Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 7

So, Tag 7  brings us to sticky back canvas and adirondack colour sprays - the latter of which I don't have, (well, not in these colours) but the former I do.  I custom made my own colours - distress ink reinkers (I have a worn lipstick one made up with a perfect pearl powder and diluted some barn door with plain water in another mini mister) and for the leaves inked straight to the tag with a couple of greens and spritzed with a reinker/perfect pearl mixer.

I don't have the woodgrain texture fade so used this one instead - inking direct to the embossing folder as in Tim's video yesterday - cool technique, I was impressed how well it worked (although I shouldn't be, given how everything else Tim touches turns out so fabby!!)

Had quite a lot of trouble constructing the flower - and I don't have a hot glue gun (actually, I do, my ex left it behind all though years ago, but I am a bit wary of it so used glossy accents - lots of it!)  I daren't hold the tag up as I reckon it will all fall off.......
For me, there aren't enough stickles on the petals, but I am running low and I bet Tim will be using it again, so didn't want to go overboard!

For the centre, I used one of the largest pearls out of the necklace I took apart for one of the earlier tags, as I couldn't find a button I liked that would fit in the hole I had left in the flower. I thought about filling it with beads, but couldn't face the idea of them all rolling all over the floor...... cos you know they would have done!

I used some grungepaper letters to create the "joy" - just painted them with claudine hellmuth paint, and found a couple of maya road chip flourishes, which are silver dabber painted. (direct from the bottle as it wouldn't come through the dabber... what is it with me and thick gungey paint???)  Oh, by the way, does anyone know, can you dilute the distress crackle paints?  They are all thick and gungey too....  any tips would be gratefully received.

I couldn't find a circle punch (I don't think I have any, at least not tiny ones) so stuck the type charm "bubble" to the 25 from the paper stack and cut round it before fitting it in the holder. This was quite a messy tag to do, but good fun.  Not, so far, my favourite though! Wonder what is in store for tomorrow!!

Linking it to Artyjen's splinter group as always!

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 6

Well, ok so I couldn't not try in the end.  Thanks to some inspiration from the tags already linked at Artyjen's splinter group, (and mainly Sioux's herself) -  I came up with this for Tim's Day 6 tag.

I stamped the trees in a mixture of bundled sage and pine needles, then over-stamped in clear embossing ink and clear embossed them for a bit of texture/depth. The flourishes are just stamped as I have no folders that I could use.

The colours show a little better in this one - this is scanned, the one above is with the camera.

The reindeer is stamped on grungepaper, put through an embossing folder and inked in aged mahogany.

I made the greeting with Wendy's stamp, but my fired brick must need reinking because it didn't emboss properly, so I covered the whole think with clear ink and powder and embossed it again.

Hope day 7 - already halfway!! - has some elements I can use properly!

Got to go to bed now, it's past my bedtime and I am tired after my day back at work!!

See you tomorrow.

a Rocking Candy Christmas

Well, my meal out got cancelled due to the weather, so I find myself in, and a little while ago trying to watch 3 different programmes on tv at the same time - difficult!  Also, trying to work out how to do Tim's Day 6 tag with nothing whatsoever I can use...... even more difficult!!  May have to miss this one out which is a pain, as I really wanted to do them all. Course, I could go shopping!!!

So, instead I turn to my Monday stalwart - Linda's Compendium Challenge - we're on page 47, and the title of this post may have hinted at the subject matter.  It's a great one, and easy, so I have dashed off a Christmas card using some of the seasonal paper stack and Tim's snowflakes.

Hope the "candy" shows up!!

Somehow, I think maybe not! Although I do seem to have managed to get a hair stuck into it.  Thanks to the sponsors, there are some amazing prizes on offer again. Go check the entries out, there are already some great ones up, and it's open for 2 weeks.

Thanks for your kind wishes about the echo cardiogram today - it went fine - I was there early, they started early and - then I had to wait 30 minutes for the bus to work...... cold doesn't begin to describe how I felt by the time I got to the office......  Oh, and it all seems fine - they said my heart looks normal, so that's something else I can stop worrying about! 
Down to one thing at a time on the TV now - and Liverpool are winning, so that is a GOOD end to Monday!   Hope to be here tomorrow with a Tim Tag I can have a crack at.

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 5

I don't know how Tim does it - every day he comes up with more fabulous techniques - some of which I've done before and some new - today's tag is no exception.  Not having access to Tim's own stash store (I wish!!) I had to improvise again. 

My Santa is too big I think, it looked on Tim's as if he used the small version of his! I also didn't have the "sparkly stuff" but did uncover my white fun flock which is I think similar, just not sparkly. Tried to add some glitter but it didn't really stick.
I don't have the die Tim used for the banner, but used the baroque one, on card stock, and cut it apart to fit.
Didn't have any green distress powder so used a prima leaf with the foliage pieces.

No white UTEE so had to do a couple of layers of ordinary white embossing   Finally, didn't have a small enough Tim greeting, so this one is by Paperartsy.
My white dabber resist technique still leaves a lot to be desired - but it kind of worked!

Not really a holly coloured glitter but its under coloured with a green gel pen (glitter glue by Suze from a very old pack..... still gorgeously gluey though!)

I won't be getting tomorrow's done on time because I'll be back at work after the hospital, and am out for a meal with friends in the evening (all weather dependant, of course!) so will be playing catch up for the rest of the week!

Am linking this to Artyjen's splinter group again, and Hels Sunday Stamper "wonderful Christmastime".  I should be finishing my Christmas cards - maybe later!!

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 4

So, today Tim is using facets - not something I've bought (yet!) so I had to use a fragment charm. I did have the alcohol inks though, but I had more trouble than last time I tried this technique, no idea why!

However, here is my tag

I used the same image from the seasonal stack as Tim, but had to improvise with my bling!  I did have some Prima bling which I used part of, but nothing like the bling on a roll Tim used! We don't have shops like that here!  So I raided my jewellery box for an old pearl necklace (not real, obviously!) I no longer wear, and used some of the beads, which I stuck onto a piece of ribbon.  They kept sticking to my fingers rather than the glue, hence the line is a tad wobbly!  I also used an old ear-ring - it is clear crystal, but obviously the light is bouncing off the tag and the background so it looks blue!  I put some glitter round the adage ticket - just because! and some extra bling on the fragment, for the same reason.   I am sure there will be lots more really clever versions over at Artyjen's splinter group - check them out!

I got out this morning to the shops - stocked up on the essentials, the pavements weren't as bad as I had feared, and the high street itself was quite good, so I got back without incident. Hope it doesn't all re-freeze overnight though. I was SOOO hot when I got home, too many layers - and the concentration of not falling, I think!   I have got to get to the hospital on Monday morning for the ECG (to make sure my heart murmur is not going to be a problem,) so I hope it continues to improve underfoot!  I just took some rubbish (garbage for any US readers) downstairs, to find a neighbour clearing my steps of the snow! ahh, makes you all warm and cosy, doesn't it! (Perhaps he thinks I am too old to do it myself, though...... never thought of that before!)

Anyhow, have a good evening - please, please, let Ann W get voted off Strictly tonight...... enough as they say, is enough!

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 3

Today's tag from Tim is a beauty!! (check it out via the link) Mind you I was nearly stumped at the first hurdle, could I find a bare tree stamp to use for the branch?  Could I heck. 

So had to use the Owl Buddies (simply stamps) that I love so much and try hard not to ink anything other than the branches....  distress ink covers a multitude of sins!
I didn't take step by step photos again today, either, (too busy coughing) but following Tim's instructions

I didn't have the seasonal salvage stickers so cut a piece from the seasonal stack which just happen to match! and stuck it to some grungepaper. I thought the next size up would be too big but looking at it now, this one is quite tiny, so maybe my first thought would have been best.  Made a tissue tape flower (great video, Tim!) and a button from my stash matched the colours I've used.

After I took the photos I realised I hadn't coloured the grunge edges of the bird - so now they're grey!  Will have to try and remedy that - carefully!   My snow cap paint dabber is very thick and doesn't flow very well, so I don't think the snow spatters show up very well, will have to try watering it down again!

Found some red tinsel which I twisted to form a double strand and used some of the lace that I got in the goody bag from Lynn Stevens recently, coloured using the method outlined by Tim. Knew it would come in handy, Lynn!

I had real fun doing today's tag, I wonder what tomorrow will bring?!

The cold itself is a bit better today, but the cough is as bad, and so I didn't want to go out in the cold again today, so have stayed home. I will have to go out tomorrow, though as I am running out of milk and need some other basics from the shops, so I hope the pavements improve a bit overnight - we still have several inches of snow outside my flat, (and my icicles are growing nicely!!) but they are talking about black ice overnight and I don't want to fall over (like last year!)

Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 2

Couldn't go to work today, my cold is worse, but I had to get out of bed - not only was I keen to see Day 2 of the tags, but it's worse lying down.

So, today, Tim gave us a much simpler tag to create - fortunately! Whilst I didn't copy his method exactly I used similar stamps -

 I don't have the cut'n'dry felt that Tim used to make his custom stamp, so instead I inked the pine cone stamp (it is one of Tim's) with clear distress embossing ink, then used a combination of brush markers and the pine needles distress ink on top, before embossing it with clear powder. I think it worked ok!  

This one is a bit fuzzy, sorry!  (or it could be because I'm not wearing my glasses!)

I probably shouldn't have used the flourish stamp as well as the music - the only music stamp I could find is this wavy one, I think there are too many wavy things going on!! It needs something straighter.... hey ho, hndsight!!
I don't have the cute little bird that Tim added, so used a snowflake, but did have the black glossy accents. I like that effect.

 This is the view from my kitchen window this morning! (I live in a first floor maisonette) - pretty impressive icicles.

And this is from my bedroom window! These cars in the street haven't moved since it snowed on Monday, although I have seen one trying to get out earlier - he made it in the end!

Hope you are all keeping warm and safe - I haven't opened the front door, don't want the shock! I hope to be better to go to work tomorrow, I hate having time off sick (and feel guilty for making this tag today!) but we'll see - they say we'll have some more snow in Surrey today - had a few flakes earlier, but nothing significant. The pavements were so slippery last night on my way home, even in my wellingtons I slid a bit.