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!