The last challenge of 2011

As this is my last challenge for this year the topic is 'Your Choice'... so here is my DT tag.... yes another tag... I am addicted - just blame the Duke of Distress....
Sorry to say nothing Tim about this one.... I created the background using Pan Pastels my favourite medium right now... mixed some blues and purples with a touch of grey and this is what I came up with  - I like it... so easy to do and very effective.
I stamped randomly with Black Archival inks using some Kanban Time stamps and a freebie flower from Crafts Beautiful.  I found in the drawer here some decoupage sheets... no idea where from but maybe Create and Craft.. so made up this lovely Goddess like female and added some of  the Kanban wings to let her fly free. I added a silver circle and some turquoise ribbon and hey presto job done. Surprising what you can do even if you don't have everything with you... I hope you like.
So that is it for challenges this year.... please do join me in 2012 on my challenge blog for some more interesting ideas and techniques from my lovely entrants.
Thanks to them all for their wonderful support in 2011 and thanks to the fab DT too.
Have a Happy and Peaceful and Safe New Year and enjoy your crafting
I am also entering this for Aud Sentiments challenge this week.

Wishing you A Happy Christmas

I do hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year.
Thanks so much each and every one of you who have visited this blog and my challenge blog over the last year. I appreciate every comment you leave.

My little tree made from the TV guide.

Now all that remains to say is enjoy the festive season, make time for some crafting and come back again in 2012. God bless everyone xx

Will it be a White Christmas???

A 'White Christmas' may be on the cards for me this year as going over to Baltimore from Bermuda for four days..... this is my challenge this week and here is my DT card.
The image is from Stamp n Doodle... I do love it so plain and simple and effective I think.  I added some Cuttlebugging on the side and the stamp from Stampscapes.
Nothing else required I don't think... hope you like it. If you have time do pop over and enter the challenge yourself... and enjoy x

Joy to the World - with Angels

'Joy to the world' is my DT card for my challenge this week with the 'Angels' theme.
The papers are from Graphic 45 and they cover a Kraft card. I have simply added a couple of glitter stickers... did not think it needed more.

Day 8... better late than never - Steampunk Christmas

Well I managed to do tag number 8 for Tim's tags... late and different but never mind... I had a bad week losing my best friend so did not feel like crafting. However now my lovely Geoff is home life is better so completed this this afternoon whilst he was out shopping.  Here is what I did... I took some brown paper again and randomly stamped over it in black Archival then coloured with red and green Distress inks again randomly.  I added some cogs and a clock face, some stickers, others metal and added some red Stickles to the centres.  I stamped the ticket and three men, Tim's stamps of course, distressed them and added red and green Stickles for holly.  I cut the hand from a backing sheet from 'A touch of' mask packet, added JOY and 25 in black glitter letters, yellow, red and green ribbon together with a pen nib and a light bulb. I love Steampunk Christmas hope you do too.

Trees and Baubles

This week my challenge is Trees and Baubles so here is my DT tag.... yes another tag folks... I am hooked on Tim's tags at the moment so made another one for my challenge.
The base of the tag was coloured using my favourite paints of the moment... Paper Artsy Fresco Paints.... a couple of colours mixed together to give this lovely chalky look.  I stamped the tree and snowflake and holly, from Tim Holtz using Snow Cap Fresco and Weathered wood Distress inks.  I added a bauble from my stash and attached the wish ticket, again from Tim and again distressed with inks.  I curled the corner and cut the tree from Tim again.... green chipboard for this. Coloured with some turquoise Stickles and the job was done... oh added gold ribbon too and used the distress tool to on the tag edges and coloured with inks. That is it.... one more tag for my collection.
If you fancy your chances with the challenge do pop over and enter... and most of all enjoy.

Day 7...Not a good day for me

Day 7 of Tim's tags dawned a wee bit damp but with the snow slowly vanishing... so out to the shops I managed to get.... first time for 2 days.  Came back to some bad news that my dearest friend John had had a heart attack last night...touch and go so your prayers would be appreciated.
So I have not had chance to do much of a tag today but thought I would at least attempt it tonight and here it is.... in all it's glory.... not lol
As I did not have any glassine paper, Tim used that in his tag,  I decided to use brown paper, crumpled up and attached to my tag.  I stamped on it in black Archival and Walnut stain Distress ink using a few crackle and spotty stamps.  I added the brown chipboard tree, from Tim, together with one of his Christmas stickers distressed again with Walnut Stain.  I added a mouldable acetate holly bough and a flower with a  little Stickles glitter glue and a brown ribbon... unusual for me to use brown.
Do check out Tim's blog to see the lovely tag he made today along with the other 6 from this week.... and apologies for mine being so different today.

Half Way There.... Day 6 of Tim's Tags

I can't believe I have actually managed to make 6 tags so far... woo hoo the first time ever I have managed it.  This one is very different from Tim's in that I decided to use a black tag to start off with, silver metal and black and gold Dabber paints over the embossing folder (sorry did not have the one Tim used). I painted then sanded down to get the grungy look then embossed over Walnut Stain ink with clear embossing powder to get the shine.  I added some black and white and yellow and white Bakers Twine and a gold bit of ribbon from my stash to complete the look.
I am happy with the way this turned out... you do worry a bit in the middle section as it looks such a mess before sanding lol
Do go check out Tim's blog and see today's fabulous creation along with the previous 5 days.... look out for another new one tomorrow.

