FFC28 {mason jar tags}

hello, hello!  how was everyone's week?  is anyone else completely OVER cold and flu season?  i am!  i feel like i have been sick for the whole of 2014 and it's time for it to just end.  on a happier note, there's a new Festive Friday challenge up today!

i LOVE this week's inspiration photo, don't you?  a mason jar, lace, and those pretty pinecones?  lovely, indeed!

want to show us how you were inspired by the photo?  we'd love to see!  you've got until April 9th to play along with this challenge; just visit the Festive Friday blog for details and much more inspiration--all the girls made gorgeous projects!  but before you pop over there, here's my take...

 i knew instantly that i wanted to go rustic with my project--and that i didn't want to make a card this week.  i've had the Papertrey Ink Friendship Jar stamp forever and haven't really used it so i got it out for this and came up with these tags.

i also wanted to feature some kind of pinecone on these but much to my shock and horror, i have NOTHING at all representative of a pinecone!  i could hardly believe it--no embellishments, no pretty paper, no good quality stamps.  looks like i'll be hunting for some pinecone-related materials in the near future.

the tags are relatively simple, in keeping with the photograph--sometimes less is more.  i stamped the jar on a manila shipping tag, punched 2 small holes on either side of the rim of the jar, and then tied my jute twine around it.

each tag is backed with a swatch of burlap and lace for a little rustic elegance!  when i'm making a set like this, i like to make each tag slightly different, but keep most of the same elements for a cohesive feel.  each small white tag has a different message and each tag has a different sticker--these offered some pops of color, too. 

and the finishing touch was another hint of lace and a tiny wood snowflake (i wish i'd had pinecones!).

this set will go on sale at Christmastime so i packaged it up in a muslin bag with another simple, coordinating tag.

and speaking of Festive Friday, i had the opportunity to meet up with our fabulous leader, Meredith MacRitchie, for the first time ever last week.  she and her family spent the week at Disneyland and, being that the resort is a mere 20 minute drive from me, the two of us decided to meet face to face.  it was a great visit, too, and the hours flew by as we walked around Downtown Disney and chatted nonstop about being mothers, some crafty stuff (though not much of that, surprisingly), and the magnificent Southern California weather.  she's a sun worshipper but i tried telling her she would actually start to miss the rain if she lived here; i don't think she believed me :)

have a great weekend!