Merry Christmas!

I couldn't figure out what to put on my blog today but the challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog came to the rescue.  It was a real hard one, too.  Create a Tim Holtz tag.  Well, since the 12 Tags of Christmas has just concluded I still had some ideas in my head.  No snow here, as you can see on my tag.  Kinda looks like my shagbark hickory tree outside my stamping room.  We do have blue skies today, as well.

The tree was stamped in Jet Black Archival ink, watercolored with Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.  The snowflakes were stamped in Snow Cap Paint Dabber, Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Weathered Wood Distress Inks were rubbed over all but the tree.  I gently dabbed off the snowflakes with a damp towel.  (Sorry, they get kind of lost under the crackle paint!)  The edges were coated with Walnut Stain and Black Soot Distress Inks.  I stamped 'Merry Christmas' in Jet Black Archival Ink then again, slightly offset to create a shadow, with the Gold Paint Dabber.  Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint was smeared over the entire tag.  When dry I smushed Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Inks into the cracks.  Using a Hero Arts alphabet I stamped '2011' onto the smallest of the Tattered Banners using Jet Black Archival Ink.  The banner was lightly colored with whatever blue ink was on my blending tool, the edges were colored with whatever brown ink was on the blending tool then a bit of Gold Paint Dabber was added on the very edges.  A few ribbons, lace and tulle create a bow with gold jingle bells added for holiday flair.

Hope your day is filled with plenty of merriment, much love, and lots of good food!

More card sharing

Here's another card I made this year using Studio 490 stamps and Ranger products.

It's hard to see the dimension in the flower and leaves but it's there.  You might see a bit of shine on the flower petal...Rock Candy Distress Stickles.  Love that stuff!

Card sharing

Here are 2 cards I made this month using Studio 490 stamps.  Hope you enjoy them! 

Female birthday

Male birthday

Simple yet just what I wanted.  All inks are by Ranger.  That's a grungepaper belt on the 2nd one.  I have some others I'll be sharing later.

24 tags on display

I know some of you have created frames or bound your 12 Tags of Christmas into books but here's how I'm displaying mine, at least for now.  Next year they'll join the previous 4 years of tags in my porch windows.

My display started out with a vintage wood shoe form, men's size 11D.  The center dowel is 1/2"x3'; the branches are 1/4"x24", 1/4"x20", 1/4"x16", 1/4"x 12", and 1/4"x8".  There are dowel caps on each end to keep the tags from sliding off.  The topper is Sizzix Snowflake #4 which is a die and embossing folder in one package.  It was cut from a light blue core'dinations paper and sanded with a bit of white paint dabbed here and there.

My interpretation of Tim's tags are on the left, my interpretation using mainly Studio 490 stamps and accessories are on the right.  It will be fun recreating these during the year, trying out the techniques with different color combos, stamps, etc.  If you didn't have a chance to play along or aren't a huge fan of Tim's (I know, not every one is), this may spark you to make your own using your favorite designer, holiday, or color scheme.

Tim's tags for Days 10, 11, and 12 but Wendified

Day 10 and we're using facets and foil tape to create faux mercury glass charms or ornaments.  This was really cool and I'm sorry my buttons don't show up as well as I had hoped.

Studio 490:  Art By Hand, He Ruled It Art, Fashion Style And Art; Art Parts - Tools For Art


Ranger:  Jet Black Archival Ink; Forest Moss, Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks; clear embossing powder; Perfect Pearls Mist - Heirloom Gold; Silver Paint Dabber; Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany Distress Stains; Glossy Accents

Tim:  Crowded Attic paper stash

Misc.:  Coffee Break Designs acrylic buttons, HVAC tape, muslin, broken zipper, snaps

Day 11 - one of my husband's favorites!  Tim showed us how to use shrink plastic then dip it into UTEE in the Melting Pot for a neat look of thick, aged glass.  Since I had cut out the Carved Ornaments I decided to not let the second go to waste.  As I mentioned on my Tim version, I don't have a melting pot but just kept pouncing embossing ink and UTEE over the ornament until I was happy with the results. 

In step 12 Tim spritzed water on his colored tag; I misted a solid stamp and pressed it to the glossy tag.  Cool, huh?  This particular stamp looks a bit like clouds floating in the sky.

Studio 490:  It's More Flower Art, Card Art Essentials, Art For Men

Ranger:  Glossy cardstock; Shrink plastic; UTEE; Gold Paint Dabber; Iced Spruce, Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans, Broken China, Stormy Sky, Festive Berries, Gathered Twigs Distress Inks; Peeled Paint, Meadow Alcohol Inks; Biscotti Perfect Pearls Mist; Glossy Accents

Tim:  Tag & Bookplate, Carved Ornament dies

Misc.:  red stones, ribbon

Day 12, last but not least...the lady with attitude!  I didn't have Tim's Tissue so I created my own from plain white tissue paper.  I crumpled it up before applying it to the tag.

Studio 490:  Be Inspired-Make Art, Regal Art; Art Parts-Residences; White Clearly For Art

Ranger:  Picket Fence Distress Stain; Jet Black Archival Ink; Glue N' Seal; Rock Candy Distress Stickles; Cloudy Blue, Silver, Black, Snow Cap Paint Dabbers; Walnut Distress Ink

Tim: Vintage Lace, Carnevale, Festive Greenery dies; grungeboard crown & wings

Misc.:  tissue paper, HVAC tape, vellum, pearl earring, heart charm, tinsel

The tissue paper flower didn't do anything for me but thought I'd give it a whirl and add it anyway.  I didn't make one for my Tim version.  Now I know why...lol!

