Good Morning! How we all doing? The calendar is telling us that Christmas is just 10 days away! If you are like me, when you see the 15th….it becomes reality – the hour glass has turned.

As I look at my house with “stuff” here and there I am proud that I am not stressing about the “what still needs to be done” scenario that we often put on ourselves….as on Tuesday my kitchen counter was lined up with Reindeer Tags waiting for their noses to dry and when John came into the kitchen he heard a quick, “Don’t lay anything on the Reindeers”….and then I heard a laugh from him!

I have a bunch of pictures for you today and I hope that I am inspiring you to find some time and just have fun with products that I know you have stashed…that is what is BEST about making tags…you get the best of both worlds…a great finished product and you use up odds and ends that you have!

The tag to the right has the retired wooden snowflakes….I found a package of them and the lightbulb went off….not only did I say USE THEM UP but I was happy with the simplicity of using them – trust me….do a “search and rescue of your stash”….you will be amazed at what you find!

This year I decided to go a bit whimsical with tags as truth be told I wanted to get to know the Stampin’ Blends better so how and what is the best way to accomplish that?

Simple….here is the secret – PRACTICE!

Not only did I have fun but it was a learning process and in the end…I had a bunch of tags completed and I learned a bunch! Am I the best at it…NOPE….Did I learn along the way….YEP…I just kept trying a different “touch”…a different “color”…a different “stroke”…I really do not know what I am doing but I just kept practicing and in the end – I had a ton of adorable tags!

At the end of the post today I will share with you my simple formula in making tags…remember, tags can be so many different sizes and shapes. I just tend to stick with one style and let the production line roll!

In the below picture you can see that I colored the reindeer with (2) different main bases for his body. The one on the left the main color is the Ivory Marker and the one on the right is the Light Crumb Cake Marker. I ended up liking the left one better as I preferred the “red – lighter” cast the end result gave. Again, just exploring and practicing….the name of the game!

I shared with you before that I think that this bundle, Seasonal Chums is a keeper one. It is designed with the “back” of the image as well but I just “snipped” it to make it for a tag. Don’t forget – this bundle IS being carried over but it will NOT be in a BUNDLE FORM so if you do not have it….I would SWOOP it up to save the 10% bundle discount.

Just look at these images…true classics and the design of this set is just wonderful! I think that we often forget (I know that I do) to use the other die cut images that are in the die cuts…there are some super shapes that would be great “fillers” for projects!

Here is a super close up picture for you……I truly have no clue what I am doing but I do know one thing….it was FUN! I added a wee bit of Pink to the inside of the ears and cheeks…a quick and easy touch that I do think makes him have character!

What did I do with the nose? Well….I used the Light Cherry Cobbler Blends but then I put some glossy accents over top. I am sure that many of you still have it in your stash from when Stampin’ Up! sold it but I have also linked it for you if not. It is not only a great “glossy shine” it also can be used as an adhesive….(You also can find it in Michaels….Hobby Lobby etc…)

Let’s peek at the adorable snowmen….did you smile? I hope so as they make me smile each time I see them. Let me tell you, these were super fun to color. Remember, NO RULES on what is the right way or wrong way. I just kept picking up markers and went to town….so rewarding and relaxing.

Here is a tip for these little guys…..I used the light Pool Party just around the edge of the snowmen and then used my color lifter to soften the edges…..this gives the little guy a sense of “roundness” and when I put him against the DSP that has Pool Party in it…..(from the Coffee Cafe Collection) it just POPPED!

Pretty in Pink is this little guy. You will see at the end of the post that I used Kraft Wrapping Paper with a simple Red bow for many of my gift wrapping. When it is all said and done….who cares about the colors as after all they are just TAGS…and TAGS are meant to be a “one and done” type of thing….this is why I chose TAGS to be my practice guinea pigs!

Here is a great place to buy fun wrapping paper….Michaels….yep – they have some great papers in bins for just $1.50 each…that is my “stock up” place of choice as not only is it a great price…the selection is usually good (very plain, clean & simple….just like I like it) and the quality to wrap it is super!

For these tags…this is how I rolled…

• I cut Thick Whisper White to 2″ X 5″ and then used the Banner Triple Punch for the decorative end
• I stamped the images on scraps if paper….cut them out and colored them with the Blends. Make sure that you use the Memento Ink with the Blends….
• I cut the DSP a wee bit larger than the image….sometimes it was 2″ and sometimes it was 2 1/4″….just have a little bit on each end to make the image POP and then mat it with a solid piece of cardstock that is a wee bit bigger than the DSP.
• I popped the images up with Foam Adhesive Strips….I found this to be a perfect choice. I loved that I could “bend” the adhesive but I really….really liked only having to peel off on release paper.

Where did the sentiments come from? Well….“Merry and Bright” was from the November Paper Pumpkin and the “happy holidays” was from a Simon Says Stamp that I have. You know me…..I do love my sentiments and I am always on the lookout for the perfect fit and font for my needs.

The moral to this tag story is…just have fun in creating and making them. Use what you have….tailor it to the color scheme of your papers and ribbons and use up what you have. It truly is as simple as that. As I am finishing them up…I toss them in a container so they are all in one spot….this way I am always “armed and ready for wrapping duty” at anytime.

As you know me as being “SIMPLE SUSAN” you can see from the below picture how I roll for the holidays! I tend to be a Kraft Paper or a simple and fun Polka Dot person with a BIG WIDE BOW….and to me that is both FUN and DONE!

Here is another idea/tip….tags make a fabulous gift to give. I have put tags in a Mason Jar with a spool of Bakers Twine and a pair of Paper Snips….now that is what I call a HOME RUN…not only a great gift but a super practical one!

Happy Weekend to all and if you are starting to travel, please be careful. This is such a busy time of the year and I know that many of my friends “peeps” are rolling in from Colleges now. My oldest peep Will….is leaving today after school (he is a teacher) and spending the holiday traveling Spain…..true I am a bit sad that he will not be home but I am thrilled that he has the time off and ability to see a different country.

I do hope that you can find some time to give making handmade tags a whirl….it is a stress buster as if you are creating….you are having some “me time” and we all love our crafting time!!!

So…what do you think???? Do these tags perk your day up!?!? I sure do hope so….now go make it a FABULOUS day!