MCT 48th Release Blog Hop: Best Friend Tag

Hey there! It's Release Day at My Creative Time - woohoo!!! You've probably hopped here from Ruthie's blog. If not, head on over to Emma's blog to start from the very beginning.

Today, I'm featuring the FREE Bestie Die that the first 150 shoppers will receive with their purchase. I've cut the "ie" off and paired it with a stamp and die from Friendships are Forever (also new today) to create a simple little tag for my BFF, Stephanie. She's getting married in April, so this tag will either adorn her bridal shower gift or a special little gift on her Big Day.

I used the tag dies from Holiday Tags Stamps & Dies for the base and kept the tag in her wedding colors: navy and lime green. I added a few little Stickles drops for some extra sparkle.

***Freebie Stamp & Die***
For our freebie this release, we are giving away this adorable "Bestie" die to the FIRST 150 shoppers!
You do NOT have to add it in your cart. If you are one of the first 150 shoppers, Emma and her shipping crew will automatically include it in your package! If you order AFTER the 150th shopper, this stamp set will be available for purchase! If you see this set available in the store, that means that 150 shoppers have already come through. No exceptions will be made. Also, this freebie is not a part of the 47th Edition Bundle and is only sold separately.

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***Blog Hop Giveaway***
One lucky winner of today's Blog Hop Giveaway will receive a $50 gift card to the MCT online shop! To enter, simply leave a comment on each of the designers' blogs! You are NOT required to comment on every blog, but the more you comment on, the better chance you have for winning!
Very important: please leave a way for us to contact you with your comment should you be the lucky winner!

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***Sale Alert***
Don't forget that our sale starts right now! Use the code: OCT2015 to receive a 15% discount off your entire in-stock purchase! This sale applies to in-stock items only. The sale will end on Friday, October 30th at 11:59pm PST.

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That's it for me today. Your next top is Audrey.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT 47th Release Blog Hop: Masked Christmas Tag

Hello, hello!

It's a beautiful day for a Blog Hop, isn't it? If you've arrived here from Ruthie's blog, you're on the right track. If not, you can start this Hop from the beginning at Emma's blog. You WON'T want to miss a thing!

Today, I'm showcasing the new Holidays Tags stamps & dies set (available for pre-order NOW). I love to add special tags to my Christmas packages. Some years, I make them myself. Other years, I find something super cute in the store and just pick those up. Let me tell you: there's no shame in that! In the end, the pretty package is the main goal. With this new set, though, I'll definitely be making my tags this year.

This sweet little tag was dreamed up and put together in about four minutes. Really. To achieve the white 'block' for the "to:, from:", I simply masked that area before stamping the Grainy Wood Background onto my white layer. Here's a simple step-by-step on that process:

1. Die cut white tag layer.
2. Cut rectangle from sticky part of Post-It note. This is your 'mask'.
3. Stick mask to center of white tag layer.
4. Stamp Grainy Wood Background onto masked white tag layer.
5. Remove mask.

It's that easy! I think that just stamping the "to:, from:" on the wood pattern would have been a bit too busy/messy looking. This gives a very clean look.

To accent my little tree, I used a white gel pen to add snow markings.

***Freebie Stamp & Die***

The first 150 shoppers will receive this
die FREE with their orders!

For our freebie this release, we are giving away this super cute dec25th die to the FIRST 150 shoppers! You do NOT have to add it in your cart. If you are one of the first 150 shoppers, Emma and her shipping crew will automatically include it in your package! If you order AFTER the 150th shopper, this stamp set will be available for purchase! If you see this set available in the store, that means that 150 shoppers have already come through. No exceptions will be made. Also, this freebie is not a part of the 47th Edition Bundle and is only sold separately.

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***Blog Hop Giveaway***

One lucky winner of today's Blog Hop Giveaway will receive a $50 gift card to the MCT online shop! To enter, simply leave a comment on each of the designers' blogs! You are NOT required to comment on every blog, but the more you comment on, the better chance you have for winning!

Very important: please leave a way for us to contact you with your comment should you be the lucky winner!