I hope you've enjoyed the 24 tags I've created following along with Tim and the 12 Tags of Christmas and the Wendy Vecchi version.  The lessons I learned will be fun to put to use in future art pieces.

Tim's tags for Days 1-3 but Wendified

Since all 24 tags are now complete and hanging on my new display tree, I'll get back to showing the rest of the Wendy style of Tim's tags.  First up is Day 1.  I really, really love this one and how vibrant it is.

Studio 490 supplies:  Art For Men, Dimensional Rose Art, Art Rules

Tim supplies:  Tag & Bookplate, mini flourishes dies; Kraft Core #12, #19; grungeboard; Retro Circles embossing folder

Ranger supplies: Jet Black Archival Ink; Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive Distress Stains; Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce Distress Inks; Antique Linen Distress Stickles

Misc.:  holographic cardstock, Martha Stewart branch punch, starfish & shell beads, seahorse charm, Christmas ornament hanger

Day 2 was all about creating your own resist on a kraft tag. 

Studio 490:  Art From The Heart, Label It Art, Just Word Art, Love To Make Art; Art Parts heart

Ranger:  Jet Black Archival Ink; kraft tag; Picket Fence Distress Stain; Festive Berries, Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo Distress Inks; Perfect Pearls Mist-Pearl; Sticky Backed Canvas; Gold Paint Dabber

Tim:  grungeboard, brackets die

Misc.:  scrabble tiles, 'u' charm, green brads, soulmate brad, Martha Stewart ribbon, holiday cording

Day 3 found us coloring stamped words with different colors.  This can be quite dramatic. 

Studio 490:  Card Art Essentials

Ranger:  Kraft tag; Peeled paint, Stormy Sky, Fired Brick Distress Ink re-inkers; Tea Dye Distress Ink; Perfect Pearls Mist - Gold

Tim:  Kraft core #12

Misc.: evergreen wreath, red bow, Martha Stewart ribbon






Tomorrow I'll share Days 10, 11 and 12 with you.  If you haven't tried using non-Tim things on your tags, you don't know what you're missing!

Day 12 - the end...sigh

until next year...at least I hope Tim does them again!  I've created tags for the 5 years he's done them and learned so much along the way.  It's also been fun creating them later in the year to suit other occasions or holidays.  After all, it's more about the techniques and finding new ways to use dies, stamps, etc. than it is to copy his tag.  Nothing wrong with that, especially when I'm trying to make certain I've mastered the particular technique.

No tissue here, in fact my local stores don't have any so I opted for snowflake tissue tape.  I'm actually happier with it because I could leave gaps and add another layer of color there.  I followed along with the steps but used my own ideas instead of the dwelling and frozen charlotte (those are just too weird for me to use but I can appreciate them from an antique point of view).

Tim supplies:  Season's Silhouettes background stamp; Holiday Lamppost, Carnevale, Festive Greenery, Vintage Lace dies; grungeboard & grungepaper;

Ranger supplies:  Jet Black, Saffron, Coffee Archival Inks; Glossy Accents; Picket Fence Distress Stain; Antique Linen, Forest Moss, Fired Brick Distress Stickles; Walnut Stain, Iced Spruce, Peeled Paint, Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany, Tumbled Glass Distress Inks; Black, Silver Paint Dabbers;

Misc. supplies:  HVAC tape; snowflake buttons, ribbons

Okay, so I think Jet Black Archival Ink and Glossy Accents are my 'must haves' when I'm stranded on a deserted island!  LOL, seriously, have you ever used them so much?  But they are so gosh darned invaluable!

Day 11 - shrink plastic and UTEE

Well, I no longer own a Melting Pot...had it for quite a while and never used it.  I know...bad me but you know, I am quite certain I still wouldn't use it.  I don't have the space and I have 2 inquisitive cats.  'nuff said.  But I was determined to create something quite similar and I think it worked out beautifully!  See what you think.

I cut out Tim's Carved Ornament from clear shrink plastic, shrunk it then pounced embossing ink on it unevenly, poured UTEE over it, melted and repeated the last 2 steps until I was satisfied.  Works for me!

Tim supplies:  Tag & Bookplate, Carved Ornaments dies; Season's Silhouettes, Retro Holiday stamp sets, 3 Trees stamp;

Ranger supplies:  glossy cardstock; Glossy Accents; Coffee, Jet Black Archival Inks; Forest Moss, Gathered Twigs, Stormy Sky, Broken China, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Iced Spruce Distress Inks; Red Pepper, Meadow, Lettuce Alcohol Inks; Gold Paint Dabber

Misc. supplies:  Martha Stewart ribbon, Tinsel Glitter; bell, wispy fringe; DecoArt Snow Writer

Alas...just one more tag left to share until next year. 
Once again, necessity is the mother of invention! 

Day 10

The technique Tim showed using facets, clear packing tape and adhesive-backed foil was really, really cool!  It really does look like mercury glass...awesome!  I went outside the theme and dropped back to Halloween.  It's not that I love the holiday particularly, but I am very, very fond of the color palette for fall.  See what I mean?

