Time to Get Cracking - A Gift Card Tag

Greetings! It's Topflight Stamps Tuesday! This week the team's focus is on gift tags and/or gift containers. Here's my rather large gift card holding tag that was created with the ENB06 Cling Mounted Rubber Stamp Set by Nicci Battilana for PaperArtsy, the Mini Holly Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps, the Classic Sentiments Clear Stamp Set by Heffy Doodle, and the Distressed Plaid 8x8 Patterned Paper Pad by Creative Expresssions.

Tag without the Gift Card

Tag with the Gift Card

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

ENB06 Cling Mounted Rubber Stamp Set by Nicci Battilana for PaperArtsy

Mini Holly Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Classic Sentiments Clear Stamp Set by Heffy Doodle,

Distress Plaid 8x8 Patterned Paper Pad by Creative Expresssions

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Spruce VersaFine Clair Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Other Products Used:

Solar White Classic Crest Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Large Black Tag by Graphic 45

Large Tag, ATC, and Flower Die Set by Graphic 45

Gift Card Holder Die by Stampendous

Bundled Sage Distress Ink by Tim Holtz for Ranger Ink

Alcohol Markers:
Copic Markers:

Face: BV000, E53, E51, E50, E42, E41

Cheeks, R30

Lips: E04, R43, R32

Eyes: C0, YG63, YG61

Epaulets, Trim, and Buckle: Y28, Y26, Y23, Y21, Y11

Rest of Nutcracker: YG67, YG643, YG61, G99, G94, G84, G28, G19, G07, G03, R59, R56, R46, R43, R32

Shinhan Touch Markers:

Hair and Facial Hair: Blue Grey 07, 05, 03

Black Pigma Pen by Sakura

Ribbons from Ye Olde Stash

Washi Tape from Ye Olde Stash

Stamping Platform

Instructions:

1. Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the Nutcracker from the ENB06 Cling Mounted Rubber Stamp Set  onto white cardstock. 
2. Fussy-cut the nutcracker, including his wrists and hands so that he can hold the gift card. 
3. Use Copic markers to color the image, then use a black pen to edge it.
4. Use the large tag die from the Large Tag, ATC, and Flower Die Set to cut two identical pieces of patterned paper from the Distress Plaid 8x8 Patterned Paper Pad. You need two pieces of the same paper because the die is larger than 8".
5. Cut the bottom 2" off of one of the die-cuts. 
6. Place the black tag with the metal grommet onto your magnetic craft mat.
7. The patterned paper is two-sided which makes this next step easy! Position the die-cut with the tag top facedown on the black tag, secure with a magnet and adhere the bottom part of the second piece to the bottom of the tag being sure that the lines of the plaid are aligned. 
8. Flip the combined tag die-cut back over to the side that you'll be using. 
9. Use holiday-themed washi tape to cover the seam between the pieces. 
10. Use a magnet to secure the colored, fussy-cut nutcracker to the tag die-cut so that his base is on the washi tape and his hat is centered. 
11. Position the gift card notch die facedown so that the nutcracker's hands will overlap the top of the gift card. *
12. Secure the die in place with low-tack tape. 
13. Remove the colored, fussy-cut nutcracker and set him aside. 
14. Run the tag/notch die panel through a die-cut machine.
15. Place the tag onto the base of a stamping platform and secure with magnets and/or low-tack tape.
16. Position the "get nutcracking" sentiment stamp facedown on the top left where desired.
17. Press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp, lift, ink the sentiment stamp with Spruce VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if needed to attain a crisp impression.
18. Positon the "Merry Christmas" stamp from the Classic Sentiments Clear Stamp Set facedown on the tag die-cut under the right side of the washi tape.
19. Press the platform's lid onto the back of the "Merry Christmas" sentiment stamp, lift, ink the sentiment stamp with Spruce VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if needed to attain a crisp impression.
20. Use Spruce ink to edge the tag die-cut.
21. Use Bundled Sage Distress Ink and an acrylic stamp mount to repeatedly stamp the Mini Holly Clear Polymer Stamp around the tag to add more visual interest. 
22. Adhere the colored, fussy-cut nutcracker to the tag as shown.
23. Adhere the stamped tag die-cut to the black tag, taking care keep the notched areas, where the gift card will sit, free from adhesive.
24.  Thread ribbon through the tag's grommet to finish it all up.

*Retrospectively, I should have measured more than once and positioned the gift card notch die higher up so that the nutcracker would have had a firmer grip on the gift card. Alas, I find as I get older, my grip has loosened.

Thank you for visiting today!