Several months ago I created a custom background using the Artistic Mix Decorative Masks. In fact it was only after making a bookmark it that I thought it might be useful to film the process. Of course having done that I then had another custom background, and it’s been sitting on my desk ever since. Well I’ve finally got around to using part of that piece to create today’s project. That was after I realised that one of the gnomes in the Storybook Gnomes paper and the background coordinated perfectly.

CUSTOM BACKGROUND

To create this custom background I used the Artistic Mix Decorative Masks. In fact today’s tag was cut from the piece created during the filming of this short video.

As you can see in the video, I began by laying the floral motif mask on top of some Very Vanilla Card and holding it down with sellotape. Then using Starry Sky ink and a Blending Brush I went over the mask using a circular motion. The variation in the design was created by adding more ink in some areas than others..

Once the first part of the design was done I lifted up the mask and placed the more open tile mask onto the card. Then I carefully adjusted it so the design sat evenly between the flower motifs before securing it with sellotape as before. This time I went over the mask using my Blending Brush with Balmy Blue ink. Once the second layer of colour was done I lifted the mask and the finished background was ready to use. Eventually.

To quickly turn my background piece into a gift tag I used the Tailor Made Tags Dies. In the set there’s two different tag styles, with four sizes of each style. One style has a fancy top with rounded corners and a small round hole. Today I chose the other style, with a flat top, sharp angles and an oval hole. The die set also includes two dies to cut out reinforcing pieces that fit the two hole styles (although I didn’t use these today).

I chose the largest of the flat topped dies and used it to cut out my custom background as well as a plain piece of Very Vanilla Card. Then I glued the two tags together using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow). To coordinate with one of the ink colours used on the background, I cut 6″ of Starry Sky 1/8″ Metallic Woven Ribbon. After folding it in half I poked the loop through the hole in the tag. Then I threaded the cut ends through the loop and pulled gently to secure it in place.

GNOMES DIES COORDINATION

Now I was ready do decorate the tag and I decided to make this as simple as possible. So I reached for the Storybook Gnomes 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper. I found a sheet with individual gnome images that are perfectly sized to fit the dies from the Gnomes Dies set. Having located the coordinating die I cut out a sweet gnome dressed in blue. Then with Stampin’ Dimensionals I attached him to the bottom of my tag.

For the sentiment I chose “Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year” from the Kindest Gnomes Stamp Set. I stamped it onto some Very Vanilla Card using Starry Sky ink and just needed to cut it out. I have lots of different dies and punches but I really to include a dotted faux stitched border to coordinate with the one on the tag base. The easiest way to do this was to adapt one of the flat topped dies from the Tailor Made Tags Dies set.

In the end I thought that the smallest fat-topped tag die would be perfect. However I didn’t want my sentiment piece to have the tag top and hole so I had to be a little creative. Essentially all I needed to do was avoid sending that part of the die through my Mini Cut & Emboss Machine.

I began by placing the die onto the sentiment so the bottom and sides fitted nicely around the left end of the sentiment. Then I set the die up so that the left side of the sentiment would go into the machine first. I watched closely as I cranked the die through the machine and stopped just before the hole and shaped top of the die passed between the rollers. To stop the die cutting any more of the sentiment I cranked backwards to reverse the platform out of the machine.

After removing the die I turned the sentiment around so the uncut end could now go through the machine first. Then I turned the die around and lined it up with the uncut end of the sentiment. This was really easy and I used the faux stitching at the sides to help ‘lock’ the die into place. Finally with the cutting plates completing the ‘sandwich’ I cranked the die through the machine. Once again I stopped after a little over half the sentiment had passed between the rollers and then reversed it out.

Using this easy process I now had my sentiment layer and it coordinated perfectly with the tag base. All I had to do was add it to the tag with Stampin’ Dimensionals and my latest project was complete.

I must say that the actual process is a lot easier than perhaps my written explanation suggests. So I filmed this short video which shows you this altered die-cut technique in real time. In the video you’ll see I’m using the other style of the Tailor Made Tags Dies, but the process is the same.

At last I’ve got around to using all four of the gnome images. However I must admit I can’t decide which is my favourite. Perhaps if I play a little more…

For a recap of the other three gnomes in the set, see my previous projects in these blog posts:

• Gnomes and snowflakes
• Kindness is simple
• Gnomes got me thinking

PRODUCT LIST

BUNDLE BONUS – I bought the Kindest Gnomes Stamp Set in a bundle with the coordinating Gnomes Dies. Buying the two products using the ‘bundle’ item number meant I saved 10% off the cost of buying them separately. I’ve included a link to the bundle below in case you want to compare these options.