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***Sale Alert***

Don't forget that our sale starts right now! Use the code: SEPT2015 to receive a 15% discount off your entire in-stock purchase! This sale applies to in-stock items only. The sale will end on Friday, September 25th at 11:59pm PST.

*Please note that the 47th Release is available for PRE-ORDER only and will begin shipping on Friday, September 25th.

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Thank you for hopping with us today. You have one more stop. Please visit our guest designer, Audrey, on her blog for another great project!

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Tag It Tuesday: Celebrate Baby Tag

There is something in the water on my street. I'm the SIXTH one to be pregnant this year!!! Yep, we have a lot of celebrating to do around here!

This weekend, I'll be attending my across-the-street neighbor, MaCara's, baby shower. She's 13 weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy and it has been such a blessing having her around. We go for walks together and I love being able to ask her questions. Did you feel (insert wacky pregnancy symptom) when you were (insert number) weeks? Is this normal? 

MaCara and her husband decided to not find out the baby's gender, so their theme is gray, yellow and chevron. This tag will adorn their gift basket I'm making them.

MCT Products Used
Tag Dies (yellow tag layer)
Tag Die Layers (white tag layer)
Build a Chevy Background (chevron background stamp)
Classy Girl Accessories (baby carriage)
Chalkboard Birthday ("Celebrate" banner stamp)
Bunch of Fun Circle Dies (acetate circle layer)

To get the baby carriage wheels to be a different color than the carriage itself, I simply cut it out twice (once in gray, once in yellow), cut the wheels off of the yellow layer and adhered that on top of the gray layer. The "Celebrate" banner was colored with my Copics for added dimension and then I fussy-cut it out. No die here, folks!

That's it for me today. Check out Emma's blog to see more great tags from the Design Team.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Tag It Tuesday: Celebrate Birthday Tag

Hey there! It's Tag It Tuesday at My Creative Time! Today, I've created a coordinating tag to go along with my nephew's birthday card. It's not an exact match, but will complement the design and color of the card nicely.

MCT Products Used
Mini Chalkboard Tags (banner die)
Fun Gift Pocket Sentiments ("HB2U" background)
More Chocolate Greetings ("Celebrate")
Fun Stitched Cloud Dies
Tag Die
Tag Die Layer
Stitched Party Dies (balloons)

Thanks for stopping by to see my tag creation! Check out more tags on the MCT blog.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Tag It Tuesday: Yes to the Dress Tag

One of my dearest friends is getting married this July and she's asked me to be a part of her Big Day! Over the last week, she and I have been to four different bridal salons in search of the perfect dress. And see found it!!! To celebrate, I've ordered a custom hanger for her to hang her new bridal gown from. To add a little oomph to the gift, I created this tag.

MCT Products Used
Tag Die
Tag Die Layer
Girls' Night Out Stitched Dies (dress/hanger)
Stitched Party Dies (banner)

Some rhinestones and pearls definitely fancy up this little tag. I've been trying out hand lettering lately, and while I'm not an expert, I've been having a lot of fun playing with it. The best part is that it's not supposed to look perfect! So I can usually give myself a pass on little bumps and hiccups.

Thanks for dropping by to see today's project! You can see more fabulous tags on the MCT blog.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT 39th Release Blog Hop: Love You To Pieces Tag

Today is the day!!! Emma is releasing her 39th edition of fabulous stamps and dies today and WHAT a release it is! If you've hopped here from Ruthie's blog, you're on the right track! If not, head on over to the MCT blog to start this Hop from the beginning. Trust me, you do NOT want to miss anything!

Today I'm showcasing the new set, The Last Piece to Our Family, along with the coordinating Stitched Puzzle Piece Dies. Usually, I create cards and tags on an as-needed basis. But I often wait until the last minute to create something and usually run out of time. So I've decided to start making things ahead of time (what a concept, eh?) so that no matter the occasion, I'll be ready!

This tag might grace a gift bag one day. Or perhaps it'll hang off of a beautiful bow that ties up a little package. Who knows?! Either way, it's ready when I am and that's a beautiful thing.

