CHRISTMAS ETCETERA TAG - TIM HOLTZ CHRISTMAS IDEA-OLOGY 2020 RELEASE

 Hello friends!  Today I'm sharing an Etcetera Tag created for the Tim Holtz Christmas Idea-ology 2020 Facebook Release.

For my project, I've used a Medium Stamper's Anonymous Etcetera Tag (12 x 6 1/2").

To start, I covered the front of my tag with the red woodgrain paper in the Christmas Mini Stash TH94085.  Ink the edges.

Apply Ranger's Distress Crackle Texture Paste randomly to the front of the tag.  I avoided the center of the tag, as this will be covered up.  Once this has air dried, apply a brown Distress crayon (I usually use a Walnut Stain or Ground Espresso). Slightly dampen your finger and rub the crayon in the cracks. I also brush on a light wash with the same colours of ink.  This can be dabbed with a damp paper towel after.

For my center mat, cut out 5 x 8" red Kraftstock, then slightly smaller, Gold Metallic Kraftstock, and finally, pattern paper from the Christmas Mini Stash.  The patterned paper was machine stitched around the edge before adhering the layers today.

The music sheet was from the Christmas Layers TH94092 pkg.  and the frame was from the Baseboards TH94093 pkg.  Distress the edges of the frame.

 

My pocket in the center of the frame is actually a Christmas Box Top TH94089.  I cut it in half (it's about 2 1/2").

I painted four pieces(2 narrow & 2 wide of 5") of the Etcetera Pinking Trims with black gesso(or black paint) for the shelf.

For the Box Top pocket, cut half off the bottom flap. If you want the pocket wider at the bottom, don't cut off as much.  Fold the sides in half but I had the sides slightly slanted wider at the top than the bottom of the fold. The crease folds forward to the front.  The outer edges of the folded sides fits under the frame and glued.  The bottom flap is also folded in half, creased forward, and adhered to the back of the frame. Your bottom pocket doesn't stick out as far as the sides, the top slightly slanting out(this is so the tree, Santa and deer fit a bit better). Hopefully this makes sense!  Adhere your music paper behind the frame.

This is adhered to the patterned paper mat.

The four pieces of edging are glued together with Collage Medium. One wide and one narrow piece are glued together and flat along the straight edge. The other set is glued together like a step so the bottom narrow piece fits flush against the frame and the wider piece is against the pocket.  The other set is glued on top of the bottom wider one.  Hopefully these photos help make sense.  I applied crackle paste when the shelf was glued together.  I then applied a small amount of Red paint, wiping of the excess.  Use your Distresss Crayon in the cracks.

This is what the shelf looks like on it's end.

Glue a piece of Icicle TH93778 under the shelf.  I applied Collage Medium, then Rock Candy Glitter to the icicle.

Glue your matted pocket to the Etcetera Tag, leave enough room for the bottom embellishment.

  Take the base off your Woodland tree(TH94101) and Dye with Distress Sprays or Oxide Sprays, or even a combination.  Add in Mica flakes after.  My choice of colours are pictured below.

Paint the Salvaged Santa (TH93995) and Decorative Deer (TH93994).  I use Distress Paint, then a light wash of brown paint, wiping it gently after.  It removes some of the paint and stays in the cracks, giving it a vintage look.  You could also use Distress Crayons for the aged look.  Play around with it, for the look you want, you can always wipe it off and try something else. I remember trying alcohol ink when these first came out, and they turned a horrible purple pink colour!  I don't think the two mix well together!

  

I used a combination of alcohol inks on the Tiny Bells (94100) and as you can see here, Antique Linen Oxide Spray and Pewter Distress Spray on the tree.

I first added a bit of dried moss in the pocket and then my tree.  It is squishy, but if you flatten the back or even trim the back it will fit.  I hot glued this in so it stayed put.  As you can see here, I also die-cut different pieces of foliage from Sizzix Funky Festive 663101 and I think some from Mini Holiday Greens 661597.  They were cut from Mixed Media Heavystock coloured with sprays and inks. these were adhered on either side and a few between the pocket and shelf.

I used stickers from the Christmas Sticker Book TH94091 behind my deer.  I stuck them on black kraftstock first and then cut out, leaving a very slight black edge. This ways they are sturdy and the black makes them stand out.  Ink the edges.  I also creased the center of the book and curved the edges.  Adhere these into your pocket on the other side of the Santa.  Adhere the deer so he looks like he's coming out of the pocket.

Now for the little piece on the bottom.  

In the Christmas Baseboards TH94093 pkg. there are the inside pieces leftover from die-cut frames.  I used the inside of this green one and cut it in half, inked and sanded the edges.  Label tape 94102 was applied to the middle of each square. Each piece is about 3/4" by 2 3/8".

For my Milk Cap TH94104 embellishment, I machine stitched down the center first.  You want to secure your chipboard piece in some way, so it doesn't completely fall apart.  This is then ran under water and completely soaked.  You will see that if you carefully pull up the edges, there are so many layers.  I was doing this technique quite a few years ago with black chipboard (I don't know if any of you remember when black chipboard pieces were popular, I can't even remember what company had these!)  The pieces separated so good!  This milk cap was pretty good too and was sprayed with Distress spray, then curled up along the edges. Set this aside too dry. I attached a Christmas Token TH93997 with a brad and  a bow tied with red thick thread to finish it off.

My two pieces are adhered, lined up with the edge of the mat.  They don't quite meet up in the middle, which you don't even see, as the Milk Cap covers that.

The back of my Etcetera Tag was covered with the Holly Collage Paper TH93762.  It was a little narrower than the tag, so I covered the edges with the Silver Pinked Trim Tape 94107.  There's a thin red/white strip tape in this same pkg. which is the same width of the tag edge, I adhered this along the edges.

For my ribbons at the top of my tag, I adhered the holly Fabric Tape 94095 to a piece of Mummy Cloth, fraying the edges.  Another piece of Mummy cloth was dyed with Distress sprays.  

My Christmas Etcetera Tag is complete!

I've noticed that a lot of you ask the question, when you see these Etcetera Tags, Vignette Frames, etc. what do you do with them all?  Well, I'm a bit of a collector, and what to do with everything?  I decided to make a gallery wall in my hallway, for some those bits and pieces, photos, and Tim Holtz Makes.  If you have a few projects using the same structure or same size, these can be switched out whenever you feel like a change or for a seasonal change.  You could even have a small shelf or box for those standing vignettes.   I just started decorating for Christmas and I'm in the middle of changing out some everyday things with Christmas.  I have a small ticket board, that you can display small items like cards, tags, photos, etc.  I've enjoyed(or should I say, accumulated more stuff) my wall so much, I've started another one in our family room. 

Before you know it, November will be over and then we'll be into December. Yikes! I have a few more projects to share, and will try to get them on here soon as I can, in case you are inspired to create your own Christmas projects!

Until next time,

Jan