Monday, September 29, 2014

It's Time to Kick Off the 12 Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style!


Hello old friends and new followers!  Today is an exciting day here at The Funkie Junkie blog.  For the last three years, I have hosted a Christmas tag challenge that runs for 12 weeks.  We've had great fun with this challenge and I'm hoping you will play along this year.  Each week, I will  share a tag that I made and challenge YOU to be inspired by some aspect of that tag.  You can join the challenge by linking your creation up to my weekly post.  

Here's how the challenge works.  Each Monday for the next 12 weeks, I will post a Christmas tag.  If you wish to play along, you can make any sort of Christmas or winter themed DIY project.  It can be a tag, but doesn't have to be.  It can be a Christmas card, a holiday decoration, a scrapbook layout, a tree ornament, a banner, whatever you want but it does have to be inspired by my tag and must be Christmas or winter themed.  For those of you who chose to make a Christmas card, this challenge will help you complete at least 12 handmade cards.  

Sound like fun?  Here are the challenge requirements, which must be adhered to in order to be eligible for the prize drawing at the end:
  • This is an inspiration challenge.  Each week, I will post my tag and you will use it to be inspired to make something. You can enter any sort of craft.  It can be a tag, a card, a home decor project, a scrapbook layout - your choice but please make it winter or Christmas related. 
  • You must take inspiration from something on my tag and tell us in your post what inspired you. You don't have to use my style, my layout, my colors, my theme or anything except be inspired by something on my sample. Your make can be shabby, it can be grungy or it can be clean and simple. I don't mind if you CASE my work, but if you do, please give me credit. 
  • We will have 12 weekly challenges beginning today, Monday, September 29.  You can link your project using the linky provided at the very bottom of the post. 
  • To be eligible for the drawing at the end of the 12 weeks, you must: 1) enter all 12 challenges, 2) provide a link back to this challenge and mention that it is sponsored by my store The Funkie Junkie Boutiquewith a link to the boutique  www.thefunkiejunkie.com
  • You do have to have a blog (or some other way to provide the required links and inspiration information).
  • All 12 challenges will remain open until midnight Eastern time on December 21, 2014.   You can play any of the 12 challenges up through that date in any order. To be eligible for the prize drawing, you must have submitted an entry into all 12 of these challenges by midnight Eastern time December 21st.
  • On December 22nd, from the pool of players who participated in every single challenge and provided a link to the challenge and a link to my store on their post, I will draw three winners. There will be one $50 grand prize gift certificate to The Funkie Junkie Boutique given out plus two runner up prizes of $25 gift certificates. 
  • Additionally, everyone who participated in all the challenges and met the requirements will receive a 10% off coupon good for their entire order at The Funkie Junkie Boutique during the month of January 2015. 
  • Here is the blog publication schedule for my 12 inspiration tags:  Week 1 - September 29, Week 2 - October 6, Week 3 - October 13, Week 4  - October 20, Week 5 - October 27,  Week 6 - November 3, Week 7 - November 10, Week 8 - November 17,  Week 9 - November 24, Week 10 - December 1, Week 11 - December 8, Week 12 - December 15, December 21st- challenge closes.  
For my inspiration tag this week, I used a jumbo manila tag that I sell in the boutique, the new Tim Holtz Christmas Nostalgia stamp set and the Holiday Knit stencil.  I stamped the advertisement stamp in jet black archival ink and then stenciled the Holiday Knit stencil using Barn Door DI at the very bottom and then several times in random areas around the tag.  I also inked the stencil directly with Barn Door, misted it and then used the stencil to print a watery image onto the tag.  Then other images from the Christmas Nostalgia set were stamped in jet black archival and the entire tag was sponged with Vintage Photo DI.

Next an oval was cut from white CS and stenciled lightly with Pine Needles and the Holiday Knit stencil.  The sentiment was stamped over the stenciling using jet black archival and then the piece was stenciled with Vintage Photo DI.

A small tag was cut using the Tiny Tags and Tabs die, stamped with the Christmas Carol stamp from Tim's Mini Holidays 3 set, then the snowflakes from the Mini Holidays set were clear embossed over the music.  Then the tag was sponged with Vintage Photo DI.  A piece of twine was used to create the bow and I added two tiny silver jingle bells surrounding a Christmas tree charm.  (The tiny safety pins, the Christmas charms and the tiny jingle bells are all sold in The Funkie Junkie Boutique - see the thumbnail links below.)  The tag was finished off with a pretty crinkle ribbon dyed with Pine Needles distress ink and a couple of pieces of ephemera from Tim Holtz's new Chrismas ephemera pack.

