Look to the Speckled Skies!

Hello all!  We're playing with tags this month at A Vintage Journey... the lovely Amanda is our host and she says Tag, You're It!. 

As always, there's oodles of inspiration from my fellow Creative Guides, along with all the challenge details, and we hope you'll come and join in at some point.

Playing with tags is nothing out of the ordinary for me (in fact it's a rare week that goes by without one putting in an appearance) so to give this a little lift for the challenge, I've created a double-layered tag - two for the price of one, if you will.

And I've been playing with Speckled Egg Distress again... right down to some actual speckled eggs - but of course!

In fact, the regular sized tag mounted on the jumbo one here was my very first smooshing of the Speckled Egg (S.E.) when it arrived.









At some point the tag had had an oval cut out of it so it was just hanging around on the craft table when I wanted to play with my new colour, so now I had a Speckled Egg-smooshed tag with an oval cut-out sitting around.

It finally found a home when Amanda's challenge theme needed fulfilling... and here it is.









I've had these little plastic eggs in the stash for a while - they put in occasional appearances.  I used the S.E. Distress Paint along with a bit of white to coat the eggs, before spattering on some Mud Splat Fresco paint using a toothbrush.  They're inside the tape to stop them rolling around!












Given the tag already had the hole - and an egg-shaped hole at that - it immediately seemed like a good nook to rest a little nest in.   As you can see, I added some design tape, and a couple of my favourite stamps got pressed into action (yet) again.














The birds are embossed so they have that magical flash of movement as the light catches them.













I thought a wooden background made sense - sort of like a tree to hold up the nest - so I used some wood plank paper and whitewashed it...

















... before adding a bit of script stamping in S.E. Oxide...













... and some more of my favourite Tim Holtz grasses.
















And then it was really just a case of assembling things.














Some tangled moss and supporting twigs from the garden to form the nest.














The feathers have been gathering on my craft table.  I've been feeding the birds during lockdown.  Many, many different species have been visiting, so the occasional feather is really not hard to come by just outside the front door.












I suddenly thought that my quote (from PaperArtsy EAB11 Wings & Flight) would look good on another oval.  The original cut-out was long gone so I grabbed another S.E.-smooshed tag which was lying around and cut it from that.










It was then that I discovered the main tag must have had a wash of gesso/white paint before smooshing, because my sentiment egg has a far warmer manila tone.  But I love how it brings out the greener side of S.E. 

(I didn't want the author of the quote's name to appear (Gustave Flaubert, in case you're wondering), so I used some masking tape over it when I was inking up the tag and removed it before stamping.)













The speckled eggs look just as I imagined nestled in their mossy bed.














I'm sure that one of these birds will be back to keep an eye on them very soon.








I suddenly thought it might be nice to have a couple of glass pebble "dewdrops" glistening around the place, so I dug them out and played with the positioning to get the balance right.

They were definitely a happy last-minute thought.  I love how they catch your eye with a glimmer of light every now and then.






Gluing down wasn't entirely straightforward.  Feathers have their own ideas about which direction they want to curve in.

And those lovely soft fluffy bits die a death if you get glue on them!











But with the addition of some S.E.-dyed crinkle ribbon and frayed Idea-ology Linen Ribbon at the top, tied with fine twine, I was very happy by the time I'd finished.














I hope you like it too, and that you'll be inspired to come and play Tag, You're It with us this month at A Vintage Journey.  As always, we really enjoy seeing your creations and at the end of the challenge we'll be selecting three Pinworthies to go on our A Vintage Journey Pinworthies board.









As though there's not enough inspiration by the Creative Guides over at the main blog, I just want to finish off with a shot of my two recent Speckled Egg tags together.  They were made within 24 hours of each other, and I think this one and the Change your life tag work rather well as a pair.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I look forward to some blog-visiting time this weekend to see what you've been up to lately.  Stay safe, stay well... the second wave is rising.  Best to stay indoors and do some crafting really!

I do not live happily or comfortably
With the cleverness of our times.
The talk is all about computers,
The news is all about bombs and blood.
This morning, in the fresh field,
I came upon a hidden nest.
It held four warm, speckled eggs.
I touched them.
Then went away softly,
Having felt something more wonderful
Than all the electricity of New York City.
Mary Oliver