Friday 5 October 2012

The First Noel....

...can you hear me singing? Oh yesh, I am a-warbling away to myself, probs just as well I am home alone and Alf is on his morning prowl, otherwise there could well be ear-damage going on.  Anyways.  This year I have decided to embrace that event that usually has me running for the hills.  Christmas.  Don't get me wrong, I loves Christmas as much as anyone else, the whole seasonal thing, the specialness of it, the reason why we celebrate it, the chocolate (teehee) but when it comes to making all things Xmassy I end up haring about like a loon on December 15th, panicking I haven't made cards, bought pressies, ordered the turkey... you know what it is like.  So, this year I am being prepared! 




I shall be a smidge sad that there won't be any 12 Tags of Christmas from Tim this year - he has been doing monthly ones and I haven't had a chance to play along with all of them (yet) and the 12 Tags is usually my kick-start.  So, I flicked through the ones from last year and based this tag on that first one.  The tag is a biggy - a Size 10 (oh how I wish I could join it in its sizing lol)  and I have used lots of lovely stashly bits to make it.  All the deets on Tim's tag from 2011 are HERE so you can see how to make that one too.





The Noel is really just the one thing that I did in the same way as the rest of his tag.  BUT.  I may have said it here before... whilst I love the sparkle and blingyness of glitter, I have an aversion to it.  I don't like the way it sticks to me, my clothes, my desk, my carpet, my husband, my cat.. you get the picture I am sure lol  Over the years I have dabbled with glitter to see if I like it anymore... and it is always a big fat no.  So. How to get around this.  Mix it with paint!  True!  It works.  Basically, here's what I did: Die Cut Noel from Plain Grungeboard using the Noel Alterations die.  Popped some Art Institute white glitter (the only glitter I own) into a little container (those ones you get with Gu puds are the best, glass so washable and re=useable and obvs, you have to eat the pud first, all in the name of art of course!)  Mix a dollop of Gold Paint Dabber in with the glitter. Use Cut & Dry foam to pounce it onto the Noel. Dry with heat tool - take care not to overheat, Grunge doesn't like getting too hot.  Once dry, use a Cut & Dry nib and some Jet Black Archival and carefully edge around the letters to make them pop!  Simples right?





The Poinsettia is Grungepaper covered with Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky Back Canvas (I added a sammich of Glue & Seal to make sure it stood up to being distressed)  Die cut with the brand new Poinsettia Alterations Die (loooove this)  Cut Holly Leaves from same canvas/grungepaper combo and then cut a branch from Grungeboard using the Holly Branch Alterations die.  Lightly colour the Poinsettia with Distress Ink - I fancied having myself a nice pale shabby looking one so I used Frayed Burlap and a smidge of Walnut Stain and then the Holly has been done with Forest Moss.    The base of the tag was a "play" sesh.  I have just got the new Metallic STains and had to have a play.  SO, I covered the whole tag with Old Paper Stain.  Dried it. Smooshed Fired Brick Stain onto the craft sheet, dipped the tag, lifted, spritzed lightly, dried - a cool splotchy effect.  I then did the same with the Tarnished Brass Stain, drying in between... and then again with the Antiqued Bronze Stain.  Slowly building up the layers of colour and a quite pleasantly surprising amount of bling on the tag base.  A smidge of stamping and voila, a background!   Oh and the reindeer and bells Idea-ology bits were coloured with Alcohol Inks - adding in some Gold Mixative to colour the bells. Ding-a-ling!




Anyways... I think that is more than enough waffling from me for one day.  Apologies I wasn't about yesterday - we had visitors during the day and then... yonder t'internet went awol ... all evening!  Our internet is hit and miss enough but to go off for a whole 7 hours... am not impressed!  Right. I shall loves ya and leaves ya.... have a fab day... stay dry!!!  Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

PS... sorry, I forgot... thank you all for the names you came up with for the birdy... I think that she suits all of them and Florence, as suggested by Patricia,  is going to be her name.. I have to give a mention to Sioux... Boobie is a F A B name... made me HOL! 

23 comments:

http://blog.timetocreate.com.au/ said...

Good luck with the being prepared. I think I did manage it one year and it was a total and absolute disaster. Suffice to say that not much happened for a couple of years while I recovered my equilibrium!
Nuff about me tis now about your art which, as always, delights me with the wonderful details. You know sometimes I look at a product and I think what would Hels do with that and when I look I am always intrigued and inspired.
Catch you Sunday if all things are equal. Sending cheers across the blogosphere while holding my hands across my ears - I want no Noelling here yet thanks:)
Julie

Marleine said...

Hiya Hels.
This die is just brilliant. Love the dies. Must try and get.
Good luck with Xmas plans. Oh yeh! We'll see.
Have a good week end. X

Rita said...

What a fantastic tag Hels. I love the colours and the Noel looks so pretty. Hugs Rita xx

Anonymous said...