Tim supplies:  kraft tag (nope, Frayed Burlap d. stain on a manilla tag), Seasonal Stash paper, fragment charms (not facets), Haunted Mansion stamp set, Halloween tissue tape (not the Tattered Banner die), mini pumpkin, grungeboard, grungeboard letters; long fasteners

Ranger supplies:  Jet Black Archival Ink; Wild Honey, Walnut Stain, Black Soot Distress Inks; Frayed Burlap Distress Stain; Glossy Accents; Perfect Pearls Mist - Heirloom Gold; Spiced Marmalade Distress Crackle Paint; oranges & yellows paint dabbers

Misc. supplies:  Martha Stewart leaf punch; HVAC tape; twine; fibers

Did you see the witch fragment is positioned over the word 'witch' in the witch hazel stamp?  Just happened, not planned!

So, if it's Day 10 why can't it be about Halloween which falls in the tenth month of the year??!?!?!?

P.S.  I'll catch up on my Wendy Vecchi version of the tags in a later post.

Day 9

Much more my style...thank you, Tim!  As soon as I saw it I knew which Wendy background I wanted to use so I made it first.  But I'll keep with my posting and do Tim's version first.  I really liked Mr. Stampers Anonymous version this morning - better than Tim's.  On a side note, I took a class from him quite a few years ago when there was a show in Edison, NJ.  Had a fab time and got lots of extras in the class.  He was a super teacher...so funny and down to earth...and sometimes off the wall.  Back to the tag...

Stampers Anonymous:  Calendar 2, Letter To Santa, Birds & Baubles

Tim:  grungeboard, idea-ology token, jump ring, Kraft Core 14

Sizzix:  mini snowflake dies, typeset alpha die

Ranger:  Jet Black Archival Ink; Glossy Accents; Tumbled Glass, Iced Spruce, Festive Berries, Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs, Pine Needles Distress Inks; Superfine Black Detail Embossing Powder

Misc.:  DecoArt Snow Writer, Martha Stewart ribbon





Now with Wendy's tag I had lots of fun...gotta, gotta, GOTTA use her rose with this one.  This rose is the medium sized one.  So glad she has 3 sizes!  I didn't use Art Parts for the big leafy piece because it would have weighed too much...in heft and look.  'Believe' has 3 layers of UTEE on it.

Studio 490:  Rose Art Part 2, I Am My Art, Just Word Art, Dreams Of Art

Ranger:  Festive Berries, Evergreen Bough, Gathered Twigs, embossing Distress Inks; Glossy Accents; Rock Candy Distress Stickles; Gold Paint Dabber, UTEE, clear embossing powder; Perfect Pearls Pearl Mist; Jet Black Archival Ink

Misc.:  black metal nailheads, ribbon, Martha Stewart ribbon

Only 3 more days...what will I do with my extra time?!?!?!?!?  lol

Day 8

I'm not a fan of steampunk and just don't get it so when I saw Tim's tag I nearly threw in the towel.  But I perservered and came up with this.  It works for me and that's really all that matters.

Stamps:  Pen & Pencil (Tim), Book Art Basics (Studio 490)

Ranger:  Glossy Accents; Jet Black Archival Ink; Picket Fence Distress Stain; Peeled Paint Distress Stickles; Iced Spruce, Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries, Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap Distress Inks; Gold, Silver, Copper Paint Dabbers

Dies:  mini snowflakes, mini gears, mini holly, arrow, Steampunk (on the edge)

Misc.:  diet coke can, brads, fibers, garland, grungeboard

Creating a tag in Wendy's style wasn't any easier and she even has a set of stamps labeled 'Steampunk Art'.  Sheesh.  Oh well, I hemmed and hawed and slept fitfully on what to do.  This morning I just sat down and said 'do it and get it over with'.  Guess it's not as bad as I thought - will work.

Studio 490:  Dimensional Rose Art, Rose Art Part 2, Steampunk Art, Rubber Stamp Art, Book Art Basics, Card Art Essentials; Clearly For Art

Ranger:  Iced Spruce, Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries, Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap Distress Inks; Peeled Paint Distress Stickles; Glossy Accents; Jet Black Archival Ink; Sunshine Yellow, Snow Cap, Gold, Silver, Copper Paint Dabbers

Tim Holtz:  Kraft Core; Grungeboard; gear; mini tree die

Misc.:  DecoArt Snow Writer, Martha Stewart Tinsel Glitter

Day 7...on the back half of the 12 tags

I really enjoyed making my Day 7 tags in the Tim and Wendy styles.  I used pretty much the same colors and general items on each but I think you can tell which one is which.  First up is the Tim version.

Tim:  memo pin; kraft glassine paper; Tattered Florals, Tattered Leaves, mini branch dies; stamps from Playful Journey, Letter to Santa, Adverts, Mini Holidays 3

Ranger:  Rock Candy, Cinnamon Distress Stickles; Sunshine Yellow, Cool Peri, Purple Twilight, Eggplant, Lettuce, Meadow, Oregano, Copper Mixative alcohol inks; Milled Lavender, Pumice Stone distress stains; Forest Moss, Iced Spruce, Pumice Stone, Tea Dye, Gathered Twigs distress inks; Distress Ink embossing ink; Superfine Black embossing powder; Copper Paint Dabber

Misc.: lace medallion, button

Since I had extra stain on my craft sheet I made several tag backgrounds...didn't want to waste anything.

