12 TAGS OF 2014 - JANUARY plus ALL FROM 2013

Tag happiness begins on the 1st of January when Tim blogs the first tag of the new year and that warm feeling comes over you knowing there are another 11 to come. Some prove to be a big challenge especially when the only ingredient you have is a blank tag, some are partly challenging as you have some of the stash Tim has used and the rest has to be thought up and then the easy ones when you discover you own everything he used. Some of the past tags have seen me searching all over the place for dies etc and these are the ones that have helped me build on my craft stash. This means that I can now 'think outside' the box more and not get disappointed because I can't make my tag look anything like the sample. I reckon I have travelled the beginning of the journey and am now in a position to really get to grips with it all. So here is my take on this months tag:

I made my base with the same stain and ink as Tim plus the rub on was the same and I used the clockwork stencil too. So far so good. However, the pocket watch was my challenge this time because I don't have that one nor the circle movers and shapers. I used a Fiskars circle stencil and cutter plus a bit of free hand drawing to make my watch and painted it with Black Soot and Brushed Pewter distress paints. The embossing was done with a different folder over the metal foiling. I think it worked really well. I had a go at the fiddly rub ons on the type key but am still searching for the apoxy sticker to go over it. Finally, the gorgeous piece of ribbon I've used looks just like metal and that was thanks to my step son Tony for finding that for me. I've re-charged the battery in my camera and downloaded the photos of the steps I took to achieve my tag:

Smashing start to this year's tags. My tags from last year, as mentioned before, now form the background to my blog all thanks to our Quentin. I hope he realises this little task may become annual...... Here they all are together:

I so enjoyed making every single one of them and won a prize for November which is on it's way as I type. The CHA sneak peeks from Tim have me salivating already and the stencils are top of my list. That said, I have an online class booked for 3 weeks time which is all about using stencils but as I will be on another Hels workshop in the NE then, I will have to catch up on that one when I get back. 2014 is going to be another wonderful 'crafty' year.