Challenge 25

Here is my entry for number 25 in the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge. After the amazingly fun but frantic Twelve Tags of Christmas I've had a little break, but while the house is quiet today I couldn't resist getting a bit inky.

I've deliberately not done a seasonal theme, much as I love Santa, so thought I'd try and produce something in contrast with the permafrost that we seem to be living in at the moment. I really love snow, but I live on a steep hill, and it's a bit like a ski jump with a 90 degree bend at the bottom that has been quite a challenge for my driving skills.

I don't think it's possible to get much warmer than the Australian Outback, which is what this stamp always makes me think of. I know this is a really straight forward technique, but why do I just get splodges, I try really hard not to put on too much re inker, but always the splodges appear.

Thank you Linda for posting The Shortest Day on your blog, it is such a beautiful poem, which captures the spirit of the season so amazingly well. You have prompted me to go up into the attic and find my very old and dog eared The Dark Is Rising Sequence which I read as a teenager and just loved. They have been fantastic reading over the holiday.

Happy New Year.

Rock Candy Santa

It seems very strange not to be making a tag, after the past 12 days of fantastic inspiration from Tims amazing tags. But a change is as good as a rest, apparently, so I have made a Christmas decoration. I will use this as my entry in the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge Number 24, and the December Artistic Outpost Referral Program

I have used a 4'' x 4'' frame which I've painted with cranberry acrylic paint, sanded and then stamped in gold ink with a Tim stamp. The Father Christmas is an Artistic Outpost stamp stamped in coffee archival ink and then coloured with vintage photo distress ink. I have applied a large quantity of Rock Candy Distress Stickles, but even so you can only just see the sparkle. He is really sparkling, honest!! The letters are from the Seasonal salvage Stickers, mounted on grungeboard, sanded and inked, and I've inked some ribbon with aged mahogany distress ink and used a little wire hanger that I've had for ages as a finishing touch.

Eleven and Twelve

What a brilliant twelve days. I've tried out so many new techniques and materials, but I think I'm going to have a little rest after today (except I really must make something for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge).

Anyway, here are tags eleven and twelve.

I wish I'd used whiter paper for my background on tag eleven, but did have fun making my own stamp.

The top of my tree looks a bit wonky because I made it last night, and when I came to assemble my tag this morning the top had been chewed off!! I think my kitties have been up to no good over night. I did find it halfway up the stairs, so it probably didn't keep them amused for very long. A little bit of ink and it doesn't show too much.

Definitely had to use improvisation on tag twelve as I do not have that die, so cut out a bauble and inked it with Firebrick red, but it's come out really dark, and the crackle paint has gone blobby.

I used a 50p Christmas decoration for my foliage, and cut it up to get the desired effect. The photo looks a bit blurry, but this is about the fourth attempt so I don't think it's going to get any better.

Tags Nine and Ten

Tag eight is missing. Actually that's because I don't have any stuff that seemed to work ie. no masks. I'm seeing a friend on Monday who has that seasonal mask, so will have to have a go at number eight then.

I just love tag nine. It's so gloriously vintage, and though Tim says it's elegant, I must admit I think its a bit OTT in a really good way.

I don't have those letters that Tim used for his sentiment, so used some pre cut grungeboard ones that I inked and covered with Glossy Accents. I've just about used up all my pearl bling, so hope there isn't much of that for the last few tags!

For tag ten I got in a bit of a pickle, as, being my usual impatient self I didn't wait long enough for my ribbon to dry. What ensued was a horrible lot of red stains on my snowman. Infact, he looked like the victim of a brutal attack!! So he is hiding behind the frosty snowflakes, with a liberal bit of repainting, which luckily doesn't show too much.

I'm off now to have a look at the fabby tags at Artyjens splinter group.

Where's my Sticky Back Canvas?

I knew that I had some somewhere, but it has taken an awful lot of rummaging around to find it. At last I get to use it.
Tag number 7 looks truely amazing on Tims blog, mine not quite so much!!
To start I didn't have an embossing folder that looked like wood, so used one that was actually grass and a bird (cunningly concealed behind my poinsettia).