Studio 490 stamp sets: Art Of Making It Merry, Dimensional Rose Art, Art Inspiration

Ranger:  Milled Lavender, Pumice Stone distress stains; Cool Peri, Purple Twilight, Eggplant, Clover, Lettuce, Meadow, Gold Mixative alcohol inks; Jet Black Archival Ink; Distress Ink embossing ink; Superfine Black embossing powder; Gathered Twigs, Pumice Stone, Walnut Stain distress inks

Sizzix:  mini branch die (TH)

Tim:  kraft glassine paper; Elegant Flourish, mini branch, mini 25 dies; grungeboard

Misc.:  acetate, threads unraveled from floral wire (bow)

I've been trying to think ahead to see if I can figure out what Tim might be using or featuring on the next tag but so far I've not been very successful.  That's why Tim is the inspiration and not me! 

Time for another Tim & Wendy tag

and I scored another two-fer since my Tim tag also fits the challenge of 'time' on the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog.  I will admit I wasn't too keen on this tag.  Having dried up paint dabbers didn't help.  I've revived them with water several times and they still just get yukky.  Sigh.  I used HVAC tape but was able to make the seam virtually invisible.  Score 1 for me..lol!

Tim stuff:  The Journey stamp set (sentiment); mini ticket die; timepiece; spinner; long fastener; Pocket watches embossing folder; copper ball chain (needed something more masculine for this tag)

Ranger stuff:  Eggplant, Denim, Pitch Black, Red Pepper, Lettuce, Butterscotch, Sandal paint dabbers; Jet Black archival ink; Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap distress inks; Glossy Accents

Misc. stuff:  clear embossing powder, HVAC tape









Then I tried my hand with Wendy's art in mind.  Okay, so she doesn't have embossing folders but I used a ProvoCraft one and embellished it with a grungeboard Christmas tree and her stamp.  Not liking this at all.  Not my style nor Wendy's.  I tried using Ranger acrylic paints.  They don't work as well but I had to try them to see what results I would get.

Studio 490:  Art Of Making It Merry stamp set (text and tree)

Ranger:  Denim, Lettuce, Eggplant, Butterscotch, Stream, Wild Plum, Cranberry acrylic paints; Pitch Black paint dabber; Walnut Stain, Iced Spruce, Evergreen Bough distress inks; Forest Moss, Pine Needles distress Stickles; Glossy Accents

Misc.:  grungeboard; Baubles & Bows embossing folder (Provo Craft)

So I decided to give the technique another whirl by creating my own Studio 490 embossing folder.  It didn't work out quite as well as I had hoped but it was suitable so I continued the process.  I cut out several grungeboard roses (Dimensional Rose Art stamp set) and found some grungeboard letters to spell 'rose'.  I placed them under my glossy card stock/metal sheet and embossed them.  Well, I forgot to change plates so you can see all my cutting lines on the embossed portions.  But I think that really adds to the dimension.  Unfortunately you can see the seam on this tag...oh well.  With Tim's tiny branch die I cut out 2 pieces from Kraft Core and inked them up with Lettuce acrylic paint.  On the tag I used Watermelon, Cranberry and Red Pepper paint dabbers; edged around the tag with the black one.  I created the rose with Kraft Core, sanded the edges then Barn Door Stickles on the petals' edges.  I know the 3 roses and word are a bit hard to see but having fun with the experiment was worth it.

I can't believe I've kept up on a daily basis with Tim's tags.  I'm worn out...how does he do it????

Day 5

We're up to Day 5 if you're following Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas.  I went out on a limb and chose a non-Christmas theme.  I did learn that the more alcohol ink on the felt and the less pouncing you do on the acrylic tag will = less marbling so your solid image is much easier to see when wiped off.

Tim stuff used:  Tag & Bookplate die, mini branch & acorn dies; Seasonal Reflections stamp, Calendar 2 stamp; Kraft Core 20, 21, 24; charm clip

Ranger stuff:  Peach Bellini, Sunset Orange, Terra Cotta alcohol inks; Jet Black archival ink; Tea Dye, Gathered Twigs distress inks; Glossy Accents

Misc. stuff used:  acrylic packaging, pumpkin button

My Wendy Vecchi version my alcohol inks were much more solid so the image really stands out.  Lesson learned!  Unfortunately the Glossy Accents shows up more around the edge of the tag since I used lighter colors.  Sigh.

Studio 490 stuff:  Art-Fully Said (flower), Make Mine Mini Art (butterfly, text) All About Art (polka dot background) stamp sets

Tim stuff:  Tag & Bookplate die

Ranger stuff:  Jet Black, Library Green archival inks; Meadow, Clover, Bottle alcohol inks; Glossy Accents; Black Enamel Accents (body of butterfly); Antique Linen and whatever yellow and orange distress inks were already on my blending foams

Misc. stuff:  acrylic packaging, Martha Stewart silk ribbons, grosgrain ribbon

Day 4...times 2!

I know many of you are following along with Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas.  On the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group we're doing them...but in Wendy's style.  I'll post Wendy's first 3 tags at a later date but for now will concentrate on Day 4 ala Tim and Wendy. 

Up first is my version of Tim's tag.  I made changes...I want this to be my tag, not a copy of his.  I can do those at a later time if I want. 

