Cookie Cutter Christmas mini gingerbread pouch

There’s an exclusive little boutique outlet near me that sells all manner of treasures and is especially loved by demonstrators who like to find small treats to package up prettily. The shop is called “Home Bargains” and is where I found these little gingerbread men to go perfectly with the Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set. I think they were 79p for a pack of for seven individually wrapped packs of three. 

It’s also where I found the mini bulldog clips in a pack of mixed pastel colours (can’t remember the price) and the tiny candy canes (99p for 20).

This is the project I took along to Telford for our little group to make in our hotel room on the evening before the event. I kept the kit very simple, cutting everything in advance, and we used the Gift Bag Punch Board to create the packet, so that we didn’t need a paper trimmer or scoreboard. 

The bag isn’t one of the standard shapes that you can make with the punch board; I adapted it. Here are the instructions: 

You need a piece of Designer Series Paper or cardstock, cut to 7"x7".

1. Insert the DSP into the Gift Bag Punch Board with the left edge at Start Line and punch.
2. Score at Side 2 and along Horizontal line.
3. Move this score line up to Start Line and punch.
4. Score at SIDE and along Horizontal line. 
5. Move this score line up to Start Line (you’ll have to guess a bit) and punch.
6. Score at Side 2 and along Horizontal line. 
7. Move this score line up to Start Line and punch.
8. Score at SIDE and along Horizontal line. 
9. Move this score line up to Start Line and punch.
10. Trim the base flaps with scissors at about halfway and assemble as normal.

Cookie Cutter Christmas Photopolymer Stamp Set [142043] £19.00	Cookie Cutter Builder Punch [140396] £16.00	Gift Bag Punch Board [135862] £18.00	Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper [141981] £10.00
Tag Topper Scalloped Punch [133324] £21.00	Real Red A4 Card Stock [106578] £7.25	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £8.25	Tip Top Taupe Classic Stampin' Pad [138325] £6.00
Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [126949] £6.00	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad [126973] £6.00	Candy Cane Lane Baker's Twine [141983] £5.50	Gold Glimmer Paper [133719] £4.50

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Watercoloured Merry Mice

I realised that, with all the excitement of going to Telford for Stampin’ Up!'s OnStage event, I didn’t get round to showing you the projects from my first Hygge Night.

Hygge is the wonderful Danish concept of enjoying life and its comforts, not just for winter but all year round, and I thought it would be good to embrace this philosophy over winter with monthly classes on Friday evenings. Out come the fairy lights and candles, with comforting snacks and, best of all, crafting.

Last month we spent the evening watercolouring using the Merry Mice stamp set and this is one of the cards we made. I deliberately kept the card really simple, so that the ladies would have more time to spend on their watercolouring.

For watercolouring, I prefer to use a paintbrush with water and either my ink pad lids (always remembering to dry them before closing again) or ink refills. The refills are excellent value - cheaper than “proper” watercolour paint pans and more versatile, too. After trying all the different techniques, you can even re-ink your ink pads with them! I know! Who knew?

For this event, they were a boon as I could drip them into empty embellishment pots and lids so that people could pass them round, with two of each colour on the go.

I had a minor panic while prepping the class when I ran out of this design of DSP. None of the other sheets was quite right as I really wanted the snow effect. Fortunately, there’s a design very similar in the Serene Scenery stack, which was just perfect for the job.

My next Hygge Night is on Friday, 25th November, 7.15pm-9.30pm, when we will be making a beautiful burlap wreath. You can register here or, for more details, please drop me a line!

Merry Mice Clear-Mount Stamp Set [142145] £15.00	Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper [141981] £10.00	Watercolor Paper [122959] £4.50	Cherry Cobbler A4 Card Stock [121681] £7.25
Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock [140490] £6.50	Jet Black Stazon Ink Pad [101406] £8.25	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [100531] £3.00	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [131158] £3.00
Dapper Denim Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [141399] £3.00	Real Red Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [103287] £3.00	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [121029] £3.00

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com