This is the thrid  tutorials about tag art.  There is no right way to do this, but I hope that this will help you find the best way for YOU to make a tag.  I am by no means an expert when it comes to making tags, rubber stamping, or anything else, as a matter of fact.  These are the basic steps that I go through when I sit down to make a tag.  I'm just trying to share my love for art and making tags! :-) (Yes, I'm saying this again!)

The thrid project will feature a tag with an oil pastel background and decorated only with rubber stamps.  If you have read my other tutorials, you will notice that the steps are basically the same, we are just using a different technique to decorate the tag.  If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me.

Step 2: Decide on Colors-  Since my theme is "Love" I am going to use pink, lavander and burgandy oil pastels.  Those colors remind me of things associated with love.  Think about your theme and pick 3-4 colors of oil pastels that work well with the 'mood' you are trying to set.  Here are the colors that I chose:

I am using oil pastels by Loew-Cornell.  This just happens to be what I found (and could afford).  There are many different brands, so look around and buy what's best for you.  I'm sure that the quailty improves along with the price.  Experiment and see how they work on different types of paper. 

Step 3: Assemble Supplies-  Now that you have decided on a theme and your colors, get everything ready.  Look at your stamps and decide what size of a tag you will need. Will you be using a mailing tag or cutting your own?  We're going to use a mail tag that measures 4 1/4" X 2 1/2 ".  If you don't have a tag, make you own. Get  your oil pastels out and ready to use.  I am going to use my fingers to rub the oil pastels, but you may use a tissue if you don't want to get dirty. (I like getting my fingers dirty and feeling the oil on the paper). Have a towel close by to clean your fingers on.  You will also need some pigment or embossing ink and embossing powder (your color of choice). I am going to use embossing ink and gold embossing powder.  Make sure that you have your heat gun handy.  If you do't have embossing powder and/or aheat gun, you must seal the tag with some sort of spray sealant or the ink will smear.  Remove the string from the tag before starting. 

Step 4: Create a Background- Choose 3 or 4 colors of oil pastels.  Lay the tag on top of a piece of scrap paper. 

Using the lightest color of oil pastels, rub a solid circle or oval shape onto the tag.  Do this in a few different places.  Make sure that it's solid, not a scribble.
Using your finger or a tissue, start rubbing the circle of oil pastel.  It will start to soften even more and start covering the paper.  Rub the oil pastel out and spread it out a bit until you have a nice, smooth spot of color. The more you rub, the lighter it will become.   I just rub my indix finger around in circles on the oil and spread it around on the tag.
Repeat the first step with the second color of oil pastel.
Rub the oil pastel circle as directed above.  Be sure to start blending the two colors together at the edges.
Repeat the first step with the final color.
Rub the oil pastel with your finger and rember to blend the edges together.  Don't rub too hard, or you'll burn your finger! That's it!  Is that just really neat, or what? :-)

Step 5: Stamp the Images- Using pigment or embossing ink, randomly stamp the images on the tag. If you are going to emboss, do so after you stamp each image.  If you're not going to emboss, then be very careful to not touch the stamped images.  The ink will not dry on the oil pastel background and you will have to seal it with a spray fixative.  Sometimes, I lay the stamps (un-inked) on top of the tag, so that I can kind of get a general idea of where I am going to place them.  Here are the steps I took to stamp my tag: 

I usually stamp the largest image first.  If it is larger than the tag, make sure that it is stamped off the edge and usually to one side of the tag.  The locket stamp that I am using fits on the tag and I want to see it all, so I'm going to place it near the bottom of the tag with just a little bit off of the side.
Now, stamp the next image that is smaller in size than the first.  Be sure to tilt the images, go off of the sides and so on.  You don't want everything on there nice and straight.  I am going to do the phrase next, because I want to make sure that I have room for it.  I don't want it to go off of the edges.
Use the smallest stamps to fill in where needed.  In this case, I am using the key stamp.

Step 6: Seal the Images- If you did not emboss the images, then you will need to seal them with some sort of spray fixative.  If you do not do this, then the images will smear.  (Trust me, I know!).  Spray the tag with a fixative an let it dry well.

Step 7: Add Fibers and Beads- Look at your tag and decide what colors of fibers, ribbons, etc. would look nice on your tag.   Stay with your theme.  Is your tag Victorian and needs pretty fibers or is it more rustic and some raffia would work better?  Pick beads in colors that coordinate with the tag and fibers.  Cut fibers in 8-12 inch lengths and have each fiber a different length, so that the ends of them will not be even.
 

I am going to use 2 types of ivory yarn, gold DMC thread and 2 shade of pink DMC floss, plus some pink beads.
Cut the fibers to your desired length.  Cut fibers in 8-12 inch lengths and have each fiber a different length, so that the ends of them will not be even. Lay the fibers on your work table and then fold in half.
Hold the fibers in your hand at the bottom of the "U" shape. Hold the fibers closer to the end than what is shown in the picture. You will need to hold them all closely together, so that you can push them all through the hole and not leave any behind. (Please note that the fibers in this photo are from a previous project, but it's the same technique.)
Push the fibers through the hole of the tag.  Push it through the top of the tag, so that when you pull the fibers through, it will have a nice looking loop on top of your tag.
While holding the tag face-up, put your thumb and index finger in the loop of fibers that you just pushed through.  Grab the tails of the fibers and pull them through the loop. (Please note that the fibers and tag in this photo are from a previous project, but it's the same technique.)
Pull the fibers until a nice, tight "knot" forms, making sure that all of the fibers are pulled through the hole and that the "knot" is smooth on top. You might have to fiddle with them a bit to get them to look the way you want them to.
Now you can add the beads!  If the hole of the bead is big enough to thread the fibers through, then you can use the thicker fibers.  If the holes are small (like on the beads I'm using) then you have to put them on the DMC floss with a needle.  After you get the bead on the fiber, tie it in a knot a couple of times, to make sure it stays put. (Please note that the fibers and beads in this photo are from a previous project, but it's the same technique.)

Step 8: Sign Your Artwork-  Always remember to sign your artwork!  Put your name and the date that you made it.  You can also put a short note on the back, if the tag is a gift. Some people even have names for their tags. 

Step 9: The Finished Tag- Here it is!  The finished rubber stamped tag with an oil pastel background:

Step 10: Other Options- 
This tag looks absolutely great the way that it is, but if you want it to have a bit more then try adding some torn mulberry paper.  I used light pink and white paper in the example below.  Don't use too much though, you don't want to cover up that beautiful background you just made!

Still want some more?  Well, I love to add more gold to my tags with my speckle (splatter) looking stamp.   For my tag, I am going to use my speckle stamp and gold embossing powder to really give this tag some glitz.. 

I love this technique and I hope that this will show you how easy it is to use oil pastels to make a stunning background . If you have any questions, please e-mail me.  I have had a few people ask me about the oil pastels and if they dry.  I would say that they pretty much do.  My tags are displayed and aren't handled.  But, if your tag is going to be handled a lot and you are worried about the oil pastels smudging, then I would definately spray it with a clear coat to protect it.

I am having a lot of fun doing these tutorials and I am planning on having some more about tag art, so be sure to check back often to see if there is anything new.  Better yet, join my mailing list and you will receive an e-mail whenever I up-date my pages.  Thanks so much for coming and I hope that you enjoyed your stay. :-)

Di~

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This page was last updated on:
8 April 2002