Digital Holiday Project Idea - Christmas Gift Tags

Designed By: Jenny Dammann

So I created some digital gift tags for a friend of mine, and I loved 'em so much that I wanted to share with you all. Sorry, I'm not going to give you the whole shebang to download and just print :). I want you to see how truly easy this stuff is to learn & actually create.  Don't worry - I'm giving you the base for this (the hard part) to download and start from - then all you have to do is add the fun stuff.  ;)

I'm giving you directions on how to create these not only so you can learn how to create them, but also so you can color coordinate them with your gift wrap ;) This will be a lesson in colorization & dimensional effect. It may seem like a TON of steps below, but by the time we're finished with this project, you'll be a pro in colorization. Yes, really.

Here are a couple additional samples so you can see the versatility and difference a little colorization makes. For the first set, I used the Cozy Winter Digital Kit. I colorized some parts & pieces to funky, fresh non-traditional holiday colors, and black & white'd everything else, including the tag base background. For the second set, I used the Nativity Kit. I changed everything to sepia, and colored all the titles to chocolate brown. Easy peezy.

 
Here's what you'll need to create the sheet of tags way up above in my post, exactly as they appear up there:

Ingredients:

• StoryBook Creator Plus Software
• Winter Solstice Digital Kit
• Agency FB (or any tall, skinny font) Font
• Here's your tag base to download:

NOTE: if you decide to choose just one tag, and copy it over and over, that's cool too. Just select those components and copy them into each tag shape :)

ANOTHER NOTE: whenever "add shadow" is mentioned below, add a heavy shadow.

Tag #1: Add Ornament5 to project. Give this embellishment a color wash. To do this, click "Color" tab, then click "Color Wash". Drag the slider bar to the red (or whatever color you want this ornament to be) section. You'll notice the ornament is probably drab and washed out. Try bumping up the saturation and bumping down the intensity to get richer, bolder colors. Add shadow.

Add "holiday cheer" title. Give this title a color fill. To do this, click "Cut & Fill" tab, then click dropdown below "Color". Select a rich, deep forest green color. NOTE: before you click "okay" here, you will want to click "Remember this color" along the bottom of this window. We'll do this so we can use the same color again later. Add shadow.

Tag #2: Add two SilverGift embellishments to project.  Size them to fit on tag, making one smaller than the other. Color Wash one to green, one to red. (To be refreshed on color washing, refer to Tag #1 instructions). Add shadow to both.

Tag #3: Add TanRibbon embellishment to project. Color change to sepia. To do this, click "Color" tab, then click "Sepia". You will also need to darken ribbon by clicking "Brightness & Light" and dragging the bottom slider to the left. Drag to -95, then click "Accept".

Next, we'll be scaling the ribbon down and trimming it. To do this, click one of the corners of embellishment and drag it so ribbon downsizes. Line left edge of ribbon up with left edge of tag. You'll then just need to trim off excess ribbon from along right side using cutting tool. To do this, while still clicked on ribbon, click "Cut & Fill", then choose "Rectangle". Size the shaded rectangle shape and move over to cover all of ribbon you'd like to trim away, then click "erase shaded area". Add shadow.

Add WinterButton1 to project. Color wash button to red. Size & place along right edge of tag. Add shadow.

Add Believe title embellishment to project. Color fill title (to access the green color we previously saved, from within the color dropdown window click on "My Colors". Select the last color swatch in that batch). Size & place title along bottom of tag. Add shadow. 

Tag #4: Add DiamondSnowflake embellishment to project. Color change to sepia. Size & place along upper right corner of tag. Add shadow.

Add BlueGrayBrad to project. Color change to sepia, then darken embellishment. Size and move to center of snowflake embellishment. Add shadow.

Add HappyHolidays title embellishment. Using cutting tool, cut snowflake circle away. Color fill remaining title embellishment. For this embellishment, choose a deep, rich red color. Size & place along bottom of tag. Add shadow.

