Large Gingham Christmas Character Tags

Christmas Stash Busting ........

Following on from my humungous mini card making, made in the  hope of putting a dent in my overwhelming collection of unused bits and pieces, mostly bought many moons ago, I had another delve into the depths and a think ……….

……. these large “bubble”? stickers (Home Bargains/B M Bargains?) had been getting on my nerves as they were taking up far too much room in my sticker box.

I think I bought them mainly because they were cute, but really they are just too big and thick to put on a card etc. ……….

Then I remembered these giant dominoes, bought from a charity shop for pence, mainly because of the strength and quality of the card ………….  why not combine the two and make some giant tags? Woo hoo, I could feel I was on a roll!

Making a 15cm x 8cm template, I cut out the tag shape, covering one side with a gingham print paper with a strip of white glitter card along the bottom for snow and adding a little faux stitching around the edges using a fine tipped, black pen. 

I used a plain green or red paper on the back (saving on the  gingham) and them edged in the same way.  Punching the hole was tough, but I managed to get there in the end.

Then came the fun part, adding the large plastic stickers.  I didn’t trust their original stickability, so used E-7000 to stick them down more securely.

The wooden, sentiment toppers came from Hobbycraft (possibly two years ago, but I’m pretty sure they would have cost cost £1).  I coloured them using a gold, chrome marker and again stuck them down with E-7000.

That was the seven biggest stickers used, but what about the rest?

I decided the easiest thing to do to get them used up was to add a strip of gingham scraps along the bottom on the tag backs and add the corresponding head where I could (Santa to Santa) and then a Christmas tree where I couldn’t.  The final touch was a length of red snowflake ribbon, another charity shop buy.

The Sharpie pen indicates just how big the tags actually are. 

I am pretty chuffed with how these have turned out, they will be perfect to put on larger presents or tying round the tops of my legendary pillowcase “tut sacks”.

I feel pretty inspired now to try and work through some more of my stash in the months leading up to Christmas, into the New Year and beyond.  With the cost of living as it is, I now have a small monthly kitty I put into for crafty stuff I really need or run out of, however, when the Christmas craft stuff hits the cheaper, discount shops (Poundland, One Below etc.) I’m usually done as far making is concerned, but I think I will still allow myself to buy the few things that inspire me and know I will use, but not in bulk of years gone by. It’s hard to walk away, but I know I have to.  Charity shops also throw up the odd goodie, but as I always say, it’s not a bargain until it’s used ……. so, no normal sized wooden dominoes or large jigsaw pieces until what I already have is gone! Now there’s a programme to be made ……. Craft Hoarders!

Mini Christmas Cards – Using Hobbycraft 4ins x 4ins Card Blanks

Christmas Stash Busting......

This is an idea I first began way back in March, starting with just six mini cards but not, as is often my want, not following up until I finally decided the other weekend that I really ought to get cracking on the rest as the way time is flying, December will be upon us before we know it!

The original aim was to make enough cards for Iris and Bertie to send out to all their little friends at school ……..

…….. but those numbers have since doubled as I now listen to two classes of littlies read, twice a week in school, as well.

So, my aim, over a long weekend was to get 150 4ins x 4ins cards done with a few extra as spares.

The card blanks came from Hobbycraft and cost £5 for a pack of 50, which isn’t too bad a price, working out at 10p each.

They turned out to be pretty formulaic, mainly due to the numbers needed I.e.  a 2.5ins square of festive patterned paper, mat and layered on silver and then another plain matching colour, usually red and green ……..

……. which were then embellished with a whole assortment of Christmas stickers, toppers, wooden shapes, odds and ends etc. that I have gathered over the years but until now not used.

However, despite me thinking, by the end, that I must have got through 1,000’s of the things, it still doesn’t seem to have put the tiniest dent in my stash, aghhhhhhh!

I did think I might struggle a bit as I only tend to make a handful of cards in the year these days, it doesn’t take much for me to get rusty ……..

…… but using the formula, everything still seemed to fall into place.

I will admit to not being too precious in overthinking the colour/pattern matching or worrying about getting the dimensions just right which was a first for me! I also simply trimmed the matted layers with a  large pair of scissors, instead of my much more precise paper trimmer, it was just quicker.

As I went on however the fiddle-farter in me came out as I started to add more and more detail, faux stitching, clusters of three dots, flat back gems, various other tiny embellishments and of course a little Ranger Glossy Accents here and there.

I am really chuffed with how they have all turned out and perhaps, just maybe, it’s reignited my interest making a few more cards in the future ……..

……. because believe it or not birthdays always seem to creep up on me, having a small of stock of “ready mades” really would come in very handy.

Guest Crafters – Iris and Bertie Birthday Card Makers

It’s now a time honoured tradition that Iris and Bertie come over to make their beloved Auntie Lu Lu’s birthday cards.

It’s a time for Nanny to take a deep breath……..

……. and gird her loins, knowing that  every single sticker in her possession, even the Halloween ones and especially the numbers, will be scrutinized for their suitability ……..

…….. and when less is more  ……..

…….  proportion and balance ………

……. simply fly out of the window ……….

……. in favour of exuberant embellishment and a morning of unbridled love!

Hobbycraft Wooden, Halloween, Haunted House Decoration

I always like the idea of a wooden decoration, but they can be so disappointing, especially for children because, if you use the felt pens often supplied with them the ink almost always bleeds into the wood, which is why I tend to varnish all the pieces first before getting the Sharpies out.

This haunted house kit came from Hobbycraft (£3.00 - 2022 Halloween Range). I liked the design, so bought it thinking I could add some more MDF shapes that I already had to make it completely over the top.   

I started by varnishing all the house and cemetery pieces using Wilko Quick Drying, clear, satin varnish as they were the most tricky when it came to colouring with pen.

It then took two good coats of pen to give a deep coverage of colour.

Next came a layer of green Dovecrafts 3D Enamel Effects (£1- The Range) to slime the house, fences and ground.

I left everything to dry overnight before putting it all together.

It looked good, but I knew I could do better……… but in my excitement forgot to take many photos, doh!

I added MDF bats, ghosts, skeletons, a cat and headstones (all from e-bay from various shops), using white Ranger Enamel Accents on the ghosts and skeletons, black Sharpie on the bats and cat and grey and silver on the headstones, followed by a layer of Ranger Glossy Accents plus tiny  flat back gem eyes.

The pumpkins were table confetti bought long ago, which were again given the Glossy Accent treatment.

Extra lines for crumbing brickwork and to emphasis the various parts were added using a fine tipped, permanent black pen and a white acrylic pen, followed by another layer of the green Enamel Effects to add more dimension.

It’s safe to say I went mad with on the detail……..

……….. but, I think it works.

Then, just as I thought I’d finished, I suddenly remembered the bottle stopper lights Marc got me from Poundland (£1 a pack of two) a couple of years ago, when everyone was going mad for them and they were almost impossible to find  ………

OMG, they couldn’t have been more perfect, the stopper hidden between the back two panels ………

……. to add the final touch of magic and sparkle, ready for my annual Iris and Bertie Halloween sleepover ……… I’m sooooooooo dead chuffed!!!!!