Laurel Burch cat

Stampendous: Laurel Burch stamp, stencil and die 

Jody Poesy sentiment 

Ranger:  Jet Black archival ink; distress oxides, distress marker

Sizzix: heart punch

Cat in a basket

Art Impressions:  4052 Flower Set, 4871 Rustic Container Set, 4867 Watercolor Foliage Set 2, 4873 Watercolor Cats

Stampendous: Thinking of You

Jet Black archival ink; Marvy markers

Pink, purple, watercolor cardstock

Scallop border punch

Thinking of you

watercolor, blue, white, purple cardstocks

Art Impressions images (Garden Wagon Mini - 4875, Flower Set 2 - 4868, Foliage Set 1 - 4051) (colored with Tombow markers and a waterbrush)

Sizzix: Lattice on the edge die

Stampers Anonymous: Leaf Prints CMS273

Stampendous: sentiment

Finnabair: text stamp (over the lattice die)

Ranger:  archival inks (Sky Blue, Leaf Green, Black Soot)

Haunted house

front view

 side 1

  side 2

Oh my gosh...what a lot of work...but LOVE the results!!!!!!!!!!!  This is my version of Tim Holtz's Haunted Mansion.  (If you want/need to see larger photos jlmk and I can email them to you.)

I watched Tim's latest video (on today's blog) after I had completed my house and was waiting for everything to set up.  My roof was shingled before I added the tower.  I didn't start out with 110# cardstock but with the black posterboard so I could create texture directly onto the pieces.

The tower was painted in the distress paint colors listed below once I had stamped 'All Cracked Up' in clear embossing ink and heat set with clear powder.  Looks like old stonework, doesn't it?

No mica could I find in my stash so I created 'glass' out of old Sizzix packaging and alcohol inks.  The lower part of the smoke stacks were covered in the stucco, wrapped in gauze then letting it all air dry before I added some Forest Moss, Hickory Smoke and Black Soot distress inks to bring out the texture.

Before assembling the chimneys I traced around the bricks using the white Sharpie then colored them in.  I wanted a base layer so I could add the pigment inks over them.  I was afraid on the black posterboard they wouldn't stand out.  Before the ink could dry I sprinkled clear embossing powder over them; heat set then assembled.

Both roofs were a light green paper that I covered with the distress paints - Forest Moss (let dry), Hickory Smoke (a bit less, let dry) and Milled Lavender (even less, let dry).  IRL this is a really sharp look and rather eery...like moss-covered stone work.  Over the lower roof I stamped the reflections (text in Hickory Smoke and numbers in Black Soot distress inks).  Adds interest without really being able to determine what is on the shingles.  The mansard roof was run through the Notebook texture fade then covered with the same paints.  Again, the colors IRL are just really neat looking...IMHO.

The windows and rings around the upper windows were painted with Hickory Smoke distress paint (just dabbed it on unevenly with my fingers) and stamped the Marble Cube using Black Soot distress ink over it.  Up close it really looks like marble...as least as real as it gets using paper and paint! 

The doors were covered with distress woodgrain cardstock (distress stains and distress crayons to color them).  The door handles are long fasteners and jump rings...so glad the scale was just perfect!

The ghosts I edged with Pumice Stone and Black Soot distress inks then covered with the crazing medium.  Once dry I smooshed Hickory Smoke distress ink all over them.  A flickering tea light was put under the house and voila!  I'm ready for some trick-or-treaters!

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Here are the items I used to create my spook-tacular haunted house...

Stampers Anonymous: Studio 490/All Cracked Up WVBG030: Tim Holtz/Reflections CMS111

Idea-ology: long fasteners, jump rings (door handle/knocker)

Ranger:  distress inks (Pumice Stone, Black Soot, Hickory Smoke); distress paint (Hickory Smoke, Forest Moss, Milled Lavender); distress crayons (Black Soot, Hickory Smoke, Walnut Stain); distress stains (Antique Linen, Walnut Stain); distress embossing ink and clear embossing powder; Texture Paste (Transparent Matte); archival inks (Black Soot, Hickory Smoke); Micro Glaze; Adirondack pigment inks (Sunset Orange, Mushroom, Terra Cotta, Red Pepper); distress woodgrain card stock; distress collage medium (crazing); alcohol inks (Mushroom, Caramel, Blending Solution)

Sizzix: Village Dwelling 660992, Village Manor 661591, Notebook texture fade, Wood Planks texture fade, mini stencil 038 Bricked, ghost trio die cut (courtesy of The Funkie Junkie)

Miscellaneous:  Stampendous Marble Cube stamp TC01, Liquitex Ceramic Stucco, gauze, plastic packaging, black posterboard, white Sharpie pen, skull beads (courtesy of The Funkie Junkie), pumpkins (purchased from The Funkie Junkie)

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I sure hope that covers everything!  Both my workspaces are an absolute chaotic mess right now!  lol

Flutter by butterfly

I found a card on Pinterest that is very much like this one except I changed the word and of course, used my own color choices.  I also added ultrafine glitter to both the butterfly and word dies.  Do you think I can find the pin that I saved now to share with you?  Nope.  Maybe the computer gremlins are at it again.

