it's trophy time...

tim's new Sizzix trophy dies were the inspiration for this project...

I spotted (zoomed in on) them back in January at CHA & immediately the wheels were spinning wildly...

I had so many ideas on how to use them...

I KNEW that my metallic embossing pastes, combined with the dies, would be a fun play...

and they were...

WARNING...NO FLOWERS were used on this tag...

shocking!

hey...I didn't want you to faint!

the tag went like this...

I spread some silver metallic embossing paste on a piece of manila card stock & heated it with the heat tool to bubble it & add texture...

when the paste was completely dry, I die cut this trophy...

to create an aged effect, I randomly tapped on some dandelion,  hydrangea, leaf green & watering can archival inks & dried them...

then after shaking the brushed pewter distress paint, I added some in random areas...just using my finger...

now my trophy looks very vintage...

I stuck an oval industrious sticker to my craft sheet & rubbed over it with watering can archival, then dried it...

the oval frame is a perfect fit & a great spot to highlight the remnant rubs...

oops...forgot one photo...

on the finished tag you'll see that I added another remnant rub to the base...

I love this trophy!

I wanted to make the trophy partially dimensional...

to do that, I added a scrap of clearly for art (CFA) on the back, to the bowl portion of the trophy, with Glossy Accents...

then heated it to soften the CFA...

and rounded it a bit...

the CFA will hold the shape...

to create the base for the tag, I used the archival reinker/rubbing alcohol technique, but on a manila tag, instead of my usual specialty stamping paper...

if you're using manila card stock...

the key here is LOTS of alcohol (surgical spirits for my UK friends)...

don't be skimpy...

I chose a blue background (to look like water), because I knew I would be stamping a fish...

the next photo shows lots of rubbing alcohol with 1 drop of the forget me not reinker & one drop of the cornflower blue archival reinker...

it's important to mix the color into the rubbing alcohol so there are no intense drops of the reinker...

next, I laid the tag in the alcohol/reinker fluid & immediately it soaks thru the manila card stock...

this is the front before it was dried...

it's amazing that using so much (rubbing alcohol) fluid,  does not warp the manila card stock at all...

the downside of using manila is that you have almost no chance to manipulate the colors like you do when the same technique is done on specialty stamping paper...

the fluid soaks in immediately when using manila...

you can dry it & add another layer, if needed...

sometimes the back turns out really ugly, which is why I use specialty stamping paper for my art journal pages with this technique...

but...oddly enough, this time I liked the tag back better, so I used that...

next, I used jet black archival to stamp my fish...

then used distress markers & the detail water brush to color the top portion of the fish...

his butt is going inside the trophy, so I didn't bother coloring his bottom half...

next I added some random background stamping with the vintage mesh background stamp & tree branch archival...

haha...it looks like a fish net!

the edges needed some brushed corduroy to start a frame effect...

then I used the detail water brush to add some water drops...

tap the detail water brush sharply on your finger & it will dispense random tiny water dots...

***one thing to note*** is that my archival reinker background is waterproof, so the water spots are only where I applied the brushed corduroy distress ink...

it's a cool effect & kind of look like fish bubbles...

 I started adding remnant rubs...

these rulers were perfect, since size is important when you catch a fish...

I put the cap from my tim scissors in the photo, because that's how I like to apply the remnant rubs...

try it...works like a charm...

the tag edges were still too light, so this time I added some gathered twigs...

the background still needed more, so I used watering can archival on the unmounted A to Z background stamp & randomly stamped the background...

I wanted the trophy to have a base to sit on, so I used an industrious trim piece & inked that with potting soil archival & dried it...

the trim got added to the very bottom of the tag...

to keep the fishing theme going, I created a realistic fish hook by cutting off a portion of the hook part of a small swivel clasp...

I removed the chain & hooked the 2 jump rings together & added it to the top of the tag...

I had to trim off about ⅛ of an inch at the top of the tag so I could close the jump ring & not squish the tag...

hmmm...

it wasn't quite finished...

I added a shadow around the fish with the iced spruce distress marker & the detail water brush...

I added some tiny inky dots with faded jeans distress stain & the detail water brush...

and I darkened the top border with the stabilo pencil...

I just drew a line & smeared it with my finger...

now...here's my finished trophy tag...

I think this is great for a guy...

this same idea could also easily be made into a card if you're not in the mood to create a tag...

I will use it for my nephew's birthday, since he is an avid fisherman...

I added "best day ever" remnant rubs to the base...

to let him know that it was "the best day ever" when he was born!

in the next photo you can see how that scrap of CFA makes the trophy dimensional, but not too dimensional to mail...

and you can get a better look at the embossing paste texture on the trophy too...

one other tiny detail that didn't show up very well...

I added a drop of Glossy Accents to the fish eye...it looks cool...

I like that I used 2 background stamps with 2 archival colors & they don't compete in the background...

tree branch & watering can are both awesome for background stamping...

I have to say that I had a blast making this tag...

these trophies have so many possibilities & can be used for any occasion & for both guys & girls...

I think they would be so cute for a child on a special day...

and I LOVE that they are perfect to use with the metallic embossing pastes...die cut embossing paste is magic!

I have more ideas brewing...in fact I already have another tag done...

and a 3rd one started...

have a good one my friends!

I hope YOU can

take time to

make (trophy tag) art!

wendy