Tags of 2013 - October

I read this month’s 12 tag's post with a sinking heart because I don’t have distress paints or distress glitter. I’m going to have to think outside the box, round the corner and into the wardrobe for this one. But hang on a minute, what really are the techniques? Make something glittery on a grungy background – yeah, I can do that!!
I decided I’d do a pumpkin for my centrepiece. I have been cutting out three layer pumpkins at work today for a Halloween make and take with the kids next week so I did the same using smaller circles and grungepaper. Then I coloured with ripe persimmon, added glossy accents and some stellar flash which I’ve had lying around for a while – well it may not be distress but it’s a bit different to ordinary glitter!!
Similarly I cut out a frame using a decorative spellbinder die along with one of the standard circles. Just to be different I covered one in black embossing powder, then silver tinsel glitter.


  But somehow it wasn’t glittery enough so I heated it again and dropped in ordinary black glitter. I quite liked it but I did the second one with just glue and glitter. Then I realised I did in fact have some black glitter paper and I could have die cut it straight out. Never mind, that wouldn’t have been messy enough would it?
I looked through my dies to find one I could use to make the ‘stalk’ bit for the pumpkin and I confess this time I used the glittered paper!!
OK, now to smoosh that background - my favourite and most successful technique (NOT!). I used inks as I don’t have the paints.
Oh well, at least they aren’t complete mud.
A little better after some extra inking and stamping??
And here are the final tags (two each month, because there will be a complete set to give away in January), I used a nylon ribbon and gave it a blast with the heat gun to get a really crinkly effect.Do you like my purple bats? They are the cut out bits from the frame!!

And now everything is covered in glitter. Oh well, it is only 60 days till Christmas!!
 Happy Halloween!!
ps OCTOBER GIVEAWAY CLOSES SUNDAY ‘ 9.00 PM.

Tags of 2013 - June

Late again. As ever. But, this is a superquick technique from Tim so I gave myself half an hour before I really have to get dressed and ready to go out.

Of course apart from the gathered twigs I don't have any of  the materials. Certainly no distress markers, but I do have a big selection of whispas and Marvy le plume watercolour pens. So I used them for the watercolouring. For the smooshing (!) I substituted the stains I have got and added a bit of Fresco Finish acrylic to give a painterly effect. Did it work? Can't really say although it looks OK to me. Finished this within the allotted time - well there are no crazy embellishments on this one to make so it's really quite simple. I think I could do a better job (for example, not do my stamping upside down) if I took my time so I may try this out again, it's a while since I've tried 'faux' watercolouring and it's a useful technique to remember. And yes, I  haven't forgotten, there are two, but little to discern between them.

Yay. Made it.

Now the sun is shining and I'm off to the Oxfordshire countryside to go nosing round open gardens. A bit like WOYWW, but green and with bugs. Looks like I'll need sunscreen for the first time this year!!

Have a lovely Sunday!!
 

Quick tag... Using up the leftovers....

I blogged previously about my May 'Tags of 2013' here using the rub on resist technique. Some of it didn't go so well and I cut them down for  ATCs. Weirdly 
the leftover bits looked better together and I made this tag.

Neat eh?

More justification for being such a hoarder!! (Not that I need any!)

Tags of 2013 - Not all rub-ons are created equal....

Well we all know this.  I have sheets and sheets of rub ons that would be ever so useful if they would just, well, rub on. Or Off, depending on your point of view. I don't however have any of the TH Rub ons that he uses for the May tag so I have no idea how they perform, although I expect very well. I do have a few from 7 Gypsies and Basic Grey which are super easy to use and hopefully will be perfectly fine for the resist technique that forms the basis of this month's tag.

The next step is to smoosh on some colour. As I have said before, smooshing is not a technique I
have a lot of success with. Several dun coloured tags later I have actually achieved some colour in pleasing proportions. Because I have used some Paris rub ons I opt for my Mme Berth stamp - eek alors, used a rather dry ink pad and she has come over all faint. Despite my best efforts she looked lost on the tag, so I finally cut her up and made her into an ATC. I end up doing the same with the next two attempts, saving the best bit of each.

Despite these minor setbacks I can see the appeal of this technique if only I can get it right. The effect is reminiscent of highlighting with a white pen. Oh well, perseverance is a virtue and finally I  have some modicum of success, even managing to weave Mme Berth into one design and using a trusty Lynn Perella image for the other one.

 I have left both of my May tags fairly unembellished, mainly because I don't have the bits Tim has and I don't feel like improvising. I did however spring for the word bands but they have been on my wish list 4 ages. (To be honest I don't think they need it either although I did add a bit of gilding flakes to one).














Phew only the middle of the month and the tags are done - brill!!

Oh, and Tim's tag and instructions are here.

Tags of 2013 - April

Tim's tag is here.
I looked at this early in the month and thought - oh crumbs, don't have distress paints, can't be doing with this. I kinda thought it might be an excuse to try some out but never got round to buying any so now I'm going to improvise. 

Took two tags and painted with a darkish brown colour (eco paints - Clay). (Two as always because I am going to inflict one of these masterpieces on some poor soul in due course hee hee). I've taken photosand added lots of description  because I am really not sure where this one is going and I'd like to rmember what I did (or what not to do!!). While those are drying I dug out some metal embellishments and plopped some colours on a craft mat. I'm just going with what I have!!






Well I wouldn't swear to it bit I think this is the kind of effect we are aiming for. Some of them still look like they need 'knocking back' or lifting with a bit of black or rub-ons, but I'll see what I feel about that later. While I was at it I 'patina'd' some card cogs and chipboard numbers - you have to work quicker with these because of the way the paint dries. The chipboard numbers came out surprisingly well - they came glittered so there are interesting bumps on them as well. Much better than the original!!




