NOVEMBER TAG; The 12 Tags of 2015...For Veterans' Day! Part 2 of 2

  This weekend didn't exactly go as I had planned it to. But then, the people of France had much happen in their weekend also, that definitely was not in their plans. So, I'll just be thankful we're all still here, and keep trusting that GOD is in control no matter what anyone thinks otherwise. Some Day, we'll have all our questions answered, and in the meantime let's all keep our eyes to the skies and our noses to steepled fingers in PRAYER. (I'll pass on those words 'moment of quiet reflection' because my heart is not 'reflecting' right now.)

             Backing up a bit to November 1st, and my quest to get the pumpkin die (TH Alterations Pumpkin Parts) I've been been hoping to find for use specifically in October and November, and I ended up changing my mind when stamps when HALF OFF! at Joann Fabrics. I ended up getting some of the larger set of Americana with the intent to use it on November Tag for Veterans' Day specifically for my Dad- a WWII Veteran. Tim came out with a pumpkin on his tag but I didn't get that stamp set yet. Like I've said several times before; whenever we want to find Tim's items for that month's tag, we end up online ordering more often than not to get even 1 yr old items he's had out. The JoAnn's and Hobby Lobbys here in Indiana are just a WEEE BIT BEHIND. They are catching up SOMEWHAT but not nearly enough. Thus, we end up paying out shipping and handling for wanted newer items. That adds up to quite and amount that I'd MUCH rather pay out for more TH items !!! So that part kind of sucks. I just happened to get S&H for a $3.99 flat rate, but still had to wait a week for it to get into the mail so I could make and add the last items. It takes quite a bit more thought on the crafter's part than just going into the studio and start creating. If we don't have a way to get those items on time, once we make our choice of following Tim's exact path, or going crazily off the usual creation course with substitutes. If I go off course, though...lookout! I go WAY off course- which can get to be too much fun!- and take alot more time.

So here's how I did mine this month by the photos, so you can see where I veered off from Tim's.

Instead of using a brayer and stamp, I chose a different way of getting my pattern onto the tag for my background. I DO have Americana stamps, but I didn't want any words or 'sharp' images, so to speak. I wanted the background to SLIGHTLY show up like it had faded over time. If it was newer, it would look out of place for the vision I had in mind.

Shown here is the pattern I was able to achieve with Antique Linen TH Distress Paint by using 2 of my fave Stencils (appropriately titled STARS and STRIPES, respectively) by bending the stencils so they overlapped only where I wanted- stars in the left upper corner and stripes running up and down; the same as a hanging American Flag.



I LOVE using the Vintage Photo and Tea Dye  Distress Inks for an aged look!!!



I got out my new pad of CORRESPONDANCE stash papers and used my Alterations Die to cut some frames to hold the photo of my Dad. I scanned off the original photo and printed several tag-sized copies onto linen-colored cardstock. Then used the same Distress Inks as above to antique the printed photo. PERFECT!   (I've been busy scanning tons of the rest of the photos he has been, over the past years, putting into 8 albums divided up according to each of us 7 kids with one for Dad himself!! I was amazed he took that on but never told me about it! He'd gotten the idea from my Grandma Raymer who did the same for her Grandchildren and I cherish those pics she saved aside for me all those years!! Grandma often bragged about how Dad "loves all his kids SO MUCH" and she is so right on!!!)



Now, here is where I veered off from Tim- SLIGHTLY. Tim used the pumpkin stamp for both his background AND the pumpkin foreground. I chose to use my "Travel Blueprint" set. Now, while Dad stayed Stateside, I chose to stamp 'The World' Blueprint to show how the US Army our Dad joined is noted as THE most powerful Armed Force in the world. And the backside of my tag used 'The Compass' Blueprint stamp- to show how our Dad guided us as we grew up.
Our own kids think we 'brainwash them' when they will find out with their own experience in parenting that parents have to GUIDE their kids along. The child is given a chance to make a decision IF the oportunity and safety allows it. Otherwise, it's totally up to the parent to choose what is best. As the child grows and is ABLE to make WISE choices....more chances to make those choices are given.  We saw our two boys as INDIVIDUALS. We dressed them exactly alike, and they always got the same material things or experiences (as closely as we could), but often they each showed their different traits. I could tell Brian to "get in there and do your homework", but could only push him so far before he threw in the towel. But I could push Brett to not only get the homework done, but come outside and help me trim the yard, too. Because they each had their limits. Brian was more like his Dad USED to be at that VERY SAME AGE. And Brett was more like his Mom. hehe....My Dad would come in to my room and say "Got that homework DONE, so you WILL GO OUT AND MOW?! Like...NOW!!!" and I would be like "YES, SIR!!" unless I wanted my butt to match the color of the American Flag (and it was NOT the blue or the white, let's say).   Like I said, my Dad (like most 'Rents) was not perfect, but he did what he thought was best and at least he TRIED. Most importantly; I know he LOVED all of us kids.