Day number 5

Well another, day another Tim tag..... yeah this is number 5.... didn't I do well???
This one is slightly different to Tim's in that I do not have the reflections stamp. So first of all I alcohol inked some acetate with a couple of the red inks and let it dry.  Then I stamped the text from my other Tim text stamp onto a white tag and overlayed the acetate... the right hand side one has a full sheet and the left hand side half that was left over.. I also did not have the correct wreath die so used a Crealie die to cut the leaves and arranged in a wreath shape on the right.  I added some pearls.. this to make it look like mistletoe, red ribbon and a feathery red tie at the top.
For the tag on the left I coloured the right hand half with Iced Spruce Distress Inks then added the leaves, pearls and ribbon to the bottom corner with more red feathery tie at the top.
I am really pleased with the way these turned out and I have one extra tag.  I won't be able to do days 11 and 12 as flying away for the holidays so this one will replace one of those days.. so I hope to end up with 12 after all.
Do go check out Tim's blog to see how he did his tag and see the other 4 done earlier this week. Have a god yourself if you get the time.

Mr Snowman - Day 4 Tim's Tags

Ooh I am loving today's Tim's Tag.... Mr Snowman is wonderful.  Check out Tim's blog to find out more.
I started by swooshing a few Distress stains on my craft sheet then wizzing the tag round to create the gorgeous background.  I overstamped using the flourish and snowflake stamps in Picket Fence and Weathered Wood then added a strip of acetate to the right hand side... run through the Bug with the snowflakes die.  I always love using acetate in the embossing folders and do it a lot. I painted Mr Snowman with  Distress Rock Candy crackle paint then coloured using distress inks... some purple in there today.  I coloured the grungeboard numbers with the same inks making the purple darker....there had to be purple in one of my tags now didn't there? I added the buttons with the silver tulle pulled through one of the holes.. see Tim's page on how to do this... then added a white scarf and some sequins round the hat.  A purple and silver ribbon hanging from the top and the snowflake die finished it off nicely.
This is certainly my favourite so far... in real life he looks lovely.
Very appropriate to do a snowman today as it snowed overnight and has done so on and off all day.... ugh I hate it. Please let it go away soon.....

Day three of Tim's Tags

Day three dawned cold and clear here in the Highlands.... however now at almost 7pm the rain and sleet have set in with a vengeance.... hey ho it is December and I don't have to go out so who cares??
Tim's third tag day and I have replicated it almost but used Pan Pastels to colour my stamping and added more of the lovely mouldable acetate flowers... I seem hooked on them right now. I also oversprayed the whole tag with Perfect Pearls mists to set the pastels.
A nice simple tag but I am happy with it ....on to day four tomorrow... hope I can keep this up. If you don't know what I am talking about check out the Master's blog and look at the instructions... then you can make your own. Have fun.

Happiness Tag for Tim's Tags

Day two of Tim's Tags.... if you don't know what I am talking about - where have you been??? check out Tim's blog to find out more and see his fabulous works of art.  My tag was covered with Tim's Kraft resist paper, coloured with Picket Fence then some added colour with the winter Distress inks Festive Berries and Iced Spruce, to give a hint of colour to the background.  I distressed the edges with the sander and distress inks again.  As I don't have the reindeer die cut... shame on me... I found a piece of burlap in the fab box I got the other day from Lin at LB Crafts....check her shop out for bargains right now.  I thought the material looked like a tree so added some  jewels and a star and cut the base from a piece of chipboard.  I added the brads, some bakers twine and ribbon together with the Happiness charm key at the top. Hope you like my efforts.... no where near as good as the Master but I hey did try lol. Two done so far this year - way to go Cynth x

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day one

Day one of Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas... I have never managed to get one finished before so this is a first.  I followed Tim's instructions almost,  you can find them here with a few changes.  My pine cones are mouldable acetate shaped with the heat gun and the leaves are covered in various Cosmic shimmer sprays and the edges glittered. The background was created using Iced Spruce Distress inks, embossed in the Cuttlebug and then covered in white embossing powder, heated then sanded down and coloured with Iced Spruce again. The key at the top actually says HOPE.... sorry the glare from all the glitter and glitz spoiled it slightly.
I did enjoy making this and hope I may get to do some more during the 12 days.
I hope you enjoy looking and maybe will have a go yourselves.
I am also entering this into WOYWW.. the wonderful blog by Julia showing off our desks each week... do pop over and have a look at the super desks of crafters worldwide.

'Angels from the Realms of Glory'

This week my challenge is Christmas Carols. So here is my DT card which is 'Angels from the Realms of Glory' one of my very favourite carols.  I started with a fabulous corrugated Kraft card base folded into a gatefold and some lovely papers from Graphic 45.  I added some mouldable acetate holly leaves and a couple of cut out stars and that was my card made... quick and easy but I did like it.  I have made more in a similar vein as I love the papers so much.  Have a go at the challenge you stand to win a voucher from the fabulous Joanna Sheen