Winged Fairy Halloween Card

I'm Card Captain of the enjoyMichaelStrongstamps Yahoo Group for this week, so for 5 days I'll be showing you several works using Michael Strong's stamps. 

I hope you'll find them inspiring.

My 3rd card for this week is a Winged Fairy Halloween Card.

It's another very detailed card in typical Halloween colors, made with some help from my dear friend Kelli Green.

I used Michael Strong's Cloisonné Leaves stamp (large), which I stamped on a transparent sheet and cut the leaves, and then I adhered them using a transparent double sided tape, so that the Fairy seems to be flying with her wings in the air.

Actually, she's supposed to be a witch… but she's too cute for that, isn't she?

You can see the 3D effect when looking at the card from a different angle.

I also stamped both sides of the envelope, leaving space for the address and postal stamps.

I hope you got some more Spooky Halloween inspiration!

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it) 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Spooky Pot Fairy Halloween Card

I'm Card Captain of the enjoyMichaelStrongstamps Yahoo Group for this week, so for 5 days I'll be showing you several works using Michael Strong's stamps. I hope you'll find them inspiring.

My 2nd card for this week is a Spooky Pot Fairy Halloween Card.

It's a very detailed card in typical Halloween colors, made with some help from my dear friend Kelli Green.

I used Michael Strong's Cloisonné Pot stamp (large), which I heat embossed and cut, and then turned it upside down, so that the Fairy seems to be emerging out of the container.

Actually, she's supposed to be a witch… but she's too cute for that, isn't she?

You can see the 3D effect when looking at the card from a different angle.

I also stamped both sides of the envelope, leaving space for the address and postal stamps.

I hope you got some Spooky Halloween inspiration!

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it) 
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. 
Have a creative day! Dorly

Halloween Chaos Tags Swap - Tag #2

This is my 2nd tag, created for the ATT Halloween Chaos Tags Swap (group 5).

It's 1 out of 11 Halloween tags created by different ATTers, all beautiful and very creative.

The tags will decorate a 12X12 black canvas, with magnificent topper and charms, created by Stacy Cook, the swap's hostess.

In this tag you can see many typical Halloween themes: a witch cooking a rats soup and a witch flying over a pumpkin, bats, spiders and their webs, a skull with shiny eyes and a cute ghost.

A lower view shows the 3D elements, for extra dimension.

They seem spooky to me, all matching the Halloween colors.

I wish you all a Happy Halloween!

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Halloween Chaos Tags Swap - Tag #1

This is my first tag, created for the ATT Halloween Chaos Tags  Swap (group 4).

It's 1 out of 11 Halloween tags created by different ATTers, all beautiful and very creative.

The tags will decorate a 12X12 black canvas, with magnificent topper and charms, created by Stacy Cook, the swap's hostess.

In my tag you can see the main theme of poison, and the poor raven lying on its back after being poisoned by the spider.

The raven has a black X for an eye (well. it's dead...) and the colors were chosen for Halloween, of course.

A side view shows the 3D elements, for extra dimension.

I wish you all a Happy Halloween!

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Gecko Tag for Good Luck and Paisley Tag

Here are my 4th creations for this week as Card Captain of the enjoyMichaelStrongstamps Yahoo Group

Today it's Technique Thursday, and rather than sharing a specific technique I preferred to share several useful tips.
Therefore I created two tags on which it's easier to demonstrate my tips.

I decided to use the Cloisonné Gecko Stamp and the Cloisonné Paisley large stamp.

The colors I chose are earth tones, trying to match the stamped images and the embellishments to the backgrounds.

Supplies used:
Cream CS for the tags
Beige and cream CS
Vintage book's pages
Cuttlebug embossing folder - Distressed Stripes

Spellbinders Shapeabilities Dies - Fancy Tags
Crop-A-Dile
Michael Strong's Cloisonné Gecko Stamp
Michael Strong's Cloisonné Paisley Set (large)
Ranger's Distress ink - Rusty Hinge, Pine Needle
Embossing ink
Ranger's Green EP
Versacolor metallic Ink - 3 colors - bronze, gold and silver
Promarkers - Vanilla, Mint Green
Green pen
Big spotted brads
Flower eyelets
Ribbons and fibers from my stash

Double sided foam tape
Double sided tape

First I stamped the Gecko and cut it around.
Then I stamped the Paisley, heat embossed it, colored it with ProMarkers and cut it around.
I embossed the tags using the Cuttlebug and colored them with Ranger's Distress inks.
The Ribbons and the stamped images were all glued 3D for extra dimension.
Then I added the eyelets and the brads.

Now here are my tips for a better looking creation, no matter if it's a tag, a card or any other project.
The back side of the work looks messy - holes for the eyelets, ribbon strands hanging loose, brads' legs showing.
All these make each project look unfinished and non-professional.
To avoid this, simply cover the back side of your work, and none of the above will be seen.
I used a vintage book's page to cover each tag's back side.
Then I added a satin ribbon and some colorful fibers at the top of the tags.
You must admit they look better now.

You can also cover the back side of brads and eyelets or the ribbon's attaching place with small punched out or die cut papers, and use them as decorative elements.
Do you have any tips you'd like to share?

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Winter Tags Swap

Recently I hosted a Winter Tags swap at the AllThingsTim-Euro Yahoo group.
Here is the tag I created (I made 6 tags).
The winter in Israel is often very sunny, and it only rains heavily from time to time.
So along with the black Umbrella Man for rainy days, the background reflects the sunny weather.
The stamp's sentiment is a motif we should all think of.

Supplies used:
White CS for the tag
Recycled CS for stamping
Black leather textured CS
Ranger's Distress Ink - Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge
Black VersaFine ink
Tim Holtz embossing folder - Rays
Sizzix Bigz Die - Umbrella Man by Tim Holtz
Tim Holtz stamp - Life is not about…
Ticket punch
Satin ribbon and fibers from my stash
Round and flower shaped blings
3D double sided foam tape

First I embossed the tag through the Cuttlebug using Tim Holtz embossing folder - Rays.
Then I used Ranger's Distress Ink (Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade) for the background.
I stamped the Tim Holtz stamp using Black VersaFine ink on a piece of recycled CS.
I used the Ticket punch to cut off the corners of the stamped sentiment.
The Umbrella Man and the stamped piece of CS were glued 3D for extra dimension.
I distressed the tag's edges using Ranger's Distress Ink (Rusty Hinge).
I added round and flower shaped blings for extra glam.
I added satin ribbons and fibers.
I added my details on the back side of the tag.
Here are my 6 tags.

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Michael Strong Holiday Tag Blog Hop

Here's my Christmas Tag for the Michael Strong's Yahoo group Holiday Tag Blog Hop.
Thank you for stopping by today.
I hope you'll be inspired to make your own holiday tag.
Although we don't celebrate Christmas, I make Christmas and Holiday cards and tags for my overseas friends, and I think it's a fabulous season (and a good excuse to create some more!)

Supplies used:
White CS for the tag's basis
Merry Christmas patterned paper from my stash
Grey leather textured CS
Michael Strong's Cloisonné Christmas Tree Stamp (medium & small)
Embossing ink
Hematite EP
Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
Blending tool
Ranger Distress Ink - Pine Needles
Red ribbon
Checkered fabric heart-shaped buckle
Clear, green and red blings
Fibers from my stash

You're welcome to leave a comment in each blog. Enjoy your tour!
Your next stop is Heidi's blog
If you get lost you can see the list of participants in Hetty's blog
There's also a bonus: search the letters in each blog.
My letter is "y".
When you have collected all 13 letters from all 13 blogs, make a wish out of them and you'll enter a prize drawing.
The prize will be a Michael Strong stamp, of course.
Send your answer to Hetty privately: buzzy4you@hotmail.com NOT in the comment!
Hetty will pick a winner on Wednesday, December 7th.

Have a wonderful holiday season!
(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Steampunk Tags Swap

I created these tags for a Steampunk Tags Swap which took place at the AllThingsTim Yahoo group .
I made 9 similar (but not identical) tags. I've sent 7 tags and kept two - one for myself and one can be traded. If you're interested, please let me know.
I chose vintage colors and earth tones with some blue and striking red for a dramatic contrast.

Supplies used:
Manila CS
Patterned paper - commercials of a fashion designer
Shoe boxes recycled cardboard - blue (Reebok), and kraft and dark red (Saucony)
Red CS
Tim Holtz Steampunk stamp set
Tim Holtz Sizzix Bigz Die - Gadget Gears
Ranger's Distress Ink - Fired Brick, Tea dye, Weathered Wood
VersaFine ink - Onyx Black
EK Success punch - Folk Heart
Pure alcohol
Ranger's Glossy Accents
Color changing soft fibers
Satin blue ribbon
Checkered ribbon with changing colors
3D double sided foam tape

For the tag's front side I've cut Tim's #8 tags out of commercials of a fashion designer CS.
It had old machine parts printed all over it, in vintage colors, which was perfect for my tags.
I distressed the papers with Tea Dye distress ink.
I added the text "Without heart we are just machines", printed on the same CS back side, and distressed it with Fired Brick distress ink.
I sprayed alcohol on each piece to enhance the colors and to fixate them.
The folk heart was punched out of bright red CS and was glazed with several coats of Glossy Accents for a shiny look.
I stacked several Gadget Gears dies, cut out of recycled shoe boxes cardboard in various colors.

For the tag's back side I've stamped 2 different stamps from Tim Holtz Steampunk stamp set using black ink on manila CS, and then distressed it with Tea Dye distress ink.
I added a few more Gadget Gears dies, cut out of recycled shoe boxes cardboard in various colors.

All the embellishments were glued using 3D foam tape for extra dimension.
I chopped the tags' corners with TH scissors, punched holes with the Crop-A-Dile and distressed the edges using Ranger's Distress Ink (Tea Dye).
Then I added colorful soft fibers, a blue satin ribbon and a checkered ribbon from my stash.
I also added my info on each tag's back side, printed and colored with Weathered Wood distress ink.

And here are all my 9 tags:

I have an extra tag - who wants it?
(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Sailing Adventure for Hot Summer Days

I created these tags for a Summer Tags Swap which took place at the AllThingsTim-Euro Yahoo group.
I made 6 tags. I've sent 5 tags and kept one for myself.


Supplies used:
White CS
Old book's pages
White printer's paper
Recycled tea package
Tim Holtz Air travel stamp set - world map and compass
Cuttlebug embossing folder - Distressed Stripes
Ranger's Distress Ink - Scattered Straw, Rusty Hinge, Frayed Burlap, Fired Brick, Black Soot, Faded Jeans, Broken China
VersaFine ink - Onyx Black
Plastic coffee stirring spoons
Color changing soft fibers (in 2 colors)
Organza blue ribbon
Light blue half pearls with sticky back
Pure alcohol
Ranger's Glossy Accents
3D double sided foam tape
Ink blending tool
Tim Holtz scissors

I started with #8 tags, which I cut out of white CS.
The tag's front side
I used mostly stamps and distressed inks, blending several ink colors until I was satisfied with the results.
I stamped Tim Holtz Air travel stamp set - world map using black VersaFine ink, and covered it with Distress Ink - Scattered Straw and Rusty Hinge.
I stamped the compass on a piece of recycled tea package.
I colored it using other Distress Ink - Frayed Burlap and Fired Brick, and Black Soot for the edges.
The compass was cut with scissors and glued using a 3D foam tape for extra dimension.

The lower part was made of a separate piece of CS, Cuttlebug'd using the Distressed Stripes embossing folder.
I flipped it so the stripes became horizontal, to resemble sea waves.
I used Distress Ink - Faded Jeans and Broken China, and added light blue half pearls with sticky back for some glam.
I sprayed pure alcohol wherever I used the Distress Ink in order to enhance and to fixate the colors.

The boat is the main motif on this tag and it's very outstanding.
It was created from an old book's page, using an Origami folding.
It was glued using a 3D foam tape for extra dimension, and it's wider than the tag itself.
I used a brown plastic coffee stirring spoon (cut with a cutting tool) for the oar.

The tag's back side
I covered it with an old book's page, matching the one the boat was made of.
I added my details, printed and distressed with Distress Ink - Faded Jeans, to add some color to the back side.
I added an organza ribbon and fluffy fibers from my stash, in matching colors.
And here are all my 6 tags:

I hope you've had a great summer!
(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Phantom of the Opera Tags

I created these tags for a Phantom of the Opera Tags Swap which took place at the AllThingsTim Yahoo group .
I made 15 similar tags. I've sent 14 tags and kept one for myself.
The colors I chose are very dramatic, as required by the theme.
I was lucky to attend the original production of the Phantom of the Opera in NY in 1980, and I still remember it very vividly.
I used several main motifs from the show: the musical notes, the rose, the chandelier, the white face.
I added other motifs referring to making it into a film (with text and admit ticket).

