Red roses for a blue lady

send them to the sweetest gal...Oh, I can hear this clearly in my head, can't you?  That's the song title I chose to illustrate in this week's Simon Says Stamp & Show blog challenge.  I had several ideas brewing but this one seemed to come together better/easier than the others.

First of all I crazed my bottle using instructions that Wendy posted on her blog back in November.  I still had problems with both layers flaking off but I'm guessing I didn't clean the bottle very well before I started.  (Maybe an alcohol bath would have been an ideal first step.)

Sid Tepper and Roy Bennet wrote this song back in 1948, hence the silver charm.  I used a marker for the date.  Old twine was wound around the neck of the bottle.

I applied Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky Back Canvas to grungeboard, cut it out using the Sewing Room die and inked it up with various blue and brown distress inks.  The florist label (TH Adverts) was inked using Jet Black Archival Ink on white cardstock; aged with brown distress ink; curled the corners.

Vermillion Archival Ink met up with the Studio 490 heart (Art from the Heart) and was stamped on chipboard; I distressed the edges with more brown distress ink.

The roses were cut from Fired Brick Distress core'dinations cardstock using Tim's Tattered Pinecone die.  Two of the 4 were cut in half so I could make smaller roses.  Fired Brick Distress Stickles was smeared on the roses.  The leafy/branch bits were cut from Retro Grunge scraps and edged with brown distress ink.  A layer of torn tulle is between the heart and the bottle.

Glossy Accents was used exclusively in holding this project together.  Long live Glossy Accents!!!

Warm wishes to you

I needed to make some RAKs and my good friend up north of the border had posted a really nice card I used for inspiration.  Her card can be found here.  I'll definitely be using this idea again as it's so versatile.  Since the calendar says it's winter I thought I'd go with that for my theme.

I found the polka-dotted cardstock in my stash and thought it lent a more wintery feel to the card.  The snowflakes were punched using a Martha Stewart hand punch then covered with clear Stickles.  The Spellbinders mitten was run through a Sizzix texture plate then highlighted with whatever blue distress inks were on my blending tool.  The cuff is Liquid Applique that I let set up then applied heat with the Ranger heat gun.  Both sentiments were stamped in Denim Adirondack ink; the square one was edged with my brown foam blending tool. 

The sun is currently shining and the temperature is in the low 40s here in east central Illinois.  My daffodils and tulips are up 2-3" already.  The calendar may say 'winter' but my yard and gardens are saying 'spring'!

Technique journal

I was looking at Roni's blog and saw that she was creating a technique journal and adding calendar pages to each month.  Not having anything else to create (uh huh) I decided to follow along.  Instead of using a house template I chose to use Tim Holtz' vintage valise.  The pages are embellished simply since the main focus should be the technique.  Sometimes my results weren't quite the same but it was fun nonetheless.  I bound my journal using the Cinch. 

Blogger, being Blogger, decides what order the photos will go.  How frustrating!

Supplies:  black and white gesso; Perfect Pearls mist; sand paper; Glossy Accents; glitter; wax paper; regular and glossy cardstock; pigment, distress, embossing and archival inks; embossing powder;; bleach; white gel pen; ; bubble wrap; crayons; Distress Stains; thick and thin glues; pigment powders (I used Pearl Ex and Perfect Pearls); Distress Stickles; crackle paint; paint dabbers; Glue N' Seal; Sizzix dies and embossing folders; stamps by Stampers Anonymous and Hero Arts; Maya Road chipboard letters; Spellbinders dies; Tim Holtz's holiday sticker; Martha Stewart punches; chipboard; Terminology Tissue paper; Crackle Accents; Tim's tiny fasteners

Eye heart nature

Boy, Linda sure picked a challenging technique for this week.  Back in August 2008 Tim shared how to create fragments with a resist look.  I've not been very successful recreating his look.  I've reinked my Jet Black Archival Ink Pad thinking that was part of the problem but it doesn't seem to matter.  What does matter is the density of the stamp image and the timing of not letting the ink dry and wiping off the ink completely.

My #8 tag was covered with page from an old dictionary that was glued with Glue N' Seal then treated to Old Paper and Tumbled Glass Distress Stains and edged with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.  Nature's Elements and City Central  (eye) were the stamp sets I used.  The heart stamp is by Hero Arts.

Ranger:  Meadow, Oregano, Watermelon, Cranberry, Sunshine Yellow, Butterscotch, Sunset Orange, Terra Cotta, Ginger, Espresso, Sailboat Blue, Denim Alcohol Inks; Jet Black Archival Ink; Glossy Accents

Sizzix:  Typeset die

Note to self:  be careful with the Glossy Accents around the edges of the fragments...it can give a bleed through look...not always pretty.

But it's true, I do love nature!

Anything but a card

I was working on the packaging for my sister's birthday present when I remembered the SimonSaysStampandShow challenge.  I'd already created the gift tag, courtesy of Lynne Forsythe's blog.  A combo of the two and I've met the challenge requirements.  Without further ado I present 'the present'.

close up of tag

Using mini rosettes left from a previous project I added alpha circles spelling out my sister's name.  She wrote poetry when she was younger and my mom still had many of them.  All I did was scrapbook them, going along with the theme of the poems.  It was quite fun and I knew she'd prefer it over a photo album like I'd given my other siblings. 

You might not be able to see all the layers on the tag but there's quite a bit going on.  Go check out Lynne's, it's really, really cool.  You'll definitely want to create one yourself.

Supplies: 
Crafters Workshop: Mini Capricious acrylic template
Sizzix:  Tattered Leaves, Tattered Florals, Mini Paper Rosettes dies
Ranger:  Bundled Sage, Forest Moss, Pine Needles Distress Stains; Butterscotch, Espresso Color Washes; Claudine Hellmuth gesso, Matte Multi-Medium; Jet Black Archival Ink
Tim Holtz:  Retro Grunge and Shabby Chic cardstock
Studio 490:  Dimensional Rose Art (leafy flourish)
Cornish Heritage Farms: sentiment on small tag (no longer in business but I think the images may be available elsewhere)
#8 manilla tag

Thanks, Lynne, for a super tutorial on your tag!  Now I have to go shopping and get some Glimmer Mist sprays that I don't have!  What an enabler you are!  lol

Kraft resist Wendy style

It's back!  Time to start the Making Art! challenges for 2012 over on the EWV Yahoo group.  Our illustrious list mom has chosen to try one of the techniques Tim Holtz used on his second tag in this year's 12 Tags of Christmas.  Tim has his own line of Kraft resist paper but it's easy enough to make your own.  Stamp your background image on kraft paper using Jet Black Archival Ink.  Next, stamp your resist image(s) using clear embossing ink and powder.  Heat to melt.  Once you cover your paper with other inks, the resist images will pop out.  Just be careful to not choose too dark an ink for coverage or your background image will disappear.

This is not #8 tag but the larger one.  It fits Wendy's spool/thread background wonderfully.

close up view of resist

Supplies:  Ranger - Silver Paint Dabber; Picket Fence, Fired Brick, Distress Stains; Distress Embossing Ink; Jet Black Archival Ink; Clear Embossing Powder; Tea Dye Distress Ink; Inkssentials White Opaque Pe; Studio 490 ''Art By Hand" stamp set; Tim Holtz Glassine Paper; buttons, twine, silk ribbon, chipboard

Can't wait for you to try this technique for yourself!

SSSS-GM challenges or how I met my husband

Hmmm...two challenges in one again.  It's nice to be able to put all my efforts into one project that turns out well.  Over on SimonSaysStamp&Show the theme is 'a red letter day' while over on Grungy Mondays it's all about using your favorite technique from Tim's 12 tags of christmas 2011.

One of my favorite techniques was taught on Day 1, combining an embossing folder, embossing ink and embossing powder with kraft core'dinations cardstock.  Since I'd already done the snowflakes version I wanted to branch out and use a non-holiday embossing folder.  As soon as I saw Tim's Damask ef I knew what I wanted to do.  Using Tim's Vintage Cabinet Card and Mini Cabinet Card dies I created a frame to support a detailed description of the event (in the vellum envelope) and to mimic the pink roses.  Guess I'd better tell you the story so you'll understand.

Received a birthday cake in the shape of a box of long-stemmed roses, adorned with a dozen pink icing roses.  I took it to a local bar that night to share it with friends.  I ended up dropping it on the floor in front of a gentleman in a suit.  Next night rehashedg the event at the bar, a gentleman was seated at one end while I was in the middle.  He said I'd never get a man with the current hang-dog look on my face.  I told him I wasn't looking for one.  The bartender, a friend and the two of us mentioned going out to eat seafood Friday night.  Fast forward...the bartender and friend didn't show up, Walt and I started dating.  My friends wanted to see who I was dating.  I pointed him out and one lady said I could do better than that.  This year we'll be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.  Hmph, what did she know?  

