Mouse Sparkler

I love sparkles and glitter on Christmas projects, so I've made a sparkler themed Christmas gift tag using an adorable image from Lili of the Valley using my Crealies XXL gift tag dies, and added lots of ultra fine glitter. I love making these large gift tags to add to parcels when I'm gift wrapping.

Designed for: As You Like It Challenge

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Christmas Critters

Although I do love robins and reindeer, my favourite Christmas critters are Penguins.  I love their waddle and I have a tote bag which says 'you cannot be sad when you look at a penguin' which I think is very true!  I've used an adorable image aptly named Penguins with Christmas Tree by Lee Holland, which I've watercoloured using DI reinkers and glitter.  I've added some flowers, pearls and a Magnolia Merry Chrismtas die.  My tag base is my favourite XXL Crealies tag die.

Designed for:  As You Like It Challenge

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Bunny Tag

I love making large gift tags to decorate presents, and these supersized Crealies tag dies are my favourites.  They make a present look much more special and I really enjoy making them.

Designed for:
As You Like It Challenge

Card Recipe:

• Bunny image by Lili of the Valley
• Water-coloured on Ecoline Watercolour Card with Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers
• 15mm Satin Ribbon
• Nitwit Collections Papers
• Cosmos Daisy
• Open Roses
• Crealies Crea-Nest-Lies XXL65 Double Stitched Circles

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Bunny Tag

I really like making oversized tags which make gifting presents even more fun.  I enjoy wrapping and making the present look pretty with my tag tied on with ribbons and bows.

Designed for:
As You Like It Challenge

Water-coloured on Ecoline Watercolour Card with Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers:

Card Recipe:

• Bunny image from Lili of the Valley
• MFT Dienamics Stitched Circle Stax
• Violet Plain Card 290gsm
• 6mm Satin Ribbon
• Nitwit Collections Papers
• Cherry Blossom
• Open Roses
• Mini Rosebuds
• Crealies Crea-Nest-Lies XXL Tag No.12 (with stitching)

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Dragon Box

Following yesterday's Macaw, today I'm sharing a dragon gift box using some beautiful bright red card from Papermill Direct.

Project Recipe:

• Dragon Box Silhouette Cut File by Studio Ilustrado
• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Post Box Red Smooth 240gsm
• Black Plain Card 240gsm
  

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Macaw Box

I've made this fun little Macaw themed box using some gorgeous bright card from Papermill Direct

Project Recipe:

• Macaw Box Silhouette Cut File by Stuidio Ilustrado
• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Post Box Red Smooth 240gsm
• Woodstock Giallo Card 285gsm
• Black Plain Card 240gsm
  

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Bee Box

I've made this fun Bee Box using my Silhouette and some gorgoues bright yellow card accented with plain black and vellum for the wings.

Designed for:

Papermill Direct

Project Recipe:

Papermill Direct:

• Daffodil Plain Card 290gsm
• Black Plain Card 240gsm
• Vellum

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Santa Tags

These Santa Tags look really effective in some bright red, black and gold coloured card.  I love gift wrapping, including making handmade gift tags to decorate the presents with.  

Designed for:
As You Like It Challenge

Papermill Direct

Project Recipe:

Papermill Direct:

• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Plain Red Card 290gsm
• Woodstock Giallo Card 285gsm
• Black Plain Card 240gsm
• Green Grass Pure Pearl Card 300gsm

Other:

• Ornament Santa Claus Clothes Cut File by Studio Ilustrado

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - let's get into shape

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Layered Paw Tag

This fun paw-print gift tag is just 3 layers of brown card scraps.

I've put a white layer on the reverse so I can write the message before attaching it with some twine to a present.

Designed for:

Papermill Direct

Card Recipe:

• Layered Paw Tag cut file

Papermill Direct:

• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Mocha Brown Card 240gsm
• Terracotta Brown Card 250gsm
• Smooth Buff Card 260gsm 

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Lighthouse

I loved the look of this lighthouse box and decided to make one just for fun. It looks more complicated that it was in practice, although the flagpole was meant to be a straw, but because I didn't have one, I rolled up some orange card into a sausage and glued the edge instead.

I'm not sure what I'm going to put inside it yet, but for now, it was a fun project and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Designed for:

Papermill Direct

Project Recipe:

• Lighthouse by Sweet Afton

Papermill Direct:

• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Ocean Blue Card 240gsm
• Navy Blue Card 240 gsm
• Sherbet Orange Card 200gsm

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Pingu Gift Tags

I've used a cut file by Sweet Afton to create these pingu gift tags from plain black and white card and have added a little white acrylic paint for light speckles on the eyes and beak.

