Fat Tuesday

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Wow, how can it be Saturday again?  The week went by so fast and now it's time for another challenge over at Our Creative Corner.  Lisa Minckler is our host again this week and she wants us to Party Like It's Mardi Gras.  

She has given us an inspiration photo and we must explain how our piece was inspired by the photo.  I decided on a tag for my project and I took inspiration from the colors - mostly the yellow/gold and the purple as well as the flourishes and the leaves.  I also tired to infuse a general Mardi Gras feel to my tag.  

I started with a tag that I had used to soak up some left over Peacock Feathers distress stain.   I have gotten into the habit of mopping up excess inks and stains by blotting a tag into what is on my craft sheet before I wipe it clean.  This one has been sitting on my craft table for a week and I have really enjoyed the color and the pattern on it - which you can't see much of, unfortunately.  I stamped the French writing from the Papillion set in Jet Black archival and then, thinking that the ink was dry, I stamped the flourish in embossing ink and then poured gold EP over that portion of the tag.  I forgot that archival ink also serves as embossing ink and ended up with part of the writing gold embossed also.  I decided it gave the tag some interest so I went with it.  Next, the edges were all sponged with Vintage Photo DI.  The butterflies were cut from a Pepsi can with the Butterflies movers and shapers and then run through the Regal Flourishes texture fade.  I painted them with Vintaj patina paints and added some gold micro beads to represent their bodies.  I didn't have a Fat Tuesday stamp so I typed it on my computer and printed it on card stock, stamping over it with the ticket stamp from Odds and Ends and then cutting it with the Tag Decorative Strip die.  I cut more white card stock with the ticket die and stamped various stamps from the Odds and Ends set, then colored them all yellow with Mustard Seed Distress Stain.  And of course I finished them off by sponging with Vintage Photo.  I also punched out the date of Fat Tuesday on the calendar ticket.  

The flowers were cut from white card stock with the Tattered Flowers Decorative Strip die and colored with Seedless Preserves Distress Stain, as was the rayon seam binding.  The gold leaves started out as white card stock, cut with a sizzlet die and then gold embossed.  But I didn't like that it was so shiny so I took out some Gold alcohol ink mixative and painted it on.  I also painted the gold half pearls with the gold fixative too to cut the shine.  I finished up by making a bead bauble from my jewelry making stash - you gotta have beads for Mardi Gras, right?

And that's my take on Lisa's inspiration photo.  When I first saw the photo, I was apprehensive, but I had a blast making this tag - loved working with these colors and I was pleased with the results.  The team over at Our Creative Corner has some fabulous pieces to share so do stop by and check them out.  

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoy your Fat Tuesday.

All of these supplies used to make this tag can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Don't forget, Ranger/Tim Holtz and Melissa Frances products are always 20% off MSRP.

25 Jumbo Manila Shipping Tags 8x4" #12	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Peacock Feathers	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Mustard Seed	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Seedless Preserves	Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black
Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black Reinker	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Die - Mini Butterflies	Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Damask and Regal Flourishes Set	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Fabulous Flourishes	Ranger Embossing Powder - Queen′s Gold
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Ink Pad	Ranger Vintaj Patina Kit - Retro Highway	Ranger Vintaj Patina Kit - Weathered Copper	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Odds & Ends	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Ticket Die
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Papillon	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers Die	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Gold Mixative	Ranger Adirondack Metallic Mixatives - Gold & Silver	Rayon Seam Binding