12 Tags Tag 12 With a Fond Farewell

Here is Tim’s final tag link for 2011

  http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-12.html

Meet Tim, thus named because his creation was inspired by Tim Holtz’s last tag

This Little Bearbie has the honour of being my smallest bear to date standing at just over 3″ or 8cm tall. His fabric is recycled curtain fabric offcuts and hand stamped and from one of my own unique bear patterns. But more about that later.

Here is the tag I created inspired by Mr Holtz’s

I think in some ways I have put off writing this blog post as it is so hard to say goodbye to such an inspiring event.

What it has given me not just in terms of new techniques or inspiration but also in pushing my boundaries and helping me to grow as a crafter is immeasurable.

After a year fraught with broken appliances, a broken leg and other such disasters it has been a joy to allow my creative side a chance to fly freely culminating in my one and only bear this year. This little bear is my smallest to date standing at just a scotch over 3”

Materials:

Bear: Mini bear or Mini Bear Pattern.

Recycled Curtain Fabric off cut

Staz on Jet Black Ink (I have tried this with other inks and they smudge or fade to much on fabric)

Kaiser Sheet Music Texture clear stamp

4mm Lock nut joint set

3mm glass eyes or in this case as I am out I used some Pearls off a Prima Say it in Pearls flourish (necessity is the mother of invention so they say)

Stuffing (I use pollyflock)

Jingle bell

Burgundy Ribbon

Black Nose thread (either use DMC or some thick ish cotton)

Cotton or fishing line to sew (I use clear fishing line as it is cheaper than the clear sewing thread however it can take a little practice to get used to)

Needle

TAG: Manilla Tag (handmade from a manila folder)

Tissue Paper

Craft Wire Loop

Kaiser Sheet Music Stamp

Pearl Mist (home Made)

Die Namics 5 pointed flower Die

Burgundy Mist (homemade)

Kaiser Black and White Craft Paper

Homemade glimmer glaze (mine used triple thick, water, a drop of pine needles re-inker all mixed together)

Kaiser die cut elements

Tim Holtz clear stamps from both: Urban Grunge and Regal Flourish

Lucky Squirrel Polyshrink in clear

Gold Mixative

Utee & melting pot in my case a paraffin wax pot I got off eBay pre the Melting Pot being available for overseas use.

A Brad

Snow Cap Dabber

Moonlight Snow Glitter

Black Soot Distress Ink

Staz on Jet Black Ink

Heat Gun.

Multi Medium in Mat

Die Namics 5 pointed flower petals cut out of stamped tissue paper (around 6 petals needed)

Let’s start with the Bear.

If you have purchased your own little bear skip this part and move straight onto the tag.

If not you will need to stamp your fabric before cutting out your bear and following the pattern instructions. I tried to line up my pattern pieces so the Music pattern matched up where possible to allow for continuity and a more even looking bear.

Tip: When sewing mini bears I find it easier to leave the opening at the top of the arms and legs rather than the sides. This makes it easier to joint them and ladder stitch them closed.

To attach the jingle bell thread it through your ribbon and glue it at the back of the bears neck or alternately tie a knot. Keep an extra length of matching ribbon so you can attach the bear to your tag but keep it so he is removable as well.

I will create a pattern and do a bear making tutorial soon including step by step pictures and a downloadable free pattern at a later date.

Tag:

Background. Please follow Tim Holtz’s instructions for stamping the background and such. As I did not have his Tissue Paper I Hand stamped some of my own with Staz on and the Kaiser Music stamp and Proceeded as Normal

