Grungy Monday + a New Technique!

I was so happy to see that so many of you wanted a stepped-out tutorial for my Faux Mercury Glass technique! I created a card for this week's Grungy Monday challenge (sponsored by Simon Says Stamp!) and I think it highlights the technique very well. It was also an excuse to use a lot of new products, experiment, and try a new card fold - the 5 x 7 Step Ladder Card - from the new 3D and Fun Folds CD from Technique Junkies!

First, the star of the show is this technique. Oh, I love how it turned out! I decided to try it using the Weathered Clock die from Sizzix. The clock made me think of New Years, which led to the theme for the card. Everything just snowballed from there!

My favorite new die - Sizzix' Festive Greenery - provides a nice embellishment for the clock. For the center, I used the Paper Rosette die and Kraft Resist paper that was painted with a Snowcap Dabber. The clock hands were painted with a Pitch Black Dabber and then sanded. They're attached with an Idea-ology Long Fastener that was pierced with an awl to give it the look of an eyelet (great tip from Tim!).

Here is a side view where you can see the steps better. So many possibilities with this card idea! The Grungy Monday challenge is to use Tim Holtz's Tissue Wrap or Tissue Tape in your creation. I don't have the Wrap, so I applied strips of  Tidings Tissue Tape (where it says Post Card) to the folds of the card. I gave them a frosty look with a Snow Cap Paint Dabber and covered them with fine glitter.

This is a close-up view of the card when closed. To create the 2012 piece, I cut numbers from green Kraft Core'dinations using the Sizzix Vintage Market die. I applied them to a piece cut from kraft paper using the Sizzix Mini Labels die. The sentiment was computer-generated, printed on kraft paper, and then cut using the Sizzix Tattered Banners die. Quick tip! If you're trying to line something up to cut (like my text on the banner) using a die, align your paper and then tape in place using Tissue Tape. The tape will prevent the paper from sliding out of alignment when it goes through your machine!

Here is another view of the card closed. I just love how all the layers line up!

The card front is a panel of green Kraft Core'dinations paper. I used the small border Texture Fade from the Christmas Background and Borders set to emboss the edges...I am kicking myself for taking so long to use these - they are so cool! After I embossed, I sanded the raised portion with my Idea-ology Sanding Grip and added a sprinkling of glitter. Do you notice anything interesting about the lace border? It's ribbon! I adhered a piece of seam binding to cardstock and then cut it using the Sizzix Vintage Lace die. So pretty!

Ok, enough of my blah blah blah....here is the tute! I hope you enjoy it!

Faux Mercury Glass

Supplies: Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE), Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - Picket Fence, Ranger Adirondack Dabber - Silver, Ranger Distress Embossing Ink, Shape cut from chipboard (the piece shown above was already painted when I took the pic), Heat gun.

Step 1: Paint your chipboard piece with Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint. For this technique, you want a medium-thick application. This detailed die cut doesn't have a lot of paintable area, so I wanted the cracks to be a bit on the large side (the heavier the application, the larger your cracks will be). Set aside to dry.

Step 2: When Crackle paint is completely dry, cover surface with paint using a Silver Dabber. This coat should be on the light side - you don't want to fill your cracks in, but you do want to have the whole thing colored silver.

Step 4: When paint is dry, coat the entire piece with Distress Embossing Ink and cover with UTEE.

Step 5: Heat UTEE until it melts. When cool, recoat with embossing ink and another layer of UTEE. Heat final layer until it is smooth. That's it!

Some of you might be wondering why I didn't just use Metallic Crackle Paint and save myself a step. Well, the first reason is that I didn't have any at the time and wanted to use what I had on hand. The second reason is that I think the Picket Fence Crackle Paint cracks in a different way and wouldn't look quite the same. I would definitely experiment with it, though, if you have it!

If you're interested in purchasing the Technique Junkie 3D and Fun Folds CD, you can do so through this link. In case you haven't heard of it, it is a CD containing pdf tutorials with step-by-step photo instructions for 70 different projects. You will create everything from gift card boxes, to pop ups, and more. It also makes a great gift!

