"November" – Tag

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I created this for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 - November challenge.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.14.

I spent more time than I should have, working on this, and almost gave up a few times. I still need to improve my technique for inking edges. I also need to improve my technique for making something look like it is layered (peeled away corrugated cardboard) and underneath (three dimensional).

The images are from a DuckDuckGo search and Photos Public Domain. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"October" – Tag

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I created this for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 - October challenge.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.14.

The images and words are from Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and from a DuckDuckGo search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"September" – Tag

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I created this for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 - September challenge.

I went with a "less is more" design, instead of fully imitating his design.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.14.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

The fonts can be found on dafont and are:
handwriting-draft_free-version
Linowrite
Dobkin Thin

"June / Persevere" – Tag

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I created this for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 - June challenge.

This is also my entry for this week's Take a Word challenge "Shapes."

I tried to mimic Tim's steps to create my tag. But his colors smeared into the star shape areas a little, while mine didn't. I'm also still not able to imitate inked edges well.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.10.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

The words are by Dylan Thomas:

Out of the sighs a little comes,
But not of grief, for I have knocked down that
Before the agony; the spirit grows,
Forgets, and cries;
A little comes, is tasted and found good...

The fonts are:
Times New Yorker
Tangerine Bold

"March" – Tag

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I created this for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 - March challenge.

I started his "12 Tags of 2014" challenge in April, so this entry is too late to be posted on his site.

I mimicked Tim's steps to create my tag, using GIMP 2.8.10.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

I prefer how the "full strength" inked tag came out, versus the "second generation" inked tag (which I created by setting the opacity of my ink layers to 50%).

"February" – Tag

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I created this for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 - February challenge.

I started his "12 Tags of 2014" challenge in April, so this entry is too late to be posted on his site.

I mimicked Tim's steps to create my tag, using GIMP 2.8.10.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

The words are from the song "You Are My Destiny" by Paul Anka.

"January" – Tag

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I created this for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 - January challenge.

I started his "12 Tags of 2014" challenge in April, so this entry is too late to be posted on his site.

I mimicked Tim's steps to create my tag, using GIMP 2.8.10.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

"April" – Tag

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I created this for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 - April  challenge.

This is my first time entering on his site, and this probably violates the rules because it is all digital, but I decided to make it after seeing Astrid's beautiful tag. (Sometimes I print my tags, but I need to replace the ink cartridge, so I didn't print and hole punch this one yet.)

I mimicked Tim's steps to create my tag, and have shown my intermediate layers as I progressed. This is what I did:

1) I cut out clippings from a marriage and obituary scrap book and glued them to a Number 8 size tag. (Because Tim's tag had dark areas on the edges, I painted some dark brown brush strokes on the base tag first.)

2) I painted green over most of the tag, blotted it by erasing some of the color, then painted lighter color splats to mimic the water spray droplets. (I need to find a better method for this part, because I didn't achieve the same look as Tim's tag.)

3) I created a lodge lattice and placed sections of it down on the tag. (I painted the lodge lattice with a few colors to achieve a mottled look.)

4) I added cut out music sheet, mirror, and cork pieces to insert into the lodge lattice. (I tried several methods to make the pieces look like they were laying within the openings, but none of them worked, so the end result has them looking like they are underneath the lodge lattice. I need to find a better method for this part also.)

5) I added the ribbon, flowers, and leaves behind the flowers to complete the tag. (The leaves were cut out of the marriage and obituary scrap book.) I chose not to add something dangling from the bottom of the tag.

I spent more hours than I care to admit to, in creating this, but I am happy with the end result.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.10.

The vintage images are from a DuckDuckGo search. (See the side of my blog for links.)