Christmas Projects and some online shopping - - -

 This post has the Christmas cards and some of the projects I made for this holiday season. Last year I had bought the first Gnome die from Simon Says Stamp and after I had made projects using that die I had seen other crafters projects featuring the same die.  One of the projects was a gift bag with the Gnome on the front of it and I liked the theme she had used for it and the colours - too late for last year but I decided to use her inspiration for my bags - here is her blog and I believe the post was in November 2019 if you search her blog:

https://kath-allthatglitter.blogspot.com/

Here is the front of the gift bags I made for this holiday season:

The bags I had made last year were very pretty and shiny and sparkly but this has not been a great year for us all and this year I wanted to keep it to basics - traditional colours, things that would make you smile, (Snuggets and Santa Nuggets), and just a more simple holiday project.  I had always liked seeing projects that crafters had used basic acrylic paint from the craft store for splatters or snow but try as I may it always would turn out with glops of paint here or there or drips or something.... happy me that I had seen a video from a crafter on Youtube - forgot who tho - and she used a soft toothbrush from the dollar store with acrylic paint and a very small drop of water mixed in. This had to be the way to do this so I decided I would try it for my bag fronts. . .

Also this year I wanted to use as much washi tape on my projects and paper scraps that I could so this bag front worked for both. In the past washi tape has been known to lift off a project or just not stick to begin with so I used ModPodge and a paint brush to add the ModPodge to the backs of my already torn washi tapes. I put them on the pre cut kraft piece for the bag front. While that dried I die cut the Gnome and used scraps for him and various stamps to add patterns to the hats. I did not assemble the Gnome yet. 

I lined the bathtub with a painters drop cloth and used a new soft tooth brush and the acrylic paint/water on a stamp block and splattered the kraft pieces over the washi tape. I had put all the Gnome robe and hat pieces on the drop cloth and splattered those as well. Left all of these to dry - which did not take long since the splatters are so fine and not all gloppy paint splatters all over everything. While those were all drying I die cut the "believe" from red glittered card stock and also die cut the snowflakes from white glittered card stocks. Also made the black plaid bows using the Bow It All. Once everything was dried and die cut I put it all together on the bag fronts with a piece of red card stock behind the kraft piece. Added red crystals to the center of the snowflakes. And the pom pom on the Gnome hat -- but I did add black boots -- used a circle punch and punched out circles using black foil card stock. Used scissors to cut the circle in half and that gave me the two pieces for his boots - added a die cut holly piece to the "believe" at the top of the bag. Tied on some red bells and the bag front was done. 

Here are some of the treat holders I made to put inside --

Snuggets -- LOVE both the small and the large Snowman Face stamp from Pam at:

http://morningstarstamps.com  (will have another project to post this weekend)

I make Snuggets every year and they always make people smile -- snowmen and chocolate Hershey Nuggets -- a winning combination!

This year I packaged them differently than I have in the past and I was able to use scrap card stock as well as washi tape for them - 

Hats are finger tips from the gloves at the Dollar Tree that are sold on the bath aisle. The Snowman stamp is the small Snowman stamp and he is perfect for Snuggets!!  Also made a Santa Nugget as well:

Used the SU Cutie Pie die I had bought used at a stamper's sale for this treat holder:

Also the Taylored Expressions Tuck In box die for the Ghirardelli holder:

Before I put them in the bags I added a small red crystal to the top of the little tree that was tied on the top of the box. That tree die was a free gift from Taylored Expressions a few years back and I certainly have gotten lots of use out of that! 

Ferrero Rocher - just made the card stock base - put clear sheet over the top and wrapped it with washi tape and added a punched bow with a crystal:

For my cards this year I used a die from MFT - My Favorite Things:

Again used scraps for the letters - some of the cards I used gold foil card stock for the flame to the candle and others I used glittered card stock for the flame:

Easy card to assemble and good use for the scraps. . . Some of the cards I added clear Wink of Stella to the rim and pom pom on the Santa hat. 

Shopping - My-Creative-Time had a new release and if you ordered you would qualify for a free HO HO Ho die - here is my order:

and the free die - I cut it out to show it assembled using both foiled and glittered card stocks:

Love this die and it will be put to use for projects next year for sure! I have always wanted a die that would cut out a small Cardinal and I found one at PaperWishes.com:

Happy I found the Cardinal die from Hot Off the Press and I also bought their Ice Skates die set. The bird will be perfect to tuck in a tree or a wreath for future holiday projects - plus it is one piece so I will not have to worry about dropping a teeny tiny die piece . . . 

IO Stamps -- Impression Obsession.... They usually hold a yearly Warehouse Sale in the Fall that I go to with my PIC (stamping Partner In Crime).... but as everything else this year their in person sale was canceled. They had an online sale and I bought some dies and a stamp set:

and that qualified me for the free "Grab Bag" of three dies they pick out:

Plus I bought a stamp and die set from a store I had not shopped before but I love what I got:

Looking forward to BOO projects for next year using these products from Whimsy Stamps. Lots of cuteness ahead . . . 

Hoping we all have a happy holiday and stay safe and healthy as 2020 holiday season is upon us. TFL