Supplies:
Sizzix:  Damask Embossing Folder; Vintage Cabinet Card, Mini Vintage Cabinet Card dies: mini flourish from Festive Greenery die
Ranger:  Antique Linen Distress Ink; Spun Sugar Distress Stickles; Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose Distress Stains; White Embossing Powder; Distress Embossing Ink
Studio 490:  Rose Art (rose stamp)
Spellbinders:  Rose Creations, Foliage dies
Martha Stewart:  leaf punch, silk ribbon
Misc.:  Kraft Core'dinations #2, buckram, tulle, vellum envelope

Trifecta

I'm usually not very good at combining multiple challenges but I was lucky this week.  Over on the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group we were discussing inspirations words for the year.  I chose 'create' because I wanted to go beyond what I've been doing.  Following the InkStains blog, Roni is creating a house journal of monthly techniques complete with a calendar per page, even providing some links to small ones that are a great size to use on most projects.  I decided not to use her house template but instead Tim Holtz' Vintage Valise die...a die that I've had but never used.  Doesn't that constitute as something new?  If so, then it will work for the SimonSaysStamp&Show blog where 'something old, something new' is the theme.  The Terminology Tissue Wrap is also new but everything else I used and every technique is old (at least it's been used or I've done it before).  I was also able to use one of Shelly Hickox's tutorials to create a faux enamel (number) tag.  She was recently asked to design some pieces of art for Tim so you know she's got some great ideas!

I crumpled the Terminology Tissue Wrap before adhering it to the chipboard valise.  Several distress stains were wiped/smeared on it.  The corners were colored, distressed and have Crackle Accents on them.  The long strips and hinge pieces for them were stamped with background stamps from Studio 490.  The Maya Road chipboard letters were colored (roygbv), distressed and have Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint on them. 

Once all 12 calendar pages of techniques are complete I'll be binding this using my Cinch.  On the back of each page I've listed the supplies used as well as the directions.  This will be another handy, all-in-one journal that I can use when my mojo has taken a leave of absence.

Ranger:  Fired Brick, Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans, Dusty Concord, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain Distress Stains; Gathered Twigs, Fired Brick, Faded Jeans, Black Soot Distress Inks; Coffee, Jet Black Archival Inks; Rocky Candy Distress Crackle Paint; Gold Paint Dabber; Crackle Accents; Glue N' Seal

Maya Road Chipboard letters

Tim Holtz:  Vintage Valise die; Terminology Tissue Wrap; Tiny Fasteners

Studio 490 stamps:  Ticket To Art, Believe In Art

Grungy Monday and birthdays

If you're a follower of Grungy Mondays then you'll know that Tim Holtz' birthday is the 7th.  The lovely Linda thought the best challenge this week would be to create birthday cards for the man.  She'll even supply his address if you want to send him your greetings.  I have a lot on my plate this week and wasn't going to participate but this sentiment has been bugging me for quite some time.  I just had to alter it a bit and knew it was perfect for Tim.

I started out with Tim's clock mask and Blue Patina Perfect Pearls (made my own mist).  Using an EKSuccess punch I made another mask of Mickey and sponged in the centers with Black Soot Distress Ink.  From Calendars 1 I stamped 'January' in Jet Black Archival Ink and distressed with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  I crumpled it a bit before adhering to the background.  Umbrella Man die is 'da bomb'!  He was cut from black cardstock and elevated with grungepaper leftover bits.  The sentiment was stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink and cut out, edging the words with blue and brown distress inks.  'Never' was cut from the Typeset die in black cardstock then covered with Glossy Accents.  The background was layered onto a sheet of black cardstock that had distressed edges.  My message inside has to do with betting he never thought his days at Ben Franklin would lead to where he is today. 

Hope your birthday is filled with lots of wonderfulness, Tim!

Bling!

I recently took a beading class and really enjoyed it.  I've since signed up for some follow-up classes as well as a locally hosted Vintaj products class where we'll make jewelry with a different feel - more artsy fartsy I guess you'd call it.  Here's a necklace and earrings I made for a friend who works for Rutgers.  Not only is the jewelry in school colors but she also looks fab in them!

Happy New Year!

I wish all of you the very best for 2012!

This is a vintage postcard from my collection, not my own artwork.