12 Tags of 2016 – July Starfish

Hello!  Is everyone else out there sweltering in the heat??!!  It is too hot outside when it’s in the 90’s!!  At least there’s the nice, cool craft room to escape to from time to time 🙂  and it’s time for a Tim tag.

For my tag this month, I decided to go with a nautical theme.  My sister, who lives in NC, was visiting earlier in the month (she said it’s not hot here) and we had fun playing with our new beach-themed doll stamps, so I’m still in that mode, plus I wanted to use one of my nautical blueprint stamps.  I would love to see another sea-inspired blueprint set to go with Nautical and Mariner that included a whale, a shark, a lobster and some netting.  If only it were as simple as putting our orders in to Tim!!!  I apologize that my photos aren’t as crisp as they should be, but when I downloaded them it looked like they were (until I inserted into my post):  Maybe I need a new pair of glasses…

I wanted to give my starfish a little dimension so I stamped the image twice and cut the starfish out.  I used Rusty Hinge to color him and then I found a stencil in my stash to add those little suction cups to his arms (I believe they’re called tube feet).  I colored my texture paste with Mustard Seed, but it was more yellow than I liked, so when it was dry I used my blending tool to tamp on some Vintage Photo to tone it down.  I could have covered it with the micro glaze at that point, but I wanted to add it as if it were a single stamped image.  I then colored my “water” with Tumbled Glass, Broken China and Peacock Feathers.  You can see I got some glaze around part of the outline, but I was happy overall with how it turned out.

I decided to add some Clear Rock Candy distress glitter to my starfish and “water” near the top, as if he’s near the surface with the sun shining down on the water, making it glisten. 

 

 

 

As far as embellishing, I wanted to keep my tag simple.  I copied a page of hubby’s atlas and tore out a little part near an ocean.  I used my TH ruler to stitch along the top and bottom of that – I’ve had my ruler for at least a few years, but until I came across a video last month showing the features of the ruler, I had never noticed those little holes in my ruler before.  LOL!  Also, when I stamped my tag, I didn’t measure the length and it ended up being too short.  I just colored another piece to add, that’s why the colored part is separated.  I had also intended to use my sister’s new Vacation Words script dies before she left, but I forgot so I had to find something in the Holiday script dies to fit (wonderland).  I wanted it to stand out a bit so I added the shadow and then adhered that to another, discarded “wonder” to add some dimension.  I added an arrow and the bottom was done.  I used the same colors previously mentioned (minus Vintage Photo) to color my crinkle ribbon and added a little starfish charm.

Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to leave any comments 🙂

I am also entering my tag into the following challenges:

http://craft-deebowz.blogspot.com/2016/07/july-challenge.html

(Anything Goes and include a Handmade Bow)

Home

(Nautical/By the Sea)

http://www.fashionablestampingchallenges.com/2016/07/10/challenge-113-under-the-sea/

http://diesruschallenge.blogspot.com/2016/07/challenge-53-water-andor-beach.html

https://words2craftby.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/w2cb-31-just-keep-swimming.html

http://southernchipboard.blogspot.ca/2016/07/memories-of-summer-mixed-media-plaque.html

http://glitternsparklechallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/challenge-198.html

(Summer Sunshine)

http://moremixedmediachallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/more-mixed-media-challenge-anything.html

http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.com/2016/07/julys-creative-challenge-all-things.html