Wings: See this Link and Watch the Video on how to do this. I used the Regal Flourish wings with some gold Mixative rubbed over the back of them

http://youtu.be/igo7t0U26Bc 

1. I added  some snow cap dabber over the music notes and tissue paper to give it a lighter image
2. I used a little homemade glimmer glaze mixed with some moonlight snow glitter and painted over the whole tag
3. Cut out your side tag and paint with homemade glimmer glaze in green. Put aside to dry
4. Use your Die Cut elements from Kaiser, ink with a little black soot and rub in. I cut the scalloped strip into pieces to better fit the tag then stuck them together ready to place on the tag
5. With some extra stamped tissue paper cut into small strips and glue around your wire circle. To do this fold the pieces in half stamping side out  and place the wire in the middle of this then with a small amount of glue glue the strips down. Keep going until a bit over half your circle is done. Then do the in-between spots. Cut the bottoms of the tissue paper into points and decide where it will be best with placement of the bear and such. Glue it into tag
6. Adhere your Green tag onto the side you want it making sure it is glued over the wire circlet.
7. Play with your bear and wing positioning and when you are happy with it. Glue the wings in Place
8.  Now just below the center of the wings place a small hole in your tag.
9. Put the matching ribbon around your bear’s neck and poke it through the hole in your tag and push it through. Either tie it a bow or tape it to the back of the tag
10. Make your flower by piercing a small hole for your brad and putting it through your petals. I do this putting each layer in-between the petals of the last one. Scrunch one layer at a time starting with the top one into the centre of the flower. Do this as tight as you can. Set the flower on your craft mat and Spritz with burgundy mist (mine is home made with a little red food colouring, 3 drops of black soot re-inker and a little pearl ex powder for shimmer). Heat with your heat gun allowing some of the petals to singe for an extra grungy aged element and place on your tag. (Note I also did this with the Halo of tissue Paper as well to give it a little contrast)

That is it for 12 tags of Christmas for 2012 hope you have enjoyed my creations. Stay tuned for tips, tutorials and creativity.

12 Tags Day 11

Of Course all this is Inspired by Tim Holtz see todays tag here:
http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-11.html

Hi there

For anyone reading this blog I figured I should tell you a little about my crafty self. First and foremost I work on a budget, rarely get to buy things when they first come out and often have to bargain hunt to make my limited craft money stretch. So I tend to invest in re usable items such as inks, dies, or bulk lots such as the 2mm rhinestones.

As for today’s tag as I am already on overtime with my net I will have to watch the tutorial video next week after my new net month begins. So today yet again finds me improvising and playing. It was a lot of fun, a bit of frustration and honestly I love the result so the time and effort to hand Bling the flourish I feel is well worth it. So hard to believe that we are at the last day of 12 Tags soon it has flown by in a creative whirlwind. I for one can not wait to see what the last tag will be.

So here is tag 11:

Materials:

Printworks Silver Vellum Christmas Sticker

Polyshrink in Clear

Tim Holtz- Blending tool, solution and foam

– Alcohol ink in cranberry

– Iced Spruce Ink

– Snow Cap Paint Dabber

– Glossy Accents

– Re-inkers in Broken china and milled lavender

2mm Rhinestones (as mentioned before I got these in bulk off eBay 20k for around $5 inc postage and use these to do homemade flourishes)

Heat Gun

CB Cut and Emboss Butterfly

Water Mister

Autumn Leaves Christmas Flourishes

Manilla Tag

1. Dab some snow cap onto your craft mat and dab around some broken china and a drop or three of milled lavender (I know it doesn’t show up it turns the broken china a kind of funky teal colour) Spritz with water and run your tag through it (like we have all done many times this week)

2. Dry with your heat gun (careful to dab any pools of liquid first)

3. Use the Water Splatter technique that Tim Holtz has instructions for on many of the 12 tags

4. Dry with your heat gun, splatter again if you feel it is necessary

5. Cut out 5 butterflies from clear shrink film (I did extra just in case)

6. Use your blending tool covered with cranberry alcohol ink and a couple of dabs of gold. Drop a drop of blending solution into the gold spots. Colour your butterflies with this. Adding more when needed or a little blending solution

7. Grab some tweezers and your heat gun (you will need to do one butterfly at a time if you want to shape them I suggest wearing rubber gloves if you don’t want to burn yourself). Place the tweezers gently on one of the butterflies and heat it with the heat tool

