MERRY CHRISTMAS!

~ Wishing you all a very Merry CHRISTmas! What a wonderful time of year to share our blessings with all of our loved ones and feel the blessings in return just being around them. May the remainder of the year bring you new blessings and the new year be a very prosperous and happy one for all! ~

Peaceful Wishes

Here is the card I made for this year. I did manage to get a few out but not a whole lot. I don't know why I was so lazy this year. Anyway, I like this card because it is simple and can be made in a very short time.

Stamps: Peaceful Wishes, A Wish for Peace
Inks: Bashful Blue, Versa Mark
Paper: Whisper White, Bashful Blue
Embellishments: Winter White Embossing powder, sponged ink

Kiwi Kiss with Houndstooth Purse

What an adorable little gift bag! It measures 5-1/4" length, 4-1/4" height and 2-1/4" width. I used the Bigz Top Note die and attached the top flap with 3 small black brads in the back. The front is closed with a Hodgepodge Hardware piece and it fits nicely over a square Rhinestone Brad for the closure. The rhinestone brad is sticking out about 1/8" so the other piece can slip over it. I placed a cute little 4" crystal bud vase in this as a hostess gift for a Christmas coffee and cookie/gift exchange today. I could have made 2 and given this as the gift also!

After having MANY requests for the instructions for this purse I just decided to post it! =] Glad it's a hit.

Here's how to make one:

Take an 8-1/2 x 11 piece of card stock and cut off a 3" X 11" strip and score 1/4" along the 11" sides. Score at 3-1/4 " from each end and snip where the corners will meet. Taper the edges from 1/4" at the bottom to about 3/8" at the top so the top of the purse with the flap will be a little thinner than the bottom. Place Sticky Strip on the outside edges. Attach a jumbo eyelet on either side to make the handle. Take the 5-1/2" x 11" piece and score at 4 -1/4 " from each end. Cut the top (from 1/2" in at the top) at a diagonal to the score to make the angle on the sides. Center and adhere the 3" x 11" to the inside of the 5-1/2" x 11" piece. Use the Bigz die cut for the flap and front decoration. Trim the 'stitched' part off the hounds tooth or piece that will lie on top of the solid Bigz die cut. Sponge the hounds tooth piece edges with Basic Black ink and the base color should be sponged with it's color (Kiwi Kiss on Kiwi Kiss) then adhere together. Score the Bigz die cut at about 1/2" and 2-1/4" then attach to the back of the purse with 3 brads. Adhere the other set of Bigz Die Cut to the front of the purse. Use a piece from the Hodgepodge hardware for the flap closure hook and a brad for the front of the purse closure post. Cut the ribbon to 16" and tie knots on the inside of the jumbo eyelets to secure. Be sure to cover the brads on the inside of the purse with a narrow strip of cs and circle punch to cover the one in the front of the flap! Decorate on fill with a gift or chocolate would be nice, too.

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Night and Day DSP, Basic Black
Stamps: Oval All
Inks: Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss
Embellishments: Basic Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware, Square Ice Rhinestone Brad, Bigz die, Soho Designer Hardware, Large Oval Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch