The Funkie Junkie - Holly and Ivy - Tag 12

Hello Friends I am back again!

Today I have finished the last of Funkie Junkie's 12 Tags of Christmas.  I can hardly believe that when I discovered this Challenge I would complete all 12 tags, but I have.  OK so I still have Christmas cards to make, some Christmas presents and gift bags.  The decorations are not up either, but I shall be starting on those this evening, and frankly the decorations don't normally go up until the weekend before Christmas anyway so they are not really late! 

Right then, enough putting things off, here is Linda's wonderful tag......

Isn't it wonderful with all the gold flourishes on there?  Here is my take on Linda's tag.....

Like Linda I cannot seem to get the light very well to capture the richness of the golds and reds but this is the nearest I could get.  As on most of my tags, I die cut a tag using SU Vanilla cardstock and my TH tag die.  However, I wanted a smaller tag as well as a larger tag.  So I made a thick card tag and drew around it, on SU Vanilla, with a Quilter's Wonder Wheel which adds a quarter inch to the original card die, which I then cut out.  The first tag I had made I trimmed about an inch (I did it by eye so not exact) off the bottom edge and about quarter inch off either side and then trimmed the corners back in.  Once I was happy with the sizes I set to work on the stamping and decorating.  

The larger tag was stamped with TH embossing ink with my favourite TH flourish stamp and embossed with gold embossing powder.  Once cooled I used Fired Brick and Festive Berries Distress Inks to get a red I was happy with, as well as some Snippets of cardstock for the Roses.  Once I was happy with the red I spritzed and flicked with water and then dried them with the heat gun.

The smaller tag was stamped using my Hero Arts Holly stamp, again using embossing ink and gold powder.  I edged both tags with Gathered Twigs DI.  Then I set about making the leaves.  I inked some more Snippets with Pine Needles and Forest Moss DI and dried them with the heat gun. 

I die cut the green leaves and the "Roses" using the TH Pine Cone die.  Using my glue gun I made the Roses.  The gold Ivy leaves were some Christmas decorations I bought yesterday at the local hardware store who were selling off Christmas decorations 2 for 1.  As soon as I saw them I knew they would come in somewhere.  I do tend to pick Ivy things up because I live at Ivy Cottage!  Once the Roses were dried I inked the edges with GT DI and sprayed with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls mist.

The Noel was actually cut by my friend Mandy when I was at her house a few weeks ago.  Her Vagabond had died so I took my trusty Big Shot so that she could make some diecuts for her to make Christmas cards etc.  I pretended to "steal" one of these die cuts as I do not have this die (another one for my list).  I love the richness of the red glitter cardstock.  Don't worry, Mandy did let me have it and I have been dying to use it on one of these tags.  I have backed the Noel with some more of the lace which I have used on several other tags.  Thanks Di for giving me this at The Crop!

The bottom of the tag was cut using the TH On the Edge Die Ornate.  I cut another with a Snippet of gold glitter card left over from the lamppost I made the other die and layered it below the tag.  I threaded the lace with gold ribbon but knew I wanted some more gold to back the lace, so I used the "negative" of the Ornate cut!  

All that was left was for me to put all the elements together and there was my tag finished!    I showed Hubby and his response was "nothing like going out with a flourish"!  Well it is my final 12 Tags of Christmas for 2012 and this is the first time I have ever completed 12 tags at Christmas.  Thanks so much Linda for running this Challenge and Good Luck to all the peeps who have joined in.  If they have had as much fun as I have making these then Hurrah!  There are some stunning projects entered into this Challenge so why not take a peek!

I am also entering this into the Playground on account of the Snippets as well as Hels' Sunday Stampers as the theme this week is Holly and Ivy.  Great timing as I haven't entered anything with Hels for some time.

I just want to thank you Bloggers for calling by and leaving such kind comments.  I have had a ball with these and I will be ready a little earlier for 2013's 12 Tags of Christmas (hoping Linda will be running it then!).

Hugs

Hettie