Challenge #20 Inspiration with Varada

Hello crafty friends,

Varada here today, with inspiration for challenge #20. 

This time I decided to go with the middle vertical row - Frame, Dew drops and Sweets. I created a framed shaker tag with tiny seed beads / dew drops inside. This tag is adhered on to a pillow box that has real sweets inside! 

For the tag, I used the Winter Fun stamp set from Hero Arts. This stamp is an add-on stamp set for this month's My Monthly Hero kit. It has adorable images of animals and winter / holiday themed things like skates, sled, Christmas tree and a mailbox covered in snow.

I stamped and watercolored all the animals using Strathmore watercolor paper and Gansai Tambi watercolors. I used black Archival ink for stamping since this ink is waterproof and does not bleed with watercolors.

I created the background - lowest layer by stamping the tree, ink blending for the sky and adding snowflakes, sentiments and sparkle dots. While stamping the tree I used MISTI to lay out my elements and decide exactly where I wanted it.

I made the walls / frame of my shaker by repeated die cutting several pieces of card stock and layering them together with Glossy Accents. For the top most layer, I used a patterned paper and some packaging material.

Before adhering the top most layer, I layered the snowy hills, a giftbox and a badger and added dew drops / seed beads with some fake snow (Polar White Flower Soft) inside the tag.

For my sweet treats,  I created a pillow box using some patterned paper and a Sizzix die, added some peanut M&Ms inside and assembled everything. To have some pop of color, I adhered a red cardinal right on top (outside) the tag and added matching twine to it.

Here's the close of the top itself:

Although I used sweets inside my pillow box, the same idea can be used for other stocking stuffers - small jewelry, or a Christmas ornament, money or even a gift card - fits inside this pillow box. There are endless possibilities here!

Hope you liked my project and feel inspired to play with us.

Big thanks for dropping by!
~Varada