MCT Products Used
Tag Dies (blue layer)
Tag Die Layers (school paper layer)
Bunch of Fun Circle Die
Trio Stitched Banner Die
Stitched Tab Die
NEW! The Last Piece to Our Family Available NOW!
NEW! Stitched Puzzle Piece Dies Available NOW!

Freebie Stamp for first 200 shoppers

***Freebie Stamp***
For our Freebie Stamp this release, we are giving away this new set, I Love You Beary Much, to the FIRST 200 shoppers! You do NOT have to add it in your cart. If you are one of the first 200 shoppers, Emma & her shipping crew will automatically include it in your package! If you order AFTER the 200th shopper, this stamp set will be available for purchase!
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***Blog Hop Giveaway***
One lucky winner of today's Blog Hop Giveaway will receive a $50 gift card to the MCT online shop! To enter, simply leave a comment on each of the designers' blogs! You are NOT required to comment on every blog, but the more you comment on, the better chance you have for winning! Very important: please leave a way for us to contact you with your comment should you be the lucky winner!
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 ***Sale Alert***
Don't forget that our sale starts right now! Use the code: JAN2015 to receive a 15% discount off your entire purchase! This sale applies to in-stock items only. The sale will end on Friday, January 23rd at 11:59p PST.
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That's it for me today. You've got one more stop. Head on over to our Guest Designer, Audrey's, blog to see what she has up her sleeve today.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Tag It Tuesday: Silver & Gold

This is a work in progress. That's okay, right? We were challenged to use a beautiful color palette on the MCT blog today and I struggled a bit. 

What will I use this tag for? I'm not sure, actually. So I left my options open by not adding a sentiment or making it too theme-y. It's simple, but the glitter and shine of the papers really give it an elegant look.

MCT Products Used

Tag Dies (gold layer)

Tag Die Layers (white layer)

Scalloped Stitched Rosette Dies

Bunch of Fun Circle Dies

Stitched Sweetheart Dies

Thanks for stopping by today! You can see more (finished) tags using today's color palette on the MCT blog.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Tag It Tuesday: Mother's Day Flowers

Did you hop with us over the weekend to see the 31st Release? It. Was. Awesome.

I was so inspired by Lee-Ann's project that I knew I had to try using the new flowers on kraft colored card stock with the ghost stamping technique.

Since our theme for today's tag was floral, I had the perfect opportunity to try it out.

I used the Tag Dies for my base and stamped all of my flowers in white first. Then I went back and stamped them in fun, bright colors a little off of the white (that's the "ghost stamping" technique). The rosette at the top gives a bit more oomph to the tag, don't you think?

MCT Products Used
Tag Die (base)
Scalloped Stitched Rosette Dies
Stitched Circle Die
Build A Pretty Flower (larger flowers and vines)
Pretty Spring Wreaths (smaller flowers)
All Around Everything (sentiment)

I added a little sparkle with some Stickles on the center flower and dotted on the tag base.

Thanks for stopping by today! You can check out the MCT blog to see what the other designers created.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Black Friday Mini Release Blog Hop: No Peeking!

Happy Black Friday! Welcome to the MCT Black Friday Mini Release Blog Hop. You probably came here from Shar's blog, but if not, head on over to Emma's blog to start from the beginning.

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving with your families yesterday. After our 10K Turkey Trot, The Hubs and I went to his parents' house for a HUGE feast with family. We always have such a great time with them! Today, I'll head down there again to meet The Hubs for leftover lunch and I'll be sure to bring my Tupperware to bring some yummy food home. Who's not cooking for the next few days? THIS GIRL!

For today's project, I create this sweet little tag for one of my Gift Exchange presents this year. I used the Just Tags dies for the base and some new products to decorate it. The turquoise sparkly stars, yellow star and "No Peeking" present are from the brand new set, A Day In December. The grid background is from today's newly released, Get Schooled.

I thought it would be fun to 'dress up' my star, so I added the hat and mittens from Classy Girl Accessories. How fun is that?!?!