8. When it has shrunk. Pick up the butterfly and shape it with your fingers, I folded mine up towards the centre and shaped the wings. If it sets to fast re heat and try again. Do this for all of your butterflies

9. Stamp your flourish with Iced spruce onto the top corner of your tag (if you have loads of already made rhinestone flourishes in your stash use one of those)

10. Spread a little glossy accents along your flourish and place your rhinestones on top of it (I use superfine nail art tweezers) and repeat until your flourish is completely covered

11. Using a little glossy accents and your rhinestones glue a line of them inside your butterflies as their bodies

12. Using a little glossy accents on the bottom of them glue your butterflies in place (I used the ends of the flourish)

13. Attach your Merry Christmas Sticker

And that’s all there is to it.

12 Tags Day 10

As always inspired by the Amazing Tim Holtz see his tag here

http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-10.html
This tag almost had me completely beat. I made several unsuccessful attempts to do the transfer technique sans packing tape and let’s just say EPIC FAIL! Sooo I spent some time playing with another way to make pendants and ornaments instead.  I did not want to just give up. In frustration I walked away from my very very messy craft space (think Utee sprinkled around like frosted sugar and you will begin to get the picture). I took a time out to catch up on some net stuff and allow the glossy accents to start to dry, and also to change my state of mind. I was feeling very Bah Humbug, uncreative and mojoless. After a while I was curious about how the glossy accents were drying and what the pendant looked like as it dried. All of a sudden I found myself pulling out patterned paper and working on my tag. For me my crafting like my readings is very intuitive. I just needed to stop over thinking things and get back into the flow of creating.

So here is Tag Number 10

Materials:

Distress ink- winter (all 3)

Home Made Pearl Mist

Aqua Brush

Autumn Leaves Christmas Flourishes

Craft Mat

PP from Kaiser Black and White Timeless Paper Pad (6×6”)

One Mind One Heart Perspex Circle Pendant

Utee

Pearl Ex Powder-

Heat Gun

Versa mark Watermark ink Pad

Glossy Accents

Inkadinkado Clear Stamp (if you have rubber stamps this step is better for rubber stamps as it can melt some clear ones)

A cold bottle (like one full of frozen water)

Tag (I used one I had ruined as it is being covered so it is a great way to use up your mistakes)

Foil tape or aluminium foil (known in Australia as Al Foil)

Silver Ribbon
Fancy Edged scissors

1. Use the versa mark to ink your pendant
2. Cover in Utee, shake off the excess (I left my pile on the piece of paper and moved it to the side) and heat till it is all melted. Dip into the pile of Utee, press down and heat. Repeat this around 3-4 times till you have built up a nice thick layer. (Alternately If you have a melting pot use that and dip it into the melted Utee)
3. With a brush on the pearl ex powder where you want the colours to show. Heat allowing it to mix into the Utee. Repeat until you are happy with the colour.
4. Add another coat of Utee over the top and Heat
5. Hold the flat side of your stamp against the bottle so that it is cold. (only needed with clear stamps and still no guarantee that the stamp will not melt I got lucky with the Inkadinkado one)
6. Place stamp on a stamping block.
7. Heat the Pendant until the Utee is all melted.
8. Quickly push the stamp into the melted Utee and push down hard as possible
9. Allow the Utee to cool
10. Remove the stamp
11. Cover with Glossy Accents and set aside to dry.
12. Take your Tag and cover it with your PP
13.  Fill your aqua brush
14. Take Festive Berries and tap some onto your craft mat
15. Add a little water but leave one space with darker ink
16. Paint the flowers on the PP with the aqua brush, adding darker spots on the flowers to create texture
17. Clean your Aqua brush and the leftover festive berries off your craft mat (or alternately use it for something else)
18. Tap your wintergreen onto your craft mat and again mix with a little water
19. Using your Aqua Brush Paint the leaves of your pp
20. Allow to dry or heat with your heat gun
21. Stamp a flourish in each corner with Iced Spruce
22. Mist with pearl mist
23. Heat with heat gun (be careful you will notice a couple of small ink run spots on my tag. Look for small pools of the mist and carefully blot them away then dry) till dry.
24. Repeat the Pearl Mist Step
25. Fold your foil into a small ish strip and cut with fancy edged scissors
26. Sepperate your foil pieces
27. Place a little glossy accents along the edge of your tag and place the fancy edge over the tag (I did this shiny side down for a muted look) press down gently and smooth out the ridges you can.
28. Trim to size and glue the extra to the back of the tag
29. Repeat 27 and 28 until the all the edges of the tag are covered and you have a silver boarder around your tag
30. Place some glossy accents on the back of your Ornament and glue to a piece of foil
31. With your fancy scissors cut around the ornament leaving a slight boarder
32. Run some glossy accents around the side and the very top edge of your ornament and gently push the foil around the side and over the top.
33. Tie some ribbon through your ornament leaving enough so that it will be able to hang on a tree
34. Place the ribbon through the hole at the top of your tag and tape it to the back leaving enough so the ornament is where you want it to be.
35. Make a small bow and glue it onto your ornament

