RANGER INDUSTRIES recently announced that Tim's Seasonal Distress Ink Packs are becoming part of their regular Distress Ink Line; now available all year long! Check out this announcement on Ranger's blog HERE. They are also hosting a contest asking followers to create a project using Distress Inks and post it to their blog.
I recently purchased Tim's new Bell Jar Sizzix die cut and have been dying to try it on an idea for a vintage Christmas tag. I also have some of Wendy Vecchi's Clearly For Art Modeling Film sitting around and after seeing her very cool 3D Sticky Back Acorn Tag on Ranger's blog, I was inspired to try it. So, I decided to use this opportunity to create a Christmas tag using Tim's Bell Jar, Wendy's Clearly For Art and some of the Seasonal Distress Inks that are now part of their normal Distress line.
I began with a #8 Manila Tag. I randomly heat embossed some of the snowflakes from Tim Holtz' Mini Holidays stamp set using Clear Embossing Powder. I used primarily Evergreen Bough and Ripe Persimmon Distress Inks on the background for this tag.
I used a Gold Paint Dabber and edged the tag with it, lightly brushing some of the paint onto the edges around the tag to create more of a "luminous" effect at the edges.
The Bell Jar is cut out of Wendy Vecchi's clear Clearly For Art Modeling Film. Then I heated it and molded it to arch just a little bit; trying to simulate a glass dome. The base of the bell jar is cut out of Grungeboard and painted with first a Pitch Paint Dabber followed by sweeps from a Gold Paint Dabber to create an antique gold effect. I also edged the Bell Jar with the Gold Paint Dabber to better define it's edges.
I added "snow" to the top of the dome first with Rock Candy Stickles. After they dried, I added some Stardust Stickles to provide that glisten of new fallen snow. The December calendar, also from Mini Holidays, was stamped onto Manila Cardstock using Coffee Archival Ink and the edges torn and distressed with Gathered Twigs and Black Soot Distress Inks. I added "snow" to the top of it as well...just as I had done on the Bell Jar dome.
Santa underneath the dome is from Tim Holtz' Mini Holidays stamp set. He was stamped onto Manila Cardstock using Coffee Archival ink. But I also tapped the stamp with a Fired Brick ink pad before stamping to add the red color rather than the brown color to Santa. Once I had stamped Santa onto the Manila Cardstock, I added a little Milled Lavender and Spun Sugar (using a water brush) to colorize his face. I then added Platinum, Lime, Patina and Candy Cane Stickles to accent the holly bough above his head and outline my Santa. When he dried, I placed him on the tag, added a piece of 1/4" Wonder Tape to hold the bottom of the dome in place and added the dome on top of my Santa. Then I wrapped a little piece of metallic gold ribbon around the knob of the Bell Jar, added a couple of little jingle bells and tacked the top of the Bell Jar in place using a piece of 1/4" Wonder Tape. The Clearly For Art stayed curved; which really looks great. Then I added the pedestal of the Bell Jar using the Wonder Tape. I then added more "snow" to the base of the pedestal with Stardust Stickles.
I embellished the tag with one of Tim Holtz' Mini Snowflakes, cut from Grungeboard and colored with a Gold Paint Dabber, lightly covered in Platinum Stickles and a bit of "bling" added to the center.
I added three Grungeboard holly leaves from Tim Holtz' Pine Tree Movers and Shapers. They were colorized first with a Juniper Paint Dabber followed by Evergreen Bough Distress Ink, edged with a Gold Paint Dabber and topped with a touch of Stardust Stickles. The "berries" are half pearls that are colored using Red Pepper Alcohol Ink. I added another little piece of the gold metallic ribbon for a more festive feeling.
Create a project using Ranger's incredible Distress Inks and enter your piece in their contest! There are some really inspiring works of art already posted. So fun to look at!
Have a great weekend and take some time out for yourself to just PLAY!!!
Here are the products available through Simon Says Stamp that I used on this Vintage Christmas Tag:
