Christmas Gifts
Yesterday I was lucky enough to spend time with some of the ladies who are my customers but have now become really great friends. We shared lunch and gifts and celebrated the season with a lovely cocktail (thanks to Shirley).
I thought I would share with you the gifts that I made for these lovely ladies.
Firstly I used My Digital Studio to create a decorative panel for the front of my gift bags. I created a new project and set the dimensions to match the width of my bag by the height that I wanted the panel to be. I used the Tree Trimmings Stamp Brush Set to add the ornaments and the strings. I changed the colours of the ornaments to Cherry Cobbler, Baked Brown Sugar and Early Expresso. The strings are Early Expresso as well. 
Then I added a greeting which was one of the Brush stamps from the Season of Style Pocket Cards Download, changed the size and the colours to suit my design. Once I was happy I saved it as a jpeg file which I imported to a word document – two to a page and printed onto Very Vanilla card. Once they were printed I cut the pages down to get my two panels. I added punched strips of Early Expresso card using the Scallop Trim Border punch, added them to the long edges of my MDS panel and then to the bag front.
Of course I needed to add a tag to each bag and again I created them in My Digital Studio, using the same Tree Trimmings Stamp Brush Set as well as the Holly Jolly Christmas Stamp Brush Set to add the “to/from”. I really love the way the bags turned out and they looked so cute when they were all placed under the Christmas Tree.
These were pretty simple to make using the My Digital Studio Programme. If you haven’t given it a try yet, then please visit my online store where you can download a free 30 day trial just to see what all the fuss is about. I am sure you will be so impressed you will purchase the programme. You can see all sorts of videos and samples at My Digital Studio which is a free site to join, open to demonstrators and customers alike.
Of course I had to add some goodies to the bag and these I will share with you another day.
Bye for now,
Kris
Teacher Gifts
I recently participated in a Twilight Market at my grandchildren’s school. They held a night disco for the primary aged children and held the market at the same time. The idea was to have small gifts that could be used for Teachers or perhaps to add a little extra something to someones Christmas gift. I purchased a tutorial from Tanya Bell with lots of different sized boxes which can be created with the Envelope Punch Board. I got to work making little boxes to hold a single serve chocolate bar – like a Snickers or a Mars Bar. They looked so cute once they were wrapped in a cellophane bag and tied with Bakers Twine. I used My Digital Studio to create the tags, which I printed onto Whisper White card and punched with the Decorative Label Punch. The little labels for the front of the boxes were created in MDS – oh how I love using it to create quick little accents for all sorts of projects. There is a little Silver Glimmer Paper behind the greeting just to a little sparkle. 
I also found a tutorial on Pinterest for these really cute Candy Cane Holders, again made using the Envelope Punch Board (what a fantastic tool and certainly not just for envelopes). This tutorial was a video by Sam Donald which you can view here. Once again they look so cute tied up in a cellophane bag. The tag was made using the Single Stamp Be Merry which I stamped using Stazon ink onto Whisper White card and then I cut them out using the matching Chalk Talk Framelit. I did use retired ribbon and designer series paper on these little gifts but only you and I know that.
I hope I have inspired you to get your Envelope Punch Board out and create some cute little stocking fillers for your family and friends this year. Don’t forget these fit the current Sunny Challenge so please share them with Mr. Linky.
Bye for now,
Kris
Clearance Rack Blitz
Starting today you can find some fabulous bargains at up to 80% off. These items will only be available on a while stocks last basis and will change and be updated from time to time. So go visit my online store to see what is available currently and then check back regularly so that you don’t miss out on any new items. Shopping online will be the best way to make sure that you do not miss out on something that you really want.
One of the things I am excited about is that some of the gorgeous fabric is back at a really ridiculously low price of $3.39!.
So off you go and pick up a bargain.
Bye for now,
Kris
Sunny Challenge 94/13
This will be the last challenge for this year at Sunny Challenges and Creations and will run until the New Year. We know how busy everyone gets at this time of the year, so all we want you to do is share anything you have created for the Christmas Season. Maybe you made some new decorations for your tree or a banner or some packaging, anything at all, share it with us. So while you are busy getting ready to enjoy your Christmas celebrations, just add it to our Mr. Linky and share with all of us your wonderful creations.