All of the products (other than the CD) I used can be purchased from Inspiration Emporium. OH! And they are having a big sale right now! Use the coupon code - awesome2011 - to save 20% off your order. This code is good until 12/31/11.

Supply List:
Sizzix Dies: Tattered Banners, Vintage Market, Vintage Lace, Festive Greenery, Paper Rosette, Weathered Clock, Mini Labels
Sizzix Texture Fades: Christmas Background and Borders
Kraft Core'dinations Paper
Kraft Resist Paper
Ranger Adirondack Dabbers - Silver Metallic, Snow Cap, Pitch Black
Ranger Distress Embossing Ink
Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE)
Idea-ology Tissue Tape - Tidings
Idea-ology Long Fasteners
Idea-ology Sanding Grip
Inkssentials Glue n Seal (seriously love this stuff!)

My son will be here tomorrow - yay! - so I'll be taking a few days off. Best wishes to all of you for a happy and creative New Year!

Merry Christmas (And a Little Technique)!

I just wanted to take a minute to wish all of my stamping friends a very Merry Christmas! This afternoon, I spent a little time in my studio, playing around with an idea I've had for a few days. It's kind of a faux mercury glass look. I love when something that I've imagined actually ends up working!

Basically, it's my faux crazed porcelain technique with a twist. After I painted my Noel chipboard piece with Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and let it dry, I went over the paint with a Silver Adirondack Paint Dabber. When that was dry, I inked the whole thing with Distress Embossing ink and covered it with Ranger's Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE). After I embossed it, I added one more layer to give it a thicker, chunkier look. I wish so much my pics had come out a bit better...it is a really gorgeous look. Let me know if you're interested in a stepped-out tutorial - I'd be happy to do one!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, surrounded by friends and family! We are delaying our celebration by a few days - my Air Force son wasn't able to get leave until the 29th. It's our first Christmas without both our kids here and it's very strange. All a part of growing up, I guess (for all of us). ;-)

Take care! xoxo

Tim's Tags, Day 11 & 12 - I'm Done (Finally)!

After getting back into the groove with my little Tim Holtz rosette tree yesterday, I decided I would buckle down and finish the last two tag from his 12 Tags of Christmas. I didn't think I was going to like this one, but I am in love!

My background started with a script stamp from Artistic Outpost's new French Flight stamp set. Instead of washing over it with Picket Fence Distress stain, I used my Snow Cap Paint Dabber to tone it down. I don't have any of Tim's Tissue, so I made do. Instead of music, I decided to stamp snowflakes from AO's Snowy Woods collection. I used Brushed Pewter Distress Stickles for my dot outline. It seems like every year I find an excuse to use this gorgeous angel rubber stamp from Oxford Impressions. So hard to believe it's a stamp! I lightly colored her with Distress inks so she stood out a bit. My tissue flower was also hand stamped - this time using a music rubber stamp from Artistic Outpost's Ephemeral Backgrounds collection.

I didn't have the Adornments snowflake Tim used, but I DID have the Sizzix Mini Snowflakes dies! I had so much fun cutting the metal-covered paper when I made the lace trim and letters, I thought I would try it with the snowflakes and see what happened. Well...magic happened!

After I cut them, I was trying to figure out how to make them a bit bulkier - more like a charm. I stacked one on top of the other (they're slightly different) and a little light bulb went off - they fit together so well and looked like a really cool charm! After I stacked and glued them, I noticed that the die had created a little raised edge with a depression in the center. Hmmmm....I thought...what if I filled that with Rock Candy Distress Crackle medium (thanks to Tammy Tutterow for planting that little seed in my brain!)? As you can see, it is insanely cool looking! Love my icy little snowflake! It's attached to the tag with an Idea-ology Jump Ring and Charm Clip.

Ok, I will just say that I didn't really want to post this! I am so not a retro kind of girl. I love when other people do it, it's just not my thing. I DO love these stamps from Artistic Outpost's Frosty and Friends stamp set though, and thought they were perfect for this tag.

