This is a tradition that I hold very close to my heart. I want to thank the incredible designers for taking the time to share their talents and love of the hobby. Now sit back and be prepared to be wowed. The 9th Annual Tag Exchange was such a joy.
Barbara has created such a fun, whimsical tag/gift card holder. How creative! Barbara is the master of colouring. If you look closely at the little yeti guy, you will see all the beautiful details and texture Barbara created with alcohol markers and a white gel pen. I also love the white heat embossing in the background. Anyone would be lucky to receive this tag! Well done, Barbara.
Absolutely elegant once again, Barb! This is a tag that was designed with the idea that it could one day be hung on a Christmas tree and is finished on both sides. What beautiful paper and ribbon choices. If you look closely, Barb's little tag at the top has been heat embossed in silver with a little "to" and "from" on the back. Stunning, Barb.
Look at that detail, Debbie! I am just loving the little deer die and all the wonderful colour choices. Also look closely at the fine finishing touches including snowflakes with iridescent baubles, felt and pompom on the santa hat, and what is that? Heat embossing on the "peace" die....I am sensing a trend here. Heat embossing with always be that technique that got me into this hobby hook, line and sinker! Pure magic, Debbie!!
Donna has created an elegant, electric tag this year! The metallic blue cardstock used as the base of the tag is bang on beautiful....and the dimensional poinsettia created with white vellum and a touch of glitter is incredible. I am not sure how she did this, but if you look closely, you will see a subtle white dusting of snow on the acetate layer. Awesome finishing touch, Donna.
Jasmine's creations are always over-the-top. Created with canvas, material, buttons, bells, bottle brush trees and stamps, her attention to detail is an absolute joy to discover. This creation could hang beautifully on a present but the real gift is when you unravel the vintage spool to uncover the message "Have yourself a merry little Christmas". This is a wow, Jasmine.
Jody is another designer who appreciates the fancy papers and loves to add stunning metallics and glitter to her creations. The iridescent paper used for the boarder and "peace" die is awesome. If you look closely, you will see all the perfect little touches including colourful baubles and a dimensional star. I really love the colour palette of your tag, Jody!
When artist, JulieArt said she wanted to join the swap, I was very excited to see what her design would look like. I told Julie that we use the term "tag" quite loosely and that is was ok if she did not use paper. How adorable is this snowman hand painted on a light bulb? If you look closely, you will see a subtle glitter that really makes the design pop. I also really like her choice of ribbon and jingle bell accent! Thank you for sharing your art with us, Julie.
So this was my tag design for 2021. You will see many of my signature moves including a mix of elegant and rustic, twine and paper flowers. I will admit that I am always amazed with the creative process. This year I went through all my Christmas stamps and came across the stamp by River City Rubberworks. The saying really spoke to me. This is where the design began. Next, I saw the Tim Holtz match boxes and then remembered I had scooped up the perfect sized trees from The Dollar Tree. The rest of the process was really just finding the perfect accents. Each little detail brought an incredible sense of joy. I am very pleased with how these turned out.
There was a slight change of plans on the night before the tags were to be picked up. One of the designers could not participate. Rather than disappoint the others, I whipped up this mixed media tag using goodies on my desk. I actually thrive under pressure and I felt like I was on a crafty version of The Iron Chef. I added a little washi tape and acrylic paint to a metal tag, added a dimension wooden snowflake and a clear microbead paste and ribbon.
Lou, I think you and I would make a great team if this was a group challenge. Your designs always have that mix of rustic and elegant and I just love this myself too! Lou has added some gesso to a wooden disk to create the perfect backdrop for her pine branches. Great paper choices too, by the way. Metallic, glittered, mirrored and more. The little festive ribbon and bell is the perfect finishing touch. Let heaven and nature sing, Lou.
Michelle is a new designer to the Pickle Tag Exchange and we are glad to have her join! Michelle called her creation Joyful Poinsettia and I have to agree this is the perfect name. I love the whimsical mix of colours and papers. And check out all of the great dies used. I am really enjoying the mix of square and rounded corners. Little choices like this are so interesting to me. Well done, Michelle!
Now, I don't know who this little guy is but I just LOVE his spirit. Look at him prancing through the snow racing to see his loved ones. Oh, you are just so cute with your festive holly and berry collar too. Nancy has done a wonderful job creating a tag full of whimsy. You can't help but smile when you look at her design. Thank you for making me smile, Nancy!
Thank you to all for sharing your love of the hobby. I cannot wait to see what inspiration you share in 2022.
Kim xo
