Another Tag and Birthday RAKs

Well, after I dabbled in the Tim Holtz techniques a bit, this is the tag I REALLY enjoyed making. Although I like the look of the crackle paints, I think this embossed/grunge tag technique is a lot more fun! :) I got quite a bit inky, but it was worth it in the end.

You can find a tutorial here -- http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/04/april-technique.html

I definitely didn't add as many embellishments as Tim especially since it was for a swap, but the general/basic idea was the same.

Stamps: Elegant Rose by Penny Black (thanks, Eileen!), Print Pattern bg stamp from SU (retired) and Rough Edges alphabet.

Inks: Versamark, Adirondack Espresso (thanks, Carmen!), Brilliance graphite black pigment ink for the image and letters, ruby red from SU, tea dye distress ink, and gold from Encore.

Cardstock: chocolate chip base layer and tag itself cut from manila file folder, layered with strips of dp from stash.

Accessories: Ribbon (thanks, Carmen!), swirly clips, gold brads, Harlequin textured grungeboard (thanks, Susan!), and clear embossing powder.

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Look at all these gorgeous cards from my friends! :) These were sent to me over the past week for my birthday last Saturday (I turned 29 AGAIN!) Funny how that works, isn't it?! LOL


This sweet Tilda is from my friend and bloggin' sister, Chris.

The floral card to the right of that is from my good swappin' buddy and fellow blogger, Lee (it's heavy -- in a good way --with all the bling and layers).

The bathing bella beauty is from Marjorie, another bloggin' sister.

The off white one with the pink scallop is from a local girl from our stamping workshops, Tina, and this card has lots of great texture and glitter. Wow, Tina! This must have been a labor of love, girl.

This pretty pink and glittery one was made by a good friend and sister swapper, Eileen! She has a very kind heart, and we have only known one another for a short time. We are in a group who swaps HM images and cards as well. Eileen, this dazzling diamond technique is gorgeous!

The bright yellow one with the pretty wheelbarrow of flowers is from my good SCS friend who is like a sister to me, too. Tina from the Tackertwosome pair (mom and daughter).

This cute chick in the flower pots has lots of glitter and shine, but I am not sure the camera captured it. Maybe if we enlarge the pic you can see it (click to see it bigger). This is from Lena Tacker (the mom part of the Tackertwosome). She is like an older sister to me, too. Sweet, sweet lady from Texas she is. We met through swapping House Mouse cards/images.

The next card pink and brown with the vellum flower is from a SCS sister who belongs to the birthday RAK group (Michele). She is a generous soul who also belongs to the Wish group. We have swapped images before too.

This pretty rose pink and blue card is from Mary Lou another local lady from our stamping workshop group. This is terrific. I love the way she used the nesties to create the frame around the main image.

The cupcake card is from my good friend, Deb, whom I have known for a while now. Seems like years, but not really that long. We have been SCS sisters and swappin' House Mouse images for quite a while too. She knows how much I would love those cupcakes (calorie-free too)! :)

The pretty flower card made with that gorgeous DP is from a local girl and good friend, Marcie. She is also in our stampin' group. Really sweet person who would share almost any of her stampin' stuff with you if you asked. :) Thanks, Marcie!

The pretty bella in these gorgeous bright colors is from my good friend and *older sister* well secret sister anyway, but I truly love her like she is my older sister, Jessica! Thanks, so much ladies for some terrific cards. They truly made my week!