colour challenge

 It has been a long time since I was able to make a challenge card , so the snow does have some benefits - and I like to think that the heat gun increases the temperature a little bit!
Colour challenge 13 on 52cct is to use purple, metallic silver and white - I had been playing with micro beads, and come to the conclusion that they needed a frame, so this fitted in quite well - and I even found some purple card................
The snowflake was the first effort, from the SU snowflake soiree set, stamped on acetate with white craft ink, then the micro beads added to the back using double-sided adhesive sheet after diecutting the shape suing Sizzix/SU framelits (I discovered that you can cut with scissors after using the beads, but wouldn't like to risk the dies). I cut a frame out using 2 dies from silver mirri card and glued them together before mounting onto the 5.5" square card base.
The second effort was more succesful, stamping the bauble stamp from the ornament keepsakes set (more SU) in versamark and embossing with white EP before using the micro beads on the back. I used a different framelits set for this one.
am also using this for craftyhazelnuts challenge - anything goes - another that i haven't entered for ages

quintiles

 This year's challenge by Margaret on Chocolate Baroque is for two quintiles a month - she invented the quintiles name for a piece of artwork measuring 5"x5", which is quite a nice size to work on.

The January theme was winter wonderland - I had time to do mine today as Norfolk is very much a snowscape at the moment, and I haven't cleared the car yet from under the mound of said snow - it was so cold that the cold came right through the soles of my furlined crocs this morning, so I soon gave up on the snow clearing!
I chose to do two different tiles, morning and evening. Both use a tree stamp from the Elusive Images arboretum set (stamped in black versafine ink and clear embossed), with lots of sponged distress ink backgrounds, and plenty of glitter in the foreground.B

coasters

After making tile coasters at a SU day, I managed to acquire some of the leftover tiles, and made a set for myself using the sun image from an old Elusive Images set of stamps from lino carvings by Carrie Dennison called Earth Spirit.
I never got around to using this image before, but thought it was perfect for coasters, as well as being a nice bright image. I stamped it in black versafine ink onto  copy paper, then coloured it using promarkers.  I cut it out close to the image edge, then glued it down onto the tile with studio multi medium - I only had the matte version, gloss may have looked better though. One coat of medium on the tile itself, add the paper, then another  coat to glue it down properly, with another coat when the first was dry. I added a square of felt underneath once everything was dry to protect the table from the rougher undersurface of the tile.
Apologies for not posting for so long, and I wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous belated New Year!

the last two.............

 The last two tags for the Chocolate Baroque alphatag challenge - I know they were not due till next month, but I still need to make my Christmas cards!
The Y is for yellow roses - not at all original, but I could find the stamp and the die, which helped! The embossed tag background used the SU Sizzix embossing folder called lacy brocade, which was inked up with summer starfruit (SU) ink before running through the big shot -funny, but having actually used this ink pad, I quite like it,  yellow is not a colour I would normally use....................which explains why this is the only yellow ink pad I own.
The rose is from the largest stamp on the  Harlequin Rose plate, stamped in black versafine ink and coloured with inktense pencils before cutting out and adding to the tag. Yellow roses were cut from yellow card using the Tim Holtz tattered florals die and the Sizzix (SU) blossom party die for the larger flower. All the flowers were heavily spritzed with glimmer mists in wheatfields and bronze.
Z is for Zoroastrian magi - the Magi are thought to have been Zoroastrian priests, who were renowned astronomers. The blue card of the tag base was stamped with the small star using a snow cap dabber, then white gel pen and finishing with a rhinestone centre. Tiny dabs of gel pen to represent other stars, then a shimmer spray finished the background. The 3 kings from an old DL Elusive Images plate were stamped 3 times on paper from the Echoes of Italy pack (had to grit my teeth a bit here and sacrifice this paper) using black versafine ink and clear EP. The various kings were then cut out and reassembled before gluing onto the tag. I did try using gilding flakes before using the paper, but the image is so finely detailed that it didn't work, and my eyesight is definitely  not up to colouring in a blank image!
Will have to post the swap tags separately when they have all arrived

xmas greetings

 I am afraid I went with the Xmas greetings for my X tag for the Chocolate Baroque alphatag swap - sorry, Val, hope you don't get this one! Brain just not working with ideas for alternatives - will be interesting to see how many of us have to use Xmas! I used my current favourite distress inks again, tumbled glass and broken china, and the freebie CB snowflake from the current issue of Craft Stamper. Some of the snowflakes were embossed in glittery white EP -Wow? it's lost the

label- but they don't seem to show up on the scan, and neither does the shimmer paint in the background. I will try to get a photo tomorrow if the weather is decent..................................
The greeting was stamped in old olive SU ink and coloured with olive, pear and ruby promarkers before cutting out and mounting on foam pads.
The two tags on the left are my swaps from last month -Ursine from Joan Carnell and Village in the valley by Joyce Dixon - both lovely tags for my collection, thanks ladies!
Only Y and Z to do now - and yes, I do have ideas for these, just got to clear enough workspace to do them............................

woodland spirit woodcut tag

For once, I have got slightly ahead in the Chocolate Baroque alphatag challenge (am sure it won't last) and have done my W tag! Background was done using peeled paint distress ink and a duster brush (have to admit that this technique is much easier with the brushes) and Elaine's background leaf technique. The image of the woodland nymph is from an old Graphicus plate called earth spirit  featuring Carrie's designs - I know they are linocuts, but they could just as easily be woodcuts!
Anyhow, the image was stamped in versamark and embossed with black EP - leaves at the base of the tag cut from cored'inations card using the Tim Holtz tattered leaves die. I crumpled the leaves up, splodged with brown and green inks and finally a gold TH dabber before glueing onto the tag.

getting near the end........

 The end is almost in sight - of the Chocolate Baroque alphatag swap, that is. This month we have got to U and V - not easy, and somehow I don't think the rest of the alphabet is going to be any better.
I really will have to sort out my stamps, I know I spent longer looking for stamps that i know I have but couldn't find than actually doing the tags.........and I still haven't found that unicorn stamp! I may be stretching a point with U for uncial and uppercase - the uppercase bit is fine, just don't think the manuscript lettering is uncial, but by this point it was just too bad. Colour scheme for both tags is wild honey, tea dye, vintage photo and aged mahogany distress inks, and I tried using blending brushes to apply the ink instead of my usual cut'n'dry - it certainly goes on more smoothly, but is more difficult to work round the finer bits and takes a lot longer anyway - jury still out on these!

V is for vintage and visage - I masked the face with post-its while doing the background inking and stamping. Flowers from my box of readymade  ones, with punched leaves.
The final tags are my swaps from last month - Spooky from Margaret, (whose idea this swap was, and who has done a wonderful job organizing us all - many thanks) and Tree by Shirley