12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Shiny-Brite

I used two large pieces of Tim Holtz Christmas Ephemera for the background of this final tag of the series--number 12 of 12.

I altered the edges of the top part to create an arch with paint mixed to match the bottom section. The silver glitter glue (Stickles) was applied thickly and the dryed result reminds me of tinsel garland.

I used more glitter around the edge of the tree and on top of some ornaments along with some clear sequins here and there.

The presents were made with Idea-ology Fragments and paper bits from the Tidings stash and I dusted around the edges with a little silver paint.

The sentiment was stamp embossed and I used a wash of thin, off-white paint behind the letters to make them stand out more.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the tags I've made for Christmas this year and maybe found some inspiration for your own holiday crafting.

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Time of Wonder

Back in the day, Christmas postage stamps were printed using an elaborate process without benefit of the digital equipment we take for granted today.

And, sadly, a beautiful series of stamps commemorating great religious works of art is not something I'd expect the post office to take on in this day and age.

Thankfully, we have postage stamp collectors (philatelists) who preserve this vintage art form like my Great Aunt Esther who saved the one I've used for the tag I share with you today.

It was mounted in a little box I made that was lined with old book paper and sits on top of Tim Holtz Ephemera and a page from his Tidings paper stash.

The holly, pine branches and calendar page were cut out of that same Ephemera collection. It's mounted on a red satin ribbon and embellished with Rock Candy Stickles and Glossy Accents.

I used Folk Art gold metallic paint (good stuff) to trim the tag, box and text edges. For the text, I originally chose a Clippings Sticker but botched it up so I made a new one using another relic from the past, a typewriter.

Well, as this is tag number eleven (and also my favorite), I've only got one more to go to complete the set. It will be an homage to Tim Holtz if there ever was one and I hope you'll tune in!

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Special Delivery

I have a Christmas-themed playing card stamp by Inkadinkado that is useful for creating frames, ovals, etc., and was used to embellish my tenth tag. The photo was cut from Tim Holtz Ephemera.

The florals were cut from Graphics 45 paper (Winter Wonderland). To adhere large, intricate cuts like this one, I use an aerosol adhesive that works well but you must go outdoors to spray it.

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Noel

I drifted away from the conventional with tag number nine and I kinda like where I ended up.

The ingredients are Tim Holtz Tidings paper stash, a Christmas Collage stamp (on tissue paper), Ephemera, Distress Inks, black Stickles and a white gel pen.

The tree was made from a stencil (Clear Scraps). I traced the outline onto paper and then cut it out by hand. Some might think that's a lot of work but for me, it's relaxing and therapeutic.

12 Tags for Christmas 2017- Most Wonderful Time

It's tag number eight and that rhymes with skate!

(Sorry...  if you've ever made 12 Christmas tags in a row, you start to get a little slap-happy.)

The assembly consists of an Occasions found relative (Tim Holtz) which was masked then stamped, a die-cut (Tim Holtz Gothic Gate) made from a magazine page, and pinecones cut from the Frosted paper pad (Kaisercraft). Some Stickles and Scribbles provided the bling and text was cut from the Tim Holtz Tidings paper stash (2016).

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Dashing

Okay, I know, dashing through the snow is about a sleigh and a horse (and bells I think), but birds do some dashing, too, as evidenced by my cat's favorite entertainment (a live video cam of a bird feeder in Canada).

So perhaps that explains my combination of birds and text for this, my 7th Christmas tag of the season.

I was drawn to the combination of the golden yellows with the black and white. The birds were cut from a Graphic 45 paper called Winter Wonderland, the vertical strip is the edge of an old book page, and the snowflakes and text are from a paper pad called Deck the Halls with Chalk (Hobby Lobby/Paper Studio, 2013). The tiny white dots are Scribbles (3D fabric paint).

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Merry & Bright

I've reached the half-way mark, here's Tag 6 of 12 for Christmas 2017, and I am having a blast! This one was easy as pie using a Christmas Collage stamp tinted with Distress Ink and mounted on a page from the Tidings paper stash.

I machine-stitched around the edges with two colors of thread, went crazy with glitter glue (Stickles), added the holly and berries (hand-cut from some Tim Holtz Ephemera) and then a strip of Lace Trimmings.

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Wonderful Time

We had a toboggan when I was a kid. Not the safest kind of sled but ours could handle about six passengers at a time which made it easy to steer as long as everyone leaned the right way in unison.

This little miss was certainly safe when this vintage photo (Graphic 45 Frosted) was taken. It was nicely staged with a painted background and fashionable clothing (I wonder if it may have been done for an advertisement or greeting card).

She is the focal point for tag five of my 12 for Christmas and was placed on top of a background of embossed snowflakes tinted with Distress Oxide (Faded Jeans) and framed with tissue paper and a cut-out stamp border.

Embellishments include scraps from a Tim Holtz Mixed Media die and lots of Stickles. The ribbon is a scrap of Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabric

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Peace

One of Tim Holtz's 12 Tags for Christmas 2011 featured Ranger's Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and I bought some.

