Special Numbers for a Vintage Journey

Hi everyone and thanks for popping in. A big warm welcome to all my new followers too, thank you for taking an interest!
I cannot believe it's time for another challenge already at A  Vintage Journey, but, - yes it is and our theme this time is Special Numbers!.
Here's my make:

Here is the challenge description:
So many of Tim Holtz products have numbers, Papers, Stamps, Rub ons, Stencils and Idea-ology to name a few
Incorporate your significant numbers it could be Birthdays, Age, Anniversary or the Lucky ones!
Use them on any project you wish and if possible explain the importance; we would like to see a vintage theme using Tim’s techniques and products where possible.

Well there you go, I made a tag and holder, my special numbers are 3, 4 and 7. There are many reasons for this: They represent the numbers of the houses I have lived in during my life. I have 3 children, we got married in 1974, and specially 3 and 7 have always been magical numbers for me....

Anyway, here is a quick step by step:

I started by making a 4.3/4" by 7" envelope out of Craft card and cut of one of the flaps, then inked around the edges. ( I used a WRMK board, but you can of course use whatever you like).

Next I created a cover piece out of Manila card stock. I coloured with 3 colours of Distress Spray stains and inks: Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concorde and Aged Mahogany, I then ran it through a numbers embossing folder. As the folder was not large enough I made two pieces and overlapped them. I highlighted the raised bits with gilding paste. At the top I cut out a notch to make it easier to get the tag in and out. (The size is just right for a size 10 tag).

Next came the elements to decorate the outside:

I had a birdcage in my stash that I altered with embossing powders to give it a metal look. I used a mix of Stampendous, Ranger Antiquities and Distress  powders.

 I covered an old bit of card with some metal tape, ran it through another folder, cut it with the Baroque Bigz die and then cut out the word Dream with another Sizzix by Tim Holtz die. I then coloured it with various colours of Distress paint and then sanded it back a bit to reveal the metal on the embossed bits.

Next I took one of Tim's large numbers and altered it with the help of some paints and powders. The number is made from black plastic, so you have to melt the powders very carefully, but it does work I found, - just take your time....

Here you can see how I put it all together:

Now for the tag: As the cover was quite bright, I wanted to keep the tag more muted:

I inked the tag with Antique Linen and then stamped the French text background from the Papillion set in Old paper. I then used two of Tim's stencils and stencilled in Gathered Twigs.

I cut and embossed the two butterflies from the new Butterfly Duo die and folder, I also embossed the tag itself positioning it carefully to get the butterflies where I wanted them. This gave me their antennae which the actual die does not have. I inked them with Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.

A stamp from the Stampers Anonymous Classics 14 set, stamped in Coffee archival, decorates one corner of the tag.

Another stamp (or rather just a part of a stamp) from the same set was given a metal look by stamping and embossing it with a mix of Stampendous powders and mounted onto a piece of tissue tape, in the other corner. I rather like how the word turned out and no doubt will use that technique again...

.Here finally you can see how the tag fits neatly inside its pocket. 

Well, that's it from me and of course we all hope you will play along with the next challenge, which by the way is the final one of our first year, can you believe it? Wow, time certainly does fly.

To see all the details of this challenge and the amazing projects my teamies have made, all you need to do is click HERE and of course we all hope you will play along!!