And again that is it there isn’t any more J Tag and Gift in One inspired by my Lovely Sister and a card she made

Tag 9 Mark 2 Get Ready to Sparkle

Today’s technique reminded me of one using glitter and Jac Paper. So inspired by Tim’s tag today these are a glitter version of a similar style background technique. You could also use flock instead of glitter.

 http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-9.html

Materials:

Superfine glitter (Mine is stuff by David’s: Metallic Red and Moonlight Snow)

Tag

Jac Paper

Glimmer Screen

Mambi Softly spoken stickers from sugarplum collection

Felt and foil rub on’s

Festive Berries Distress Ink.

1. Cover your tag with Jac Paper and trim to size
2. Chose your glimmer screen, remove top piece off the Jac paper and press it down firmly being careful not to touch the exposed sticky bits
3. Sprinkle over your glitter till the tag is covered

1. Pick up the tag with the glimmer screen still attached and shake off excess glitter (put glitter back in container I use a piece of paper to glitter over to save mess and make for easy return of excess)
2. Peel off your glimmer screen and sprinkle over your other colour of glitter then shake off excess. Yes it really is that simple and looks great when done. Here are two examples of the backgrounds I created reversing which order I did the colours in

1. Add embellishments and viola tag done.

12 Tags Day 9 1st Tag

Yep day 9 already and isn’t time flying. I have been having such an amazing time scrapping along with everyone and seeing the amazing creations from the techniques of the day.

http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-9.html

So today I had a little trouble in terms of not really owning any background stamps. Then I hit upon my idea and was so happy with the result I kept it simple.

So follow everything Tim Did on His blog for tag 9’s background including using the winter inks and embossing powder

I used the Inkadinkado Christmas Silhouettes Stamp set and used the Angel with the trumpet

And added a seasons greeting sticker.

I think sometimes simple is best I love this technique and loved the result but did not want to tinker too much with the image as I felt it is the star of the show.

12 Tags Day 8 mark 2

Ok so I could not help myself I had to do it.

See here for the Original Tag 8 that Tim Holtz Did Yesterday
http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-8.html

Here is my Vintage Version

Materials Used:

Tim Holtz –

-Blending tool and 2 pieces of felt

– Paint Dabber Snow Cap

– Distress ink in Vintage Photograph, Walnut stain and Tea Dye

– Lots and found stamps (I used the people one) and regal flourishes (the corner flourish)

-Glossy Accents

-On the Edge Die Cogs, as well as clock and gears Die cut from both thin and thicker chipboard

Versa mark Watermark Ink pad

Kaiser clear stamps: December 25^th and After 5

A small piece of vintage lace (it is hidden beneath the cogs just barely showing)

White Tissue Paper

Staz on Jet Black

Monte Marte Willow Charcoal (any soft charcoal is good note hard charcoal will not give the right effect here)

