December Cricut Circle Magazine Challenge

Every month, there is a special challenge from the Cricut Circle Magazine.  Unlike the regular challenges, this is a judged challenge, not a random drawing.  Entry is for Circle members only, and here are the rules for this month:

Contest Rules:
You must create your gift bag or box using a base from one of the many Cricut cartridges available. Embellish it to fit your style! Please use at least 4 Cricut cuts in your design and incorporate something from one of this month’s magazine sponsors. (You can see their ads in the back of the magazine.) Please… only one entry per person. Entry deadline is Friday, December 3rd at 11:59 pm.

So, here's the backstory on my entry.  I'm planning on giving my not-so-little-anymore girls (9 1/2 & 7 1/2) some shrink plastic charm bracelets for Christmas using the Best Friends cartridge for the Cricut Imagine.  So I figured it would be cool to make a personalized gift bag for each of them to match.  This one is for my younger, blonder, daughter:

I just love everything about this cartridge!  It's designed by Cosmo Cricket, and I just love their style & the color palette of this cartridge is awesome.  Everything is printed on Close To My Heart White Daisy Textured Cardstock.  I cut the purse at 10", the girl & her layers at 3", and the tag layers at 1.5".  I popped up my layers with dimensional foam adhesive, and my flower center is a pearl brad from American Crafts.

On the back side, just in case they can't tell who each one belongs to, I made a tag with her initial (H for Holly):

Using the built-in shapes on the Imagine, I cut a 2" square filled with one of the patterns from the cartridge.  Then I adhered a cardstock sticker from a Just Your Type book from Cosmo Cricket (Nursery Palette).  For my bag liner, I printed the same pattern on a piece of linen fabric.  I cut it to 6" x 6" to fit the bag.  Finally, I punched a hole to make a tag, and tied the purse closed and the tag to the purse using American Crafts ribbon.

I love the way this turned out & I'll be making the other one ASAP.  I can't wait to see their faces when they see these bags, then when they see what's inside!  I'll be sure to post again when I have the bracelets finished.