Tags, tags, tags!

When I cut down the 5x7-inch Strathmore card blanks to 5x5-inches for my square notecards I’m left with a lovely two-inch strip that’s the perfect size for a gift tag.

You can fold the strip in half and add slivers of chopped-up “failed” prints. I find it fun and freeing to look for bits of interesting composition in the larger image. Or, if it’s a really sad-looking print, chop it up willy-nilly and see what you get! The weight of the folded strip gives the tag some “heft” and an elegant presentation. 

Usually, though, I cut the strips in half along the fold line and make two tags. Looking ahead to the coming gift-giving season, these Christmas tags were made with hand-cut rubber stamps.

 

Cutting the 5x7-inch blanks down for 4x6-inch cards yielded off-cuts for these skinny tags. I set the words using an alphabet debossing set. The individual letters were tapped on an ink pad and then struck with a hammer. 

Ready access to stacks of tag-size off-cuts is easy encouragement to play around with an idea, work in a series and try out new techniques. I’ve been wanting to develop a looser drawing style with stronger lines and had such a good time with these next tags. I gathered some fading plants from the flower beds and sketched them using sumi ink and an eyedropper. I was pleased at how cooperative the ink flow was – I had more control than I’d expected. At the same time, there were surprises – bloops and blops to work around.

I’ll show you what these sumi ink tags led to in the next post. (Apologies for the glare from my studio lighting.)