I didn't have shrink plastic, so I did a different technique for my holly. I cut thin metal using the Sizzix Mini Holly die. I used Adirondack Alcohol ink and dropped it directly onto the metal. When it dried, I inked my leaves with Distress Embossing Ink and then embossed them using Ranger's Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE). I love the look of these! Sorry my pic isn't the greatest, but you get the idea. :-) I also inked my jingle bells with Adirondack Alcohol ink - they make perfect holly berries!

In case you didn't know, you still have time to enter Inspiration Emporium's 12 Tags giveaway! Check out this post on the Inspiration Journal blog. We'd love to have you play along! If you need any of the supplies I used, they are listed below and can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Be sure and use my discount code - stamptramp - to save yourself 10%!

Sizzix Mini Holly Die
Sizzix Artful Dwellings Die
Sizzix Mini Snowflake Die
Sizzix Vintage Market Alpha Die
Sizzix Vintage Lace Die
Sizzix Festive Greenery Die
Sizzix Tag and Bookplates Die
Adirondack Paint Dabber - Snow Cap
Ranger Distress Stickles - Brushed Pewter & Rock Candy
Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - Rock Candy
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Bottle and Red Pepper
Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black (the ONLY ink I use for photo image rubber stamps!)
Ranger Distress Ink - Winter Limited Edition Collection
Idea-ology Jump Ring & Charm Clip

I'm linking up with Simon Says Stamp and Show a Tim Holtz Tag and Hels' Sunday Stamper - Santa Claus. Take care, everyone!

O Christmas Tree!

First, let me say I'm so sorry I haven't posted in awhile! I even had someone write to make sure I was ok (thanks, Anita!), which was really sweet. This summer we built a porch that turned into a sunroom that ended up being pretty much an addition and we really wanted to get the inside done (we're slow!) by Christmas, so the past week or so has been dedicated to getting it finished. I'm exhausted! Holding up my end of a piece of plywood beadboard for the ceiling (times 10) was very tiring. Anywhooooooo.....

I haven't even finished the last two tags from Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, but when I saw his little rosette tree, I knew I had to make one! I decided to plop mine on top of an old papier mache box that I had lying around. I covered the box with papers from the Idea-ology Seasonal Paper Stash. I used Ranger's Inkssentials Glue n' Seal to adhere the paper. The top of the box was painted with a Snow Cap Dabber and then stamped with the music stamp from Tim's Holiday Minis set. The whole thing was then coated with more Glue n' Seal and covered with crystal glitter.

The spool was wrapped with ribbon and topped with a little banner that was cut using the Sizzix Tattered Banner die. It was too long, but I wanted the larger width, so I clipped the ends to size. The banner was stamped with a sentiment from Artistic Outpost's Snowy Woods stamp set and then given its own coat of glitter. For the edges of the lid, I cut trim from white cardstock using the Sizzix Vintage Lace die. Again, I used Glue n' Seal to coat it and then covered it with chunky glitter. So pretty!! I love how versatile that die is!

I didn't have any of the Christmas Muse Tokens for the top, so I cut a bird from chipboard using the Mini Bird and Cage die from Sizzix. A coat of paint from my Snow Cap Dabber and a little more glitter and it was perfect to sit atop my tree!

I am so happy with how this turned out! If you're interested in purchasing any of the materials I used, you can get them at Inspiration Emporium. If you use my coupon code - stamptramp - you can save 10% off your order! The products I used are listed below:

Sizzix Paper Rosette Die
Sizzix Mini Paper Rosettes Die
Sizzix Tattered Banners Die
Sizzix Mini Bird and Cage Die
Sizzix Vintage Lace Die
Idea-ology Seasonal Paper
Inkssentials Glue n' Seal
Ranger Adirondack Dabber - Snow Cap
Core'dinations Kraft Cardstock
Tim Holtz Mini Holidays 3 Stamp Set

I'm a bit late, but I'm linking to Terri's Deck the Halls Sunday. Make sure you check out all the wonderful submissions!

Tim's Tag, Day 10 - A New Technique!