Now, to work on the background. Although I haven't got Distress Paints I am going to follow Tim's add water and swipe through  paints technique. Fingers crossed.

Ai Carumba that was messy!!

I am not a great 'smoosher'. It sounds and looks so simple when any one else does it, for me it usually means a very patchy, muddy tag while I am every color of the rainbow. And so it transpired. But after letting them dry and trying a second smoosh with a little sponging type help they are done. I will be the first to admit these don't really look like Tim's but as patina style backgrounds go they aren't bad. You will note there are now more than 2. Well there was a lot of paint to use up. I also don't know which ones had the base coat so that was probably unnecessary. The bottom row has had some extra inking and spritzing. 


Final touches, here are the CASED tags all finished and I like them more than I thought I would. Roll on next month!!

Tags of 2013 - March

Tim's Tag is here. I gulped, read the instructions through once and had the germs of an idea.

Don't have a bunny die, but I could use an oval - looks a bit like an Easter egg.
Don't have tinsel but I've got some stellar flash I don't know what to do with - that might work instead.
Fringe die?.......Nope.  But I have scissors.
Flower  pins? Well plenty of pins, plus flower punches and craft metal - I'm sure I can come up with something.

And here they are. Actually thought these went together quite quickly (for me) considering I was improvising. One for me to keep, one to go towards next January's giveaway.

Speaking of which, the March Art Draw closes on Sunday 31st March at 9.00 pm. Leave a comment here if you want to be in the draw.

Challenges: Tags of 2013
 

Tags of 2013 - February

A pretty tag by Tim this month with a few Valentine overtones - sinking heart, I can't do a CASE on this tag (is that the correct terminology?), don't have most of the bits. So will need to deconstruct the tut to see exactly what all the elements are.

1.  Main image, stamped, coloured and decoupaged - what to choose?
2.  Distress background, that's OK, but may change colours depending on other items.
3.  Embossed and sanded kraft core as an embellishment - just need to choose something appropriate
4.  Custom cash key embellishment - perhaps I can use one of my 'medals' again.

5. Tissue ribbon -I know I won't be able to manufacture this without tearing - think I'll stick with stamping my vintage binding
6.  Finishing touches!

Mmm. First stop - stamp collection. There must be something there (!). I'm not feeling that loved up, Valentine's is long gone after all, and my gaze turns towards my oriental collection. Perhaps this lady with the lamp? She hasn't had an outing for a few years and I've never  tried decoupaging her before. She doesn't have a background as such but I'm sure I can find something to add.

My embossing folders aren't screaming 'oriental' at me but I've pulled out a couple of foliage ones and I do have some stencils - maybe I can emboss with them?

I like the red of the original - maybe I'll keep that, but I'll have to use inks, I don't have stains in those colours. Right. All my bits are gathered, off we go!!

Oh me likey!! Might not be quite what I usually expect from a Tim inspired tag but isn't going off and making it your own half the fun?

Here are  the finished tags - remember I'm doubling up ready for a giveaway next year. I managed to emboss with my bamboo stencil through my bug - perhaps not as deep as I would have liked but I am incredibly pleased it worked!! Not too sure the stencil is as happy as me however - it may have got a little bent in places - oops! My little medallions look cool too with their stamped chinese character (which means??!) finished off with glossy accents. All in all a very satisfactory evening's play.




 

Tim's Tags 2013 - January

Well here we go again!! Tim's Tag is here, and the main techniques for this tag are embossing, distressing and a bit of stamping - simple, but as usual put together in Mr H's signature style.

Once again I hope to make two tags a month, 1 to keep and 1 to give away.

- Don't have any kind of clock or gear embossing folder, but used my 'that special touch' gears mask through the GC to get an embossed effect. Inked up with the same inks as Tim - Rusty Hinge, Iced Spruce and Stormy Sky - as this was not a combination I woud have naturally put together. It pays to experiment, I liked it but I was a tad heavy handed - out of practice I guess. Edged with walnut stain.

- I only have die cut gears on heavyweight card as I don't posess the die. I painted them with my adirondack metallic dabbers, pouncing them to get texture. I have missed a few spots and they look a bit bright - no worries we're going to grunge them up - I like to add distress embossing powder to anything 'faux' metallic as I really like the effect. Although there are all sorts of colours, I only have one - tea dye - which I have had 4EVA, it never seems to get any less even though after clear EP I use it the  most. Anyhow, once I have heated it and rubbed a little (you could add it before the paint dries) I colour with inks or whatever to get the colour I want. (Looks cool on real metal as well).

- No film ribbon so stamped image onto acetate. Being acetate I used Stazon, despite the likelihood it will eat my acrylic stamp and so went immediately to clean it. For reasons I don't fully understand I squeezed my stazon cleaner bottle really hard causing the cap to pop off.
Well that was a mess I hadn't planned on.

- Guess who didn't read 'archival ink' when stamping on the ribbon? I'm pleased to report that it also works if you colour it first then stamp (for the second time because the DI you used initially ran ....). Like the effect though, stamping ribbon is cool.

- Finally chose my sentiments and added a few metal gears. I have to admit to being a bit more frugal with these than Mr H, but they do add a certain finishing touch.

So there's the first one, 11 more (or 22 in my case) to go. If you haven't seen it already and would like to enter my January Art Draw for a set of 12 Tim inspired tags a la Tags of 2012 then you can find the relevant post here.

See Ya Soon.