My Vintage Father Christmas Tag

 My tag for the swap turned into a mission - I always have to reinvent the wheel and this tag was no exception!

I knew that I wanted to use my new Frantic Stamper Precision Dies that I recently won and the obvious route to take was using a window scene. 

Firstly, I had purchased a set of stamps for this swap from Fran at Frantic Stamper. It was the Tweety Jill set called Vintage Santa's and it arrived in good time for  this swap. 
I, as I always do for swaps, put it into a folder and started adding bits and pieces, as I came across them to the folder, until the time came for me to start the tags. Well, bad idea, not checking the size of the stamps on arrival! They were way to small for this project - really only suitable for ATC's and that set me back, big time!!
Eventually I selected a digital image from Digital Collage Studio and worked around that.

So this what I did and used to get to this fabulous tag, that I am so very proud of. I think my best tag to date!

I crimped the tag after cutting and embossed with Distress Embossing Powder in Walnut Stain. First time I have used this product and it was exactly right for the look I was aiming for. I then adhered acetate to the back of the tag and mounted it onto the digi using foam core strips, which was a mission to cut such thin strips. With that part closed up, I added Stardust Stickles to the windows and doused the wet Stickles with Diamond Dust which created that fabulous snowy effect. I then sealed the edges of the outside of the tag with ribbon so all the foam core was hidden from view.

I came across fabulous free digi of a Santa Bingo card some time ago (sorry I can't give credit as I did not make a note of it) and it was perfect for this project, so it was distressed, inked, crumpled and poked with a stick pin with a decoration at the top which I made with bits and bobs from the stash. I stamped out, from the Tweety Jill set, the image of the child and his letter to Santa, and the 'Old St Nicholas' tag, and distressed and inked them up as well as the '25' in the set. 
Various dies and punches were used for the leaves and the sweetest bell and tartan bow was attached to the mounted '25' at the top of the tag.

This was a huge labor of love and to do it 20 times (I kept 5 for gifts!) was a mission not to be repeated any time soon, I assure you! But after all that, worth all the  time, sweat and effort, and a piece I will always treasure as my best work to date!

It really is a thousand times better in real life - my photographic skills leave a lot to be desired - sorry!