The Paper Tagger - an oldie but a goodie!

I've had a lovely week of vacation from work, which included a couple of days were it was just too damn hot in the afternoon.  On those days I made friends with the central air and set about creating July 4th cards. 

If you haven't noticed lately, one of the bigger trends in paper crafting are the use of pennants.  Strings of triangle or rectangle shaped flags to shout out your message or just to decorate the card front.   I've always liked the idea, and have several options for pennants between my stamps and die cuts.  But the thing I've not seen anyone do, which I'm surprised about, is to use the Paper Tagger to mount the pennants on your card. 

Below is the paper tagger - from Around the Block.  You can still find this tool in a starter kit, just Google it.  If you've ever bought clothes at a store (and who hasn't, right?) the price tags from the store are attached to the clothing with these little plastic tagger tails.  This tool is exactly the tool that attaches those paper tags to the clothes, only, Around the Block has made shorter tagger tails for use with paper crafting. 

Here is a card using pennants from Unity Stamp Co. I stamped them, then embossed and cut them out.  I used a 1/8th inch hole punch on each of the top corners to help the needle from the Paper Tagger easily go through all the layers, then just mounted them corner to corner across the card with the tagger. 

 
Here's one where I just floated some stars on the front with the tagger tails...The inside image is from Too Much Fun Rubber Stamps.  The background paper is from WRMK  

This shot gives you an idea of the dimension the tagger tails add.  Not to mention it gives those pennants an opportunity to act like flags in the wind. 

Happy 4th, everyone!  It's my second favorite holiday in the year.  No pressure at all, and it could not be easier to entertain the masses.  Just show up at my house around 9pm on the 4th and look up.  They shoot the fireworks off right across the street from me.  All are welcome! 

AMK

The Coveted 2012 Tour de France Greeting Card

Hidey-ho Readers!  There they are!  The only handmade TdF greeting cards in the world.  Only a lucky few get them.  Mostly because the rest of you think I'm nuts.  Tour season is almost upon us, truth be told, I'm having a little trouble ramping up for the event this year.  I've got 7 or 8 blog posts in my backlog for my Tour site, but I just can't seem to muster up the giddy-up.  Maybe now that the cards are done....?

Kim's Mini-Book

A few posts ago I showed you some new paints.  It is my habit to share my postings on my Facebook page, as it seems not everyone understands how to set up RSS feeds.  My friend Kim asked me via Facebook "what are you doing with the paints?"....well....ask a silly question, get a silly little book!

I like to use my brayers.  They smear paint and ink around quickly and get things moving in the right color direction fast.  So, after starting with cutting some red scraps to make a 2x3.75" accordion, out come the brayers, pallet and, of course, my new paints. 

Next up I unearthed these not-exactly-paint-brush tools.  Essentially, these are rubber chisels in various sizes and with various angles.  They are great fun with acrylic paints as they let you push the stuff around making controlled puddles.  The tips are very flexible.  You can be as precise as you like with them.  Me, I was kind of in a slap-it-on-and-see-what-happens mood. 

One side of the accordion has her question on it.  The arrow tells you there is something more on the other side of it...

At one time in my life, I painted t-shirts to make some extra cash.  Soak the plain white T in water, layer your pallet inside and start.  I did mostly flowers, draping them down one side and over the shoulder.  Acrylics work great for this.  Just don't put your finished product in the dryer.  The stuff is plastic after all.  So with that memory in mind, I put flowers on the other side of the accordion.  The picture is not all that great, but that keeps it a bit of a surprise for Kim. 

I picked up these little 2x4 canvases at Michael's last week.  They make great book covers.  I lathered on some purple and white with the rubber chisels, and when it was dry, I sprayed it with some glimmer mist to add some sparkle.  Here's what it looks like closed and tied with a bow...

Watch your mailbox, Kim.  Love and miss you every day.  - AMK