Tags of 2016 - January

It's 2016 already and I haven't been here for a while!  Seems alI my posts always start with that sentiment - I'm going to be better this year!

Anyway I'm going to be attempting to keep up with Tim and his Tags of 2016 - he's looking back through his archives and updating some previous techniques.  He's been doing this tags for 10 years now so he'll have plenty to look through.

I don't have half the things that Tim used but have created a tag with definite similarities.  Here goes:

These are the elements that I started with:

Black card on which I stamped Tim Holtz's Alterations Leaf Blueprint using a Yinks white chalk ink.  The Leaf Blueprint set is great as it also comes with dies which enabled me to cut out the leaf perfectly.  I cut a size 8 tag using Tim's Sizzex Framelits Tag Collection from an old manilla index card - this was one of my Christmas presents and is a collection of 6 tags, 1 banner and the hole strengthener - I'll never be without a size 8 tag again!  Tim used metallic tape on his card but I used the inside wrapper from my KitKat bar stuck on to a piece of card and then embossed using a pretty flower folder which I believe was a free gift on the front of a magazine - I was pleased with the results.  I rubbed in some black ink to give it more of a industrial look - even though they're flowers!

I figured out where my main leaf stamp would come and then adhered the embossed KitKat wrapper to either end of the tag and punched out the top hole. Loving the flowers.

I copied Tim and tore the top and bottom of the card with the leaf stamped on it and adhered it to the tag.  Not looking bad at this point.

I used sticky pads to adhered the cut out leaf to the tag and even though it's hard to see from this scanned image (no camera available) I added Wink of Stella clear to the top leaf - loving the shimmer it gives - again another Christmas present that I'm really going to love using.

To finish I added a banner with 'be thankful' something that I'm hoping will run through this year for me.  I've been keeping a gratitude log in my bullet journal (something new I've picked up this year) which is helping me to think more positively.  I then added some gems to the banner sides - no brads like Tim but I thought these would add a touch of femininity to the tag.  I used clear gems on the leaf to indicate rain drops and added some silver glitter ribbon to the top.  I'm very pleased with the results and would like to do something similar for a card next.