dahoo doray tag a la ellen H. (Ellen Hutson, Catered Crop, Stamping Sensations, Craft Room)

OK, I'm dating myself here, but I grew up with the original red-and-green-cover copy of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  And the TV show (the animated version) only came on once a year.  So you planned your life accordingly.  Just sayin'.

Well, thanks Ellen Hutson for stirring up those wonderful memories.  Check out her tag on Day 12 of 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist over at The Classroom.  It's totally Whoville.  And all I could think of was the end of the movie when all the little Whos stand around the Christmas tree singing "Welcome, Christmas" while the narrator reads "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."  Yep.  I think it's a girl thing.  The guys probably remember hottie Martha May's line from the movie:

Martha May Whovier:   Did I have a crush on the Grinch? Of COURSE not. 
Cindy Lou Who:   Uh... I didn't ask you that. 

Enter my gnomes-turned-Whos.  And a crepe paper Who tree.

What did you do with your Friday evening?  With the exception of a couple interruptions, I spent mine making a tag!  I'd venture to say there isn't a technique I didn't use on this tag!

Heat embossing - BG, sentiment
Distress Inking - BG
Homemade PP - polka dots, banner
3D die cut and stitching- tree
Fussy cutting - gnomes
Selective inking - sentiment
Banner building - banner
Washi tape - tree trunk, star
Beads - heart (cuz you know the Grinch's heart grew two sizes that day!)

Other little tidbits... vintage pink yarn from MIL for the top of the tag, the teensy ornament from my bestest Hero Arts Christmas sentiment set cuz it looks so Whoville-y, the gnomes out of some funky PP from Aldi, the glitter CS hole reinforcer for sparkle. And I used a Penny Black BG stamp which I won in a Simon Says Stamp giveaway.  Thanks PB.  I kinda like the retro look of it.

Yeah that's what your life is like when you play at The Classroom.  And I won't mention that it took 84 photos shot at three different times (thanks to lousy weather) to get an OK photo.  TIP:  3D elements create shadows.  No matter where your light source is!  Oh well.

Put a gift card pocket on the back of this tag like I did here.  It's popular to give someone a bouquet as a gift in Germany and I think this special tag with a gift card hung on the bouquet will make for an extra special touch.

This is the HS CL343 clear stamp set I used for the sentiment and ornaments.  Ellen Hutson is having a contest where you can win some of the 2013 HA cuties.  Check it out here.

Let's hear it for Dr. Seuss's take on Christmas.  And Ellen Hutson's.  Warning:  I think there's one more tag in the making (special request from DD) but then I'm tagged out.

Joining the fun at:
Stamping Sensations - Treemendous
Craft Room Challenge - Make a Tag
Catered Crop - Tag, You're It

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies for welcome Christmas:

Paper: CS  American Crafts, Neenah, linen texture copy paper, crepe paper

Stamps: sky BG Penny Black, banner BG CHF, dots PTI, sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin, Versamark

Tools:die Sizzix

Other:  twine, washi, bead, vintage yarn

tag a la sharon h. (Ellen Hutson, Color Q, Craft Room, Catered Crop)

If you love new techniques and have a bit of time you really should check out the 12 Tags of Christmas with a Feminine Twist over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom.  Ellen does a take on Tim Holtz's 12 Tags.  But there's lotsa pink!

My tag is inspired by Sharon H.'s tag on Day 1.  Hers is elegant and shiny and really girly.  Mine is... well mine.

I must thank this challenge for getting me to ink up my brayer (bought one awhile back - everyone has to have a brayer, right? - hadn't used it til now).  TIP:   Distress Inks are marvelous for lots of things.  Brayering is not one of them apparently.  Notice the spottiness to my BG.

I used the colors from Color Q #167:

Sorta.  Used DI Evergreen Bough cuz it's kinda green/gray for my BG.  Brayered it onto a Sizzix embossing plate and dry embossed the white CS.  See why I wouldn't recommend using DI for this???  Spritzed with copper Perfect Pearls mist to give it a little sheen.  Cut the top of the tag with a Spellbinders die for interest. TIP:  Don't do this if you plan to stitch around the edges.  Note the word "plan"...

Well the stitching happened cuz I decided to make this a gift-card-holder-tag (Ellen did this on her tag for Day 12 - Duh!  What a super idea!)  I had dry embossed a piece of red CS for the poinsettia petal strips and used the rest of it for interest on the front and a pocket on the back of the tag.

Got the idea for the poinsettia here at Basic Grey.  Obviously not mailable, but this is a tag.  It works.

Used two colors of green for the die cut snowflakes for the center of the bloom (and on the back pocket) and a cool brad too.  Mounted it on a die cut PTI green bloom for a bit more interest and "hold".  TIP:  Always have a bottle of Glossy Accents on hand.  It dries shiny (guess that's the point of "glossy" accents, eh?) but holds better than any other glue I know.

Whew, long post.  I'm joining the fun at:
Craft Room Challenge - Make a Tag
Catered Crop - Tag, You're It

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies for Merry Christmas:

Paper: CS TPC Studio, American Crafts

Stamps: sentiment 7 Gypsies

Ink : Distress Ink, Jenny Bowlin

Tools: brayer, dies - snowflakes Marianne Creatables, border Amuse, tag top Spellbinders, sewing machine, embossing plate Sizzix

Other:  pearl, sheer ribbon, glue dots, brad