A 'Soft' Steampunk Tag

Hi - today I'm sharing an altered tag I've made for a one-to-one swap.

I really love altered tags - I've found many an amazing one on Pinterest but I've probably only made 3 or 4 myself so I joined up to this swap to challenge myself a little and push my boundaries :o). This was a different type of swap for me in that it had a list of elements/ingredients from which we had to choose at least 8 to incorporate into our tags. This is the list: Design paper, flowers, mini book, mini tag, bling, ribbon, doily, stamped image, dry embossing, heat embossing, stick pin, a single word, metal embellishment and bakers twine.

I started with a great piece of patterned paper - I can't decide if it looks more like part of the internals of a revolver or clock parts - I bought quite a few sheets of this just because I thought it was so unusual.   I cut this down to a tag that was 6 1/4" x 3 1/8". This was my base for the tag.

Next I took a slightly smaller manilla tag and sprayed it with small amounts of mica glimmer mists in Teal, Mulberry and Mango Crush, allowing the colours to blend gently into each other.

Whilst this dried, I decided I would make a little mini book. When you're making something for someone else, especially someone who you don't really know, it can be daunting as you don't know their particular tastes and how they marry up with your own. I mean I love steampunk but I know it's not to everybody's taste but having already chosen the base paper I decided on a slightly watered down version on a steampunk theme.   So to my mini book. I had some small pieces of cog embossed copper cardstock left over from a previous make (my steampunk trytich) which I decided to trim and use as a book cover. The inside of the book was made by accordion folding a length of watercolour paper. I then took a wooden toothpick, ran it through some Stampin Up ink in Soft Suede and dragged this across each page to (hopefully) give the impression of faded lines of text. I then over-stamped tiny symbols - such as crowns and fleur-de-lys - with Chocolate Chip ink and random words - like Smile and Beautiful - in a purple ink and I added little key and keyhole brads to the middle pages. I tied a little cord around the spine of my mini book and then glued the pages into place.

Next I moved back to the manilla tag. I stamped some cogs along the left hand side, and some criss- cross texturing to the top right hand side. I took some more watercolour paper to create a pocket for the mini book, leaving the 'bobbly' side outwards and then rubbed over it with the purple ink and added a little metal hinge plate.

Checking back to my 'recipe' list I decided to use the single word and heat embossing prompts. I've got loads of word stamps (might be slightly addicted!) and in particular some very ornate, swirly ones. Following my Soft Steampunk theme I chose the word 'Explore' and heat embossed this in three layers with copper embossing powders. I then restamped over the top with archival ink for definition.

For the finishing touches I edged each tag with my copper coloured Sharpie (which I also used on the metal hinge) and then glued then together. As a finishing touch - and to tick off my eighth 'ingredient' I added a small copper rose top left and bottom right.

I was really pleased with this tag (was almost tempted to keep it) and hope that it's recipient likes it too.

This is the tag I have received in return - it is lovely too :o). I especially like the folded brass filigree piece with the key (really love keys!!), the leaf and of course the butterflies. :o)

I would like to enter this tag into the following challenges :

SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenges - Steampunk Summer Bonus Challenge 2014 - here:  http://sandee-and-amelie.blogspot.co.at/p/steampunk-summer-bonus-challenge-2014.html

The Artistic Stamper - August Challenge - Anything Goes - here:  http://www.theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/augusts-challenge-anything-goes.html

Shopping Our Stash - Triple Threat (I've used ribboon; flowers; sprays/mists; and dry embossing) - here:  http://shoppingourstash.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/sos-162-triple-threat.html

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes - here:  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-6/

Art Impressions - Like an EmBOSS - Wet or Dry Embossing - here:  http://artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/challenge-141-like-emboss-wet-or-dry.html

and That Craft Place- Anything Goes - here:  http://thatcraftplaceblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/new-challenge-anything-goes.html