Envelope Gift Bag

This is my ninth and final card for Beccy’s Place  7^th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge and I’m entering it in the Day 30 challenge named “Do What You Love.” We are to create something that we love with our favorite embellishment, stamp, technique, etc. For the last 10 years, I’ve made packets of cards to give as Christmas gifts to my staff plus staff members at our church. It’s easy on our budget, always seems appreciated, and has become one of my favorite parts of holiday giving. I decided to use one of my most beloved stamp sets to make the bags that will hold this year's gift. It's from a vintage Stampin’ Up set named “Decorative Grapes.” It is one of the first stamp sets that I bought when I first started with this fun hobby (ummm, addiction?!)

I used a 9x12 kraft brown envelope, and the instructions found HERE to create the gift bag before stamping the grapes. I loved the dark green and burgundy colors against the kraft brown color. (I found the envelopes at an office supply store years ago. I also found several options on Amazon. Look for “9x12 kraft brown catalog envelopes.”)  After scoring the folds (I used my Score Pal, but a bone folder, scoring blade on a paper cutter or other options would also work) I folded the top of the envelope over, tore the edge of this “flap”, and stamped the grapes before folding and taping the gift bag. I then created a knot bow with paper ribbon from my stash (I think I’ve had them since the 80’s!) and attached it to the flap. To keep the bag closed, I added a Velcro dot under the flap (which also makes the bag reusable!)  Lastly, I created the tag that features a wonderful sentiment from a Beccy’s Place digi set named “Lamb of God.” I added a bit of elegance by highlighting the sentiment with a glittery gold gel pen and layering it onto brushed gold and metallic burgundy cardstock.

  

 

Entered into: 

Beccy’s Place Challenge- Nov      

Power Poppy- Creative Confetti- Alter It   

We Craft Cards Monday Challenge-Make it Pretty

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- #414-415 Anything Goes                   

Crafty Hazelnut’s Christmas Challenge- #466 Anything Goes 

Outlawz Challenge- Saturday Paper Ala Mode- Favorite Things            

I wanted to make a masculine card to enter into the current Scribbles Challenge and decided to use three of the colors in the current Outlawz Color Challenge (purple, green and a touch of fuchsia- in the paper behind the tags.) I looked through my files for the “just right digi” and found this great one from Polkadoodles named “Knight Dude.” I colored the dude and his scaley friend with Spectrum Noir markers and a Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen, plus added texture on the dragon wings with a silver gel pen. I used a square kraft card as my base, adding a wonderful Fairy Tale Subway Art free digi from TLC Creations (you can find it HERE). I wanted to add some silver accents and opted for sparkly silver stars. I cut the center from the largest one and taped it atop a slightly larger star cut from a piece of a plastic document folder. These versatile items come in a pack of assorted colors and can be found in the office supply section of most stores. I really like using them on my cards because they're often cheaper than colored vellum and are more translucent. The plastic is easy to fussy-cut with a nice, sharp pair of scissors. Don’t you love how the Subway Art image peeks through?  The sentiment tickets on the front and inside of the card are from the Knight Dude digi set.

Entered into:  

Scribbles Designs Challenge- #83: For the Boys

Outlawz Challenges- Tuesday Color Challenge (Photo)

Crafty Catz Challenge- Anything Goes #485 

Polkadoodles Challenge-Week 48 Anything Goes                                  

My final card features a wonderful digi from a talented artist and author named Sherry West. Sherry has a wonderful shop HERE and also has a FB page where she often offers free digis to her followers. That is where I picked up this cute digi named, appropriately “Cat and Pumpkin” for a November challenge. Sherry posted the free image for December and it’s an adorable “Christmas Goose.” (You can join her FB group HERE to download the image. Make and post a card to Sherry’s challenge to possibly win a free digi. So fun!) The sentiments are from a Power Poppy digi set named "Autumns Opulence." 

Entered into:  

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- Animal     

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes                                 

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Fridays