Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop July 25

Hello friends, I hope you're having a lovely Saturday so far. It's time for this month's Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop, which takes place on the 5th of each month. You always have the option to go for anything goes but the extra prompt this month is 'stencil(s)', which is a fab theme. I expect the rest of the hop will have some gorgeous stencilled creations so I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check them out.  

Stencils are such a staple in a crafters arsenal these days that it's not really a challenge to use them. I actually used two different stencils on my tag and it ended up with a mixed media vibe, which I love.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my tag:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the back:

I began by stencilling the sun spots stencil using red and pink ink onto a piece of white card and then used my tag die to cut it out.  I wanted to add some texture so grabbed my white texture paste but unfortunately it had dried up and I couldn't use it so instead found a sparkle texture paste so used that instead.  The sparkle paste is really pretty and although it doesn't stand out as much as the white the paste really glistens in the light for a different effect.  Once that was dry I added some white splatters all over the tag.  I debated for ages as to what to use as my focal point and then remembered I had this cute birdie die set that hadn't been used so thought I would show him some love.  I ink blended some of the pink and red ink onto scraps of white card and used that to die cut most of my pieces for the bird.  I did use black for the base layer and white for the eye patch piece.  I adhered him together with liquid glue and added the top layer of the wing with a foam square.  I die cut the 'branch' from brown card.  So that my bird wouldn't be lost on the tag I die cut a circle from vellum to use as a grounding piece and I adhered the bird with foam squares.  The vellum was also added to the tag with foam squares.  I white heat embossed my sentiment onto a scrap of black card and cut it out with a sentiment strip die; this was adhered with liquid glue.  I felt that my tag needed a bit more black so grabbed a stamp set of distressed patterns and randomly stamped them onto the background with black ink.  I recycled some ribbon from a dress I bought recently but as it was white I decided to ink blend some of the pink ink onto it with a blending brush; I think it turned out really well.  I die cut another two white tags and adhered them behind my tag with liquid glue.  I wasn't going to decorate the back this time but couldn't leave it plain, however I had already stuck everything down so had to careful adding things as it was an uneven surface.  I decided not to stencil but instead inked around the edges with the inks and added some of the distressed stamps as I thought it wouldn't matter if they didn't stamp properly.  I did risk stamping the 'to and from' stamp using a clear block but thankfully it stamped ok.  This tag went in a completely different direction that what I planned but I love the finished result.  

I would like to enter my tag into the following challenges:

Alphabet challenge - f is for feathers (my bird has feathers)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal/bird

Creative Moments challenge - use a die cut 

Creative Friday challenge - neon colours or bold colours

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards & Tags challenge - ATG

Little Red Wagon challenge - to boldly go (use bold colours)

Mix It Up challenge - ATG optional twist mixed media

Stencil Fun challenge - use stencils optional theme your flag colours

Tag-Along (& ATC's) challenge - in the garden/ATG

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist fun with stencils 

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies optional mood board

We hope you will be inspired by our Gorgeous Gift Tags Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous tags along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #gorgeousgifttagshop2025 and we will find your tags.
Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Gina K Designs - sun spots stencil

Spellbinders - hummingbird textures stencil

Spellbinders - sweet birdie die set

Spellbinders - big jolly Santa die set (I used Santa's stick as my branch)

Waffle Flower - nesting tags die set

Waffle Flower - nesting circles dies

MFT - distressed patterns stamp - ? retired

Cosmic Shimmer - frosty dawn sparkle texture paste - discontinued

Clearly Besotted - bird bath stamp (for sentiment) - retired

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs - sketched wreath builder (for to/from stamp)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - passionate pink and red hot

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here - but limited numbers

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versamark - embossing & watermark ink pad

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

ribbon recycled from a dress