Tim's stuff:  Gingerbread, Mini Pinking edge, 25 dies; grungeboard; recipe from Seasonal Stash paper; Mini Holidays 3 stamps (branch of holly, Christmas music' token

Ranger:  Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint; Picket Fence, Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain Distress Stains; Festive Berries Distress Ink; Glossy Accents; Snow Cap Paint Dabber

Misc.:  tulle, buttons, beads, gold chenille stem, acrylic package scrap

I hated to waste the stains on my craft sheet so I made up several more tags for instant backgrounds for future use.  I kept going with pretty much the same color palette for my Wendy version.  Step 30 Tim says to manipulate the snowflakes on the edge die with your fingertips to create dimension.  I took my HeatIt tool and applied the barest amount of heat and the points on my gate posts curled ever so slightly.  Fun..but you have to be careful!

Studio 490:  Art From The Heart stamps

Tim's stuff:  mini keyhole, Iron Gate dies; key

Ranger:  Fired Brick Distress Stain; Snow Cap, Black Paint Dabber; Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint; Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany Distress Inks; Barn Door Distress Stickles; Glossy Accents

Misc.:  beads, ribbons, music text, tule

So if you're up for the challenge, try using Tim's supply list but another designer's stamps, etc.  It's all about having fun, getting inky and being creative!

At the end of the 12 days I'll have 24 tags that I'll be displaying on a dowel tree I just made for this purpose.  I'll show it to you when the challenge is over...I think it's pretty darned cool!

Holiday lights

Day 3 and what an awesome technique Tim chose to feature on this tag.  Not only the technique but a way to create two at a time...yahoo!  I wasn't as successful with this part - maybe next time.  I did pretty much follow Tim's steps but used colors from the Adirondack line and added a focal point using his Holiday Lamp Post die.

Tim stuff:  Season's Silhouettes stamp and coordinating embossing folder; Festive Greenery, Holiday Lamp post dies; Kraft Core #10, 11, 24; grungeboard

Ranger stuff:  Adirondack Wild Plum, Denim, Red Pepper, Lettuce, Butterscotch re-inkers; Gathered Twigs, Antique Linen distress inks; Black Soot distress stain; Black Soot crackle paint; Gold paint dabber

Misc. stuff:  Martha Stewart bird punch, rhinestones, light yellow rayon seam binding, twine (curled as Tim described)

Simplify your style

Day 2 of Tim's tags...I got a later start than I wanted but had some other things that had to be cleared off my workspace first.  Sigh. 

I didn't have any kraft resist paper but made my own using Ranger's kraft tag, Jet Black archival ink and clear embossing ink and powder.  Looks like the real deal to me! 

Again, I switched off the Christmas stamps and dies and went with the sewing theme.  Hey, the things were still on my worksurface...why not use them again?  Seeing as how this tag is sewing related I went with Tim's Vintage Lace strip die and red kraft core for my border; mini buttons replace the brads.  Instead of a greenery wreath and charm I have added green chain and a fragment charm that has a small Santa image from Tim's Seasonal Stash paper.  Instead of a burlap piece with the ribbon I opted for muslin.  Yup, I like following the leader but with my own ideas thrown in.

Tim:  Habersashery stamps; Sewing Room, Vintage Lace dies; Trinket Pin; Token; Seasonal Paper Stash

Ranger:  Jet Black archival ink; clear embossing ink and powder; Festive Berries, Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce, Brushed Corduroy distress inks; white Sticky Back Canvas; Perfect Pearls Pearl mist; Red Pepper paint dabber (on token and trinket pin)

Kraft core #3

Misc.:  mini buttons, thread

Putting on the glitz

I think my version of Tim's tag for Day 1 is all about the glitz.  And it's not something I particularly care for, even patting on the glitter with a sheet of paper between the glitter and my hand.  Nope, still plenty spread around my work surface, the floor, me...you get the picture.  Didn't fare much better using Suze Weinberg's BeaDazzles.  Those little suckers roll all over the place - sheesh!

While I followed much of what Tim did I chose a sewing theme.  I also substituted the Ruler Ribbon for the banner.

Kraft core #10, 11, 12, 14, 24
Tag & bookplate, Sewing Room, Tattered Pine Cone dies, Festive Greenery;
Patterns & Sewing embossing folder
Grungeboard

BeaDazzles



Ranger:  Inkssentials Glue N' Seal; white embossing powder; Iced Spruce, Frayed Burlap, Gathered Twigs distress inks; Snow Cap paint dabber; Rock Candy distress Stickles; Cobalt archival ink; UTEE clear

Misc.:  EK Success/Martha Stewart white seam binding; Stampendous Ultra Fine Gunmetal and Gold glitters; metallic blue yarn

A Christmas star

is born...with the help of this week's challenges on the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog (stars) and Grungy Monday (winter/holiday themed project using previous Tim techniques/ideas).  I won't go into details about how I made this fussy 3-D star (about 10 1/2" in any direction) but suffice it to say it was fun and challenging.  Had I thought it out more thoroughly the sides would have mirrored each other so that you wouldn't be seeing the back of an item on either side.  Oh well.  Next time.  lol  After all this work it will be gracing the top of our tree.  Sorry grandma, your crocheted angel will have to go elsewhere.

