Christmas tag with cardinal by Tim Holtz

About a week ago I have posted my Christmas cards featuring a cardinal by Tim Holtz. After finishing the cards, I decided to make a tag as well, but this time I wanted to colour the bird with acrylic paint instead of ink.

Well, as I said, used paints to colour the bird. I used DecoArt Americana and Distress paints too. The main piece of the bird was painted dark brown and as you can see the rest were painted red, black and yellow. To the tail - which was brown - I added a layer of red.

The tag was cut out with an old Sizzix Bigz die, Tag&Bookplates (656938) from white paper. I started to ink the tag, first I added Lost Shadow. But it wasn't dark enough, so I added Hickory Smoke in many layers and Black Soot around the edges. In the end I splattered with white paints to create a snowy background.

Before I started to build the front side. I glued a black tag to the back side where I stamped and heat embossed a bold Christmas text with silver embossing powder. For this, I used the Stampers Anonymous Bold Tidings 2 stamp set (CMS419).

I cut out the branch with a Sizzix Bigz die, Bird Branch (657833) but I cut off the bird. I painted it medium brown, with dark brown at the edges. I glued it on the tag. I also splattered the branch with white paint.

Then I cut off the excess. And attached the text to the left side. For the text I used the Stampers Anonymous, Tiny Text Christmas (CMS424). I stamped with embossing ink and heat embossed with embossing powder.

Then I added white texture paste to the top of the branches to make snowy branches.

Then I just attached the bird with double-sided foam adhesive to the tag. I tied an organza ribbon with a snowflake charm from the Idea-Ology Snowflakes set.

With my tag, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Use Dies and Wednesday Challenge: Use Dies.

A set of Christmas cards with a cardinal

Let me show you the three Christmas cards that I just finished. For the cards, I used the cardinal die, which I believe was created in 2020 as a collaboration between Simon Says Stamp and Tim Holtz and was a free gift with December orders. And I've never used it before. 

The birds

First I created the three birds. The back piece was coloured with brown (Ground Espresso) and black (Black Soot) inks, and the bigger red piece was coloured with Fire Brick.

The rest of the red pieces were coloured with Lumberjack Plaid, Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany.

The beak was coloured with Fossilized Amber and with Vintage Photo around the edges. Later I added Lumberjack Plaid to the brown tail.

The backgrounds

Then I cut three panels from watercolour paper and I started to colour them with Distress inks. I wanted each card to have a different background colour.

One was coloured with Weathered Wood and Speckled Egg.

The second was coloured with Speckled Egg and Salvaged Patina.

And the third was coloured with Stormy Sky.

Then I toned them down with diluted white paint. The acrylic paint is also good for protecting the inky background. When it was dry I spattered with the same white paint to create snowy background. When they were dry I glued them on red background panels.

The pine branches

I wanted to place my birds to pine branches and I found the perfect branches in the Pine Branch Sizzix die set (664228).

I cut the branches from white watercolour paper and coloured them with Rustic Wilderness ink, and I went through the middle part with Vintage Photo marker.

How I put the cards together

So, my inky background was already placed to a red panel. The next step was to adhere to a folded creamy white card. When it was done, I started adding the elements to the card.

First the branches.

Then the birds. I also wanted to add some bigger snowflakes, so I cut out a few using the Twig&Stump (666072) Thinlits die and Winter (663098) Side-Order die. I also added a little sparkle for the snowflakes. First I put Glossy Accents then Distress Glitter. You might see it here:

The texts are from the Stampers Anonymous Tiny Text Christmas stamp set (CMS424).

And you probably see that I added a little glitter and snowdrops to the branches.

With my cards, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Matching Set

Birthday card with bird on a wooden bucket

My mom's birthday isn't until October but I've already made her card because I don't know when I'll have time to create something due to teaching.

My parents live in a house with a garden, and they always put out food and water for the birds. They like watching them.  So, this card is about a bird landing in their garden to drink water. 

If you like it, here comes the tutorial.

First the bucket. 

For this, I used the Sizzix Bigz, Potted (664184) die. I cut out twice the pot and the parts of the hoop.

Then I drew four lines vertically on the bucket. Then I cut it into pieces along the lines.

I placed the five pieces to the Sizzix Lumber, 3D embossing folder (662718). I ran the embossing folder through the Sizzix machine.

Then I coloured the embossed papers with brown inks (Gathered Twigs and Pumice Stones). I coloured the bucket which remained in one. And then I started to glue the pieces to the bucket. 

Then I painted silver the hoops with Brushed Pewter Distress paint. When the hoops were dry I inked the edges with Black Soot Archival ink.

I put two fasteners (Idea-Ology Mini Fasteners) to the holes and I attached the hoops to the buckets with strong glue. 

Now the bird.

For the bird, I used the Feathered Friends, Sizzix Thinlits die (664433). I cut out the bird from 300gsm watercolour paper and I coloured with the following Distress inks (normal and oxide): Stormy Sky Oxide, Faded Jeans Oxide, Faded Jeans, Prize Ribbon, Ground Espresso, Vintage Photo.

