Turkey Day Bags

 For the front of my treat bags for Thanksgiving I used the new Turkey die from IO Stamps by Anna Wight. IO had a sale and I was happy to be able to pick up this die. Since he has a lot of pieces I assembled him using the assembly line method for all the turkeys. But after I did all the die cutting and sponging of the pieces I decided not to use the dark plaid card stock for the turkey tail and I instead used a glittered print card stock from my stash. This turkey die has a one piece tail unlike other dies that may have layers. When this die set cuts out the tail it is all one piece with stitched lines in two places on this tail:

Here is the assembly line of all the turkey pieces:

As I was sponging the pieces:

Here are a few photos of the bag fronts once they were completed:

The gold rick rack was die cut using a trim die at IO Stamps, again by Anna Wight, and I cut that out of gold poster board from the Dollar Tree. The pumpkins were die cut out of scraps using the Stitched Pumpkins die set from Lawn Fawn. The large tag shape the turkey is on is a die from a multi tags die set from Little B. Burlap flowers were on clearance at HobLob last year. "Let's Get Stuffed" is from a new stamp set at IO Stamps. Used a sign die set to cut that out so the turkey could be holding the sign. The "Give Thanks" is from a kit from Waffle Flower and I used scrap card stocks for that and put clear packing tape over the scrap card stock and then cut out the words - easy way to add shine to the letters. Inside the bags:

"Grateful" and "Thankful" words are from a Frantic Stamper die set and again used Dollar Tree foiled poster board for those. Twine is from the stash.

Hershey nugget candies wrapped with holiday printed card stock and I made the kraft card stock tray to put the nuggets on. Tie bags closed with twine and gold pumpkin is from HobLob from last year. 

Gable box is a die from Fun Stampers Journey. Made the rosettes using printed card stock and hand cute the gold sparkle tulle for the front of the rosette. Here is my circle pattern I lay on top of stacked tulle and cut it out with scissors:

A closer photo of a rosette with two layers of the sparkle tulle:

Used a crate die from Concord & 9th and the Sunflower bag topper from Scrapdiva Design for this treat holder:

Bought one Heath bar and made my own pattern so I could include a Heath bar for everyone's treat bag:

Recent trip to Dollar Tree I picked up the heavy duty adhesive foam mounting tape that is sold in the tools section of the store. I had bought the ones available on the craft aisle but these are supposed to work better so I was happy to find them:

Also I picked up three gold foil poster board sheets and brought them home and cut them apart so I will have this poster board foil sheets for future projects. They used to see foil poster board sheets cut smaller in a variety pack but I have not seen those in a few years. Was happy to find the foiled poster board as well as the other foam mounting tape. Now onto Christmas.......

PIC's Birthday and shopping. . .

My PIC (stamping Partner In Crime) had a birthday this week and I decided I would make her a gift bag out of 12 x 12 card stock to put all her goodies in for her birthday. I used card stock from Paper Rose off of Amazon - - it is full of purples which is her favorite colour. Here is the bag I scored and made for her:

This print is double sided card stock with a dotted backside. Once I scored and cut my card stock I used tear and tape and assembled it. Used hot glue to add the lace all the way around this bag. This card stock has a sheen to it and unfortunately it does not crease well:

With the lace at the top of the bag I measured and punched out holes on the front and back of the back to put my gross grain ribbon through as handles. Used a bow die from FranticStamper.com for the bow on the bag front and added a purple gem from the stash to the center of the bow using Glossy Accents. Some of the things I gifted her was a purple plastic glue bottle holder I had bought off of Etsy to hold her larger glue bottles while she is crafting. Also gave her a Christmas stamp set from MFT stamps, a purple ink pad from Simon Hurley (Crown Me?), BOO Day word dies with shadow dies, a die set from Divinity Designs, some sequin mixes from Simon Says and Kat Scrappiness, a few other little things, and the anti static tool from This Calls For Confetti -- I had seen Rebecca Keppel on YouTube feature that tool in one of her must have tools for card making videos so I bought one for myself and for my PIC for her birthday. I also stopped at a local grocer and bought her a store Bakery Dept chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for her birthday. I dropped everything off to her house the night before her big day for her. Here is a photo of the card I made her:

