25 Days of Christmas Tags 2019 .......

Happy Thursday ......

I'm getting into the Christmas spirit again today for the 25 Days of Christmas Tags 2019 event.

Each year this fabulous blog event is hosted by the lovely Tracey McNeely, and she's joined by a whole host of craft companies ..... this year there's 26! sponsoring the event.

Check out the main event post for a full list of the sponsors, guidelines to follow if you would like to join in the event, and of course the all important linky.

Today is Day 4 of the event and I'm thrilled to be joining in this year as one of the Brand Ambassadors for UNIKO.
Here's my tag .......

I'm loving this brand new Uniko Sparkling Snowflake Die ...... it's so pretty and such a great size.

This is so quick and easy, but will look fab on all those Christmas gifts.  Just change the colours of glitter card to match your festive colour scheme.
A quick tip .... if you don't have the right colour of glitter card, use silver or a white and add the colour using Copic markers, or any alcohol based pens, it works a treat!

I die cut the snowflake from glitter card ........

I die cut three circles, each a different size ..... one from Kraft card, one black and one from silver glitter card.  The silver layer isn't a full circle ......... no point in wasting precious glitter card that you can't see.  I used two circle dies, one smaller than the other,  to create a frame for the middle layer.

I layered everything together and attached the snowflake using foam pads.  I then used one of the sentiments from the new Uniko Festive Sentiments Outlined to add to the centre.

I told you they were quick and easy ........... so here's a few more.

Now I just need to make a start on my Christmas shopping!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day and have fun with the 25 Days of Christmas Tags event.

Hubby's away this weekend, he's off to Blackpool to the GUKPT (Grosvenor UK Poker Tour). Fingers crossed he has a good weekend!!

I'm staying put this time ...... I'm still trying to catch up after our last little trip.  I'm looking forward to a nice weekend in my craft room.

Cheerio until next time .......

Products used:
Stamps: Festive Sentiments Outlined (Uniko)
Dies: Sparkling Snowflake Die (Uniko); Circle Dies (Spellbinders Nestabilities); Stitched Circle Die
Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne
Others: Kraft card; Black card; Various colours of glitter card; Silver Gel Pen

On the eleventh day of December ....... a new product release from Uniko

Happy Tuesday .......

It's only 14 days until Christmas!!  Are you all ready for the big day?  Are your cards done? Is your Christmas list for Santa ready to post?  Are you still looking for things to put on there? (Are you on the naughty, or the nice list?) Have you still got gifts to buy?    Well ..... I have a nice little treat for you ........ there's a  BRAND NEW RELEASE from Uniko today.
We've got three fabulous new stamps sets ...... the stunning new Pure Florals Peony 

How gorgeous is this and, there's a great collection of words on there too.

There's the new Wonderful Day ..... 

A cute little floral set, featuring outline and solid stamps to create pretty, modern floral designs, along with more fabulous sentiments

And last but not least ...... Snowflake Serenade. 

Perfect if  like me, you still have Christmas cards to make but,  also great for other winter celebrations.

There's two new stencil designs too ....... In the Forest

and Let It Snow 

All of the new stamps and stencils will be available to purchase on the Uniko website from 9pm (GMT) this evening.  Which are your favourites?

As with all the Uniko new releases we're having our traditional Design Team New Release Day Blog Hop, hopefully giving you some inspiration using the brand new designs. 

As I've said, I'm still making Christmas cards.  Although there's not many names left on the list now, thank goodness.
Here's a quick and easy design using the new In the Forest stencil 

I've created a simple winter scene, inking through part of the stencil with a green Distress Ink, and then added in a little bit of a landscape, using a simple mask cut from a piece of copier paper, placed in and around the trees, and then Distress Ink brushed along the edge

I added some glitter along the tops of the hills for a touch of sparkle, and used some chunky white embossing powder here and there to give a snowy look

A little detail added to one of the trees using some glitter glue ..... and a sentiment stamped across the bottom

The stencils are also great for doing those last minute gift tags ....... I need a whole load of those too!

White paste through the snowflake stencil and then sprinkled with glitter .... perfect!

A simple sentiment is all that's needed on the bottom

Add a little sparkle around the trees to highlight a tone on tone design .....

And again a simple sentiment ......

I love this new holly and snowflake flourish from Snowflake Serenade

I've stamped and heat embossed the image in gold, and then added a touch of colour to the holly leaves using a ZIG marker and a waterbrush.

A touch of gold shimmer and some red glitter glue berries .....

One of the sentiments stamped in silver ......

and a few extra snowflakes here and there ..... finishing everything off with a splattering of gold and silver ink.

If you're all Christmas'd out don't worry there's something for you in the new release.  What about the gorgeous new Pure Florals Peony ..... this is going to be a favourite I think!

Here I've used the large bloom, just stamped in gold ink all over my white card.  I could have heat embossed the flowers and added colour but, I think the gold on the white looks so elegant.

A touch of black in the centre from the sentiment

And a few sparkly sequins to finish off.

I do hope you love this new release as much as we do. 
Don't forget it'll be available this evening 9pm (GMT) on the Uniko website.  In the meantime why not hop on through the Blog Hop to see what the rest of the Design Team have been up to

Bev

Carol

Izzy

Jane

Julie

Linda (that's me)

Lindsey

Sarah G

Sarah P

Happy hopping!

