Butterfly Tag Tutorial

I have a fascination with all kinds of techniques and I think that's why I like making cards and scrapbook pages so much!  I saw the May 2012 issue of CardMaker on the newsstand long before I ever got my subscription issue and I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  The front cover has a beautiful Tim Holtz distressed butterfly tag on it.  Fortunately for me, there were directions inside on how to make it!  Now, I have to tell you that I never follow directions!  So here's my version using some of my materials on hand.

1)  Cut out manilla tags from recycled file folder.  5" high and 3" wide.  I used "A Child's Year" Cricut Cartridge - tag feature.

2)  Grab some white acrylic paint and a paint dauber.  (I bought these foam pouncers in the acrylic paint section of Michael's.)

3)  Next select a large background stamp.  Since I didn't have one, I used these Inkadinkado Floral Damask stamps and covered a large block with them.

4)  Apply acrylic paint by using a light coat of paint so keep your dauber fairly dry and evenly coated.

5)  Stamp onto tag.  Do not press too hard and be sure to remove very carefully.

6)  I bought some Ink Potion #9 to help blend my inks.  I inked the fantastix with the ink pad and then swirled it into the Ink Potion # 9 on my plastic lid.  (A craft mat would be ideal!)  Also if you don't have any Ink Potion # 9 - the magazine article said to simply apply the inks with a blending tool and then take a damp paper towel and wipe across it to blend your inks.

7)  Apply the ink with light strokes to the tag in desired areas.  For this tag I used orange in the upper left and lower right and teal in the upper right and Antique Linen in the lower left.  Then I used the SU! celery to blend in areas since it is the lightest color. 

8)  I then inked the edges with the Antique Linen Distress Ink.

9)  I used Black Archival ink to stamp a butterfly (Recollections by Michaels) image.  I think Staz-On or Adirondack ink would have been better.

10)  Then for just a little more dazzle - I added some Versamark Dazzle in Champagne all over the top of the tag.  The embossing ink seemed to bring out more of the original painted stamped images.

11) Added a circle reinforcement sticker I've had forever in my stash.  Love to use my oldest supplies on a project!  And stamped a little $1 g-Studios image on the bottom of the tag.  Then I created a sentiment tag to add on top.

12)  Cut a small rectangle from brown cardstock with a height to fit my sentiment and the width at 3" like the tag.  Added a bit of the acrylic paint to the stamp and stamped it in place.  Goofed up a bit and had to remove a little paint from the inside of my "a's" with my paper piercer.  Then took a brown marker to cover up my goof - worked great!

13)  Got my Cuttlebug out and a small embossing border and embossed the sides of my cardstock tag.  Had to turn the embossing folder upside down to do the other side.

14)  Inserted a couple of brads, added a scrap piece of manilla folder to the back to secure the brads and added some pop dots to adhere it to the tag.

And once again, here's my completed tag!  I think I'll follow Tim's lead and attach it to a card and give it to my Mother-In-Law for Mother's Day!   Hope you enjoyed my tutorial!  Have a blessed day!