it's the last day to post...

...any tags you've made for the "12 tags of christmas with a feminine twist" challenge at ellen hutson's classroom blog. but it's worth hurrying for, because one random linker who makes and blogs about a tag inspired by any of the 12 days will win a $150 shopping spree in the ellen hutson store, how COOL is that?! here's the last of my entries, it's based on kitty caracciolo's inky masterpiece from day 5:

ok, so in terms of layout, colors, and content, i've been VERY faithful to the original; but as you can see, in terms of technique, i went FULL ON into my comfort zone, which, as you may know, is sadly... ahem... not-at-all-technique-y. i like collage. i always have. i enjoy cutting out teeeeeeeny tiiiiiiiny* deer from one vintage greeting card, and making snowy hills out of another glittery-trimmed one, and finding yet another card with shimmery trees similar to the gorgeous die cut ones in the inspiration piece. oddly enough, there is not one single bit of commercial crafting product on my tag apart from adhesives, just the aforesaid "frankensteined" christmas cards, and a bit of vintage seam binding. but i realllllly like how it came out! 

here's a really WEIRD angle for ya, but i wanted to show the dimension i've incorporated by popping the various layers up on foam tape. and yeah... before you ask... the deers' heads are on about four stacked pieces each, so that they LITERALLY stand out! :)

in other news, we DID get our tree** yesterday, and i think it's going to be quite lovely when it's finished. but despite working on it for most of the evening (thank you AMC channel for running "white christmas" back to back!) it's still not quite done. jeff provided the lights, and i got the ornaments on there before conking out; tinsel is just going to have to wait a bit because today is fully booked with the traditional checking-out of the annual local gingerbread house competition with our (now college aged--HOW did THAT happen??!) god-daughter jackie; not to mention niece madeline's second triumphant year as a cherub (talk about your "type-casting" lol!!!) in her church's nativity pageant tonight. 

hope your day is full of all things merry and bright! ♥♥♥

*fairly often i am asked-- especially by civilians, but sometimes by fellow crafties-- if i use teeny tiny scissors for cutting things with a lot of detail, and the answer is, "nope". i use a big honkin' full-sized pair of fiskars which fit my big honkin' full-sized hands comfortably; i just use the fulcrum of the blades to cut in a very controlled manner and move the paper around rather than the scissors, if that makes sense? and no, i never, ever, use a craft knife if i can help it; those things are murder on the old carpals, i tell ya! :) :) :)

**next year can someone please remind me that decorating a blue spruce is like sticking your hands repeatedly into a box full of angry porcupines? ta v much!!! a douglas fir is looking preeeeeeeettttttty good to me right now, actually! :)