FEBRUARY TAG - The 12 Tags of 2014

                      February has really blown in- all over the country. It used to be my usual wintertime complaint that I "hadda be born in INDIANA" but it seems that Old Man Winter has hit just about every state pretty hard this year. It's getting just a bit 'old' to see nothing but weather reports, not to mention reports of more snow on the way. However, it did give me T!m's Tag to look forward to, and he never seems to disappoint!

         This month's tag is a re-hash of the chalk technique Tim showed us in November. And just like that tag... I made a few mistakes. Ok. So I made several mistakes. For crying out loud....FINE! I made many mistakes. After about the fourth try on just ONE tag (remember that I usually make more than one so I can give them to share a smile to someone who needs a little lift), I was ready to give up. But I forged on and came up with three pretty passable chalkies. That was after the trip made to Lafayette for another blood lab draw since all my meds had to be updated. This girl couldda used a SPOON and it might have felt a bit less painful. Not my usual, but at least she was quick about it. So, NATURALLY, I needed to stop in at JoAnn's and the store my kids call "The Black Hole" aka Hobby Lobby, and see if the TH Alterations Feather/Ink Die is in stock yet. No, but the TH Apothocary Jars Die was in. And I took advantage of finding some Distress Glitter. Remember that I dislike glitter of any kind. Wouldn't you know it- T!m was using some on this month's tag! YAY! So I got in deep with both feet. And find out that it wasn't as bad. In fact, it was kinda fun, AND not too glitzy cause you can distress it and play down the glitz with some Distress Inks. Which is why I chose to get the clear.

   But,again, the chalk technique is difficult for me to duplicate. I end up using more embossing than chalk. It came down to a choice of wasting alot more cardstock (which I hate doing) or drowning in the embossing powder like dragging home all of Florida with you. I chose to use more emboss. Sort of used to all that grit in your swimsuit, I guess. 

   And then, of course, you have the backsides that I like to also do something with- makes it nice if it's hanging up. This was a simple TH Movers&Shapers die that is retired now. I "LOVE" this die! ;)  I followed the same idea and techniques except for the exact stamp. I just happened to find this one (on clearance even!) while shopping. I do like the stamp that T!m has because it just happens that Brett & Holli used that very song for their Wedding Dance together! That'd be a nice 1st Anniversary gift for them. :) Now, the top tag...

Of course, everyone who likes any kind of music knows what this month is: 50th Anniversary of THE BEATLES ARRIVING IN THE USA!

So I kept thinking of that since I am the ultimate BEATLES freak fan. Been like that since I was way little. We're talking; this 5 yr old little girl bawling her heart out because she sees Paul McCartney on the news (black and white even) in 1970 announcing the breakup of The BEATLES. I couldn't believe it. They broke my little girl heart. But I lived, and so did they. And they each went on to make some great tunes that literally kept the music world going. And they sang about the same things that we all lived in our lives. Not that I condone alot of the stuff that they did or even said. But their music is still a balm to my deaf ears. And since those were the tunes my now-completely-deaf ears remember...that's still what I KNOW. And that's why the tag I made- while it did NOT use the chalk technique, came out REALLY COOL if I do say so myself. I had a great time with making that little camera charm- a wood cut out of a pkg of 4 or 5 diff kinds of cameras that suits me in my love of photography perfectly! I used Distress Black Soot Paint, then Glossy Accents to put the two TH Ideaology Type Charms over each side of the open hole where the 'lens' of the camera was. Then got onto my trusty pc and picked out my fave BEATLES pics I keep in a file. I even stuck in a Fragment-glued pic of a poster that hangs in my craft room (thanks to my little sister finding that very old one for me that someone else TOSSED OUT..are you KIDDING ME?!?!). One Type Charm on front side has their pic of Ed Sullivan performance and the other side has another Type Charm with the date and "No.50" added all in cut misc numbers from the TH Numbers RubOns. I used a few TH Fragments for my fave albums. I had to add the "Let It Be" as a fave album. (The 'gift' song of my 'dream dance' at our younger son's wedding- video is on previous post before this.) And another fave- the "Abbey Road" also since those were the end of their combined careers and I also added two Game Pieces- painted with Distress Black Soot all over and then tops ran flat through Distress Picket Fence Paint to make the year. I added a stamped date too, just for the heck of it.  With a Sheet Music & another flourish Emboss Folders- I was able to add my own foil bottoms to each of the tags. I used some Ideaology for arrows and a Pen Nib for my new Daughter. Her fave color is the odd Tag using some lavender/purple shades.

 

    Something different I tried this time that I've never done before; I wanted a pearly pink that was the same color as a nail polish I have. After looking through my studio, I just went ahead and got the nail polish out and used it. The resulting ribbon made out of TH Symphony (folded onto itself) and added ric-rac ribbon...came out really COOL! Plus, I also hot-glued the ric-rac onto a cotton string lace ribbon and got my own mix for the three chalked tags. 

     So, while the BEATLES tag wasn't exactly a chalked-embossing, it was ALOT more work, and actually alot more fun than the other three tags were. For me, the fun really comes out of doing more creatively on what I LOVE most. And I know there are a TON of BEATLES fans out there who will enjoy seeing this too, and maybe take the idea and run with it for something else. Or even copy this. SHARING is what it's all about. Thanks for looking in once again! Happy Blogging!