Category Archives: Saint Nick

Lollipop Tag Basket with Graphic 45 St Nicholas

All I Want for Christmas is a Lollipop Tag Basket

Hello, G 45’ers!

What do you want for Christmas? All I Want for Christmas is….a Lollipop Tag Basket made with Graphic 45 St. Nicholas paper. What? Settle in, and I’ll tell you a Christmas story…

Lollypops for Christmas

Children make everything about Christmas more fun and more memorable. I think each family develops their own unique traditions that make the holiday uniquely their own. I always try to keep lollipops on hand at Christmas time. Here’s why.

When our first grandchild Sophie was two, she took her first trip to visit Santa. When I saw her the next day and asked her what she liked the best, she said without hesitation, “The wobbyhop.” I gave her mama a questioning look and she said, “Santa gave Sophie a lollipop.” Aaaah! And we all thought it was so cute, that we didn’t try to change the pronunciation.

Hoping to get the inside line on what items she had on her wish list, my next question to Sophie was, “So what did you tell Santa you wanted for Christmas?”

Without blinking an eye, she turned a sweet smile on me and said, “Wobbyhops!” I think every aunt, uncle, and grandparent bought her lollipops that year!

And that is the story behind this sweet lollipop tag basket made with the wonderful Saint Nicholas collection.

From Farmer’s Market to Holiday Table

This basket started its life as an ordinary green fiberboard berry basket that I purchased filled with luscious berries at our local Farmer’s Market. Being the packrat….er…. resourceful person that I am, it was neatly set aside in the Closet of Shame for future consideration. When the idea for this lollipop tag basket was born, it was transformed with some white acrylic paint. Which really did make it look better. But it needed a little “something something” to make it holiday worthy. Glimmer mist to the rescue! I sprayed it liberally with Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer mist, heat drying it as I worked. I didn’t want to let the Glimmer Mist penetrate the fibers for fear that they would crumble. The cool thing is, it ended up looking almost like ceramic and feeling super sturdy.

A Tisket, A Tasket, Lollipop Tags in a Basket

These tags are another quick and easy make. They are all cut from the 12×12 pages of St. Nicholas. I matted them on black cardstock to make a sturdy base that would stand up in the basket. As a bonus, you can now write a note or mount a picture on the back of the tag! How cool is that? Then I just added some ribbon, a lollipop, Petaloo posies and a little punch out tag. Easy peasy!

Love these Petaloo Regal Velvet Poinsettia and Pine cone picks!

A big poufy bow was tied with 1.5″ wide red plaid ribbon.

These would also be cute done with candy canes….but Sophie made the decision years ago….Christmas is for “wobbyhops!”

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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#Simply G45 Holiday Tags Tutorial: Simple Affordable & Under an Hour

#Simply G45 Holiday Tags Tutorial

Hello, G45’ers! How do you feel about challenges? Love ’em? Hate ’em? Well, our friends at Graphic 45 challenged me to create as many holiday tags as I could. And make a tutorial for these tags. Oh, and one more thing….these tags had to be simple (minimal materials), affordable (minimal expense) and completed in under one hour. Not one hour per tag…one hour total for ALL the tags. How’s that for a challenge? So I put on my thinking cap and came up with this #Simply G45 Holiday Tags Tutorial to share with you here today.

Every year at Christmas time, I bake. And I bake. And then I bake some more. The house smells like Mrs. Claus’ kitchen as gingersnaps, snickerdoodles, shortbread cookies and other assorted goodies fill the countertops and spill over onto the kitchen and dining room tables. All these treats get packaged into tins for our grown children. I also love to make cookie plates to share with friends and neighbors. Topping these with a pretty handmade tag that can be re-purposed as a tree ornament really makes the gift special.

It’s a busy happy time of year for all of us, and I suspect that I am not the only one who finds herself long on lists and short on time. So to help you get ready for the holidays, I thought I would share a “recipe” for a holiday tag series that is easy, affordable and can be done in under an hour. That sound too good to be true? Not when you have brilliant components from Graphic 45’s Saint Nicholas paper collection, some Staples Alphabet Banner tags and a video tutorial to guide you!

Saint Nicholas #Simply G45 Holiday Tags Tutorial: YouTube Video

Some Tips and Tricks

I actually had a great time making these tags. They came together quickly once I figured out the “recipe” . I actually timed myself with a stop watch to make sure that each tag took under 10 minutes to make. Here are some simple tips and tricks that will help you as you make your tags.

