Please Don't Eat the Cherries

A quick little update today as I am busy, busy, busy ... raking, raking, raking. I've just done about 15 large buckets full of the pesky leaves and I swear you can't tell where I've been.  Ah well, sunny day again tomorrow hopefully.

Take a look at these lovely beaded ornament hangers.  They are my favourite so far, and I'm not taking any credit  - it is ALL about those gorgeous red beads.  I think they look for all the world like maraschino cherries as they are similar size.  But please, don't eat the cherries, these go on your Christmas Tree.

Look at how they shine!  And I think whimsical combines with classic with the addition of the soft pearl and 'diamond studded' collar spacer. I have no idea what you actually call that, but it's pretty ... and from every angle.  I don't have too many of these, so they only come out when I really love the focal bead.

For the rest of the beads, I prefer to use a mixture of 6.0 and 8.0 seed beads as it adds a bit of texture - but it's not necessary - you could use one or the other.  I do recommend though that you create the focal point at the bottom end of the hanger - this will ensure that it hangs below the boughs and draw your eye to what's important - the ornament itself.

Christmas Snowflake Gift Tags

I've been busy making gift tags!  They're so pretty that I think you could use them as ornaments on your tree - and I definitely can see the appeal of that as they would pack away nice and flat!

Because I helped my friend Lynn out a teenie-weenie-little bit, she gave me a fabulous gift of a Michaels gift card.  I debated a few avenues (which was exciting in of itself) and ultimately decided to start investing in some die cuts for paper crafts.  I had looked at these die-cuts before, but they are quite a price and all my Scottish heritage can come out when in a craft/retail environment.  You definitely want to use your discount coupons and have a bit of a strategy before you are tempted by the selection at Michaels.  But oh what fun, when you get it together!

For these gift tags I am using a large snowflake and circles in two or three different sizes. This is a hang tag version of the gift tag, so I've used a smaller circle on the back for lots of space for your message.  I tested writing on the back when there was raised emblishment on the front, which I had some concern about, and no problemo.

To bring it all together and take it to the next level, I've added a nice shiny gem stone in the center.   I have a stash of those ... doesn't everyone?  To be honest, this was particularly exciting as I wasn't sure before that I'd ever have cause to use all of my gem collection.  Note to self: it's okay now to get  more!

So there we go ... total justification achieved for the foray into die cuts.  Have gems, have card stock, have embroidery floss, Christmas papers and a big box of emblishments ... let's paper craft!  So thank you Lynn. Thank you for telling me to treat myself to something I wouldn't normally.  It was a lot of fun doing that, and the fun is just beginning.

And thank you also to someone I've never met. I've barely seen the tip of the iceberg in the online crafing world of blogs/etsy and etc, but I find it inspirational and encouraging.  Years ago I thought crafts were all but dead, and it's wonderful to see such a vibrant resurgance.   The reason I'm into die cuts .... and own a double sided tape machine ... and frequently crave Elizabeth Shaw choclate mints ... is largely down to the fabulous creations of the Duchess of Fiddle Fart - check it out - she's amazing.

We should all remember ... sometimes you are noticed by - and influencing people - you don't even know.   Keep crafting .. the world needs more magic ... and a little sparkle and glitter never goes amiss.