Last night in my sleep I was reliving the making of this card (no idea why!) but came up with a masculine version (in my head).  Now to see if it will come together as envisioned.  Stay tuned!

Sizzix thinlits (mixed media #2, friendship words: script, detailed butterflies)

Ranger:  glossy accents

Bazzill cardstock, Ultrafine Gunmetal Glitter (Stampendous)

January birthdays

white cardstock
core'dinations blue cardstock
Ranger:  snow cap pigment ink, embossing ink
Stampendous: winter wonderland embossing powder
Stampers Anonymous: Handwritten Thoughts
Sizzix:  Layering stencil (Snowflakes), Snowman, mini movers & shapers bow

White card base, blue layer dry embossed with the snowman folder then sanded.  White pigment ink used with the layering stencil.  Cover box with white pigment ink, dry.  Pressinto embossing ink and add sparkling embossing powder, heat set.  Drop of glue behind the bow and place at the snowman's neck in lieu of a scarp.  Stamp message in embossing ink, sprinkle with glittery embossing powder, heat set.

Here in the midwest you're like'y to have a birthday sparkled by snow.  So as you walk through it, leave a bit of it (and yourself) behind.

Altered puzzle - the last pieces

I can't believe another challenge has ended.  This one was for altered puzzle pieces.

13a

13b

13a
--Ranger:  distress paints (Dusty Concord, Milled Lavender, Shaded Lilac), archival inks (Jet Black, Potting Soil, Deep Purple), Glossy Accents
--misc.: cork paper, white cardstock scrap, Krylon 18kt Gold Leafing Pen
--Stamps: wine varieties background, cork (Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers), wine! (Ann-ticipations 9845E)

13b
--Ranger:  distress paints (Fossilized Amber, Abandoned Coral, Mermaid Lagoon), archival inks (Jet Black), watercolor paper, Glossy Accents
--stamps:  books (Anita's), text (Art Impressions P-2125)
--Martha Stewart: butterfly punch
--misc.:  white cardstock scrap, vellum, foam tape

My puzzle had 25 pieces so I used it as my title page.  On the last piece (lower right hand corner) I painted it with several coats of Antique Linen Distress Paint.  Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink was lightly applied around the edges then spritzed with water and dried.  Potting Soil Archival Ink was added around the edge and heat sealed.  I found an old Stampendous clear stamp (Journal Border SSC605) and stamped it in Cornflower Blue Archival Ink.  'Favorite', from an old Inque Boutique stamp set, was inked in Jet Black Archival Ink.  The rest of my title was handwritten using a Sakura Micron Black pen, #05.

It also came with its own frame so I altered it as well.  I applied a generous coat of gesso to seal in the bright, colorful colors then covered that with lots of brown distress paints (Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo, Tea Dye, and Gathered Twigs).  I used Tim Holtz' Woodgrain stamp and Potting Soil and Tree Branch Archival Inks to make the frame look like it was real wood.  IRL you'd think it was!  Success!

Finished puzzle

Before alterations

Earth Day 2014

Happy Earth Day...please demonstrate your support for environmental protection every day...not just today!

Ingredients:  green card stock, Bazzill card stock, Hero Arts alphabet stamps and calendar year, Ranger distress inks (Bundled Sage/Tumbled Glass/Gathered Twigs), Tsukineko Desert Sand Memento Ink/Versamark Ink, gold Sharpie, Stampendous paper cube stamp

Remember hood ornaments?

Does this picture take you back to when cars had hood ornaments?

I started out with a #11 tag and inked it up with Picket Fence Distress Stain, but not all over.  On top of that is Vintage Photo and Weathered Wood Distress inks and water droplets.  Around the edge is Aged Mahogany Distress ink.  The right side of the tag was run through Provo Craft's embossing folder, Heart Blocks.  On the left I stamped the love definition (Purely Random in Vermillion Archival ink.  At the bottom is a strip from Tim's license plate card stock that was aged with Vintage Photo DI.

The jalopy was cut out of cardboard covered with sticky tape.  LOTS of Stampendous glitter was used to cover it.  Using Tim's Alphabetical die I chose the lower case 'l', 'v', and 'e'; the heart (Mini Love Struck die set) is shrink plastic.  A LOT of Glossy Accents covers it all up so the car looks like metallic paint and really sparkles!

Cupid was cut from black shrink plastic...voila...a hood ornament for the old jalopy!  I cut apart a sticker from the Seasonal Salvage Sticker package so I have the faces of a little boy and little girl in the windows (recycled packaging from the dies) and the heart is in Cupid's hand.

The Valentine ticket is from Odds and Ends, stamped in Jet Black Archival ink on red card stock.  The edges were distressed with my scissors, Vintage Photo DI was smeared over the ticket.  It's attached with the Mini Clip.

HVAC tape was adhered to card stock and run through the Typeset die.  The 'x' and the 'o' were smeared with Jet Black Archival ink so they'd look better with the Gunmetal glitter than the original silver color.

Metallic silver and red ribbon finish off the tag.

This tag qualifies for the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog theme (anything goes) as well as the Grungy Monday 36 theme (A Holtzian Valentine).

Please disregard all the imperfections in the Glossy Accents.  It's so thick that some cracks appeared as well as bubbles that would NOT go away.