With deepest sympathy

A2 white cardstock base

core'dinations Adirondack collection (brown cardstock) run through We R Memory Keepers 'Woven' embossing folder

Sizzix Wildflowers Thinlits dies 661190; bow punch (colored with distress inks...whatever was on the foam applicator)

Hero Arts sentiment C2727 inked with Jet Black archival ink

I recently got this 6"x6" embossing folder and was anxious to test drive it.  Adding a bouquet of flowers seemed the perfect add-on.  I did find it thicker than other folders so I had to use a Premium Crease Pad instead of one of the acrylic plates in my Big Shot Plus.

Studio 490 4 Seasons Art Journal

I was thrilled to see that over on the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog they were featuring the wonderful art of Wendy Vecchi and her line of stamps, stencils, Art Parts and Clearly For Art marketed under the name of Studio 490.  As the by-line says on my emails...I'm a Wendy Vecchian and I live in the state of Creativity! 

Wendy's line is quite versatile, especially when you think beyond the scope of what you might see at first.  Open your mind, let it wander and see what creative spark is just waiting to pop.

For the challenge and a chance to win a $50 gift voucher to Simon Says Stamp I've created a 4 Seasons Art Journal.  When you see all the products I used to create this 4"x4" journal, you'll see why I don't include many details.  But I'm sure you'll be able to figure them out for yourselves.  If not, send me an email and I'll do my best to answer your question.

back and front covers - Sticky-Back Canvas (natural)

inside cover - spring divider - spring page

spring page - summer divider - summer page

summer page - fall divider - fall page

fall page - winter divider - winter page

winter page - inside cover

I thought it would be neat to use Tim's On The Edge Sizzix dies to create the dividers.  Don't the gears make you think of suns?  All are cut from paint strip samples and offset with a black card stock die cut.

Distress inks, stains and markers created all the backgrounds.  I even used the stains to create my own version of plaid and stained glass.  Sometimes I colored with the markers, other times I colored the stamps first.  It was such fun to just sit and play with all the wonderful coloring products that Ranger offers.

Ingredients list:


Stampers Anonymous - Studio 490 stamps: Call it Art, Art Journal Basics, Botanical Art, Art Of Making It Merry, Art Gone Postal, Mail Art, Life & Art, Dimensional Rose Art, Lower Case Art, Destination Art, It's Face Art, Sketch Art, Art For You, Original Art, Evidence of Art (15)

Stampers Anonymous - Studio 490 stencils (3 Fresh Flowers, Dots & Stripes Borders) ( 2)

Ranger Distress Inks: Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Fired Brick, Dusty Concord, Forest Moss, Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo, Old Paper, Ripe Persimmon (10)

Ranger Distress Markers:  Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Weathered Wood, Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans = 11

Ranger Archival Inks:  Sienna, Cobalt, Jet Black (3)

Ranger Distress Stains:  Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Pewter (6)

Ranger Distress Stickles:  Picket Fence, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade, Crushed Olive, Barn Door, Dried Marigold, Forest Moss ( 7)

Ranger:  Manila cardstock, Sticky-Back Canvas/natural (Claudine Helmuth), Super Fine Detail Black Embossing Powder, Glossy Accents, Multi-Medium/matte

Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz: City Central, Remnants

Junkitz 4"x4" chipboard covers

Sizzix/TH dies:  Butterflight, Steampunk, Townscape, SnowFlurries, Halloween Shadows

Sizzix die:  Pine Tree



Miscellaneous:  Silver Sharpie, White Sharpie, black cardstock, Sakura Black Micron pen, WeRMemory Keepers eyelets, Idea-ology corners, Advantus grungeboard textured circle, recycled product package

I LOVE Studio 490!!!

Shedding reindeer?

Yeah, this poor reindeer has had enough of the heat so it's trying to escape into December.  It may be that soon before we get much relief.  And hopefully we'll get a measurable snowfall this winter.

This wallhanging is my entry for the 15th CCCv2 challenge hosted by the StudioL3 blog.  The technique Linda chose is Enameled Metals and can be found on pg. 56 in Tim's 2nd book.

The calendar page uses the chosen technique.  I'd already cut the grungeboard reindeer when I decided I wanted to flock it.  If I'd thought this out better, I would have had double-stick tape on the grungeboard first.  Now I'm left with smearing glue on it then dumping on the flocking.  Of which I didn't have enough of any one color and the stuff wouldn't mix so I just did the best I could.  Hence, it looks like the poor thing is shedding or has a skin disease.  Another afterthought was to add a bit of black paint to the feet so you could see the hooves.

The wreath is actually a wired fringe that was tan so I colored it with Peeled Paint Distress Stain.  Perfect!  Added a tiny bow of coordinating 1/8" ribbon and I was thrilled.