The new stamps and dies are available for PRE-ORDER right now and will start shipping out on Tuesday, 12/3. Not only are these stamps perfect for your "December Dailies", but they will work great for your Christmas cards, layouts, Smashbooks and 3D projects!

FREEBIE ALERT: Everyone who places an order this weekend will receive this NEW set called, Shine Bright.

BLACK FRIDAY DISCOUNT: Use the coupon code BLACKFRI2013 this weekend ONLY at the My Creative Time online store and you'll receive 25% off your ENTIRE order (new items included). The sale starts NOW and ends on Sunday, 12/1 at 11:59pm PST. What are you waiting for? Start shopping!
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That's all for me, but you still have ONE more stop! Click on over to TeriBeri's blog for more fabulous ideas!

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Designer Challenge: Fall Colors

Welcome to another Designer Challenge with My Creative Time. Today my fellow Design Team sister, Cheryl, has challenged us to create a Fall-themed project using Fall colors.

For my challenge project, I decided to create a sweet little tag that I can attach to a home decor project, batch of cookies or gift.

The tag was cut out using the Just Tags Dies and I stamped the pumpkin and sentiment from Piles of Smiles. The pumpkin was colored with my Copics and the wood grain background is an original design that I created on my computer.

Be sure to check out what the other designers have in store for you today on Emma's blog. While you're there, why don't you jump in and join us? You can submit your project on Emma's blog.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT Thrifty Thursday: Easy As "Pi"

Do you know what today is?

March 14.

3/14

3.14

It's Pi Day!!!

Yes, today is the day we celebrate that wonderful number we all learned in school. Or in my case, instead of actually celebrating, I just use it as an excuse to indulge in one of my favorite desserts!

If you follow my blog, you'll know that I love to send goodies into The Hubs' work and today is the perfect day to send in pie. This Skinny No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie is a favorite in our home. I switch up a few ingredients (using fat-free cream cheese, homemade peanut butter and Hershey's Lite Chocolate Syrup instead) and it is DELISH!

To fancy up my confection, I added a simple little tag with some thick jute twine. Since today is Thrifty Thursday at My Creative Time, I used only scraps for my tag. To challenge myself a bit more, I only used scraps that were currently on my craft table. That might not sound hard, but I'm a pretty tidy crafter so there usually aren't many scraps just laying around. Add to that the fact that I was away for a Scrap Camp Getaway with the girls this past weekend and most of my stuff is still packed in bags - there were slim pickins' for me to make my tag with.

MCT Products Used
Vintage Label Dies 
Stitched Circle Die
Lowercase Fun Dies
All Around Goodies Stamp Set

I anticipate that this pie will last until about 10 o'clock this morning. Pie for breakfast?!?!?!, you ask? Well, of course. It's Pi Day!

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT 12 Days of Christmas - Day 8: Hey, That's MY Stocking!

Welcome to Day 8 of the My Creative Time 12 Days of Christmas!

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Looking around at all of the Christmas decorations I have up in my home, I noticed something was missing: our stockings didn't have any names on them! Of course, Santa knows which stocking belongs to each of us. But how will we know on Christmas morning which one is ours?

I suppose I could just look inside to see which one has coal in it. That would be The Hubs' stocking. *giggle*

Since my handwriting is not very pretty and the style of our stockings doesn't really lend itself to glitter glue letters, I made these sweet little tags (in our Christmas colors, of course) to hang on our Christmas socks.

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The tag base is made with MCT's XL Label Die and new Stitched XL Label Die. I also used the Curly Label and Stitched Curly Label Dies for some added dimension. After die cutting our names with the Lowercase Fun Dies (Speaking of FUN, here's a fun fact: I actually go by "Ronnie" in real life), I popped them up onto the banner die from Vintage Stitched Label Dies and popped that up on my tag. Of course, it just wasn't sparkly enough as-is, so I dotted the letters with my Star Dust Stickles.

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For a more polished look, I added jumbo eyelets to the tags before threading my ribbon through to tie to the stockings.


