Christmas In Raspberry, Green and Gold

I was going through some stuff looking for extra grungeboard and came across a background I had done.  It was for a class I taught on alcohol inks last spring.  The background technique was taught to me by a friend who is a calligrapher.  I have been wanting to do something in nontraditional Christmas color and loved the green, gold and pink background I'd done on this tag and decided it fit the bill as nontraditional.

Tim Holtz Tag #7 from his 12 tags of Christmas was one of my favorites.   I used Tim's technique for making the holly with the kraft glassine paper and I  liked the layout he used for his tag http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/12-tags-of-christmastag-7.html but after that it is pure me.

Supplies:
Heavy black Watercolor paper
Gesso
Pieces of heavy card board cut it into a scraping tool with different tips and widths
Alcohol inks at least one metallic
Alterations holly die
Alterations mini flourish
On the Edge border die
3 gold bells
Gold Dabber
Gold embossing powder
Assorted ribbons, twill
wire
Angel button with back cut off
Stamp with saying.

I found working on long strips of paper seems to give you more freedom of movement.  So I would have my black strips of paper at least a foot long and about a 4 or 5 inches wide.  You can cut it into several tags after you are done.  Paint gesso onto the black paper with a sponge brush in a thick layer.   Before it dries take the tool you have made and drag , swirl, and zigzag through the gesso on the paper in a free flowing movement.  When you are satisfied with the results set aside to dry.

While the gesso is drying, decide what colors of alcohol ink you would like to use.  Adele uses calligraphy inks which have a very bright intense color so you can use those to if you have them.  I like the alcohol inks mainly because that is what I own.   I put a piece of felt on my handle and I only put one color of ink on at a time.  I try and follow the directions of the swipes with my inks and just sort of swish it on.  Then I changed the felt and do the same thing with another color.

I put the metallic on last and just do minimal swipes with it.  Like all metallic if you use to much it will over take your other colors.   Hit it with a heat gun to make sure it is dry.

Then sand paper it to get the white to show through on the raised dried gesso.

I had some gold paper that I adhered to some grunge paper and cut out the mini flourish by Alterations.  I sanded it and then distressed it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Using an On the  Edge border die cut an edge and paint gold with the gold dabber. Sand paper it and then take Vintage Photo with a handle and foam and go over the edge.

Make your Holly using Tim Holtz  technique in Tag #7.

Stamp your saying and emboss with gold embossing powder and cut out, set aside.

Put 3 bells on a wire and wrap it around the tulle and ribbon .  Cut the wire in the back.  Since I want everything to really stick I used a glue gun to put it all together.

Now you can start putting your tag together.  Glue gun the flourish down first, the glue gun the bottom part of the holly and lay them down.  Glue gun the back of the tulle, bell piece onto the holly.  Then using mounting tape put your saying at the top of the tag.  Glue embellishment and attach ribbons.

You have a beautiful Christmas tag.

As I have been making tags I have been hanging them on my Christmas tree to enjoy for a short time.  Next week I will be putting them in envelopes and mailing them to people.