And Finally... Funkie Junkie tag 12

Welcome friends and thanks for dropping in. Regulars will know that I have been playing along with Linda Mc Coughlin's 12 Tags of Christmas challenge. This challenge started way back at the end of September and every week Linda has been posting one of her tags, to inspire us for our own festive holiday creations. Well, we have finally reached week 12 !!! Here is my version

I adored Linda's original, you can see it HERE I made my background in pretty much the same way, just using a different text background stamp. I also couldn't resist giving my branches some red berries (using some paint)

I also adored the idea of a pocket with ephemera tucked in. Mine is a bit different in colour, I added a stamp and another ephemera piece to the front, but used the same branches sticking out ☺

Finally, I used the same die as the main sentiment.

And that was pretty much it.

Here is a quick review of all of my tags or in my case cards:

1, 2 and 3

4, 5 and 6

7, 8 and 9

10 and 11
And finally....

12

Well, there you have it, - all 12 complete. I would like to thank Linda for all the inspiration  she has given and for the amazing prizes she is offering for this challenge. Just in case you would like to check the details of this challenge, they can all be found HERE.

It's probably a bit late to start with the challenge now, but I bet, seeing this is now the 5th year, Linda will do another one in 2017. It's such a good way to start your own Christmas crafting and I have enjoyed every minute. Thank you so much Linda!!

Well, I am happy to say my cards are all done now and most have gone in the post.... Thanks for your visit and enjoy this very special time of year!

xxxxx

Funkie Junkie 10 & 11

Well I think most of you lovely visitors will by now know all about Linda from the Funkie Junkie Boutique and her lovely 12 tags of Christmas challenge. But just in case you missed it all, here are the details:
Well, we are now reaching the final stages, and here are my next 2 cards, inspired by Linda's tags:

Like usual, they are inspired by Linda's originals, but giving them my own interpretations, so here goes:

Number 10

I was inspired by Linda's colour scheme, her use of corrugated card, the snowflakes and of course the use of the Tim's Mini Doodles Greetings set.. I don't have the background stamp Linda used, so I used a bit of Polka dot paper from my stash. You can see Linda's original HERE

I was not able to really do a chalkboard effect as I don't have white pigment ink that will really show up to give the chalkboard effect, so I just white embossed mine on black card.

Number 11

Linda's original was one of my favourites from this year! Again, Linda's colour scheme really inspired me, as well as her use of a doily die, the snowflakes and the sentiment from the same set of stamps. Not having the papers that Linda used, I used Maya design papers for my card. Below a few close ups:

Using the same sentiment, but stamped on a brown piece of Maja Design paper. My die cut in the background is from Sue Wilson.

Using Linda's snowflake idea, but using the mini snow flakes Sizzlits rather than the stacked or stamped snowflakes she used.

Several of the little snowflakes stacked together

Some strips of washi tape, because I felt it needed something to finish it all off and I felt I did not have enough space to use some of the words Linda used from the main sentiment stamp again, though I really like the idea of that. You can find Linda's original HERE

Well, there you go, almost done, can't wait for the final one now.....

Have a great week everyone and thanks for your visit at this busy time!

xxxxx

12 tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie style 7, 8 and 9

Hello all, I am still in full Christmas card making mode and today am sharing the next 3 cards inspired by Linda's 12 tags of Christmas....

I'm not too happy with my versions, but hey ho, I tried.....
I'll take you quickly though them one by one.

Here is the one inspired by Linda's number 7. I was mostly inspired by her colour and sort of snowy theme, though not having any of the products she used I went pretty much by own way.
I cut the front with the fancy die by Marianne Design, ran a panel through a little snow flake embossing folder and then decorated with a little deer and one of the flowers I made in a batch, originally for another project. You can see on this post how I did that.
I decorated the inside too, still going with the blue and snowy theme:

Alright, onto number 8. You can find Linda's original here
I used some of the elements Linda used, - a stencilled background, a lantern (I used a different die), a vintage image and some flowers and greenery. But I changed the colouring completely.

And finally number 9. I loved the colours Linda used and how she made her background. I was also delighted I actually own the lovely stamp she used for her background. But then I finished mine in a different way, seeing it's a card and not an invitation like Linda's was. You can see hers here.

The leaves were cut from a "master board" I created a while back, using sprays. Here's a close up still

Well, that's it for today. Thanks for your visit like always and hope you find some time to relax during this busy time of year.

xxxxx

12 Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie style, tag 4, 5 &6

Well, here we are, only about 6 weeks to Christmas and I finally get round to posting my next 3 cards inspired by Linda's tags. If you are new to what this is all about, you can read all about this wonderful challenge by clicking HERE.

So without further ado, here are my next 3 cards inspired by the tags:

I'll briefly talk you through them one by one

This is inspired by Linda's tag 4. You can see the original HERE. I was inspired by the crinoline poinsettias, and by the white layer on top of the red. I just changed my colouring to a darker red, and as I did not have many of the products Linda used, I improvised with what I had. My top layer was created with a holly die, I think it's from Crafters Companion.