And the background. 

I stamped the Flourish background stamp (Stampers Anonymous, Lattice&Flourish CMS257) to a piece of watercolour paper with embossing ink. And heat embossed with Ranger Silver Pearl embossing powder. 

I placed a piece of real twig to the bottom of the card and I glued a thin strip of moss on top of it. 

I also placed a few tiny hearts to the card. For this, I used a paper that I coloured previously, so I don't remember what kind of inks I used. But I cut out the hearts with Falling Hearts Thinlits die (664415).

The text was stamped with an MFT stamp (Bitty Birthday Wishes). 

With my card, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Stamp it.

Tag with bird and twig - Don't forget to fly

I made this tag for a friend  for whom I have made many similar bird tags, but she still wants them, but with a different message or motivational text. So this time I chose this: Don't forget to fly.

I cut out the tag with an old and retired die, the Tag&Bookplates. For the background I chose a pattern paper with sheet music.

The bird was cut out with Feathered Friends die and coloured with grey and black inks.

For the tiny hearts, I used the Falling Hearts and grey ink.

The text is from the Tiny Text and heat embossed with white embossing powder.

What I used:

Sizzix Bigz L die, Tag&Bookplates (656938)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Feathered Friends (664433)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Falling Hearts by Tim Holtz - 664415

Stampers Anonymous, Tiny Text (CMS394)

Ranger Distress inks  (Hickory Smoke, Lost Shadow, Black Soot)

Ranger embossing powder (Super Fine White)

Since I used and recycled a twig that I have found in the park next to us, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Recycle it

Tag with swinging bird

This tag was made for another name-day, my friend's name-day. She saw one of my previous tags with the same bird on a swing and asked me to make her the same but only with neutral colours: beige, grey and brown.

So I made this:

And here is the tutorial.

I cut out a tag with Tag&Bookplates Bigz die from 300gsm watercolour paper. I painted grey with Hickory Smoke. When it was dry I stamped the rose pattern on the surface with Ground Espresso Archival ink.

Then I muted the original colours with white paint. I applied layer after layer until I was satisfied with the result.

I inked the edges with Ground Espresso Archival ink, then stamped the text with embossing ink. I heat embossed the text using black embossing powder. In the end I splattered the tag with white paint.

The base of the bird was painted with brown paint. Then the second layer was a sheet music patterned paper.

With a piece of twig and jute twine I created a swing and then I glued to the tag with hot glue.

The ribbon was coloured with brown Distress inks. 

What I used:

Sizzix Movers&Shapers die, Tag&Bookplates (656938)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Feathered Friends (664433)

Stampers Anonymous, Noteworthy (CMS446)

Stampers Anonymous, Vines and Roses (CMS298)

Ranger Distress Archival ink (Ground Espresso)

Ranger Distress paints (Hickory Smoke, Picket Fence)

Ranger Distress embossing powder (super fine black)

etc.

With my tag, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Tie It Up

Tag with sheet music and bird

Hello everyone, I'm here with a tag that I made for one of nephews' music teacher. Actually, this is a thank you tag. The THANK YOU text is on the back side and I used the letters of the Santa Greetings, Colorize die set.

I have found the sheet music paper in a 8x8 First Edition paper pad. The bird is from the Feathered Friends die set. This is the bigger bird and I coloured the big part with Faded Jeans, but unfortunately, I have no idea what greys and browns I used for the other parts.

I attached a real twig to the tag with a heat gun. The hearts were cut out with the Falling Hearts die set from red cardstock. The ribbon was originally white, but I coloured with Faded Jeans and Stormy Sky inks.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Feathered Friends (664433)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Falling Hearts (664415)

Sizzix Bigz die, Tag&Bookplates (656938)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Santa Greetings, Colorize (666338)

Ranger Distress inks

First Edition, Perfect Moments paper pad 8x8"

With my tag, I would like to join the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Have a heart

Birthday card with one of the Gentlemen by Tim Holtz

It is not only my mother-in-law's birthday in October, but also my mum's. So after the blue gentleman card that I created for my mother-in-law, I made another version for my mum. 

I used the same technique for both backgrounds. You can check out the tutorial on the previous card.

Here I used Spun Sugar Oxide ink, then Picked Raspberry Distress ink.

After sealing the surface with Distress Collage Medium I inked the edges with Picked Raspberry Archival ink, then with Ground Espresso.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Gentlemen (666286)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Alphanumeric Bulletin (666281)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Cozy Winter (665574)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Celebrate (666285)

Stampers Anonymous, Crazy Talk (CMS236)

Stampers Anonymous, Linked Circles (THS159)

Ranger Distress inks 

Ranger Distress Oxide inks

Ranger Distress Collage Medium

Ranger Distress embossing powder (super fine white)

etc.

As you can see, I put some yellow stars on this card, that you can't find on the other card. There were already a lot of yellow elements there, it would have been too much yellow with the stars.