God Bless America, Land That I Love

Welcome! It's almost the 4th of July in the USA, and it just happens to be one of my favorite holidays. It also happens to be the 5th Friday of the month in the UK, so that means it's Tag Friday at A Vintage Journey. Any time there are 5 Fridays in a month, the Creative Guides get to create a tag with no constraints of themes or products--yippee! If you haven't been over to the blog yet, I urge you to--there are some amazing creative tags created by my talented teamies! You can see another 4th of July card I made here.

I started with a black #8 tag and trimmed out the edges with star themed Industrious Stickers. Some were colored with Heavy Metals and then Distress crayon, and some with just crayon.

I had just trashed a panel I embossed with my new Mechanics 3D Texture Fade. I made it for another project, but absolutely hated it after throwing way too many mixed media products at it. When I saw it laying there on top of the trash, I thought it looked like fireworks, so I found a way to salvage it just for this tag.

I really can't remember what products I originally used on the panel, and now I can't even remember what it looked like. I just know there were embossing powders involved, and I think Distress oxides and crayons.  Anyway, I gave it a couple of thin coats of cheapo gesso and allowed that to dry while I worked out my collage. I actually  started to like it! Thinking it needed some color to tie all the bits together, I swiped the raised areas with Faded Jeans oxide, and I loved it. I cut the panel to size and layered with a downsized Pocket Card, Labels die cut, and Paper Doll. 

I used  one of Tim Holtz' Christmas Cling Foam stamps and Picket Fence ink for the 'fireworks' in the background. Some vintage seam binding, dyed seam binding ribbon, and Jute String, a gift from my good buddie, Autumn remind me of a tattered flag.

I am very proud to be an American and so thankful for this wonderful country and the freedoms we still have. I do pray that God will bless America, this land that I do so love.

Challenge shares:
Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #49 – "Wrap it Up!" I've wrapped my tag's edges in stars! My Paper Doll has a wrap of some sort around her.

Cropstop June Link Party - #40

The Artistic Stamper June's Creative Challenge - Colour it Blue 'Fireworks' stamping in background.

Country View Challenges June 2018 - The Written Word
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes

These products were used on this project and can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Industrious Stickers Gallery	Ken Oliver Color Burst 6 Pack Liquid Metals - Heavy Metals (February Pre-Order)	(February Pre-order) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons - 6PC Set #9	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons - 6PC Set #3 TDBK47926 (February Pre-order)	(MAY PRE-ORDER) Sizzix 3-D Texture Fades Embossing Folder - Mechanics
Sizzix Alternations Tim Holtz Thinlits Dies - Labels	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Label Letters	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Small Talk Occasions	(February Pre-order) Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ruler Pieces	Tim Holtz Ideaology Paper Dolls TH93555
Seam Binding	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Snow Cap Mixative	Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Mirrored Stars	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Marker - Fired Brick	(February Pre-order) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Faded Jeans
(February Pre-order) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Broken China	(JULY PRE-ORDER) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Antique Linen	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Picket Fence (February Pre-Order)	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Antique Linen	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Frayed Burlap
Ranger Tim Holtz Ground Espresso Distress Ink Pad	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte TDAK47933 (February Pre-Order)	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Pocket Cards