Supplies used:
White CS
Papers - commercials of the "black swan" movie
Old book's pages
White printer's paper
All Night Media Single Rose stamp
Tim Holtz Urban Grunge acrylic stamp set - chandelier stamp
Tim Holtz Lost and Found acrylic stamp set - film stamp
Tim Holtz Ideaology mask - Concerto
Tim Holtz Patchwork embossing folder - Admit One
Ranger's Distress Ink - Fired Brick, Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade
VersaFine ink - Onyx Black
Red half pearls with sticky back
Color changing soft fibers
Organza burgundy ribbon
Adage tickets - Admit One
Pure alcohol
Ranger's Glossy Accents
3D double sided foam tape

I started with #8 tags, which I cut out of white CS.

The tag's back side
I started working on the tag's back side, printing the swap's details (and mine) on white printer's paper and attaching them to it.
Then I attached the Concerto mask to the tag and blended Ranger's Distress Ink (Fired Brick) all over and around it, until the tag was covered with ink (and so were my fingers… lol)
I sprayed alcohol on the tag to enhance the colors and to fixate them.
I stamped the Single Rose stamp using black ink.

The tag's front side
I used leftover commercials of the "black swan" movie (which I collected for artistic purposes, to re-use in one of my works).
The white face reminded me of the white mask in The Phantom of the Opera, and the wings around the eyes seemed mystical to me.
I cut the papers to fit to the tag's size and adhered them, covering their lower part with a piece of an old book's page (because it's about telling a story).
I stamped Tim Holtz film stamp using black ink (because it's also been filmed).
The chandelier stamp also reminded me one of the motifs in the original production of The Phantom of the Opera.
I stamped it on white CS, cut it and covered it with Glossy Accents to create a glazing. It was glued using a 3D foam tape for extra dimension.
I added red half pearls for the eyes, to make them a bit scary and dramatic.

I took a few Admit One Adage tickets I had and created the rest of them using Tim Holtz Patchwork embossing folder (the Admit One part).
I distressed them using Ranger's Distress Ink (Spiced Marmalade) to give them some bright color, and glued them 3D for some extra dimension.

I chopped the tags' corners with TH scissors, punched holes with the Crop-A-Dile and distressed the edges using Ranger's Distress Ink (Vintage Photo).
Then I added colorful soft fibers and an organza ribbon from my stash.
The fibers and the ribbon remind me of the woman's hair.

And here are all my 15 tags:

Creepy… aren't they?
(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly

Bird Call Tags

Recently I hosted a Birds Tags swap at the commune "Follow Your Arts" (in Israel).
Here is the tag I created.

Supplies used:
Manila CS for the tag
Old book's pages
CS from my stash (for my details on the back side)
Ranger's Distress Ink - Pine Needle, Crushed Olive, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade
Black VersaFine ink
Cuttlebug embossing folder - Bird Call
Background stamp (name unknown)
Tiny clear blings
Ochre leather textured CS
Trails of old Israeli postage stamps (from my private collection)
Metal binder clips, in Pastel colors
Satin ribbon and fibers from my stash
Scalloped Oval punch

First I cuttlebug th tags using the Bird Call embossing folder.
Then I used Ranger's Distress Ink (Pine Needle & Crushed Olive) for the background.
I used Ranger's Distress Ink (Spiced Marmalade) for the bird and added a tiny clear bling as its eye.
I stamped the background stamp using Black VersaFine ink.
If any of you recognizes this stamp and can tell me its brand or where to get it, I'll be grateful (it's a friend's stamp and she didn't keep its package).
I distressed the tags' edges and the small scraps of ochre CS using Ranger's Distress Ink (Rusty Hinge), and added trails of old Israeli postage stamps (from my private collection), attached with small metal binder clips to add some dimension.
I added satin ribbons and fibers.
I covered the back side of the tags with pages from an old book and added my details on a colorful scalloped CS.

Here are my 4 tags:

(You can enlarge each photo by clicking on it)

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed. Have a creative day! Dorly