Love the tag today Hels, the reindeer is so cute and the die looks B E A Utiful. As for Christmmas preperations well I've started my Christmas cards today - yeh. I've also bought a very large tin of Chocs which is in my friends house as I don't trust myself.

Helen said...

Beautiful tag, love it... I must also get cracking with Christmas stuff.. soon, very soon!

Kathy Eddy said...

Beautiful tag Hels. I am still waiting for all of my new dies to arrive!

rachel said...

fabulous tag Hels - really love the colours af this and that NOEL is brilliant! Hugs Rachel xx

Redanne said...

Hi Hels, that is a brilliant technique with the glitter, will try that, fed up of everything in our house being covered with glitter at this time of year although it does twinkle quite nicely! Fabulous tag. Crafty hugs, Anne x

Inkypinkycraft said...

A great tag,love the colours!! I love pots too..and the puddings in them!!! Yum...no size ten for me either!
Great make trace x

Karen Petitt said...

Seasonal yummyness! Gorgeous tag, love the texture that Grunge has when you glue some of the canvas on it! Methinks I'm going to need some of that soon! Have been trying to make Xmas cards on and off all year in the hope that it won't be such a rush. Got to start on the close family ones next, am hoping to be able to do that next month - so they will all be ready for posting out 2nd class on December 2nd! hugs Karen x

Jenny Marples said...

ADORE that background Hels. What a stonker of a first Christmas project (be careful, they get addictive! I'm been playing Linda Coughlin's 12 tags challenge and am now on my 6th!) Get where you are coming from with the glitter - it doesn't look good in the kids dinner either! - but I cover mine in Distress Rock Candy, which doesn't take for ever to dry, and it stays put:) You can also use a black Promarker for edging too. Get me making suggestions to the professional - hope you don't mind, just random thoughts from a mad woman:) Have a great weekend, hugs Buttons x

Joanne said...

Right, that's it, seeing this fab tag means I just got to get those metallic stains opened, that's after I stop laughing at Sioux's birdy name........
Hugs Joanne xx

Craftychris said...

Fab tag, love the glittery paint idea. Florence is a perfect name for the very cool bird, I just popped back and looked at the post cause I had missed it xx

Artyjen said...

Gorgeous canvas stuff going on there.
xoxo Sioux
P.S. Glad I brightened your day! :) LOL

EmmaT said...

Hiya Hels, good luck being organised, thats my attempt this year too as i ran out of time last year! Lovely tag and the tip with the glitter is fab as i also HATE glitter for the reason it gets everywhere and i dont like the feel of it! Love the tag, great colours and use of grungepaper.
Emma

Regina said...

Beautiful Hels!!!

Planetsusie said...

Oh blimey Hels - you just reminded me singing along to Andy Fairweather-Lowe and that song 'Wide eyed and legless' I just got to the really high bit and forgot Monty (our Tabby at the time) was asleep on the chair. By the time I realised, he'd shot up the stairs like the 'proverbial' off a shovel with his eyes popping out of his head - I didn't dare sing to him again!!!!

Anyway as for the tag - I think the background is amazing I really must do some splodging and dolloping some time.

Hugs to you Sue Pxxx

Fuchsia said...

Oh I love this have just bought that die too can wait to have a go !

whyducks said...

Love what you did with that lovely die. I thought you might have done something Beatley today as it is thier 50 year.

Words and Pictures said...

Yummy background, and the poinsettia looks fabulous! I love the glitter tip - as I too have deep dislike of the stuff getting everywhere... but I'm trying to resist Christmas crafting for now (getting harder!)...
Alison x

Patricia Howarth said...

Morning Hels, Oh no, that dreaded 'C' word again, it sets me off in a panic ha ha. I don't think I have ever been prepared for it ha ha.
Your tag is absolutely marvellous, I popped back to see Tim's tag and yes I remember absolutely loving it when he did it. I love the poinsettia done this way, it is stunning, the background is ab-fab, I'm loving the metallic stains and the 'Noel' looks fantastic, thanks for the tips with the glitter I will try it. I am a lover of glitter, but yes it does get absolutely everywhere, I even have it in my car !!!
Thanks also to 'Buttons' for her tips on using Rock Candy and promarkers for the edge.
Thank you so much for naming 'Florence', immediately I saw your yesterday's post, Florence came straight into my mind. I was so thrilled when I read my name this morning, thank you.
I hope to see you at Kettering next Saturday, Hels.
Lots of love from Patricia xx

Carole Z said...

Afternoon Hels, I started off really well with my "C" cards this year and then life got in the way - darn it!- anyways love your tag, it has magical feel about it, Carole Z X

Julia S-W said...

Think I've missed a post here sorry!
I LOVE this tag and that flower die now has my name on it - your flower is stunning! I haven't started anything yet and usually I would have so I'm now flapping! There's always tomorrow - oh no, I'm at an Andy Skinner class - woohoo!!
Have a lovely weekend,
Juliaxx

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