Coffee Loving Papercrafters

Have you started your holiday shopping yet?  Are you a year round shopper or do you wait until the last minute?  I used to shop year round, but now, my schedule is so busy, I do most of my shopping after Thanksgiving.  Like many of you, we are a busy family so I can’t afford to let the gifts pile up and wrap at the last minute.  I’ve already started wrapping and that means, making fun gift tags to go with my gift wrap.  I’m sharing some rustic tags today and also holiday beverages to jump start your festivities, so pull up  a chair and a hot mug and sit for a few!

I purchased a few planner stamp sets from Studio L2E for use in my planner and travelers notebook.  However, when I was getting ready to wrap gifts, I realized I was out of gift tags.  One thing led to another and I had a handful of tags ready to go.  The base for my tags is from American Crafts Hot Cocoa paper pad.  The stamps I’m using are Woodland Critters, Happy Notes, and Morning Cup.

The gift bag is a small kraft bag perfect for gift cards.  I turned it into a “birch wood” look, using my Tim Holtz embossing folder, white pigment ink pressed into the embossing folder and spritzed with water.  Then I ran it through my Sizzix Big Shot and dredged it through the remaining wet ink in the folder and dried with my heat emboss tool.  I also used my Vintage Photo distress oxide ink and dragged it across the ridges from the embossing folder. It gave my kraft bag an amazing wood, birch feel to it, that I just love.  I watercolored my Studio L2E  coffee stamps and stamped in the square, popping it up on foam squares.  Burlap string, burlap ribbon, washi tape and washi tape on a wooden clip, along with a hot glued jingle bell, complete this tag.  I used more supplies, so for the complete list, be sure and head over to my blog for clickable product/shopping links at Waving My Wand.

This tag is a replica of the first with the exception of the wooden clip.  My fox was also watercolored with Marvy Le Plume II markers and a water brush and masked for stamping inside the square.  For my gift wrapping, I used kraft sheets that fit into my woodgrain embossing folder.  I had to fold the sides up, to run through my die cut machine, so only the front of the packaging is embossed.  This was a 6×6 inch embossing folder so it didn’t completely cover all my packaging but I’m ok with the smooth edge on top and bottom.  I could have embossed those edges but hey, this is a game for my son and he won’t care!

Next up, I thought it would be fun to share some ideas for holiday beverages.  I don’t know about you,. but I’m always looking for a fun, new holiday drink to share with friends and family.  Taste of Home is one of my favorite magazines with great, dependable recipes that never disappoint.  Check out this list of 20 holiday drinks from Taste of Home that features everything from “Grinch Punch” to “Mocha Eggnog” to “Creamy Peppermint Punch” and more.  Personally, I’m taking that Banana Nog (pictured below) for a spin!

(photo credit: Taste of Home)

Don’t forget the upcoming Winter Blog Hop starts this Friday at 6 am pst.  Don’t miss out!  Join in the fun with your newly created coffee, cocoa or tea paper crafting creations or cards.

Thank so much for popping in today.  Stop by my blog for the full product list for items used in today’s post.  Got a question, I’m happy to answer, just ask.  Have a great Monday!  Terri