I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Thursday 8 December 2016

Oh Deer!





Hello all!  Tag 2 today, so I'm still on course for 12 Tags of Christmas in 12 days, courtesy of the inspiration challenge set by the Funkie Junkie, Linda Coughlin.

The prizes and discount vouchers sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique are of course great, but for me they're secondary to getting my crafting back up and running.

Since there's time pressure, I'm keeping things pretty straightforward, and I'm actually enjoying creating slightly simpler projects than usual.  It also makes for shorter blogposts, of course!

As with yesterday's Bare Branches tag, I've kept many of Linda's elements but with alterations of different kinds.

If you take a look at Linda's lovely inspiration Tag 2, you'll see that I've pretty much cased the overall design and layout.













I've got the same gesso'd background - love the brushwork texture it gives.















I don't have the dimensional Idea-ology deer, so I've used the adorable Movers and Shapers fawn die-cut instead.














He's cut out of kraft card, inked with Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso, and then I've added some white penwork detailing.











It takes a lot to get me to go for red (the occasional holly berry makes it through sometimes), so I've stuck with my comfort zone colour tones (a phrase which pleases me with its alliteration, assonance and rhymes) and altered my stencilling to blue at the top and bottom of the tag.








I don't have the Thinlits word set Linda used (yet!), so I deployed the Handwritten Wish instead, cut and inked as the deer was.  I really like the informal look of it which I feel works with the fresh feeling of this tag.














I enjoyed adding the rub-ons - I always forget about them.













My polka dots are stamped rather than stencilled, using a much-loved and long-neglected Artistic Stamper background stamp.

One of the many reasons I love Linda's tag challenge is it always gets me to make use of long-hoarded stash contents - it was great to play with both the dots and the rub-ons for this tag. 













Where would we be without the Idea-ology Small Talk phrases for a quick word fix?!






This was a first outing for the Woodland stencil, which I ordered from The Funkie Junkie Boutique while I was in Ohio recently.  It certainly won't be the last.  It's been inked in a combination of Olive Archival and Forest Moss Distress Inks. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  All being well, I'll be back tomorrow with Tag 3 - that and Tag 4 are already made, I've just got to get the posts written.  Onwards and upwards...

I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls.  They always say because it's such a beautiful animal.  There you go.  I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her.
Ellen de Generes

I'd like to enter this as Tag 2 in the Funkie Junkie's 12 Tags of Christmas, sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique

26 comments:

Amanda said...

Might be more simple but equally as beautiful
Love
Amanda x

chrissie said...

The tag is brilliant and the words made me smile.. Keep going you will do all 12

Love Chrissie xx

Dorthe said...

Alison, it is lovely, with the green wood land, and the sweet deer, which is kind of scenting snow in the air !!
Simple and beautiful !!
xoxo

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

This is fantastic. I really love what you have done here, especially the blue stenciling. Don't know why, but I never visualized that stencil in blue and it's beautiful. The Wish die cut in brown is so perfect too. Great take on tag #2 - you're on a roll playing the 12 Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style.

Hugs,
Linda

Mrs.B said...

A lovely tag Alison, we all think of red as the festive colour, but I really think the blue works with design.
Avril xx

Fliss said...

Really beautiful tag Alison. Lovely detail and love the colours too.

Apologies for my lack of commenting lately which is because I've had to do less blogging due to eyesight issues and if you didn't see, I got diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes a few weeks back and am currently awaiting the treatment. My close sight is not great as they've had to give me stronger lenses so I can drive.
Hoping for a better 2017!
Fliss xx

Redanne said...

I love the blue spot stamping and the blue stencilling against the white gessoed background, the trees have a lovely dreamy quality to them and the little fawn is adorable. Love this Alison! Anne xx

sally said...

Scrolling through the bloglovin list...I confess I did not pick this out as one of your posts! Different to the usual style somehow but I definitely like it:-)

Sally xx

Meggymay said...

Another fantastic tag, I do love how you use this colour combination.
Yvonne xx

Paper Profusion said...

Woohoo, lovely to read consecutive posts Alison. Beautifully balanced design. I wouldnt have thought of mixing both blue and green with kraft shade but the combo looks fab. Great take for Lindas challenge. When I read "assonance" I had to pluck recollection from wayyyy inside my brain ... Your posts are always a pleasure to read. Nicola x

sarascloset said...

Well, I have deer heads on my wall (wooden), but not for that reason! (Loved your words for the day!) And speaking of love...I adore your creative tag! A fantastic take on Linda's beautiful original! Your debut with the trees stencil is really gorgeous. Your color choices are perfect and that sweet little fawn...ah, I've completely forgotten about her...must get her out for a spin in the Big Kick! Wonderful tag, Alison! Hugs!

Brenda Brown said...

Beautifully designed and put together, love the vintage palette xxx

Astrid Maclean said...

Another wonderful tag, love what you did with the deer, those dreamy trees look wonderful too!

Gitte said...

Lovely tag.

Marci said...

There is a fresh look to your tag. I like it! The Ellen quote made me laugh.

Sandy said...

Such a majestic doe - or is it a fawn? I see it still has it's spots and a fawn that still has spots is not old enough to leave it's mother.
Alison I get so tired of writing pretty this or wonderful that - so I usually write what I think of first. And the spots on the doe caught my attention.
You always inspire me.
I will not be posting until January 2017 - so keep inspiring me. I need all the inspiration I can get!
Sandy xx

Lys said...

Even deers can have wishes for Christmas! I love how you put story and meaning in whatever (not so simple) you create. A beautiful tag.

craftytrog said...

A lovely, festive tag Alison! xx

Helen said...

Beautiful!

Lucy Edmondson said...

Fun and festive and lovely!

Lucy x

Jackie PN said...

So simple and so lovely! Love those greens!! xx

SewPaperPaint said...

I could live in your world of neutral colors forever! Another brilliant reason why! Christmas hugs, Autumn

Princess Judy Palmer said...

This is a departure for you. I like it though, being so light and open with pale colors and a distinct lack of splatter.

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

I love the 12 tags series, and really love how your trees are splashes on top of each other... Wonderful and fun!

Cocofolies said...

I adore the delicacy and elegance of this one... Wonderful tag, also wonderful details, the tiny white pen dots added on the fawn are so lovely!!
Everything goes perfectly.

Enjoy your day and your regained playtime... So great to see you again here on words and Pictures! :)
Hugs, xx

Julie Lee said...

I love the vintage feel of this one! Like Coco, I love the addition of the white dots! xx