Designed for:

Papermill Direct

Card Recipe:

• Penguin Earrings Silhouette Cut file by Sweet Afton
• Orange Twine
• White acrylic

Papermill Direct:

• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Woodstock Giallo Card 285gsm
• Black Plain Card 240gsm

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Advent Mouse Tag

This fortnight at As You Like It Challenge we're asking who is your favourite person to craft for.  

Although I enjoy crafting as a hobby, it's far more motivating when I know the recipient of my project will appreciate the hours of creative work you've poured into your project.  I particularly like making for my Bestest Crafting Buddy who also happens to be my Partner in Crime when it comes to buying more stash (although to be fair, no encouragement is usually required!)

Today's project is a gift tag I've made to decorate an Advent calendar that I've made with a few crafty bits inside. I can't disclose what's inside because she won't start opening the doors until tomorrow and I don't want any spoilers, but I hope she finds some crafting inspiration from its contents as each day arrives.

I can at least share the tag which she should have already seen by now, in preparation for tomorrow's 'Grand Opening Ceremony'!

It's a simple die cut tag, which I've layered onto a slightly larger matt base, and some embossed card at the top for some decoration.

Designed for:
As You Like It Challenge
Lee Holland

Papermill Direct

Water-coloured on Ecoline Watercolour Card with Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers:

• Fur: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs, Tattered Rose, Tea Dye
• Greens: Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles
• Sky: Tumbled Glass
• Snow: Speckled Egg

Card Recipe:

• Mouse on Fern Tree by Lee Holland Digis
• Gummiapan Large Old Tag Die
• Whimsy Stamps Holly Slimline Embossing Folder

Papermill Direct:

• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Plain Red Card 290gsm

I've been inspired by:

• Country View Crafts - Repurpose / Recycle Amazon packing paper used as the wrapping for my project.  (Using Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers from Country View Crafts)
• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Snowman Countdown

This week at As You Like It Challenge we're wanting to know if you prefer Santa or Snowmen on your Christmas creations.  Although I find white challenging to colour, I much prefer the cuteness of a snowman than a jolly Father Christmas (sorry Saint Nick!), so today I'm sharing my Christmas Countdown calendar featuring one of the Advent critters from our lovely sponsors Lili of the Valley.

I used a Christmas Countdown calendar cut file but swapped out the 'head' for the Snowman using my Silhouette.

I've made a few more with different Critters:

Designed for:
As You Like It Challenge
Lili of the Valley

Papermill Direct

Card Recipe:

• Advent Characters from Lili of the Valley
• LOTV Digi Advent Number Set
• Silhouette Cut File Advent Calendar

Papermill Direct:

• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Post Box Red Smooth 240gsm
• Dark Green Card 240gsm

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Monday Challenge - Text it

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Advent Reindeer

I've made this advent calendar from scratch using mountboard which I've covered with some thin baby pink card and decorated with some pretty digi papers. The boxes are all glued on, filled with mini chocolates and decorated with the same digi paper and embossed numbers cut in a raspberry pink card.  

I've stamped the numbers and fussy cut them using my Silhouette machine before embossing them.  The front is decoarated with a watercoloured image, paper flowers and a personalisation in the same coloured card ready for gifting before 1 December!

Designed for:
As You Like It Challenge
Amanda Jayne Designs

Papermill Direct

Water-coloured on Ecoline Watercolour Card with Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers:

• Reindeer: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain
• Sky: Tumbled Glass
• Ground: Hickory Smoke, Speckled Egg

Project Recipe:

• Amanda Jayne Designs Reindeer Digi
• Advent Numbers (LOTV) and Fussy Cut with Silhouette
• Nitwit Collections Papers
• Cherry Blossom
• Cosmos Daisy
• Open Roses
• Hip Rosebuds
• Crealies Crea-Nest-Lies XXL41 Pierced Circles
• Nellie Snellen Embossing Folder

Papermill Direct:

• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Baby Pink Plain Card 240gsm
• Raspberry Pink Plain Card 240gsm

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Christmas

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Trick or Treat Bear

I've made this Trick or Treat Halloween sign with some gorgeous purple plain and pearl card with some white and yello accents.  The little bear has been watercoloured and fussy cut to complete the decoration.