I used a stencil set with included stamp set for the balloons background by Taylored Expressions that I bought cheaper used on Ebay than from the TE store. The stencil pattern is not a full front stencil layers set:

Once I stenciled the top part of the card front piece I moved the stencil down and completed the stenciled pattern over the full card front. I wanted my balloons to be transparent so you could see the balloon colours behind and next to each balloon so when I was adding the ink blending over the stencil I did it lightly to get that look. Once all balloons were stenciled I used two of the string stamps in the coordinating die set to stamp black strings at the bottom of the balloons. For the greeting I used a "Happy Birthday" die from my stash that has the matching shadow die and I cut out the words using glittered card stock. For the shadow piece behind this I used vellum:

For the greeting inside the card I used one of the new-to-me birthday greeting stamps from a recent used stamping supply sale. I also used the stencil to add balloons to the left lower corner of the inside of the card - I stenciled three pieces to use for the inside of the card using different colours of balloons and each one looked different. I finally picked a favorite and I put that in the card - here is a photo of one of the stamped/stencil card inside pieces with the front of the card:

I used a plain rectangle frame die from my stash and die cut the rectangle frame from white card stock. Trimmed the card front balloon piece and used liquid glue to put the white frame piece on it. I feel the framed die piece gives the card front a more dimensional look. Fun card to put together and the three piece balloon stencil set will be able to be used for lots of other cards and projects besides birthdays so hoping to get lots of use out of this stencils/stamp set combo. 

For my shopping --- Divinity Designs sent out an email for a really great sale they were having so I placed an order ---

Really like this Christmas stamp set for both inside of the card as well as outside or tags:

Also - 

and I knew I would qualify for a "free gift" but happy me I got two!!

Both of those die sets will be perfect for tags and such..... As mentioned above I had seen the new anti-static tool from This Calls for Confetti and I wanted to order one for me and my PIC for her birthday and I also ordered a couple of other things from her site:

Ordered items for future shaker projects and looking forward to putting them to use -- I like to order from her because usually 2 days after I place an order it is here since she is located so close to me.... so happy the mailman is busy with new craft room items!!  Now to the big purchase .....

Grip mats.... Mint tape.... Washi tape.... Magnets.... tried them all and not 100% happy with any of them when it comes to stencils or adding inks to die cut pieces..... until.... had seen Waffle Flower came out with Grip Mats and demos were added to YouTube and I watched a few of them when they first came out.... but again it is another tool for the craft room..... how well will it work?? for how long will it work?? so I did not order any.... but I would watch other crafters when they were using them for stenciling or adding inks to their die cut pieces...... I used this grip mat for my Thanksgiving cards:

as well as for the balloon stencils for my PIC's birthday card:

I LOVE my grip mat!!! NO tape or magnets needed. . . .  I did not have to try to tape the card stock down, tape the stencil down, and yet still have to use my left hand to hold the stencil in place -- The grip mat cleans right off with water and a cloth and it does not rip/tear the card stock. The stencils did not shift while I was adding inks, and I have put die cut pieces on the grip mat and used my pouncers to add colours to those die cut pieces. I absolutely love this new tool in the craft room and I know using it I will get great stenciled projects done and save money over all on Mint tapes and painters tape that I have had to buy for my stenciled projects. I highly recommend them! 

Working on the bags for Thanksgiving and then it will be Christmas 24/7 until all projects get finished....

BOO Day Bags and projects. . .

For the front of the BOO Day gift bags I was putting together I had an idea of how I would decorate it and thought it would be a good idea.... until..... Recently my PIC (stamping Partner in Crime) and I went to the stamp show in Sevierville, TN. While we were in the area we stopped at the Scrapbook Superstore there and we found a few new things to bring home to our craft room. My PIC showed me the cutest Witch die set by Crafter's Companion she picked up at that store but there was only one left.... sigh.... but the more I thought about that witch for the front of my BOO bags I decided when I got home I would search online to see if I could find a set for me.... Happy for me Scrapbook.com had this die set in stock and within a couple of days ordering it, it arrived..... 

