Thursday, 1 October 2026

Christmas Totes

 

Each year I try to make small gifts for my son's "class" mates.  He wanted to share the tradition of Christmas crackers with his friends and so I have decorated these pre-bought gift bags which are big enough to hold a cracker as well as other seasonal treats.

One side was decorated with a Christmas Cracker (Spellbinders), foliage (Sizzix Winter Foliage) and candy canes (Gummiapan) and the other side with a Merry Christmas sentiment (Gummiapan) and their name (cut from red mirror card stock).

The panels were cut with a Distressed Stitched die (Daisy Mae Designs).

Here is the reverse side


 I hope you can find time to join us this month at the Sparkles Christmas Challenge - this year has gone so fast and Christmas is really getting close now!

I am grateful for and would like to enter the following challenges:
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes;
The Outlawz Christmas October Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes;
Merry Little Christmas Challenge #70 - Anything Christmas Goes;

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!  Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and should be able to find you!

Kate

Apple of My Pie


 Time Out Challenge #323 has just gone live and we have another Pick 2 Challenge!
The concept of a Pick 2 Challenge is simple - we give you 6 prompts to choose from and you use at least 2 to inspire your creation!  To be clear, you can pick more than 2 if you like - all 6 if you really want to challenge yourself - but just make sure to pick at least 2!


The Prompts for this challenge are
Gingham, Circle, Basket, Harvest, Baking and Apple

You can interpret these words any way you like but please explain if it isn't obvious and please remember we only allow a total of 5 challenges - ours plus 4 others!  I hope you enjoy our challenge and that you can take a little Time Out and join us for some fun!  

Challenge #319 is generously being sponsored by Lawn Fawn and our Top Pick as chosen by the design team a $25 credit to their store.

The Top Pick will also be invited to join Time Out as a guest designer in a future challenge.  Speaking of guest designers, our guest designer this fortnight is Cathy Preissing of Markers, Ink and Paper, our winner of Challenge #318.  Be sure to check out the Time Out Blog to see how how Cathy and my talented team mates interpreted these six words!

In the year our youngest son was born, the commune (equivalent of local council here) gifted all the children born that year with a tree and we opted for an apple tree.  When we first saw the sapling we weren't sure it would survive that first winter but eventually it took root and after a few years began to thrive.  

We're never quite sure what the harvest from this tree will be but every year it gets stronger and stronger (much like our son I guess) and after this year's punishing hot and very dry summer we didn't hold great expectations for this season.

However, when we returned from our holiday last week, the tree was laden with juicy red apples (albeit a little on the small side) and hubby has already made two pies - so Stephanie's choice of prompts for this challenge was very timely and inspired this card - and I was able to use all six of the prompts!

I used an NBUS basket die (Gummiapan Advent Calendar Day 11 - 2025) and filled it with yummy red apples (Gummiapan Fruit Die Set).  An NBUS circle die (I think it resembles a paper plate) was the perfect size to hold the pie (Spellbinders Perfect Pies) and a sentiment (Waltzing Mouse Compact Sentiments) - everything was cut from plain white card stock and coloured with alcohol markers.  The apples were coated with glossy accents!

And of course, a red gingham panel provided the perfect backdrop!

Here's a side view closeup


I am grateful for and would like to enter the following challenges

Ellibelle's Garden Party #19 - Apples are "in or from a Garden"!
NBUS Challenge #91 - NBUS basket die;
Seize the Birthday #335 - Not sure if these colours qualify for the topping "Fall Colours";
Krafty Chicks Challenge #840 - Week 1 Birthday;
Allsorts Challenge #859 - Anything Autumn

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you go away a little inspired!   Your visits and comments are always a joy and always appreciated!  And if you leave a comment, I’ll know you were here and how to find you!

Kate