Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas...one last tag:

I have used this vintage image before in a Christmas card...it's one of my favorites.The idea for this design came from a 2008 Somerset Studio November/December magazine cover. Rachel Killpack had used the image to make a  fabulous "Christmas Star". The image is from a very erethral  French Christmas postcard. Those type of  photos were very popular in that era. The top of the postcard (which I cut off) read "Joyeux Noel". The tag was distressed front and back  with Tim Holtz's Bundled Sage. The edges were distressed with Iced Spruce ink. I used the Stampendous Shabby Pink embossing enamel and a flourish stamp to create the back ground. The edges of the image were distressed with Antique Linen ink. The tag is embellished with gold star tinsel garland and a larger gold star.

Distres Ink, Goodwill and Collections

My obsession with Tim Holtz Distress Ink started out simply enough...
I remember my first color... Old Paper. 

I was working on a Heritage Album and needed to give the pages an aged look.  Then I got braver  and added two more Distress Inks, Tattered Rose and Frayed Burlap ...once you have three of something it becomes a COLLECTION!

Gradually I was adding more and more inks to my COLLECTION.  When I started teaching the Heirloom Tag Class it gave me the licenses to really add to the COLLECTION.

Not only had I become a Distress Ink HOARDER, but how was I going to store all these ink pad?  I needed  easy access because I ink everything and I needed them organized because from the side and bottom they all look the same! Looking for just the right container became an ongoing search.  

Until the day I spotted the perfect storage container across the aisles at Goodwill!

There is sat just waiting for me to grab it...an index card file drawer. I grabbed it up and walked quickly to the check out...IT WAS MINE!

I printed out labels and adhered them to the sides of the ink pads....

And organized the inks by colors in to the two drawers...with plenty of room to add many more!

The file drawer sits next to my work table...I pull out a drawer and can find the exact color I need. A nice neat COLLECTION!

I think it's time for Tim to come out with some new colors!

Christmas Tags, Tim Holtz and Toy Envy

Tim Holtz  started his 12 tags of Christmas this week. He is creating and sharing some

wonderful treasures over at his blog. 

While Tim is just getting started on his tags, I have been teaching my tags the last few weeks at

Scrapbook Barn.  Tim will be making 12 tags (hence the name "12 tags of Christmas") 

I designed and have been teaching 3 tags. 

Tim has always been an over achiever...but I do envy all those wonderful 

toys he has to create with.

These tags are fun to design, they can be used to decorate a tree or a grape vine wreath,

tie them onto a ribbon to create a banner, add one to a package or a gift bag, trade in a “tag swap”, 

mail a tag instead of  a Christmas Card 

or you can design these tags for yourself... just collect and enjoy them.

I will be teaching 2 more  tag classes at Scrapbook Barn, 

December 5th, 5-6:30 pm and December 6th, 1:30-3 pm. 

Birthday, Wedding and a Shower

It's "tag" time again...

This Birthday tag is a bit on the Shabby Chic side...using patterned paper, a vintage image, ribbon and rhinestones.
This Tim Holtz "Sewing Room" die cut was fun to play with. This tag was designed with a Wedding Shower in mind. A dress form with the beginning of a bridal gown

After the Shower comes the wedding, this bride and groom were "Just Married"

I'm teaching these tags next week at Scrapbook Barn. Tuesday the 10th 5:00 to 6:30pm and Wednesday the 11th 10:30 to 12noon.

Spring has Sprung!

Spring is here and Easter is not too far off...in honor of the season I have been working on some new tags ( and you were wondering what had been keeping me away from bloggin') This Spring tag is created with Tim Holtz's Caged Bird die cut, and Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime collection. I placed the "blue bird" outside her gold embossed cage...Hey, it's Spring...nobody should be inside!

I used an embossing folder to create the leaf pattern for this tag. The little girl hatching out of the egg is from a vintage postcard.

I had used these chicks on my last years Easter card. The are so cute they are making another appearance.

I know you are saying to yourself..."these tags are so fun, I wonder if they are a class?"

Yes, the tags are a class! They will be taught Thursday April 7th 10:00am to 11:30am and again Tuesday April 12th 5:00pm to 6:30pm at Scrapbook Barn...give them a call to sign up!

Now for something really different

This is what you get when you combine Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante patterned paper, some copper Stickles, a few layered Tim Holtz Gadget Gears...

Wild Honey Distress ink, Kaisercraft Turquoise Acrylic Paint and Shadowbox frame, and a handful of amber rhinestones...

It was fun to design...but I don' think it will go with the decor in the living room!

Just Because

The Kaisercraft "Lush" patterned paper for the forth pages is called "Maple"...I 'm not sure why...it has flowers and birds on it. But it's a cool design no matter what they call it. The reverse side of the paper has borders/stripes...which I used a strip of to run vertically on one of the pages.
I'm just guessing...but I think the 7 Gypsies ephemera might be a "tarot" card. I bling-ed it up and layered it over another piece of ephemera from the same package.

The Tim Holtz clock hands were added to the tab of the book..."just because".

Flowers, Thrift Store and Mother's Day

I have spent the last three day's designing flowers at a local florist for Mother's Day...
11 hours Thursday...
12 hours Friday...
and today...only 9 1/2 hours.
I know you are asking..."didn't she tell us way back in January that she was getting out of the floral business?" You're right... I did...I'm now what is officially called "holiday help". So I pull out the tool bag...sharpen my knife...and design.

I did finally come up with a glimmer of an idea for a Mother's Day card.
Scrapbook Barn got the new line of "October Afternoon" double sided patterned paper. It's called "Thrift Shop". The designs look like something you would find on a visit to a secondhand store. I used "Needs Paint" and "Complete Set" The vintage look went well with the old advertisement for aprons that I found on Flickr. I used the new Tim Holtz "Bundled Sage" distress ink...
some Ric-Rac and ruffled ribbon and some Prima flowers.

Have a wonder for Mother's Day!

The 8 tags of LOVE

Tim Holtz has his 12 Tags of Christmas...I have my 8 tags of LOVE!
For my second Mystic Paper Design Team Project I covered shipping tags with the K andCompany "Cut and Paste Chocolate Lovers" paper. The pattern on this paper has kind of a Shabby Chic vintage look to it...

all the tags were distressed with Ranger "Tattered Rose" ink and then spritz with "Vintage Pink" Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist...

each tag has a Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Cut...embellished with a "Clear Star" Sakura Jelly Roll pen...better know as the MAGIC PEN.

wooden hearts are covered in "Fruit Punch" Stickels...the ribbons, lace and braid come from Mystic...

A 12x12 piece of mat board was covered with the Pink Pasilee "Bow and Arrow" blue with tiny white hearts patterned paper...sanded a bit around the edges...distressed with ink...springy green lace was added to the top and bottom of the paper... pink lace flowers...with Kaiser Scrapbook blue rhinestones in the center.

The 8 LOVE shipping tags were mounted to the background.

When I turned the project in, I was awarded with a "stinkin' cute" by Jennifer!

Two projects down...one more to show...