The project I am sharing with you today is one I have wanted to create for a long time. These fantastic timber Christmas Countdown or Advent Calendars seem to pop up all over the web and I love them. I asked my Dad to make me one and since he is so clever and obliging he did it in record time. Shame on me but it sat on my laundry bench ignored for several weeks until I suddenly realised that it was almost December and I hadn’t decorated it.
I cut down a piece of Crumb Cake 12″ x 12″ card to fit the centre of the calendar and stamped the background using the Dictionary Background stamp and Crumb Cake ink. I wanted the stamping to be random and it certainly didn’t need to be perfect. I stamped the large snowflake from the Festive Flurry stamp set over the top using Cherry Cobbler ink, stamping off first so that it was a little lighter. 
I enlarged the template for the trees and cut them from Season of Style Designer Series Paper. I added dimensionals between the folds to add some extra dimension to the trees. I added strips of Chocolate Chip card for trunks and attached them inside the frame of the calendar. The largest tree is attached with Glue Dots and the smaller tree with dimensionals. I cut Ho, Ho, Ho from Cherry Cobbler card using the Big Shot and the Typeset Alphabet and attached them into the top right hand corner of the frame. The boxes are cut from Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip and Baked Brown Sugar card. Using a template that my Dad made for me I was able to determine the correct size and scoring to make them fit into the niches perfectly. I added card cut from one of the same colours (which by the way are the colours of the Season of Style Designer Series Paper) using the 1-1/4″ Scallop Punches and 1″ circles of either Silver, Champagne or Red Glimmer Paper. 
The numbers are a digital download that I purchased just for this project – Calendar Numbers Stamp Brush Set. I created the right size, by adding a circle punch to my page and adjusting the size to 3/4″. Then I added the numbers so that they fitted inside the circle, changed the colours to what I wanted and when I was ready to printed removed the 3/4″ circles. Once the numbers were printed I was able to use the 3/4″ Circle Punch to cut them out and add them to the centre of the Glimmer Paper. I have to say that I am loving being able to use My Digital Studio to add finishing touches to my projects almost instantly. If you haven’t tried it yet, then shoot over to my store and download the free 30 day trial. Join the free online My Digital Studio site and get instant access to videos and tutorials to help you get the most from this fabulous programme. You will be instantly in love.
This calendar now has pride of place in my dining room and the grandchildren love checking the boxes to see what chocolate they might get today. Of course with 6 grandchildren, I have to have some extras stashed in the pantry so everyone gets a chocolate!
I think my Dad did a wonderful job of creating this piece for me and I can’t thank him enough.
For some more inspiration why not pop over to Sunny Challenges and Creations and see what the Design Team has created. AND don’t forget to add your projects to Mr. Linky so we can pin all your great ideas for next year.
Bye for now,
Kris
Christmas Framed Art
This framed art piece was part of my Christmas Decoration Class. I really love blue for Christmas and don’t think you can go past Night of Navy, especially when it is paired with silver. The Sahara Sand card is stamped using the Dictionary Background stamp using Sahara Sand ink. It is stamped randomly and I wasn’t particularly concerned if the image wasn’t perfect. I stamped the largest snowflake from the Festive Flurries stamp set using Marina Mist ink which I stamped off onto scrap paper first. Again it is stamped randomly and sometimes not so perfectly. I stamped the image from the Ornament Keepsakes stampset onto Night of Navy card using Versamark ink added Silver Embossing Powder and heat set them. I cut them out using the matching Holiday Framelit. The ornaments were scored in half and three attached together and a plain Night of Navy ornament is attached to the back. 
I added the gorgeous 1/8″ Silver Ribbon to the tops of the ornaments and attached it to the back of the Sahara Sand card. I stamped the Love and Joy using Night of Navy ink and then used my stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp over the top in Versamark. I sprinkled over Clear Embossing Powder and heat set it.
I love the look of this art piece and thought that you might like to make one too, so I just click here to download your free tutorial. You will also be able to find it on my Free Tutorial Page.
I’d love to hear what you think and maybe see your version of this project.
