Creative Play - Tags

Since the pandemic became our new reality, I've been doing a lot of creative play with Distress inks and stains. This past week, I created several tags that I'm sharing today.

First, my least favorite:

I've had these pre-printed text tags from American Crafts for a long time. I used a Tim Holtz stamp and heat embossing with extra thick embossing powder to create the heart pattern. My first inking attempt went awry, so I sprayed over it with Distress spray stain in Festive Berries and added just a few embellishments to finish it off. I don't love it, but it's not the worst thing I've ever created.

Next up, another of the four I did with the text-printed tags:

First, I heat embossed with extra thick embossing powder the flower image and applied three colors of Distress ink with a blending tool. A sentiment and a few embellishments finished it off.

This one, the same concept with a different stamp (from the same set as the previous tag) and ink colors, and I added more embellishment, including some fiber.

Here is my favorite of these four:

I wanted to use some of those butterfly stickers that I've had in my stash awhile, and I let those inform my color scheme. Again, I used stamps and extra thick embossing powder, then blended Distress inks, and added embellishments, including a little more stamping. This one turned out better than I expected. I'd forgotten how much I like the look of blended inks.

This next tag was inspired by a stamp set I bought at a local shop earlier this year. I had a basic color scheme in mind, and I wanted to use these stamps, but I kinda made it up as I went along.

One of the stamps is a cluster of hexagons, and I stamped in a repeating pattern over a Distress background in a similar color. I added the focal point image at the bottom and heat embossed the bee images in copper. More stamping, the leaves and text, in green and red, added some contrast, and I stamped the sentiment in black with a couple of black glitter enamel dots as embellishments. A bit of honey-colored ribbon tied to the top of the tag was the finishing touch.

This tag was a pleasant surprise. I started it just playing, basically creating backgrounds, which I've been practicing for weeks, now. I love how the colors all blend together, and there are a few stamped images that blend in, as well. The sentiment was stamped in an a waterproof ink, and I ended up using some water to lighten the background behind it, so the words would show up better. The cork butterflies, and just a few enamel dots and sprinkles of gold spray, are the perfect amount of embellishment, I think.

Next, my second favorite tag, which took a lot of time, but I had a blast!

I started with blending some of my favorite watery colors of Distress inks and layered some background stamps on top. I then heat embossed the mermaid image, a stamp I got at a garage sale several years ago, and colored in the tail, hair, and shell, with ink and water. Adding water, then dabbing it away, I removed some of the ink of the torso, arm, and face to lighten the color, and I added some Wink of Stella to the shell to make it shimmer. I tore the bottom of the tag and added embellishments, then tied several coordinating fibers to finish up the tag. I really enjoyed making this, and I want to do at least one more, maybe using the same image, but with some different colors.

Here's a detail shot:

Last, my very favorite, another tag that took quite awhile to complete, but I loved every minute of it. I had so much fun!

There is a lot of layering on this tag, a stencil and several different stamps, both background and images. I chose several favorite Distress colors, as well as two I rarely use, Tattered Rose and Stormy Sky. I was able to use some very old fibers and trims, as well as some buttons, and I absolutely love how it all works together. I may even frame this tag and hang it up somewhere in my house.

Here are a couple of detail shots:

Working on these tags has been so good for me, providing me with distraction from the difficulties I know we're all experiencing right now, as well as creative practice, and a whole lot of happy.

Now...I think I'd like to get back to some regular old scrapbooking!