52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge - Taster Tag for December 2023

Here we are on the 1st December already, this year has passed at such a scary rate.  This is the fifth and final taster tag of 2023.  From January 2024, I will be providing you with a weekly prompt at 7:30am on a Sunday morning.  

The challenge is very relaxed, you can do as much or as little as you would like.  I know how life can get in the way, but I really hope you will join in.  There is a Facebook group for this challenge where you can share your tags with the other members taking part of lurking.  Here is the link to the Facebook group.

The prompt/theme of the December 2023 challenge is "Festive".  I'm aware not everybody celebrates Christmas, so if you are one of those people, just put your own spin on it.

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This is the tag that I have made for the December challenge with a prompt theme of "Festive".

I used a manila coloured tag for the base, colouring it with "Confetti" Elements inks.  I then used the same ink through the Visible Image Stamps stencil called "Distressed Bricks".

Next, I used "Emperor Red" Elements Inks through the Visible Image "Ye Olde Christmas" stencil, which is like an old fashioned font of writing.

I used Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink to stamp the Visible Image "Christmas Carol" number area on the bottom left hand side of the tag.  I used "Nocturne" again to stamp the Visible Image "Holly" too.

On a piece of white card, I stamped the Visible Image "Holly" again, but this time using Versafine Clair "Green Oasis" ink.  I then coloured the holly with three shades of Derwent Inktense pencils, using Beech Green, Vivid Green and Fern colours.  I used a red Sharpie pen to colour the berries,before fussy cutting the holly and sticking it into position over the exisiting stamped holly.

I added highlights to the holly and berries using a white gel pen, then coated the holly leaves in "A wink of Stella" which provided a lovely golden shimmer to the leaves.

I inked the edges of the tag using Versafine Clair "Green Oasis" ink and then mounted the tag on to green card,

Finally, I added Ranger "Glossy Accents" to the berries and also to the area on the bottom left where the number 25 is.

Visible Image Stamps "Daisy Grunge" Smile Card

The heavens have opened and it is bucketing it down this morning, so I decided to make a bright card.

For the very base of this card, I spritzed two shades of Distress Inks (Old Paper and Weathered Wood) on my glass mat and then dragged the piece of white card through the inks.  I ran my heat gun over the surface to dry it before moving on to the next stage.

I secured the Visible Image "Distressed Brick Stencil" with low tack tape over the inky background card.  I then applied three shades of Ranger "Archival Inks", through the stencil with a blending brush, using "Prickly Pear", "Fern Green" and "Monarch Orange" colours.

Lifting the stencil, I then positioned the Visible Image "Honeycomb Hex" stencil and applied some "Monarch Orange" and "Shadow Grey" Ranger Archival Inks, just to give a hint of a pattern.

I then moved on to the stamping, using Versafine Clair "Shady Lane" green in, I stamped the "Smile" sentiment and the stems for the flowers, using the Visible Image "Daisy Grunge" stamp set.  I then stamped the flower heads using Versafine Clair "Summertime" orange ink.

To colour the flower heads, I used the following Derwent Inktense pencils :Tangerine, Scarlet Pink, Persian Red and Lemon shades applied straight to the card wit the pencil.  Finally, I added some touches of white gel pen and dots of white Ranger "Enamel Accents".