Paper Sweeties October Release Rewind!

Hi, friends!  It's time for another release at Paper Sweeties, and we've got some gorgeous CHRISTMAS inspiration for you over the next few days!  For today, I'm sharing a card that uses some of the *NEW* Sweet Cuts dies, along with an old favorite of mine... Take a peek...

These *NEW* Stitched Tags #2 Sweet Cuts dies are absolutely PERFECT for making not only tags, but also ornaments!!!  I chose to make mine out of felt, then I added some fun embellishments (including Rusty Jingle Bells and Gold Sequins) to finish them off.  In addition to using the new dies, I also used the Stitched Tags #1 Sweet Cuts dies and the Homespun Holidays Sweet Cuts dies.  

   

 

I really LOVE these fun ornaments!  My plan is to make sets of them and then give them as gifts. OR, I might use them to tie around some homemade jam for an extra little gift! :)  What do you think?  Please let me know in the comments below!

That's all for me today, friends!  I'll be back next month with more inspiration using *NEW* products from Paper Sweeties!  Make sure to take a peek at the inspiration from the rest of the team, too...

Here's your hop list~

Angel Johns 
Cheryl Lea

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Emily Frasier 
Jill Norwood 

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Mynnette Kitchen

Nancy Penir

Don't forget about the October Card Kit!


And, go grab everything from the store today, too!

What's New 

Do You See What I See

The Reason For the Season

Stand Add-on: Manger

Stitched Tags #2

Sweet Cuts Stitched Tags #2

Thanks for stopping by!
I'll be back next month with more inspiration from Paper Sweeties!
Until then, HUGS and happy stamping!

Project supplies:

Homespun Holidays Sweet Cuts Dies- Paper Sweeties

Stitched Tags #1 Sweet Cuts Dies - Paper Sweeties

Rusty Jingle Bells - Paper Sweeties

Gold Sequins - Paper Sweeties

The True Meaning of Christmas

Sometimes I think that I am not open enough about what I believe in.  I believe that Christmas is about Christ.  He is our Savior--each of us, whether or not you choose to believe.  He loves us.  He wants us to return to live with Him again someday.

And so, in honor of His birthday, I've created a reminder to give away to friends and family this season.  I made 18 of these little treasures...they were SO easy.  I'll give you a step by step at the end of this post. ;)

Here's what I've made~

Details~

For these fabulous challenges~

Polkadoodles: Make a Gift for Christmas

Stampin with the Dragon: Gifts & Decorations

Totally Paper Crafts: Anything Christmas BUT a Card

Dream Valley: Anything But a Card

Fashionable Stamping: In the Holiday Spirit

That Craft Place: Christmas

I've used random alphabet stamps and kraft paper by Paper Studio, twine by Hemptique, black ink by Versamark, clear glass bulbs from Target, seashells & sand from Hobby Lobby, and corks by Tree House Studio.

These are SUPER easy to make, as I mentioned before.  All you need is a funnel, spoon, and hot glue gun in addition to the supplies listed above.  Just use the funnel to add 3-4 small spoonfuls of sand, add a few seashells, hot glue the cork into the top of the ornament, then add the stamped tag with the twine.  I think it took me less than an hour to make all 18 of them.  And they're cost effective!

That's all for me right now!  I hope you're all keeping warm right now--it's FREEZING here!  I also hope that you can find time to play along with these fabulous challenges!  HUGS and merry stamping to you all! :)

My New FAVORITE Christmas Exchange!!!

Well, I am really happy with how this project turned out! I got the idea from Stephanie Lynn's blog--she's doing a bunch of ornament tutorials with guest bloggers and you HAVE to check her and her guests out! They're ALL amazing!

Anyway, we're doing an ornament exchange at work, and so I tried my hand at rolled paper ornaments--and they turned out BETTER than I thought they would!!! :) So glad to have found the idea--and make it my own. ;D I made sure that I made each one as unique as the person receiving it--that's how I ROLL. ;D

By the way, I am trying to gain 100 followers by January 1, 2012. If I do, I'm having a blog candy giveaway!!! If you like what you see, won't you please follow me?! :) I really want to give away some goodies!!!

Back to the ornaments. I made four. I will show you ALL of them. Therefore, this is a picture heavy post... ;D But first, I want to tell you how to make them. It's easy. Just cut 5" x 0.5" strips of patterned or specialty paper, roll them tightly around a stylus, and put the paper into a clear glass bulb. Embellish as desired--so easy to personalize! :)

Now the pics...and I apologize. I couldn't figure out a really good way to photograph these...and I didn't want to take the pics on the tree...because I'm weird like that...

Ornament 1 (Rose Red) & detail~

Ornament 2 (Glorious Green) & detail~

Ornament 3 (Blustery Blue) & detail~

Ornament 4 (Softly Snowy) & detail (I used pearly white paper as the rolls, not just the tag, you can't really tell...)~

I used my mini jingle bells from my Stampin' Up! party as an accent--and I love them! Here's a TIP for you--when trying to thread the bells onto the baker's twine (which I used as the hanging medium for these), use a needle threader! It is soooo easy if you do! Hope this helps you if you choose to make these, too! :)

I'm so pleased with how these turned out that I am linking them to the following challenges~
Sunday Stamper
Top Tip Tuesday
Tuesday Throwdown
ABC Christmas
Creative Belli
Crafting For All Seasons
For Fun Challenges
Charisma Cardz
Paper Play Challenges
Paper Crafting Journeys

Ornamentation

I love Christmas! I also really love Christmas crafts. Usually I am the one that is making them, but this year I received a WAY CUTE ornament as a gift from a teacher at the school I work for. It is so cute and so creative, so I had to share it along with instructions on how to make it! If you get really brave, my brother and I thought it would be cool to make a really big one for a wall hanging! It would smell SOOOOOO good! Hope you take a chance to make one! Merry Christmas and HAPPY CRAFTING!

Cinnamon Tree Ornament

Supplies:
Cinnamon sticks
Ribbon
Hot glue gun
Craft wire

Instructions:
*Cut cinnamon to size
*Cut 3-5 different sizes of ribbon and tie them onto the cinnamon from top to bottom (smallest to largest).
*Cut 3 small pieces of thin ribbon and glue ribbon pieces on for star.
*Attach wire to top.
*Gift it or use it!

Check out more Christmas crafts at http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/

Very Merry Workshop Projects

I love Christmastime! And I love crafting--as you all know! The pictures above are of the three projects we will be making at my Very Merry Workshop this weekend. I want to share the instructions on how to make the ornament. They are really wonderful to make as a gift and they can be personalized with whatever patterned paper you want. Hope you can make one soon! Happy crafting!!!

Double Ball Ornament

Supplies:

*1 sheet of 12"x12" DOUBLE SIDED patterned paper
*Small hole punch
*Hat pin with cap
*Beads
*Ribbon
*Silver elastic cording

Instructions:

1. Cut 10 pieces of 4" x .75" paper.
2. Cut 10 pieces of 3" x .75" paper.
3. Group the same sizes of paper together and punch a hole about 1/4" from the end.
4. Place the bigger pieces on the hat pin alternating the pattern that is face up. Take the BOTTOM piece and loop it over through the hat pin. Repeat this until all 10 pieces form the top ball.
5. Do the same thing with the smaller pieces.
6. Add beads and cap the hat pin.
7. Add ribbon and elastic cording.
8. Gift it or use it!!!