Monthly Archives: December 2007

It’s a Wrap! That’s today’s challenge. 😉 Couldn’t resist the play on words. It’s Thursday again and I’m once again hosting, hostessing…whatever!…a Way’s To Use It Challenge on www.splitcoaststampers.com So…….get ready to jump in and play along!

Now what do I mean by It’s a Wrap? Well….incorporate your stamping and papercrafting into wrapping up some gifts. Come on…there must be a few of you left who like me, still have a couple left to wrap up. If not…find ways to use that wrapping paper right in a card design. This is a very open challenge! As long as you use some wrapping supplies…it’s all good. It’s doesn’t have to be Christmas either…wrap up a birthday gift…just have some fun with it! Join us at WT145!

Pinkalicious Penguin Package (sorry…couldn’t resist the alliteration!)

Now this Christmas gift bag is going to be filled with lots of goodies for my Mother-in-Law. She seems to like everything I make so I’m sure hoping she will enjoy this. This design is actually worked up (very quickly this morning, I might add) combining two challenges. As you already know…for today’s WT challenge and starting last month the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen and Dirty Dozen Alumni (that’s me) are getting together and having a fun little challenge. This is my first month at it. The challenge…use a penguin stamp, no blue and some sparkle. Ok, ok…you have to look very closely on this to find the sparkle. But it’s there…some Crystal Effect and a couple little clear rhinestone stickers…you KNOW how much I love those! And so enough blabbing. I don’t know what’s gotten into me today. I must have kissed the Blarney Stone. I AM half Irish you know! 😉

For this design I used an 8 x 10 Kraft gift bag from Michael’s. I found the hard way that these bags are NOT easy to stamp on so I decided to cover it instead. I couldn’t use blue so I decided to have a little fun pairing up pink, white and kraft for a fun, festive look. I used a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock and stamped it with Large Snowflakes stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms using white craft ink. Hard to see in the pic I know but really sweet IRL. 🙂 I trimmed down the cardstock a little before adhering it to bag. To finish the top edge, I used a piece of white velvet ribbon and then decided to add a sentiment strip across the bottom of the design. Merry Christmas (Holiday Cheer set) was stamped in Pink Passion ink onto a kraft cardstock strip. The edges were sponged with white craft ink and then stitched on my sewing machine. This gorgeous Queen and Co. Felt Fushion embellishment caught my eye. Sooo darling and it worked perfectly under the sentiment for some definition. These felt cut-outs come is lots of gorgeous colors and now come with adhesive on the back. This is SUCH an improvement! I loved Queen and Co.’s first felt strips but they WERE difficult to use. A little rhinestone sticker from Doodlebug Designs dots the i and some Autumn Leaves button are adhered to the right side of the panel. Have I told you how much I’m lovin’ buttons right now?! 😉

Quick Tip: When using the Queen and Co. new adhesive backed felt strips, peel off the backing slowly and carefully, making sure not to adhere it on itself. The felt can be torn under rough treatment but the look is well worth that minute of slowing down and being careful! 🙂

My little tag was so much fun to make. It is the first time I’ve inked up this darling stamp designed by Asela for Cornish Heritage Farms. I stamped it on white cardstock and then punched it out with my Mega circle punch by Marvy. The scalloped circle is the Giga size and is punched out of kraft cardstock and the edges swiped with white craft ink. After coloring my penguin with Copic markers, I sponged the edges with Pretty in Pink ink and then stitched around the circle. To add an “ICY” element, I added some crystal effects under his feet…sorry it is terribly overcast today and you can’t see it. Actually, I had to go OUTSIDE to take these photos. That is REAL snow folks! 😉 And real pine and spruce branches too! My neighbours must think I’m crazy but hey…a gal’s gotta do what she’s gotta do! 😉

So……….. I really need to finish off this post! A little ribbon ties the tag on the bag handles and another button is tied with some gingham ribbon and adhered to the tag. The handles…well…they’re my favorite part! I’ve been hoarding this fuzzy stuff for about a year and finally broke down and used it. So fun and fluffy to wrap around the handles. Now I’m not quite sure what you call it…i bought mine at the dollar store! Boa? Maribou? Whatever it is…it’s super fun! Be careful though…fluff everywhere when you cut it. I KNOW! I had the dickens of a time trying to pick it out of my not-quite-dry Crystal Effects ice rink! 🙂