It seems like it happens every year...I keep up with the tags until the end, and then I start falling behind. As anyone who has been keeping up can tell you, it takes a lot of time to do these each day! At some point you do have to actually get some work done, feed your family, etc. I stole a little time today to work on #10 and #11, but only managed to get this one done.

I had tried the tape transfer technique before, but never got great results. Mine came out this time, but for some reason I am very challenged when it comes to gluing stuff to Fragments! For that reason, I decided to do just one and doll it up with a Sizzix Paper Rosette die. Behind the rosette, I added a border cut using the Sizzix Vintage Lace die - I just found this technique in the latest issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter and couldn't wait to try it! The tag background stamp and holly stamp are both from Tim Holtz's Mini Holidays 3 stamp set.

To finish off my tag I added some tinsel garland, tulle, a dyed ribbon, and more pearl acorns. I tried to resist using them, but they're so adorable!

All the supplies I used can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Be sure you use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% off your order!

Supplies used:
Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Mini Holidays 3 set
Inkssentials Kraft Tag
Idea-ology Fragments
Idea-ology Alpha Parts - Newsprint
Sizzix Vintage Lace Die
Sizzix Paper Rosette Die
Sizzix Tattered Banners Die
Ranger Adirondack Paint Dabbers - Silver, Snow Cap

Tim's Tag, Day 9 - When in Doubt, Glitter!

Today, I wasn't much in the tag mood. I think I might just be getting a little tag burnout! I finally decided I'd go ahead give today's tag from Tim a try. My biggest problem was trying to figure out what to use in place of the Candlelight Fright die he used. I ended up rifling through my bin of Grungeboard pieces and found this bird, which I thought was perfect!

I knew I wanted to do a softer color palette for today's tag, so I chose to stamp my background (from Artistic Outpost's Jane's Countryside collection) with the new Iced Spruce Distress ink. I tried a little experiment to see what it would look like if I used Picket Fence Distress Stain for my other color. It worked ok...not sure I would recommend using it for embossing, but I still love how it looks!

I felt like my tag was a little blah, so I reheated my embossing powder and sprinkled some of Martha's clear glitter over the top. It added just enough sparkle to give the tag some life. My Grungeboard bird was painted with a Snow Cap Paint Dabber and then covered with more glitter. I tied a little piece of silver garland around his neck and embellished with with foliage that was cut from Kraft Core'dinations using the Sizzix Festive Greenery die. The ribbon on the tag was dyed with Iced Spruce Distress ink.

I think this is my favorite part of the whole tag! I used Tim's Sizzix Vintage Market alpha die to cut the letters from white cardstock. I sponged them with Iced Spruce Distress ink and then covered them with more of Martha's glitter. They kind of blended into the background too much, so I cut more letters from white cardstock, glittered them, and then layered the green letters on top for a 3d effect. Love the glitter on top of the Iced Spruce! To finish the bottom, I cut a strip of lace from white cardstock, using the Vintage Lace die. It, too, was given the glitter treatment and adhered to the bottom of the tag.

This is one of those tags that you have to see in person - it just glistens from all that glitter! If you'd like to purchase the supplies I used, they are available at Inspiration Emporium. When you use my coupon code - stamptramp - you'll receive 10% off your order! Yay!

Supplies used:
Sizzix Vintage Market Die
Sizzix Vintage Lace Die
Sizzix Festive Greenery Die
Ranger Clear Embossing Powder
Ranger Distress Ink - Iced Spruce
Ranger Distress Stain - Picket Fence
Ranger Adirondack Paint Dabber - Snow Cap
Kraft Core'diantions Paper

Have a great weekend, everyone! :-)

Tim's Tag, Day 8 - Don't Imitate, Innovate!

