Handmade Holidays Blog Hop {Nov 4th}

Welcome to the Handmade Holidays Blog Hop! We’ve gathered designers from some of our favourite manufacturers to show you ways to create something from the heart this holiday season. This three-day hop includes over 60 stops with inspiration brimming from every corner. Explore all thoughtful and frugal handmade gifts you could make for the holidays, all in one place on this Hop!

For my project, I combined The Twinery's baker's twine with the following products from Clearsnap: Smooch Spritz, Design Adhesives and Designer Foils. I've never used any of these Clearsnap products before and it was so much fun experimenting and playing with them. They are easy to use and I can't believe I never knew they existed!

I made a set of gift tags wrapped in a custom-sized box for those early December holiday parties. This would make a great hostess gift! The recipient could then use them on his or her own holiday gifts.

First, I die cut all the tags and spritzed them with both Gold Glow and Holly Berries. I love the shine! I let them dry and cut three trees for each tag from Funky Forest design adhesives and adhered them to the tags. Then I applied Irish Eyes foil over top, stamped the sentiments and tied baker's twine in Peacock and Stone using the technique shown at the bottom of THIS post.

For the bows on these tags, I did a little variation from my video tutorial shown HERE. I pulled one side of the tails downward and kept those long while trimming off the top tails to create a bow that looks more like a wreath.

To sweeten the Hop, we’re offering a gift for you! For every comment you leave on the blogs in the Hop, you’ll be entered to win a prize pack from one of the participating manufacturer sponsors! The Twinery is giving away three Ultimate Color Sampler Packs to one lucky winner:

Visit the list of blogs below and leave a comment on each by November 7, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Each day we will be sharing a brand new list of blogs with brand new projects for you to explore, be inspired by, and create from!

Clearsnap
Spellbinders
Hampton Art
Zutter
Graphic45
Donna Salazar Designs
The Twinery
Authentique Paper
Glue Arts
Sherry Cheever – Graphic45
Claire Towle – Hampton Art
Emily Leiphart - The Twinery
Andrea Budjack – Glue Arts
Lesley Langdon – Spellbinders
Daniela Dobson – Clearsnap
Natasha Naranjo Aguirre – Donna Salazar Designs
Lisa Day – Glue Arts
Lynne Forsythe – Zutter
Jennifer Priest- Clearsnap
Tifany DeGough – Authentique Paper
Holly Simoni – Spellbinders
Fleur Smith - Zutter
Stephanie Johnson - The Twinery
Robyn Weatherspoon – Clearsnap

Thanks for stopping by today! Please be sure to start at the Clearsnap Blog again tomorrow and Sunday for a full list of hop participants on those days. Cheers to creating gifts from the heart this holiday season! Happy Hopping!

Sources for Tags: Gina K Designs pure luxury kraft cardstock; Clearsnap SmoochSpritz in Gold Glow & Holly Berries; Clearsnap Funky Forest Design Adhesives; Clearsnap Irish Eyes Designer Foils; Papertrey Ink Tag Sale #3 die; The Twinery baker's twine in Peapod & Stone; Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas; Memories Black ink

Sources for Box: Gina K Designs pure luxury kraft cardstock; SU Real Red cardstock; Clearsnap SmoochSpritz in Gold Glow; Clearsnap Funky Forest Design Adhesives; Clearsnap Irish Eyes Designer Foils; The Twinery baker's twine in Charcoal & Stone; Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas; Memories Black ink