Cricut Cardz Challenge - Tag You're It!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas.... I am singing that in my head because I have been wrapping presents and placing them under the tree! And I have been making gift tags for the Cricut Cardz Challenge - #98 - Tag, You're It! Perfect timing!

#98: "Christmas: Tag, You're It!" Make 2 Christmas gift tags using any cartridge(s) and any colors you'd like. Link your project here by January 3rd.

I decided to do something a little different so instead of adding cricut cuts to my tags, I used the cuts as masks to ink my tags. Check it out!

DO IT YOURSELF:  Choose a shape with an interesting border and place a focal image inside the border shape using Cricut Craft Room, Design Studio or Gypsy. (I used CCR and I also cut the tags at the same time.) Lay the tag flat, now keeping the border and focal cuts pieced together, center them on the front panel and attach using repositionable adhesive. Also mask the back section of the tag to keep it free of ink. Next, using a sponge or dauber, ink around the mask to the edge of the tag to make the border. The picture below is after inking.

After inking the border, remove the focal image cut from the center of the border shape and add ink to that space. The image below shows my inked focal image, including the detail I added with a pen later.

To finish remove the border mask, you should have a tag that looks like you stamped an image and a border. Add extra details with pens or markers, I used sakura pens.

This technique is perfect for adding inked images that you may not have a stamp for - but it does work best with mostly solid, silhouette type cuts.

These are the materials I used:
The tags are cut from Christmas Card cartridge, card #8, 2 1/2" height
The border shapes were cut from MS Seasonal Cake Art, postage feature, Leaf borders 1 & 2, 2" height
Silhouette cuts: MS Seasonal Cake Art, Tree & Bird Wreath, and Just Because cards Cookie, 1 1/2" height
(I have the Cricut Craft Room cut file if anybody wants it, just contact me using the form on my blog)
Inks used were VersaMark and Distress Inks
Details added with sakura pens
Tags cut on Stampin'Up! Crumb Cake cardstock, be sure to cut your masks using a good sturdy cardstock, I used cardstock from Papertrey Ink.
Twine is from Martha Stewart

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to enter your tags in the challenge!