Holiday Countdown Series Day 10

Welcome to Day 10 of the Holiday Countdown Series for 2015! Join us each day as designers share with you fun, easy and inspiring holiday crafts.
It's Bev here today and I am super excited to share my very first post here at CutCardStock and how wonderful is it to start with my special holiday tag on a layout.

Start with a custom cut tag with a punched hole. Size to your project .. mine is about 2" wide x 3.5" long (because I am putting mine on my layout to share with you. Normal tag size is about 3" x 6"... but anything works.Collect your pieces you want to create your tag with. They can be smaller stash size. I matted my base with Stardream metallic for sparkle.
I like to work in layers without using the main base so I cut a piece of cardstock 1 7/8" x 2 5/8" to cover. To make things interesting I went with a cross angle design. It allow for some fun colour options and lots of shapes. (this is you own choice).

You can see the fun layers being created. Lots of design options when creating tags. Just have fun. When the main design piece is done add it to the tag shape. Now using 1 or more generous length of ribbon.... tie it off and cut the ribbons on an angle. To finish off your tag.. add sentiment, accents or stickers to co-ordinate with your theme. They are so cute for to many projects.

When creating my layout this was my thought process as it started. I used molding paste with paint in it on cardstock background using reddish colour to go with the papers I had pulled. I added some stamped snowflakes using grey paint. I sorted the American Crafts Hot Cocoa 6x6 pattern papers, some Stardream Metallic Cardstock and some American Crafts 6x6 Christmas Foil. When using 6x6 smaller pads you need to be a touch creative so here are just a few tips to making the paper stretch a long way. To achieve the above here are the photos to show you how to get the look above with less paper.

Estimating from the above proposed photo this is how I got to that stage. Cut the red paper to a left corner angle about 1 1/2" wide. Take about 1 1/2" silver strip and glue to the corner angle piece.

When using 6x6 you will find cutting them in half and then going from there goes a long way. So taking my black print and cutting it in half to start giving me a 3x6" piece I know cut it in half again leaving me with 2 3x3" squares to place on the top and bottom of the red Stardream paper.

Now taking my pattern paper matted photo I place it over the section that we are trying to cover up that was short on black pattern paper. Sure hope you like this tip today.

I have one more small tip that a friend shared with me. Trying to get a good spaced placement of the small alps stickers is tricky but you can use either piece of paper or a ruler and to this.

Place the small alpha sticker letters just to the edge of either a paper or ruler as per above. The are all spaced and easy now to see how wide the 2 words are and eye up the centre or mark it on the paper underneath the letters.

Now place the paper holding your words to where you want and eye up the placement. When it's where you want it gently pat down the upper side of the letters. Place your fingers firmly over the letters while you gently pull away the excess paper piece. Almost perfect every time.

Here is my finished page. It started with the background, the construction of many layers from smaller paper pads and ended with the addition of the fun cute tag, a title and some stickers.