I started with a deliciously tall and sturdy tag from Prima and covered it with vertical strips of Washi tape, mostly Recollections brand (which you can purchase at Michaels).
Next I added some white Gesso and teal acrylic paint.
When my background was dry, it was just a matter of adding some stamped images (the white stamped polka dots are heat embossed) and a scrap of paper or two. The central image is a "Be Free" birdcage from Unity Stamp Co. I also punched out some butterflies using a Martha Stewart punch and folded them for a bit of dimension. I inked heavily around the edges with Tim Holtz's Walnut Stain and Black Soot distress inks.
Last but not least, my favorite finishing touch: picking the right ribbon, yarn, and lace for the top. I buy fun-looking skeins of yarn as often as I can because it's a lot more economical than buying specialty "fiber packs" that only have a foot or two of each kind of ribbon.
Here is the finished product with yarns and ribbons attached!
Washi's such a great little product and I love the semi-translucent bit of oomph it adds to the background of any project.
