottom left of the page in the landscape format. Copy and paste the second set of instructions on the right side of the page, then your ready to cut and fold the page in half and stamp and embellish the front of the card. 
Using the Colorbox fluid chalk ink pad you can have a lovely mat lipstick look or get a shinny lip gloss look by filling the stamped lips with Diamond Glaze! Remember, perishable gifts need to be used first as they will go bad.
Basically, nothing says you care more than a hand made gift. When I really want to send a meaningful gift that is really from me, I send a card portfolio. The template made by PSX Designs fits perfectly on an 8 ½" x 11" piece of cardstock. Stamp and embellish the front of the portfolio, fold and glue then fill with matching cards. Have a great time mass producing all of your stamped gift items, then sit back and relax knowing you are ready for any occasion!
