Week 3 of The Funkie Junkie's 12 tags of Christmas, Jane's Journal style.

Here we are at week 3 of Linda's great challenge.Everyone is welcome to join in with the fun which closes on 21st December by which time you need to have submitted all 12 creations using Linda's tags for inspiration. The full rules are over on her blog here . Linda offers 3 very generous prizes of gift vouchers to spend in her terrific on line shop, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Do have a look at the link here .

This week's Tag #3 can be seen here

For my card version this week I was inspired by Linda's lovely creamy/antique background colour and her use of snowflakes. I love snowflakes both real and on cards so I decided to find lots of way of using different textures for snowflakes on my creation.

First I made a Distress Ink blended background using some Antique Linen, Scattered Straw and Wild Honey inks

 Next I used my Imagination Crafts snowflake stencil and using Picket Fence Distress stain inked through.

 I loved this cool effect

 Next I used my Crafty Individuals' Santa stamp and stamped on top using Sepia Archival ink.

I also die cut some snowflakes and then added some distress glitter in a contrasting colour.

 I added some Pumice Stone ink around the edges.

I also die cut my new Cheery Lynn Icing border die.

It was then time to put on my creative hat....and here is my finished card creation.

and a couple of close ups, I really like the effect of the stencilling

And I used my Lili of the Valley sentiments, I love this set. You can also see that I added a little embossing glitter around the edge of my card too.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

The Funkie Junkie 12 tags of Christmas week 3
Little Claire's Christmas
Crafty Individuals Halloween madness or Christmas frenzy
Imagination Crafts anything goes
The Artistic Stamper memories I think this reminds me of past Christmas Eves when I looked to the sky and longed to see Santa and for it to snow ;0)
Country View Crafts Sparkle and Shine
Christmas cards all year round embellish it
Christmas at sweet stampin' snowflakes
Deep ocean Christmas in October
Fashionable stamping  anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday O is for O is for the O in snOwflakes
Divas by Design texture

We are off to Southampton tomorrow to see Daisy and the family for the day. The weather here in the South is looking positively balmy. It's gorgeous this afternoon. It may reach 20c tomorrow...woot woot and if it does we may go for a walk in the New Forest which is stunning at this time of the year. I also enjoyed a wonderful day in London with my Mum yesterday, we saw the poppies at the Tower of London, what a sight ;0) Photos and a post to follow soon once I have made a Moment of the day as I came home full of inspiration.

Enjoy your weekend, sending out warmth your way if you need it.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

A sprinkle of autumn magic

Unlike the dire weather we experienced yesterday the weekend was another filled with cooler weather but some lovely sunny moments. The mornings are becoming quite nippy though and the darkness comes earlier every night. It really is the time of the year where there are changes happening everywhere. I had a little clear up in the gardens and was surprised to find that most of my pots are still flowering really well.

There are some gorgeous colours all around me and my dahlia is still showing off in all its glory.

My geranium in the  hanging basket is boasting with soft rich pinky purple flowers.

 The leaves of my azalea look as though the edges have been painted with purple. Is there a garden fairy out there doing this?

And my acers are turning fiery red.

 I still have fuchsias in flower, lush cream and purple.

Other  leaves I see on my travels are turning shades of gold.

And there is still glorious colour in the country side

We enjoyed an lovely autumn walk in the woods with our darling son and Bear on Sunday. The leaves are just beginning to fall, adding to the thick carpet there. The woods are such a magical place to wander and for Bear there are so many smells to sniff. It was a perfect afternoon.

 Autumn is such a ripe, rich season before Mother Nature starts putting everything to bed ready for its winter sleep. It's nearly time to start finding the mittens and scarves and snuggling down indoors in the evenings.

I was inspired by magic of all these colours to make the 3rd of my 4 Halloween tags. First I made my inky background. I used a mixture of Distress inks which I blended and then added some flicks of water to. I then used my Tim Holtz Gothic stencil and inked through some Dusty Concord DI.

I also decided that a little magic was needed as my focal so I stamped one of my Lavinia Fairy's  as the focal. I made a frame for her which I coloured with browns and purple DIs and I added some crackle paint too.

I also die cut different  leaves which I also coloured with blended DIs .

 and this is my tag I made.

I would like to enter my tag into the following challenges;

Lavinia autumn colours
Pan Pastel UK autumn
Flonzcraft colour challenge I chose purple, black, orange and green!
Emerald Faeries things with wings
Country View sparkle and shine
Die cut Divas spring or autumn
Stamping sensations warm autumn colours
Stamp and Create fall/autumn
Anything but a card spring or autumn
Simon Says Stamp "O"is for My O is for October and all the rich magical colours
Party Time Tuesdays anything goes
Crafting Musketeers autumn colours 


Enjoy this very magical time of the year and if you are in the South of England remember that brolly ;0) And one last thing...this is my 400th post...wow how did that happen. Thanks everyone for your kind visits, I really love to see you here.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

The Funkie Junkie's 12 tags of Christmas 2014 week 2, Jane's Journal style.

As week 3 starts tomorrow I am back today with my week 2 creation for Linda's Christmas challenge. Thanks everyone for the really kind comments you left for my first tag last week.

Everyone is welcome to join in with this fun challenge which closes on 21st December by which time you need to have submitted all 12 creations. The full rules are over on her blog here . Linda offers 3 very generous prizes of gift vouchers to spend in her terrific on line shop, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Do have a look at the link here .

This is her tag she made this week for week 2. As you know I choose to make 12 cards for the challenge instead of tags.

I took my inspiration this week from the red and green stenciling with the rather geometric feel. I also loved her shiny clear embossed poinsettia with the large gem in the centre. I also wanted to use a stamped tree at the centre of my card. I had a look through my stash of Christmas stamps and found my Lavinia fairy Christmas tree stamp. I also love gingham ribbon and wanted to use a piece on my finished card.

First I made an stencilled background using bold Dylusions spray inks in red and green.

 I used a Crafts 2 geometric pattern stencil and sprayed green ink through.

On top of this I put my Tim Holtz Christmas stencil and sprayed red though it. This is my backing card.

I also used a Dobadoo stencil to create 2 panels. I was a lucky winner of one of their challenges and won this great stencil.  For these I just used a single colour.

I die cut a poinsettia and a Christmas tree and after inking them I added clear embossing powder and heated them, I loved the shiny surface it created.

It was then time for me to put on my creative hat.

Below is a close up of my finished shiny poinsettia with the bling jewel in the centre

and the blinged up glossy tree

And this is my finished card.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

The Funkie Junkie 12 tags of Christmas week 2
Emerald Faeries things with wings
Country View Crafts sparkle and shine
Christmas cards all year round embellish it
Penny Black and More Get ahead for Christmas 
We do doobadoo Christmas
Papertake weekly anything goes
Deep Ocean Christmas in October
The Artistic Stamper memories my card is memories of my childhood Christmas tree and all the magic of Christmas Eve and yes that included believing in Fairies ;0)
Sparkles Christmas for a child

After some welcome rain yesterday morning the sun is back but it is quite chilly out. I plan to get out into the garden later and I may even get the change to plant some bulbs. Have a restful Sunday everyone and take care,

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x