Today's tag from Tim should have been one of the easiest for me - I do love all things Steampunk! For some reason though, it took me some time to get into it. Since I'd already done my own little Steampunk wreath on tag #6,  I wanted to do something a little different for this one. I'm sure I had this fantastic piece by Sarah on my mind when the idea for Steampunk ornaments popped into my head! Thanks so much for the inspiration, Sarah! :-)

To create the open gears, I first cut them from chipboard using my Sizzix Mini Gears and Gadget Gears dies. Next, I carefully snipped the cross piece from the cog, creating an open frame. The cog on the top left had a solid center which was cut out using a Spellbinders circle die (I didn't end up using that one).

After I cut the gears, I painted them with my Adirondack Metallic Dabbers. Love that look so much! Then, I stamped the clock images from Tim Holtz's Going Somewhere stamp set, and Artistic Outpost's Whimsical Melange, on white cardstock. I stamped the men from the Steampunk set on cream cardstock, cut them apart and adhered them to the clock faces. Finally, I layered them to a piece of chipboard and glued the frame on top.

Ooooh, my favorite part! After they were dry, I applied embossing ink to the inside and filled them with Ranger's Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (UTEE). I heated it to melt and then added another layer. I love how they turned out!

While I had my UTEE out, I whipped up a little Faux Crazed Porcelain tag for the bottom. I cut apart the numbers from Tim's Stuff to Say stamp set and used them for the 25. The tag is attached to the tag with Idea-ology Washers and Tiny Brads.

Since I had so much going on up at the top, I added an Idea-ology Hinge Clip and Light Bulb to the side of the tag. I used the Joyeux Noel stamp from Artistic Outpost's Snowy Woods collection to add the sentiment.

Supplies used:

Tim Holtz Steampunk Rubber Stamp Set
Tim Holtz Stuff to Say Stamp Set
Tim Holtz Going Somewhere Stamp Set
Ranger Adirondack Paint Dabbers - Silver, Gold, Copper, Pitch Black, Snow Cap
Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - Picket Fence
Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel - Clear
Sizzix Weathered Clock Die
Sizzix Gadget Gears Die
Sizzix Mini Gears Die
Idea-ology Light Bulbs, Hinge Clip
Idea-ology Tiny Attacher
Ranger Distress Ink - Peeled Paint, Fired Brick, Gathered Twigs

All the supplies I used for my tag are listed above and can be found at Inspiration Emporium - clicking the link will take you directly to the item. If you use my coupon code - stamptramp - you'll save 10%!

Tim's Tag, Day 7 - a Discovery!

Am I the only one who checks Tim Holtz's blog for the latest tag the minute I get up? I know there are some who stay up until it's posted - not I! While I love all things TH, I love sleep just a bit more, lol! When I looked at today's tag with my bleary, sleepy eyes, I thought it was made from fabric. Then, since I quickly read through the instructions, I didn't even do the background right! Oh well...that's how you make it your own, right?

Instead of stamping a sentiment for my tag, I chose this Santa from Artistic Outpost's Snowy Woods collection, and I'm so glad I did! I wanted it to be plain, except for his beard, which I wanted to color white. There is a Technique Junkies technique called Faux Bleach, but I was too lazy to look it up. I thought...hmmmm...I wonder what would happen if I dipped a cotton swab into a little puddle of Picket Fence Distress Stain? Well, as you can see, it worked! If I hadn't been in a bit of a hurry, I would have tidied up the stain that got on the embossing a little better, but I still think it looks fab!

This is the first time I've tried alcohol inks on Kraft Glassine, and I love the effect. Since I don't have the holly die, I decided I would use Tim's technique from last year's tag #7 (funny coincidence!) and use the Tattered Florals die to create a poinsettia instead. I added greenery cut from Kraft Core'dinations using the Tattered Pinecone die. A flower from the Idea-ology Foliage set and a little snowflake punched with a Martha Stewart punch embellish the center.

As I said earlier, I was half asleep when I first looked at Tim's tag. I got the basics of the Kraft Glassine technique and did the rest from memory. I thought we were supposed to use regular Distress ink for the background - oops! I don't mind because I love this technique!! The background stamps I used are from Artistic Outpost's Ephemeral Backgrounds collection. The acorn pearls make another appearance...this time simple with no coloring. I love them!

