Made With Love And Memories

Hi, guys!  Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the holiday season.  For today, I thought I would share two tags I completed on Friday.  I made this tags for my sister in-law as a gift.  As you probably recall, I have been taking part in the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2012.  I had made a set of tags for myself a few months back when we learned to tint photos using distress inks.  My sister in-law liked the ones I did of my late husband and his mother and she requested a pair.  I decided to make them on Friday as it was the 6th anniversary of my husband's passing and thought it would be a fitting tribute to him.  I varied the tags from the ones I did for myself by using stamps that were more specific for a brother and daughter.

This project was very special to me.  I am not sure if I can relay the joy and memories that I was able to recall while creating these tags.  Charlie loved to sail, loved his garden, loved the stars and I was able to incorporate the verse my sister in-law read for us at our wedding.   For my mother in-law's tag, I used a Tim Holtz bingo chip to reflect the year of her marriage and it reminded me of her love of playing bingo and her "big" winnings of a couple dollars and her excitement.  I was able to use a page of an old book (avid reader and teacher) and scripture to reflect her strong faith.

When I was finished with these and put them in the mail, I felt very happy.  If you would have told me I would have felt those feelings Friday, I would have said you were wrong.  Crafting can bring me joy and contentment even when I am feeling at my lowest.  I am sure Tim Holtz probably never realized that such a project could have such a profound effect on someone.

If you are looking to make a special gift for someone (or just for yourself), I would highly recommend you visit Tim Holtz to learn how these are done. I am sure you will enjoy the experience and want to share your memories with those special in your life.

Thanks to Tim Holtz for always inspiring me (and countless others), and for sharing his knowledge. Teachers are truly special people.

Have a great day, my friends!   Until next time!

June 2012 Tim Holtz Tag - Remembrance

Hi, guys!  Hope you had a great weekend - I did.  Started it off with a great ladies night out to celebrate my friend Asia's birthday.  Nothing better than spending a night out with great friends to start the weekend off on a fun note.  Today my husband and I spent some time in IKEA again to pick up more stuff for my stamp room.  I think they will know us by sight soon at this rate!

Tonight I took some time to complete my two tags for the Tim Holtz Tags of 2012.  These are done monthly and, of course, it is the last day of the month and I was under the wire by 40 minutes! Tim taught us how to tint photos to give them a vintage look.   I was not sure what photo I wanted to use, so I decided to do two tags.  I started by using an old childhood photo of my late husband Charlie.  I thought it was an adorable picture that captured his personality.  I used distress inks to tint the photo.  I only colored his coat (Fired Brick) and bow tie (Salty Ocean).  I used Antique Linen to age the photo and Vintage Photo along the edge.   While doing this tag, I decided to incorporate his love of bicycle riding by using tissue tape.  For the embellishment, I went with the metal angel wings by Tim Holtz.   Charlie is now my guardian angel and I thought they would be a great touch.

For the next tag I decided to use a photo of my late mother-in-law Elsie on her wedding day.  I used distress inks to tint her bouquet and the same Antique Linen and Vintage Distress inks to age the photo. She was married in 1942, so I used the Tim Holtz Alphanumeric stickers for the year.  I stained a portion of a rose ribbon to make the flower and incorporated an old vintage stick pin as an embellishment.   I used the alphabet paper for this tag as Elsie was a teacher her entire life.  Even after she stopped teaching school, she continued to teach those around her every day.

I enjoyed making these tags.  I found them extra special to do since I made them in remembrance of two people who I was lucky enough to love and share my life with.

Hope you have a great day and find some time to do something you love.