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Distress Inks Tag

By M. Elizabeth Lee
Trailblazers
Multi Media Designer
Publisher/Editor/Designer/Writer 

Formulated by Ranger’s own representative, Tim Holtz, non-toxic Distress Inks provide a multitude of art concepts and options.  A realistic vintage look can be achieved with this product line.  Distress Inks are water-based dye inks and fade-proof as well as acid free, which make them safe for scrapbook projects. The novel colors include Fired Brick, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Weathered Wood, Tattered Rose, and Milled Lavender.  They range in intensity from the brazen to softly delicate.  Distress Inks work well on a variety of surfaces such as fabric, wood, fired clay and ceramics, paper mache, and leather as well as the traditional paper crafts.  These inks have an extended open time meaning they are slow to dry to allow a longer play time to achieve specific results.  Speed drying with a heat tool or craft tool can be implemented to shorten the process.

This tag has an abundance of signature distressing techniques applied to it, which is often rendered to wood.  The Fired Brick was quite bold upon its initial color application.  The fine misting of water gave the tag a beautiful texture as well as lightened the color as it feathered outward.  To regain some of that audacious color, a Colorbox Stylus Tool was inked up and used to randomly whack on additional highlights.

Supplies:

•  Elegant Stems (Stampington)
•  Black Archival Ink (Ranger)
•  Fired Brick Distress Inks (Ranger)
•  Large Off White Tag; size 6¼”x3 1/8”
•  Glossy White card stock; cut to size: (Xpedx)
•  Funny Bones Bone Folder (Ranger)
•  Heat Tool (Milwaukee)
•  Heat Tool (Marvy)
•  Mono Adhesive (Tombow)
•  Victorian Dangle
•  Bow Charm (Creative Beginnings)
•  Fairy Charm (Creative Beginnings)
•  Mini Red Bow
•  Red & Black Fibers (Fibers By the Yard)
•  Typewriter Key Stickers (Nostalgiques by Rebecca Sower)
•  Glossy Accents (Ranger)
•  Stylus Tray (Colorbox)
•  Fine Mist Spray Bottle filled with water (Michael’s)
•  Grid Cutting Mat for Work Surface (Creative Memories)
•  16" Cutting System (Genesis)
•  Personal Paper Trimmer (X-Acto)
•  12” Pro Rotary Trimmer (Carl)
•  Paper Towel (Viva)
•  ProCraft Craft Gloves (Wilshire Technologies)
 

Instructions:

1.    Ink up a stylus with Fired Brick from the Colorbox Stylus Tray.  Randomly smear the red color onto the tag until it is covered.  Mist with a fine spray bottle of water and speed dry with a heat tool.  Ink up the stylus again and randomly hit the tag as if distressing wood.  Speed dry with a heat tool. 

2.    Ink up the Elegant Stems image with Black Archival Ink and stamp tag.  Ink up the squiggles background stamp and randomly stamp around the main floral image.

3.    Apply the typewriter key stickers to spell the words “Les Fluers.”  Refer to photo for sticker placement.  The word Les will be on the upper right side, and the word Fluers will be on the lower left side. 

4.    Cut the red and black fibers to an appropriate length and tie them all at once through the tag hole with a larkshead knot.  Trim as desired. 

5.    Attach the Victorian dangle and two charms to the tag using Glossy Accents.        

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