Mama Elephant November Stampede

Welcome to the Mama Elephant November Design Team blog hop! Our November release is now live and available for purchase in the store.

To celebrate the new release, Mama Elephant is giving away one of each of the new stamps released! Winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs in the Stampede. Winners will be announced on the blog on the last Stamp Highlights Day on the Mama Elephant blog.

You have up to 3 chances to qualify to win! Just leave a separate comment for each!

1. Leave a comment on this blog post
2. Like/share Mama Elephant on Facebook
3. Follow/tweet about Mama Elephant on Twitter

For today's blog hop, I created some tags and packaging. I've been obsessed over making suitcase gift boxes and so when I saw the new Confetti set, I was so excited to use it to create tags.

Materials used: Mama Elephant Confetti, Embellished Tag die, Dainty Bow die, Letters die, Creative Color inks (Lollipop, Hazel); kraft gift box, felt, Hambly overlay, Memento ink in Tuxedo Black

Here's a closer look at each tag! I used the Mama Elephant Embellished Tag die to cut out all 4 tags. 

1. The first tag is created with two pieces of overlay sewn all around with sequins inside. I then stamped "smiles inside" on a piece of kraft cardstock and adhered it to the top of the tag to give the tag an added layered look.
2. The second tag is created simply by using the Mama Elephant Letters die to cut out "joy." I then stitched on the word by running the tag through the sewing machine and stamped the bow image above it using Mama Elephant Creative Color ink pad in Hazel.
3. The third tag is created by die cutting "joy" with the Mama Elephant Letters die from the tag so that there's a nice negative on the tag. I then cut another tag out of polka dot paper to back the top layer.
4. The last tag is created simply by stamping "to you from me with love" using Mama Elephant Creative Color ink pad in Lollipop.

Be sure to stop by every blog in the Mama Elephant Stampede blog hop to see what the rest of the design team put together and to enter to win!

• Mama Elephant (start here)
• Laura Bassen
• Jenn Biederman
• Emily Leiphart
• Pearl Lui (you are here)
• JJ Bolton
• Geralyn Sy
• Nichol Magouirk

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Mama Elephant Giveaway & Highlight: No Peeking

Good morning! Did you have a look at the Mama Elephant blog yesterday for the November release sneak peeks?  The stamp sets go on sale on November 15th.

But today, we're giving away a No Peeking stamp set. Comment for a chance to win. One winner will be randomly chosen from all of the Design Team's blogs. A winner will be announced on the Mama Elephant blog on November 15th.

I made a set of gift tags ready to be tied to holiday gifts. The tag shape is perfect for making tags. I loved coloring the reindeer, polar bear, and fox. How cute are they!?!! I then cut them out using my trusty craft knife and stamped little "Made with Love" signs and secured both to each tag using foam dots to give the tags dimension. Simple, fun, and cute!

Materials used: Mama Elephant No Peeking, Knot & Bow gold twine, Adirondack ink, Copic markers, Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black

Don't forget to stop by the Mama Elephant blog to see what the rest of the design team created. Plus, we've got a special guest designer today, so go and check out all the inspiration now!

Thanks for stopping by!

- KRAFTY pearl

Yummy Brookies & Perfect Kraft Goodie Boxes

What is a brookie? Well, brookies are the best combination of sweet yummy goodness that has a delicious crisp cookie aroma with a softy and gooey chewy brownie center!

brookie = brownie + cookie!

I had clipped the Clinton Street Baking Company's brookie recipe back in November last year from Daily Candy. I then pulled it out during Christmas weekend and gave it a go with my very special someone...because it just seemed so appropriate to have cookies, or shall I say brookies, out for Santa.

The recipe is quite simple which is why it first made the cut into my recipe clippings pile. (I don't have a lot of time so I like simple!) I've always wanted to bake but it wasn't until that eventful evening that I decided (with much encouragement and support) to give the baking thing a try. Since then, I've been perfecting the recipe as well as making small adjustments to make it just right for my own personal taste.

And so this past weekend, I decided to bake these sweet treats as a big big thank you to a very special someone's very generous sister. I picked up the Martha Stewart Goodie Box Combo kit a few months ago waiting for the perfect occasion to use them! Here's the finished product:

The kit is awesome because it comes with everything you would need to package all your small sweet treats - boxes, label stickers, ribbons, tissue paper, and baker's twine.

I decided to top off the box with a pretty fuschia 1" ribbon to match the colors of the accompanying card I made. I love Kate's Paperie satin ribbons for their selection of vibrant jewel tones and various widths!

I even had enough from the brookie batch to spread the sweet goodness to a friend celebrating her 21st birthday :) and a neighbor 'just because'. I presented them in another box size in the kit and finished it off with baker's twine and a label sticker used here as a seal:

So whaddaya think?

- KRAFTY pearl