Tag Topper

My version

As yet, this is incomplete.  I am planning on using this on a card, but haven't yet decided where I'm going with it next - ideas welcome!  The background for the stamp was inspired by the Sunset tag design by Barbara Gray which came with #111 in the Clarity New Design Stamp Club.

Sunset by the talented Barbara Gray

As I wanted to add the tag to a card, I needed to produce a smaller version of the design.  Rather than use a #8 manilla tag, I used the largest of the Stitched Main Street Tag dies by Poppy Stamps to cut out a piece of white stamp card.  I stamped the 'Life is What You Make it' stamp from the Be Happy set by Visible Image, using Versamark ink and heat embossed the image with white detail embossing powder.  It's difficult to see the sentiment until distress ink was added.  

I masked off the top section of the tag and brushed on Fossilized Amber distress ink using a Claritystamp stencil brush.  I brushed from right to left every time.  Once I was happy with the result, I removed the masking tape and added the middle of the three full moon masks from the Moon Mask set (again by Claritystamp).  Using the ink that was left on my brush, I added colour to the top of the tag.  Once the moon mask was removed, I brushed over a very light layer of Dried Marigold and cleaned the ink off the sentiment using a dry baby wipe.  The horizon is a little wonky, so I decided to add a stamped image all over the left hand side of the tag, rather than emphasize the 'oops' by adding birds along the horizon as in the original version.  
As the Fossilized Amber reminded me of a field of corn, I used a section of the Whispering Winds stamp by Inkylicious and Black Archival ink, to add grasses to the tag.  Unfortunately the left hand side didn't stamp very well as it was a brand new stamp, so I ended up going over the image with a black micron pen in places to increase the intensity of the silhouette.  I went to the other extreme on the right hand side, by over inking the stamp!  I haven't decided yet how to proceed further - so watch this space; I'll continue playing tomorrow.