Manilla Tag

Heat Gun

Utee Clear

Extra Manilla (I used the other side of a tag I ruined so as not to waste it)

Claudine Hellmoth Matt Multi Medium

Mini Mister Bottle

Vintage Looking Brad

1. See the background Technique from Tim Holtz for Day 8. I  used snow cap paint dabber as I do not own the stain yet, After you colour your tag you will need to re stamp your top corner again as the vintage photograph and tea dye ink will seep into the paint and you want it a crisper white image
2. Prep all your chipboard Pieces (I cut the cogs off the on the edge piece and discarded the edge piece) by dabbing with Snow cap (I roughly cut the clock to fit and left a little at each edge to trim off at the end)
3. Ink over the chipboard using either vintage photograph or tea dye. I used walnut stain on the clock hands to give them a different look. You want to do this so there are little areas of white showing. Dab off the excess ink.
4. Using your charcoal run it around all the edges of your chipboard pieces making sure to get a thin dark edge
5. Using a tissue or your fingers rub the charcoal into your chipboard by pulling it towards the centre of your chipboard. This gives a gritty sooty look to your vintage work and you will not get this look with ink or other means
6. Using your charcoal go around the edge of your tag and smudge it in.
7. Using the Claudine Hellmoth  multi medium in matt do a thin coat on each chipboard piece
8. Then either use glossy accents, triple thick or Utee (I used Utee I wanted to put it all together) to coat all chipboard pieces
9. Using walnut stain stamp the Lost and Found stamp with the People on it onto a small piece of Tissue Paper and heat with heat gun
10. Tear off the excess tissue paper from around your image
11. On the inked side paint with multi medium as quick as you can (or the image will start to smear)
12. Place on tag inked side down and gently smooth out
13. Paint matt multi medium over the top and allow to dry
14. Stamp your tickets on the Manilla
15. Ink them
16. Create a mist by mixing 4 drops of vintage photograph with water in your mini mister and spray over tags.
17. Dry with heat gun and fussy cut the tags out
18. Ink and spray till your happy with how aged and worn the tickets look
19. Go around the edges of the tickets with charcoal and smudge in
20. Glue into place hanging off the edge of the tag
21. Mist a piece of vintage lace with the vintage photograph mist. Blot with Paper towel and repeat this. Then Dry carefully with heat gun or wait for it to dry naturally
22. Glue in place at the bottom of your tag
23. Place your cogs and gears where you want them and glue down with glossy accents
24. Place your clock where you want it and glue into place (Note I made sure one of the gaps in the clock was over the tags hole)
25. Put a hole where you want your clock hands and insert your brad through them. Then through the tag and push the brad flat at the back of the tag.
26. Position your clock hands where you would like them to point

And that’s all there is there isn’t any more.

12 Tags of Christmas Day 8

Inspired by the Ever Amazing, Ever Impressive, Geenie of Creativity Mr Tim Holtz himself

 http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-8.html

After two completely botched jobs and ruining two tags trying to get the background technique to work with stamps that did not suit it. I was getting frustrated. So I went and looked through my other stamps pulled out a few sets and started to re evaluate my idea. It took a little playing and I have to say even though my original set of ideas was completely different I am very happy with the end result. I am not the best when it comes to layering or adding lots of things onto a space. I think it comes from loving the clean uncluttered look. So even getting the layers I did into this tag was a challenge. I did pull out chipboard gears and the same clock that Mr Holtz used on today’s tag. But I did steam punk already with Day 1’s tag and honestly after I started playing I just let my creativity go and followed along in its wake. So here are the results. Love to know what you think.

