Xanthophyll & Xylem Alphatag

I had a look at what the letter "X" might entail when the Baroque Guild Alphatag swap first began & decided that I could make a tag based upon the word xanthophyll (a compound responsible for the yellow colour of autumnal leaves) using an assortment of Chocolate Baroque leaf stamps. It was my fellow Alphatagger Sarah's mentioning that she'd not used xylem (woody tissue) for her tag that gave me the idea to incorporate that & the whole concept crystallized when I caught sight of this (see photo above) a couple of weeks ago in the woodland forming part of our back garden.

front of tag

angled view showing dimensional shaping of leaves 

close-up of upper section

close-up of lower section showing background
stamping & shine of wet embossed "X"

close-up showing dimensional shaping of
punched oak leaf embellishments 

back of tag 

close-up showing paper pierced scallops & inked edges
of theme panel plus overstamping of patterned paper

The leaves for the garland were stamped in Van Dyke Brown (Nick Bantock) onto the watercolour paper & water coloured using a damp brush which I'd dipped into some Scattered Straw Distress Marker ink scribbled onto an acrylic block. As moisture touches the Van Dyke Brown stamped imprint (so far it's the only one of Nick Bantock's inkpads that I've used in this way) a number of browns & greens emerge. For the "X" I double inked the stamp, first with VersaMark & then the Van Dyke Brown, prior to adding the clear embossing powder for heat setting. I find this gives a smoother finish than when using the Van Dyke Brown alone with  embossing powder. The background was made by stamping the large leaf image (starting at the top) using VersaMark in rows & masking each successive row as I went down the tag so as to create a layered effect.

Recipe
Stamps Chocolate Baroque UDLSP0121 Holly Ivy Mix (large leaf), UDLSP0234 Autumn Hedgerow (oak leaf), UDLSP0235 Nature Table (maple leaf) & UA6GW0349 Teeny Weeny Meadow (tree); Elusive Images UDLHC0181 Sketchy Alphabet (letter "X").
Inks Nick Bantock Vandyke Brown (tree, leaves on front & back, letter "X" & inking various card stock edges); VersaMark watermark stamp pad: by itself for tag front background stamping & together with Vandyke Brown plus Stewart Gill Ultrafine Embossing Powder for the letter "X".
Markers etc... Scattered Straw Distress Marker, Signo uni-ball copper gel pen.
Cardstock An assortment of greens plus yellow from stash, Winsor & Newton Cotman 190gsm Cold Presset/NOT Grain Fin Watercolour Paper.
Paper Graphicus Guild Membership Pack.
Die Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die - Tag & Bookplates.
Punches Woodware (scalloped squares, oak & maple leaves).
The ribbon is from stash.

White on White Winter Wonderland Alphatag

I decided to make my "W" Baroque Guild Alphatag a white on white seasonal one using an old snowflake mandala stamp from the time when Glenda's company was known as Elusive Images. In the back of my mind I thought I also had a Chocolate Baroque themeplate including the words "winter wonderland." I was particularly pleased when I found it (a retired set aptly named "Winter Wonderland") for it also has a variety of snowflakes which proved perfect for my background wet embossing.

front of tag

close-up of upper section showing wet embossed words
on parchment paper & snowflake background

close-up of lower section showing glittered
snowflake layers & wet embossed background

angled view showing dimensional layering of snowflake
mandala & shine of wet embossed background

back of tag

close-up showing paper pierced scallops & inked edges of
theme panel plus wet embossed background stamping

Recipe

Stamps Elusive Images UDLCW0028 Jolly Holly Snowflake (snowflake mandala); Chocolate Baroque UA6SP0267 Winter Wonderland (words & background on front) & UDLSP0121 Holly Ivy Mix (snowflakes on back).

Inks Emboss Tinted Stamp Pad with Stampendous Detail White Embossing Powder (snowflake mandala, wording, front & back background stamping); Brilliance Moonlight White (inking various cardstock edges).

Pens/Markers etc... VersaMarker Watermark Pen, White Pentel K118 Hybrid Gel Grip Pen, Signo uni-ball silver gel pen.

Cardstock Several textures of white from stash.

Paper Parchment paper from stash.

Die Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die - Tag & Bookplates.

Punch Woodware (scalloped squares).

The  gems & shimmer dots are Papermania whilst the large white brad & ribbon are from stash. The iridescent loose glitter is also from stash.

Zentangle Inspired Artwork

My final MCC project HERE on PEP tangles