Sunday, December 16, 2012

Hello from a lost blogger....

 Wow, you can't imagine what a hard time I am having getting started blogging again...
I start and stop and start over...
I really don't understand what this "block" is, but it's really difficult to get past it.
I hope that this time I can finish it and just get back into this part of my scrapbooking.
I have so many projects that I have done since the last time I wrote here, 
I hope I can get going and start sharing.
It is an incentive to share here and enter some challenges so that we have a chance of winning some free stuff, right??? That is always FUN!!!

This first thing I want to share today is a bookmark I made for my Bible Study group. This was my first time really trying to make a "batch" of the same thing. Usually, I just can't make the same thing over and over...somehow it gets tedious and I only get two or three done. I see others make batches of the same card or tag and I think that's a great thing. You get some stash going so that you have cards when you need them. I use the cards I make and I am always running short and have to buy boxes for back-up.

Anyway, these little tags came out really well and it was fun. I got tired of the process near the end, but I kept on. I still have a few unfinished that I need to get to.

Here's my tag:



The tag itself is a free download from http://astridsartisticefforts.blogspot.com/
Astrid has beautiful vintage designs on her site and on Pinterest that you can download for free.
I have been a happy scrapper since I found her beautiful stuff. 

I used the set of four Christmas tags and used the designs on the front and the back, so that both sides are pretty.

Next I stamped the tree from a Christmas stamp set by Stampabilities. This is an older set but has beautiful large designs on it. I stamped with Versamark and embossed in white. 
Next, I used Distress inks "Tea Dye" and "Burlap" on the front and back to shade the sides and give them depth. 

Next, I stamped the back with the "Christmas" stamp...carefully putting red ink on the "Christmas" and black ink on the text. I had to re-write the red with a good pen because it wasn't as vibrant as I wanted it.

Then Versamark and white embossing on the white swirl underneath the tree. This could have been done when I stamped the tree but I design as I go and what to put under the tree eluded me until the very end. I am really happy with how that swirl came out.

Now the fun part...I bought "Artist Spackle" from Hot Off The Press and used it to highlight the tree branches. I put "Rock Candy" Stickles on top of the spackle to give it some shimmer. I also used the spackle on the back to look like snow. It really worked well. When I gave the girls their tags, all of them wanted to know how I got that tree so "real" looking, and what was that stuff that looked like snow.  It's those extra touches that I love to use. I used Tim Holtz' "snow" stamp (little dots all over) on the back. I remember him sharing that he uses that stamp all the time for extra depth. He's right, I never put that stamp away. It is perfect for applying to anything for extra dimension. 

Oh yes, almost forgot...I used white liquid pearls for the snow on the front. I loved what that did for the tag...it just made it look so pretty.

I added cranberry  "Liquid Pearls" for berries, gathered up some ribbons, and I was done. 
It's quite a process to do the same thing to 15 tags, though.
I don't know if I like to do it or not...but if you want to make gifts for a group, there's no way of getting around it.

Here's the challenges I found to enter this tag:

http://berry71bleu.blogspot.com/ winter
http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/ let's get inky
http://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.com/ a tag

So that's my share for today, I am making a commitment here and now not to allow myself to get intimidated by this blogging thing...gotta stay with it.

Thanks for visiting. Please leave a comment, I love to hear from people who stop in.

May God bless you this Christmas season and all year through.

e                         

9 comments:

  1. I am really impressed together with your writing skills as
    smartly as with the layout in your blog. Is this a paid subject matter or did you modify it your self?
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  2. It's a beautiful tag! I love the artists spackle with the rock candy Stickles. I will have to go check out Astrid's. :) Thanks for participating
    and sharing your creation with us in the TIOT " Let's get Inky" challenge.

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  3. Glad you got back to blogging and sharing, love the tags that you made for your bible study group, I bet they love them! Thanks for playing along with us at TIOT Get Inky challenge! waving hi from the hills of North Carolina :)

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  4. Lovely Christmas tags! I also wish you keep blogging!!! Thanks for playing along at b71b!!!
    Hugs!!!

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  5. Fabulous tag, love the texture and the swirl ! Thanks for joining us at Frilly and Funkie. Sue C x

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  6. Once you start, you will be doing more and more! Love this spackle effect! Great Christmas tag and I thank you for joining us at Frilly and Funkie!

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  7. Hello Elena, your tag is beautiful. I can't create the same card over again too many times either, so I know what you mean. But it's quicker for sure as the design stage takes me a long time ! Thanks for leaving your kind comment at my blog. Shirley

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  8. Oh, this tag is LOVELY! So many techniques on such a small canvas! Beautiful work :)

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  9. Very nice tag!!! I love all the textures you added to this tag. I know what you mean by starting to blog again..i took a break for a while and now getting back to it again.

    Thanks for playing along with us at berry71bleu.

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