No spray on colours for my canvas, so I just swiped it with Distress Ink, and found some red and green glimmer mists that took a bit of unclogging but eventually managed to spray my canvas with these. My poinsettia is a bit fragile as I don't have a hot glue thing, so with a lot of glossy accents and much pressing it finally held together.

I now off to have a look at the fab tags over at Artyjens

Tag Number Six

I can't believe it already halfway for Tims' Twelve Tags of Christmas. I do have that reindeer die, but not the tree, so the antlers are just cut out. I really like the idea of inking the embossing folder first, a fab effect. My reindeer is minus greenery, and I am just hopeless at tiny bows, that must be abou my 15th attempt!!. Today I also got in a terrible tangle with the tissue tape. It was totally out of control, and just did its own thing,and wouldn't stick where I wanted it to.
I have to own up to being very tempted to use a tag today that I had posted a couple of weeks ago for the last CCC challenge, but had to try out those new techniques, and I'm really glad I did. I would never in a million years have thought of inking the embossing folder. Anyway, now I'm going to have a go at the next tag.

Steel Poinsettias

I can't believe that its already tag number 5. I love Tims tag, as that vintage Santa has to be one of my favorite stamps, he's just so jolly.
Quite a bit of improvising today as I didn't have any of the stash needed to make the bit in the middle. However, some grungeboard numbers, and the middle of a grungeboard frame, plus some german scrap saved the day. The embossing on my numbers went so wrong, but after a rub down with a bit of dark brown paint looks distressed rather than just plain wrong (I hope!!)

I really like the idea of embossing some metal foliage to make the poinsettia, but,blimey, it gave off some terrible fumes. Perhaps I went on heating it a bit too long, but found it really difficult to know when the powder had stuck.

Now I'm off to Artyjens to link up and look at all the wonderful tags that are being posted. I'm also going to link this to Sunday Stampers Wonderful Christmastime theme over at Hels blog.

Birds and Bling

Today I was going to go and get my new specs. But my drive and road are just a solid sheet of ice even though most of the snow has gone, so my trusty car must stay at home as must I. What on earth can I do after a perfunctory hoover and dust round.

I suppose I could make some more Tim Tags. Woo Hoo!!!

So here are number three and four.

Loved the tissue tape rosette, brilliant idea. I had to improvise when it came to the tree as don't have that stamp, but do have the embossing folder that looks the same. It seems to have worked out ok, though I did paint it with distress ink (so I stayed in the lines).

Tag four was much harder for me as I'm not really a blingy girl, more the grungy vintage type. However, after a rummage around I did find some sparkly bits and bobs I bought ages ago and had never used. I didn't have any of those facet thingies either, but did have some fragments that I'd always wondered what to do with. That alcohol ink / archival ink resist technique is pretty cool, and I'm definitely going to experiment with it a bit more when I've got the time.
The sparkly bits at the bottom that look pink are actually clear, but I think they are reflecting my red top. Can't wait to see what amazing things Tim comes up with tomorrow.

Tag Number Two

OK. I have to admit this is a total copy of Tims wonderful tag, although I have used slightly different foliage and pine cone stamps, plus I didn't have any felt, so inked and stamped and embossed bit by bit.

I'm really glad this tag was a lot easier to make than the first one, as I will now, hopefully be able to keep up. Actually, even as I was typing that last sentence, I know there is really not much chance of that happening, but I'll try!
Here is a picture of Tilly helping to give the ribbons a nice distressed look. She also loves all things inky and gluey, but distress ink really messes up her fur. I'm linking my tags to Artyjens Splinter Group, where there are some amazing tags. I'm now going to have a look around the blogosphere at all the fab tags that are
out there.

Only a little bit late!

At last! My week of night shifts (12 hours at work, 12 hours off) has come to an end, and although I should really try to get a few hours sleep now I just can't wait to get going on my first tag of Christmas. It's been torture looking at Tims fab designs and not having any time to get my stash out.


I luckily have both the dies, but have used twigs from my garden for the tree, and my wreath is made from little rosemary sprigs stuck to a circle of grungepaper. So here is a bonus. My tag smells really nice!
Anyway to finish off this post here is a close up of my perfumed wreath. I really should get a couple of hours sleep now, but hope to make a start on my second tag later today.