my Crafty Corner

Cards and other handicrafts made by Jean Straw

Sunday 14 September 2014

Not A Card

To day instead of a card I am showing you the tags I've just made for the tag swap on the Chocolate Baroque community site. We make two tags each month and send them to our organiser, Margaret who swaps and posts them. So each month in the mail we receive tags back from two different talented crafters. This year the swaps are titled Technique Tags, and Margaret has provided us with the techniques. This month it was cracked ice technique. This involves stamping and colouring an image onto card and then embossing it with several layers of  clear embossing powder and then putting it in the freezer for a few minutes.Then take out again and bend it to make the cracks.You the rub brown ink into the cracks to add an aged look. I got the cracks done ok but I don't think the ink bit worked quite so well, although it did get into some of the cracks. We have a choice to make whether to make two the same or different, and as you can see I opted for doing them the same this time. As I have mentioned before most of my projects start with a stamped image which is why I have put this photo first. The stamp I used is Chocolate Baroque from a set called Romantica, stamped with Memento Elderberry ink. I inked the background lightly with antique linen and victorian velvet DI and darkened the edge with pickled preserves, and then cut it out. After the embossing and cracking I mounted it onto mauve pearl card.
Having made the toppers I set about preparing the tags.They are cut from ivory card using the Tim Holtz tag die. I coloured them by dabbing the same DI colours as before plus a little aged mahogany onto my craft mat and spritzing with water and dabbing  the tags into it. I added a little extra DI shading round the edges. Next I added some over stamping using CB stamps and pickled preserves ink. Lastly I added a few stars with white paint through a Memory Box stencil.The tags still look a bit buckled in this photo from all wetting and drying processes, but I flattened them out later.
So here are the finished tags, the Celebrate stamp is an old wood mounted one, I couldn't find a name. I stamped it onto vellum and used a tearing ruler to tear it into a narrow strip to wrap around the lower part of the tag, and then added purple ribbon through the hole.
The toppers were stamped on a snippet of ivory card, and the pearl card for the mats was also a snippet so I am skipping over to Pixies' Playground with them.
Thank you for visiting my blog and for your comments which are really appreciated.
I see it just into Monday now so I hope you will pop over to Cardsarus  to read Jenny's TCBH post later today.

15 comments:

  1. These turned out so pretty with the cracked ice technique! I love the colors you used, and now you may have inspired me to try making some cracked ice of my own! Great tags!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Jean,
    This technique is fabulous. I love all your inking , and designing of these fab tags.
    The colours are great too.
    Now a long while back when I used to heat emboss a lot, I had a few that cracked, and threw them away so I will remember this and have a go again.
    I love the idea of putting the ink into the cracks to age it, not heard of this before.
    I sometimes think I live on a different planet, as I have missed so much in the crafting world.
    Thank you for the mention about my TCBH today.
    Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jean, these are magnificent. Thanks for reminding about this cracked ice technique too. You did a fab job on these, and I am so loving the background on your tags (and the tags too of course). Lots of interest with those terrific color combinations. That was a perfect choice of the images on your topper as well. You did this technique perfectly and I enjoyed seeing your project. Well done!!! TFS & Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fantastic tags, its a super technique as well.
    Yvonne x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Two great tags. I think the inking worked very well. You chose an interesting colour combination - quite bright for you! The topers look lovely set against the backgrounds. Well done. Kate x

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fantastic tags jean, I've never heard of this technique! Had a closer look and I can see the cracks on the surface. Love the colours that you've chosen too, Cathy x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow Jean - what fab tags and such a great technique too! I do love how you explain things so well. Another one to try :)

    Hugs, Di xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. This was a fascinating read for me, Jean, as that whole process is one I've never heard of and I think the results are magnificent! It really does look like a layer of frozen ice!! Thank you for that education and for the inspiration with these two gorgeous snippets tags!! Thanks, too, for the reminder about Jenny's TCBH post. I'm on my way ... Hugs, Darnell

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yep . . . I agree with Darnell . . . MAGNIFICENT RESULTS. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  10. These tags are amazing, Jean! Mixed Media still scares me and I've never braved the cracked glass. You have inspired me!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Brilliant tags Jean, they are so beautiful and lots of work behind them.

    Hugs and love
    Maarit

    ReplyDelete
  12. ooooh, Gorgeous! what a great look - must try that technique!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello Jean, your tags are beautiful. It's surprising the techniques we forget ... I had forgotten this one and yet it's a favourite. Thanks for the reminder. I also like the stamped vellum too. Elizabeth xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. These tags are really gorgeous Jean I love the stamped vellum huggles Sue xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jean, thanks for your recent visits & comments! Hope you're having a grand Sunday. Hugs

    ReplyDelete