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.