Simon Monday Challenge: Transparent

Hello again!

This project is one I created for SimonSaysStamp's Monday Challenge ("Transparent"). I decided to take a stab at creating a transparent tag.

Here's my result:

Materials/tools used:
 - Ranger Archival Ink: Cornflower Blue, Vermillion, Watering Can
 - Ranger Distress Stain: Festive Berries
 - Staz-On Ink: Cotton White
 - Studio 490 Clearly for Art
 - idea-ology Crinkle Ribbon
 - #8 craft tag (to use as pattern)
 - Ranger Heat Tool
 - Tonic Studios Craft Scissors
 - Stamps by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous: CMS102, CMS162
 - Single-hole punch

I don't own the nifty Sizzix die that let's you punch tags out of any material, so I used a regular blank tag as a pattern, and cut out my own tag.  Worked just fine (though I'll admit to coveting the die a bit!).

I definitely learned some stuff about stamping on Clearly for Art with this project. (And while I could have started over with different stamps, I figured the lesson was just as important to share.) Stamps with lots of lines, and very few vast inked expanses definitely seem to work best. If you look at the plane and ship stamps, you can see where the ink puddled a bit, and the details aren't as clear. In contrast, both the map and sentiment stamps stamped beautifully.

I also had to sit on my hands, to keep from pulling out my Heat Tool to speed up the drying of the ink.  I've gotten really used to doing that, but had to remind myself that I wanted dry ink, and not a reshaped tag. ;-)  You'll see the Heat Tool listed above, but I only used it to dry the stain on my ribbon.

More views:

That's it for tonight, but I'll be back tomorrow with a project for a challenge I've never joined before. :-)

'Til then!
BAC