Watercoloured Tags!

Hi! I hope you're enjoying the colour scheme theme this week. I went with a looser interpretation of the colours- went a little brighter & added in a little bit of yellow.

I'm jumping on the watercolouring bandwagon so prevalent everywhere- but rather than using it as an effect- I'm using it as a texture and colour. A way to create some coloured paper/cardstock.

I used the Mama Elephant Embellished Tag set which is utterly scrummy. Those tiny shapes will be fab for shaker styled elements on your cards- but if you want to go for the water-coloured tag effect- this set would be perfect too.

It's the Lawn Fawn 'Tag It' set of dies & I love how you've got little reinforcer dies that you can make coordinating shapes with- as well as a fab banner shaped tag. 

I simply stroked washes of different colours over my watercolour paper, speed dried it with a heat gun & then die-cut shapes out of it. I added the sentiment with gold embossing powder & just added some little 'sprinkles' which are also part of the Mama Elephant die set

Do create something with this colour pallet and post it on our Facebook or tweet it to us- we'd love to see how you've been inspired by the colours!

See you next week,

Keren x

Chalkboard Tags!

Good afternoon- wow it's getting scarily closer. I'm so not ready. I've arm knitting and felted soaps and all sorts to make yet. I thought I was organised!! Obviously not.

One thing that we all need tons of are tags. Whether they're being strapped to a present, slung around the neck of a bottle or festooning a gift bag, I never seem to have enough.

I'm using one of my favourite looks- the chalkboard style. I still love it from last year and the trend for it seems not to be abating in a hurry. I haven't even contrasted the white using embossing and normal stamping. There's not even any white shadowing. I've gone for quick and simple.

White stamping.

White smudged ink.

White gel pen picking out highlights.

Easy & fast.

Hope you're getting organised.. I'd love any tips!

See you soon (although I may have to be really organised if I'm going to be posting on Christmas Eve (ha ha)

Happy stamping!

Keren xx

Shabby Star

Hello!

All mixed up,just to keep you on your toes today as it is Lou here :-D

Ok,so today's card/tag is one of those things that happens from something completely different to what was originally in your head. 

I thought I was making a good friend a fairly punk rock Birthday card,using the gorgeous new Lawn Fawn Blue Skies set available here and using the largest Puffy Star die from the set as a base. But instead I saw my poor underused Sunny Skies set and their awesome new dies available here and here staring at me...(you know how they do). 

I have been desperate for those Puffy Star dies-how can anyone resist them! So I cut the largest on blue cardstock,then used white ink and a piece of cotton wool to blend out some clouds all over it. Roughed up the edges and inked them just a bit,for a bit of definition. Cut,stamped and coloured the birds and roughly placed them so I could get the ribbon in the right place. It took a little while to get the ribbon in the right looking way,but got there in the end! I used a tacky glue to sick tiny bits of its edged down as this gives fabric a bit more flexability. Then stamped the sentiment onto it and inked the edges of that too,as it looked to clean lol. I dyed a piece of seam binding to look slightly cloudy and sky-ish to top it off. I hope you like it as much as she did :-)

Lou x

Go With Your Heart tag

Today I've gone back to my tried and tested "shabby chic" style to make a tag to share with you.

I've used the Unity & Authentique Itty Bitty stamp Go With Your Heart which I stamped with Versamark and then embossed with WOW embossing powder on Prima paper. 

I've used die-cuts, lace, Prima pearls, velvet ribbon, organza ribbon and flowers to embellish.

As usual, thanks for visiting us!!

Jo xx

Smeared Ink tag

Today I have a tag to share with you using stamps from 2 Smeared Ink sheets - "As Death" and "Holy City".

Now, I realise these may not be everyone's cup of tea but the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same thing wouldn't it?!

I coloured my tag (made using a thick watercolour paper) using Derwent Artbars which I blended and then used a grey inkpad to stamp the graveyard scene on the tag. I used distress embossing powder around the edges.

I then stamped the church steeple using black ink on to watercolour paper and used the Artbars again but this time as watercolour paints to colour the stamping before cutting out and sticking with foam pads on to the tag.

The saying was also stamped on watercolour paper and given a light watercolour wash over.

Thanks for visiting!
Jo

More Unity tags

I have a stack of tags already coloured with either Dylusions inks or distress inks and turned to those today to make a couple of Unity stamps tags.

The main tag was coloured with Dylusions inks and then the sentiment from Bold Insight was stamped using grey Memento ink. The dragonfly from the same set was stamped on to card coloured with distress inks before being cut out and adhered to the tag.

This second tag is slightly smaller but made the same way. The sentiment is from Moments in Bloom and the flowers are from Bold Insight. I added a tiny rhinestone to the centres.

