Dear friends, I can't believe this is my last tag! Where has the time gone? Sharing this series with Bek and Ellen's readers has been nothing but a pleasure. (Ok, I could do without this flu bug I am fighting.) But never fear, there are tags to be made and I took an extra nap this afternoon just so I could finish well. Thank you so much for all of your kind words, they did lift me up yesterday. :D
This tag was another labor of love, although hard to photograph at times. I always craft in the late evening, just the time of life I am in, with day time work and little ones. Please forgive some strange angles I needed to use to keep the glare off of the project.
Press the Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters and Vintage Photo Distress Ink Pads in a triangle pattern to the Non-Stick Craft Sheet and spritz with a Mini Mister. Mine is always filled with Pearl Perfect Pearls (say that three times fast!) and water to add some bling.
Press the Size 8 Tag to the ink...
...and give it a quarter turn.
Turn it over and heat set with the Ranger Heat It Craft Tool. Feel free to use some paper towel to remove any excess ink you don't like.
Repeat this process over and over until your tag is covered to your satisfaction. I usually press into the ink about 8 times, focusing on different areas each time. Be sure to heat set between each layer of color.
What on earth is this, right? I wanted to add some texture to this background, but a stamped pattern was going to be too much for all of the other stuff I had planned.
Cut three lengths of Black Crocheted Ribbon the circumference of the Medium Inky Roller - adhere with some double sided tape. Remove some of the stickiness by handling it with your fingers a few times so you can remove it later.
Squeeze a good amount of paint from the Adirondack Gold Paint Dabber onto your Craft Sheet.
Get your brayer good and "painty".
Roll in ONCE over the tag, pressing firmly.
I just LOVE this effect. Added texture, but it's not distracting in any way.
Determine the right size game spinner (the smallest gold one) to fit this date sticker from the Salvage Sticker Assortment (I know Ellen has these at the warehouse and they should go up on the store in the next day or two.)
They were a little stark for the project so ink them with Vintage Photo Distress Ink using Cut 'n Dry Foam and heat set.
Using the matching brad, attach the spinner to the sticker. Hammer it with the ball end of the Texture Hammer, smash that brad!
Ink the larger month sticker with Shabby Shutter Distress Ink.
Put the date sticker over the month sticker, attach with the brad and cover the entire piece with Glossy Accents. Note: The spinner points to the 24th and December.
Dab gold paint onto the Santa image from the Santa's Wish Stamp Set.
Brayer over the paint with a clean brayer to ensure the paint is distributed evenly.
Stamp onto a tag and heat set.
Fussy cut it out.
Press the Peeled Paint Distress Ink Pad onto the craft sheet and pick some up with a Small Niji Waterbrush. Watercolor the holly leaves on the image.
Watercolor Santa's hat and coat with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink. My favorite part about this technique is that the paint resists the water and ink which means that it shows through and shimmers. So lovely!
And give him some rosy cheeks with Tattered Rose Distress Ink.
Whiten his beard with the Inkssentials White Gel Pen.
Cover the white part of his hat with Glossy Accents.
And dust with Twinklets.
Stamp the lamp post from the Festive Sounds Stamp set with Jet Black Archival Ink on a Crystal Clear Sheet, heat set and cut out with detail scissors.
Paint the back side of the image with Adirondack Pearl Paint Dabber with the smallest Studio brush.
Press the painted side of the post to the tag as shown. Add double sided tape to the bottom off Santa and add some foam squares behind his hat so he has some stature.
And once again, attach some of that lovely Black Crochet Ribbon with the Tiny Attacher - I am COMPLETELY addicted to this tool!!! Can you tell? *giggles*
Fill a Typewriter Key Charm with Frosted Lace Stickles and set aside to dry.
Once dry, attach to the end of Santa's hat with a silver brad.
Attach your clock/month embellishment as shown with a strong adhesive.
Adhere a stripe of star shaped Twinkle Stickers.
Finish it off with the Merry Christmas sentiment from the Santa's Wish stamp set and top it off with 1 1/4 inch Ivory Silk Ribbon. I just love how soft and almost romantic this Santa turned out. It's as if he is hiding and you discover him as your eye wanders around the tag.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me. I am blessed.
