November 12 Tags of 2013: Joining Chalkboard Craze

Ok...maybe it is because I haven't touched a craft supply in a month or maybe it was stamp choice or maybe it is because ONLY Tim Holtz can make this technique really work...I have no idea really but my attempt at Tim's Chalkboard Technique was mostly a fail.

Tim made this:

It looks easy enough.  The "trick" (or so he claims) is using Antiquities Frosted Crystal Embossing Powder.  

I have that powder. 

I used that powder.  

I got a hot mess.  

First, I tried it on Black Chalkboard paper. What you are seeing is in fact 3 pine trees and snowflakes ...maybe if you squint?  No?  Try moving the screen back a little?  No?  Hmmm...Ok, so let's try a different stamp.  Maybe it wasn't a good design choice.  Maybe a nice simple line stamp?

Nope!  This is even worse.  The dress all but disappeared (this is also the chalkboard cardstock).  On the other hand, I LOVE the snowflakes (more later).

Third times a charm?  Maybe....this is better at least.  I gave up on the chalkboard cardstock and switched to Ranger's back tags.  This design uses several stamps from Rhonna Farrer's Christmas release from last year.

It is the bird on a complicated swirly nesty thingy, the words "Joyneux Noel" and some random stars.  Can you see that?  I love the images and by adding the crystals...

...I think it looks ok.

My final installment was made using a big bold stamp Tim's that has images of vintage Christmas advertisements called Holiday Past.

I looked better with the chalk, but it made a very boring card.  So I added the sentiment and jewel.  Now you can hardly see the chalk.  What can I say...I cannot leave it undone!

I lay here trying to figure out if I should try again-I threw a few others away without even photographing them- or give up.  I decided to see what other people were doing by checking the Linky on Tim's blog post.  What I found was that the tags either looked worse then mine or looked awesome. Upon further investigation, I found that probably 95% of the "awesome" tags were made using white embossing powder and in fact no chalk was used in the making of the product.  Well, I could have done that!

What I did love about this was the pretty sparkly snowflakes from this tag fail.

I think it is the black cardstock-something that I am not used to using for Christmas designs- with the silver glitter that had me at hello.  I used Ranger's Sticky Embossing Powder and Martha Stewart Fine Glitter in Silver.  After I got disgusted with the chalk technique I played with the glitter and made this...

The camera never picks up all the sparkle.  Maybe I should make a Vine for you.  In any event you can be sure you will see more of this before Christmas is over.  I guess something good came out of my chalk nightmare.  

I hope you day is filled with Sunshine and GLITTER.  Mine will be!