School Days - Distress and Oxide Distress with embossing and House Mouse

School books need a bookmark. How about a little curious mouse encouraging your studies? I created this tag/bookmark as inspiration for the House Mouse and Friends challenge blog. I'm a guest on the design team for September and October.

This bookmark tag features a House Mouse and Friends stamp, embossing, Distress Oxide, and Distress ink watercolouring.

Putting It Together

I decided to do a bookmark for the challenge inspiration. I wanted to keep it low profile to be usable as a bookmark while still having a little dimension and character. I also was going for something that would work for male or female student and have an Autumn feel.

I decided to use the Hopeful Mouse because he looks so curious, a good trait for school.

I stamped on some scrap, watercolour cardstock for the mouse in clay Mememto ink and archival black for the name tag on white.

I trimmed the name tag and cut a second to stack for a slight bit of dimension.

I used 3 Dustress ink to watercolour the mouse, using the red clay stamping as well.

I covered the image with Distress Microglaze to seal it against any water.

I fussy cut the cute little mouse with a bit of margin to keep the details.

I traced the cut mouse on white scrap cardstock.

I fussy cut the tracing on the inside so I could adhere it to the back of the mouse without it showing. Having a layer of cardstock beneath the name tag and mouse give them a little bit of dimension while keeping the bookmark tag very low profile to be usable between the pages of a book without distorting the book.

For the embossing, I wanted to use a background stamp larger then the tag. I used removable adhesive to secure the tag in the Misti.

I prepped the tag with the powder tool for a sharper embossing.

I use a coffee filter when I pour on the embossing powder and then tap the back with a pencil. I used embossing powder I got from a recent garage sale hosted by a local scrapbooking store. I paid just 10 cents for a baggie of a lovely green powder long retired and the company that made it only a memory.

I heat set the embossing. I'm not sure the 'distressing' in the embossig was from the stamping, the embossing powder, or whatnot, but I like it.

I dry fit the mouse the name tag.

I covered the tag with Distress Oxide in Faded Jeans.

I then sprinkled it with water,

heat set it,

added more colour and wiped the embossing which resists the ink.

I added more colour, water, and heat, until I got a look I felt 'done'.

The Oxides and embossing used on the background. I also sealed the background with micro glaze.

I adhere the mouse and name tag, I used Scor-tape. The Scor-tape is slightly dimensional and adheres to an uneven surface better than tape runner.

I added a bit of grey cord to finish.

Supplies

Challenges

House Mouse and Friends: School Days
Pearly Sparkles: Fur and Paws
Scrapping 4 Fun: Techniques (watercolouring, embossing resist, Oxides)
Scribbles Designs: Embossing
A Bit More Time To Craft: Anything Goes