Today I have a quick post with the last of my Convention-related makes to share with you. One of the things we have to do for Convention is make a bag tag featuring our names. Why? Well, we are each given a Convention rucksack full of goodies and everything we will need to get us through the event. The rucksacks are great, but there's only one problem - they're all the same! So it's really important that we have a name tag that enables us to identify our bags, and each other, in the crowd. I made bag tags for each of the team members travelling with me that featured our team logo - The Crafty Owl:

Cute, eh?! I made these by printing onto shrink plastic at 250% of finished size, then cut out the shapes, punched a hole for the keyring and shrunk them in the oven. I was so pleased with the result, I made a few more for some of my good friends and members of my wider Stampin' Up! team, this time using My Digital Studio (my logo was created using alternative software when UK demos didn't have access to MDS). I used the butterfly stamp that comes as part of the Creative Elements stamp set, and coloured the sections individually using the brush tool, using various shades of greens and turquoise - here are a couple of them:

What do you think? These bag tags are really eye-catching and certainly helped my team stand out from the crowd - my friends loved theirs too, especially Michelle whose team is a called the Butterfly Belles - how appropriate! I just thought I would share to show how versatile MDS can be - it's not just for cards!

The MDS shop links are included below if you don't already have it; Creative Elements is part of the standard software version so there is no product link for this, however as today is Digital Downloads Weekly Release Day I've also included the links to all of this week's new MDS downloads - some lovely festive sets here.

Right, off to attend my son's Christingle service at school; I'm hoping for a nice photo or two for my December photo journal (another MDS project that I'll be sharing with you another day!) Back tomorrow with another project - I'm thinking we might need to get back to Christmas, it is the 3rd December after all! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Mds Download - Digital Download	Mds Free Trial - Digital Download	Dear Santa Greeting Card Template - Digital Download	Morning Post Numbers Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download	O Holy Night Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download
Stamp A Tag Kit - Digital Download	Watercolored Winter Kit - Digital Download

It's Monday, the start of a new working week and so I thought it would be a great opportunity to remind all you dedicated crafters out there that there are only another 7 days left to order from the retiring stamp and accessories lists before these items are gone for good. Lots of items have gone already but you still have until July 1st to pick up a bargain or two.

With this in mind, I'm back on the retiring products theme today and I'm actually sharing a card that isn't mine but one that I received in a swap at the UK regional training day in Telford last month and which features three retiring products. It's always nice to see what others have created and I received a few swaps that I really loved in their own right and would like to share with you. The first of these is this card by Kerry Newton:

I don't believe Kerry has a blog (she didn't leave details on her swap and I can't find her on an internet search), but if anyone reading this knows different do let me know as I will then update this post with a link to it.

There are so many things I like about this card: the colours (vanilla, crumb cake and indigo), the background stamping and blended colouring on the First Edition DSP, the feature gift card holder made using the Scallop Envelope Die and the little sentiment band and butterfly that just bring the whole design together. I think the card has quite a unique design, but one that is very effective.

Did you spot the retiring products? Yes, it's the Scallop Envelope Bigz Die, the First Edition printed designer series paper and the Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon. If you don't own these and would like to recreate this card, you have one week left to place your order before they're gone for good! Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Creative Elements, Petite Pairs

Cardstock: Island Indigo, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, First Edition DSP

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Basic Black, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake

Tools: Elegant Butterfly Punch, Scallop Envelope Bigz Die, Big Shot, Blender Pen

Finishing Touches: Basics Pearls, 1/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon