Happy Shiny Tag

Good morning blog followers and friends.  A special hi to Tracy who has just joined the following.  We have been having some amazing thunder and lightning storms the last few days.  At least it has cleared away the humidity.  I wasn't sure whether it was the heat or the humidity that makes me feel so uninspired.  Anyway it's cooler, wetter and greyer.  A good excuse to be in and craft.  

A few sites are looking for tags, oh goody I love tags, and also there are a lot of summer themes around.  What better way to spend a grey wet day than making a summery tag?  

There's quite a lot of 'new' in this project.  I finally got around to using my new for me Stampotique's Birdie Up stamps.  He's so cute.  I've coloured him with PaperArtsy Fresco paints, newly acquired, Limelight and Inky Pool with some additional colour from American Crafts Galaxy Markers.  I am not the world's greatest colourer, is that a word?, but I am quite pleased with how this birdie turned out.  My tag is Bazzill card embossed using Sizzix Rays folder and then embossed with gold embossing powder.  I have been meaning to try this double embossing technique for a while, so another newby.  I have a bit of powder in the wrong place or missing but I think it works well with the distressed folder look.  

I was looking for the perfect tag tie and had some lovely black fringe ribbon but couldn't find a gold to contrast.  Then I spotted this.....

Uhhhhh, what dat den? I hear you cry.  This is my pot full of stripy pipe-cleaners.  Amid other stuff.  Perfect, maybe?

OK, so it's a bit of an exotic top.  I used a Sizzix original Sun #2 cut from some gold packaging, old chocolate box I think.  Then I went a bit mad with a couple of the yellow/brown pipe-cleaners.  They were a bit indistinct so I doodled with a black marker.  That was a bit of an adventure.  No return for mistakes there.  I think it sort of worked.  Then I added a metal flower from Korthobby and a decorative brad.  Oh yeah, I grounded Birdie using a stamp from Woodware Angels set and a bit of doodle dots and then smudged a bit of DI Walnut Stain because it needed it.  So no, that's not accidental smudgy fingerprints.  That's intentional smudgy fingerprints ROFL.

OK, no holds barred on your comments.  I think Birdie is definitely going to get the lion share of comments but if anyone is brave enough to comment on the fluffy embellishment top then speak your mind, I can take it.  

My fluffy top tag is going to join the fun at
Stampotique Designers Challenge 110 - Tag You're It 
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 
Korthobby Utfordring - Fargerikt 
ALBC - Summer Sun 
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes 

Thanks for dropping by.   I really appreciate the time you take, your comments and your support.  Have a great day everyone.