Thrifty Tags

Hi are you all set for Christmas? Me? I'm still wrapping but apart from that I seem to be on top of things - at last!

To assist with the wrapping I made use of these fab little free, yes FREE tags that came with my Boden catalogue well I just had to use them.

I peeled them off the backing as they are sticky labels and stuck them on some card to make them a bit more substantial and punched a hole and that's it label ready to go.

Next dilema what to do with one of those credit card type vouchers? How do you give one of those and actually make it look like a present? Make a box, decorate and add a decoration and label (yes,one of those free labels.)

A bit more tattered floral overload - they make great bottle decorations too.

I wouldn't want you to think I'm a cheapskate I did make the effort to make some tags too. I just love the reindeer stamp from Whiff Of Joy and the stamp I used as the background is from PaperArtsy. And if you're thinking why is she telling me about the stamps now it's far too late for Christmas I bought some of mine in April! It still didn't stop the last minute crafting though. I hope I may have given you a few last minute ideas.

And finally all that remains is to wish all of you a

Merry Christmas

Cheers

Don't Panic!

I don't know about you but I'm still in the throes of christmas card making. The novelty has definitely worn off and panic is starting to set in. I knew I should have made them all in July when I was feeling enthusiastic but it just didn't seem right somehow. It feels so much nicer to be christmas creating in the run up to Christmas but seriously where do you get the time it just seems to run away.

Anyway time to show a couple of cards I have managed to get finished and delivered.

I have bought most of my shopping but unless I pull my finger out and buy some paper they aren't going to get wrapped so that's next on the list...........I'm still thinking of making some Boxing Day chutney (it will be new year by the time I get around to it) and I have a Strictly Come Dancing final night party to organise. Why did I think goody bags would be a good idea? Tradition has it we play Strictly bingo so I have a glitterball trophy to make too. Oh the things we do to ourselves!

At least Fergus is in a Chrismassy mood.......

The Great British Weather

If you are in the UK then you probably have a view something like this in varying degrees of snowfall.

I don't think anywhere has been unaffected and whilst it looks pretty it's caused a fair amount of disruption. Yesterday I'd planned a craft sale prior to the opening of my Etsy shop..........well as the saying goes 'all the best laid plans and all that'. Needless to say I was disappointed at having to cancel it but I'm hoping to reschedule. Here are a few of the Christmas stockings I made.

Don't you just love the cute 'Stanley' Cath Kidston fabric. I saw it when I visited Brighton last week and had to buy some. The other one hasn't photographed very well but it's made from some lovely irish linen with a cotton spotty lining.

This one has a more rustic feel with raw edges and made from some wool fabric I found which I wrote about in a previous post. I hand stitched the felt reindeer onto the stocking and felted some wools balls to use for the holly with felt leaves.

Have you checked out the Inspired Ideas online magazine yet I made this yo-yo christmas tree inspired by it

The original used a wooden cotton reel as a base but I treasure mine too much to use one (really must get over that!) so I used  small metal bucket instead with more of the red spotty fabric for the yo-yos. For the tree topper I die cut some snowflakes and I also interspersed my yo-yos with some green pony beads. To weight the bucket I filled it with some air drying clay which was perfect to mount the tree in as the yo-yos are threaded onto a painted bamboo skewer.  
Keep warm and Happy Crafting