What a busy, busy week! This week I decided to move my studio from my basement up to the attic space of my house. I knew that I had a ton of stuff in my studio, but it wasn’t until moving each thing up two floors did I realize how much I had! I am telling you, carrying dies up two flights of stairs is a monster work out! Thankfully I worked ahead last week and photographed two tutorials in anticipation of the move. It is a good thing, because it has taken a big chunk of the week to get the new studio functional.
This week’s tag is such a pretty tag! I think this background is so pretty and best of all, it is quick and easy!
Here is how to do it:
Apply a coat Snow Cap Adirondack Paint Dabber onto a metal Ornate Plate and two brads. I used a pouncing motion to apply a thick and “lumpy” coat.
Dry the paint using a heat tool.
Apply a second thick coat of paint. Again, no need to worry about getting the paint smooth or even.
Use a heat tool to dry the paint. Set aside.
Tear a piece of ledger paper (mine is vintage) slightly larger than the frame portion of the Ornate Plate. Apply a thin coat of paint using the dabber to the paper to mute the color and to give it a shabby look.
Apply a thin to medium coat of Picket Fence Distress Stain to a #8 manila tag. Use a heat tool to dry the stain.
Apply a second coat of Picket Fence Distress Stain to the tag. Don’t worry about trying to cover the manila completely. The more streaky the stain looks and the more manila there is peeking through, the more color variation your final tag will look. Dry the stain with a heat tool.
Scribble Broken China and Peeled Paint Distress Stains onto a craft sheet. If your sheet is dirty with paint, the stain will get milky where the stain and paint mix. I consider that a bonus! If you get paint on your stain’s applicator, simply wipe it off with a dry cloth.
Cut a small square of Cut & Dry Foam.
Swipe the white side of the piece of Cut & Dry foam through the stain on the craft sheet.
Swipe the stain onto the tag. I applied mine in straight swipes from the top of the tag to the bottom.
Continue swiping the color on in layers until you like the look you have. Allow some of the manila and some of the Picket Fence to show to add the more color variation.
Use a heat tool to dry the stain.
Ink a script stamp with Potting Soil Archival Ink.
Randomly stamp the text onto the tag. For a softer stamped image, stamp first on scrap paper. Stamp again onto the tag without re-inking (second stamping).
Use a heat tool to dry the ink.
Use an ink blending tool to apply Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
Lay the tag on a flat surface. Use a sanding grip flat on the tag to sand in a straight line from the top of the tag to the bottom. Never sand on your non-stick craft sheet, it will damage the finish of the sheet.
Sanding will soften and blend the swipes of color. It will also knock down some of the stamped script.
Place the tag inside an embossing folder. I like this design a lot because the design is only along the edges of the folder and is not an all over design. I cut a slit in the fold of all of my embossing folders so that I can emboss tags with the bottom of the tag lining up with the bottom of the folder.
Emboss the tag using a die cut machine.
Lay the tag on a flat surface. Use a sanding grip flat on the tag to sand the embossed areas. Sanding over the embossed areas will knock more color off of the raised areas, bringing out more of the Picket Fence and the manila base and accenting the embossed design.
Apply a strip of adhesive through the center of the tag from the top to the bottom. Lay a strip of wide lace (mine is vintage) on the tag. Wrap the excess over the top edge of the tag to the back.
Apply a strip of Tissue Tape over the lace. Wrap the tape over the top of the tag.
Use a line of adhesive tape to adhere a strip of woven trim over the Tissue Tape and lace. Fold the end of the trim over the top of the tag to the back.
Add a line of machine stitching along the top edge of the tag through the layers of lace and trim.
I love the way the thick dried paint looks on the Ornate Plate. It reminds me of a plaster ornament. Optional: Use a sanding grip if desired to sand off some of the finish and reveal the metal.
Use an ink blending tool to brush Vintage Photo Distress Ink onto the paint.
Use an ink blending tool to apply Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the edges of the ledger paper.
Adhere the Ornate Plate to the ledger paper using the painted brads.
Apply adhesive foam squares to the back of the ledger paper and Ornate Plate.
Brush the edges of a Chitchat Sticker sentiment.
Place the sentiment on the ledger paper inside the Ornate Plate. Adhere the assembled piece to the front of the tag over the lace.
Adhere a small Mirrored Star to the Ornate Plate above the sentiment.
I love the way the sanding accents the embossed design! It makes it stand out without being too bold.
I love the soft shabbiness of this tag! It reminds me of the colored weathered wood on beach shacks. It is such an easy background that is perfect for lots of different project themes. I hope you give it a try!
Great tutorial Tammy!
and I LOVE the new Avitar girl!! TFS!! and good luck with your new space!
Great picture of you! Wish you a lot of creative fun in your new studio upstairs. LOL, now you know what kind of things you have and didn’t see for a long time?
The tag…..its a beauty and I’m sure I’m going to give it a try. Like I want to do with all your tutorials. Thanks for sharing!!
Tammy … This is fabulous!! When I first saw the tag, I thought the dry embossing was made with a stencil and embossing paste. I love this effect. I seriously love the streaked stain in the background. So subtle and perfect for the vintage feel of this tag. Once again … thanks for some incredible inspiration. — Mary Elizabeth
Tammy this is really beautiful! And what a great use of tissue tape – never thought to put it on ribbon! Good luck with moving your studio space…
Awesome tutorial ! I love the technique using the foam with the stain .. very cool background !! Happy Early Thanksgiving Tammy ! Thank you for all you do through the year to inspire me 🙂
wonderful as always!! thank you and have fun in your new space. =)
The tag is fabulous thank you so much for sharing and I hope the move has gone well. That’s an amazing room you have there.
It’s all about the layers isn’t it? Beautiful tag. Picking up color with the foam and swiping on the tag makes a fantastic background. Got to try that one. Looking forward to seeing the finished attic space. Hopefully all the heavy lifting is done.
Tammy-love your new look and this tag as well! I do have a question-could I swap out the picket fence distress paint for the distress stain? Would it alter the tag design dramatically? Enjoy your new space and Turkey Day as well! Tracy P.
Just gorgeous! Thank you for sharing:-)
~Tammy
i so appreciate the clearness of your tutorials , it makes them really easy to follow , sometimes i see something nice somewhere and think how did they do it , then you hop over to there blog and read the subscirption , and when your finished reading your are thinking…..yep but HOW did they do it….never have that problem with you ,….
thank you so very very much learning a lot of you. this tag is wonderfull as ever , but the colors you’ve used are so versatile , making them suitable for , spring , summer , now… and even christmas will do….
hope your are settled in your new space by now ,however it will take some time to feel handy…i’ve finished putting my stuff in the new drawers and the new cupboard , and although there is some work to be done , feeling a giant urge for a creative break , clearing the mind , before going on…or maby i should do some ordinary ” homework “….hahaha…well thanks again and have a nice day tammy……
Beautiful, simple, spot on – once again Tammy. Thanks for all your inspriation. Happy Thanksgiving with your new puppy!
A fabulous background Tammy, the streaked effect looks amazing. TFS. happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.
hugs {brenda} x0x
What a brilliant tutorial, can’t wait to make that background, it’s brilliant! Thank you very much. X
Beautiful!!!
You made my day! Love everything about the tag. You puppy is adorable. I had to put my “puppy” of 15 years down 3years ago this weekend. She was a great a well loved border collie.
Wonderful tutorial. This background is GORGEOUS!