Steph's Christmas Gift....

This is the parcel that I gave to my friend and up line Steph for Christmas.  Inside there was a bottle of Jelly Beans......

I decorated the bottle with Jolly Holiday DSP and Tree Trimmings Stamp Set.

On the top I used a stamp from Delightful Decorations.

And the tags were from Teeny Tiny Sentiments.

I also gave Steph a bauble that I had glittered using reinker and coloured glitter from the IBC.

I had a few other treats in there as well, but I'll show you them in another post. 

Happy New Year.....and Happy Stamping......Manda

25 days till Christmas.....

The Story: 

 My daughter's class parents pooled their money and bought the teacher a substantial group gift for Christmas. 

The Problem:  

Normally, one card is bought and everyone gets to write in a tiny piece of space, about the size of a 20cent piece. 

The Solution:

Everyone has their own 3 x 3 inch gift card to write in, all of which will be presented on a small Christmas tree, hanging like ornaments.

The Challenge:

Being me, I couldn't just make 25 gift cards.  No.....  I had to make them all look pretty, and unique, and look like baubles when hanging on the tree.  So, the challenge became, to create 25 gift cards all different, but all using the same ornament shape, and all using the same colours. 

Over the next 25 days till Christmas, I'll post one card a day, kind of like a Christmas Bauble Advent Calendar.  So stay tuned.  As mentioned above, all of the cards use much the same in the way of supplies, so I'll post the supply list now, and you can refer back to it for each card if you get stuck on which supplies I've used.  I have used all SU! supplies, but I did need to venture into a friends stamp collection for some of the backgrounds (click here if you would like to discover some of her fantastic creations). 

But without further ado, here is the first, and my favourite (yes this one was mine to write in - hehehe) gift card. 

Supply List:

Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive

SU! Stamp Sets: Delightful Decorations, Contempo Christmas, Contempo Roller,Christmas Greetings, Four the Holidays, Tree Trimmings, Baroque Motifs.

Other: Jolly Holiday DSP, Vellum, Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon, Mistletoe Ribbon Originals, Sleigh Bells, Very Vanilla taffeta, Old Olive thin taffeta, Basic Pearls, Basic Rhinestones, Fire Circle Rhinestone Brads, Dazzling Diamonds, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Modern Label Punch, 1 3/4 inch circle punch, 1 inch circle punch, Ornament punch, Petals-a-Plenty and Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, copper cord (retired), dimensionals, 2 way glue pen, snail, paper piercing tools.

Happy Stamping......Manda

A stack of chocolate......literally!!.....

Here is another quick, simple, and inexpensive, yet impressive gift. 

Once again, Aldi was the source of the original product.

Simply take of the coloured paper, and substitute DSP in the design of your choice.  I've used Jolly Holiday, as it is part of the Dressing Up Christmas promotion.  Vanilla ribbon, and a quick tag, and you're done. 

Happy Stamping......Manda

Dressing up.....Lil' Chocits....

Another Aldi favourite are these little chocolates.....

Very easy to cover with DSP and stack into a pile with ribbon, or a DSP belly band.  But my new discovery is that they fit into the No. 2 Box Die really well.

Card Stock:  Cherry Cobbler

Ink: None (are you shocked?)

Stamps: None (don't fall over now!!)

Other:  Jolly Holiday DSP, Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon, Cherry Cobbler button, kitchen string.

Happy Stamping.....Manda

Dressing up......Nougat.....

My stamping friends tease me that I never go anywhere without thinking about stamping....Sad to say, but sometimes it's true.  I was wandering around Aldi the other day, and found these little treats.

The gold wrapping caught my eye, and I had to think......."I could make something with these".  What did I come up with?

This...... 

And to get rid of the not so special blue on the original packaging....

 

just add a strip of co-ordinating DSP.  Pop 4 into the pillow box made from acetate, and look what you get.   Gotta love it, right?  Makes a quick, impressive, yet inexpensive gift for Christmas......I'm thinking all those extra teachers at school....music, sport, art, etc.

Here is a close up of my tags.  I've used the markers to just colour the little pictures from the full stamp and then punched them out with the jewellery tag punch.  Simple, hey?

Card stock:  Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Acetate

Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler

Stamps: Gifted

Other: Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon, Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive Stamp'n'Write markers, Jolly Holiday DSP, Linen Thread, Jewellery Tag Punch, Pillow Box Die, Big Shot

Happy Stamping.....Manda

Christmas SAS Card 2.....

Here is the second card from Friday night's Stamp-a-Stack.  This is a more simple one, but you really need a balance between complex and simple at a SAS.  Otherwise you would still be there at midnight! 

This card uses two patterns of DSP and some bling. 

Card stock: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla

Ink:  Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler

Stamp Set:  Christmas Classics

Other: Basic Rhinestones, sponges for edging, Jolly Holiday DSP

Happy Stamping......Manda

Christmas Stamp A Stack Cards.....

Thought I'd share with you one of the cards that we made tonight at the Christmas Stamp a Stack.  (Jo, we were thinking of you). 

This card is really simple to create, it just takes a bit of time to stick the buttons onto the card stock for the ornament, which very cleverly is actually on the inside of the card.

See? 

Here is a close up of the sentiment at the top, and the clear button with DSP behind, tied off with some kitchen string, which I am loving at the moment, because it is fantastic match for Very Vanilla.

Stamp Set:: Christmas Greetings

Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla

Ink:  Old Olive

Other: Jolly Holiday DSP, Old Olive Grosgrain, Clear Buttons, Button Die, Kitchen String, Ornament Punch, Polka Dot embossing folder.

Happy Stamping......Manda

Dasher Again.....

Gotta love Dasher, he is just so easy to work with. 

This is basically the same card as the one a couple of posts ago, but this time I've changed the base colour, and chosen a different DSP combination.  I added the large oval behind the modern label punch because I felt that the Old Olive disappeared into the DSP.  I really like the way that these two punches work together, and it's a combination that I'll be using again (love it when I find another use for something!)

Card stock:  Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla

Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler

Stamps: Dasher, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Other: Word Window, Modern Label and Wide Oval Punches, Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Kitchen String, Cherry Cobbler Button, Jolly Holiday DSP.

Happy Stamping......Manda