IO Challenge - Quick Holiday Gifts

I didn't think I'd participate in Impression Obsessions challenge "Quick Holiday Gifts', but I got it together and made a little box that can hold a gift card and maybe a couple of very special chocolates.
Please excuse the awful photo, my batteries died and I couldn't re-take the picture.

I used Impression Obsession Trees (DIE217-E) and Sentiment dies ( DIE174-W) to decorate the box. I know it doesn't look like a box in the photo, but it is a small box based on a cigarette box. I know it is rather simple, but I don't do 3D projects if I can possibly avoid them !
This was the first time I got to use my new sentiment dies and they cut beautifully!

Happy Hobbitdays!

I'm not much into Christmas, especially when we don't have snow, but I do LOVE December because it means a new Hobbit movie! YAY!!! Don't know what I'll have to look forward to next year, guess I'll just be my regular Grinchy self.
I almost forgot to do the Impression Obsession Clean and Simple Holiday Card challenge, maybe because CAS just isn't my thing, but I do hate to miss the challenge. So I used three IO dies to make this card.

I used the Reindeer ( DIE228-G ), Holiday Top Word Edgers ( DIE 232-M ) and the holly from the Twig Wreath ( DIE023-X )
I hope everyone has a wonderful December, no matter what you celebrate (even if it's just the new Hobbit movie).

Clearly Christmas

Even though my Christmas cards are finished for this year, the Curtain Call's 'Clearly Christmas' challenge graphic really stuck in my mind. I finally had to try to make a card (at the last minute) inspired by the gorgeous photo.




This photo just screamed 'bokeh' to me. So I gave it a try and got white pigment ink everywhere! That darn stuff just refused to dry even with a heat gun. I have certainly learned that it may not be the best product to use when I'm in a hurry.
I'm a bit fond of shaker cards right now, so this card is another shaker using the Spellbinder's Mix-n-Match Ornaments. I made this card differently than my others by not raising the ornaments on foam tape, but instead using fun foam in behind. It is easier, but I'm not sure that I like it as much, but I like that it was easier! I filled the shakers with a mixture of beads and microbeads.

Shaker Card with Deer

This shaker card is filled with  possessed microbeads, and I thought glitter was difficult to deal with. HA! It's nothing compared to these crazy things. I think I got too many in this card, but there was no way I was going to try taking some out! I think they have some sort of static charge that makes them chase each other. The darn things are crazy!
The background is embossed with a Provo craft snowflake folder. The trees are Impression Obsession's Evergreen Trees ( DIE217-E). The deer are IO's Small Deer (DIE117-C) and I used IO's Holiday Top Word Edgers (DIE232-M) as a matt to my shaker frame.
I had been looking forward to making this shaker card as I had it all planned out from when I first saw the Holiday Word edgers.I made up this card as soon as my new dies arrived. Imagine my dismay when I saw Kittie Caracciolo( IO's DT) posted a card (not shaker) with a very similar look. I wasn't going to post this card because of that. I actually have had a discussion with a friend about this very thing a few months ago. She said "How do you use IO dies without it somehow looking like you are CASEing Kittie?" I have no idea what the answer is. So feel free to attribute the idea to Kittie because she used trees and deer and a Holiday Top Edgers in red. I hadn't seen it before I made my card. So any ideas? Comments?

I am entering this here:
Impression Obsession Christmas Greetings Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes
Hiding in My Craft Room Freestyle Challenge

Blue and Silver Christmas (in a box)

I had so much fun doing the forest in a box that I couldn't wait to try again! This box folds flat for mailing in an A2 envelope ( 41/4 x 51/2 ). I embossed all the blue patterned paper that I used to decorate the inside and outside panels with a snowflake embossing folder. The sentiment is from the Impression Obsession All Occasions II stamp set. I used this sentiment, not because it's my favourite and I can always find it, but because for some reason I think it's funny with the icy cold colours of the card. Really.
I was very excited to get some new IO dies. I used the 'Merry Christmas' (DIE 236-N). This is in a very fine script so I supported the whole thing with acetate. It worked out well as you really can't see the acetate behind it. Another new IO die is the beautiful 'Reindeer' ( DIE 228-G), which I decorated with the Holly die from the Twig Wreath set (DIE023-X). I also used the Evergreen Trees (DIE217-E). The sentiment is stamped on SB Labels One, and the snowflakes I found in my box of Christmas stuff and I don't know where they are from.
I plan to use a lot of IO dies in the future on my cards. I have a LOT of things on my NO BUY list, like patterned paper and Spellbinders dies (have way too many), but IO dies (and stamps) didn't land on that list, especially with that great sale they just had. A girl's gotta have some fun, right? After that sale, I did have to add background stamps to the list, but at just $5.00 for an IO b'ground stamp I topped up! Considering that they are supposed to be 'seconds', the quality is amazing! I know, because I got some last year and they are fabulous. I can't wait for my order to arrive, but with the Christmas madness approaching, I'll be surprised if I get it before the new year!
(oops! I don't mean that IO won't mail it quickly, I'm talking about Customs and Canada Post!)
I'm entering this card here:
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/11/new-challenge-christmas-greetings.html
Hiding in My Craft Room Freestyle Challenge

Forest in a Box

This is one of those box cards that folds flat and when open a everything pops up. This one folds flat to 4 1/4  x 5 1/2. I made the base from kraft cardstock and filled it full of Impression Obsession goodies. I don't have a sentiment on the front panel yet as I haven't decided where it's going, but I have a couple of layered  of SB dies waiting to be stamped.

I used the following IO dies:
Birch Trees and Cardinal DIE079-U
Small Deer DIE117-C
Evergreen trees DIE217-E
Small Bow DIE057-AA  ( I put these on the side panels, so you can't really see them in the photo)

I'm entering this here:
Impression Obsession Christmas Greetings Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes
Hiding in My Craft Room Freestyle Challenge