Monday, November 13, 2017

Loll and Friends - 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 8

I was thrilled when Loll Thompson invited me to be a guest designer again this year for her wonderful Twelve Tags of Christmas event over on her blog Stamping with Loll.  Her event runs from November 6th - 17th so we're a little bit more than half way through!  
If you want some beautiful and creative ideas for Christmas tags - be sure to check it out!

And now, without further ado -  here is my tag for Loll's Twelve Tags of Christmas 2017!
I have a few photos to show you how I put this together.
First I created the background by rubbing Ranger Distress Walnut Stain ink on my nonstick craft mat.  I spritzed over the ink with water and then bounced the tag into the mix.  I dried it with my heat tool and then tapped it in again to get more bead-like drops.
Then I stenciled over the background with Tim's Merry Christmas stencil using Barn Door Distress Ink.  I put removable tape on the back of my tag to hold it on the mat while I sponged over the stencil.
Then I got out Tim's Mini Pine stencil and decided where I wanted to put a few trees - and sponged them on over the text - using Forest Moss Distress Ink.  I sponged the bigger tree on the left, then shifted the stencil and sponged the big tree again as well as the medium tree.
I die cut a Ribbon  banner out of red card, stamped it with a sentiment from Tim's new Watercolor Trees stamp set and sponged the edges of the banner with Walnut Stain Distress.  I also sponged around my whole tag at this point with Walnut Stain Distress.
I put an extra thick foam dot in the center of the banner and thinner foam dots near each end so the center stands out off the tag.  I looped red and green wrinkled seam tape through the hole and knotted twine around them
I always layer my tags to a slightly larger colored piece that I just cut from cardstock and trim off the corners - here I used red.  I like how it defines the tag - plus it covers up any mess created on the back with all the distress inks!
I flicked water over the tag with my fingers to create water spots.  You can see them on the trees here -  you can also see how the trees DO actually look greenish in the right light!
I added this cute wooden deer 
(I don't know where I got these critters - the bag has no company listed on it - maybe Hobby Lobby?)  A adhered two Clippings Stickers/Christmas from Idea-ology on the bottom of my tag.
So what kind of tags are you making for the holidays?

Look here for my 2016 tag
Look here for my 2015 tag
Look here for my 2014 tag

You will find my 2017 tag over at Loll's 12 Tags of Christmas post here.   I'd love if you'd take a peek!
 We hope you'll create a mixed media tag as well and link it up over at  Stamping with Loll!

 The guidelines for Loll's challenge are that it must be a mixed media Christmas tag (any style / any size) which includes stamping, plus two mixed media elements (techniques or products).

I'm also linking my tag to:
Happy Little Stampers


Stamps:  Water Color Trees - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  #8 Manila tag - Ranger, Pure Poppy - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Forest Moss, Barn Door, Walnut Stain, Archival Jet Black
Accessories:  Clippings Stickers/Christmas Idea-ology, twine, Wrinkled Seam Tape, Wooden Deer - Hobby Lobby?, Ribbon Banner Die - Nestabilities

21 comments:

Bunny said...

Love your cute tag. That reindeer is great. Lovely colors. [Bunny]

BożenA said...

Thank you for your amazing guide, how did you make this beautiful tag. Great vintage style, very traditional Christmas. He has the mood of a Christmas Eve. In Poland this is the most beautiful evening of the year, and your tag has this magic in it :-)
Hugs,
BozenA

Mac Mable said...

Love the step by step and how you made this gorgeous tag. I am always intrigued how things are made, so thank you x Love the background and the layering effect, great 3D effect with those trees and the wood embellishment is adorable. x Congratulations on guesting today and loved the other tags from previous years too x Thanks for the amazing inspiration x

Nstiz said...

Julia, this one is fantastic and thanks for showing all the detail in how you created this. Love the layers of color and stenciling combined with that awesome deer. What a fabulous tag!

nancy littrell said...

Wow..Stunning mixed media Christmas tag, Julia. I had so much fun reading carefully and looking at your photos of each creative step. Thank you so much for sharing my friend. Happy Holidays and am looking forward to more of your Christmas creations. Hugs...

Loll said...

I love all your inky layers on this tag Julia! The splashed background and your two layers of stencils really created a fantastic background. Your red banner really pops and your wooden deer is so cute!! Thanks so much for being a Guest Designer for me again this year, Julia! You're the BEST!! xx

Darnell said...

This is really sensational, Julia! Thank you for sharing the process as this is way out of my creative realm! I'm fascinated by the creative steps to the finished outstanding result!! Hugs, Darnell

Christine Alexander said...

Julia, beautiful layers with colour and stencils for the background. I love the traditional colours and that wooden deer is so sweet. thanks for all the instructions :)

Mona Pendleton said...

What a fun and festive tag Julia! Love the artistic flair and that fun deer!

Karen Dunbrook said...

just another fab card this year mf...love your inky layers and that cute and fun whimsical deer...looks so great.
xx Karen

Bonnie said...

So many wonderful techniques here, Julia! Love the wooden deer! It's perfect for a tag!

Daria said...

I love your wonderful background, and that deer is just perfect--whimsical and fun. Thank you for sharing the details.

Marcia Hill said...

I am just blown away by your FABULOUS tag Julia...head over heels in love with it! And thank you for the detailed descriptions and photos on how you achieved your look...so want to CASE a tag like this with what I have on hand! Thanks so much for the inspiration...lovely, lovely tag!! :0)

Susan said...

Wonderful layering and colours. I'm so glad you included the step-by-step as it will help me get better at layering for mixed media! Love the way you did the main sentiment and then added the clippings stickers, and great tying the colours together with the two ribbons.

SewPaperPaint said...

Congrats on being one of Loll's guest, Julia! This is such an awesome tag and I love your inky layering. <3 I need that sentiment stencil, how cool! Hugs, Autumn

Pat said...

Wonderful to see you as one of Loll's guests Julia, and I adore the wooden reindeer and the inked and stencilled background looks great with it, also love that bright red ribbon. x

K M Meena Herale said...

Stunning tag, love it.
Thank you for Joining us at Happy Little stampers and waiting to see next time.

Hugs
Meena HLS Mixed Media DT

Linda said...

Love your tag, the inky layers look amazing. Great step by steps too xx

Words and Pictures said...

Oh, lovely - there's something so friendly about that sweet deer! Congrats on your guest spot.
Alison x

Tanja said...

love the vintage background that you created on your tag - thanks for joining us at the Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media Challenge

sarascloset said...

Julia, I wish there were twenty of me, so I could get around and see all the wonderful projects I've been missing. It's just by luck that I dropped in here today, and I have to say that I have fabulous luck! What a sweet reindeer on this stunning tag! I'm so happy you were chosen as a Favorite at HLS--so deserving! And I want to say thank you while I'm here for my sweet Christmas greetings! We just got back in town, and now it's time to get the tree decorated, the gifts bought and wrapped, and menu set and shopped for. I will get to sit down and relax and open cards one of these days! I am walking on happy clouds knowing there is a card waiting for me from you! Merry Christmas!