Wanted to use only items in my stash for these BOO bags so I looked through my BOO Day holiday stash bin and found everything I needed except the black craft foam for my letters and of course the Witch die set. All the trims, gems, card stocks I already had so time to put them to good use. Did not have Halloween papers I really liked for the bag front so I used a couple of sheets that I liked and for the other bags I used other prints I had in the stock and they worked with the Witch die set. Here are the 5 bags I put together:

This last one is for my PIC since she loves the colour  purple:

The "Happy Halloween" is from a sale purchase at KatScrappiness. For the bag fronts I cut the card stock to the size I needed and used liquid glue to adhere them to the kraft bag fronts - set them aside with my large clear blocks for them to dry while I worked on other bags:

With all the bag fronts glued and dried I die cut out the Witch die and all her pieces using scrap card stocks only -- decided which hat with which legs and shoes I would put together - put them onto the bag fronts using the liquid glue. Once they dried I added the black or orange ruffled trims at the top of the bag using tear and tape and hot glue. Cut the purple trim from the Dollar Tree and used hot glue to put this onto the ruffled pieces. Used Glossy Accents and added gems from the stash to the front of the bag and the buckles on the Witch hat and shoes. Used black and white twine and tied on pumpkin bells from my stash. For some of the bags I used black glittered spiders that are on a clip from the Dollar Tree that I bought last year and were in my stash:

Also used white muslin and a cotton ball and ribbons and made a ghost pin for everyone to wear on Halloween - here is a photo of the ghost face:

Made his face using a black Sharpie marker.  Of course I went to the bin I keep my paper shred in and I only had one bag of orange, one of black, and two of white... so I just used one bag of the orange, and black, and one of the white and put them together so this is what they look like in the bags:

Inside the treat bags are the Tic Tac holders I made:

I also got out these small pumpkins from the Dollar Tree from last year (?) in the stash bin and decided to use them for Tootsie Pop holders:

Used a pinwheel die from my stash and made a pinwheel using holiday card stocks. Cut a black/orange straw from stash to cover the white stick on the Tootsie Pop. Used hot glue and adhered the straw to the pinwheel. Made a bow from black/white check ribbon and hot glued that to the front of the pinwheel where the straw is glued to the pinwheel. Slid the straw over the stick of the Tootsie Pop. Put a little of the tri coloured paper shred into the plastic pumpkin. Put the Tootsie Pop/pinwheel into the pumpkin and added a little party decoration from the Dollar Tree - again in the stash bin. I used clear candy bags and put this into a candy bag. I closed the bag with Halloween washi tape from the stash. 

I also had made up a box using the My Creative Time Jack O Lantern die set for another post on my blog but altho I liked the way it looked I did not like that the pumpkin shape is not straight across flat in the center of the pumpkin and the box did not stand straight. So I made the box this time that shows around the pumpkin shape but it is totally flat and the pumpkin stays upright so this was a better idea:

The Jack O Lantern die set cuts slits in the front of the pumpkin so I cut the pumpkin out of black card stock and that was the lining to my pumpkin and I also made the box insert black. Again used that black and white ribbon for the bows. For his face I used black glittered card stock. Also in the treat bag is a holiday printed plastic treat bag from the stash - maybe Dollar Tree?? and I had small candies in that.... 

My last two holiday cards using the Ghost die set from This Calls for Confetti:

These two cards I did not mail but put them into bags I gave away -- one of them was for my PIC. The ghost die I cut out of white glittered card stock. Used the Candy Cane alpha letter die set from ScrapDiva Designs and I used orange glittered card stock for those on black card stock. I also used the Spider Bow die set from Scrapdiva and holographic card stock for those. I used Glossy Accents to add the spider bows and letters and face pieces to the white glittered card stock. For the center of each of the spider bows I added sparkly pom poms from my stash. Fun cards to make!

Now to un-orange the craft room and plan and make the rest of the Thanksgiving projects with some of the Christmas projects started...... finally found the top of the craft table and happy to have a clean surface again!!! if only for a minute....