Compendium of Curiosities #16 - Layering Stencil: Embossing


Good Saturday morning to ya. I hope this finds you well. It's another challenge in the Compendium of Curiosities Vol. III series, hosted by the lovely Linda Ledbetter, featuring techniques and products from the master of distress Tim Holtz. We're working our way through his fabulous book and the new challenge is Layering Stencil: Embossing and can be found on page 50.

We invite you to join us by creating your own project using the technique or product featured, upload it to Linda's site here, and thus be entered to win one of two fabulous prizes! We LOVE being inspired by you! You can read all the details at the end of my post, and remember, there ARE rules so read those carefully.


OKAY, on to my creations for the challenge...

Christmas tags. I know I could have spent days on some masterpiece, but the truth is I NEED TAGS and Christmas cards for the fast-approaching season. And I'm all about necessity and function. These are small but not tiny. I used the Tag & Tie die, so that means they're 4 3/4 inches tall. I love this size because they can easily be added to a card front, or the perfect size for a gift, bottle of wine, or to affix a gift card to the back side. (Great idea for my high schooler's teachers!)



While I can't give away the technique here (that's for you to explore on your own) I can share one additional step I took before the technique, and that was stamping on the tags first. I cut the tags out of Ranger's manila card stock, then stamped with archival inks. This music note background is stamped with Watering Can by Wendy Vecchi for Ranger. I pulled out all my Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz holiday stamp sets I own and used a few images for backgrounds.



After stamping backgrounds, I did the "Layering Stencil: Embossing" technique. (I eventually re-stamped the fourth tag with brown ink instead of gray and re-stenciled it with Fired Brick instead of Festive Berries.)



Then I inked the edges first with Vintage Photo generously, then just the outer edges with Walnut Stain. I always edge distress with this combination. (Click to view this close up.)



I cut some die-cut images from various Movers & Shapers dies in my stash. I used the same manila card stock, but you could use grungeboard, grungepaper, chipboard, etc. I decided to use Distress Glitter to cover them. Glitter just has a vintage Christmas feel, doesn't it? And it goes so well with the shiny embossing.



Okay, so I usually ink the die-cut with the same color as my glitter first, but I was in a hurry and forgot, so this is what sometimes happens, right? You have those open spaces with no glitter, and if you try to go back in and fill them with glitter, then you get weird blobby, irregular spots.



So instead I grabbed my Vintage Photo Distress Stain spray and gave it a few blasts over the whole thing. Worked beautifully! And the combination of the glitter with the stain sprays give it a cool, variegated look.



I adhered the glittered pieces onto my tags, stamped a sentiment on the "bread tie" as I call it (using various Close To My Heart stamps in my stash) and adhered those close to the hole in each tag.



My tags each got some colored seam-binding ribbon at the top; colored of course with more Distress Stains.



And just 'cause I've been taught to be frugal with the leftover stains on my non-stick craft sheet, I swiped some regular-sized tags through them and put these aside for later. Double-duty, baby!



Shimmery and shiny, just like the holidays.



Remember to try stains with your glitter. It's pretty cool.


Now it's YOUR turn to give this technique a try... GO!


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Do you have the fabulous Compendium of Curiosities Vol. III book by Tim Holtz? (the master of all things vintage and distressed.) If not, you can find one at your local craft store, scrapbook store, or you can get a signed copy by Tim himself by going here. 

You can find all the CC3 Challenge details and FAQs here.  The lovely Linda Ledbetter is our hostess of this fun series of challenges, and all you have to do to participate is create your project, and upload to her site. Be sure, though, to read through all the FAQs so you're eligible to win...

We're working our way through this fantastic book of techniques and tips, and challenging you to join in the fun. This round's challenge is sponsored by the great folks at The Funkie Junkie Boutique who have a fabulous gift voucher to give away to one lucky random winner. Also, the Curiosity Crew's Choice scores a giant prize pack of goodies straight from Tim and Mario!



And don't forget, you can find many of these great products I've used today at The Funkie Junkie online store. 

Comments

  1. Annette I love your tags! And color choices. Theses turned out lovely!

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  2. A wonderful collection of tags Annette. Great techniques, fabulous colours and composition. Nikki x

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  3. Wow x's 4! These tags are so stinking wonderful and I love that you didn't let a drop of ink go to waste and got tags ready for later. Your post was fabulous and truly festive inspiring. Absolutely LOVED all the photos and the great ideas. Thanks so much.
    hugs,
    Lisa x

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  4. Beautiful tags, Annette! Love your frugality in making extra tags for a rainy day!

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  5. What a quartet of fab tags Annette!!! I love each one and the embossed backgrounds are awesome. I hope you have a wonderful and very Happy Thanksgiving!

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  6. Four gorgeous festive and fun tags Annette! LOVE the glitz and sparkle, and gorgeous backgrounds!

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  7. Your packages are going to look so festive with these four tags!

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  8. Your tags are fantastic! Thanks for the spray on glitter tip.

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  9. Beautiful backgrounds and glitter on this wonderful set of tags Annette!

