Tag Friday at A Vintage Journey

Whenever there is a 5th Friday in a month -  we celebrate a Tag Friday over at A Vintage Journey and who ever signs up creates a tag in any theme/design.  We post them on our blogs with tutorials and then post just the tags over at A Vintage Journey.

So I signed up for this month - and decided to get out my brandy-new and hardly been touched Ranger Distress Oxide Inks and have some play!  And I have to say - I LOVE how the background came out on this tag!  I can't wait until my order with other colors comes so I can play some more!

Here's how I created my tag.

I took a #8 Manila Tag and dragged it through Distress Inks Cracked Pistachio and Dried Marigold that I had rubbed on my craft mat and spritzed with water.  

Pretty light at this point.  

The tag on the left was the first drag so the one on the right  in my photos will always be lighter for each step!  I dried each layer with my heat tool before moving onto the next - so I didn't create MUD!

Next, I dragged each tag through Distress Oxide Vintage Photo that had been spritzed with water on my mat.  With each drag over the mat - I look at the tag and decide if I want more in a certain place or if I want spots or big areas of color.    You never really know what you'll get but you can control it a little bit!  You can already see how the Distress Oxides look different than the Distress Inks. The orange and green show up a little bit more than you can see in the photo below but they are much lighter than the Oxides.

My next layer was with Distress Oxide Broken China with water on the mat.

I wanted to add a little more of the Distress Dried Marigold and Cracked Pistachio so I sponged that on the tags here and there.

And finally I decided to try the Distress Oxides sponged through stencils.  I used Vintage Photo on the left tag and Broken China on the right tag.

The stenciling was pretty dark so I spritzed with water over the stenciling and it melted the color down a little bit.   I also flicked some water over the tags to create spots.

Then as Tim says in his video about the DOX inks -  you have to stop or you could keep adding layer on layer for ever -  just to see what it will look like!  So I stopped here and started decorating.  I ended up using the tag on the right and will use the other one another

I got out Lifes Possibilities - a clear set from Tim/SA and Daper, along with some new Idea-ology stuff - Chatter Design Tape, Quote Chips, and Clippings Stickers.

I colored some Mirrored Hearts with Aqua Adirondack Alcohol Ink

I tied Linen Ribbon and Trimmings/Natural through the hole - tying them with a piece of twine.

I just LOVE the background with it's mix of Distress and Oxide Inks!

 I always add a slightly larger layer of black card to my tags - I like the finished look it gives to the edges and also hides all the mess on the back of the tag that seems to 'happen' when you drag through ink, flick and splatter!

 I put a panel of kraft card on the back of my tag so I could stamp a sentiment or write a salutation.  I will probably use this for a masculine birthday card.

If you are a maker of tags (or think you might like to be!) -  please check out all of the Creative Guides tag creations over at A Vintage Journey here!

I'm linking my tag to:
Country View Challenges - Inspired by Tim Holtz

Stamps:  Daper and Life's Possibilities - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  #8 Manila Tag - Ranger, True Black - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Oxide Inks Vintage Photo and Broken China, Ranger Distress Inks Dried  Marigold and Cracked Postachio, Adirondack Lights Alcohol Ink Aqua,  Archival Jet Black, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Idea-ology Chatter Design Tape, Mirrored Hearts, Quote Chips, Clippings Stickers, Linen Ribbon, Trimmings/Natural; water mister, craft mat - Ranger, twine.