Tim Holtz December tag 2015

 I recently taught a technique tag class and had designed 4 of the 5 tags... I had hit a blank on the 5th one and no matter what I tried or put together, it did not seem right.  Then it was Tim to the rescue with his December tag inspiration on Tuesday the 1st, not a day too soon as my class was on the Friday, so I had 2 days to design my tag and kit up!

I did not have his punches, so decided to go back to his tags from 4 years ago when he last did a wreath... then I added the typewriter from another tag done that year and was finished!

Phew!

This is Tim's tag and you can find his instructions here!

How To Make Distress Ink Towers

A few people have seen my 3 Distress Ink Towers on my desk and asked how I made them... Here goes:

I used foam core/board sheets to create them in two thicknesses.  Here in South Africa, we work in metric measurements and the one board is 5mm thick and the other 3mm.

When using Tim's ruller to try convert them to inches the 3mm = one tiny little square (1/8?) and the 5mm =1.5 tiny little squares... Does this help?  Don't know how to say such small measurements in inches as they are not common to me.  The bigger numbers I can do!

Moving right along...

The sides measure 3"x 18.4/8" (cut two from 5mm)
The back is 3.4/8" x 18.4/8" (cut one from 5mm)

The shelves are 3.3/8" x 2.4/8" each (cut 15 from 3mm)

(my measured dots are in the wrong place in this close up, but my score lines are correct...)

Take one of the sides and measure half an inch in from the side and draw a light pencil line from top to bottom.  This will be the front of the tower.  Starting at the bottom of this pencil line measure 9/8 and make a dot then at 1" and make a dot.  Do the same along the back edge of the side.  Repeat the other side piece.

Now turn them over and stick them together with painters tape or low tac washi tape.  Turn them over and score together.

Using a craft knife and metal ruler score down to the paper base, but not through it.

Then take a screw driver and scrape out the foam from the pencil line,  between the score lines to the back of the side. 

 Now you should have two matching sides.  I chose to not go right to the top and leave the last shelf out and make a deep area to store my re-inkers, as seen below

 I then run some Glossy accents into the hollows and place my shelves into them and weight them down with my distress inks.  When this is dry, I glue on the back and a piece to fill in the top shelf.

 When dry, I use Tim's tape to decorate the edges all round to hide my joins.

 Here are my 3 towers.

 This is the back.

 Here you can see the deep shelf to house my re-inkers at the top.

Please tell me if these measurements are up the spout or if my instructions are not clear...  This was hard to explain, thankfully I think my photos help...