Let it (Pretend) Snow!

I was about to say Happy Friday when I realized it's only Thursday. Which is a good thing because November goes so fast it makes me crazy. All the things you think you're going to get done just evaporate. I don't know if it's that one day that gets lopped off at the end, or the doomed trifecta of the time change, the one day and a bunch of holidays all jammed up together. Whatever it is, it's not cool.

What is cool is that Thanksgiving is coming. For most of us, this all the fun of Christmas without the stress of the gift thing. You get an excuse to let your calorie guard down a little and nap. I really think the napping is the true power of Thanksgiving. When else is it appropriate for a bunch of adults to drape themselves all around a room, TOGETHER and just snore after eating pie? THAT STOPPED IN KINDERGARTEN FOR MOST OF US. Also, no one told us in kindergarten - HEY! STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT NAPPING YOU LITTLE DUMMY - THIS WILL BE THE WHITE WHALE OF YOUR ADULTHOOD.

Looking back on my teaching years, I'm thinking I should have yelled this at kids more.

Anyway, the other thing Thanksgiving is about for me is the beginning of making my Christmas cards in earnest. I have a stack from blog posts already, but this is sort of the dateline that I use to really get started on any design I need to get up to the right number of cards. Then when I'm done with those, I make tags if I have time - these are to give away, as we have blissfully done no-gift Christmases for years - it truly changes the holiday into what it should be and removes all stress.

Today, if you follow me on Instagram, you'll actually see a tag hop that I'm participating in with Tracey McNeely, who really does Christmas up right on her blog. I'm making the project on behalf of Picket Fence Studios, and that's who makes this ADORABLE gnome I am using today. First, I cut my tag with this adorable stitched tag die. I love how it makes the tag almost look quilted. It cuts out a hole reinforcer too, but I didn't use that here. It's super cute. Then I took the gnome stamp - I've seen so many cute things with this little guy and stamped him in the new Hybrid ink from Picket Fence. (This also comes in a cube if you want to try it out.) I colored him with Copics, and cut him out with the matching die. Using this 6x6 stencil and Unicorn ink and the small, oval Life Changing Blender Brush from this set, I brushed the stars onto the background and set them with my heat gun. I stamped the sentiment from the same set onto white cardstock in the hybrid ink and then cut it out with these nesting hex dies.

To finish it off, I added these white Nuvo drops - they make such perfect shiny dots! - and added some thick red & white twine.

A Gnome Winter - Picket Fence Studios [ PFS ] A Gnome Winter Coordinating Die -... [ PFS ] Wplus9 CLEAR CUT STACKERS HEXAGON... [ SSS ] Grid Stitched Tag Confetti Cuts –... [ RVR | SSS ] Christmas Star - A Colorful Life Designs [ CLD ] "Life Changing" Blender Brush Set -... [ PFS ] Tonic GLOSS SIMPLY WHITE Nuvo Crystal... [ SSS ] Lawn Fawn PEPPERMINT SINGLE CORD... [ SSS ] Hero Arts Pigment Ink Pad UNICORN... [ SSS ] Black Hybrid Ink Pad - Picket Fence... [ PFS ] Black Hybrid Ink Cube - Picket Fence... [ PFS ] Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White [ GNK ] MISTI Stamping Tool [ MSW | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ] Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth [ AMZUS ] Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -... [ BLIC ] Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding... [ AMZUS ] Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675 [ SSS | ART | AMZUS ] Essentials by Ellen Storage... [ ELH ] Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC [ ELH | SSS ] Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two... [ SSS | ART | BLIC | ELH ] Ink Off Cloth [ INK ]

Now that's a fancy looking handmade tag that really just took five minutes. You just need the right tools! Yes, that's your permission slip for shopping. :)

Head over to the Picket Fence Instagram account to see everyone else's tags, and have a fantastic weekend. I'm making Christmas cards with friends on Saturday - what are you up to?

Loveyameanitbye.