…….. But if money was no object and I had a house that would take such a lamp/s…… I could be sorely tempted!!!!!! 
But, as it is, my bijou and humble Wolverhampton mansion is, for the moment, safe from (in some peoples eyes) such atrocities !!!!!!!
They are the wooden gingerbread men I bought from HobbyCraft last year but never got round to using, except for one. They came in packs of 4 for £1, which I thought was brilliant enough, but they were also on a 3 for 2 offer – so in the end I ended up buying six packs, 24 gingerbread men – working out at about 17p each, bargaintastic!![Gingerbread man wooden tag[4]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9clYzMzU3QAho30daXMLF8oYV9BZoamf4IYPURxgnjDbZSYdMnoes87AAlrmUgOBm5CvvPL3qlig3TznpWUXRkobiQPby76pxh3tKQc46A635JS4nNWdF-_S4-ngyDnEVB5X2afiFEpeA/s1600-h/Gingerbread%252520man%252520wooden%252520tag%25255B4%25255D%25255B7%25255D.jpg "Gingerbread man wooden tag[4]")
As I said, last year I only “played” with one (above) but I wasn’t that happy with him, the proportions of the ribbon, eyes and buttons I used were just not quite right http://itsallfiddlefart.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/wooden-gingerbread-man-tag.html, so this year I was determined to get them right …. using a narrower ribbon and sourcing better flat backed gems for the eyes and mini buttons for the body.
….. and I think I much prefer this years version, which can either be used as a gift tag or tree decoration.
I have had this Papermania pack for ages and shamefully hadn’t even opened the packet …. but now I have ….. the papers are all beautiful and I hang my head for not having used them before.
I am also not a great user of gold on cards, but since I have almost run out of my silver circle Craftwork Card sentiments and am on a tight budget the gold ones have got to be used up too, so expect to see much more gold over the coming months. 
I found these East of India paper chains reduced from £4 to £2 last year, but as I have said before a bargain isn’t a bargain ‘till you’ve used them! The card I have had forever and the twine came from some other tags that I have used for something else. The only thing I did have to buy from new were the wooden beads, found in a charity shop for 99p the other day.
All I have done is make a template for the tag, then using it cut out a pile of tags, adding a “proper” gold or silver eyelet with my Cropodile to make them look “professional”, through which I threaded the twine and added the bead. This was followed by cutting the paper chain links in half and sticking them on front of the tag. Et voila!
…… because I also wanted to make tags, using the Christmassy scraps I have left over from years past. The foil stickers are very bright and I wanted the rest of the tags to reflect that.
Each tag is 2.5 ins square and I have used a scalloped and plain circle punch to cut the mat and layering for the sticker and then lots and lots of faux stitching that eventually gave my fingers cramp!
I decided to make the tags look really “proper” by using my Cropodile to set an eyelet in the corner of each tag …….. but now ……. I bought some Woodware (I think) 3/16 eyelets but they just do not “set” half as well as the original ones that I got with said Cropodile, (the barrel of the eyelet seems longer and a tint bit thicker???)……. can anyone recommend any eyelets that might set any better without costing an arm and a leg????????
I remembered, from the dim and distant past some Papermania Signature, paisley patterned, vinyl stickers I’ve had for years and wondered if they would work on the hearts, and after a long winded search through several boxes of bits found that they did! Result!
I then added a few tiny clear gems here and there, but that was just over egging the pudding, and they were swiftly removed!
I think they could just be hung straight on a Christmas tree or perhaps used as very fancy Christmas tag as seems to be the trend for “designer” gift wrapping. 
…… it really is stunning as are all of Adam’s tie-dye projects and it is also very Tom and Laura. A couple of weeks ago we had a small party to celebrate Tom and Laura’s first anniversary, with Iris as guest of honour …..
…. and she looked very beautiful (above, with her Great Granddad), as well as being snug as a bug wrapped up in it. THANK YOU SO MUCH ADAM, it’s a unique present that will be treasured for always. 
….. and believe me, there wasn’t a lot to it!
I used two strips from a pack of self adhesive, black flat backed gems from Poundland. I’ve never used them before and was a bit apprehensive, but because they were on a strip, they were so easy to manipulate round each side of the heart, so no blobs of glue and individual stuck on gems, and the most magical thing was each strip consisted of 14 gems which were a perfect fit, no trimming, no nothing!
The plastic snowflakes came from Butlers last year from one of my stays with Marc. I just snipped the small eyelet off and then glue gunned the snowflake onto the heart, adding a black flat back gem in the centre. Like I said, so simple! The finishing touch was a length of black and white gingham to hang or tie it.
I plan to make up the other two hearts from the cluster in exactly the same way. However, what I didn’t confess the other day was that I actually bought four sets of the hearts …. so I now need to think of three more ideas!!!!
At £1.50 for the three it doesn’t take a genius to work out that’s 50p each for a heart that measures approx. 3.75ins at widest by 3.75ins at longest.
This is the final card I have made using a whole page from my Nordic Christmas pad 
…… as he was very taken by a Queen (who else?) and David Beckham mask …… 
However, I felt he had gone a little too far when he insisted on wearing his to cook tea!
What is he like?
This is the second card I have made up using a whole page from my Trimcraft 6” x 6” First Edition Nordic Christmas paper pad 
http://www.trimcraft.co.uk/products/FEXPAD15/first-edition-nordic-christmas-6-x-6-paper-pad
All I have done is trim down the page and mat and layered it first on red card and then on silver mirri card to fit the 6” x 6” card blank. I added a Craftwork card sentiment which I also mat and layered on a matching paper from the pad that was large enough to cover a little of the bauble pattern. The card was then finished off with a sprinkling of translucent micro glitter and tiny red flat back gems and pearls on some of the baubles and finally a little faux stitching using a white gel pen to separate the bands of pattern.
……. and thought I had done exceptionally well ……
…… in resisting the humungous mountains of mini Daim/Dime bars on check out ……
….. but then ….. just as I was feeling safe, I spotted equally an humungous mountain of Polly’s, my all time Ikea confectionary of choice, chocolate covered soft marshmallow sweets with flavours of arrak, buttertoffee and vanilla, that I haven’t seen for ages and ages and ages …… and these were in bumper bags!
I am not proud of my actions!!! Nom, nom, nom!!!!
I know I am on a tight crafting budget, but I just could not resist treating myself to this Trimcraft 6” x 6” First Edition Nordic Christmas paper pad, I have to say it is one of the prettiest Christmas pads I think I have ever used, I love the way that the patterns are in proportion for making the size of cards I make, and I love the colours and all the patterns. I don’t think there is a page I wouldn’t use. Some papers have a fabric finish, some are pearlescent and others are double sided. I know this pad will owe me nothing by the time Christmas arrives ……..
http://www.trimcraft.co.uk/products/FEXPAD15/first-edition-nordic-christmas-6-x-6-paper-pad ….. especially as I have discovered it has pages that need the minimal of fiddle farting to turn into a beautiful card.
All I have done is trim the page down and then mat and layered it first on red card and then on silver mirri card to fit the 6” x 6” card blank. From there I added two red glitter hearts to cover over the original printed hearts, put a little translucent micro glitter on the writing and tiny red flat back gems and pearls in of the spaces between the pattern and finally a little faux stitching using a white gel pen round the edges of the matting and card base. It’s the sort of card I would love to receive as it’s so delicate.
There are three pages like this in the pad, when I make up the other two I think I will mat and layer one on a red card blank and the other on a blue one to give them a slightly different look.
