Trinkets & Treasures Tag

This super easy method for creating this impressive tag can be used in so many ways. Originally designed for jewellery making, the trinkets & treasures featured at A Dozen Ideas are used just as commonly in mixed media artwork.  I choose to design on tags because they are small, they are FUN, and they can be incorporated into a card, a layout or a home décor piece.  Love, love, love tags! 

Materials: Working base, paper scraps, flat embellishments, resin heart, paper flowers, A Dozen Ideas trinkets & resin pieces, gesso or white paint, coloured sprays.

1. Choose a canvas, tag or other small working base and add layers of small, flatter embellishments such as canvas pieces, papers or chipboard shapes.
     
2. Build up clusters of embellishments.  Start big in the middle and tuck smaller embellishments around the edges.  I have used a resin heart, two large flowers, trinkets cut into half, leaves, smaller flowers, and resin pieces.  Remember that colour does not matter, we will colour it all anyway!  You could try using old clock parts, watch parts, electrical bits and pieces, trinkets, paperclips, can tabs, laces, mesh, fabric, washi tapes, and all our trinkets & treasures in the store are perfect!  
   
3. Paint any resin pieces and trinkets with gesso and let it dry.  This allows the colour to stick, where it would usually run off.
   
   
4. Use coloured mists and sprays to apply a light colour first.  Then add other colours, concentrating quite close in different areas rather than thin layers of different colours all over.  My favourites are Glimmer Mists or Perfect Pearls mists.  End with a black spray just in the middle to add grunge.  Finish with some metallic rubs or perfect pearls powder if you have it - rub on to the raised edges for extra dimension!

Tip: Don’t overthink this – it’s all about creative play, remember!  Don't forget to support us by pinning this project on Pinterest (button below!) and visit A Dozen ideas on Facebook, we'd love to hear how your own projects go!