Products used:

Idea-ology Kraft Glassine Paper
Idea-ology Foliage
Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Red Pepper, Gold, Cranberry
Ranger Distress Ink - Frayed Burlap, Pumice Stone
Ranger Embossing Powder - Black
Ranger Distress Stain - Picket Fence
Artistic Outpost Rubber Stamps - Snowy Woods, Ephemeral Backgrounds
Sizzix Tattered Florals Die
Sizzix Tattered Pinecone Die
Kraft Core'dinations Paper

You can find all the products listed above at Inspiration Emporium. Make sure you use my coupon code - stamptramp - to receive 10% off of your total! Also, don't forget that the Inspiration Journal blog is sponsoring a 12 Tags challenge. We would love to have you join in!

My Splitcoast Debut!

A few months ago, Beate Johns invited me to share my Faux Crazed Porcelain tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers. I was so flattered and, of course, said yes! I love this technique and I hope the members over there are inspired to try it.

For my tutorial, I created  this Christmas card using Artistic Outpost's Snowy Woods stamp set - one of my favorites. I love this Santa!

It's so hard to get a good photo of this technique. You'll just have to try it for yourself and see!

Supplies used:
Artistic Outpost Snowy Woods Rubber Stamps
Sizzix Vintage Lace die
Sizzix Tattered Pinecone Die
Idea-ology Charm Clips and Long Fasteners
Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel - Clear
Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - Picket Fence

All the supplies listed above can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Enter my coupon code - stamptramp - at checkout to receive 10% off your order!

Tim's Tag, Day 6

I thought Tim Holtz's enamel technique was incredible today, but I really had to think awhile to figure out how I was going to create my own. I have a couple of Texture Fades that could have worked, but I finally settled on the simplicity of the Snow Flurries folder. I don't have a lot of time today and wanted something that would be quick and easy. I'm so glad I chose this - I love how it came out!

Like Tim says, you really have to see this technique in person to truly appreciate it. I was out of Ranger's metal so I used aluminum duct tape that I stole from my husband's workshop. Since I was in a hurry, I just applied it directly to the tag and embossed. I used an Aqua Paint Dabber to color the whole thing. When it was dry, I hit the snowflakes with my Snow Cap Dabber. I didn't mind that a little of the white got onto the blue - I thought it made it look more snowy. Instead of using regular clear embossing powder, I used Ultra Thick (UTEE). Honestly, I'll use any excuse to whip out the UTEE. I love that stuff!

Since my background was so simple, I decided to add a little bird as a focal point. I wanted him to have the same look as the tag, so I covered a piece of chipboard with more foil tape and cut my bird using the Sizzix Caged Bird die. I painted him with the Snow Cap Dabber and then stamped the word 'Wish' from Tim's Things to Say stamp collection, using the Aqua Dabber instead of ink (I love stamping with Dabbers!). I sanded the edges lightly and embossed, again using UTEE. Oh, I am loving this technique!! Nothing will be safe now. :-)

It's great to see that so many of you are joining in over at the Inspiration Journal blog. If you aren't, you need too - you could win a gift certificate to Inspiration Emporium! All of the supplies I used are listed below and can be found at Inspiration Emporium (just click the link to be taken to the item). If you use my coupon code - stamptramp - you'll save yourself 10%!

Adirondack Paint Dabber - Aqua, Snow Cap
Sizzix Snow Flurries Texture Fade
Sizzix Caged Bird Die
Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Stuff To Say Stamp Collection
Idea-ology Charm Clip, Jump Ring
Idea-ology Lavish Trimmings

Tim's Tag, Day 5 - Never Give Up!

I have never had great success with Adirondack alcohol inks. For some reason, I could just never get the same results as others got. When I saw Tim's tag for today, I almost opted to do the second one, just so I wouldn't have to deal with failure again. But, I figured, what does it hurt to try? This might be my breakthrough moment. I'm so glad I did!! Since the only Reflections stamps I have are the original set, I tried to come up with something that would work with them.

