Hi Everyone and Welcome, 

Unfortunately and frustratingly more life curve balls came my way this week and creative time was pretty much a non starter so for todays post I was left with little choice but to draw on a tag I created some time ago now but didn't post at the time.  Hopefully you will be forgive me on this occasion. 

I worked 'off the tag' on a piece of Mixed Media paper  creating what I have come to know as a 'wrinkle free distress' background using a tri colour distress oxide palette of Weathered Wood, Speckled Egg and Shabby Shutters . 

For this technique you simply press the oxide pads onto a craft mat, spritz with water and then smoosh/ pick up theoxides with the paper. Dry and repeat the process with the next colour to gradually build up layers/ nuances of colour aswell as lots of speckles and splotches of colour.  

I then cut the inky mixed media paper to fit a That's Crafty long greyboard tag and added some  crackle textured stenciling to the main body of the tag by applying Tim Holtz distress crackle paste through his 'Script' layering stencil. I also caught around the sides of the tag with the distress crackle paste too and set to once side for the cracks to form.  

When the cracks had formed  I rubbed some black acrylic paint into them, wiping it back before it dried. This helped to emphasise the cracks and grunge them up a bit.  

I kept the thorax free from embellishment on this occasion- very unlike me but I kinda liked the 'openness' at the time of making. I seem to remember thinking it complimented the lightness of background colours offset only by the grunginess of the crackled textures and the touches of black. it  also allowed for me to add something later if I decide otherwise.