Vintage Christmas Tag

So, I've been kind of worrying about this next tag.  I signed up for a tag swap in four different categories.  This one is vintage.  Vintage is really IN right now.  I know how to distress the edges of paper, but I haven't ever really "done vintage."  I looked through my Christmas stamps several times and I guess that I haven't bought much of what I would call vintage, so then it came down to this: go shopping?  borrow stamps? or make something work?  My first inclination was to borrow because I knew of the perfect set of stamps* that I was sure that I could make work, but I really hate to bother people, so chickened out.  I could buy something, but I have been really trying to keep this blog Close to my Heart!!  Plus, I rarely buy anyone else's stamps anymore.  So, make what I have work!!  I knew it was going to come down to this!!  Why do I fight it?

In yesterday's post, I talked about how it takes a few tries to get things right.  Here is another example:

My idea was that when you lift up the plain cover tag, you would see the decoration, but then where do write the "To:" and the "From:"?  If you write that on the cover, there is really no need to look inside:

So, I tried switching that around.  The background music stamp has to be stamped twice to fill the tag, but because you can see through the block it is pretty easy to line it up right.  On the upper right you can see a tag that has already been distressed.

For this swap, there is a requirement of, at least two embellishments.  I knew sparkles were out of the question.  I asked Will and he said buttons, ribbon and metal.  Smart guy!!

That was Lisa looking through old buttons - real vintage!!

I tinted the ribbon with matching ink.  I'm very happy with the color.  I sewed the button on with embroidery floss that Lisa dug out of her room.

Yes, I sewed around the edge.  Lisa had a matching green embroidery floss that I had to put to use.

I finished off the back of the tags with a second generation print of the music notes. While I was sewing, I was shocked that my allergies weren't giving me any problems. I am allergic to old books and papers.  This tag looked so old, that I forgot that it was new paper.  Yep, I fooled myself!!

*This is the stamp set that I would have borrowed.  Christmas Delights D1518.  Vintage, right?