Here's a close up of the poinsettia, I brushed on some gesso for a snowy effect, but now wished I hadn't as the spray I used to colour my crinoline (a mix of  Festive Berries and Aged Mahogany Distress Spray) started to run and turned it slightly pink (yuk).
I used the same stamp Linda did for her tag, but fussy cut it and mounted it on some black card as it did not show up enough.

 Alright, onto tag number 5, I am turning all of mine into cards this year.

I pinched a lot of Linda's ideas on this one. The original can be seen HERE
I was inspired by the colours Linda used, Kraft and cream, - though mine is more white. As my cards are smaller than Linda's large tags, I changed the lay out quite a bit, but I loved how she made use of both the positive and negative of the holly die cuts and her use of background stamping with text.

Above a little close up of how I finished mine with ribbon and berries.

Finally, my favourite card of the three, inspired by Linda's tag 6. You can see her version HERE

I absolutely adored Linda's tag 6, the use of Kraft with white is just wonderful I think, I love the sort of folk art/ peppercake/ Scandinavian feel it gives....
 I obviously used Tim's Nordic Layering Stencil aswell with white texture paste, and then substituted with what I had in my stash, to create something in a similar style.

I loved Linda's heart, and tried to achieve something similar with a bauble die that has a pattern for embossing, instead of doing that I cut it and then used it as a stencil with the paste again. It's a little Marianne die.

I used exactly the same stamp for the greeting, white embossed like Linda had done.

I don't have the tree die Linda used, nor the deer, so I just adapted with what I had. The little deer is a chipboard embelly I found in my Christmas box, that I just painted white with gesso.

Well, there you have it, 3 more for the box... I just love this challenge as Linda makes me think of things that I would never have thought of myself. Thanks so much Linda for all your inspiration!!

Thanks for your visit like always!

xxxxx

Funkie Junkie Bonus Tag 1

Hello everyone and welcome! A special welcome also to new followers who have decided to join me here, it is so lovely to have you!

How is your year going so far? I have had a few sad days as my little grand daughter and her parents who had been with us over Christmas have just left again, back to Australia, so doing some crafting was a very welcome distraction. So today I am sharing my first of the Bonus Tags that are a part of the 12 tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style challenge.

You can read all about the challenge HERE. I have had great fun making all of the 12 tags for which Linda provided such great inspiration and then to my joy she extended the deadline and added a couple of bonus tags, which are really thank you cards. You can see Linda's version here
Mine is very different, but I was inspired by her folded tag shape and the strips of metal tape along the side.

I made mine with a specific purpose in mind. I received some stunning Stampendous stamps from my nephew who lives in America and who was over here for Christmas. So I made this thank you card for him, using the stamps he gave me.
Here you can see the inside:

I started by adding some texture with Grungepaste and a couple of Tim Holtz stencils. I then covered it all with a coat of Gesso and then coloured with a mix of Distress Paints and Gelatos. I then did some background stamping and finally stamped my vocal images on smooth stamping paper and coloured with a mix of Faber Castell Big Brush pens and Distress Markers. The vocal image on the front was done in the same way.

Here are some close ups still

The sentiment is from the Tim Holtz simple saying set.
The card closes with a little magnet and I added a ribbon to cover the hole in the tag.

This wonderful challenge is sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique and there are some fabulous prizes to be won.
I have made a start on my next bonus tag already, so should manage to get it done just before the deadline on the 8th.

Thank you so much for visiting today and enjoy your own creative journey.

I will be posting an update on my positivity journal very soon too, so stay tuned....

Funkie Junkie tag 12

Hello everyone, thanks for dropping in and just in case, I'll say it again, a happy, happy new year to you all, - may it be your most creative year ever!!

Today I am sharing my last tag of the Funkie Junkie's 12 tags of Christmas. Just in case you don't know about it, you can read all about it here. I was lucky that Linda extended the deadline, so now I could manage to finish all of mine!

You can see Linda's original here. You'll see just how much I was inspired my Linda for number 12, this is probably the closest I have come to casing hers. I was inspired by the sideways view, the stamp she used and the stars at the top, in fact the whole lay out of the tag just really spoke to me. Of course like usual I did not have all the materials she used, so had to substitute here and there, but all in all it's pretty close I reckon. Though on the photo mine looks brown, in real life it is much more gold, but the light is so bad here that on the photos it looks brown sadly, ah well...

Here are some close ups still

 The lovely Tim Holtz stamp and gold embossed stars using one of his stencils. I used grunge paste and while still wet sprinkled Wow gold embossing powder and then embossed.

 A seam binding bow, little rusty bell and some flower and leaf embellies made to look frosty with some gesso.

More seam binding, burlap ribbon and a die cut snowflake covered in Distress Glitter.

Linda meanwhile has posted two bonus thank you card projects, and as we now have until the 8th of January, I'm going to try and do these too. There are of course wonderful prizes to be won sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique, so what are you waiting for? get those tags done!!

I'm off to start now, but not before saying a huge big thank you to Linda for all the inspiration she has provided with this challenge, I have loved every minute of it!

Before I sign off however, I want to share a wonderful poem my lovely friend Brenda posted on her blog the other day. I loved it so much, I simply had to share it:

Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!

- William Arthur Ward

Thank you for visiting and hopefully see you soon again!