My Cards and Tags: Santa Tag

I'm telling you-- Christmas will be here before you know it, so here's an extremely easy way to make some Christmas tags.  Find a square or rectangular Christmas stamp image and stamp it on a piece of cardstock.  Cut the image out and ink it in certain areas that you want to stand out (I used green ink to shade around the Santa silhouette).  Next, use a tag diecut or template that's about the same width as your stamp image and cut out the tag from patterned paper (polka dots in my case).  Adhere your stamped image onto the tag.  Trim off the right and left edges of the tag die cut if you want the stamped image flush with the sides.  Add an alternating patterned strip at the top or bottom if desired (I used stripes at the bottom).  I also added a snowflake embellishment at the top.  Punch a hole through your tag and add yard, fibers or ribbon and you're done!

I think using patterned paper for the top and bottom of your tag sort of frames out the image nicely and gives your tag an added layer of dimension.  And if you like the stamp image I used, I found it at another of my favorite online stamp stores: Paperartsy.  Here's a link if you want to check them out: http://www.paperartsy.co.uk/

 

My Cards and Tags: Christmas Card- Wishing You Joy

July 1st!  The PERFECT time to start crafting for Christmas!  I know, I know.  Where I live, it's about 97 degrees outside and traipsing reindeer have never seemed more absurd.  The only livestock I've seen lately have been cows cramming for the shade of one spindly little tree.  It's the season for Bob Marley singing through the open windows, not Bing Crosby crooning for a white Christmas.  We seek Slurpees, not hot chocolate.  We reach for the flip-flops, not the fur-lined boots.

Be that as it may, Christmas is going to be here before we know it.  In fact, much like the epic sighting of the groundhog to signify spring, yesterday I saw the telltale sign of the impending holiday season: Fall and Christmas decor at the craft store!  Wa-hoo!  Like it or not, we are on the verge of my favorite time of year.  So why not channel our inner elves (while sitting directly in front of a fan and rubbing aloe on our toasted skin), and get going on some Christmas crafts! 

Here's a card that I made using Cricut shapes (Accent Essentials cartridge), Martha Stewart punches, Sizzix letters, and stamps from Ketto (the darling girl on the branch) and Stampin' Up! (the sentiment).  

I know myself and while I try not to procrastinate, I'm not always successful.  I've learned, to my never-ending frustration, that creativity does not adhere to deadlines and inspiration can't be forced.  This year I really am going to try to get some holiday crafting done early so I'm not as stressed in December.  So if you hear me humming jingle bells and see me sporting a scarf, rest assured that I'm not going loopy, I'm just gettin' my Christmas on!