 

Materials Used:

Tim Holtz – Re-Inkers in Dusty Concord and warn lipstick

-Blending tool and 2 pieces of felt

– Paint Dabber Snow Cap

-Visual Artistry Stamps- French Market, Lost and Found, and Regal Flourish

Versa mark Watermark Ink pad

Homemade white Pearl Mist

Glossy Accents

Manilla Tag

Prima Say it in Pearls (two small flourish pieces)

Baking Paper

Resin Flower

Hand Dyed Seem Binding (Mine came from a wonderfully seller on Etsy called Tattered Inspirations)

Sizzix Heart Locket Die cut from chipboard

Cotton Buds

Kaiser December 25^th Clear Stamps (I used the merry Christmas ticket)

Polyshrink in Opaque

Brilliance Pearlescent ink in: Purple and Orchid

Staz on Jet Black

Heat Gun

Utee

Step 1. See The Technique on Tim Holt’z Blog for the background of this here is mine after I added an extra step and misted it with homemade pearl mist, dried it with my heat gun and re misted it with the pearl to give the really shimmery and very pastel colour effect. I used snow cap on the flourish stamp from Regal Flourishes in the top corner and the writing from Lost and Found on the side. I used worn lipstick and dusty concord to Colour the tag.

Step 2: Paint all 3 pieces of your chipboard Locket with snow cap. Dry and repeat.

Step 3. With your blending tool go around the outside of the background heart with dusty concord, blot off any excess ink with a piece of paper towel, or strong tissue.  Leave the centre white or if you like colour it as well.

Step 4. Go around the outside of the smaller ornate heart with Worn Lipstick, blot off excess ink. Then using a cotton bud with a smidge of ink, Run it around the ornate parts of the Heart. Again blotting off the excess

Step 5. Do the same with the key. I did the heart at the top with Worn Lipstick and the key part in dusty concord.

Step 6: After the ink has dried push each piece onto your versa mark watermark stamp pad. Cover in Utee. Shake off Excess. And heat to a smooth glossy finish with your heat gun. (Alternately you could use glossy accents or triple thick. I was impatient and did not want to have to wait for them to dry)

Step 7: Using a little glossy accents on the back of the ornate heart position and glue onto the background heart (I left the top part of the locket unglued so I could slip the shrinked tags under it a little and in case I wanted to add a chain or some such.)

Step 8: Tear off a piece of Baking Paper. Using the Staz on (I tried this with versa mark black as well it does not set) ink the Eiffel Tower stamp from French Market and stamp onto the baking paper. Heat with your heat gun. You will know it has set when the image fades into the background and looks similar to Tim Holtz’s ghosting technique

Step 9: Position your Eiffel Tower image onto your tag and play with it to see where you want it. Trim or tear off excess of the image and stick into place (I found a little glossy accents on each side worked well for this)

Step 10: Position your Heart locket in the bottom corner. When you’re happy with where it is going use a little glossy accents to glue it into place

Step 11:  Place your two small flourish pieces onto the Baking Paper in the bottom corner opposite to the heart and stick in place leaving a gap to glue your resin flower.

Step 12: Glue on your Resin Flower with glossy accents

Step 13: Attach your key in a place you are happy with

Step 14: Stamp your Shrink plastic with the Merry Christmas Tag in both Orchid and Purple. Cut around them. Using tweezers, or something to hold them in place. Heat with your Heat gun until they won’t shrink any more (best to do one at a time) when they have shrunk a bit you can remove the tweezers (or you will end up with an indent). I shaped mine while they were still warm so they do not lie completely flat

Step 15: Attach your two shrinkies to the Tag

Step 16: Take a small piece of seem binding and tie into a bow. Glue bow to the key

And that is it everything I did to make today’s tag.

12 Tags Day 7

Inspired by Tim Holtz

You may be wondering why I am not putting ribbon and charms through the top of my tags. I am putting them onto a huge jump ring sort of like a lose mini album.

