Bestie in a Box {CSI Case File No. 244}

We've got a wonderful Christmas-inspired Case File for our mid-month challenge at CSI. I messed up on date on the linkup for this challenge, and I apologize. I've fixed it and added five extra days to the deadline, so if you've been thinking you don't have time during this busy holiday season, you've got some extra time.

Here's our Case File:

And here's the page I made. Clues I used: Christmas/Winter, architectural stuff/ lights, woodgrain, scallops, car, animals, trees, buttons

I've had this page in mind for over a year, and this was the perfect opportunity. I always say I've got Tracee in a box and I can take her out whenever I want (I've got her on my computer via Skype). Anyway, these were our Skype profile pictures last year, and I've had the sitting on my desk printed forever.

Here are some details. When I was looking at the palette, I remembered these pictures had red in them and that Tracee had on a Santa hat, so I decided I'd finally make this page. The layout started with this cut file from the Silhouette store. I was thinking, how can I represent a box? and it came to me that I could use a gift box and then I found this stack of presents. I knew I wanted to use this light bulb bunting which went with one of the clues, and I found that puffy cat which seemed like he was hannging from something, so I replaced one of the bulbs with this dangly cat.

Tracee and I always share photos of our layouts as we're working on them, and she thought I should have a Santa hat too. I found this one in the Silhouette Store, and yes, I look like a dork, but it's a fun touch, I think!

For my architecture clue the houses were cut from a Dear Lizzy (Lovely Day collection) paper. I found that little car on an old BasicGrey paper (wander collection), and was almost the perfect green. I found the little tree clipart online and printed them out. I backed the Silhouette presents with old scraps--the black and white is Jenni Bowlin and the green is Scenic Route.

I'm always happy when I can use buttons on my layouts because I have seven gazillion of them. The "Bestie" word was cut on my Silhouette Cameo. How fun are those puffy sticker cats peeking out from behind the presents?

I hope you'll come play with us. We've got lots of awesome prizes and gift certificates up for grabs from our sponsors: