Day 3: Gift Bag Topper

Hello!!! Hello!!! Hello!! Tosh here with Day 3 of our super fun 12 Days of Christmas December Power & Spark Challenge! If you haven't seen Katie's tags, or Stacy's Gift Card Holder, be sure to click on the links. You won't want to miss either of them!! They are clever and gorgeous!!

If you play along with us during any one of the 12 days and try our project at hand, link up your creation HERE and you’ll be in the running for our Power & Spark 12 Days of Christmas Challenge. That’s right – you’ll have 12 ways to enter. Play along once or try all 12 days for more chances to win a $50 shopping spree to the Power Poppy Shop!

Okay...now for today's project!!

A couple of decades ago, I started making Gift Bag Toppers. I actually learned how from a Stampin' Up demonstrator, but since it was about 22 years ago, I can't for the life of me remember her name. The basics are pretty much the same, I just make my borders a bit different. I made a tutorial for it a few years ago that you can find HERE.

Now, for today's bag, I used three different Power Poppy Stamp sets: Tweet Tidings (front panel), Holly Golightly (border and tag), Glitter House Village (top of topper and background tag).

For the border of my topper, I cut out the size, and scored where instructed. Then, I stamped the holly all the way around with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. I colored it with Copics and then stamped the snow background (from the Glitter House Village set), with Versamark and embossed it using Clear Embossing Powder (SU!) Then came the challenging part...fussy-cutting around all the holly.

 
I didn't get really particular, and it turned out beautifully, so it doesn't have to be perfect. Lastly, I ink distressed the whole topper with Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger), so make the snowflakes pop, and to age everything so it blends with the kraft gift bag. The flakes are hard to see in the photo, but in real life, they are a subtle charming little addition.

Next came the main panel. I started by die cutting the square (6x6 Matting Basics B - Spellbinders) and while the X-Press It cardstock was still in the die, I stamped the two separate Tweet Tidings Chickadees onto it with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. That way I could maintain a clean white border. I then Ink Distressed the panel with Antique Linen Distress Ink again, and colored the images with Copics. Lastly, I added some White Liquid Applique to the snow portions of the image, sprinkling some Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU!) on it before heating it with my heating tool. I love the sparkle and fun dimension.

Lastly, every gift bag needs a tag. And fortunately for us, Marcy has designed a fabulous set with a charming tag included. So, I stamped the tag along with one of the sentiments (from the Holly Golightly set), colored it with Copics and cut it out. I felt like it needed a base, so I took my Spellbinders Christmas Tag Set, die cut one of the tags using a piece of decorative paper from Echo Park's I Love Winter 6x6 paper pad. It was kind of plain, so I added an evergreen branch and a portion of a sentiment from the Glitter House Village set. It was stamped with Smokey Gray Versafine ink.

I hope you'll try your hand at decorating a gift bag with a topper. They are easy, and they eliminate the need for tissue paper, and the temptation of the recipients to peek. The topper makes it a bit harder after all. ;) If you do try this project, make sure to share by linking up your creation HERE! Of course, we would all love to see and if you link up your project, you'll be in the running for a $50 shopping spree to the Power Poppy Shop! 

Please stop by again tomorrow to see how Mindy Baxter makes a little treat aimed at keeping better tabs on all your hoiday gift purchases!

That is finally it y'all!!  Happy Stamping!!