The 12 Tags of Christmas -- Day 6

Day 6!! Oh no, we're halfway through.  What am I going to do with myself on December 13?  Well, I'll worry about that later.  It's funny, but for the last 20+ weeks, I've looked forward to Monday mornings when Linda posts the new Compendium of Curiosities challenge.   I've been so totally obsessed with the 12 Tags, this morning I completely forgot about the CCC.  Unheard of!  LOL....I'll bet I'm not the only one.   No fears, Linda....I'm working on that too.

Today was the first day that I really really wanted to just copy Tim's tag.  It's that good.  And another technique-rich one.  But, I controlled myself and went my own way. (and I really still want to copy it!)

Tim demonstrated stamping on the blank side of an embossing folder (he used the Tall Pines which only has images on the left), and then inserting the tag and running it through the machine.  I'd smeared ink on the inside of a folder before, but never thought of stamping.  Another brilliant idea from the master.  He also showed us how to make a little banner out of pleated tissue tape.   Here's what I came up with:

I also used the Tall Pines folder, but instead of the reindeer (oh, so adorable!  I don't have the die but I do have a grungeboard reindeer from a seasonal grunge set....and I didn't succumb to temptation and use it!) I used the Branch Tree.  I have a forest thing going on here.  Tim stamped flourishes on his folder; I stamped snowflakes.  I did use the splatter stamp to add the gold flecks.  Awesome look.

The tree was embossed with the snowflake folder then painted with espresso.  When dry it was sanded (quite an upper arm workout) then inked with weathered wood.  I like the blue/brown combo, even though the photo makes the tree look more black than brown. 

First major goof of the day:  I glued the tree down with glossy accents and then realized I hadn't done the tissue tape banner.  Note to Ranger:  GA is a really really strong adhesive.  I did manage to pry the bottom of the tree up enough to attach the banner, but to tell you the truth, I don't think I should have bothered.  Not enough of it shows in my opinion.

Anyway, Tim hung a little wreath around his reindeer's neck.  I didn't want a wreath on my tree.  Also, Tim had a sentiment on a journaling ticket on the bottom left.  My tree is so wide I didn't have much room for that, plus it would have hid even more of the banner.  So I opted for making my sentiment a sign, hung from the tree with chain.  I like that.

The only other thing I want to mention is the green you see in the star charm and word stick.  I pressed some paint into the crevices and  then wiped all the excess off.  That's another Tim technique from I don't remember when.

And now, here's how I Wendy-fied the tag:

There aren't that many embossing folders around that have big blank spaces.  I didn't want to use the Tall Pines again, or the two other Tim folders with empty areas (Branch Tree and Snowman), so I picked this beautiful one of bamboo from Cuttlebug.  I stamped Wendy's dandelions (both sizes) on it in walnut stain.

The two butterflies are grungeboard from the nature set, and both were embossed with Tim's Regal Flourishes folder.  Then painted, sanded, inked with vintage photo.  Nothing hanging from anything here, just some rhinestones on the butterflies.  Instead of a sign, I made a little bookplate and put it under the ribbon.  The words "Make Art" (Wendy's mantra) are from one of her stamps.

I really like the way the tissue tape banner looks on this tag (much more than on the first).  I also colored it slightly with faded jeans and chipped sapphire.

Yesterday's tag was my favorite....until today.  Wonder if this one will get upstaged by tomorrow's?????