Bird Tag

I spent the better part of the day working on this tag.  It started out as a simple quick project, but you know how that goes....one technique leads to another!

The herringbone background is a Wendy Vecchi stamp, which I embossed with my new favorite embossing powder, Ranger's verdigris from their antiquities line.  I added the crow/grass image on the bottom (from I Brake For Stamps), which was stamped with black pigment ink and embossed with black powder.  After all that embossing, I added some color (the new bundled sage distress ink) with a blending tool.

The bird cage is a Tim Holtz stamp, on a piece of grungeboard, which was then inked with stormy sky and chipped sapphire (also new distress ink colors).   I used a craft knife to open the cage.  What's behind it?  I couldn't take a good picture.  Since the birds are outside the cage, there are some butterflies inside.  Why not?

The bird perched on top of the cage is a Stampin' Up punch, cut from some core'dinations paper (that cool cardstock with one color on the outside and another in the core....get it?  core'dinations).  This one is black on the outside and green inside, and after running it through an embossing folder and lightly sanding it, you get that textured, two-tone look.   I gave my free little birdie a necklace made from one of those resistors I have so many of.

Instead of ribbon, I topped the tag off with a bit of chain.  It's some real cheapo cheesy craft store chain, but I gave it a little bath in black and brown alcohol ink, so it looks a little more high end.  I think.

Don't know how this became such a detailed project, but it kept me busy (and happy) all morning.