As always, thanks for visiting!

Jo

A royal Unity tag

Today I have a tag to show you on which I have used Unity stamps.

I cut the tag from scrap cardstock and then sprayed it with Dylusions ink sprays before stamping the "She is the Queen" stamp from Just Be You on to it using Memento ink.

I then sprayed some different Dylusions sprays on to another piece of card and then stamped the winged crown stamp, from the same stamp set, on to this and then cut it out.

I used the border from the "I make stuff" stamp from Better Somewhere Today to randomly stamp around the edges of the tag and used a fine paintbrush and the Dylusions to paint the leaves.

I then assembled the tag and added a few beads to the bottom:

Thanks for visiting!

Jo xx

Unity tags

Hello, it's Jo here for my first post for a very long time having had a long break due to loss of mojo!!

I've been playing with distress inks today to make a couple of tags to share with you. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out and they may spur me on to make more!!

I used Unity stamps from Key to Joy and The Right Words.

Both tags were cut from scrap cardstock. I have a box full of tags ready cut in many different colours so I can just dip in when I need them but these were both originally cream.

I used various distress inks to colour the tags and then stamped the key background using distress ink.

The butterfly was stamped on to white cardstock and then coloured using Faber Castell Big Brush pens before being cut out.

The sentiment was also stamped on to white cardstock and then lightly tinted with distress inks. I needed to do a bit of masking with this one as some of the words are very close together and wouldn't cut out square.

For this one I used an old metal key that I painted with Vintaj paint and then used twine to hold it on the tag.

Thanks for visiting and I hope it's not too long until I'm back with more to share with you!!

Jo xx

Hindsight tag

Another tag from me this week, this time using stamps from Unity's Bold Insight store kit.

I stamped the sentiment straight on to the patterned paper. The flowers were stamped on to white card and then coloured with Prismacolor pencils before being stuck on with foam pads:

Thanks for visiting

Jo xx

Naturally You tag

I've made a simple tag today using stamps from Unity's Naturally You set.

The tag was cut from scrap cardstock and the cute tortoise stamped using Faber Castell brush pens and coloured in with the same. I added Stickles to the hearts.

The sentiment was also stamped using the same brush pens.

Thanks for visiting!
Jo xx

Little Gift Tags

In between projects, I always clear my desk of leftovers, but to make tidying feel a little less like a chore, I like to gather up some of my scraps and make something small. I find it helps me to use up those teeny, tiny scraps while I still have the incentive!

Stamps help with this process, because the smaller designs really make the most of those scraps - and there's very little waste. 

During my last desk clean, I decided to make a few little gift tags. I chose my designs and colours based on a few leftover pieces of ribbon which were floating around.

This first tag uses a sentiment from Cruising Through Life, a little cloud from Bon Voyage and a circle element from Blossom Stackers. Doesn't it look like a little sun when it's stamped in yellow?

On this second tag, I've used some leaves and floral elements from Blissful Botanicals and FlutterBy. The two sets compliment each other so perfectly.

And lastly, a simple little tag made with a sentiment from Boob Tubes and an embellished star element from Learning Year By Year.

*** Please note that although the new website for Make The Day Special is now open, Emily is still working on the shop and we're currently unable to link to each stamp set. We'll let you know as soon as everything is re-stocked on the website. ***

A card and tag

I've been playing again with the fab Tattered Chicken Wire stamp by Christy Tomlinson for Unity stamps. As the shop is currently undergoing some changes I can't leave a full link to it but when the shop is ready you should be able to find it here.

For the card I masked off some of the stamp and onlu used about half the width of it to stamp across the cardstock. I then added a sticker and rub-on...nice and simple!

For the tag I stamped across the whole background and then used some gauze, printed chipboard and ribbon to embellish:

Thanks for visiting!!

Jo xx

Beauty tag

I've made a quick tag this week using the Unity/ Webster's Pages Itty Bitty stamp "Beauty".

I coloured the tag using Dylusions inks and then used black Versafine ink to stamp the roses before using a white pen to highlight details.

I stamped the sentiment using white Versacolor ink which was then embossed with white embossing powder before adding some embellishments.

Materials used:

scrap cardstock, Dylusions inks

Unity stamp (as above), black Versafine ink, white Versacolor ink, white embossing powder

white Signo pen

beaded embellishment, paper rose.

Thanks for visiting

Jo xx

You're a Natural

I've been playing with my Dylusions inks again and have a tag to share with you today using stamps from Unity's store kit "Naturally You" available in the shop here.

I stamped both the tree and tortoise on to dyed card before cutting them out and fixing to the tag which had been randomly stamped with the leafy stamp. The sentiment was stamped striaght on to the tag.