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.

I'm going to try and tidy my craft room I think ..... I can't actually see my desk at the moment and the floor well, the less said about that the better!!

Cheerio until next time .......

  

On the eighth day of December .......

Happy weekend .....

I hope you've had a good week.
Things are starting to get a little crazy here with all the festive preparations.  Town was so busy yesterday ..... I was glad I went in early.
I've posted all the Christmas cards though (I'm sure there'll be someone I've forgotten).  I bought my wrapping paper (I bet I haven't got enough!).  I've also got the table presents sorted, and I've got just two more presents left to buy. I haven't been this organised, so early, for a long time!

There is a reason though ..... hubby and I are having a few days away next weekend, and I'm trying to have everything done before we go.  That way I can enjoy our time away, and not have to rush around when we get back.

It's all about the presents this weekend ..... it's time to get them all wrapped!
I love this part.  Buying them all can be a bit of a nightmare ....... have I got the right size?  Will they like the colour? ...... better get a gift receipt  but,  making all the boxes look pretty, and stacking them under the tree is so much fun.
So one of the things to do today is surround my self with rolls of pretty papers, lots of shiny ribbons and beautiful bows.  And I'd better not forget the tags!
Not sure who's going to get this jolly pair ......

I came across these two already stamped in my box of UFO's (Un-Finished Objects!)  I think they were leftover from making Christmas cards once upon a time and I thought they would make great tags.
I cut them down to size and then ran them through my Big Shot using the Softly Falling Embossing Folder from Stampin Up!

I added a touch of colour using ZIG markers .....

And a little bit of sparkle with some fine crystal glitter.

The sentiments have been stamped on the bottom using a gold ink .......

This month's challenge from Country View Crafts has a festive theme ..... it's all about Christmas, so I thought I'd play along as I think these fit the bill nicely.

We're off to the Christmas Market later, not looking for anything in particular, we'll just see what catches our eye.   Then we've got the little man staying over tonight.  I'm going to wait until he's in bed then it's time to grab the tape and scissors and wrap those presents.

Thanks for popping by ....... have a lovely weekend.

Cheerio until next time .....

Tag number 8 for this year's 12 Tags event ......

Happy Tuesday .......

It's tag time again, and I think this is one of my favourites so far .....

I'm definitely going for the CAS look with this year's designs.

I must admit, I am a bit of a traditional gal when it comes to Christmas ...... festive red's and greens, and I love the frosty looking metallics with pretty gold and silvers.  Saying that, I may have to change my colour scheme just a little bit this year, if we end up with the Christmas tree I have my eye on!!

This is my Tag number 8 for the 12 Tags of Christmas with Loll & Friends

I'm having so much fun playing along with this year's event .... have you joined in yet?

White cardstock for the tag ...... gold and silver metallic inks for the snowflakes .....

with one beautiful, large snowflake heat embossed over the top .....

A little bit of ink splattering on to the background ..... I used the same gold and silver inks that I stamped the snowflakes in

And then a simple greeting on the bottom ..... stamped in black Versafine

I love how this turned out!

We had a bit of a change of plan yesterday. 
The main reason for our trip across to the UK, for those of you that don't know, is my father-in-law had to go into hospital last week for a major op.
It's been a worrying few days but, I'm glad to say everything went well, and he was released from hospital yesterday, earlier than we expected, so that was great news. 
He's now home and taking things easy ..... hopefully (he's not one for sitting around doing nothing) ...... and fingers crossed, he's on the road to recovery.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time ....

We made it!!!

Happy weekend folks ........

Yes, it was a little touch and go there as to whether the boat would sail yesterday but ...... we made it! Despite the torrential rain and the hoolie of a Force 8 gale that was blowing, the ferry left on time and we arrived safely on the other side, ahead of schedule. 
I won't deny it was a little on the bumpy side ........ and I was very nervous as we left (my sea legs are not that good!)   We'd booked a cabin though so we were fine.  As we left Douglas we snuggled down and let the boat rock us to sleep.  We woke on the other side, with the captain announcing we were ready to dock ..... phew! 

So ....... it's back to business.
I'm a little early again with my tag number 6 for the 12 Tags of Christmas with Loll & Friends
(I'm not sure how today's going to go so I thought I'd post it now while I have the chance!)

Yesterday Loll and Christine, her guest designer, posted two gorgeous cute designs so I'm following their theme today with a whole load of cute snowmen.  Hmmm ..... I wonder, what do you call a group of snowmen?  Please leave your answers below!

I stamped the snowmen (Newton's Nook Frozen Fellowship) onto a piece of white cardstock and fussy cut around the top edge

I added some colour using ZIG markers and little bits of sparkle here and there with some fine crystal glitter.

I then inked around the edges of my tag using shades of blue Distress Inks (Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire) and splattered with a little water. 
I let the water sit for a few seconds then mopped up the excess with a paper towel, leaving what I think is a great, easy to do, snowy sky effect

I stamped my sentiment and heat embossed with WOW Platinum EP, and then attached my snowmen towards the bottom of the tag, using foam pads to add dimension .....

Well, that's another one done.  I might just even find the perfect gift for it to go on whilst I'm over here in the UK.  There will be some Christmas shopping done at some point, I'm sure of it!

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day and have a lovely weekend.

Cheerio until next time .....