Creating an assembly line for your project saves time! Pre-cut all your paper layers, images, ribbons, fussy cut images and fibers. Lay them out on your work table in the order in which they will be used. Then just “go down the line” to create your tag.
Fussy cutting is easier if you cut around the image before doing detail cutting. I call this “whacking out” the image from the paper.
To create a nice clean edge when you are fussy cutting, hold your scissors stationary and move the paper. I demonstrate this technique in the YouTube video tutorial.
Use the printed letters on the Staples Alphabet tags to help you line up your matting layer. The straight line is built into the tag pattern. Just follow it, and your matting layer will always be straight!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I hope you’ll give these sweet little tags a try! I think they’d be loads of fun to make as a family activity during the holidays.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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St. Nicholas Gift Box, Shaker Card & Ornament

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts: St. Nicholas Gift Box, Shaker Card & Ornament

Hello, Friends! It’s time for another Snapguide tutorial for Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts. This time I’m sharing a great way to usethe new Double Sided Ornament from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts. I love to make cards that are a gift all by themselves. Today I’ll share a Snapguide with you showing you how to create this lovely boxed gift set.

Here is the box. I used a blank kraft card box that I had in my stash and decorated it

with Saint Nicholas papers, Petaloo flowers and gorgeous GSL snowflakes.

This pretty card is inside the box…..

….along with a little keepsake ornament. Instead of making a double sided ornament, I used one half on my card front as a shaker element. It’s twice the fun!

Here’s a closer look at some of the details.

Distress Grit paste makes wonderful “snow” especially when you sprinkle it with glitter!

And here’s a Snapguide Tutorial that so you can see all the steps that went into making this ensemble.

Check out How to Make St. Nicholas Card & Matching Ornament for GSL by Kathy Clement on Snapguide.

I think this would make a great holiday hostess gift, a wonderful teacher appreciation gift, or Secret Santa gift. You could also display the set on your holiday mantel or side table. I hope you’ll give it a try!

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheerio,
kathy

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:

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A Very Merry Christmas Card Tutorial

Graphic 45/Petaloo/Xyron Blog Hop: A Very Merry Christmas Card Tutorial

Hello, G 45’ers! Oh what fun we are having this week as we hop, hop, hop with Graphic 45, Petaloo International and Xyron! Today, I have A Very Merry Christmas Card Tutorial to share with you. Let’s get started!

One of the holiday traditions I love the most is the giving and receiving of Christmas cards. When I was a girl, my mother used to hang them all around the door frames of our house and I loved to stand and stare at all those lovely images of snowy meadows, Jolly Santas, mischievous elves, and stately deer. So I guess it’s natural that I grew up to love the process of creating Christmas cards.

Adding a special fold to a card really takes it to the next level. This Very Merry Christmas card has a fun gatefold opening with a medallion front and a magnetic closure. The inside is filled with pockets, tags and all sorts of eye candy to delight the senses and stir the imagination. This type of card is a gift in and of itself. The inner pockets also provide a wonderful way to deliver a holiday gift card, tickets or cash gift.

It looks like a complicated card, but when you break it down into pieces, as I have in this Snapguide tutorial, it’s just a matter of following each simple step. Before you know it, you’ve created your very own keepsake style Christmas card. This easy to follow Snapguide tutorial will show you how.

A Very Merry Christmas Card Tutorial with Snapguide

Check out How to A Very Merry Christmas St. Nicholas Gatefold Card by Kathy Clement on Snapguide.

A Peek at the Details

Anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I love birds. So when I saw this sweet little bird gift tag in the Saint Nicholas collection, I just had to use it on this card.

Staples Shabby Chic Door Pulls make a lovely nest, don’t you agree? Especially when filled with Spanish Moss, painted and glittered pine cones, miniature eggs, woodland “vines” and festive berries! I pulled apart Petaloo White Glitter Snowflake Picks and a Pine Pick with Cones and berries to “feather my nest.” A perky red Darjeeling poinsettia can be seen at the base of the door pull.

These bitty banner pieces made a festive topper for my sentiment panel. Xyron’s 3″ sticker maker made quick work of matting this layer!

Holiday Mix Canvas Briar Roses are the perfect match for my country plaid ribbon. Tucking in a pine pick with cones and berries gave it a real sweet woodland feel.

