It’s the weekend, the sun is shining and I have lots I need to get done. I could pop out and mow the lawn but to be honest I don’t fancy trying to avoid the blackfly. No, it’s definitely much nicer inside where I can explore mother nature’s bounty without getting bitten to pieces. My plan this morning was to create a gender-neutral gift tag featuring bright earth tones, and that’s what I did. I’ll admit that fussy-cutting the branches from the Beauty of the Earth Designer Series Paper (DSP) took time, but I think it was worth it.

TAG BASICS

My project began with the amazing Tailor Made Tags Dies and today I opted for the flat-topped tag shape. For the tag base I chose the #4 (largest) die and for the sentiment the #1 (smallest). Then using my Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine I cut one of each from Basic White Card.

Next I went looking for a fairly light background design in the Subtles 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper Assortment. I quite liked the ‘petal’ pattern and thought that So Saffron would be the perfect background colour. So with the decision made I used the same #4 die to cut out the DSP. Then I fixed the DSP onto the large white tag using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow).

Not only do the Tailor Made Tags Dies cut the tag shape but they also make a hole at the top for you to tie it to a gift. So next I turned to the Baker’s Twine Essentials Pack. From this I cut some Crumb Cake twine, threaded it through the hole and tied it in a simple knot.

BEAUTY OF THE EARTH

Now I began to think of how to decorate the front of the tag. In the end I chose a branch pattern from the Beauty of the Earth 12″ x 12″ DSP pack. My plan was to have the background layer visible through the branches so for that I’d need to do a little fussy-cutting.

First though I cut a section of the branch pattern using the same #4 die I’d used previously. This allowed me to see how the branches would look on the tag. It also meant I could have stitched details at the left and bottom edges. Once I’d die-cut the DSP I simply set to work with my Paper Snips cutting away the excess paper around the branches.

That just left the sentiment and for that I turned to the Days To Remember Stamp Set. Using Evening Evergreen ink I stamped “happy birthday” onto the small tag I’d already die-cut. This was a simple job as I could see right through the photopolymer of the stamp to get the placement just right.

With that done I used liquid glue to attach the sentiment to the background layer on the tag. Finally, with more liquid glue I added the branches, lining up the bottom and left edges with the edges of the tag. With that my gift tag was complete.

I’m really pleased with how this tag turned out. Despite using ‘earth tones’ the tag is bright and cheerful, exactly how a birthday tag should be don’t you think?

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