New Year's Hostess Gift by Laura C

Start the New Year off right, ring it in with a fun set of wine/drink charms, that can be a great hostess gift, or you may want to keep them for yourself!



Start with shrink plastic (I used white), a small stamp of your choice (I had the word "cheers"), Staz-On Black Ink (must be a good permanent ink), Ranger alcohol inks or Copic Markers, an Tim Holtz Ink Applicator and felt and a Crop a Dile hole punch. I used a 1&1/2" circle punch to make my "stencil". Then I traced and cut out 8 circles from the shrink plastic. Then I stamped my image on the disc—some people will sand the shrink plastic to make this easier.....I did not....but it might slip a bit so don't push down too hard. Then use the Crop a Dile to punch a hole......I stacked them all up and did it with one punch (the larger hole)—love the Crop a Dile!! Then using the Tim Holtz Ink Applicator and felt....I brushed the edges of each disc with a different color of alcohol ink. You can get a similar effect with Copic Markers as well. Here is a look at the disks before shrinking:


Now, on your Bazzill Splat Mat or other heat safe surface, use a toothpick in the hole to keep the disc from blowing away, and use your embossing Heat Gun to shrink it. It will curl all up, but will return to a flat disc when it's done. Now you can do these up anyway you choose. You can use a thin ribbon or twine, I had a good wire in my craft stash, so I strung on some small beads that complimented the disc color, and I used a needle nose pliers to form each end into hooks. I used a jewelry ring to attach the shrink plastic charm so it will lay flat.


To make the "matchbook" to hold them, use a 8&1/2" by 5" piece of cardstock. Score it at 3&1/2", 4", and 7&1/2" on the Scor Pal, and fold to create match book. I used a small piece of Velcro to secure it closed. You can decorate for any holiday, I chose New Year's, used a celebrate stamp that I embossed using Tim Holtz embossing ink, and Super Fine Embossing Powder on a 1&3/4" by 2&1/4" piece of black cardstock, I then used Flower Soft glue around the edge, and applied Beadazzles in the Waltz color. I used American Crafts glitter cardstock (a 1&1/4" x 5" strip) and layered a 2&3/4" by 2&1/2" square and foam dotted the dry "celebrate" square on top. A 1/2" x 5" strip on the small flap finishes it off. On the inside, I used plain white cardstock and a ribbon slot punch to make the card to hold the charms. I fastened this piece on the bottom edge only, to hold it in place, but allow easy access to the charms.

This is a gift any hostess would love to receive!

Available at Cutter's Creek:

Suze Weinberg Beadazzles (waltz)
Tim Holtz Ink Applicator
Super Fine Embossing Powder (silver)
American Crafts Glitter Cardstock (silver)
Staz-On Black Ink
Bazzill Simply Smooth white cardstock
Bazzill Splat Mat
Copic Markers
Crop a Dile
Scor Pal
Flower Soft glue

Trick or Treat? by Laura C.

There is no trick to making these adorabletreats! You can use this idea to dress up any type of flat candy bar! 

These instructions are for a Hershey's chocolate bar.  Cut a 5 & 1/2" by 5 & 1/2" piece of paper or thin cardstock.  I used a green stripe and plain black from my stash.  Wrap the paper around the candy bar, secure it with a line of adhesive.  Now for the fun part!!  The "Happy Halloween" was printed off my computer on white cardstock and then trimmed to 2 & 1/2 x 3/4".  I used a foam applicator to apply distress ink (Tim Holtz) with a bit of the color pumice stone on there first, then loaded it with bundled sage and applied it to the cardstock (do this by using  a swirling motion that starts OFF the cardstock and work your way onto the cardstock--this tip is from the man himself at Scrapfest!). Then I mounted this on a 2 & 3/4 x 1" piece of the striped paper.  The piece underneath is cut  out of purple cardstock with the new labels 14 from Spellbinders and I used a thin line of glossy accents around the edge and sprinkled that with the new Suze Weinburg Beadazzles in Salsa.  Once dry, I pop dotted the Happy Halloween to the purple "bedazzed" piece, and finished it off....a strip of ribbon (you could use cardstock!) and glue dots to attach the Happy Halloween piece.

The spider "treat" is made with the same base size, and I used cuttlebug folders for the embossed pieces which were enhanced with Tim Holtz inks in rusty hinge with a little bundled sage added on the web (which was trimmed to 2" x 5"). The spider from the A2 "boo to you" folder, was cut out with a 1 & 1/4" punch and then mounted on a 1 & 1/2" circle of black cardstock. It was outlined with lime green stickles.

Love this idea for a child's classroom, or party favors, or even a special "treat" for a special someone! 

This fall, have fun with something new like these awesome blendable inks, from Tim Holtz or Suze Weinburg Beadazzles!  Kim has so many wonderful fun goodies in her store!!  So go ahead, step out of your crafting comfort zone, grab something new and then go and play!!

Available at Cutter's Creek:

Tim Holtz distress inks (pumice stone, bundled sage, rusty hinge)
Tim Holtz adirondack alcohol ink applicator
Inkssentials blending foam
Inkssentials glossy accents
Spellbinders (Labels 14)
Suze Weinburg Beadazzles (Salsa)
Cuttlebug A2 folder (Boo to You)
Stickles (lime green)
Glue Dots (memory dot n' go)