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Sunday 11 December 2016

Pine Cones Galore!

Hello all, and happy 3rd Sunday in Advent.  I'm back for Day 5 of my Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas in 12 days... but I've skipped ahead to Tag 9.   Lots of participants have been playing since Linda Coughlin - the Funkie Junkie herself - started offering her weekly inspiration tags in September, but I've left it until the last 12 days before the deadline to get cracking.

I'm hoping going in the wrong order won't confuse me (there was one year when I nearly missed out one whole tag entirely), but I couldn't wait any longer to play with the "odd one out" folded tag design which Linda had created for Tag 9.


There was a folded tag as part of the 2013 12 Tags of Christmas and my version of it remains one of my favourite ever Christmas makes.  If you take a look at that one, you'll see it actually has quite a lot in common with this new one - pine cones galore!







This time, rather than silvery blue we're full-on with silvery evergreen colour tones, and there are even more pine cones - real ones, stamped ones and stamped + painted ones too.

I've stuck pretty closely to Linda's original version on this one, barring the red accents.

I had a lovely time creating this tag, inside and out, plus I've got lots of mop up inky green cardstock, so that will come in handy for cutting future greenery I'm sure.

I love that this one couldn't help but stay within my natural colour palette for these tags... still on course for a nice co-ordinated set by the end of the 12 days, I hope.













For the first time in the challenge, I'm working with a jumbo tag (Linda's favoured size), rather than a regular one, and I started by spritzing Distress Sprays - mine were Evergreen Bough, Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint - and adding Brushed Pewter mica spray just as Linda did.

I had so much ink on my tag I was able to "print" almost a whole extra piece of A4 card with the surplus.  It also softened the look of the greens on my main tag.













Then I stamped two different Tim Holtz pine branch stamps all around - some in Library Green and some in my much-loved Olive Archival.

I just love the now-you-see-it-now-you-don't shimmer of the mica.













Inside the folded card, you find one of my favourite Christmas sentiment stamps stamped on some inked and spritzed kraft card.














I drew around the shape of the stamp to guide me as I was cutting it out.















I added some Vintage Photo inking around the folds - it ties in with the browns of the focal image and text, as well as framing and drawing the eye inward nicely.














And the beautiful pine cone from the Holiday Wishes set takes pride of place on the centre panel inside.  I stamped it twice, semi-masking it to get the second one behind (I couldn't be bothered to cut a detailed mask - time's wingéd chariot is, after all, hurrying near).












I used some DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics to "colour in" the pine cones.  I think Burnt Sienna, Diarylide Yellow and Raw Umber were in the various washes.  (Don't worry, it's not your eyes going funny... I did some slightly unsuccessful overstamping, but I'm embracing imperfection!)












I kept the outside very simple.  Some more of the rustic twine (on all my 2016 FJ tags so far), and a couple of real pine cones from my hoard.















They're glued on to the top flap, so that you can tie and untie the twine without disturbing them.














And I glued the twine down on the reverse as well so that it doesn't all fall off when you do untie it to open the card.












So there's Tag 9 for you.  Unfortunately for me, it's only the fifth one I've made, so I've still got a way to go before the finishing line on December 19th.  It is my favourite so far, though.

And I'm loving playing along with Linda's wonderful inspiration.  I'm very glad I had the idea that this would get me back in the craft room.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  If you want to catch Tags 1 - 4, just scroll backwards from this post... you can't miss'em!  Happy crafting all.

The pine stays green in winter... wisdom in hardship.
Norman Douglas

I'd like to enter this as Tag 9 in the Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas, sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique

27 comments:

Helen said...

This is gorgeous, no wonder you had to play as soon as you could.

Inky and Quirky Designs said...

Gorgeous Alison, has a real vintage feel to it too
Hugs
Donna xx

Gaby Bee said...

Fantastic, Alison! Love the stamps you've used!

Gaby xo

Dorthe said...

