WISHING YOU ALL A

 VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND A

 HAPPY NEW YEAR

It's a wrap

My final Christmas project this year, some wrapping paper for the last of hubby's presents. Nothing too flashy, just clean and simple. He probably won't even notice it is hand stamped, but I will know a little extra love went into his gift and that makes me happy.

All stamps and the wreath die are from Clearly Besotted. Tag die MFT.

Christmas Packaging

This is going to be a long, pictorial post so you may want to grab a cuppa before you settle down to view.

Firstly the presents for my work friends

Just a little pressie for a colleagues son, I also made some winter bark (dark and white chocolate marbled together with craisins and pistachios rather than peanuts) for her husband which is a real favourite of his, but omitted to take a photo of that packaging. 

For those of you who don't know, I work as a manager at a Community House, we help with all sorts of community development projects as well as providing local adult education and leisure activities for the whole community. Every year we organise a Christmas concert in conjunction with the local school, the children perform and the grade six students graduate. We also have performances from  community members who can sing and play instruments and the children's ballet group. The evening starts with a sausage sizzle cooked by the guys from the Men's Shed and ends with the arrival of Santa on the Country Fire Authority truck,bringing goody bags for all the children. Then it is time for the community to get together and chat over tea and cakes.

The next items are for our wonderful volunteers who help out each year to make our Community Christmas event go off smoothly. I think this years concert was the best yet. One visitor who hadn't been before, remarked how talented the school children and locals were and suggested that rather than being a free event we should be selling tickets. High praise indeed!

 Isn't this just the most gorgeous poinsettia?

 A little snifter for Santa

Front of bag

Tag

Back of the bag

A gift card holder

Hand stamped wrapping paper

With matching tag

I am Clearly Besotted

I received my order from Stephanie at Clearly Besotted last week, beautifully wrapped in tissue paper with printed tags thanking me for my order. I couldn't wait to get the stamps inky. At the weekend, every spare minute I had I was crafting away.

Here is a little gift box I made to give neighbours sweet treats.

Love this set with the wreath, especially the bow, which is so pretty.

 These tree stamps with matching dies are so versatile, used here as accent trees,

and on the bottle as pine leaves. I am sure with time I can come up with plenty more.

Loving the swirl Christmas tree, teamed up with a punched pot and the pretty bow.

Can't decide what colour combo I like best.

Finally a tag, and a Stampin' Up! deer.

Birthday Post 2

I forgot to add these items to the previous post, the matching bag that held all of Judy's presents and below the card I made for her. The letter's for the bag were cut on my Cricut.

Happy birthday Judy

It's birthday time again, for my good friend Judy. I had lots of fun making the packaging, plenty of stamping and fussy cutting.

For the flower on top of the box, I stamped and punched it out it several times to layer up and make the flower appear larger.

Most of the items used are from Stampin' Up! The exceptions are: The long leaf die - Simon says Stamp exclusive. The fish tail tags and ordinary tag are from My Favourite Things.

 

Some Chrissy packaging

Having a little play around with some designs for Christmas.

The decorated bag has been made using the We R Memory Keepers bag maker and  paper from Kaiser craft. I have added a tag (MFT die) with tree and sentiments from Papertrey Ink.

The star box has become very popular and my friend Judy has written some great instructions on how to make it, see here. I have decorated mine with a Holly branch from Memory box and Merry Christmas from Simon Says Stamp.

Lastly, this lovely little curvy keepsake box from Stampin' Up! I cut mine from another range of Kaiser crafts paper. They have a great selection of Kraft based designs. I have decorated it with one of the tags that come with the curvy keepsake die and added pine branches ( Martha Stewart punch), sequins and a gold bow (Memory box die).

A few more Christmas cards

I am doing quite well this year thanks to challenges, well ahead with the stash of cards I need ready for the festive season. Here are a few more I have made this week, I have been trying to use up last years Christmas papers before buying any more. I haven't succeeded and have succumbed to two new collections, both Kraft based.

 After every Christmas creating season, I look at my array of stamps and dies and think I can't possibly need anything else. However, another year rolls around and the companies come out with their new catalogues and I can't resist buying more. This wreath is one of my new faves along with the stars die on the card below.

Here is one of the new papers I couldn't say "no" to, it is from SU's Under the Tree set.

Takeout box

 Anyone who follows my blog knows I love packaging, so I couldn't wait to get these delightful boxes from the new SU Christmas catalogue. I have decorated this one with some of last years Christmas DSP and of course Cherry Cobbler.

I have used the new Festival of Trees stamp set for the tag. These boxes will be used to wrap my edible gifts for work colleagues and neighbours.