The stamp I chose to use for the coloring was the Mini Americana Blueprint set. Prob my FAVE of the Blueprints line. As you will see in the closeups, the size just fit perfectly, as well as the color popping.

Shown here is one thing I am going to SHOUTOUT about: If you haven't tried that FOIL yet, RUN and get some!!! I always managed to find it, but never really thought it would be as TOTALLY ADVATAGEOUS and ABSOLULTELY FUN TO USE!!!! Not to mention how you REALLY get your $$$ worth outta this stuff!! It comes 10 sheets to a pack of 5 colors for about $5.00 !!! I used ONE TOTAL SHEET for 4 2-sided tags; that's EIGHT SIDES out of ONE SHEET!! WOWZA!! Not to mention the fact that while I don't care much for glittery glitz (which is what I thought would be the result and the main reason I never really wanted to give it a try), but this stuff just gave my Americana Veteran's Tag the 'BOOM!' it needed to put it over the top! VERY VERY COOL, indeed!

Shown here is the IdeaOlogy Remnant Rub Tool; another SHOUTOUT item I was able to find available for less than $5.00 and got 30% off that during a sale at JoAnn Fabrics! Tim is right about this tool- it IS a 'need'- very useful and handy indeed! Esp when it comes to hands that hurt all the time despite the 24 2x meds I teke every single day -plus shots and cancer meds- to keep the RA under control. That tool REALLY helped make it EASY to work on this FUN technique of Embossed Water Coloring I just learned to do with this month's Tag! 

Then came the backsides and my idea for it was to put little tiny printed out copies (printed and same the same way I did the photo) of Dad's official promotion to Srgt and his Honorable Discharge. I got the idea to incorporate the story he told me of where he and his Buddy wanted to go originally, but ultimately  where he ended up: Kentucky and New Mexico. I added those from my States Thinlet Die Set, using the outline of the states he lived in temporarily and the fill-in of Indiana where he mustered-out from and came home permanently again to marry and raise a family. 



Ever since I've been following Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi, I have looked for,  unsuccessfully, the now-retired IdeaOlogy "WASHERS"! I have only seen them when they debuted but never was able to get my hands on any. It likely will not happen now, but I really HOPE Tim comes out with another line of  items like those washers. I have even bought some at the Home Depot and used my ever-present Glossy Accents to add paper, or paint them or stamp them ...some kind of way to make them look like crafting washers. I may next experiement again with the Alcohol Inks- specifically the brown tones.  But usually, the holes in the middle are way too large for the IdeaOlogy Fasteners or Screws. So they end up not usually viable for use on crafts.
My next-best idea was these little bracelet charms I found over by the Vintaj charms. They were bendable, so I knew they could be punched for a middle hole the size I needed. Or drilled. The punch was easier and I punched out a triangle large enough to fit then just hammered it down onto the backside of a "bronze" star one of my Besties found packages of in the Clearance items on a ChicksTrip last month.  Those stars are COOL! My other choice was to hang a Mirrored Star but that was not fitting into the image I had of the finished Tag. I LOVE those Mirrored Stars, tho!!! :)

  

Here is the bronze star on the front side of the Tags. (I made one of the Tags to be in Blue Foil edges- the one for Dad to keep. The Gold Foil edged tags were for me and two of my sisters.) 

 

This shows a closeup of his papers miniturized for the backsides of the tags. Instead of an IdeaOlogy Arrow, I chose to use Spinners because they matched up as pointers for the Compass stamp on that side A bit of the RWB twisted string made a nice touch for the spinners pointing to "Honorable Discharge".



I LOVE LOVE LOVE the corked word Tim did on his tag! And I've had the chance (TWICE) to get my hands on that AlphaNumerical lettering and numbers, but DIDN'T get it!! WHY do I DO that ?!? But, I DID get the Expdition Set of Thinlits Scripted Words after I found it at a Hobby Lobby. So I DO have SOME brains, ya know. SOME! The word "authentic" seemed to fit in well here.

 

Not willing to waste the cute lettering that resulted from the frontside corks.... I added it to the backsides as well.



The finished Fronts of my NOVEMBER TAG...



...and the finished Backsides.



      And that's all for now. My backlogged items for blogging seem to be building instead of getting more done. That's because I have lately been crafting MORE gifts - mostly crocheted blankets for the newest Baby born in our fam and a couple of weddings (one this past weekend with another in December). Growing familes and friends mean more to do together and do for. But what would life be without all of them ?? 

       Thanks so much for letting me share with you - especially about someone so dear to me as my Dad has always been to me. I am very blessed in so many ways, and one of them is having so many folks to share so many different creative talents and the results of those talents.

Be Safe and Happy Blogging !