Tag #5: Add ScallopRibbon embellishment to project. Color change to sepia. Scale & trim this ribbon piece the same way we did for Tag #3. Add shadow.

Add WinterButton2. Color change to sepia. Size & place along upper right corner of tag.

Add "Festive" title embellishment. Color fill using green color used for previous titles. Scale and place over ribbon as shown. Add shadow.

Tag #6: Add SilverSnowflake embellishment to project. Color change to sepia. Scale & move to lower left corner of tag. Add shadow.

Add BlueGrayBrad to project. Color wash embellishment to deep red. Size & move to center of snowflake embellishment. Add shadow.

Add WinterMetalSwirl embellishment to project. Color wash embellishment to deep red. Size, rotate & move to lower right corner of tag. Move this layer beneath snowflake layer. Add shadow.

Tag #7: Add Ornament embellishment to project. Color change to sepia. Size & move to upper right corner of tag. Add shadow.

Add SparkleandShine title embellishment to project. Color fill using green color used for previous titles. Size & move to upper left corner of tag. Add shadow.

Tag #8: Add two SilverSnowflake embellishments to project.  Size them and position along lower left corner of tag, making one smaller than the other. Color Wash one to red, color change the other to sepia. Add shadow to both.

Add FrostyFun title embellishment to project. Color fill using green color used for previous titles. Size & move to lower right corner of tag. Add shadow.

TO: FROM: layers: To create these layers, you'll simlpy create one layer choosing your font style, size and color, and then copy it to remaining tags. For my tags, I used Agency FB at point size 24 in a deep brown color. I believe the Agency FB font is not free, so a good free alternative to this one would be Alien League from dafont.com.

That's it. You are done. You are also now a master colorizer. And take note of how cool and dimensional your project looks with all that heavy shadowing going on :)

And you rolled your eyes at me when I said I was going to make you do this yourself!  ;)

Oh yeah... and I almost forgot - when you're done with this, kick it out as a high resolution .jpg (click on "Home" tab, then click dropdown arrow beneath the "Save" icon. Next, click "Save pages as" and save this one as a 300 dpi to your desktop or somewhere else on your computer). Next, print it onto cardstock or photo paper on your photo printer. :)  The browntone background tags look GREAT on cement cardstock. The black & white ones look great on white.

Have fun!

Comments

[Donna]

You ROCKet On!

[Carolyn]

I love my friends who are overachievers! :-) GREAT job!

[Jeannine Campbell, CMC]

Holy Schamoley! THIS was worth waiting for!! Woohooo! Thanks Jenny! No sleep again it looks like. ;-o

[Donnelly]

Very cool! I just got the Storybook Creator plus from my daughter-in-law's mom for Christmas. This is going to be so great!

[Macy Goode]

LOVE THESE...way cooler than the ones I was working on lastnight..ha ha

[CAROL IDALSKI]

Thanks for all of your good ideas. I appreciate your time and learning how to do these is fun. I look each day for a new project and freebie. Thanks again!

Carol Idalski

[Janice Gilhooley]

These are absolutely divine!!! You ROCK big time!

[Janell Schmidt]

Awesome idea. This will be fun for me and for my daugther:)

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1316852244]

wow girl, these are awesome! you must have been reading my mind. I ran out of tags and thought hmm maybe i should make some with SBC3, now i can just use your template. woo hoo :D thanx again!

[kathleen]

I love these! Jenny, you are tempting me to go over to the Digi Side....LOL

[Jenny Dammann]

Thanks peeps :)
I LOVE doing this stuff.

Kathleen - JUMP. you'll love it!

[Maureen Feist]

The sepia tone ones are THE BEST...love the vintage look.

[Jennifer Fehr]

JENNY!!!!! I am in love with ALL of these!!!! Such beautiful work!!! Thankyou!!!!

[Mary Browder]

You are the most awesome digital DIVA!!! Thank you for sharing your talent!

[Robin Lucas]

Whipped through these tonight and vwaa laa - I will never buy pre-made tags again.