Tim Holtz –Blending tool

– Paint Dabber Snow Cap

– Re inkers in Vintage Photo and Antique Linen

– Alcohol ink in Ginger, Lettuce and Gold

– Glossy Accents

-Blending Solution

Cake decorating tools

Rubber mat

Craft Mat

Water Mister

Baking Paper

Kaiser Latte Pearls

Prima Say it in Crystals (not sure which one sorry it was in a pile of Bling)

Heat Gun

Heidi Swapp Edge Distresser

Christmas Seal Sticker

Manilla Tag

Die-Namics Die 5 petal flowers (is a 3 one) sorry I looked for the name but cannot find the die at present

Now this did present a challenge to me not owning any glassine. So here is my faux (a lot lighter and similar but very different) Glassine technique

1. Tear off a length of baking paper (don’t go to big with this as you will be alcohol inking for a very very very long time if you do. I did enough to make about 4 flowers with 2 of each of the larger size petals and one of the teeny petal to hug the pearl)
2. Scrunch it up into a small ball, and then repeat until you are happy with the crinkles on your Baking Paper
3. Spread it out on your craft sheet and flatten it out as much as possible (DO NOT IRON IT FLAT or you will only get an very very very light version when you ink it and it will take way more alcohol ink)
4. Generously ink your felt with ginger alcohol ink and swipe it in long strokes over your baking paper (have your heat tool handy and ready to go)
5. Heat with your heat tool. Do not be alarmed at how much seeps into the baking paper, Repeat this process until you are happy with the depth of your Brown inked lines (use your blending solution when needed)
6. Flip over your baking paper (do not do this on the same side as the colour will blend into the darkest one) and take your lettuce alcohol ink. Ink a new felt with this and repeat the process until you’re happy with the depth of colour. Do not expect this to go as dark as glassine it more tints the baking paper
7. Do a final coat over your lettuce of gold (I did mine by using a fresh felt and adding the gold mixative and dabbing a little blending soloution in the middle of each one) then heat and repeat if you want a bit more depth and shimmer

Now for the actual Tag

1.  Use the background technique from Day 4 and also posted on today’s tag (if you do not have the distress stains see my day 4 post for how I did this and substitute the blues for shades of brown and use a little more snow cap)
2. Fold your baking paper to fit your die (you can cut quite a few flowers at once)  and roll through your die cutting machine (I have a bug and  used the c, b and a plates)
3. Now make your flowers by using 2 of each of the larger sizes and one of the smallest flowers. Use your ball tool and push it into the centre of each petal and pull back towards you. Do this for each petal.
4. Assemble your flower with a small dot of glossy accents in the middle. Place each petal in-between the outer petals. Then finish with a large latte pearl in the centre
5. Cut your say it in crystals into two pieces (I do this so that the flowers do not hide too much of the Bling) I had also cut some off this to use in other projects. This was a corner one. Decide where you want to position the flourishes and stick them down.
6. Bunch up 3 of your flowers. I used a little glossy accents on the sides to glue them together. Then place a little underneath to secure them onto your tag
7. Place your other flower at the top right corner and glue in place
8. Add your Christmas sticker or stamps

The hardest part of this for me was experimenting to get a faux glassine. It will never be as dark as the original however I am really pleased with the result.  Let me know if you think I should do a YouTube tutorial on this or using cake decorating tools to give your paper flowers shape.

12 Tags Day 6

Hi All

Well day 6 was definitely interesting. I really love the enamelled look but have no foil tape. So I used a Soft Drink (soda can) and also revisited tag 4’s background technique

The last two tags have flown by with such lovely simple and inspiring techniques.

Materials:

1 Aluminium can or piece of Foil tape

Paint Dabbers in Snow Cap, Red Pepper, Orange Sunset and Yellow Sunset

CB Lace Christmas tree embossing folder

Fine grit sanding stone Nail file (I got 5 of these for under $2 off eBay they are smaller than a burnishing block but have the same sort of effect)

Utee Clear

Versa mark Watermark Ink Pad

Chipped Sapphire Re-Inker

Inkadinkado Christmas Characters (The Snowflakes have been getting a workout this week)

Black soot distress ink

Celebrations of Australia Embossing Ink in Holographic Silver

Heat Gun

1. Cut off the top, and bottom of your Aluminium can. I do this with fiskars micro touch scissors however you can also do it with a craft knife. However I find the scissors are a way I do not cut myself. Be careful the edges are sharp after cutting. Then cut down the middle, and wipe over the inside with a damp cloth to remove any sticky residue.

