Happy Veteran's Day! This project was a big hit with my customers and it was totally inspired by the amazing Paula Wright. I did change up a few things to make it easier. The biggest change was the title. Paula's was tiny die cut letters -- very cute but I knew that lining all those up and gluing them on would be a challenge. So it was My Digital Studio to the rescue. I LOVE using our digital crafting software to make custom titles, in just the color that I need (in this case Cherry Cobbler to coordinate with the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper.) Also her focal point was a cute card stock tree, but I really wanted to use the wonderful Winter Wishes felt accents that are in the Holiday Mini Catalog (item 124108). The mittens and holly look great together and the Christmas wreath is also a great match.

Magnet sheets behind each number from the great 25 & Counting stamp set is what holds each "day" to the front of the metal CD case and then they all fit inside for storage. I love using our glue sticks to attach paper to the metal tin. Everything else is glued on with the Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue (with the green top.)

The Cherry Cobbler Satin Quilted Ribbon was so perfect for a hanger -- it's so sturdy. And I love how you can flip the ribbon hanger inside the tin if you want and use a little table top decorative easel to hold your countdown calendar. Here's a peek at how the ribbon was put inside the tin, with the designer paper glued over the top with glue stick to hold it in place. Plus when the lid is on the tin, it holds the ribbon as well.

A couple of years ago Stampin' Up offered some retired CD-size packaging tins for sale -- but those are gone now so I just searched for CD size metal tins online. The images are stamped in Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green ink, punched out with the 1" Square Punch and then layered onto a Cherry or Green mat punched using the Postage Stamp Punch. That white scallop is from the Scallop Squares Duo Die for the Big Shot. These were fun to make and really not very difficult at all.