Materials used:

scrap cardstock

Dylusions inks, blsck Archival ink, Ranger pumice stone distress ink

Unity stamps (as above)

metal clip, Vintaj patina ink

ribbon, black pen, staples

Thanks for visiting

Jo xx

Tattered Chicken Wire tags

Today I have a couple of tags to share using the fab Tattered Chicken Wire stamp by Christy Tomlinson for Unity Stamps and available in the shop here.

I coloured the tags using Dylusions inks before using the stamp to create the backgrounds.

For the first tag I stamped on to the inked background with water to create the texture and then stamped the quote - an {ippity} stamp:

Materials used:

Dylusions inks, black Versafine ink

Unity/Christy Tomlinson stamp (as above), {ippity} quote stamp

metal brad and charm, Vintaj patina inks

ribbons.

For the second tag I again used the stamp to create the background but this time stamped it using black Versafine ink. The sentiment is from the Unity store kit "Life Becoming" available in the shop here:

Materials used:
Dylusions inks, black Versafine ink
Unity/Christy Tomlinson stamp, Unity sentiment stamp (as above)
image from Lisa's Altered Art
metal flower (from repurposed necklace), Vintaj patina inks
lace


As always, thanks for visiting!
Jo xx

Spring Stashbusting Tags

Hello! Hello! It's been a long time, but I'm so pleased to be back with the ladies here at Make The Day Special. I've really missed playing with my lovely stamps - so I was thrilled to have some time this weekend to get stuck in. My fingers are now satisfyingly inky!

First I made a couple of little gift tag backgrounds using some teeny, tiny scraps. It's really simple, just stick them down, then sew them up! I thought the colours would be perfect for spring.

The first tag uses a partial sentiment and balloons from Admit One and a little cloud from Bon Voyage - both sets from Lawn Fawn's Summer 2011 Release. Still one of my favourite stamp collections!



The second tag uses a simple sentiment from Cruising Through Life, another set from Lawn Fawn's Summer 2011 Release, and some pretty stars from Learning Year By Year, one of Unity's Store Kits.



Such super, simple stashbusting projects that will add a little 'something, something' to any gift.

Shrink Plastic tags

I've been playing with a couple of Unity stamps and shrink plastic again to make 2 tags to share with you this week.

My first tag uses a stamp from the Scrapbook Royalty set "Just Be You" available in the shop here. I stamped with black Stazon on to clear shrink plastic for the bird:

Materials used:

My Mind's Eye papers

Unity stamp (as above), black Stazon ink, clear shrink plastic

My Mind's Eye twill,

Wild Orchid Crafts roses, HOTP button

lace, ribbon

My second card uses a stamp from the Quote Bundle Pack which is stamped on white shrink plastic again using Stazon:

Materials used:

My Mind's Eye papers

Nestabilities die-cut

Unity stamp (as above), black Stazon ink, white shrink plastic

Prima flowers, Basic Grey brad, Imaginisce brad

beaded stem, CraftWork lace trim

vintage button, velvet ribbon

As always, thanks for visiting

Jo xx

Quiet Essence tag

For a change today I've decided to make a tag using paper piecing. I stamped one of the flower stamps from the Unity "Quiet Essence" kit available in the shop here on to 3 pieces of patterned paper before cutting out the various elements and piecing them back together:

I made the tag and stamped a sentiment from the same kit straight on to the tag before adding the pieced flower and embellishments.

Materials used:

My Mind's Eye papers

Unity stamps (as above), black Archival ink

My Mind's Eye button

lace, organza ribbon

Before I go, just a quick announcement for those of you who aren't on the mailing list:

Emily's baby is due imminently so if you do order please be aware that your order may take slightly longer to arrive. I'm sure you'll join me in wishing Emily all the best!!

Thanks for visiting!

Jo xx

Dream big

 

 

Hello.

Here is a tag i made using mostly Unity stamps.

I have used my favourite itty bitty from unity

                                                

itty bitty

Amd the store kits Quiet essence  and  Key to my joy.

Both can be found here.

Thanks for looking.

Smeared Ink tag

After sharing a Smeared Ink card last week, this week I've made a tag using a stamp each from the "Holy City" and "As Death" sets available in the shop here.

I stamped the church image on to watercolour paper using Archival ink and then used Derwent Inktense pencils to add colour before using a water brush over them. I then stamped the quote from the As Death set on to another piece of watercolour paper before adding a colour pencil wash over the top.

Materials used:

watercolour paper, Papermania papers

Smeared Ink stamps (as above), black Archival ink, Derwent Inktense pencils

Prima lace

crinkled silk ribbon, ribbon charm, brooch back, beads, black fineliner pen.

As always, thanks for visiting!

Jo xx