1. Cut a piece to the size you want. Place in your embossing folder so the raised side shows on the non printed side. And emboss

1. See Mr Holtz’s step by step for colouring and embossing the image to make it look enamelled. Please note I used two coats of Utee to get the glossy glassy effect.

1. Use the background technique for tag four (either Tim Holtz’s or my version using a paint dabber and re inkers). I used only chipped sapphire this time wanting a night sky effect. Either let dry naturally or use a heat gun to dry it

1. Stamp snowflakes over the background tag (I used the stamp multiple times embossing after each time). Sprinkle over embossing powder. Shake off excess and use a heat gun to set it. Continue till all the areas of your tag are covered
2. Cut out the Christmas tree from the background. Heat one of the edges not till melted just to warm the tag. With sharp scissors snip the sides of your tree at regular intervals. Do this on both sides
3. Heat the first edge and using tweezers or a slotted tool curl up the edges of your tree. Heat the other side and do the same. Heat as necessary along the way to stop the Utee from cracking off the tree
4. Adhere tree to tag using glossy accents
5. Add a star to your tree top and that’s it Tag 6 complete we are half way there!

12 Tags Day 5

This tag was so easy and fun. I started by creating an ornament to test out the technique of course based upon Mr Holtz’s wonderful Tag and techniques of the day

http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-5.html

Materials

Cranberry Alcohol Ink

Perspex circle (or Tim Holtz Shape)

Inkadinkado Christmas Characters stamps

Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Clear Stamps French Market

Autumn Leaves Christmas Flourishes (for the ornament)

Gold Mixative

Bo Bunny Father Christmas 6×6” Paper Pad. I used a green patterned sheet for the background for the tag

Clear Packaging (I used the thick stuff from QuicKutz Dies)

Versa fine Black Onyx ink

Leaf Tinsel in Gold and Silver mix

Gilded Angel (I found these at a local craft store last Christmas. I took away the cheap gilded look by drenching in green meadow alcohol ink. Then removing some, covering in gold leaf, pushing it into the angel with a paint brush to get rid of excess and create a cracked patina. Then used ginger alcohol ink over the top removing most then filing with a fine grit nail file)

Ribbon or pre made bow

A 4mm rhinestone (mine was Bella Bling)

Let’s start with the ornament

This is the Technique Tim used on today’s tag

Step 1. Ink one side only with cranberry alcohol ink (my alcohol inks are limited and cranberry is the only red I have so I went with it, you can off course use any combination of colours at your disposal).  Allow to dry completely.

Step 2.  Use the Tim Holtz Technique of stamping your image in black in then gently dabbing it away to leave a clear space

Step 3. I don’t own his foil tape yet (another item to add to the want list) so I used Gold leaf. Just apply a little glossy accent to the alcohol inked side. Place over enough gold leaf to cover the whole thing, gently press it down. Then taking a paint brush push it onto the Perspex ornament. If you do not want the crackled broken effect allow to dry fully and use a softer brush.

That’s it. It really is that simple!

Now for the Tag

Step 1. Cut out your tag from clear plastic packaging (you could also use acetate or the stuff Tim used)

Step 2. See The Tim Holtz Alcohol ink and Stamping Tutorial. I alternated snowflakes and the diamond patterns

Step 3. Attach tag to your Patterned Paper and cut around it or cut out tag shape first then stick together (whatever works best for you)

Step4. Create a wreath using Leaf Tinsel. Take a length of it. Fold it in half and twist it together. Then do this again. Twist into a circle shape (I used a bottle to help shape my circle). Twist the ends over each other. This will become the bottom more leafy part of your Wreath. Strip the leaves from the top section. Glue in position on your tag. Then add your bow and finish it with a rhinestone

Step 5.  Use a foam dot (it already had one that had lost its stick so I added a smidge of glue) on the back of your Angel and adhere to the centre of your wreath.

And that is it. Very simple and quick.