Festive Friday Snow Swirled Season

Oh you've made it... its FESTIVE FRIDAY!

Festive Friday was a Blog Hop happening the second and fourth Friday of each month, showcasing Christmas cards. This will be the last hop for 2011, but never fear - Festive Fridays will be back! Look for it in the new year, starting off another year of prepping for your holiday rush a little each month!!

If you're joining me directly, don't miss the beginning of the hop over at Terri's Blog. If you've joined me from Brendas blog, You're hoppin' along just fine! There is a link to all the fine blogs at the end of this post,

Its crunch time - the cards should be out fairly soon in the mail, I hope you're ready! I know I am!!

This week, its a return to traditional colors and my favorite set Snow Swirled #111690.

I used some of the Letters to Santa Designer Series Paper #122349 and Old Olive and Riding Hood Red card stocks.  The cute sash is a scrap of retired Ridinghood Red that I had in the bottom of my bin - I almost didn't have enough! They do actually have a similar ribbon in multiple colors available though - check out the 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (pg 195 of the catalog). I distressed the edges of the DSP and the white,   

The sentiment is actually taken from the Season of Joy #110384 set (another favorite :-) and punched with the ever awesome Modern Label Punch #119849. The green accent on that was added by punching the sentiment in Whisper White, and then punching a blank in Old Olive;

then you cut the Old Olive piece in half and layer each half onto an end of the white.

I mounted the sentiment with Stampin' Dimensionals #104430, always good for some nice layers.

and now we can truly say:

Wishing you and yours the very best this holiday season,

thank you so much for hopping along with us this year! 

Please enjoy the inspiration on the hop and continue over to Becky at BC Designs!

Merry Christmas,
and may all your Fridays be Festive!!
~angie

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Festive Fridays Scallop Circle Ornament

Its that special Friday again -- a FESTIVE FRIDAY!

Festive Friday is a Blog Hop happening the second and fourth Friday of each month, showcasing Christmas cards. We are rounding out the year, this is the last month in 2011 for our hop!

If you're joining me directly, don't miss the beginning of the hop over at Terri's Blog. If you've joined me from Brendas blog, You're hoppin' along just fine! There is a link to all the fine blogs at the end of this post,

This week - as deadlines approach - its back to a tried and true card:

This is a card made from a folded card base cut on the Big Shot with the Scallop Circle die (#113468), you can see the top edge is where the fold is placed just inside the die, so the card will still open. The top is capped with the Round Tab punch (#119864) that creates a double sided "Ornament" card. Embellish with sentiment, ribbon, some pattern paper cut in the die as well, and you have a quirky little card to cheer someones holiday.

Variety can be created with different papers and sentiments, and of course you can bling up the embellishment - these are obviously a simple version!
You could add a cropped photo (they are a good 4.25" diameter) or some buttons or layers for more texture, or get elaborate with your detail and add some die-cut swirls or images. Pick your favorite ornament off the tree, and recreate a version to send out!

These are a great project for a group, adults or kids, to make; and as they have ample room inside for signing, a great card for a group to send as well. 

 
Please enjoy the inspiration on the hop and continue over to Becky at BC Designs, the Holidays are just around the corner!
Have a Festive Friday!
~angie

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Q&A Making Gifts for the Holidays

 Q&A

Q: I’m thinking of making gifts this year. What do you suggest?

A: Handmade gifts are always popular because they show the heartfelt thought and effort that you put into choosing and creating the perfect, unique gift. Advent calendars are fun gifts to give and create ahead of the holidays, and gifts like a set of cards, homemade treats with decorated bags, holiday banners, and calendars are ideal for a variety of people and budgets.

Advent Calendars

The ever-popular tradition of opening a door a day to get a piece of candy, a special quote, or even a suggestion of a fun holiday activity can be made even more fun when you create a custom Advent calendar. The detailed Advent calendar on page 36 of the Holiday Mini Catalog uses the Peekaboo Frames Bigz L Die (#124587) and the 25 & Counting stamp set (#123792 wood mount, #123794 clear mount). This makes a great format for sharing the Christmas story or suggesting holiday activities like cookie baking and decorating the tree. If you prefer a different type of Advent calendar, try the Matchbox Bigz XL Die (#114890) to die cut Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper (#124002). Stack and glue the boxes in a square or in the shape of a Christmas tree and fill each box with small gifts or candy.

Budget-Friendly Tasty Treats
For less expensive gifts that are perfect for neighbors, co-workers, or for children’s classes, you can make homemade candy or cookies and package them in our skinny Cellophane Bags (#124134). Add a stamped topper to the 1” x 8” tube and you have a unique and yummy gift that anyone will appreciate. For larger items, we also have rectangular cellophane bags in three sizes: 3” x 5” (#103104), 4” x 6” (#102757), and 6” x 8” (#102210). Or create quick & easy, custom decorated boxes using our Kraft Gift Boxes (#124106) as your starting point. Wrap with our 1-1/4” Striped ribbon and add a hand-stamped tag and you have a great gift.

Personalized Gifts
For those special people on your list, you can step it up a bit and create a custom holiday banner using the Holiday Stocking Bigz L Die (#124098) and coordinating Stocking Accents Originals Die (#124099). Use die-cut or chipboard letters to put a family name or a message like “Joy” or “Merry” on the banner with one letter per stocking. String the stockings on a Satin ribbon with the adorable and functional Mini Clothespins (#122942). And everyone needs a great calendar for 2012. You can create a custom calendar using our digital paper crafting software, My Digital Studio (#118108). The great thing about using My Digital Studio to make a calendar is that you can completely customize each page with your favorite designs or use one of our designer templates to save time. Make the calendars extra special when you add photos of your family members on their birthday or anniversary dates. Plus, you can design once and print as many as you like! Or design once and then just tweak it a bit to customize the calendar for different families!

Handmade Joy
There is a joy to creating and giving a handmade gift that is extra special. Store-bought gifts just don’t have the same heart as something that you designed and created with someone special in mind. Plus, you get the added benefit of slowing down and enjoying the experience of creating that gift without having to fight crazy mall crowds or stormy winter roads! Contact me today to plan your holiday gifts and you can get started with the fun and festive process of creating your heartfelt, holiday gifts!

© CraftyPerson Production. Images © Stampin' Up!

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