Friday 4 January 2013

Using Embossing Folders At Artful Times. . . .

Firstly, Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a wonderful break and that you enjoyed the festive season. I feel as if I haven't blogged for ages but it's good to be back!

Well before Christmas, I had the pleasure of attending a class with the lovely Von from Artful Times. Later, I received an email asking me to be a guest designer for the new challenge at Artful Times. I was delighted to oblige as I have followed this challenge blog from the start.

Here's the tag I made using two embossing folders, stamping, crackle, distress inks, acrylic paint and some handmade flowers (the pink ones, not the white!) amongst other things:
The finished work which used two embossing folders: one for the leaves and another at the top and lower end of the tag. The white flowers are purchased mulberry paper blooms and the pink flowers were made from a TH strip die.


The flowers were die cut from white card and coloured with two shades of distress ink. Once manipulated into shape and layered together, each flower was sponged with a little versamark and embossed on the petal edges in a random fashion. I added the white blooms to balance the layout of the tag.

The leaves were die cut, coloured with distress and embossed in a paisley design folder. Crackle was then used to create texture and an aged look. Acrylic paint was used once the crackle was dry.

The thick grey board tag was coated with gesso and acrylic. Areas at the top and bottom of the tag were embossed with a TH folder. The raised sections were coloured with gold paste and like the leaves, crackle was applied to suggest an aged piece.

My beautiful stamped image image is from Crafty Individuals. She was stamped with archival and some distress ink was used to colour her flowers the same pink as the roses I made. Other shades were used in the background and for the masonary around her. Crackle was applied to some areas of the stamped image.
A TH chit chat sticker was used for the sentiment with some powder embossing around the edges to finish. The beads were some of my charity shop find (still got loads left!) and I felt they were perfect to embellish this tag. You can see some script stamped onto the background to create depth and the crackle is more easily seen here.


Thank so much to Von and Neet for allowing me to guest at Artful Times for this challenge, it's a wonderful opportunity to make something containing lots of my favourite things!

I will be back visiting you all very soon, just as soon as I catch up with the entries at Anything But A Card!

I'm going to link my tag up at the Fashionable Stamping challenge blog for the first time ever. They have a wonderful challenge theme this time: 'Surprise Us' (Anything Goes). If, like me, you've never entered here, you should hop over and have a look at the pieces made by the design team - inspiration in bucket loads, believe me!


45 comments:

  1. OMG Julia that is sooooo beautiful all those lovely techniques used and those pink flowers are to die for. Congrats on being guest DT. Hugs Sandra X

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  2. That is one beautiful tag Julia. Thanks so much for being our Guest Designer and with such a lovely tag. Welcome to our Embossing Folder challenge - bet you are glad Von took it down form 'as many' to two.

    Hugs, Neet xx

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  3. Julia, what an amzing tag to start your blog with this year. Beautiful flowers, and love, love, the crackling technique used to give the whole piece an aged look. Brilliant! Have a great weekend. Cheers, Di

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  4. Great to have you back in blogland, glad you had a nice break over the festive period.

    Fabulous tag and I love that crackle, what crackle do you use as it looks so delicate.

    Sam xxx

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  5. An amazing tag my lovely, thank-you for sharing. Lol your fab charity shop find certainly works perfectly with the style and feel of your tag and what an adorable stamp too.
    Hope you had a wonderful christmas and new year sweetie.
    Huge huggles
    Dawn x

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  6. I just love this Julia :) and it's so nice to see it in close up, you have a real way with embossing folders and your touches of crackle just add that final finesse to your gorgeous tag and we really appreciate you taking the time to be a guest for our first challenge of 2013 at Artful Times
    Von x♥x

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  7. What a great details on this tag Julia...love the crackle effect, gorgeous flowers and such nice details!!! Lovely!

    Best wishes and lots of creative moments in 2013

    greetings, Alie :-)

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  8. Hi Julia, congrats on being invited to be a guest designer - the tag looks totally fab! I love the pink flowers you made and also your use of the crackle - I think I might have to invest in some of that!! Claire x

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  9. What a beautiful tag Julia, been wondering where you'd got to these past 2 weeks plus! Hope you haven't been ill over the Christmas break. Thanks for giving me the idea of using beads to adorne tags as I have loads of those. Happy New Year to you too. BJ

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  10. Amazing work. And congratulations on the guest designer slot, well done you, so well deserved. Happy New Year... catch up soon.

    Cassidy

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  11. Hi Julia - welcome back! Hope you've been having a lovely Christmas break. I saw this over at AT, and meant to come straight here for a closer look, but my cold-infested brain is very inefficient at present! It's absolutely gorgeous - the subtle crackle texture and the gilded embossing, all just the perfect vintage setting for the gorgeous image.

