Lets Think Creatively challenge no 6

This challenge No. 6 has still got a week to run but so far I haven't had any one join in :(. So I thought I would put together a quick tutorial on how to make a tag, this one:

took me less than half an hour although I have to confess the calico ribbon was predyed (leftovers from my owls legs!) and the crackle paint on the butterfly isn't quite dry just yet!

So you start off with your tag, card or layout base that you want your feature on and the shape you want to use as a mask:

Photocopier paper is ideal for this mask as anything too thinner and the inks will bleed through it and anything much thicker won't let you stamp right up to the image but will leave an extra space around it where the stamp can't quite reach the tag - this is also fine but you might end up with a mask slightly larger than you anticipated.

Next affix the mask down lightly on the tag - I use a tiny piece of double sided tape in the centre or a flat blob of blu tack if there is any close to hand (there isn't usually though - my children have a thing for sticking up posters everywhere!) and then stamp around the edge with a selection of stamps in a variety of colours, here I used Crafty Individuals flowers with distress inks:

Stamp completely around the mask to get the full effect, with some images overlapping onto the mask and some directly on the tag itself (in this case the two red butterflies):

then remove the mask:

now you have a beautiful image and all you need to do is finish decorating the tag, so add some colour around the edges and add further stamped images if necessary, then place a slightly smaller shape in the centre of the masked outline.  Here I used a circle cut from calico with a simple quote and inked edges:

then add some embellishments to give your creation a wow factor:

and as I said earlier this whole tag took me less than 30 minutes.  This technique is ideal if you have a batch of Christmas cards or similar to make where you can make a whole bunch in hardly any time at all.

Here is one of my finished cards using this technique too:

not sure if it's a bit too yellow for my sister in law though (had to do that due to a big finger print on the outer white (why does that always happen???)) so it might get redone tonight!  I kept all the embellishments plain and simple as I thought we would be posting the card but she is now coming to my son's party on Sunday (even though it is actually her birthday) so I can have another play if necessary - we shall see.

Thanks for looking and if this tutorial has inspired you to have a go please join in with my challenge and link up so I can come and see your creation.