Opening a gatefold card like this one is so much fun! It is held closed with small magnets that are hidden behind the peppermint candy paper dots. Clever, yes?

This card is a regular party on paper! I love all the little tags in this paper collection. And do you suppose Santa has tucked a little treat inside that pocket? I bet he has!

I had never worked with Xyron products before, so this was a real adventure for me. You know what? I really liked them! The adhesive is super strong, and the machines all worked beautifully. Yep, I ‘m a fan!

Let’s Go to the Hop!

Now be sure to hop along on the Graphic 45, Xyron, and Petaloo Blogs all week long, and leave a comment on each one as each company is giving away some very nice prize packages!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Product Links:

12×12 Saint Nicholas Paper Collection (Kris Kringle, Season’s Greetings)
Saint Nicholas Banners
Chipboard: St. Nicholas
Pockets and Tags from St. Nicholas
G45 Staples Shabby Chic Door Pull
Xyron Mega Runner
1.5″ Sticker Maker by Xyron
Petaloo Flowers:
Bold Red Check Plaid Ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon)
Natural Burlap String

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Sweet Holiday Treats for the Petaloo/Xyron/Graphic 45 Blog Hop

Hello, Friends! I’m so glad you could join me here today for the Petaloo/Xyron/Graphic 45 Holiday Blog Hop! This is such a fun week, with great holiday inspiration and some fabulous holiday prize packs, too. I’ve created a trio of sweet holiday treats with Graphic 45’s gorgeous Saint Nicholas collection. The fine folks at Petaloo, Graphic 45 and Xyron are giving away some wonderful prize packs filled with flowers, adhesives and St. Nicholas goodies. Just be sure to visit each blog and/or Facebook page and leave a comment to win. Now, let’s get started!

Sweet Holiday Treats #1: Chocolate Gift Box

I love to make a lot of simple little handmade gifts for holiday giving. The projects I’m sharing with you today are all really simple to make, very affordable and filled with Christmas cheer. This tiny box is just 2.75″ square, but it’s loaded with Christmas spirit!

I flattened the box and traced around the edges to create a template. This was then traced onto this gorgeous Starry Night G45 paper. The sentiment label was a breeze to add because I ran it through my 3″ Xyron sticker maker. The adhesive was perfectly placed on the back of the label and all I had to do was line it up and lightly burnish it. So easy! Petaloo Darjeeling poinsettia and Canvas Briar roses add so much holiday cheer! Now this box is ready for the holiday festivities!

Postage stamps were cut out with shaped scissors and used to decorate the sides. Paper curls were created by rolling paper trimmings around a thin paint brush handle.

White tulle lines the inside of the box where I’ve stashed a sweet treat. A stack of Ghiradelli chocolates wrapped with a paper belly band, then topped with a small red poinsettia, a tiny tag and some pretty ribbons makes the perfect little gift for your favorite chocaholic.

Sweet Holiday Treats #2: Sugar Plum Peppermint Caddy

Starlight Mints are a holiday staple in our home. They look mighty cheery in this little caddy made with a Graphic 45 Staples Long Ivory Tag. I simply scored the tag, folded to form a pocket and then added paper sides to make it.

Cheery red ribbons, bodacious red poinsettia, and tinsel garland make this such a festive little goodie. And, it can stand all on its own, so it’s perfect for your desk or side table.

This came together in a jiffy, and you could make a bunch of them for holiday gifting. Any small individually wrapped candy would fit in the base.

Sweet Holiday Treats #3: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas Keepsake Cutaway Card

Holiday cards become a real keepsake when you add special elements like a mini Christmas tree, festive poinsettia, gorgeous ribbons and sweet surprises.

I had such fun building this card front! I love the star tinsel frame and the glittery snowflakes!

Inside, you find more beauty, and a sweet treat tucked inside a Graphic 45 chipboard envelope. I embossed gold metallic paper to make these pretty accent pieces. This card would look so pretty on a holiday mantel!

It only took one Sunday afternoon to get this happy trio singing in tune. Handmade gifts at the holidays are always special. I hope I’ve shared some ideas that will help you to get your holiday craft on.

Be sure to hop over to the Petaloo Blog and the Graphic 45 Blog so you can win one of those fabby prize packs I told you about!

Thanks for stopping by!