12 Tags of Christmas - My Version of Tag #2

As many of you know, Tim Holtz is in full swing with his annual 12 Tags of Christmas.  These tags are truly works of art and he encourages us to make our own version of the tags.  I have loved each and every one but I decided to start my attempts with Tag #2.  Here it is!

Carts and Materials (Warning: This list is long!)

• Christmas Cart - Reindeer (cut 3 times)
• George and Basic Shapes - circle (for wreath base)
• MS Elegant Cake Art - border
• TH Distress Inks - Peeled Paint, Fired Brick, Stormy Sky, Vintage Photo
• TH Distress Stain - Picket Fence
• Versa Mark Embossing Ink
• Stamp - SU Hand Penned Holiday
• Punch - MS Pine Branch
• Perfect Pearls Mist in Perfect Pearl
• My Stash - twine, acorn charm, red seam binding, TH Fragments Charm, round paper clip, tag

Making this tag was more involved for me because I didn't have everything that Tim used in his tag.  He used his line of paper that already had the vintage look and an embossed saying.  I had to create mine.  I started with some free Christmas sheet music I found on the internet.  Once printed, I aged it with my TH vintage photo ink.  I then lined it up with my tag and cut out the shape. 

I covered the entire tag with the TH Distress Stain in Picket Fence.  You need to let this soak in the paper for a few seconds and then hit it with a heat gun.  I wanted to create the embossed design on the right side of the tag.  I found a "Merry Christmas" stamp I had from SU and stamped that with my Versamark pad.  I covered it with UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Powder) to make it really stand up and then hit it with the heat gun.  In an effort to make it stand out even more, I went over the raised image with TH Distress Ink in Stormy Sky.  I wish I had had a stamp with more coverage.  I think my stamp is too fine to really show up.

I tried to create the illusion of a holly sprig and berries with my inks.  I turned out ok.  After everything was dry, I spritzed the tag with Perfect Pearls Mists in Perfect Pearls.  The splatters look like snow flurries.  I edged the whole tag with the TH Stormy Sky ink.

Next, I cut the reindeer at 3" 3 times and glued them all together.  I distressed the top layer with TH Vintage Photo ink.  I layered 2 circles (one smaller than the other) inside each other to make a ring,  I covered the ring with pine sprigs punched with the MS punch.  I really like the way it turned out.  I also put a charm on a piece of twine and tied it around his neck.  I put some pop dots on the back and attached him to the tag.

To finish off the tag, I attached a strip of burlap to the tap with some red seam binding.  Once in place, I attached a tag made from a TH fragments and scrap paper to a round paper clip and looped it through the seam binding.  Now, finally, the tag was complete!

This puppy took some work but I am very pleased with the final results.  As always, leave me some blog love and tell me what you think.  And please check out Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas on his blog.  His creations are breath taking and you can learn tons of techniques.  Click here to go to his blog.  Until next time...

Smooches!