The Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas - Tag 1

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for all your lovely comments over the past few weeks and months. I try desperately to return the compliment wherever possible, but as my commitments increase so the time available seems to slip away. As I mentioned yesterday, Christmas seems to have snuck up on me this year as well and, three weeks from the big day I'm furiously getting cards done.
One massive source of inspiration for me is always Linda Coughlin, otherwise known as The Funkie Junkie. This year she has done it again with her 12 Tags of Christmas challenge sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique. I know! This was launched back in September! but it's not too late to join in (as I'm about to prove). You have until December 22nd to get them all done and then there's a draw for the chance to win some fab prizes. Check out the details on Linda's blog HERE. So let's get down to business...

Oh yeh Jen, that looks like a fabulous Christmas tag! Way to go girl!! OK, so it's a step by step leading you through to the finished article as there are one or two ideas I wanted to share. Start with a large tag. Yours may be black, mine was a complete nightmare from a failed attempt a couple of months ago. Cover it with Black Soot Distress Paint and no one's the wiser (except you've just broadcast that publicly now you dosy moo).

Linda's first tag was created in a chalkboard style with snow/snowflakes. I went to town on this one by flicking White Linen Dylusions spray over it with the end of the spray mechanism.

This is one of Linda's jumbo tags and the embossing folder only covers part of it. One tip if, once you've run a project through twice, you've got those bits where the first layer of embossing has been flattened. Put the piece back in the embossing folder and use an embossing tool to manually re-emboss the flattened sections. When you turn it over no one will ever know.

Now, cover the raised areas in embossing ink and then cover liberally with Frosted Crystal embossing powder. Anyone who completed Tim's November tag will know where I'm going next with this.

Heat the powder until it just turns transparent and is matte. It's easy to overheat this and make it shiny, but if you do the surface loses it's 'tooth'. Now rub chalk over the tag and let the embossed areas grab it. I find rubbing my fingers over it helps to fix the chalk in place.

Next, I used a freebie snowflake stencil (given out in a papercrafting magazine years ago now) and pushed white embossing paste through it, making sure the surface was left in peaks to add texture.

Rather than go with the usual clear glitter I sprinkled Pumice Stone Distress Glitter over the wet surface. It has a silvery effect without being too glitzy.

To finish the flake I painted one of Linda's filigree metal snowflakes with Picket Fence and layered it over the glittery base. So, taking that snowflake, the chalky background and some other embellishments it all came together to create...

Totally inspired by Linda's chalkboard effect, snowflakes and Let It Snow sentiment, I love how this card came together.

And now some close ups. Washi tape, Venise Lace and the die cut snowflake border added real structure to the design.

The die cut lettering was covered in Brushed Pewter paint.

What did I do before Tim's Simple Sayings?!

A better view of that Pumice Stone glitter. See what I mean about the silvery finish?

So there we have it. My first entry for The Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas.
Number 2 is done, but you can't see it yet, so Number 3 will be along tomorrow.
For now, thank you for dropping by. I'm incredibly grateful to each and every one of you.
Take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Black Soot	Dyan Reaveley′s Dylusions Ink Spray - White Linen	Tim Holtz Sixxiz Texture Fades - Snowflurries and Snowman	25 Jumbo Manila Shipping Tags 8x4" #12	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Ink Pad	Ranger Embossing Antiquities - Frosted Crystal	Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi Embossing Paste - White	Tim Holtz Distress Glitter Pumice Stone	Snowflake Filigree Metals	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Picket Fence
Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Holly, Beaded & Snowflake Garland	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz WANTED Alphabet Die	PRE-ORDER Tim Holtz Ranger Metallic Distress Paint - Brushed Pewter	Venise Lace Trim - 1/2 inch wide	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Simple Sayings	Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black	Ranger Archival Ink - Vermillion