Dreamweaver and Woodware: Christmas in August-Day Six

Yes! It's been that time of year again! The time when we inspire crafters on both sides of the "pond" with a mix of both Dreamweaver and Woodware UK* products for the holidays! Six days, SIX, of beautiful, elegant, merry, cute, artsy, and craftsy projects to have you heading out to your local stores or internet sites to buy these goodies immediately!

Of course, there have been prizes as well. Three prize packages will be given to three commenters during this week's posts on the team's blogs, including five stencils and one nested die set. You can have an opportunity to win these goodies by leaving some holiday sweetness for each team member posting each day, to be one of the three winners for the week. Here are the team members that are inspiring you today:

Dream It Up!

Woodware UK

Kristine Reynolds
Jamie Martin
Pam Hornschu
Louise Healy 
Alison Heikkila
Debs Frost 
Lyn Bernatovich
Lynn Mercurio
Lea Kimmel
Gill Wilson
Laura Drahozal 
Dorothy Adam

Here's my creation: 

Feel the need for a cuppa? How about twenty-four? That's what I have for today! I created a Christmas Advent garland using Dreamweaver's newly-released Teacup Nesting Dies. Twenty-four large cups die cut from chipboard, and twenty-four large cups from Cardworks Christmas Post papers, with a few solid colors mixed in. All of the solid colors have been ink-stenciled using Clearsnap Mixed Media ink in Jasmine White with Dreamweaver's Line of Christmas Trees, Village, or Christmas Borders stencils. Some of the patterned cups also were ink-stenciled with green ink. Each paper die cut cup was adhered to a chipboard cup on the edges, with a slight gap to allow for tucking in some little advent treats...tea bags (okay, those of you in the UK...don't judge me on the brand of tea. The packages were the right colors!) and tiny chocolates. Other suggestions could be gift certificates or cards, little notes, lotto tickets, candy canes, the thin packets of flavored coffees, etc. The Advent numbers were die cut with the newly-released Dreamweaver Dual Alphabet/number set, and each of these were adhered to the tiny die cut teacups tied to each larger one with natural hemp cord. All of the cups were then tied onto a length of thick, jute cord, which was also tied to a long bundle of twig/branches that I had saved off of my birch tree in the front yard. Some happy plaid and tartan ribbons added more homey color, and the finished result was a perfect decoration for my mantle in a few months. Each of these teacups would make a wonderful tree ornament, a tag for a gift, or the front of a card for most any occasion, with a gift card tucked inside.
The Advent garland concept could be done just as easily with Dreamweaver's newly-released Nested Stocking and/or Nested Ornaments dies. The possibilities are endless!

*For a stockist near you contact Woodware Craft Collection in the UK and Notions Marketing in the USA.