Mixed Media Tags Featuring Red Castle Stamps by Nancy Sheads for The Queen's Ink

Welcome back to the Queen's Inkling!

I'm back today with a project that is a first for me - mixed media tags! My project features stamps from Red Castle (available exclusively at the Queen's Ink) and Penny Black as well as inks and stencils from Tim Holtz and Ranger.

As you know, my primary medium is Copic markers and the end result is usually a handmade card, but I've been experimenting with other media, including watercolors, colored pencils, and Distress Inks. These simple tags provided the perfect opportunity to explore color and texture with supplies that I already had at hand.

INSTRUCTIONS

I work in a relatively small space and knew that things could get messy quickly. I covered my work surface with an Easy Clean Mat from Tonic to protect it and speed clean up when I was finished.

1. Using a blending tool, apply Distress Ink to one side of a #8 manila craft tag.
   In the case of the first tag, I started in the middle with Mustard Seed, blending each side with Spiced Marmalade followed by Picked Raspberry. For the second tag, I started at the bottom with Chipped Sapphire, working upward from dark to light with Peacock Feathers and Broken China, ending with Cracked Pistachio. I followed with a second coat to make sure that the inks were well blended and coverage was even. 
2. Lightly spritz the tag using a mini mister filled with plain water.
   The water will activate the ink and create a pattern as it dries. Use as much or as little as you want to get to desired effect.
3. Once the ink has dried, stamp the images to be embossed with Versamark Ink. 
   I used Leaves Set 3 by Red Castle Stamps. The images are deeply etched and leave a clear impression. I particularly liked the botanical images and chose those for my tags.
4. Cover with embossing powder and heat set the images.
   Be sure that your heat gun has had a chance to warm up first to reduce warping of your tag.
5. Decide the placement of your stencils and apply Texture Paste with a palette knife. Wash your palette knife and stencil immediate with water. Allow Texture Paste to dry completely.
   Do not use a heat gun to dry the texture paste as it may cause bubbling (unless that's the effect you want!).
6. Once texture paste is dry, lightly dab and blend Distress Ink in the color of your choice over the raised stenciled areas. 
   You can either select a contrasting color to make the stenciled image stand out or match the ink to the background to create texture without additional contrast.
7. Stamp any additional sentiments using a stamping platform.
   I selected sentiments and a butterfly image from the Spiritual Snippets Stamp Set and the Snippets Stamp set, both by Penny Black. I used a Tim Holtz Stamping Platform so that I could stamp multiple sentiments at the same time using Versafine Ink in Onyx Black.
8. Apply Distress Micro Glaze to seal inks.
   A little goes a long way! Buff with a soft towel (I actually used a paper towel) to remove excess.
9. Add a ribbon or other embellishments as desired.
   Don't forget to sit back and admire your work!

SUPPLIES

• Tonic Essentials Easy Clean Mat
• #8 manila craft tags 
• Distress Inks: Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Cracked Pistachio, Broken China, Peacock Feathers and Chipped Sapphire
• Ranger Mini Round Ink Blending Tool and Foam Applicators (one for each ink color)
• Ranger Inkssentials Mini Mister filled with plain water
• Stamps: Leaves Set 3 by Red Castle Stamps; Spiritual Snippets by Penny Black; Snippets by Penny Black
• Tsukineko Versamark Embossing Ink
• Stampendous Detail White Fine Opaque Embossing Powder
• Heat gun
• Palette knife
• Ranger Texture Paste (opaque matte finish)
• Various stencils (I used the custom stencil included in the Tim Holtz Distress Mixed Media Spray Stain Kit)
• Tim Holtz Stamping Platform
• Tsukineko Versafine Ink in Onyx Black
• Tim Holtz Distress Micro Glaze

All supplies are available at the Queen's Ink. Stop by and be inspired!

Tag...you're it!

Hi, Honoré here: Lately I've been smitten by tags... you know, those sundry shipping tags that come in a variety of sizes. Perhaps it's the season since tags are pretty much on most of our minds as we begin (anyone finished?) to wrap holiday presents and/or finish making cards. Or perhaps it's the fact that as I've visited blogs throughout this month, I'm seeing lots of clever ideas and tutorials for making tags for everything from creating shopping or to-do lists to fabric books to clever ways to package gift cards. Seems that the sky is the limit.

Tags are quite versatile; they can be used as:

1. gifts
2. shopping/to-do lists
3. substrate for practicing techniques ranging from masking, misting, stamping, and stenciling, to journaling or taking notes
4. embellishments on pages in a mini album or as pages on which to mount photos from your iPhone or camera phone.

You can write, paint, stitch, glue, type, stamp, cut, tear, crumble, or emboss tags. Don't like what you did? Not a problem; just paint over the tag and use it to try something else...or save it and cut it into shapes or strips or adhere it to a page in your art journal for use further down the road...

In the scheme of things, tags are really quite inexpensive and handy little things to have around. Being quite portable, you can carry them with you at all times for those unexpected free moments.

Over the next couple weeks, between the holidays' lull, why not play with some tags. Try out a technique or a supply that is new to you. A tag is small and definitely not as intimidating as a full sized piece of art paper or a blank page in an art journal. Have Fun. Play. Experiment. And remember, you don't need to throw the tag away...it can be used in your art journal or recycled as an embellishment or used to make a grocery, to-do, or don't forget list...

And while we're on the subject of tags, have you checked out the new class - Peeled Pages -coming in January that features tags as pages? Check out the description here and don't tarry about registering: seating is limited and spaces are filling up fast.

Happy Holidays!

PS: This tutorial by Tammy Tutterow is a great example of creating a tag in action. And of course, you can purchase most if not all of the supplies and tools, including some of the Crafter's Workshop stencils, right here at The Queen's Ink. How about a gift from you to you?