Movers and Shapers - Base Tray or No Base Tray?

I am addicted to dies.  And the Movers and Shapers dies from Sizzix and Mr. Holtz are just more crack for my scrap pipe. 

I've been picking up the Movers and Shapers since the Halloween Mini-Cat and Raven set (Remember those? So cool!). 

When I bought that first set, I thought, OHHHH now I gotta buy the MOVERS AND SHAPERS BASE TRAY!!!  But then, as I picked up the BASE TRAY- the Vintage Cabinet Card die caught my eye, and I thought, "Wow, I love that die and this cat and raven will fit inside it- so I'll just buy it and put off the base tray, for now..."

Then, as I should've expected, my Movers and Shapers collection grew and grew- and when I happened upon the Mini-Baroque die-  you know- the 'not so mini' baroque die? - well, I found myself saying, I NEED MORE ROOM!  I'VE GOTTA GET THE BASE TRAY!

When I went to buy the base tray, my hard earned twenty dollars clutched in my hand and another patch on the knees of my britches and a smear of coal on my forehead-  the WREATH AND BOW set caught my eye... and I put off the base tray for yet another time.

So, I get home.  And a real-life Christmas miracle happened!  I pulled out my Vintage Cabinet Card die for what is obviously its 3000th use and OH NO!  The DIE just FELL RIGHT OUT!

And then I shouted!  OH PRAISE THE LORD!  IT'S NOT BROKEN!  IT'S A MINI-BASE TRAY!!!

I loaded up my dies and went to BigKick town!

Now, I'm not saying that you should run to your craftroom and pop your dies out of their cases- and I'm still much in need of a Base Tray- because just like apartments and paper storage options, we can always use more space.  But, if you're in a pinch and you want to spend your next twenty bucks on that other set of Movers and Shapers instead of the Base Tray-  well, you know what I'm saying...

-kory

how is it nearly CHRISTMAS?!

For reals- how is it this close to Christmas, THIS FREAKING SOON?!

How fast does time fly, these days?  It seems like it was just two days ago that I was trying to decide what I wanted to be for Halloween. 

I'm here to share a Christmas project with you classy people.  Yeahp.  I made a lovely piece just exploding with Christmas spirit.  Unlike me.  I'm not full of the Christmas spirit, yet.  But I will be tomorrow evening, when I stop by the liquor store after work.

So what did I make?  A banner.  Well, not really- it doesn't hang.  But it is banneresque.  It's made to sit on a mantle.  Or a bookshelf.  Or whatever surface is available. 

There is a TON of hot DIE action going on up there- can you spot them all?

I was playing around with Mr. Holtz's 'Vintage Cabinet Card' die (trying to make a cute card) when I noticed it standing up and thought I'M MAKE A BANNER!  Because, that's the thought that seems to be running rampant through every crafter's mind right now-  "Ooooh lookit!  I'MA MAKE-A BANNER!"

But again, this doesn't hang.  So we'll call it a SITTING BANNER.  Catchy, huh?

There's a close-up of the middle/word part.  Again- can you spot all the dies?   The only bits not done with a die are the letters.  I used the Cricut Expression 2 to cut the letters.  And how fun is Mr. Holtz's PINECONE die?!  It took me three attempts to get the pinecone to look right.  Then I gave in and watched his so-so-helpful video.  Yes, I break many male stereotypes but I still put up a helluva fight when it comes to asking for directions.  And boy are my arms tired.  I'll be here all week, folks!

I am obsessed with making these pinecones.  And: Since you can also use the pinecone die to make flowers- well, how is that for something being worth its money?  Another die worth its money?  The Festive Greenery strip die.  I love cutting a few different colored strips of paper and arranging and rearranging all the bits.  So fun.  So adaptable. 

And here's the parting shot: a close up of the end-pieces.  Why?  Because I love that reindeer die.  They look so...classy.  Have you notice how much I love that word?  Classy.... it just sounds...fun.  And classy.

What's everyone else up to, in the Christmas craft department?  An advent calendar or banner?!  You don't say! 

-kory