12 Kits of Occasions: November

Kim sent such a fun kit this month.  It was full of fabulous die cuts and images most of which I had never even seen before, which made it extra fun.  Make sure to check out the 12 Kits of Occasions blog to see the other designer's fabulous creations.  It will certainly put you in a happy Christmas mood, which is totally allowed now that Thanksgiving is over. :)  And now for my cards...

This tree was on one of the papers in the kit.  It was pretty great on it's own, but I felt like I needed to put at least a little effort into this card, so I added some fun flat sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.  I like cupped sequins, but there is just something about flat sequins that I love. Plus, it is great for mailing.

There was a lot of black in the kit, which I don't normally reach for, but really enjoyed using.  I went with a slight chalkboard effect.  Isn't this Christmas sentiment pretty?  I love it.

Sorry for the dark photo on this one.  The glitter is quite bright and sparkly in real life.  This was such a simple card.  I just added a little watercoloring and glitter to the image and hand cut the hill.

This last one changed so many times.  It looks nothing like my original idea.  It was fun embellishing this Santa.  I added just a tad of watercolor, glitter, and glossy accents and was amazed at how much it changed the image.  

I feel like I barely scratched the surface with this awesome kit, and I can't wait to be able to use it again.  There are some notes from Santa that I'm particularly excited to use for my son.  Make sure to pop over to the 12 Kits blog to see how all the other designers used their kits.  It will be a worthwhile trip I'm sure. :)

PTI November Blog Hop: Snow

Hello, friends! Today is Papertrey's Monthly Blog Hop with the focus of snow and I had made a bit of time this morning to participate.  There are few things more beautiful and peaceful than softly falling snow, so I tried to capture that in it's simplicity with this card.  For those prepping for Thanksgiving (and for everyone really), I hope this week is full of loved ones, happy moments, and feelings of gratitude.  Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today!

Colorful Tag Set

Remember this photo I shared yesterday?  I should space this post apart since I know posting will be sparse, but I'm no good at waiting when I'm excited about sharing something.  That goes for gifts, too.  When I make or buy a gift I know someone will love, I have the hardest time not giving it to them right away.  I also prefer to have gifts ready well in advance, so that makes things tricky.  But I digress.  While I had my supplies out and the kiddos were happily spending time with dad, I made this quick set of tags.  I intentionally made my first tag set to resemble ornaments because I thought it would look pretty tied to a gift, but then I was a bit worried that it wasn't the right fit for the occasion...that it wasn't "taggy" enough.  So...I made these, too.

Please forgive the lighting.  There was no sun when I finished, and I knew if I waited to take pictures another day, it may never happen.  My goals were to make use off the teeny tiny stamps that come in stamp sets and often get overlooked, to use some never-before-used-schtuff (yes, Darnell...I think of you and your NBUS every time I create), and use lots of ink colors.  Check, check, and check.  This first sequins tag is made with stamps in PTI's Sparkle & Shine: Holiday Additions Mini Stamp Set (definitely worth $5).

This tag features my NBUS: WPlus9's Just Geometrics Triangle. (Why have I waited so long to use it?  I LOVE these triangles!) It also features a color scheme I adore.

These little bows are from Clearly Besotted's Make a Wish Stamp Set.

The big snowflakes on this tag are from Clearly Besotted's In Stitches: Christmas set and the little ones are from PTI's Sparkle & Shine: Holiday Additions Mini Stamp Set. And that's it. Lots of ink, lots of stamping, and done.  All that adds up to one very happy stamper.

25 Days of Christmas Tags

Hi!  I'm finally back...and for a special occasion.  The incredible Tracey McNeeley is hosting her annual 25 Days of Christmas Tags and has invited the 12 Kits of Occasions designers to participate today.  Yay!  You've got to head to Tracey's blog to check it out.  Trust me: It will be worth your time. ;) 

Speaking of time, though I've known for nearly a month what I wanted to do for my tags, only yesterday was I able to sneak a few seconds to make them.  (It turns out that adding one feels more like adding 10.  Good thing she also brings 10 times the joy, too!)  So yesterday when my husband got home I asked him, "Want to hold a cute baby?"  Then, I literally ran upstairs to make my tags.  I knew exactly what I was going to do, so I pulled everything out and whipped these up as quick as I could before the baby woke up.  

These were completely inspired by the etched wood ornaments, signs, etc. I've seen on Pinterest.  I love them, and one sleepless night while wishing I had an etcher and some wood slices, I realized I could recreate the look with what I already had at home.

After die-cutting some balsa wood tags (I still can't believe I actually cut into the sheet I've been saving for months), I purposely masked an uneven circle, so it would look more like a real wood slice.  Then I rubbed on Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I stamped the sentiments (from PTI's Wet Paint Holiday Stamp Set) with the same ink.  The little pine bough was created with an image from TAWS's Trees Company Stamp Set.

I didn't have a snowflake in the scale I needed, so I die cut a Lil' Inkers' snowflake out of foam and used it as a stamp. I love that you can still see the stitched lines in it.  I tied on some twine and voila!  These really take no time at all to make, and I can't wait to tie them on to our neighbor gifts...as soon as I figure out what they are going to be this year.  Ha! All I know at this point is that they need to be quick and easy...like these tags.  

And because I was in a crazy mad rush, this is the aftermath.  Yikes!  Thankfully I can happily report that everything is again tucked away neatly in our Ikea cart and wardrobe (two of my best presents/purchases ever!), and that I actually was able to create an entirely different quick set of tags.  I'll share these in a day or so, but here's a peek...  

Okay, now you must go check out all the fun, inspiration, and PRIZES Tracey is offering on her blog.  And guess what?!  You can get an extra chance to win by commenting on my blog today. :) Just make sure to leave a comment before November 27th.

PS I'm linking up these tags to CASology's "Festive" Challenge because they certainly put me in a festive mood. :)