Believe it or not, by storing it upside down it's still good! Granted, it is a little thicker than it once was but I just used a palette knife to spread it over the dove (instead of the brush the paint came with).

Once dry, a layer of white Perfect Pearls was added over the top for a little more sparkle.

The background is an Idea-ology Sophisticate Cabinet Card Frame that I separated from it's backing and aggressively sanded down then stamped with text before cutting it to fit my tag.

I cut a piece of Graphic 45 (Botanicabella) paper to fit inside the oval, added a black satin ribbon along the bottom and lots of tiny drops of Liquid Pearls.

The text was clear embossed but looked a little lost on the background so I used a fine paint brush and white paint to shadow the sides of the letters.  I also thought just a hint of color in the background would do some good so I smudged on a little Fired Brick and Forest Moss Distress Ink and Tag No. 4 was complete.

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Season's Greetings

Tag three of my 12 for this year's Christmas was an experiment using a hand-made stencil patterned after the original rubber stamp. I like to use Yupo for my stencil material because it is strong, waterproof and cuts like butter.

After pasting on a background of old book paper, I used thin white acrylic paint and the stencil to make a random pattern then stamped over the stenciled areas once the paint was dry.

I didn't worry too much about accuracy and you'll see places where the two (stencil and stamp) don't meet. But that's okay because the variations added interest in color and line.

My tints mainly came from Distress Oxides (lipstick and pistachio). I also used a light wash of white acrylic and a few watercolors, where needed, to adjust some values.

Platinum Stickles and Tim's Tissue Tape created a border that was darkened next to the inside edges with a bit of charcoal pencil.

Stamp credits: Penny Black Christmas Star, Echo Park Christmas Sentiments

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - 'Tis the Season

A page from a Tim Holtz Kraft Resist paper stash was a key ingredient for this, my second tag for Christmas, 2017.

A light wash of white acrylic was used to bring out the resist design. It was embellished with stamped elements (the deer, pine bough, and cut-out holly leaves) along with some burlap ribbon and numbers from a vintage Tim Holtz grunge board collection.

And it wouldn't be a Christmas tag without adding lots of glitter (Gold, Rock Candy Stickles) and that is absolutely my favorite part about making these tags and I can really get carried away with it!

The text that wraps around the arch was made by cutting a strip from a pad of fairly thin paper. It was dampened lightly so I could round the shape before pasting. I used a slow-drying glue that allowed more time/wiggle-room and gently manipulated it to follow the curve.

12 Tags for Christmas 2017 - Joy to the World

♪♫ ♪ "On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ..." ♪♫♫♪

Ten years ago today, Tim Holtz began the tradition of blogging about techniques for creating 12 Tags for Christmas and I've continued to make them every year since then to decorate my presents.

This year, I decided to post them in 12 consecutive days beginning December 1st just like he used to do and my first tag features a simple, understated design with an early American or Georgian vibe.

The background is pearly paper with clear-embossed snowflakes (Kaisercraft Frosted) that was tinted with Faded Jeans Distress Oxide.

I coated the book paper die-cuts (Carta Bella Joy Wreath) with Glossy Accents and created additional contrast by using a blue gel pen and a water brush (which soaked in underneath).

I gave the entire surface a wash of dilute white acrylic paint and took advantage of the resist properties of the Glossy Accents by wiping the paint away from the die-cuts where there was overage.

I used a Remnant Rub to complete the phrase and made a frame border with 1/8" silver metallic ribbon (Offray) tinted with off-white acrylic paint.

To age the appearance a bit more, I rubbed on Frayed Burlap Distress Ink here and there and added some Liquid Pearls along the bottom for a touch of Christmas bling.

12 Tags for Christmas - December

I didn't mean to wait so long to complete my final tag of this series and link it to Tim's December post but it's been a busy month.

Each day I would pass by the bulletin board in my bedroom/studio and see the blank spot meant for this month's tag. I considered skipping it but that just wouldn't sit right with me--my track record for completing the monthly tags will not be broken!

So on the last day of the month, last day of the year and at the very last minute, here's number 12.

Happy New Year!

12 Tags for Christmas - November

Click for Larger View

Tim's November tag was a lesson in using Remnant Rubs as a resist and dimensional coloring. As with my original tag and again for this one, my rubs didn't resist in the same way Tim's did. I'm not sure why but think it may have something to do with how absorbent the background paper is.

My background is a little out-of-the-box in that I used a piece of delaminated cardboard (made by soaking it with water then peeling apart the layers). I like how it took the various stains I applied and puddled around the cardboard lines.

I used the white version of Tim's Christmastime Remnant Rubs, filled-in the background with random dots made with a Gelly Roll pen and added some vintage lace and a few seed pearls. The tag borders were hand-stitched with thick white thread after punching the holes on my machine.

