Ho - Ho - Ho! Its December - where does the time go?

Its crazy how fast time passes isn't it? Well I've been one busy lady over the past three months! I think about making things every day, but for some reason time escapes me and I find that it is December and I've not posted since September. Work has been crazy - which is funny, you'd think it would be a bit more structured with regards to my time - but its not. And many times I get home, and I'm just too exhausted to do much of anything. On the plus side - I have wonderful family and friends that encourage me to keep up with all my crafty goodness!

You'll notice that the Etsy store is pretty bare - that's because my awesome Aunt in Centennial request that I send cards for her jewelry party. So into a box they went - along with a very special custom order for her. They're there now...eagerly awaiting adoption into loving hands - so here's hoping that everyone loves them, and I get a little bit more money for my Christmas gifts - or crafting addiction. *shrug* We'll see where the money goes once I get it.

So it is my goal this Christmas to make as many gifts as I possibly can - and part of the handmade gift is the handmade wrapping and trimming that goes with it. So here's my first "tag" - inspired by the amazing - awesome and totally my crafting idol - Tim Holtz and his 12 Tags of Christmas.

Here's an attempt to capture some of the holiday spirit:

The best part about the whole thing is trying techniques that I normally wouldn't - this wasn't planned, and was one of those inspirational moments. I was able to try out techniques I've only seen on web-videos and Tim's blog. I'm excited to say, I think I can get the hang of most of the techniques I tried with a bit more practice. This time was just a "let's see where it goes" type moment.

In this tag:

Adirondack Alcohol Inks: Oregano, Red Pepper, Mushroom
Distress Ink: Tea Dye, Black Soot
Image: Paper Inspirations - Father Christmas - Colored with Copics
Grungeboard: Plain Elements
Distress Crackle Paint: White Picket Fence
Metal Embellishments & Ribbon: Making Memories

This tag - I was told - is too nice to put on a present. What do you all think?