 

side view

Tim's stamps:  Odds & Ends, Calendar 2

Tim's dies:  mini tree, jalopy, holly, reindeer, 25, Tattered Pinecone

Kraft core'dinations cardstock

Sizzix:  Flower Layers #2

Martha Stewart:  snowflake punch

Provo Craft:  Divine Swirl embossing folder

Ranger:  Fired Brick, Pine Needles distress Stickles; Jet Black archival ink; Walnut Stain, Gathered Twigs distress inks; l-o-t-s of Glossy Accents

Misc:  brown flocking, DecoArt Snow Writer, Diamond Dust, yellow seed beads, silver marker

Artist at work...do not disturb

If you create handmade gifts for the holidays, you know this is the mantra right about now.  December 1st is rapidly approaching...so Christmas is almost here!  I've been busy in my art room trying to fulfill obligations so that I can get in there and start on my gift-making.  One of the obligations is to use Wendy Vecchi's Art Parts over on the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group.  I also wanted to make a cover for some 6x6 chipboard pages I received in a swap so this was a perfect match.

My chipboard covers were covered in Worn Lipstick distress stain, aged with Vintage Photo distress ink and edged with the Gold paint dabber.  One of Wendy's background stamps was inked up with clear embossing ink and clear powder was used to set it.  It's hard to see but it's behind the torn piece of text.  Using Pool and Stream paint dabbers I inked up grungepaper, art parts and alpha charms.  All stamps are by Studio 490 and were inked with Jet Black archival ink.  Dangling from the spine is a bamboo tile that was colored with Perfect Pearls (no, I don't remember what colors...this was in a drawer), jump rings and beads.  The large rings are actually from a wine charms kit.

Hope you are able to make art without being disturbed...too much!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm truly blessed!  Not only do I have my health (okay, a few issues but who doesn't?), family and friends, but an amazing husband who's so supportive and generous.  And he's had some good ideas for cards, projects, and is a good critiquer (helps me decide if something is okay or not).  So, between us we came up with this project that covers the challenges on Simon Says Stamp & Show (tickets) and Grungy Monday (the techniques Tim used on his pumpkin for Ranger).  I even pulled in Tim's recent tutorial on gilded kraft glassine.  Once again I called on Diane Zechman's Tissue Box Cover that I found on Splitcoaststampers' site.  Yes, I've used it numerous times but it's easy and so much fun to make one to suit the occasion or decor.

There

There are tickets on the top (tissue tape) and 2 of the sides.  On the top is heat embossing while on the sides are alcohol inks on foil (also embossed in Tim's folder), embossing on 3 of the sides and colored with chalks, Glossy Accent and inks, and the gilded kraft glassine leaves are on the bottom picture.

It's probably easiest just to list all the products used; you can probably figure out how I made everything but you can always send me an email with questions.

TH/Sizzix:  Pocketwatches, Thankful Silhouettes embossing folders; branch tree, mini acorn, mini tattered leaves, mini pumpkin, mini ticket, mini ornamental dies

Add'l TH products:  memo pins, kraft core core'dinations paper, seasonal paper stash (Thanksgiving greetings), kraft glassine paper, tickets tissue tape, sanding block, tiny attacher

TH stamps:  Falling Leaves, Odds and Ends

Studio 490:  Celestial Art (background stamp)

Ranger:  Rust, Caramel, Oregano, Butterscotch alcohol inks; Gold, Copper Mixatives; Frayed Burlap, Fired Brick distress stains; Crackle Accents; Glossy Accents; Gold paint dabber; Jet Black archival ink; Walnut Stain, Rusty Hinge, Peeled Paint, Ripe Persimmon distress inks; Frayed Burlap, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, Walnut Stain distress stickles

Misc: Bazzill BonBon cardstock, Craf-T Products Decorating Chalk, Martha Stewart ribbon, foil tape

Whew!  I think you need something to pick you up if you've read this far.  How about dessert?  My first pecan pie!  Made the crust from scratch and added tiny pastry maple leaves around the edge. 

Hope it tastes as good as it looks!  Have a wonderful and blessed thanksgiving!

Women only

Now I ask you, what's more womanly than a Studio 490 stamp set from the creative Wendy Vecchi?  Once before I saw a piece of jewelry in a magazine that really caught my eye.  I recreated it using stamps, metallic papers, blingy buttons, etc.  Now I've found another one and it really caught my eye...it looks amazingly similar to Wendy's stamps.  So....

I've included the inspiration piece from the catalog...do you see the similarities?  How could I not use Wendy's stamps and  Clearly For Art to recreate this piece? 

The sheet music was colored with Peeled Paint and Forest Moss distress stains.  The leaves were stamped with Jet Black archival ink.  The bird was inked using Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany, Black Soot and Ripe Persimmon distress inks and stamped on text from an old bird identification book.  Once everything was dry I adhered the papers to Clearly For Art using Ranger's Glue N' Seal.  I ran a brayer across the layers to make sure the bond was good then cut out the leafy branch and bird.  I punched tiny holes, shaped with my fingers and the HeatIt tool, added jump rings, chain and voila! 

If my maternal grandma were still alive it would be going to her because cardinals were her favorite bird.  Instead, I'll wear it in her memory and add it to challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog. 

You just never know when or where you'll find inspiration...it's all around us, we just have to be open-minded to see it.

Do you believe?

I don't know about you but I often find myself referring to Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas for inspiration.  If not the technique, then his choice of colors or perhaps the items he used or the way he's placed them are good jumping off points when my mojo has taken a hike.  And fortunately Linda, who's hosting the Grungy Monday challenges, must feel the same way because she's done back-to-back themes from past tags.  This week we go back in time to one of the first tags Tim created, Day 6 from 2007.

