Valentine's Decor I - Burlap, Black and Pink Banner and Tags

I normally don't decorate for Valentines Day.  It's just not something we usually celebrate.  It seems like prices for everything "romantic" get so inflated in February that it sapped the fun out of the whole idea for us early in our marriage.  I'm not a jewelry kinda girl, and although I love flowers, long ago, I told him not to pay the exorbitant prices during February.  We don't even get each other cards.  Both of us are totally fine with this.  I'd rather save the money and buy more scrapbook stuff when it comes on sale. (truth!)

So don't ask me what possessed me to decide to decorate for Valentines Day this year.  I have no idea.   But I'm doing it. So here are some of my decorations so far.  This may need to come in installments since some of it is taking me a little longer than expected.  If I don't finish by the 14th, no biggie.  I'm leaving it all up through the end of February.

First, I decided to start with four tags -- I have a spot on my living room wall where I hang four 5x7 frames with something in them.  For Valentines I decided to make 4 tags.  Here are the close -ups.

 Burlap, black embossed tag, pink pearls, pink inked doily, rock candy glitter, pink inked roses, pink painted Tim Holtz charm.

 Pink painted and embossed manila tag, prima flower, burlap, pink lace and velvet ribbon, cherub button, heart pins, pink painted Tim Holtz word tag

 Black tag, Tim Holtz stamp in pink paint, pink prima flower, burlap hearts, pink lace, pink pearls, pink painted and rock candy stickled Prima frame, cherub button, pearl heart pins.

 Burlap, pink lace, pink velvet ribbon, dyed leaves and dyed black roses with rock candy glitter, cameo button, pink painted tag.

In order to mount them, I needed frames. I bought four plastic frames from the Dollar Tree.  I painted them cream with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, and then aged them with three coats of wax - clear, dark and then another clear coat.

 Before I painted them I wanted to add something that was Valentiney, and I had found a baggie of old curtain hooks with cherubs on them at a thrift store.  I cut the hooks off and glued one on the top of each frame.  Then I painted and aged with the wax.

Here are what the tags look like in their respective cherub frames.

 

Of course, none of my home decor would be complete without a banner for the fireplace.  I had a vision of what I wanted, and this wasn't quite it.  Once I got this made and hung, I decided it was too symmetrical, but it's ok for my first Valentine's Banner. 

I added a few junk bows to soften the edges a little and decided to call it good.  

One thing I do really like is the combination of the burlap, black and soft pink organza and velvet. 

That's as far as I've gotten with the decor, but stay tuned for a wreath, the kitchen mantle, living room mantle, and entrance table.  Yes, I have a lot to do.

Jingle Jangle Jamboree Tag

I promised a Disney tag RAK to some friends over on Disney Scrappers, and I wanted to make one that will easily go on a Disney Scrapbook page.  One of the friends is here in So Cal and goes to Disneyland often, so I felt safe making a tag that will go with pictures taken at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree back in Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland. 

 I used a #8 kraft tag and did the Tim Holtz Distress ink and texture fade embossing technique to make the tag look like distressed wood.  Then I cut out the title using Echo Park's This and That paper and Tim Holtz Inside Out alpha die. 
 I'm going to be honest here -- Sizzix, the ejection foam you use on these detailed dies really sucks.  It was a complete and total pain cutting these letters out!  And it is such a simple alphabet. COME ON!  You are a premier die maker, you should have developed a sturdier ejection foam by now!  I don't know if this is due to manufacturing in China and getting crappy quality, or what, but this is not the first of your dies that I have noticed has this problem.  You really need to get this fixed.  And while I am on my quality rant, please bring the manufacturing back to the USA.  You can do it and it is so much easier to monitor quality control and shipping problems.

I used the left over quilted paper from my last entry, to cut another ornament shape and then decorated it with an old holly punch, a tiny jingle bell, and just the letters from the Inside Out alpha. 

I made a complete tutorial on how to make this tag, including the wood grain tag on Instructagram.  You can see the step by step directions here.

This was such a fun little tag to make and I can't wait to use it on a layout.  Yes, I know I said I made it for a friend as a RAK, but, well, I made TWO of them so I could have one too!  ;-D

OFF!

 Graphic 45 is having some Facebook Contests this week and one each day is to make something.  Yesterday it was a card, but I didn't have the time to make it.  Today it was to make a tag.  You have to have the project finished by 12 EST -- 9pm here.  I think I got it in just under the wire tonight, but didn't win.  Anyway, here is my tag.

 

I used Graphic 45 - Halloween in Wonderland paper from last year.  I decided this would be a good embellishment for a page with a picture of me and DH with the Queen of Hearts at Disneyland's Halloween Time.  The red was really hard to match, and it looks better in person, but I tried to "paint the roses red."

Tow Mater Tag

 

On the Disney Scrappers Forum we had an incentive for the member who finished the most layouts that fit our Disney Challenges from January1, 2012 until July 1, 2012.   The winner was chosen and the three moderators of the site (which includes me) promised that we would make a tag or twinchie or atc that was Disney related and send it to the winner.  This is my tag!

The background is a black chipboard tag and atlas tag that I cut using the Tim Holtz Tag and Bookplate Die.  Then I stamped the background paper and the Route 66 using Tim Holtz Road Trip Stamp Set.
The Mater I cut out using my Cars Cricut Cartridge.  The washers, brads, vintage pin and letters are also all from Tim Holtz's Ideaology line.

I enjoyed working on this tag and wish I had made one for myself while I was at it!