HUGE GIVEAWAY ALERT!
Okay, since it's Christmas, Emma decided to give away TWELVE of her FAVORITE things to ONE LUCKY person! She will announce one of the prizes for each day in her video! So by the 12th day, you will see ALL 12 items that ONE lucky person will be receiving! All you have to do is leave your comments each day! It's that simple!

**VERY IMPORTANT** 
Please leave your contact information so we can contact you IF YOU are the lucky winner!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT 21st Edition Sneak Peek: Gift Tag

I'm a terrible wrapper.

You might be surprised to know that I'm not that bad of a rapper. But wrapping presents is not my 'gift'. *giggle*

My Mom on the other hand...

Holy. Smokes. Now, that woman can WRAP! She's quick, she's efficient, and I'll be darned if all of her presents don't turn out like gift-ual masterpieces.

Alas, I didn't inherit the wrapping gene from her.

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To camouflage my awful wrapping talent, I like to dress up my packages with pretty ribbons & bows and gift tags! I trick the gift recipient into 'oooohhhing' and 'aaaahhhing' over the details that she completely MISSES the crooked corners, missing paper on the bottom (does this happen to anyone ELSE?), and gobs of tape I use to keep the darn thing shut.

This gift is for a not-so-discerning recipient: my soon-to-be-6-year-old niece, Evelyn (Evy, for short). After wrapping her gift in kraft wrapping paper (one of my faves), I tied a pretty polka dot ribbon around the package and added my bow and tag.

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The pink bow was made using a 12 x 12 piece of patterned paper and this tutorial. So easy. I cut the gift tag using MCT's Tag Dies. After cutting the tag out in the patterned paper, I layered it onto a kraft tag (for re-enforcement). Then, I cut the tag again in pink. I used the brand spankin' new MCT Lowercase Fun Dies to cut Evy's name out of the pink layer (using the 'negative' of the name left on the pink layer, not the die cuts themselves). The pink layer was then popped up onto the patterned layer for a little added dimension.

The rosette was handmade by cutting two 1.5" x 12" strips and accordion-folding them (1/2" folds). I glued the ends together and adhered a kraft circle to the front and back with my glue gun. I also added the little flag from the Echo Park This & That Accessories Pack.

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Sneak Peek Giveaway Time!
With all of our Sneak Peek weeks, Emma likes to do some FUN giveaways!

 ***All you have to do is leave comments on our blogs! You do NOT have to comment on every blog, BUT if you do, you will just have more chances to win!

 ***SPREAD THE WORD TO THE WORLD ON FACEBOOK about this release & whatever connections you may have! Let us know on My Creative Time's Facebook page that you did so! OR you can just tag Emma in your post!

 Emma will randomly pick & announce all winners on Thursday, November 15th during the release happening @ 8:00am PST in her video! GOOD LUCK!

 Log onto to your Facebook now & let start spreading word!

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Thanks for stopping by to see my Sneak Peek today! I'll see you again later this week for more MCT goodies!

Be sure to head over to Emma's blog to see what the other designer's have in store for you using this die set today.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT 20th Edition Mini Release Blog Hop: Bachelorette Bag & Tag

Welcome to the My Creative Time 20th Edition Mini Release Blog Hop. If you've hopped here from Tracy's blog, you're on the right track! If not, I suggest starting at Emma's blog so you don't miss out on any of the fun!

I have two words for you: Girls' Weekend!

As you read this, I am heading up state to enjoy a weekend away with nine awesome girls to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of a dear friend of mine. On the schedule: mani/pedi, massage, winery tours, snazzy restaurants, and good old fashion GIRL TIME!

Of course, I'll miss the Hubs while I'm away. But to be sure that he doesn't miss me too much, I'm leaving him with a list of things I'd like done by the time I get home on Sunday. *giggle*

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Today I'd like to share with you the gift packaging I created for the Bachelorette's sassy gift. I started with a pink gift bag...

Frugal Tip: SAVE the totally cute bags you get at your favorite stores to use as future gift bags. My project today uses a bag from Bare Escentuals. Other favorites of mine: Coach, Victoria's Secret. Not only are you BEING green by recycling, but you're SAVING green, too!