#11 tag
Ranger:  Broken China distress ink refill; Pewter Perfect Pearls; Iced Spruce, Weathered Wood, Black Soot, Mustard Seed distress inks;

Tim Holtz:  snowman mask, Santa with reindeer mask; mini snowflakes, pine tree dies; kraft core core'dinations cardstock; pine trees, December calendar and 'believe' stamps; Christmas charm; grungeboard; pocketwatches embossing folder

Misc.:  SnowTex by DecoArt; 1 3/8" circle punch, Judikins mask paper, ribbon, wire hook


An 'aha' moment...Iced Spruce makes a great shadow color...just enough dark gray to be there but not stand out

Re-use, recycle, repurpose

Gee, that's been my mantra for a long time so I'm glad to see that this theme for the challenge on the Simon Says Stamp & show blog.  I've been saving used coffee filters the past few weeks just so I could make a garden full of flowers for some friends of mine.  Even though the coffee filters were really cool in their used state I wanted to add more color so out came the distress stains and inks.  You can cut multiple layers of flowers in the Spellbinders dies since the filters are so thin.  What a timesaver!

This is a 6x6 heavy duty chipboard  page that is covered in Claudine Hellmuth's sticky back canvas and plenty of her paints.  The flourishes (Coffee archival ink) are Studio 490, the butterfly and my initial are from Maya Road, Martha Stewart branch punch, and Sizzix swirly heart frame.  The purple Washi tape just doesn't like sticking to the canvas...perhaps it wasn't dry enough.  I did stamp some text on it in Jet Black archival ink and it's only barely seen which is fine. I've done some hit-or-miss with the Gold paint dabber and there's Rock Candy distress stickles on both layers of the butterfly.  The heart and initial were covered in Walnut Stain and Dusty Concord crackle paints; more Coffee archival was smeared into the cracks.

Time passages

Can you hear Al Stewart singing about 'time passages'?  I can...love the album and all the songs on it.  Okay, so I'm dating myself by saying I listen to the 33 rpm album...lol!  But I digress.  This tag is for the MakingArt! challenge on the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group.  The theme is time and can be interpreted in many ways.  I chose one of Wendy's sentiments that makes me think of Al's song.

Wendy's stars were clear embossed and lots of blue distress inks were used on the tag.  Gathered Twigs distress ink was used on all the edges of the tag and bird.  The small bird was stamped on grunge paper 3 times because I wanted both wings to be separate from the bird so it would appear to be in flight.  Wendy's alpha bar stamp and a hole punch give me the letters atop the stars.  Wendy's clock was stamped on shrink plastic in Cobalt archival ink; all other stamping was done in Jet Black archival ink.  Like the lacy bit at the bottom?  That's from Tim's Vintage Lace decorative strip die.  Love all 3 patterns on it and I know it will be appearing in more of my art work.

Studio 490 stamp sets:  Celestial Art, Rose Art Part 2, Alphabetically Art, Lower Case Art

A time for thanks

This week's Grungy Monday challenge used Tim's 2009, Day 7 Christmas tag as inspiration.  I'm not into Christmas, at least not yet, so I chose to do a Thanksgiving theme.  With today being Veteran's Day it's appropriate that not only do I give thanks who have served, or are serving, our country but that my art should reflect my thanks as well.  I know you can't see the white words in the background very well (I think I should have dried them more) but the word 'Thanks' is there.

I've used stamps from Tim's 'Thankful Silhouettes' and 'French Connection'.  I've also used his Tattered Leaves dies on shrink plastic and colored them with colors from the fall palette.  Ranger provided all the inks, paint dabbers  and embossing powder.

Veteran's Day is important to me personally.  I have no family members currently active in the military but my paternal grandfather served in both World War 1 and 2; my dad was in the Army Reserves for the end of the Korean War and retired as a colonel shortly before his death a few years ago and 5 of his 7 siblings (3 sisters and 2 brothers) served in the military.  Even my maternal grandmother served as a dietitian when she was a WAC - that's when she met my grandfather.  My grandpa was very patriotic.  So patriotic that he died on Veteran's Day.  And he missed being born on Veteran's Day by a few hours.  My husband served in the Air Force during the Viet Nam war.  I fly my flag proudly each and every day.  I pray for peace daily and hope that one day we will no longer have the need to be on foreign soil defending our rights or the rights of others, especially at such a great cost as the sacrifice of human life.

God bless the USA!

In loving memory

At first I thought this week's Grungy Monday challenge was a bit strange...to create a loving tribute to someone no longer in our lives.  But then I got to thinking about it being Halloween (the first day of the challenge), the Day of the Dead, etc. and figured it fit in pretty well.  My best friend for nearly 21 years was my cat, Pi.  When I got her as a 6-week old kitten my 10-year old mind would never have thought about how long she would live.  She went from coast to coast with me, even doing a stint in Canada for a few months.  If she could talk I'm sure she'd share more stories than I would care for you to hear.  lol  She loved opening presents...tearing and clawing at the paper like a young child.  She knew a treat of catnip was inside...she just couldn't get to it fast enough!  Here's my #8 tag remembering my special friend one Christmas morning many, many years ago.

I used Tim's tag from the 12 Days of Christmas, Day 2, 2008 as my inspiration.  The pine tree stamp I created from his die and a foam sheet.

