Fashioned In Faith: April 2013

HEY Y'ALL! I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT I WAS SO READY TO SEE SPRING COME AROUND OUR HOME. THE FLOWERS ARE IN FULL BLOOM AND THE BIRDS ARE SINGING THEIR HAPPY SONGS!! SPRING IS SUCH AN AMAZING TIME OF RENEWAL AND REJUVINATION... I JUST LOVE IT. I WAS SO INSPIRED BY THE BEAUTY OF GOD'S CREATION IN THE FLOWERS I SEE BLOOMING IN MY YARD, THAT I HAD TO PUT IT INTO A PROJECT.

THIS WEEK'S LONE WOLF DESIGN'S DESIGN TEAM SHOWCASE IS A "SPRING FEVER" TAG. AND LET ME TELL YA, I THINK IT TURNED OUT GREAT! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE PROJECT AS MUCH AS I ENJOYED CREATING IT. I ALSO HAVE A SWEET LITTLE TWIST TO THIS WEEK'S POST... ALL OF YOU WHO LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST WILL BE ENTERED INTO A RANDOM DRAWING TO WIN THE TAG!!

THANKS FOR VISITING WITH US AGAIN THIS WEEK...

I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL!

HAPPY SCRAPPIN',

I HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THIS PROJECT. FROM ALL OF THE LAYERS TO THE STRIKING COLORS... THIS TAG SCREAMS SPRING!

START WITH A #8 TAG FROM RANGER AND SOME TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS STAINS. AS IN TIM HOLTZ FASHION, BLOT THE STAINS ALL AROUND ON THE RANGER CRAFT MAT, SPRITZ WITH A LITTLE WATER, THEN LAY THE TAG DOWN ON IT. THIS TECHNIQUE GIVES IT A GREAT WATERCOLOR LOOK. DRY THE STAINS WITH A HEAT TOOL. WHEN DRY, FLICK WATER DROPS ON THE TAG & DAB OFF WITH A TOWEL TO CREATE THOSE GREAT TIM HOLTZ WATER SPOTS! PAINT THE EDGES WITH TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS PAINT TO GIVE THE TAG A MORE FINISHED APPEARANCE.

AFTER IT'S ALL DRY, CHOOSE COORDINATING LACE & TULLE TO ADD SOME TEXTURE. CUT TO THE WIDTH OF THE TAG AND APPLY WITH FABRI-TAC GLUE.

NEXT, I CHOSE WHICH TRINKET I WANTED TO MAKE THE FOCAL POINT OF THE TAG. I CHOSE THE ROBIN WITH BIRD'S NEST. THIS TRINKET IS PERFECT FOR SPRING PROJECTS OF ANY KIND. AFTER CAREFULLY FUSSY CUTTING THE TRINKET, I BEGAN TO SHRINK IT WITH MY HEAT TOOL WHILE HOLDING IT STILL WITH METAL TWEEZERS. HOLD IT LIGHTLY THOUGH, YOU DON'T WANT TWEEZER "MARKS" ON TH PIECE.

WHEN IT STARTS TO HEAT UP, THE PIECE WILL CURL AND TWIST ALL KINDS OF WAYS. THIS IS OK! DON'T FREAK OUT. JUST KEEP HEATING IT (NOT GETTING TOO CLOSE), AND IT WILL START TO FLATTEN BACK OUT. WHEN IT STOPS SHRINKING, CAREFULLY FLATTEN IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT BURNING YOUR FINGERS.

AFTER IT IS COOLED, APPLY GLOSSY ACCENTS TO THE FRONT. SET IT ASIDE TO DRY OVER NIGHT! I MADE THE MISTAKE OF TRYING TO WORK WITH IT AFTER SEVERAL HOURS AND IT STILL SMUDGED A LITTLE.

ONCE EVERYTHING IS GOOD AND DRY, PLACE SOME LEAVES ON EACH SIDE TO HELP "FRAME" YOUR PIECE. THEN, ADD YOUR FOCUS PIECE WITH A COUPLE OF LAYERS OF FOAM ON THE BACK TO POP IT UP OFF THE TAG. I USE FABRI-TAC BY BEACON TO HOLD ALL OF THE CHUNKY HARD TO HOLD PIECES. AFTER THAT, JUST BEGIN TO LAYER YOUR FLOWERS & OTHER EMBELLISHMENTS AROUND THE PIECE.

OF COURSE, I COULDN'T LET THIS PROJECT GO WITHOUT BLING! SO I "DRESSED" IT UP WITH SOME FLAT-BACK PEARLS & GEMS.

THE FLOWERS ARE FROM THE PETALOO "COLOR ME CRAZY" COLLECTION, COLORED WITH THE SAME STAINS & PAINTS. THE STAINS WILL SEEP IN AND COLOR THE ENTIRE FLOWERS, WHILE PAINTS ARE THICKER AND YOU CAN CONTROL THE COLOR. I CHOSE TO JUST "TIP" THE EDGES OF THE ROSES.