I stamped my poinsettia (Penny Black, Christmas Star) on watercolor paper using red archival ink then tinted it and filled in the lines with some glitter paint. To make the flower coordinate more with the rubs I outlined the petal edges in white. The center is a Gumdrop tinted with Butterscotch and Wild Plum alcohol inks.

I have one more tag to go but don't expect to complete it before Christmas Day so with this post, I'm sending you my very best wishes for a safe and peaceful holiday that's full of good cheer!

12 Tags for Christmas - October

A patchwork collage and Sizzix monster, the remix for Tim's October tag, was too big a reach for duplicating in a Christmas theme, so I went for good old-fashioned vintage.

I pasted a book page on my tag (the right hand side is the original patina), added strips and text from Tim's Tidings paper stash, cut a piece of Festive ephemera into an oval, added a tree cut from some Kaisercraft Frosted paper, and cut and tinted a stamped reindeer (Inkadinkado Christmas Silhouettes).

The oval was enshrined with lots of tiny dots of red glitter.

12 Tags for Christmas - September

Paint patina and an alcohol ink resist technique was the recipe for Tim's September tag. My intentions were honorable for attempting a Christmas version but when I tried the ink resist technique using glossy paper instead of Yupo it just didn't work.

So my background of various alcohol ink drippings was stenciled over with white paint then a stamped image (Deep Red, December Tree) was pasted in the center and tinted with ink.

I cut numbers from Tim's Christmas Words stamp, outlined them in black and applied tint and glitter. A remnant rub (Christmastime) was used to balance the top along with a Mirrored Star (tinted with alcohol ink).  More bling came from dots of purple Stickles around the borders.

The multicolored background reminds me of those big old-fashioned Christmas light bulbs and how any and all colors can work for this holiday!

12 Tags for Christmas - August

Gosh, I'm having a hard time sticking to Tim's monthly techniques--it seems unfair to even call this one "August." You may recall that I'm making Christmas versions of his monthly tags and I'm resolved to the fact that I just don't have the stash to pull it off.

Still, it's the inspiration that gets me started and narrows down my choice of materials and I'm always happy for the nudge in a direction I might not have considered before.

This one started with a brayered stain background that didn't work with the stamps I wanted to use so I turned it solid using Seedless Preserves (such a strong color--it will cover up almost anything).

The stamping (Inkadinkado Evergreen Holiday) was done on watercolor paper using Sepia archival ink then tinted with watercolors and Gelly Roll pens.

I cut out the negative spaces so the background would show through then embellished with machine and hand stitching, some Liquid Pearls, Rock Candy Stickles and Lace Trimmings. I felt the lettering needed more contrast so I outlined them with a fine-line marker.

12 Tags for Christmas - July

Last year, I was able to stick with the same techniques Tim used for my Christmas versions of his monthly tags. This year, not so much. For many of them, he favored using word die-cuts quite a bit and it's difficult to find an appropriate substitute.

So here's what I did instead for this year's July tag (a remix of watercolor resist and layered words).

A book page, Tissue Tape and an oval cut from tissue paper (which was sealed with acrylic medium) were pasted on a tag. The edges were brushed with white paint then I stained the surface with Distress inks and the previous elements resisted the tint.

My angel is a stamp from Inkadinkado (Christmas Silhouettes) which I cut out and embellished with a white Gelly Roll pen, Liquid Pearls and Stickles. A Christmastime Remnant Rub provided the sentiment.

My little angel still seemed a bit plain (especially for Christmas) so I covered her with lots of Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles. You just can't beat this old favorite for adding the perfect amount of vintage sparkle!

12 Tags for Christmas - June

Here's my Christmas version of Tim's June tag which, technique-wise was a total miss. I should have read the directions more carefully, ha!

He featured a tissue wrap collage and making a plaid pattern with a stencil. I just copied the overall appearance by simulating a die-cut over a contrasting background.

The pine tree was hand-cut and tinted with Distress stains, I used Simon's Falling Snow stencil with paste medium and there's a bit of glitter glue, stitching and paper-cut text from Kaisercraft (Frosted). The background paper is a dark maroon miniature damask.

If you are wondering about my Distress stain colors, I used a very dilute version of Concord Grape and my Peeled Paint, which has gone-off somehow, has a queer smell and has turned a very bright, almost fluorescent green. I toned down the brightness behind the tree with a wash of Faded Jeans. Frayed Burlap was used around the edges.

I'm linking this one to the Monday Challenge Blog at Simon Says Stamp because this week's theme is O' Christmas Tree.

12 Tags for Christmas - May

Tim's remix for May was a Tissue Tape resist and Tattered Florals--here's how I spun a Christmas version.

Since the florals die-cut is on my wish list (are you listening, Santa?), I modified this element by using a scrapbook paper cut-out of poinsettias instead.

There's plenty of tissue tape, though, and also Plain Tissue Wrap stamped with red archival ink using the Dots and Florals stamp.

I used the Dot Fade stencil which, out of the package, has a modern, high-tech appearance but by applying texture paste randomly and then using gold paint for highlights, I was able to create a vintage look that coincides with the Christmastime remnant rub.