The 'Merry Christmas' ticket is from Tim's Odds & Ends stamp set; stamped on scrap paper; crumpled and distressed.  The holly leaves are Tim's mini ones; creased and distressed.  The berries were cut from a a scrap of paper that had been covered with Rock Candy Distress Stickles.  I used a regular sized hole punch then turned them upside down on a foam pad and rounded them with a ball on a stick.  For the life of me I can't remember the proper name for that tool. 

WeRMemoryKeepers green gromlets were distressed with sandpaper and Jet Black Archival Ink.  They hold the calendar page to the green background.  I chose grosgrain ribbon for my hanger.

I'm hoping that by creating works of art that are for upcoming seasons I can think it's cooler than it really is. 

Here fishy fishy

You know what they say...go with the mojo when it's flowing!  Lori challenged the EWV yahoo group to use 2 ruler pieces as a roof on a project.  The inspiration piece can be found on the cover of Wendy's third book.  Lot's going on in this piece but it actually went together quite quickly and easily...not always the case, you know.

Love, love, LOVE Wendy's Art Parts!!!  The large square frame, the fish and the rulers are all art parts. 

The background on the inside layer was first covered with Tumbled Glass and Broken China distress stains.  The bubble background was stamped in Aquamarine archival ink then again in Broken China and covered with clear embossing powder.  Heat set; spray with Perfect Pearls Blue Patina Mist.

I haphazardly whitewashed the frame with Picket Fence distress stain.  Heat set; stamped the wood piece background in clear and clear embossing powder.  Walnut Stain distress ink was rubbed all over the frame.  The sentiment was stamped in Vermillion archival ink on all four sides; heat set.  Matte MultiMedium was used to hold the frame to the background.  Set aside to dry.

The rulers were stamped with Jet Black archival ink before applying orange and green distress stains (whatever was on the blending tools) and edged with Walnut Stain distress ink.  The 3/16" hole was punched using the Crop-a-dile and a 3/16" eyelet was put in the top layer.  The rulers were glued with MM; set aside to dry.

The fish were stamped in Jet Black archival ink.  Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, Barn Door, Bundled Sage and Tumbled Glass distress stains were smeared on the non-stick craft sheet.  Using a water brush I colored the fish and edged with Walnut Stain distress ink.  The top fish was sprayed with Biscotti Perfect Pearls Mist while the bottom fish was sprayed with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist.

I used Tim's Tattered Banners die to cut out the specimen labels.  The labels were inked with Jet Black archival ink.  Pumice Stone distress stain was smeared on both then edged with Walnut Stain distress ink.  I crumpled them a bit, poked holes in the ends and then in the art part.  Even Tim's tiny fasteners were too long so I cut off their legs (ouch!) and used MM to glue them down.

The final touch was creating the fish hooks from eye pins.  Once again, MM to the adhesive rescue!

The close-up pic gives you a better feel for the colors I used.  The background is much more blue and the rulers much more brown than the top photo.

Studio 490 stamps:  Remnants of Art, Art For Men, Evidence Of Art, A Form Of Art, She Created Art, Call It Art, Art Inspiration

Note:  I pulled my tag from the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge and entered this piece instead.

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

It's a cinch to make art!

Just got my Cinch and couldn't wait to play!  Another cyber friend got hers about the same time so I kinda challenged her on her blog to get them both out of the box and least tinker with them.  I created two booklets (one for me and one for her) and now that she's received hers I can show you mine.  The booklets are 2.5"x5.5" and use the 3/4" binding coil.  I love how easy it is to punch the holes in so many different combinations.    

The covers are chipboard covered with card stock; the pages are card stock.  I've used most Tim's stamps but there are some from Wendy's collection in there, too.  I won't go into page-by-page detail but throughout the pages I used embossing folders, plenty of alcohol, distress and archival inks.  Glossy Accents was essential for adhering many of the elements and also created the tear at the bottom of page 4.  Fragments, computer parts, and old watch face, Maya Road trinkets, Tim's embellishments, Sizzix dies, holiday tissue tape, tickets and buttons help complete the pages.  On the last page it's very difficult (even IRL) to see that 'Merry Christmas' is stamped in gold.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

 

 

Close up of cover

The ornate plate on the front has Wendy's 'art' stamped in it.  I filled the opening with sepia glossy accents before adding a few smears of juniper paint dabber to make the plate look much older than it really is.

So, if you have a Cinch (or any bookbinding tool) and haven't used it yet or in a long time, pull it out and PLAY!  As you can see, it was a cinch to create this gallery of images!  I'm thinking holiday gifts, birthday presents, etc.

Blogger has its own idea on how to add pictures and it's NOT user friendly.  Don't know how I stumbled on getting them to line up like this but I'll take it for now!  LOL