My tags for Lenna's Swap.

When Lenna announced a new swap on her swap blog it was almost a given that I would sign up. That's the really wonderful thing of having more time to play now that I'm no longer a member of the Alpha Stamps Design Team. But this swap still has a bit of a connection with Alpha Stamps as we are all using the Envelope & Tag books available there. The books contains 10 tags and we will receive one of our own back and 9 tags from other people. I've actually made 12 (an extra one for me to keep and one for Lenna). The swap is also about techniques and when you sign up (go on, go sign up, you know you want to!) you will receive a PDF file full of marvelous techniques clearly explained by Lenna. Or you can of course do your own thing which is more or less what I did, although I did use Lenna's clear tape transfer method.

And by the way, these tags were produced in our new shed. John might have thought this would be entirely his domain and was already referring to it as "his shed" but when I knew I was going to spray, glue and stamp and that I had at the same time a quilt on the go in my studio it suddenly came to me that there now was an alternative place to do all that messing about. So now we have a "Frieda and John" shed with a line drawn the middle. My half is already adorned with pictures and a dyed shirt I wear for painting etc. I've also put down the oil-cloth table covering I made ages ago, and the old Lloyds Loom chair bought at an auction. Now let's get on with the tags step-by-step.

1. Glue vintage text pages in a variety of languages and from a selection of vintage books to the tags.

2. Cover tags with white watered down gesso. Let dry.

3. Spray the tags with a variety of colours using Crafty Notions Creative Colour Sprays.

4. Spray with a variety of colours using Moon Shadow Mist.

5. Using acrylic paint in a variety of colours stencil through sequin waste (heart shaped!) and doilies.

6. Apply fluid acrylic paints in a variety of colours using sponge brushes.

7. Finish by brushing on Iridescent Gold or Iridescent Copper fluid acrylic or both if you fancy!

8. Spray the back and front of tags again with Crafty Notions Creative Colour Sprays and Moon Shadow Mist in a variety of colours. Do this to the envelopes of the tags too.

9. Using Lenna's instructions that you will receive free when you sign up for this swap, make clear tape transfers (I used images from Altered Pages and European Papers collage sheets) and glue and then stitch them onto the tags using gold thread.

10. Stamp on tags and envelopes with travel related stamps using Black Staz-On and Vintage Sepia Versafine inkpads. Add postage stamps to tag envelopes.

11. Find suitable vintage text about travel, glue on and rub with gold Metallic Rub-Ons, using your finger.

12. Set eyelets into tags and attach fancy yarns.

That completes the techniques I used for making my tags and in the next post I'll show you detailed pictures of some of the tags. At the top of this blog is an overview of the finished tags. Somehow these tags have a very travel related theme. Tags always remind me of suitcases so I simply went with that particular flow.