Bye for now,
Kris
Festive Flurry Wreath
This project is the bonus project for the November edition of Craft Project Central. To get this project you need to subscribe to two or more months in a row, put the Craft Project Central badge on your blog, or refer a friend and when they subscribe, let Craft Project Central know. So that means for $10.00 you will get eleven, step by step, photo tutorials.
This beautiful wreath has been designed by Lauri Ingram. Nothing brings in the holidays like snowflakes and glitter. Highlighting the wonderful Winter Frost DSP and the Festive Flurry Bundle, brighten up your door with a shimmery, glimmer wreath.
Well that is the last project for the November edition of Craft Project Central. I won’t be designing for the December edition but please check it out because the projects are sure to be awesome.
Bye for now,
Kris
Envelope Punch Board Photo Holder
I am really excited by this project from the November edition of Craft Project Central because I love my Envelope Punch Board and I am constantly on the look out for more ideas on how to use it. (If you don’t believe me just check out my Board on Pinterest). This exciting project has been designed by Laurie Zoellmer. Please visit her blog and leave her a comment – I hope you have left comments for all the designers this month, because the projects have truly been fantastic.
This photo holder is designed to hold 4” x 6” photographs, but with the Envelope Punch Board you can adapt it to any size you want. Pair this cute photo holder up with your favorite designer series paper and the possibilities are endless! We’ve also included the instructions on how to make this “pocket style” file folder card.
Just visit Craft Project Central and sign up for the November edition to get the instructions for this great project – $10.00 for ten tutorials.
Bye for now,
Kris
Greeting Card Set with Decorative Box
This month’s designers at Craft Project Central have certainly got our Christmas gift giving and decorating all taken care of. This project by Monica Davis is no exception.
Make this all occasion greeting card set with a matching decorative box to hold them. It is the perfect present for anyone. It’s easy to make and can be mass produced without any difficulties. The box, with its magnetic closure, can be re-used over and over. Great too for a stamp camp, or as a class project.
So by now, I guess you have all already signed up for this fantastic month of projects, but if you haven’t then do it now before it’s too late to be organised for Christmas. Remember it only costs $10.00 for ten step by step photo tutorials. I know it’s fantastic value, but see for yourself.
Bye for now,
Kris
SC 93/13
Here we go with the start of another Sunny Challenge. The challenge this time has been brought to us by Gwen, we just need to use Baker’s Twine on our projects. This is such a simple challenge and at this time of year, I am sure you are all finding lots of ways to use Baker’s Twine on your seasonal projects. Soooo, if you make something using it why not share. We’d love to see your ideas.
My project is fairly simple and uses a layout, I love. I embossed Very Vanilla card using the Chevron Embossing Folder, attached it to Bermuda Bay card and then to scored and folded Very Vanilla card. I punched one long edge of a strip of Crisp Cantaloup card using the Scallop Border Punch and attached it to a piece of Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper. I wrapped the designer series paper with Whisper White Baker’s Twine, tied a knot and then attached the piece to the embossed Very Vanilla card. I stamped the bicycle image from the Cycle Celebration stamp set onto Very Vanilla card using Bermuda Bay ink, attached it to Basic Gray card and then the card from using dimensionals.
Inside the card I stamped the bicycle in Bermuda Bay ink on the left hand side and added the greeting in Basic Gray ink on the right hand side. So, what do you think? Is it ok?
Need some more inspiration? Then pop on over to Sunny Challenges and see what the design team has created. Once you have made your card, scrap page or 3d item, then pop back and add it to Mr. Linky. We really would love to see what you have been creating.
Bye for now,
Kris
Season of Style Ensemble
I don’t know about you but I love this Designer Series Paper, I think it would have to be one of my favourite Christmas Designer Series Papers since I signed up as a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. Jen Arkfeld has used it so well to create this beautiful set for the November edition of Craft Project Central.
It’s time to Deck the Halls and wrap up the gifts. Why not make some cute décor and great packaging to match? This ensemble includes an up-cycled project – a wall hanging from old CD’s! Plus some adorable gift boxes and a festive jar to use for holiday giving, too.
Don’t those boxes look fantastic, who wouldn’t want to receive a gift in one of those. You can get the instructions for this project and nine others (you have already seen quite a few) just by signing up for the November edition of Craft Project Central and it only costs $10.00.
Bye for now.