My friend Cyndi did a really great tag on Day 1, using Tim's Gadget Gears die. I had remarked to her that it would be fun to do the whole series in a Steampunk theme (she thinks Dieselpunk is the next big thing - Cyndi is very ahead of her time). When I first read Tim's post, I thought he said something about turning any kind of die into a wreath (I actually thought he made his leaves out of reindeer ears - I'm a bit wonky today)! So, I thought, why not a gear wreath? Why not a whole Steampunk Christmas tag?

I cut my tag from clear packaging using Tim's Tag die. The back was inked with Bottle and Espresso inks. I wanted a more rustic look, so I inked my Reflections number stamp with Archival Sepia ink, instead of black. I really love how it came out! To keep it feeling grungy, I mounted my tag on kraft paper instead of white cardstock. My 'wreath' was cut from Grungeboard using the Gadget Gears die. I did Tim's Faux Rust technique (from his book, Compendium of Curiosities) on both the gear and the snowflake. For my bow, I dyed seam binding with Forest Moss and Faded Jeans Distress Stains.

I loved the simplicity of today's tag, but felt like mine looked a little plain, so I added a strip of Idea-ology Tissue Tape to the bottom. On top of that, I adhered letters that I cut from light chipboard using the Sizzix Chip Block die. They were also given the rust treatment. Everything started blending in a little too much, so I covered them with Glossy Accents to help them stand out a little more.

Everything I used is listed below and can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Don't forget to use my coupon code - stamptramp - to score 10% off your order! You also need to check out the Inspiration Journal blog; we are having a 12 Tags challenge and you could win a gift certificate!

Supplies used:

Sizzix Gadget Gears Die
Sizzix Tag and Bookplates Die
Sizzix Chip Block Die
Stampers Anonymous Reflections Rubber Stamps
Idea-ology Tissue Tape, Charm Clips, Sprocket Gears, Mini Fastener, Light Bulb, Grungeboard
Ranger Distress Stain - Faded Jeans, Forest Moss
Ranger Distress Embossing Powder - Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain
Ranger Glossy Accents
Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Bottle, Espresso
Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch

Tim's Tag, Day 4 - Perseverance

I almost had one of those whiny, 'I don't have the stuuuuuuffff' moments when I saw Tim's tag for today. I actually do have a lot of the stuff, I just don't have the Winter Wonder snowman die and I couldn't think of what would work to replace it. I finally settled on the Artful Dwellings die and the sweet little Mini Reindeer Movers and Shapers die.

Everything was going fairly well. I had cut out my little house and covered it with Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint. I didn't love how my Distress Stains looked (why does Tim's always look so much better?!), but I was ok with it. My trouble started when I decided to see what would happen if I added a few drops of Silver Adirondack Alcohol ink to the puddle of Distress Stains...I really wanted a pretty little thread of silver running through the blues and white...

I hadn't used that color for awhile and so a couple big blobs kind of shot out when I squeezed. I was like, what the heck, maybe it will be ok. So, I swiped my tag...

...and spritzed it with a little rubbing alcohol, thinking it would kind of disperse the ink. Well, that ink dried in a flash! But the rest of my poor tag was saturated. I dried it with my heat gun and it was a mess. I thought about giving up, but I decided to see if I could salvage it.

In the end, it all came together. I don't know that I would recommend that technique, but it's always fun to see what will happen! To finish my tag, I embellished it with some glittered trim, made with the Sizzix Vintage Lace die. I added a little wreath, some chunky glitter, and I was done. Whew. Glad that is over! I think part of my inability to focus on today's tag is that my daughter is coming home for a long visit tomorrow!! [Warning...major mom bragging ahead.] She got a job working for American's Next Top Model in LA back in September. It was so exciting, but so hard to have her leave (growing up is very hard on moms). I absolutely cannot wait to see her beautiful face tomorrow and have the luxury of seeing her every day for the next three weeks!

Ok, back to business! You can find all the supplies I used at Inspiration Emporium AND if you use my coupon code - stamptramp - you will save yourself 10%! In addition, make sure you join in with us over at the Inspiration Journal blog. You just might win a nice little gift certificate! :-)