Tags... again.

Yes, I made a few more... whilst staring at the kittens (they are SOOOOO cute!). Four more after this, and my box will be full - so I shall probably start doubling up tags in the pockets...

And The Obsession Starts... More Tags!

Only two more... and that's it - promise! Well, when I say "That's it", I obviously mean that I won't be doing any more until I have the time :)

These were pretty simple - I tend to make everything in pairs - have two tags, then cover them both in the same paper, and use similar techniques on them. These were sprayed with a mix of Cosmic Shimmers (different for each tag), wrapped in scrunched clingfilm and dried.

Butterflies and lots of stamping of the quote:

"Enjoy the moments that make you happy"

to cover one tag - and then I wrote over one quote to make it stand out a bit.

The butterfly has a texture to it - I covered it in clear-drying glue and then patted it with my finger whilst the glue was still wet.

The quote on the other tag is from a Sheena Douglass stamp:

"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark"

I used images from a painting called (I believe) 'Orchis' by Rowena Stott (Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady), and the top swallows I covered in sepia accents.

To be honest, these little tags do have a lot of work and creativity in each one... but because the area is so small (12x6cm) it's a lot quicker than a scrapbook layout. However, I'll not be giving up my beloved scrapbooking - I've a new layout finished that I'll be posting soon that's quite pretty... I used some of the flowers I made (finally! *lol*).

A quickie reminder too, that all this tag-a-mania started with Debbie from Canada

Scraps From A Broad can be found here:

http://scrapsfromabroad.blogspot.com/

Her efforts show how it's supposed to be done :)

My First Tags

It's so weird, being a woman of a certain age (*mumbles* "ahem... in my forties"), and admitting to trying to do something for the first time. Okay, so this isn't stunningly amazing like I've jumped out of a plane, done an abseil from a huge height or finally pooped myself during a bungee jump... (please! at my age?!? *lol*)... but I have tried something new. And so now, the big unveiling of my very first attempts at "Altered Tags"... (drumroll please)...

Okay, so the drumroll was a bit over the top - they're not too brilliant... but I have to admit they look quite nice slotted away in my accordion box. The quotes on all of the tags are quite simple - some hand-written, and some stamped:

"In dreams we catch glimpses of life larger than our own"

"Live, Laugh, Love"

"Believe in your dreams"

"Listen to your heart"

"The road to success is not a path you find but a trail you blaze"

Some of the techniques used on the tags were fiddly but so much messy fun - like making my own transparencies with some packing sellotape and a sheet of freebie paper ("Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady" 6x6  paper pack free with Cardmaking & Papercraft, issue 91 May).  I liked using some old techniques remembered from my cardmaking days - resist embossing technique... and also some newer ideas and creations - such as making small paper flowers.

I am itching to get out some thread and start stitching on tags *lol*... old habits die hard.

I have, on order, some lovely quote stamps... so hopefully I'll be filling my accordion box very soon - well, after the weekend when the grandbabies go back home, and I've had a chance to recover from their stay at Nonna and Gangads house :)

Accordion Inspire Box

My accordion box is finished... and I'm beginning to fill it with tags. I wanted something a little bit different, so I decided that this should be like an "inspire" book - so all the tags have a quote or saying on them, and I can just flip open the box and choose a tag at random and see what it says.

I used the gcd studios paris nights papers (item #486), and also Tim Holtz "Symphony" tissue tape (#TH92829) to cover the chipboard pieces. The 15 envelopes I used to make the accordion inside are just small money envelopes - perfect for 12x6cm luggage tags, or K&Co tags also, but the envelopes aren't big enough for journalling tags. I bought this pack of 50 money envelopes at Tesco (value range) for less than £1.

It's simply held closed with a cardboard shape that I've strengthened slightly by covering it with "Rock Candy" distressed crackle paint (TDC26686). I used "Rust" alcohol ink (TIM22169) just splotched onto the shape with my finger (still stained!) to give it an aged look.  Just a couple of added paper flowers from my stash drawer with fabric brad centres from trimcraft (Snowman collection, SNOWES01), finished off the outside of the box - I didn't want too much decoration.

 This is a very easy box to make, as it has no sides and only the way the envelopes are glued together and to the box allows it to keep it's shape when closed.

I can remember making these at school - well, something similar anyway, only these days it seems much more fun to do :)