Ranger:  glossy cardstock; Denim, Stream, Slate, Eggplant, Silver Metallic Mixative alcohol inks; Bottle, Meadow, Espresso Adirondack inks; clear embossing powder; Blue Violet archival ink; Butterscotch, Cranberry Adirondack acrylic paints; Chipped Sapphire, Gathered Twigs distress inks

Tim Holtz:  Tag & Bookplate die, Pine tree die, snowflakes from Mini Holidays

Maya Road: large bottle cap, chipboard letters

Our house, is a very, very fine house...

with 2 cats in the yard.  No, back up...they're not in the yard...we don't let them outside.  But I digress.  This week the challenge on the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog is all about houses.  Mine is totally created from scratch.  The only thing that was pre-made was the wreath.

This is a gingerbread house aka tissue box cover.  I found the tutorial over on Splitcoaststampers quite some time ago and have used it often.  Last year I made quite a few as gifts.

I found some really cool almost suede-like paper that I thought made for some great gingerbread.  I darkened the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink.  The rest of the details I think you can figure out so I'll just list the ingredients.  I've dimensionalized (I've coined a new word!) everything by at least 3 layers and/or 3 colors.

Here's a view from the top so you can see all the snowball shingles on top as well as the chimney.

Ranger:  Weathered Wood, Aged mahogany distress inks; Fired Brick, Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, Barn Door distress stains; Diamond Stickles; Fired Brick, Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, Barn Door distress stickles; Gold paint dabber; White Enamel Accents

Tim Holtz:  Scallops on the edge die; Woodgrain, Bricked embossing folders; Gingerbread; Kraft-Core Bazzill paper; grungeboard J (candy cane)

Misc:  1/2" circle punch, buttons, wreath, bakery twine, Deco Art glistening Snow Writer, Sizzix snow mound die, Martha Stewart goo punch, Lucky Squirrel Canvas White Shrink Plastic, toothpick

Happy Halloween!

Couldn't let Halloween arrive without making a card. This is the one I sent to a small group of family and elderly friends.  It uses all TH stamps, dies and embossing folders.  Of course, all inks are by Ranger. 

Hope you have a spooktacular Halloween!

When is a heart not a heart?

When it becomes a witch's hat, of course!  I took the large Studio 490 heart, black embossed in Superfine Detail embossing powder and turned it upside down, bent the top portion over, and voila...a witch's hat!

This tag meets the requirements for 3 challenges.  Grungy Monday 24 uses Tim's Perfect Distress technique, the 30th Making Art! challenge (EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group) needs 2 hearts, and over on the Inspiration Emporium blog you're to use orange, purple and black in your creation.  Ta da!

I used Tim's Wrinkle Free distress technique on the face (cut off the top of the crown, not the brim), and the Perfect Distress technique on the tree (behind the witch) and on 'Halloween'.  A really cool color combo is Dusty Concord distress ink and Blush Perfect Pearls.  Makes the neatest purple shimmer!

Ingredients:
*Studio 490 stamps:  Love To Make Art (large heart), It's Face Art (face), Art Is Therapeutic (crow from label), Believe In Art (sentiment), In Love With Art (small heart)
*Tim Holtz:  Trick-or-Treat (Halloween, spiderweb)
*Sizzix-Tim Holtz:  branch tree (made into a foam stamp)
*Ranger:  Kiwi, Blush Perfect Pearls; Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, Milled Lavender, Ripe Persimmon, Rusty Hinge, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint, Black Soot, Gathered Twigs, Weathered Wood, Tea Dye distress inks; Shabby Shutters distress Stickles; Black Enamel Accents
*Misc.:  #8 tag, ribbons, gems, googly eye

A bewitching queen to be sure!  lol

Use 1 color

Now this could be quite difficult depending on the color you choose but with fall being my favorite season, orange being one of my favorite colors and Wendy's stamps another all-time favorite, how could I go wrong with this challenge hosted by Simon Says Stamp & Show blog?

 

The base of my project is a chunky ATC (2x4 scrap of wood).   Here's a summary of the products used:   grungepaper (bird, stamped twice, wing elevated), Art Parts (bottle - Borders & Bottles), shrink plastic (paint brush), Tim's kraft core cardstock (#7, #8) (pumpkin, leaves, branches), Clearly For Art (lightbulb), glassine paper (rose -Wendy's tutorial for gift card envelope), grungeboard (heart) and abaca ribbon, bakery twine, toothpicks.  The 3-D pumpkin is a flower stamp of Wendy's that I stamped 9 times and cut into layers, assembling it into 3 sections.  I ran the 9 pieces through the Divine Swirl embossing folder; all the leaves were run through the Damask embossing folder.

Studio 490 stamps:  Dimensional Rose Art (rose), Lower Case Art (flower aka pumpkin), Be Happy...Make Art (numerical chart background), I Am My Art (phrase), Steampunk Art (lightbulb), Label It Art (label on bottle-only used top portion)

Tim Holtz/Sizzix:  Autumn Gatherings die, Damask embossing folder

ProvoCraft:  Divine Swirl embossing folder, postage stamp die (label on bottle)

Ranger:  Venetian Orange, Monarch Orange archival inks; Sunset Orange Adirondack Bright; Spiced Marmalade Distress Crackle Paint; Rusty Hinge Distress Stain; Orange Peel Stickles; Ripe Persimmon, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge distress inks; Peach Bellini, Sunset Orange, Terra Cotta acrylic paint dabbers, and l-o-t-s of Glossy Accents

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Orange

Orange who?

Orange you glad I didn't say 'knock knock' again?

I know....very old, very bad...but couldn't get it out of my head.