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! :)

still makin' tags...

...for the "12 tags of christmas with a feminine twist" challenge at ellen hutson's classroom blog. the designer examples are soooooooo amazingly awesome that it's seriously very DIFFICULT to choose which one to attempt next! now *that* is the kind of creative "problem" i looooooooooove to have, don't you?! this time i've made an admittedly loose version of sharon harnist's lovely tag from day 1:

 (vintage: lace trim, seam binding, gold doily, and lady cut from a holiday card; patterned paper: pink paislee; embossing folder and distress inks: tim holtz; gold foil sticker: best creation; poinsettia (adorned with gold stickles): we r memory keepers; bird charm: prima; leaf ribbon: may arts; adhesives: 3m foam tape, gluedots)

i was pretty excited when i saw the gorgeous background and realized i *HAVE* that snowflake embossing folder!!! i didn't have the stamp for her pretty little christmas queen, however, so i rummaged through a bunch of old xmas cards i've saved over the years for just such moments, and found this victorian lady. however, the abundance of yellow tones in the image made her just somehow not quiiiiiiite work with the pretty reds and greens of the original, so i went more monochromatic with a lot of white, cream, and gold. 

is it weird that i've been showing the detail photos first and then the shot of the complete tag? if so, i apologize, it's just that i find the shape of these makes 'em kind of a challenge to photograph-- especially when they are loaded with shiny reflective bits, too! maybe some day i will be able to do my projects justice with the pictures they deserve, but as you can see, it was NOT today! :0

i've got one more tag to show you, either tomorrow or sunday, depending on how much "life maintenance" gets done today; we are hoping to get our tree tomorrow (this is very late for us, but that's how things are running this year!) and there is A LOT of cleaning and space-making which needs to be done first! wish me luck, darlings! ♥

and *THIS* is my favorite...

...of the "12 tags of christmas with a feminine twist" tags i've made so far, for the rather awesome challenge on the classroom blog. this one's based on claudine helmuth's fab and funky example from day 2, with which i am utterly enamoured!

(patterned paper: love elsie, ki, sei + a scrap of vintage sheet music; rub-ons: love elsie (i deployed a few of them on a bit of clear acrylic packaging, so i could pop them on foam tape for dimension, but still see through them to the goodies behind!); "merry" tag: my mind's eye (with the "so" added in k and co alphabet rubs); ribbons: michaels + vintage white trim; adhesives: staples brand gluetape runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

my tag is not a patch on claudine helmuth's, obviously, but again, when one considers that i didn't have ANYTHING she used (how is that even possible??!?!?!) i think i did ok improvising. i've got quite a bit of my belovedly hoarded "love elsie" xmas goodness here, and well, i mean, it's PINK... with cute little cartoon trees... and that sweet car!!!

speaking of christmas trees, this week's challenge (#124) at papercraft star is to include at least one on your card; clearly mine do not look ANYTHING like the elegant one in the inspo pic, but that's ok, you can use ANY christmas tree!!! 

i might have to have another shot at this challenge, though, because i've seen what my lovely friend ros-- a papercraft star DT member-- made for this. holy WOW! you really have to go and see it for yourself!!! ♥

even if you don't have time to make a tag (though i predict you'll be unable to resist once you see all the amazing designer examples!!!) you can still grab a chance at some pretty yummy $25 giftcards to the ellen hutson store just by leaving a comment at each day's post, so do check out the 12 tags of christmas with a feminine twist!

this is lovely husband jeff's favorite...

...of the 3 or 4 tags i've made for the "12 tags of christmas with a feminine twist" challenge at ellen hutson's classroom blog. miss stephanie, who is always au courant with whatever is fun and fab on t'internet pointed this event out to me, citing its incredible inspiration AND the seriously fabulous prizes, and if you've not gone over there yet to explore i *highly* recommend the trip! in fact... g'head and check it out... i'll wait...  :) :) :)

hi! i'm glad you came back! wasn't that FABULOUS, though? you left a comment at each day's post, right? because there will be a drawing for TWELVE (12!!!) $25 g/c's to the ellen hutson store! and one random linker who makes and blogs about a tag inspired by any of the 12 days will win a $150 shopping spree! the deadline is sunday night, so you still have a bit o'time to make something awesome. but first, here's the tag i was telling you about, it's based on jennifer mcguire's gorgeousness from day 4:

(vintage: birds, cut from ein "fugle atlas" + copper metallic ribbon; patterned paper: pink paislee; snowflakes: jolee's, making memories, my mind's eye; brad: making memories; thickers: american crafts; inks: ranger; adhesives: 3m foam tape, gluedots)

i think it's not a bad version, considering i didn't actually have a single product which jennifer mcguire used in hers, lol! i just improvised, but i think i came fairly close. i used some "mistable" paper as my base, and activated the resist bits with a couple shades of blue distress ink; my avian friends were cut from a vintage german bird book--they were pre-trimmed for something else, but then not used, so that was really handy; my snowflakes are stickers and diecuts, and i've spelled "joy" with glitter alphabet chips.

here's a closer shot of the birds and a few other details:

you know that i'm a demon for dimension and texture, so i've popped the birds on a layer of foam tape, used some metal snowflake stickers that really stand out, and machine-stitched over my letters for a little extra security! because as far as i can tell, the primary goal of chipboard-- or indeed any rigid material-- is to escape from one's project ASAP; and whilst sending a tag that says, "oy" might sum up a fair amount of genuine holiday feeling, it's not really the mood i was aimin' for here! :)

back tomorrow with another tag. ciao, darlings! ♥