    And you're right about my bunting - I don't dislike it, but it doesn't feel like me: a definite hop out of kin... one of those "gotta do it for the DT" ones - I'm much happier with what I've been doing since!!
    Looking forward so much to seeing where your creative journey takes you in 2013!
    Alison xx

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  12. Oh you've been missed Julia. You have a style all of your own that is absolutely gorgeous and so worth this guest design spot. Great to see your talents being publicly recognised again. Your flowers are gorgeous and perfectly formed. Excellent colour choices that compliment your image beautifully. All in all it's amazing. Now you have posted I can link you too!!! Here's hoping 2013 is the best year yet for you as you deserve it so much. Hugs, Jenny x

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  13. What a beautiful tag! Love it. Hugs, Valerie

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  14. This is just gorgeous Julia, such a divine tag with wonderful techniques and colours. I saw it first on Artful Times blog and had to come straight over. I hope you've had a good Christmas and wishing you a happy, healthy and peaceful new year.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  15. Hi Julia, I have missed you too, welcome back to blogland. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Your tag is strikingly gorgeous, I love how you embossed the edge of the flowers and the 'dry' embossing looks so beautiful. I really love your style. Many congratulations on being selected as a guest Designer, you so deserve it with your beautiful work. Hugs, Anne x

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  16. Wow! This is so elegant! I love the gold embossing and those white beads and crackle! Love love love!! :)

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  17. Your tag is SO gorgeous ! Love it ! The roses with the embossed edges are beautiful, I may have to borrow your idea :) Love all the details. Have a great weekend, Shirleyx

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  18. A fabulous tag with great details. Love the flowers and the crackled background. Congrats on your GD spot. Thanks for joining us at Fashionable Stamping Challenges this fortnight.

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  19. Hi Julia, A very Happy New Year to you and your family! How wonderful that you & Von took a class together, she is a lovely lady. Your tag is super gorgeous as always and what a brilliant idea to emboss the leaves, will pinch that idea If I may :D xxx

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  20. Happy New Year Julia!!! And wow this tag is absolutely fabulous - so many different techniques. I just LOVE LOVE the pink flowers they look so wonderful with the gold embossing (will have to try that one!) and the embossed leaves with the crackled background are just amazing. Fabulous ideas and techniques - thank you for sharing so much in one small tag!

    I know Von through another Craft Forum and had not put her and Artful Times together! So I am just off to have a look at the AT blog. Congratulations on another DT spot! Well deserved x

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  21. Happy New Year Julia x This is an absolutely beautiful make. I love it all x The stamped image and embossing are stunning as are the flowers.

    TFS

    Annie x

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  22. Lovely to see you back with a stunning make, so many wonderful details...I love your use of the gold embossing on the edges of the flowers..the crackle is fabulous!!!allin all a wonderful make...congratulations on the GD spot..so well deserved.
    Glad it is not just me who has been missing! Happy new year love trace x

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  23. This is probably the most beautiful, most elegant tag I have ever seen. I can't believe you made the roses. I have no idea what kind of apparatus created them, but it certainly cuts out fantastic flowers. And your coloring of them is exquisite. WOW!

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  24. Breath-taking!!! I love everything about your lovely tag Julia! x

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  25. So pinning this beauty! The gold is my favorite...wow! An elegant masterpiece!

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  26. What amazing texture! Love the gold, especially around the flower edges. Stunning!

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  27. Very pretty, Julia - love your blog :-)

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  28. Very very beautiful tag Julia with a lot of great details .
    Love it.
    Wish you a Happy Healthy and Creative 2013.

    Greetings Janny

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  29. Congratulations!
    This is divine. Such a softness to it and everything speaks of perfection from the flowers to the pearls, breathtaking.
    Wishes
    Lynne

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  30. Hi Julia happy new year and what a way to start it ! sorry I haven't been visiting for a while but just had to rest my elbow it was getting steadily worse and it seems to have worked! but back to the tag it is stunning! gorgeous!and simply fabulous ...can you see how much I love it :-)I have tag envy and congratulations on your guest designer spot ,well deserved x

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  31. Wow, this is absolutely gorgeous! Love all the crackle and gold! Thank you for joining us at Fashionable Stamping Challenges!

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  32. Hi Julia, Best Wishes to you for 2013.
    This is a stunning tag, love the finish with the crackle and the gold highlighting to the rose is gorgeous.
    So pleased you joined us over at FSC for this challenge.
    Avril xx

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  33. So Beautiful! What wonderful textures. Happy New Year! Kim

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  34. Simply gorgeous, and an excellent tutorial

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  35. Stunning work! The details are magnificent!

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  36. Oh this is just gorgeous. Love the colours, the beautiful girl and those fab flowers.

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  37. Absolutely gorgeous Julia, fabulous colour and detail, I love the gold edged flowers. Congrats on your GD spot too, so very well deserved. Xx

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  38. LOVE it! I just adore your custom made embellishments! Can't believe the flowers are from paper! Well done...

    Thanks for sharing at FSC!
    xxx Ellie xxx

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  39. Your tag is beyond stunning, Julia! I love the gold and the crackle.

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  40. It was lovely to see you on Sunday and I hope you are feeling better.
    Your tag is stunning - the colours are fab and the flowers gorgeous.
    xxx Hazel.

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  41. Stunning! The aged effect from the crackle and the gold embossing make this piece feel much older than it is and I absolutely love that! Your flowers are gorgeous and the embossing on the leaves was inspired! There are so many techniques on your tag that I want to try! Now to just find the time to play!

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  42. Lovely, vintage style! Gorgeous crackle! Best wishes for 2013!

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  43. HI Julia, just popped back to say thanks for linking to the 'Surprise Us' challenge at FSC. Glad I did cos I can take another look at this gorgeous tag.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  44. Visiting again to say thank you for some great inspiration - I got my embossing folders out and joined in with the Artful Times challenge for the first time. Would love to know what sort of crackle glaze you use ? Jennie x

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Juliax