Designed for:

Papermill Direct

Water-coloured on Ecoline Watercolour Card with Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers:

• Fur: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs 
• Purples: Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet

Project Recipe:

• Holly Bear from Amanda Jayne Designs
• Extraordinary Chaos Trick Or Treat Cut File
  
  

Papermill Direct:

• Powder Purple Pure Pearl Card 300gsm
• Dark Violet Plain Card 240gsm
• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Black Plain Card 240gsm

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Santa Suit Cracker

This cracker gift box is so easy to make and would make a lovely table decoration too.

Designed for:

Papermill Direct

Project Recipe:

Papermill Direct:

• Post Box Red Smooth 240gsm
• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Black Plain Card 240gsm
• Pompelmo Nettuno Yellow Card 280gsm

Other:

• Santa Suit Cracker Box by Jamie Lane Designs on Silhouette Store
• Black ribbon

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Santa Coffee Cup Box

I've used a Silhouette Cut file by Tanya Batrak to create this Santa Suit Coffee gift box.  It would help if you had 8 hands to hold the sides together while you're assembling it, so I used clothes pegs to keep the tabs in place while the glue dried.

Designed for:

Papermill Direct

Project Recipe:

Papermill Direct:

• Post Box Red Smooth 240gsm
• Natural White Pearlised Card 300gsm
• Black Mirror Card 270gsm
• Tintoretto Wasabi Card 250gsm
• Pompelmo Nettuno Linen Effect Yellow Card 280gsm

Oher

• Silhouette Cut file by Tanya Batrak to create this Santa Suit Coffee gift box

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Far too Cute to Spook

I've made this Trick or Treat Halloween gift-set using some adorably cute digi papers from Amanda Jayne Designs printed onto smooth white cardstock.

I created the trigangular box and teeny pillow boxes using my Silhouette and decorated them with the digi papers.  I've tried to get as many whole charactrers onto the panels as possible, so they're not all dismembered!  

The tags are cut using a Crealies XXL die and I've added a 'Trick or Treat' die cut which I've layered by creating an outline using my Silhouette so that they show up a little more clearly on the patterned paper underneath.

Designed for:
Amanda Jayne Designs

Papermill Direct

Project Recipe:

• Hocus Pocus Digi Paper set by Amanda Jayne Designs
• Gift Box Silhouette File by Tanya Batrak
• Crealies Crea-Nest-Lies XXL Tag No.12 (with stitching)
• MFT Stitched Basic Edges 2
• MFT Stitched Scalloped Basic Edges 2
• Impression Obsession "Trick or Treat" die
• 6mm Satin Ribbon

Papermill Direct:

• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Violet Plain Card 290gsm

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Badger Keys

I've made this keyring holder using an oval of MDF that I've covered with some pretty papers and decorated with a watercoloured badger. I bought the hooks a while ago, because my previous version used nails, and 3 of them had pulled out so I was only left with 2 remaining to hang keys on!  The hooks have sticky foam on the backs which is quite strong so it's going to hold the keys much better than the flimsy nails.

Designed for:

Lee Holland

Water-coloured on Ecoline Watercolour Card with Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers:

• Badger: Hickory Smoke, Black Soot
• Grass: Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss
• Sky: Tumbled Glass

Project Recipe:

• Badger with Sign by Lee Holland Digis
• MFT Dienamics Stitched Circle Stax
• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Bubblegum Pink Card 170gsm
• Spotty Satin Ribbon
• Nitwit Collections Papers
• Metal hooks

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Monday Challenge - Favourite technique (watercolouring with DI reinkers and adding 'flicky' grass with my Distress Markers)

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Penguin Christmas Tag

This is the third of my trio of super-sized Christmas gift tags using the newly released images from Lili of the Valley.

Designed for:
Lili of the Valley

Papermill Direct

Water-coloured on Ecoline Watercolour Card with Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers:

• Penguin: Hickory Smoke, Black Soot, Tattered Rose, Tea Dye, Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge
• Sky: Tumbled Glass
• Reds: Candied Apple, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany

Card Recipe:

• Penguins & Reindeer stamp set from Lili of the Valley
• Honey Bee Christmas die
• MFT Dienamics Stitched Circle Stax
• MFT Stitched Basic Edges 2
• Smooth White Card 160gsm
• Plain Red Card 290gsm
• 15mm Satin Ribbon
• Nitwit Collections Papers
• Cherry Blossom
• Open Roses
• Mini Rosebuds
• Crealies Crea-Nest-Lies XXL Tag No.12 (with stitching)
  

Happy crafting
Annette
xx