Last Minute Gifts - CDs with Flair

If you are like me, you have relatives and friends who live in a different state (or maybe a different country). And when Christmas comes around, you want to send them something a little more meaningful than a card, but you don't want to go bankrupt paying for postage (not to mention standing in mile-long lines at the post office! Well, look no further! I have come up with a FANTASTIC solution! It's cute, it's easy, it's thoughtful, and best of all - it's a quick little project that you can get done in no time at all! What is it?

Well, I took boring cd cases and, using Lori Whitlock's CUTTING FILES
and Kerri Bradford's CUTTING FILES (and using Echo Park's Season's Greetings papers - designed by Lori Whitlock), I turned them into this:

My first cd contains some of my favorite Christmas carols that I am sending to an old friend who has been feeling a little blue.

Kerri Bradford's notebook paper diecut from her BECAUSE OF YOU Collectionwas just the thing I needed for my playlist.

And, of course, you can't have a Christmas carol cd without this adorable "fa la la" diecut from Kerri's THIS + THAT CHRISTMAS Collection!

My mother-in-law, who we only get to see a few times a year, has everything except...high-speed internet. She lives waaaay out in the country with a slooowwww dial-up connection. As a result, we don't often email pictures to her. So, a cd full of pictures is a gift I know she will enjoy.

I added pop-dots under the middle of the tag from Kerri's LABEL IT Collection to provide a little dimension. My little 11 year old "helper" insisted that the Merry & Bright letters from Kerri's THIS + THAT CHRISTMAS Collection needed to be outlined in white. Don't you think she did a great job?!?

Kerri's pocket from her BECAUSE OF YOU Collection and Lori's tag and snowflake diecuts from her CHRISTMAS SET 2 Collection look like they were meant to go together, don't they?

I plan to host a cookie exchange next weekend, and as a hostess gift, I am going to give out these embellished cd cases. The cds will contain the recipes of all the cookies that are being exchanged. Pretty neat, huh? And did I mention quick? And easy?

AND NOW ARE YOU READY FOR A GIVE-AWAY???

Every follower who leaves a comment between now and Saturday, December 10th, at 6:oo p.m., on my blog and any one of the following blogs (It is the season to spread love and cheer, after all) will be eligible for not one, but two drawings (chosen by random.org)! This first drawing will be for a $25 gift certificate to Lori Whitlock's STORE; and the second drawing will be for a $25 gift certificate to Kerri Bradford's STORE. So what are you waiting for??? Leave some love, see some more fantastic last-minute gift ideas, and maybe win a great prize!

SHARI CARROLL
JOY DICKSON
CORRI GARZA
NATALIE GRAHAM
CAROLYN KING
LAURA VEGAS

Happy Christmas Crafting!