Funkie Junkie's Twelve Tags of Christmas no 4.

I have just been laid low for a few days with a nasty bug, I won't distress you with the details, but it has let me recuporate by thinking about Linda's challenge on her blog The Funkie Junkie which I am having a lot of fun taking part in! It is sponsored by her shop the Funkie Junkie Boutique which you can find here, and there are three lovely prizes if you take part but to be honest I am just really enjoying playing along. Linda's  tag this week is beautiful and I have been inspired by her to try for the country look with browns and muted reds. I also loved the way she framed Noel inside hessian squares so this is my try. Do go and look at hers for the master at work!

 

I took a piece of corrugated card and swiped white dabber over it and inked the edges. Then I made the background paper by stamping Tim's Christmas advert in Frayed Burlap and was pleased  that the words istmas Ornaments peeped through at the top! Then I frayed little squares of hessian and used some sticky letters I had in my stash. The tree is made from scraps of card stuck on a coffee stirrer and the star at the top is a Stampotique stamp. The little tree ornaments came from somewhere and I found them when attempting to clear out my room the other day! The little ribbons are paper and the decorative edge die byTim is cut from dull gold paper. The ribbony stuff at the top is from a hardware shop and is gloriously useful. Oh and the pot for the tree is a brad I have hoarded for ages, I thought it went!

Can't think where the time is going can you? Week four already, yikes, I'd better make a Christmas list!

Twelve tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie style: week 3.

Life seems so hectic at the moment I only have time to take part in a few challenges, but one I don't want to miss is Linda's wonderful challenge to be found on her blog here. This week she has a glorious tag full of gold deliciousness and the Tim Holtz vintage Noel die cut. I decided to take this as the focal point for my Christmas hanging and also to use at least one stamp from the the Joyful Song collection as she says to take an element or all she uses for inspiration.



To make this I took an off cut of wood with the bark still on and sanded and gessoed the surface to within an inch of its life! Then I primed it again with white acrylic and stamped the angel in black archival. Then I overstamped the image with the crackle stamp in Brushed Curduroy and randomly used the music script around the edges with it. The Noel was cut from red glitter card and then I made up and embossed my favourite tattered poinsettia. Several wooden snowflake shapes were given the gold glitter treatment and I attached some twine to two eyelet screws for hanging. I think it may go in the centre of my front door wreath this year as we have recently painted the front door bright red.

If  you want to take part in Linda's wonderful challenge there are prizes at the end sponsored by the wonderful Funkie Junkie Boutique click on to be transported to shoppers paradise!

Must dash now - late for work otherwise! Love to you all.x

Twelve Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style. Week 2.

Hi everyone. I am now taking part in Linda's weekly challenge up to Christmas which you can find on her wonderful blog here. This week she has made a beautiful tag using an embossed reindeer die. I hope she doesn't mind but I had to use a lot of the elements she used as I love her tag, although she says you can just be inspired by anything on her tag and make what you like from it. I have turned my contribution into a card this week.

 

 

I took a cream card blank and gold embossed a star from one of Tim's christmas sets around the edge then inked with Brushed Corduroy ink and then I rough cut a dark brown mat. The background on cream card was made using the same recipe but different colours as Linda. This was Walnut Stain DS, picket Fence DS and Heirloom Gold perfect pearls on the craft mat and the card swished through. I then stamped a scenic winter stamp I have had for years and usually colour with watercolour paints, but I like the muted effect against the goldy background. Then I die cut the reindeer and after embossing three layers of gold onto her I pushed in a music score stamp and then added tiny bells around her neck. The Twigs on the edge die was cut from some packing and coloured with Gathered Twigs DS with a sentiment adhered to the edges. The stars at the top were cut from my new Tim die, the Moon and stars one. The stars were stamped over in black archival and a script stamp and then glittered with Clear Rock Candy Distress glitter which is becoming a firm favourite for me!

I do not like this as much as Linda's beautiful tag but several attempts went in the bin and I think I can send this one to a friend. So one card down and it is only October, woohoo!

If you take part in Linda's challenge which is sponsored by her wonderful shop the Funkie Junkie Boutique then she is very generously giving away three prizes and we will all have twelve cards, tags or Christmas decorations ready as well! A no brainer as they say! Do click on the link at the top of this post and look at her wonderful work and all the rules for the challenge.

