Tools of the Trade

Hello everyone, and a happy Sunday to you.  

So, after my altered keepsakes box, we're back in tag territory... and another chance to play with some delicious eclectic Paperie goodies - so you'll find links to all the ingredients at the foot of the post.

I loved playing with the stamps from Tim Holtz's fabulous new Artful Tools set when I created my craft table storage jars, so I got them out again for this tag.  

As well as the paintbrushes and geometry tools, I used the wooden rulers this time too...

And I have to say, I completely failed to nail down a favourite ink pad for Simon Says Stamp and Show - too many favourites - but there is one that seems to put in an appearance pretty dashed frequently, and that's the wonderful Coffee Archival.  

Since I work so often in a blue/brown palette, or in vintage tones, I find it a delicious alternative to bold black - so it's definitely one of the main "tools of the trade" for me - and it's come to the fore again in this project.








I started with an inky background for the tag - wrinkle-free distress technique with Distress Stains in Broken China (big love), Frayed Burlap (currently much in favour), Pumice Stone (greatly adored... you see what I mean with this favourite colour thing?!).  

I did some ink blending with the same colours in Distress Inks, and added some chicken wire stencilling - both full (Pumice Stone and Frayed Burlap) and reversed (in Peacock Feathers) - for extra texture.










Next it was out with the Picket Fence Distress Paint to add some stamping of the rulers... love this effect over the inks, and the clarity of image you can get stamping with the DPs.











Next up, it's the Coffee Archival - and I decided to stick to the very upright straight lines and right angles dictated by the rulers, so the paintbrushes went straight up one side...












... and the tools straight along the foot of the tag.

Love that the paint gives a slight resist, so you get the white holding its own within the images.

Coffee Archival takes centre stage on the ARTIST too... this time stamped straight onto white cardstock.

















Then I cut it with the Stacked Artful Words decorative strip die, and gave it a coat of clear embossing powder for glossy strength.

The word ARTIST needed to go vertically (to match the ruler markings), so I needed some horizontality to balance it - so one of the Idea-ology Word Bands got pressed into action.  

Definitely a thing in there about whether I feel right applying that particular vertical word to myself yet - or maybe there's some more creating still to be done.







As regulars will know, the tag toppings are something I take great delight in.  

I used the Distress Stains again to dye some crinkle ribbon, and it was a particular delight to me that two colours from Tim Holtz's Paper String were exactly the right colour to tone in with the tag.

And after all those straight lines, I just had to go a little bit curly-wurly-twirly with them!

So there are my Tools of the Trade... 

It still feels to me, in many ways, like a very new trade - even though, at the same time, I can hardly remember life pre-crafting!  There's always so much more to learn, to discover, to experiment with - it's brilliant...  

Thank you so much to all of you for being part of this adventure in (re-)creating myself.  I'm so happy to have you along for the ride - it means the world.  

Happy Crafting!





I've just found this quote which seems unbelievably appropriate as a bridge between my creative worlds, so it has to go on this post...

If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.
Émile Zola

I'd like to enter this in Simon Says Stamp and Show's challenge to use your Favourite Ink - Coffee Archival - though I hereby respectfully refuse to be held to that as life and times and tastes change!!
At the Inspiration Journal the theme is Don't Quote Me...  I'd been saving this WordBand as it shares a thought I completely believe in - and now seemed the right time to take the plunge.

Click below to go shopping!