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  10. Thanks for the great tip about the glitter and spray. Your tags are really beautiful, love your colour choices and great embellishing. Anne x

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  11. OMG Annette these are wonderful; I love how you used your Christmas Stamp Stash ... great idea ( Tim has so many awesome stamps) ... great inspiration too... your stenciling just added the icing on the cake! Okay I'm digging out my Tim Christmas stamps LOL !!! :)

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  12. Annette thank very much you for sharing you project, because I definitely would like to make such gorgeous, vintage tags. Love every little detail ^.^

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  13. Darling, Darling, Darling Darling--Each and every tag you've created, Annette!! I like your idea of stamping first, too :) The recipients of these tags are going to LOVE these! Thanks, Annette!! XOXO-Shari T.

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  14. These tags are fabulous! I love the background colors & those shiny die cuts are awesome.

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  15. Great ideas for tags, they look so festive and sparkly! x

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  16. These tags turned out gorgeous Annette! I really love how festive and vintage they look! Happy Holidays!
    Hugs,
    Jo
    xox

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  17. Love them! Can't wait to try the distress spray!

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  18. Hey show off!!! Just kidding! Your FOUR tags are awesome! I don't have a favorite because I love them ALL!!! Each one has such a beautifully done layered stenciled background and you've given each their own "personality". Each is so festive and really gets me excited for the Christmas holidays! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. <3 Candy

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  19. Oh, I bet you had a blast making these! I love your rich backgrounds, and the cute way you hung the 'bread tie' on the tags. Lovely!

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  20. Wow! Spraying the glitter with the stain is a great way to fill in the gaps. Great idea! Thanks for sharing!

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  21. Annette, these are delightful tags! Love all the fun colors and layers! Thanks for that tip on the Spray Stains - it worked so well to fill in the gap! All that wonderful glitter has me in the mood for Christmas!

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  22. Beautiful tags, Annette! I'll bet your tree looks gorgeous with all your lovely wraps gifts adorned with your tags. You killed it with the technique on your backgrounds. Awesome!

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  23. Beautiful tags Annette. Thank You so much for sharing the step by step.

    HUgs Annie x

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  24. Beautiful...whoever gets those lovelies is going to be a lucky person!!! Fabulous job on these lovelies! Makes me want to go create Christmas tags to adorn our gifts with. They are absolutely gorgeous! Happy Happy Thanksgiving doll..hope you have a special day with your family and friends. hugs.

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  25. Great work Annette thank you for showing some fabulous 'quick' ways for tags. They may be quick to do but they're are all totally fab ! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family love Toni xx

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  26. very beautiful tags Annette,
    I love them. very versatile way to use this cool technique...

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  27. Your tags are !! so Festive!The backgrounds came out great, and using the spray stain is a great idea.

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  28. What a great tip for the distress sprays to fill in the glitter, I'm always doing things in the wrong order. Love this idea and may have to steal it for my own presies!

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  29. Gorgeous set of tags! Love all the stenciled background and shimmery die cut embellishments!

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  30. These tags are lovely, I am glad tosee someone else being frugal and using up all the ink.

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  31. These tags are lovely, I am glad tosee someone else being frugal and using up all the ink.

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  32. Amazing tags, thanks for the inspiration!

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  33. Annette, your collection of Christmas tags is amazing! I love all the layered/stenciled backgrounds and the little glittery Christmas wonders! Love this!

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  34. Beautiful tags, Annette, I can't pick a favorite...

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  35. wow these are sparkly and a gorgeous - love them all x

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  36. GREAT tags!!!! The are so beautiful, but not overwhelming so I feel I could fit it in with everything else going this month. Thank you so very much for the inspiration. And, way to have a set of tags ready for the next project. I'll be looking for them in future CC3C posts.

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  37. Such a great set of tags and I love all the textures with the embossing and the glitter.

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  38. such a beautiful set of tags - love them all to bits - brilliant! Hugs rachel x

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  39. A stunning set of tags, showcasing the technique to perfection! They all look fantastic!

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  40. Gorgeous tags Annette! It's hard to choose a favourite but I am going to say the ever so elegant deer is really beautiful. Karen.x

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  41. Four times the AWESOME with these tags! I would like to be your high schooler's teacher! And not for the gift cards, but for these tags! And double duty, too, I LOVE that idea! Waste not, want not! FABULOUS!!!

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  42. A really lovely collection of tags, so colourful and cheery :)

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  43. Cool backgrounds! So neat that you stamped one pattern and then embossed over the top using stencils, a really cool effect!

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  44. Fantastic festive tags - I love those glittery touches on each of them. Jenny x

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  45. Love the sparkle! Such a fun addition to any gift. The bread ties are so fun and a perfect place for a sentiment. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  46. Annette, Such beautiful tags that beautifully showcased the technique. Thanks for sharing such lovely tags.

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  47. Wow Annette these tags are so cute!! Seriously are they really bread ties? The idea is awesome!!
    Thanks so much

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  48. Annette your Christmas tags are just gorgeous! Your packages will look beautiful!

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