I covered the "Bare Escentuals" logo with a strip of black card stock that I embossed the little wine glasses from MCT's Keepin' It Classy. I kept the gift tag super simple by stamping one of the adorable ladies from the same set in pink and a lighter pink drink in her hand (which I Stickled). The tags and "To:" & "From:" are from the newest set out today: Just Tags. These tags are so easy to use and quick to put together!

Just Tags

I tied my gift tag onto my bag using some zebra striped ribbon I scored at my local Debbie's Dollar Store. The pink tissue is re-used from past Victoria Secret purchases.


***BLOG HOP GIVEWAY ALERT***

For our Blog hop giveaway, there will be 2 winners chosen from ALL the comments combined!  You will win a "SURPRISE GIFT BAG FULL OF GOODIES"! All you have to do is leave a comment here along wit the rest of the design team's blogs AND also leave a way for us to contact you!  Emma will use random.org to pick the lucky winners!  All you have to do is leave a comment on all blogs in this hop for more chances to win! The deadline is Sunday, September 23rd at midnight! EASY PEASY!!! GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for joining us today on the Blog Hop! I'm your final stop.

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

Monday Madness...Imagine That: If It Makes You Happy...

There are a lot of things that make me happy. Of course, God and my family are at the top of my list. But there are a lot of little things that make me happy, too.

Ice cream. Is definitely. One of them.

Warning: This post contains some information and a photo that are personal/non-craft related. I will not be offended if you just skip down to the crafty part. *giggle*

**********Personal stuff**********

During my honeymoon in Punta Cana last year, I had ice cream for dessert after EVERY lunch and dinner. For seven days. If Punta Cana didn't seem like Heaven enough, adding the ice cream sealed the deal. I'm pretty simple when it comes to flavors. I like vanilla, chocolate and mint chocolate (the ranking of that list depends on my mood).

Unfortunately, I haven't found a zero-calorie ice cream yet (which you could have told by my jean size a few months ago). You may remember in January when I posted about my plan to get healthy. Guess what?

I'm still on it!

Yep! I've made a lifestyle change and am sticking to it! So far, I've lost 31 pounds and a total of 27 1/8 inches! Just two weeks ago, The Hubs and I ran our first 5k. He was a runner in high school and always tried to get me to run with him back then. I couldn't make it around the track once without stopping and sitting down. I ran the entire 5k without stopping or walking and finished 10 minutes faster than I expected!

While I'm not the thinnest I've ever been (yet), I am definitely the healthiest I've ever been and am in the best shape of my life. And that... makes me very happy.

One of the best parts of my new lifestyle is that I'm not giving anything up! Really!!!

Remember - ice cream makes me happy. I just have less so that the scale is happy, too!

**********Crafty Stuff**********

To showcase my love of ice cream, I made this summery tag using the My Creative Time Tag Dies. Since I don't own a Cricut Imagine, I used some patterned paper to give it the Imagine effect. I paper pierced my orange and pink layers and used my white gel pen to mimic stitching. The ice cream cone die and fun sentiment are from one of the newest MCT sets, Celebrate Good Times. The ribbon (a Hobby Lobby find) was threaded through the top for added pizzazz.

If you're interested in playing along with this week's Monday Madness...Imagine That! challenge, you can add your link on Emma's post until June 17th!

And if you have any 'getting healthy' stories to share, I'd love to read them in the comments!!!

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT May Release Sneak Peek #4: So Sweet!

Hello, hello! Today is Day 4 of the My Creative Time May Release Sneak Peeks! Today I'm showcasing the new stamp and die set, Celebrate Good Times. I'm also using the new Tag Dies as my little tag base.

The Tag Dies are straight and a pretty handy size (about 2.5" x 4.5"). They're great to use as-is, but I wanted to try something a little different. To achieve my little tag base, I just folded the scalloped tag in half, punched two holes in the 'back' (using my Crop-a-Dile) and threaded my ribbon through the back and tied it in front (after threading BOTH ends of my ribbon through the one front hole).

