12 Tags of Christmas - Tag #6

Wow - half way through Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of Christmas 2011. I have to tell you, this one really made me think. I'm going to show you Tim's Tag #6 here, instead of sending you off to his blog. Maybe you will see why I was struggling:

I was having trouble getting past those colours and seeing the Really Cool Enameling technique. So, I checked out the thumbnail gallery of what some other stampers came up with, and decided I could do it after all.

My way.

In colours I feel comfortable with.

And I think it's my new favourite! I followed his steps, attaching sticky-backed silver foil paper to GLOSSY card stock. Then I deviated a little. Well, more than a little. I didn't want the tag to look like my Tag #3 which was also enameled ... so I used alcohol inks and Tim's blending solution and dabbed colours all over the sheet. Then I cut out the coloured sheet using Tim's tag die, and ran it through the Big Shot with a Sizzix snowflake embossing folder.

I painted over the surface with Tim's Picket Fence dauber, then sanded it off with a sanding block. It looked really cool and I was finally thinking that I was going to like the way it turned out.

After I wiped off the sanding grit, I swiped the surface with a Versamark ink pad and embossed the whole thing with clear embossing powder. And repeated the process once the first layer cooled - it got really hot with the base being the metal!

Instead of a the painted and enameled wreath, I cut one of Tim's deer out of really heavy sparkly white card stock, and popped it up with thick foam tape. Some K&Co snowflake stickers, bling and a punched (Martha Stewart) snowflake finished it off.

 

I tied the top of the tag with sheer ribbon and ... done. I love the way this looks, and I really like the enameled metal. Without the painting and sanding and inking first.  But it is all about being inspired and making things your own, so I feel like this tag is a success.

Thanks for stopping by today!