I've been looking forward to this time of year for quite a while ... I simply adore tags and Christmas is my favorite crafting holiday, so combining two of my loves with Ellen's annual 12-tag tradition is priceless to me! Aren't you loving all of the different inspiration styles from all of these fabulous women? I sure am, and we're only 2/3 of the way done!
My tag this year uses one of my favorite techniques I came up with last year, Double-Embossed Copic Background (<= You can see another project made with this technique here in the CLASSroom by clicking the link at left). Here's my tag:
And here are the steps:
1. Create tag base. I wanted my “snow swirls” to be white, so I traced a #8 manila tag onto Neenah Solar White Cardstock and cut it out. Now here's where the double embossing comes in . . .
2. DRY EMBOSS the tag with Regal Flourish Texture Fades embossing folder in the Sizzix Big Shot machine (click on any photo for a larger view):
3. Next, HEAT EMBOSS the background by gently swiping a watermark ink pad (I used Versamark Dazzle Frost) over the top of the raised dry embossed background. Use Clear Embossing Powder and Heat It Craft Tool to heat emboss the background.
4. Use the Copic Airbrush System and a few Copic Sketch Markers to airbrush color over the whole tag background. I used B00-Frost Blue over most of the center of the background, then darker BG57-Jasper towards the edges and in the centers of the swirls:
E43-Dull Ivory was airbrushed around the edges of the tag, to give it an aged/distressed look.
6. Then take an alcohol prep pad (or a cotton ball dampened with rubbing alcohol; alternately, you could use Copic Colorless Blender Various Ink on a tissue or paper towel) and lightly/gently wipe off the surface of the raised embossing, removing color from the swirls until you achieve the results you like. The Copic ink will easily wipe off the slick surface of the heat embossing, but still remain on parts of the debossed cardstock that were not heat embossed:
7. Use Copic's 1/2-inch High-Tack Tissue Tape to securely attach the tag background to Ellen’s Craft-A-Board (or any contrasting color of cardstock you'd like. I wanted to display my tag, so I wanted a sturdy base) and trim around the tag … here's why: A large area of heat embossing (and just the large amount of dry embossing from this pretty folder) will usually warp cardstock (even though I heated the background from the underside, to try and help counter-react some of the warping). The high-tack tape works very well to keep the background flat against the tag base. Set aside.
8. Adhere Neenah Desert Storm cardstock to Ellen’s Craft-A-Board with X-Press It Clear Gel Glue; die cut with Reindeer Flight Bigz die. Cover reindeer with a thin layer of Copic’s X-Press It Clear Gel Glue (I didn’t cover the cardstock completely, leaving some of the kraft cardstock showing, for a distressed look) and sprinkle with Glitter Ritz Microfine Stardust glitter. I love this glitter –- it’s kind of a mix of both antique silver and antique gold! Set aside to dry. Once dry, sponge edges of reindeer with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink.
9. Die cut Holly Branch from Craft-A-Board. Paint holly leaves and branch with Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo Distress Crackle Paints; set aside to air dry (the paint usually doesn't crackle quite right if dried with a heat tool). Once dry, sponge edges with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.
Color berries with Copic R27 Sketch marker, then cover with Rock Candy Distress Stickles; set aside to dry.
10. Change color of bronze metal Believe Philosophy Tag (the original is shown below, left) by painting it first with Peeled Paint Distress Paint dabber, making sure to get paint deep into the words and numbers grooves. Blot off some paint from the flat surface of the metal tag with a tissue. Allow to dry (or speed up the process by heating it with a heat tool). Dab Picket Fence Distress Paint on top of the green paint, for a snowy effect:
11. Color 1/2-inch Silver Jingle Bells with Picket Fence Distress Paint. Add Rock Candy Distress Stickles to tops of bells; let dry. Tie bells with Maya Road Sparkle Silver Twine Cording to May Arts 1-1/4-inch White Silk Ribbon threaded through top of tag:
12. Die cut Neenah Natural White cardstock with Tim Holtz Sizzlits Vintage Lace Deco Strip Die; adhere along tag bottom.
13. Using Clear Gel Glue, adhere Polar White Flower Soft to top edges of holly leaves, branch, and paper lace. Allow to dry.
14. Assemble die cut Craft-A-Board pieces to tag as shown, using rolled Glue Dots.
15. Adhere the reindeer over the holly with Copic's X-Press It Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape.
Thanks so much for joining me today, I hope you will enjoy trying some of these techniques! ~ Sharon
{Supplies}
Prize Info:
Please join us in thanking Sharon for once again sharing her creative style with us! Leave your comment below to be eligible for the random drawing of the $25 gift certificate to our store www.ellenhutson.com - be certain to do so before noon on December 13th to be eligible (one comment per person please.) Tomorrow brings another fantastic design by Teri Anderson, so be sure to check back then!
