August Tag

Growing up only 30 minutes from the coast of Maine was amazing!  I have so many fond memories of my parents taking my sister and I on day trips to the ocean to play in the surf, bask in the sun and explore for sea shells.  Every summer towards the end of July-beginning of August, we would rent a cabin for two weeks at Old Orchard Beach.  It was my favorite time of the year, and it's my inspiration for this months tag.

I love using vintage images in my creations, and when I found this one, I thought of my sister and I (sans the stockings and bloomers, of course!).

I clear embossed the water in the picture to add a little shimmer and texture and inked the edges.

I then took a standard shipping tag and gave it a heavy coat of Elmer's glue and immediately painted over it with white acrylic paint.  As it dries, the glue causes the paint to crack like an old piece of driftwood. 

I stamped a few random starfish (Inkadinkado) and heat embossed them with Tim Holtz's Distress Embossing Powder in Antique Linen.  The effect was subtle, but I loved the way it turned out.

I painted the wooden fence with brown, black and white acrylic paints to get the harsh look of a fence in the elements at the coast.  Sanded to distress it a bit more...one can never have too much distressing!  The tulle at the bottom was added as a sandy effect.  

I thought the banner added interest and went well with the era of the picture.  A little K&Company metal art, some twine and a multi-colored grosgrain ribbon to finish it off.

I found myself reminiscing while making this tag, and to me that's the best kind of art...when you've left a little bit of yourself behind in it.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope I've inspired you to create.

M.