After die cutting my cupcake, I popped it up onto my base and added Star Dust Stickles to highlight the frosting. The sentiment was stamped, matted and adhered to the very back of the tag base. I punched another hole in the top, left corner (through the entire tag base) to add a ribbon that will attach to my package.

To open the tag and reveal who it's from, just untie the bow!

This wouldn't be a party without GIVEAWAYS!

With all of our SAMPLES/ SNEAKS this week, Emma would like to do some FUN giveaways!

 ***All you have to do is leave comments on the Design Team blogs! You do NOT have to comment on every blog, BUT if you do, you will have more chances to win!

 ***SPREAD THE WORD TO THE WORLD ON FACEBOOK about this release & whatever connections you may have! Let us know on "My Creative Time's" FB page here that you did so! OR you can just tag My Creative Time in your post!

Emma will randomly pick & announce all winners on Friday, May 18th during the blog hop  @ 12:01am PST in her video! GOOD LUCK!

 Log onto to your facebook now & start spreading word!

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See you tomorrow for the Official Release Blog Hop!

I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

MCT 12 Days of Christmas: On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

Welcome to the FIFTH day of Christmas in our "12 Days" Hop! If you're arriving here from Trell's blog, you're on the right track! If not, take a swing by Emma's blog to start the hop from the beginning.

'Tis better to give than receive. That's a given. But after you've given: 'tis better to receive a gift with adorable packaging - am I right? Okay... so it's the thought that counts and you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, and all that jazz. But really: cute packaging is a lot of fun to receive! It shows that extra bit of effort.

I like to think of myself as a crafty girl. I'm no stranger to ribbon, paper, glitter and the like. But gift wrapping is not my forte. My Mom is a tremendous gift wrapper! Not only does she create beautiful, crisp packages, but she does it in no time flat! I did not inherit the 'wrapping gene' from her.

To hide the fact that my 'wrap-jobs' are less than perfect (much, MUCH less), I like to dress my gifts with big bows and fun little extras for some added oomph. This year, I've created adorable gift tags in our Christmas colors to attach to the presents under the tree.

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I plan on keeping the wrapping paper patterns pretty simple - red/white polka dots, lime(ish) green/white swirlies - to let the gift tags and ribbon SHINE!

The bases of the gift tags were cut out using MCT's XL Label Die (my fave) and then stamped using the coordinating XL Label Borders stamp set (also used for the "To:" and red heart). I used two different Cuttlebug folders: Wood Grain for the kraft colored bases and Bricked for the red bases. It doesn't really matter if you emboss or cut your shapes first, but I prefer to emboss them after they've been cut out.

The cutie-patootie gingerbread man is from Peachy Keen's Winter Peekers and Phrases (I used all three 'peekers' on my tags, but only am showing a select few tag designs here today). The Santa suit and snowman are from MCT's All Around Accessories. All of the images were colored using my Copics. I used the Build a Banner Kit for the shapes on the '25th' and 'Joy' tags. The "25th" number comes from All Around Birthday Time and the "JOY" letters are from Anyday Bingo & Crossword. Of course, pop dots were used on these tags as though the world would crumble around me if I didn't use enough of them. I LOVE pop dots!

Here's a tip to add some flair to your projects: Consider hand cutting strips for sentiments like I've done here for the "To:" and "heart" strips. The uneven angles add a fun and interesting element to projects and really give a handmade feel.

***12 Days of Christmas Give Away Alert***

To qualify for ALL the AMAZING giveaways for the next 12 days, you must comment on every blog in this hop! You will have until Tuesday, December 13th @ midnight to have all of your comments in! VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE LEAVE A WAY FOR US TO CONTACT YOU IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE WINNERS! There are some AMAZING giveaways for this special 12 day event and some SURPRISES to help celebrate My Creative Time's One Year Anniversary! Yep, Emma released her FIRST set of stamps one year ago! So make sure you are tuned in because this is ONE hop you do NOT want to miss!

Thanks so much for joining us on this 5th day of Christmas - we're all so happy to came hopping along. I'm the last stop, but be sure to come back tomorrow for another round of AMAZING projects by the My Creative Time Design Team. I hope you were inspired!

-Veronica