Wonderful tag- so beautiful with the chosen colors, ans the beautifully painted cones- Love how it looks like an envelope, and reveals the beauty when opening it up, Alison.
Dorthe, XO

Marci said...

Very pretty greens! I like the pinecones you stamped and of course those tiny pinecones on the outside.

Juliz Design Post said...

Wow Alison, I love the colours and your background stamping is gorgeous. A great project.
Have a lovely week, Julie x

Chrissy said...

Anything with pine cones I love Alison..but with a fold and tie and more pinecones this just has to be my favourite..love it.

luv CHRISSYxx

Gitte said...

Beautiful.

chrissie said...

Such a great idea for a tag that is different. Ihope you stay on track Alisonyou are doing a great job

Love Chrissie xx

Anonymous said...

Perfectly vintage - so beautiful.
Wishes
Lynne

rachel said...

oooo Alison - this is so super pretty - I adore the green colours and the pine branches look beautiful - and, of course, the cones! Big hugs rachel x

Meggymay said...

This is a super idea to fold the tag. your looks fantastic.
Yvonne xx

Lauren Hatwell said...

Oh I DO LOVE a pine cone. They're so beautiful aren't they. Your tag is fabulous; such a lovely idea to fold it. Lx

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

What can I say? I do love this one, after all, LOL. It's one of my favorite approaches to tag style makes. You can decorate both sides and if you keep them flat, they can be mailed in an A2 size envelope. I really like the you glued the twine on the back so it doesn't fall off when opened - great design concept there, for sure. I'm glad you were so excited by the one that you had to skip ahead and make it right away.

Hugs,
Linda

Jennie Atkinson said...

Oh this is lovely Alison! Just adorable x

Astrid Maclean said...

Oh, this is my favourite so far, brilliant, love what you did with those cones!! Great colours too!

Hazel Agnew said...

I love it Alison. Thankyou for the reminder for folded tags. The storage in my brain is chock a full and need to write things down more and more these days.
Great colouring of the pine cones and the tiny real ones are adorable! Xx

Sandy said...

I love this Alison - the fold of the tag looks a message from days gone by. What a wonderful Christmas card this would be. Of course your art work is fabulous.
Merry Christmas!
Sandy Claus xx

Evelyn Walter said...

Love that folded tag, Alison! Super cute cones and the silvery green looks amazing!
xxx Evelyn

Lys said...

This opening tag is just beautiful! I love this background and the green is wonderful. No need some red indeed.

Redanne said...

Was it really 2013... where does the time go?! I loved that one and I really love this one too, the greens are beautiful and the pinecones inside and out are just wonderful. My favourite so far too... Anne xx

Brenda Brown said...

Utterly delightful xxx

sarascloset said...

Alison, you really took Linda's invitation and then made it your own with the greeting--Love that one! The stamped pine cones on the inside are beautiful, warts and all, and I'm so happy that you embraced imperfection! One of my favorite sayings! You shared some really great tips in this post that I will file away in this steel trap of a brain I have, especially outlining the stamp before cutting. Duh, why haven't I thought of that???? But I do love the inking of the folds--what a difference a little thing like that makes on your lovely tag! Gorgeous! Hugs!

Jackie PN said...

This is so beautiful Alison! I see why it is a favorite! Your stamped greeting is the perfect old world look to complete this beautiful piece!
hugs,Jackie xx

sally said...

This one speaks to me of the walks I take every morning with my golden retriever...larch, Scots pine, spruce are all around us :-)

Sally xx

Julie Lee said...

Ooh, I do like folded tags! This one has such a gorgeous vintage feel. I love the addition of the rustic twine and the pine cones - I do love pine cones - finish it off perfectly. xx

Princess Judy Palmer said...

I love the real pine cones on the top! As always, your color choices are spot on. I'm a fan of greens and browns so this tag speaks to me quite a bit. I like the greenery stamp you used on the inside, very versatile.