Technique Tag Books

My friend Jane and I made a "naughty" run up to a stamp store about 25 miles from home this week. While there oohing and ahhing over some Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous stamps we wree treated to some demos of new techniques. The store owner had each of her techniques illustrated on tags and they were held together with a round binder clip....so two days later we decided to make our technique tag books!!! Above is my first page. The technique this illustrates is just a picture adhereed to the tag and a sentiment stamped on it. However, the part that is tagworthy is that the whole tag was brushed over with Golden's Clear Tar Gel. It gives the tag (or ATC) a finished and really cool look. We first saw this done on some ATCs when we were at Valley Ridge and they were awesome!

Above is the technique we learned at the stamp store this week. I call it the Plaid Technique. It is done with Ranger's Alcohol Inks....apply three different colors to your felt applicator. Then drag the applicator over glossy paper horizontally. Re-ink, and then drag applicator vertically. Voila...you have a plaid background. This is so addictive!!! You will want to check out tons of color combos!
I wondered what would happen if I used the same technique but on a matte coated paper. The look is great! More subtle and more vintage looking than on gloss. I used Matte coated paper from the Paper Cut for the sample above. The numbers were stamped with Versifine. They smeared a little, so I think drying overnight before doing anything would be a good idea.

Finally, see below. We went ooh and ahh over the new product by Ranger. Acrylic paints in a super convienent dauber packaging. They are called Dabbers....the paint is in a plastic bottle with a cap and applicator all in one. Very easy to use and not very messy at all! The colors are super wonderful. The tag below was first painted in .5 seconds with a pink, foam flower stamped with a darker shade of pink, and tag edged with a light blue dabber. Quick, easy, and fun!!!

It was really nice to play with techniques and to make this little tag book. I plan on adding to it over the next months and tying some ribbons around the metal ring binder.

It is great when you get so excited about the little things in life!!!