12 Tags of 2015 March

Hello everybody!  A huge welcome to my newest followers!  Today I have my version of Tim Holtz' March tag to link up to his challenge. There's so much beautiful spring color and amazing enameled texture in his original tag!  You can check out all of Tim's easy to follow instructions and his gorgeous tag here.

Tim encourages us to have fun with this one and allow our creative mind to wander and play.  And so I did!

I followed Tim's instructions:  lay down a collage of Tissue tape, add a marbling of Distress Paints, stamp your image and heat emboss, mask the image, apply texture paste through a Layering stencil, apply embossing powder, and finally add your elements.  I just changed things up a tiny bit with my color, image, stencil, embossing powder, focal point, and element choices.  After going to see my second favorite pianist, Elton John (my first is my daughter), I was inspired to get sparkly and psychedelic with my tag.

I used some of Tim's tissue tape and some butterfly washi tape I had in my stash. I then laid down my background color using Tim's technique--perhaps a little dark for Spring, but amongst the spring flowers, it has a freshness to it.

 

I wanted my heat embossed imagery to become part of the background, so I chose Tim's larger butterflies from his Attic Treasures set.  I simply masked them off with painter's tape before inking, so I could scatter them around my tag.

I used silver texture paste (Artco) and Tim's Flourish Layering stencil over my masked images, and added holographic embossing powder, carefully following Tim's instructions. I have to say the brand of texture paste I used is a little watery, and when applied over the Tissue and washi tape areas, there is some "bleed" under the stencil. This happened just over the washi and Tissue tape with several trials, so I'm guessing there just might not be enough tooth in these areas for this thinner paste. It also bubbled a little in places--again, just over the Tissue and washi tapes, in spite of drying for over 12 hours before heating. I decided to "embrace imperfection" and go with it! I was a lucky winner on Tim's blog for CHA sneak peeks and won this fabulous stencil!  Thank you, Tim; it's my favorite!

As you can see, the photos just don't pick up that sparkle the holographic embossing powder lays down, but it is SPARKLY in real life.  Some of the sparkle part of the powder rested in some of the butterfly areas, and I was able to catch just a hint of it on camera.

 I chose to make Tim's Layered Butterfly my focal image. I used black waste chipboard packaging for the die cut.  After embossing with the enclosed Texture Fade, I swiped on some gesso with a credit card and then spritzed with Perfect Pearls turquoise mist. So shimmery! I added some black half pearls from my stash for the body and head. I waffled over giving him antennae, but opted out, because there was so much going on in this tiny space.  He'll be OK without them because he is just a fantasy! When I see butterflies in real life, I can't see their antenna anyway.

I made some Chipped Enamel (Compendium of Curiosities Vol. I) flowers and foliage using Tim's Foliage trinkets. I added some Distress paint and ink for extra color on the layered flower and Brushed Pewter Distress paint to the single flower for sparkle. I colored the Mirrored star with alcohol ink.  I don't have Tim's loop pins yet (on the list), but I had this one single loop pin I sorted out of an estate sale box of buttons. Perfect!

I chose the Curiosities Word band, because I thought it suited the fantasy theme I've created.  I wiped Black Soot (Yes, it's black!) Distress paint over the band, let it set up for a minute or two, and wiped it off, leaving it in the recesses.  I took a little Perfect Pearl powder on my brush and swiped it on, so those letters are ALIVE!!! Again, the camera just doesn't do it justice! I used Paper twine to tie the Word band on the tag.

Tim's Crinkle ribbon can be colored using just about any medium, and so I threw everything at this little snippet.  Distress inks, stains, paints and then a spritz of Perfect Pearl mist  and then one of  turquoise, followed by another swipe of  Distress paint. It's so shimmery and glamorous and grungy all at the same time!

That's it for today!  I had so much fun making this month's tag that I may just have to make another!  Thank you for stopping in today and for all your inspiring comments!  I read and respond to each one! Hugs!

Sara Emily

I would like to enter this in the following inspiring challenges:

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2015 March

A Vintage Journey "Anything Tim" Happy first birthday, AVJ!  My Tim influence comes from his March tag and his book Compendium of Curiosities Vol. I. Happy numero uno birthday!

Frilly and Funkie "Bring On the Bling!" I hope you can see the SPARKLE!  Bling:  on the flourish, on the butterflies, big and small; on the word band; on the single flower; mirrored star, and pearls. I'm a "Funkie!"

Mixed Media World "Anything Goes" I'm very excited to join in on this first challenge here!

The Artistic Stamper "Spring is Coming!"
That's Crafty "Wings and Things Challenge"

A Sprinkle of Imagination Anything Goes

Our Creative Corner "Junk In Your Trunk"  My junk on this tag is the black chipboard waste packaging I made my butterfly from--it was the backing from an embossing folder. Other "junk":  the loop pin I found in a box of estate sale buttons.

Country View Challenges "Anything Goes" Happy 2nd Blogaversary!

Inspiration Journal "Spring Blooms"

Products: stamps: Tim Holtz Attic Treasures; die cuts: Tim Holtz Layered Butterfly; Tim Holtz Flourish Layering Stencil; Idea-ology:  Observations Word Bands, Mirrored Stars, Crinkle ribbon, Foliage Trinkets, Symphony Tissue Tape, Paper Twine; Ranger: alcohol inks, Perfect Pearls mists and powder, Holographic and clear embossing powders, #8 manila tag; Distress paint, stain and inks; Archival ink; Artco silver texture paste; pearls, pin, washi tape from stash.