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

Celebrating the 4th!

Can you believe it's almost the 4th of July?  I've been having some fun with my Stacked Postage dies and thought they would make for a great patriotic card. I recently used these versatile dies on my Vintage Airmail Collection Folio. You can also see my other festive tag posted later this evening.

I made the monoprint background on Distress Watercolor Cardstock using the Stars Layering Stencil and Faded Jeans Oxide ink. Tim Holtz has a great tutorial for this technique here. After the print was fully dry, I replaced the stencil, being careful to realign it. I used my blending tool to blend Distress Microglaze through the star openings, wiped the excess with a clean cloth, and removed the stencil.

I inked up one of the Ornate Trims stamps with Fired Brick oxide and spritzed lightly with water. The image is resisted by the microglaze, making those stars really pop among the stripes. I blended the panel with Frayed Burlap Distress ink, and finally blended microglaze over the entire panel to bring out the color and to protect it.

The frame was left over from that Mail Folio project. At first, I applied oxide color to the reverse side and applied Distress Resist spray to give the frame a polished look like Paula Cheney shows in her tutorial. I noticed the stars on this side, and decided they worked better than the airplane blueprint design on the reverse. I colored the 'frame' with Fired Brick oxide and Candied Apple ink,  and noticed the Resist spray boo boo. I decided to go with it anyway, and applied some  Tarnished Brass Distress Crayon to balance the shimmer on the Mirrored Stars I adhered in the opposite corner.

The Mirrored Stars were colored with Adirondack Snow Cap Mixative and Distress crayons in Faded Jeans and Tarnished Brass.

I cut apart and colored a Found Relative from the Occasions pack, added an altered Numeric and Milk Cap and chose one of the Occasions Small Talk stickers for my sentiment. I had to add the bits of Christmas Fringe to stand in as a bunting--just added a little blue ink and a spritz of Tarnished Brass Mica spray to take it from Christmas to 4th of July! Or you could use the plain white fringe. I love this stuff, and can't wait to get it in white.

I used some hoarded Nostalgic Distress card stock for my blue postage frame and mats. A little added ink brings everything together.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you celebrate it, I wish you a Happy and safe 4th of July! Thank you for stopping by!

Hugs and Blessings!

Sara Emily

(APRIL PRE-ORDER) Sizzix Thinlits Set - Stacked Postage by Tim Holtz	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Layering Stencils - Stars	(EARLY FEBRUARY PRE-ORDER) Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Ornate Trims	(February Pre-order) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Faded Jeans	(February Pre-order) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Fired Brick
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Faded Jeans	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Candied Apple	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Frayed Burlap	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Black Soot	(SEPTEMBER PRE-ORDER) Tim Holtz Distress Crayons Set- Metallics (Antique Bronze/Brushed Pewter/Tarnished Brass)
(February Pre-order) Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons - 6PC Set #9	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Marker - Fired Brick	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Marker - Tumbled Glass	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Picket Fence	Ranger Distress Micro Glaze
(FEBRUARY PRE-ORDER) Tim Holtz Resist Spray 2oz	Ranger Tim Holtz Mica Sprays RMTK47964 (February Pre-Order)	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte TDAK47933 (February Pre-Order)	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Snow Cap Mixative	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Found Relatives - Occasions
(FEBRUARY PRE-ORDER) Tim Holtz Idea-ology Milk Caps	( LATE SEPTMEBER PRE - ORDER) Tim Holtz Idea-ology Fringe Christmas	(FEBRUARY PRE-ORDER) Tim Holtz Idea-ology Numeric	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Small Talk Occasions	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Watercolor Cardstock