It is incredible to think this tag exchange is now in its 11th year, especially given the fact that the store closed February 2019. This means that we have had 5 years where we have chosen to stay connected. We have chosen to keep our beautiful Paper Pickle Community alive through this Christmas tradition. This makes my heart happy. We created something pretty special at The Paper Pickle. This tag exchange is a testament to this fact. Let's continue to find ways to stay connected in 2024. I'm all ears for any ideas you may have.
Without further ado, please enjoy these stunning tags. I normally post in alphabetical order but the program decided to add the photos in reverse order. I was going to change this but then I thought maybe it was time for Nancy to be first for once! No matter the order, you will find yourself pausing at each tag and picking up little tips and tricks for your next creation. Happy viewing and happy crafting!
Nancy has created a stunning nature inspired tag on a real wooden disk! Everything works so beautifully together with the sparkly snow-tipped evergreens to the red glittered star. It looks like the evergreens are all hand painted/sketched but maybe it is a stamp? I can see both black and green shading so my thought is that it is hand sketched. Either way, they are just fabulous. I love this, Nancy!
I HAD to show Michelle's tag from both the front view and the back view because they were both equally as cool and deserved to be put in the spotlight. I can envision this tag hanging from a Christmas tree and spinning near the fireplace showing off both versions of Kris Kringle. I am still torn whether I like bachelor #1 or bachelor #2 better. ;) But in all seriousness, the wooden bead and pairing of twine, ribbon and thread are perfection. Very lovely, Michelle.
My favourite part of the tag exchange is hearing the creator describe their tag to me and point out all the little details. As you know, there are so many possibilities! Lou and I had a great chat about her design and I agree with her that all the regal red rhinestones and glitter paper really make this tag stand out. You will see the tag is scored at the top to allow this tag to open to a huge area to write a special message to the recipient. Great tag, Lou! That stamp is awesome and I may have to borrow it someday.
I guess I'm up next. I was really happy with my playful tag this year. The image I used was from Crate Paper. One year they designed a wrapping paper booklet and this was from one of their sheet designs. I just loved these little kids building their snowman. I used a little tab sticker from Simple Stories to build what looks like a snow globe. This was a happy accident which really made me happy. And you know me....I am a more is more girl. There are lots of other details to build up my tag. Do you agree that more is more or should I start taking it a little more lightly? Please be honest.
This is my sister, Kell's design and I love the dimension she added to her tag...we are twinning with my dimensional star and her dimensional snowflake. Funny how we often think alike when designing, even after all these years. It is hard to see here, but she added a puffy glittery snowflake and two more snowflakes on top. The white of the snowflake is striking against the red and black patterned paper. Very cool design and layout, Kell.
Jody's country Christmas window tag is adorable and has me imaging a traditional Christmas scene taking place on the other side of this window pane. A roaring fire with everyone caroling around the piano. Sigh. A simple traditional Christmas is where it is at. And this tag is too.....I love the wooden decorative paper used for the window and the sheet music background paper. The white star and ribbon really set off the design. Beautiful, Jody!
Leave it to Jasmine to create an over-the-top, Tim Holtz, mixed media inspired ornament tag. Seriously, I love the mix of bells and wire that tie perfectly to her sentiment - "the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day". If you look closely, you can see a great platinum paint/paste and chunky glitter. The combo of deep navy and gold is so regal. Awesome, Jasmine!
Hilary has created a gorgeous tag featuring a beautiful flourish stencil and a poinsettia die. If you zoom in, you will see great hints of shimmer on the poinsettia and she used clear embossing powder on the multi-coloured stencil for an added pop. We can always count on Hilary to remind us of great techniques each and every year. What do you think she will share next year? I guess we will just have to wait and see. Well done, Hilary.
Evan's retro grunge snowflake ornament tag is ultra cool. This is one of the highest compliments I can give. It's funny when I first used this compliment, I was using it to describe Hall and Oates. Mike at the record store laughed at me but honestly Hall and Oates is ultra cool and Evan's tag is ultra cool too. Great colour. Great dimension. Love the use of a real Christmas bulb. Cool. Ultra cool.
Debbie's tag is so feminine and delicate and really speaks to me. From her soft colour palette to the layers and layers of incredible die choices. The embossed snowflake background is the perfect backdrop for this beautifully crafted winter wreath. The pretty pink winter berries are inked and glazed to perfection to really add a nice pop. Stunning, Debbie.
Darlene's tag is spectacular. I actually dissected mine to see exactly what she did to achieve this awesome creation. So the navy part of the tag is a shaker card with a great silver stamped snowflake set as the background of the shaker. She then added a bunch of different sized snowflake confetti, regular sequins and soft snow fluff. This layer of the tag is topped with a beautiful snowflake, wires and ribbon. She also made a great envelope pocket to house this sweet treat of a tag. It was such a nice surprise pulling the shaker out from the envelope. Thank you for your great tag, Darlene.
Barb's tag is adorable. This gnome Santa is the best, isn't he? And check out Barb's colouring. I love all the colour choices and the shading. The layers of snowflake dies and rhinestones add interest and dimension and they are set off perfectly against the rich evening sky. You created such a fun and whimsical tag, Barb. Awesome job.
And so we have it. Another tag exchange in the books. And just so you know, this tag exchange WILL take place each and every year. No questions asked. If you are interested in joining in 2024, please shoot me a note below or email me at thepaperpickle@gmail.com. Details will be posted early November on the blog.
Wishing you only the best in 2024. May crafting fill your heart, mind and life with joy.
Kim xo