Off now to do the shopping but hope to make something else later, enjoy your weekend. x

The Twelve Days of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style. Tag 1.

Can you believe it is only twelve weeks to Christmas? I am determined this year to BE PREPARED! So I am joining in with Linda's wonderful Twelve Days of Christmas tags which you can find here on her blog along with her beautiful tag. She invites us to be inspired by some element on her tag in which she uses the Artistic Outpost 'Christmas Chalk' stamps and you must go over on the link and have a look as it is beautiful! It has inspired me to make a tag using black and white and the tiny splash of red as she has, so here goes.
 

I cut a tag in heavy black card stock and then ripped a slightly smaller tag in white and set it inside. Then I die cut some Tattered Poinsettias using black card and then embossed them inside the Tattered Poinsettia embossing folder both of which are Tim Holtz products incase you didn't guess! I do love his dies that you can then emboss such detail on and this one is open to all sorts of decoration. I then took some of the petals, covered them in Glue and Seal and then sprinkled Picket Fence distress Glitter over the top, it gives a lovely vintage feel to the leaves. I hot glue gunned them in place, alternating with some plain sections and put a red glitter brad in the centre. The tiny swirls are from Tim's Seasonal Festive Greenery decorative strip die. Then I cut from his Christmas Stacked Words the 'Joy to the World' and shone it with glossy accents. The snowflakes were wooden ones that I had in my stash which I painted with Black Soot distress paint and then covered in ordinary fine black glitter. I finished it off with a red ribbon from a box of chocolates!

Please go to Linda's blog and visit her wonderful Boutique here which is sponsoring this wonderful challenge which will help to get us all in the seasonal mood! Linda says that it need not be a tag but can be a card, a home piece, a scrapbook page, anything as long as something on it is inspired by her weekly piece of art.

For no particular reason other than...

This weekend I decided to play with my recently aquired Brenda Walton Country Cottage die. It was a considered purchase being a big die, but for no particular reason other than I loved it I splashed out and have had an enjoyable play...isn't that what crafting is all about? My first attempts are a bit wobbly but after the fifth attempt I think I have mastered it and it has used up some bits of lovely paper in my stash!



You can lift the cottage up and put a battery night light in it as there is a hinge piece at the back of the base. It even has shingles and the shutters come as well. If you look on you tube here you can see the delightful little sea side cottage she has made. They look lovely lit up as I had a test run last night but they didn't photograph well so here they are lined up in the conservatory. I'm thinking they will make little gifts for Christmas or perhaps I can do some spooky ones for Halloween, I'll keep you posted!

Can you spot the hideous mistake? I put frosting on the first red roof but didn't seal the distress ink and it has bled through. Thought I would post it warts and all though!

Hope you all had fun this weekend, thanks so much for looking. x

Tim's tag for September.

Had a lot of fun with Tim's tag this month although I haven't got his wonderful stencils yet, so I improvised! To see his challenge go here to see his wonderfulness. I had great fun using layers and some stencils I had and using the embossing paste as per his instructions. I really want the star stencil, so to be able do this tag without his stencil I made one by taking some thick acetate packing and punching out some stars. Next on my list is to get his collection however, as they are perfect!

 

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I used Mowed Lawn and Picked Raspberry and Spiced Marmalade, love the texture of the embossing paste! I also really love the way the ribbon can be stenciled at the top, although this photo doesn't show it too clearly, great tip, thanks Tim! Lovely to make depth in something without layers sticking out for a change. He always challenges us to think anew with his tags, just wish I could do it as well as him! Love to you all x

The Eyes have it!

Just to prove I have made something this week I am posting my tag for the Tag Tuesday challenge. The theme for this week is Eyes and here is my offering.



I stamped the background with Coffee Archival ink using the papillion background stamp by Tim. Then I used a PaperBag Studio stamp of the girl - I love her eyes they seem to follow you around wherever you go. The branch die was cut from some spare packing and inked with Distress stains. The quote is another from PaperBag Studios. Then I added a small Kraft tag at the top with the a stamped butterfly and the word Eyes. The butterflys were cut from another on the edge die from Tim and I used some experimental paper I saved when practising with my new Gelli Plate using some brown acrylic paints. I made the background with an assortment of background stamps on the plate and rather like the effect! The co-ordinating ribbon and there you are - proof I have done something. Had a bit of a manic week, hopefully all will calm down and I will be in the craft room again soon. Love to you all, enjoy the sun! x