Thank You!

Thank you, Linda Coughlin, Funkie Junkie genius!  I've had such a lovely time creating over the last few weeks, inspired by Linda's wonderful 12 Tags of Christmas (well, 14 tags in the end).

I know quite a few of mine have turned up after Christmas (though almost all of them made it onto the blog before the 12 Days were officially up), but I got a bit stuck in the mud, feeling unwell over Christmas, so there was quite a lot of catching up to do.

Anyway, here we are with the second of the two bonus tags, the last tag of all... and this goes out with heartfelt thanks to Linda for her amazing generosity in sharing so much fabulous festive creativity.

You can see Linda's inspiration tag for this one here...  I loved the folded tag structure, the snowflakes, both stamped and textured, and those were the springing off points for my creation.



I had to go for blue and brown again for my final make, so I used Stormy Sky along with my Picket Fence and Brushed Pewter Distress Stains.

I added Liquid Platinum embossing powder to the texture paste which I'd scraped through a Crafter's Workshop stencil.











And I also peppered the edges with just a dusting of the same powder, as well of course as some inking with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I think there may be a touch of Treasure Gold in there too...

I couldn't resist adding a final couple of pinecones - I have enjoyed using them this year - and they're perched on another of my twigs raided from the garden.












They've also had a touch of the Liquid Platinum... and there's some Treasure Gold White Fire on the twig.



















And having put pinecones on the outside, I decided to have some on the inside too!




























So alongside the multiple stampings of snowflakes (in Stormy Sky, Antique Linen and Weathered Wood Distress Ink, as well as some stamped in Brushed Pewter Distress Paint)...













... I added the fabulous Tim Holtz pine branch stamp in Coffee Archival (a first inking for this - and I don't know that I'm going to be able to wait for next year before using it again!).

I've echoed Linda's use of the labels from Tim's Simple Sayings, but mine are stamped in embossing ink onto kraft paper, and embossed with the Liquid Platinum powder again.  

I do like the colour of it - somewhere between gold and silver - very satisfying.






So there we are... I'm done, and there are even several hours to go (there were times I didn't think I was going to make it at all).  It's been such fun.  Thank you, Linda!  And thanks to all of you for your continued support - it's always a joy to hear from you.

I'd like to enter this as Bonus Tag 2 in the Funkie Junkie's 12 Tags of Christmas, sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.
I'd like to pop it into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge too, where they're dealing with the Blues this week!
And since they're also playing the Blues, I'd like to enter it into one of my favourite challenges, Artful Times.  I've not had a chance to play lately, so this is nicely timed!

I feel a very unusual sensation - if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude.
Benjamin Disraeli