Christmas Tags (and a Bag)

This week at My Craft Spot AND Fantabulous Cricut, we are challenging you to create tags.  With lots of gifts to be given, this challenge is the perfect way to create a little something extra to adorn your packages.

Some of the design team members at FCCB were provided with cardstock packages from Core'dinations.  I received two packs: Black Magic and Vintage.  I've heard lots about Core'dinations but have never owned any myself.  I was so excited to use the cardstock that I made two projects to try things out. 

My first project is a gift bag with tag.  The bag itself is prefabricated.  I cut a panel from the Core'dinations Black Magic cardstock pack and distressed it by using sandpaper and scrunching it.  The colour behind the black is yellow.  The wisemen image, cut from Inspired Heart, has a background colour of light purple.  I used sandpaper on the image and then covered it with a thin coat of Crackle Accents (which I just discovered thanks to Kimberly at My Craft Spot).  Using the yellow-backed cardstock, I cut a border, punched it with a Stampin' Up punch, and then distressed it with sandpaper.  I also used some sand seam binding from My Craft Spot and then added some light purple gems (which were a gift from my fellow Canadian blogging friend, Heather from Princess' Paper Projects).

The tag was cut from Inspired Heart.  I wanted the star to stand out a bit more so cut a larger one from Winter Frolic and popped it on the original.  There are actually four layers to the tag - a yellow-based frame, a purple-based frame and then the top star-frame in yellow with another yellow-based star on top.  Each layer was distressed and the star also received a thin coat of Crackle Accents.  I attached the tag to the bag with the same sand seam binding from My Craft Spot that I had used as a border on the bag itself.  I stamped the back of the tag with sentiments from My Craft Spot's Merry Christmas set.

My second tag was created using the Core'dinations Vintage Collection cardstock pack (although the white and black are regular cardstock).

This fun tag is a big one, measuring almost 7 inches high!  (It's to go on a rather large gift for my son.)  The green base is cut from Wrap It Up and I then covered the bottom portion with blue Core'dinations cardstock which I had torn.  I love the look!  Santa was cut from Christmas Cheer.  I embossed his beard with a D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug folder and added Glossy Accents to his boots and the pompom on his hat.  The little snowflakes were punched with a Martha Stewart corner punch and I just used the negative pieces.  Each snowflake has a little gem on top.  I used a fun sentiment from My Craft Spot's 'Tis the Season set and then doodled all around the tag.  Santa has a bit of doodling too.  I finished everything off with a fabulous button from my sweet blogging friend, Audrey from Cute and Some, and some great Caribbean crinkle ribbon from My Craft Spot.

Please head over to Fantabulous Cricut to see the rest of the design team inspiration - and to see what else can be done with Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock!  And don't forget to go to My Craft Spot to see all the wonderful projects there as well.  Kimberly just released some new twine - with colours perfect for Christmas and Valentine's Day!  It's not too late to add to your Christmas wish list!!  Plus, link up your projects at both blogs for your chance to win some fabulous prizes!

I wish you all a safe, happy and joyous Christmas!

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May the Beauty of the Season Card

Welcome to another Fantabulous Cricut challenge!  I am especially excited about this week's challenge as My Craft Spot is the sponsor - a meeting of my two favourite challenge blogs!  Our theme is "Rolling in Ribbon" and we are challenging you to add ribbon to your project.  Please remember to use a Cricut cut as well.

I had very limited time for my project this week so kept things simple.  (Things HAVE eased up and I am slowly working my way through to pay some blog visits - but life is still very busy.  'Tis the season!)  I followed the same colour scheme I used last week too.  I cut the frame and shadow from Elegant Edges and embossed the cream cardstock with a Tim Holtz music folder.  The reindeer is from Gypsy Wanderings and I used Pop Dots to adhere it to the frame.  The top portion of the mat is embossed with a Sizzix snowflakes folder.  I also added two score lines to separate the embossed portion from the sentiment area.  The sentiment is a stamp from My Craft Spot's "Merry Christmas" set.  There are such lovely stamps and sentiments in that pack.  I also used some rich Scarlet Red crinkle ribbon from My Craft Spot and added a button from my stash.  To complement the button, I added some stardust Gelly Roll dots all around the reindeer.  I am happy with the way my card turned out and it's already been mailed off to wish a special couple a very Merry Christmas!

I'm sure you all have a stash of wonderful ribbon and now's the time to use it!  Head over to Fantabulous Cricut to link your project - and perhaps you'll be the lucky winner of some ribbon from My Craft Spot!

(I haven't entered a challenge in ages so am also going to link this up at Scrappy Moms Stamps where the challenge is Christmas.)

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Sweet Treats Gift Bag

First of all, I'd like to let you know that I have not been avoiding you!  I've got a lot on my plate right now as the semester wraps up and have been burning the candle at both ends.  I have a final paper due next week (which I am hoping to finish up within the next day or two) and am REALLY looking forward to some "me" time - which will include visits to some of my favourite blogs!  I'm so sorry that I've been missing your projects.  I always enjoy seeing your creations.

I actually created my bag for this week's project at My Craft Spot but noticed that it also fits the requirements for the challenge at Fantabulous Cricut so decided to add it to the Design Team line-up there as well.  At My Craft Spot, the challenge is to make a Christmas treats package - and at Fantabulous Cricut, the challenge is to create a gift package (or a gift, or even a project with a gift image).  I go CRAZY each year with my Christmas baking and love to make sweet treats to give away - and eat!  (So crazy that we are usually still eating Christmas treats in March!) For a good number of years now, a dear friend and I get together each year and spend a full day preparing dozens and dozens of fancy shortbread cookies.  I had our fancy shortbread cookies in mind when I created my bag.

I used Wrap It Up to create the bag and tag.  They are from the bride image, but I deleted the contours of the bride to have a solid bag and tag.  The ornament is from Jolly Holidays and I used rather a lot of Glossy Accents to make my ornament look more authentic.  The snowflake is from a Martha Stewart punch.  To create the sentiment, I used "sweet" from My Craft Spot's Friends and Neighbours set and "treats" from My Craft Spot's Candy Corn Kisses.  I also added a gold eyelet to the tag.  The ribbon is scarlet red crinkle ribbon from My Craft Spot and the gold string is from my stash.  I finished things off with a gold gem on the snowflake and a button on the bow.  This would have been a fairly simply bag to put together had it not been for my indecisiveness on the tag.  I think I made about 5 or 6 different tags before I finally settled on this one!!  I'm blaming my insanity on my sleepless nights...  The good news is, however, that I now have an elegant bag in which to present some of my elegant fancy shortbread.

Now it's your turn!  Please head to My Craft Spot AND Fantabulous Cricut for some wonderful inspiration - and then link up your own projects.  By the end of this week, I'm hoping to have some free time and would LOVE to spend some of it being inspired by your work.

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