That's it for the 2014 Tag #1.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope to see you playing along.  Please link up using the link at the very bottom of this post.








The products below were used to make this tag and are available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique where Ranger/Tim Holtz and most other name brand products are always 20% below MSRP.






17 comments:

Jane said...

Squeal...I'm so excited Linda, this is where I really started my creative journey last year. I loved taking part in this and found your tags so inspiring. Thanks for hostiing this again, number 1 tag is awesome. Time to get my creative hat on.....I can't wait to get going....the countdown to my favourite time of the year begins! I just need to go to work first today! Huge crafty hugs, Jane x

Jenny Marples said...

This challenge has been my motivation for producing those special Christmas cards for friends and family over the past couple of years and I'm sure it will be again. Having a wonderful tag to draw inspiration from is always so helpful and as ever I love this one Linda. Will definitely be joining in again! Jenny x

Astrid Maclean said...

Oh Linda, I can't believe it is that time already again, squeel.....I am going to try to ply along again for sure, but as I will be away from my craft table as from the 15th of December, I know I will not be able to play right up until the end, but it's such a good way to start on Christmas cards, so I'll be in for as much as I can. Love this tag already!!

Lisa Minckler said...

WOO HOO!!! I wondered if you would and now I know. SO EXCITED! Off to the drawing board. Your first tag is a sensational inspiration. Cannot wait to play.
Big hugs,
Lisa x

Maryanne said...

I'm soooo excited, Linda!! I was just thinking that it was time to start the 12 Tags, even though I can't believe we're 12 weeks from Christmas. Thanks so much for doing this again. It's so much fun!

Redanne said...

A wonderful and inspiring start Linda, I cannot believe we are so close to Christmas......

Unknown said...

WOW Linda--is it 12 weeks until Christmas? Really?? WOW!! Fabulous week one tag, Linda!! I hope to join in on the 12 week fun!! :) XOXO-Shari T.

Inkypinkycraft said...

a gorgeous start to the twelve tags, hope life lets me have time to play along.x hugs x

craftytrog said...

Woo hoo! I love this time of year! A great start to the challenge, your tag one is gorgeous Linda!
Alison xxx

Terry said...

Great way to start, Linda! I love the nostalgic vintage feel of your first Christmas tag! Oh and I just happen to have that stencil! Love this!

Unknown said...

I'm going to play along this year!! I got caught today. Thanks for the inspiration! Love your tag with the tiny tag on it.
Jen

Lisa Minckler said...

I'm all on board now. Got the first 4 done and so excited for the rest! Thanks again Linda for the inspiration and fun. :)

Heather said...

I LOVE your tags Linda, and I am sure to find some inspiration from each one!! I may even be able to catch up!! Hugs!!
Heather
I just stumbled upon your 12 Tags this evening by visiting my Friends Elizabeth's blog here...

Hettie said...

Hey Linda...lookie who has joined you!! Bet you thought I had forgotten about you! Not a chance!
I have decided this year to make cards instead of tags, but using your tags as inspiration. Hope you don't mind.
Hugs
xx

Heather said...

Yay!! I have two tags done!! I am so ahead of the game in my world :0). Even though it doesn't look much like your tag...you will have to read my blurb on my blog...and listen to my blurb in my video (which is currently uploading to my youtube). Have a fabby day Linda!!
Hugs
Heather

Unknown said...

OK--I may be getting a late start with your 12 Tags of Christmas, Linda-but better late than never :) LOL! I just finished tags #1 & #2--both have some drying to do :) I'm moving on to tag #3 :) I've got a lot of snowflake stencil improvising to do :) XOXO-Shari

Unknown said...

I stumbled onto your website while wandering off from Youtube video post. I'm embarrassed to say that I can't remember who it was, but what a great blog!

I think I may be too late to participate in your Christmas challenge, and I'm still exploring your blog, but I hope to see more challenges, because I need the practice! lol

I've grabbed your shop badge to put on my blog, which I hope is ok, even though I'm just getting back into blogging.

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