The Holly & the Ivy

Hi Everyone,
I have yet another offering for you with my mission to complete all 12 Christmas tags FJ style in the challenge inspired by Linda Coughlin aka  The Funkie Junkie. This is my 5th Tag but the inspiration for this one from Linda's Tag 10 on show HERE as the title probably tells you is the Holly and the Ivy. 

I do not yet own the new Tim Holtz Holly stencil unfortunately because this would have made life much easier with this tag. The background was started with me putting over the Special Touch Holly mask over the tag and I distressed it with Frayed Burlap, and then outlined the holly leaves, branches and berries with a fine pen with the mask still in place.  Because I had used a mask and not a stencil, I had to paint in the leaves and berries, I used Hey Pesto & Blood Orange Fresco paints for this which worked really well because with both these colours being translucent, they did not obliterate my outlining.   I used Gathered twigs DP for the branches.  To get more dimension I went over the berries with glossy accents

The Frayed burlap was looking a bit cold for the effect I wanted so I warmed the background and edges up with a little Festive Berries distress ink

 I used some lovely water colour music paper that I picked up from a recent visit to my local Paperchase shop, in the areas around the Holly. The ornate frame was cut from mount board and coloured with festive berries DS before being given a coat of glossy accents and distress glitter.  When dry I threaded some silk leaf ribbon through the frame. 

I could not resist the temptation to write The Holly and the Ivy within the frame area before I attached the frame using silicone glue.  The sentiment is of course the wonderful simple sayings set stamped in black archival and surrounded by festive berry frame.  I attached a small red twine bow onto a little wooden heart  and popped a couple of small silk leaves under it to finish.





If you want to be in with a chance of winning one of the three random drawn gift certificates to spend at The Funkie Junkie Boutique You need to complete all 12 tags by Jan. 8th, anyone who completes the challenge on time and meets all the requirements will get a 10% coupon . In addition to this there will also be two other bonus tags published on 21st and 28th December to keep us busy and these must be Thank you tags with a winter theme, complete these two tags also and the coupon will be 15% off. But you must meet all the requirements shown here for each and every post.

Thank you as always for taking the time to pop over and take a look at my little blog and for your lovely comments 

Hugs

Mo x