Peace And Joy To All...

Hello friends and Happy Monday!

Today, we have something very special happening on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge because this week, Simon Says Stamp are sponsoring Day 2 of Tracey McNeeley's 25 Days of Christmas Tags event and we would like you to make a Christmas Tag and link it on this post. 

We would also love for you to join in with the event over on Tracey's "In My Creative Opinion' blog.

As always, on the 1st Monday of the month we are showcasing a brand and this week, it's our very own SSS brand products. You don't have to use them to join us but we would love it if you did...

So, let's get started and here's how I created my tag using the gorgeous SSS Centre Cut Out Holiday Floral stamp.

To begin with I cut a Size 8 tag from Distress Watercolour Card and for this particular tag, I will be using the smooth side of the card.

I started by stamping the image in clear embossing ink, placing it across the central section of the tag. You will lose some of the image but this is what I intended to do. Sprinkle gold embossing powder over the top of the image and tap away the excess before heat embossing the powder until molten and shiny.

I then stamped the image a further couple of times onto a separate piece of card, ensuring that this time the whole image was stamped onto the card. I then embossed both images with gold embossing powder.

I then watercolored the stamped image on the tag, using Candied Apple, Festive Berries, Peeled Paint and Forest Moss Distress Inks and a water brush. When I was happy with the finished image, I added a little shading over the top of the watercoloring using Polychromos Pencils.

For the background of the tag, I used Pumice Stone Distress Ink, blending the ink over the top of the tag, and around the main stamped image. If you do go over the watercoloring, don't worry...it won't affect it too much if you don't apply the ink too heavy.

I then covered up my main stamped image and spritzed a light misting of water over the top. Heat dry the card and then apply some Pumice Stone Ink to your craft sheet, and lightly spritz with water, before dipping the background areas into the ink, to create little pools of ink on the card surface. Once again, heat the card, being careful not to overheat the embossed areas.

I completed the background tag by adding a machine stitched border around the outside and mounted it onto some green shimmer card from my stash before punching a hole in the top.

Cut around the stamped outline of one of the stamped poinsettias, together with a few of the leaves and then repeat by cutting around the outline of the second stamped image but this time cutting away a smaller section of the poinsettia image. Watercolour each image using the same colours as before and adding some Mustard Seed in the centres of each flower. To complete the flowers, I added some more pencil work with the Polychromos pencils.

Layer the poinsettias over the top of one another using foam pads and then attach over the top of the image stamped onto tag.

I wanted the poinsettia to slightly overlap each side of the tag and I gently shaped the petals to create a more realistic look to the flower.

For the centre of the image, I used the central part of the stamp but I masked off the word 'peace' and just stamped the dotted outline. Stamp the circle onto watercolour card with clear embossing ink, sprinkle with gold embossing powder, and heat emboss the powder. I then used a 5cm diameter circle die to die cut around the stamped image before mounting it onto a circle of metallic kraft stash card to create a gold border.

Mount the circular panel into the centre of the stamped image using foam pads.

For the banner strip that sits across the circle, I used the Christmas Tiny Text stamp from Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous and stamped the Peace And Joy To All sentiment in Barn Door Archival Ink, onto a strip of watercolour card, inked with Pumice Stone Distress Ink.

I cut the strip into a banner shape with an inverted 'v' in either end and mounted it onto gold card, followed  by a strip of green shimmer card from my stash.

You might notice that just below and above the strip I've created a decorative border and did this by using one of Tim's Crochet Dies. I used the die to die cut watercolour card, painted with two coats of gold acrylic paint. I then cut the strip in half and placed one half of the strip on the back of the sentiment banner, so that it shows the decorative edge above and then flipping the crochet strip over, placed the  second piece below, lining it up with the strip at the top. Add some foam behind the sentiment banner and attach across the circle in the centre of the tag.

As a finishing touch to the tag, I added some Gold Metallic Droplets and a couple of Hardware Head to other side do the sentiment strip, both painted red with Festive Berries Distress Paint before flicking little speckles of gold watercolour paint across the entire tag.

Finally, I added some ribbon at the top of the tag...

I have a stash of Tim's crinkle ribbon and used a strip of this which I dyed with a combination of Peeled Paint and Iced Spruce Distress Spray Stains.

Once the ribbon was nicely crinkled and dry, I cut it into 3 separate pieces, threaded it through the hole at the top of the tag and secured it into place.

I then added a button from my stash and a mini pin where the ribbon is threaded through....

...before adding the final details of Tiny Bells, painted with Festive Berries Distress Paint and some Pinecones from the Festive Adornments set, which I painted white and then attached them all to the ends of the ribbon.

So that completes this week's project and I hope you've loved what I've made and enjoyed the process and techniques I've used to create my tag.

Don't forget that every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp and you can join in up to 5 times, which means you could have 5 chances to win. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today ~ stay safe and well, and see you again soon, love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

SSS products: Centre Cut Out Holiday Floral

Stampers Anonymous: Christmas Tiny Text

Sizzix: Circle Die, Crochet 2, Framelits Tag
Distress Paint: Festive Berries, Picket Fence

Distress Ink: Distress Inks, Pumice Stone

Distress Spray Stain: Peeled Paint, Antique Linen

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Hardware Heads, Tiny Bells, Metallic Droplets, Mini Pins, Festive Adornments

Distress Spray Stains: Peeled Paint, Iced Spruce

Mediums: Barn Door Archival Kit 1, Ultrafine Gold Embossing Powder, Versamark Ink Pad

Polychromos Pencils

Surfaces: Distress Watercolour Card

Glass Media Mat

Big Shot

Heat Gun

Gold paint, green shimmer card, button and Crinkle Ribbon from my own stash