"A woman is like a tea bag;

you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water."  This quote by Eleanor Roosevelt is the theme chosen for the current eclecticPaperie blog hop (inspired by words).  A $25.00 gift voucher from their store is up for grabs.

I started out with a blank page in my journal...and in my mind.  And I thought, 'Silly, start at the beginning!'  I started going through my stamps looking to see what would be appropriate.  The stamps I selected helped  determine the other bits and pieces that on the page.  A length of painters tape was used to keep the inner border clean for challenge info. 

Up on my shelf was a never opened, got on clearance years ago, tube of Country Red Delta Texture Magic.  I slathered it over a Crafters Workshop Mini Tile Texture stencil.  A blast of the heat tool and it was dry.  Over this I stamped a block of words describing women (Lasting Impressions with Panache) in Saffron archival ink.  I drew around the word 'woman' with a Micron black pen.  Through a Dylusions stencil (Luscious Leaves) I rubbed in various green and brown distress inks.  Tea Dye distress ink (appropriate choice) was used all over the page, leaving the center lighter.

I journaled the quote along the left hand side of the page, using an alpha wood tile, part of my stamped image (lucky placement, that's all!), my own handwriting and Maya Road chipboard letters.  The tea bag stamp (Ann-ticipations) makes this like a rebus.  The chipboard letters were inked with yellow, orange and red distress inks (to simulate heat) then covered with Glossy Accents.

The tea cup (Stampington & Company) was stamped with Jet Black archival ink on Studio 490's 'Clearly For Art'.  The reverse side was colored with red alcohol ink then smooshed the Sepia archival ink pad over that.  A bit of heat was applied so I could curve the cup and saucer.

I had to ask a neighbor for a tea bag (removing the tea!) so I could stamp the face (Studio 490's 'Art Fit For A Queen') on it with Jet Black archival ink.  I dampened the tea bag and sprinkled the tea all over it; let dry.  Maya Road chipboard scrolls were colored with Pitch Black and Silver paint dabbers before dripping Caramel alcohol ink on them (Thank you, Shelly Hickox for this idea!*).  I cut them apart and glued them down to simulate steam. 

At the urging of a friend, I have also submitted this journal page to the Frilly & Funkie blog challenge that requires the use of stencils and masks.  I was unaware of this blog but will definitely be following them now.  Frilly, funkie and vintage...just up my alley!

* If you haven't checked out Shelly's blog, please do so!  She is so talented and I love her work! 

Summertime and the livin' is easy...

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How much simpler can it be to create a tag that features summer and an easy way to make a background that Tim has in book 2, Brushless Watercolor?  SimonSaysStamp&Show wants you to feature a summer holiday and the 2nd compendium challenge uses the technique found on page 49. 

My favorite part of summer is the unofficial start (Memorial Day) and the 4th of July.  I do believe my blood runs red, white and blue.  My #8 tag uses Americana Silhouettes and Ticket To Art (Stampers Anonymous) stamp sets; Ranger products (Frayed Burlap, Scattered Straw, Fired Brick, Faded Jeans distress inks; Jet Black archival ink; MultiMedium); tissue tape and grungeboard (Advantus) and 3 Sizzix dies (mini flag, star, ticket).

Both challenges have shopping sprees for randomly picked winners.  This week's sponsor at StudioL3 is eclectic Paperie.  Who doesn't like a chance to go shopping?!?!?!?

Spring has sprung

Okay, beyond sprung but that's the stamp set I used to create my Tim Holtz May tag for the 12 Tags of 2012.  At least today the temperature is what it should be for this time of year.

Word stick, long fastener, film strip ribbon

UTEE; Walnut Stain & Tea Dye distress inks; Monarch Orange, Saffron, Library Green, Olive, Sap Green, Jet Black archival inks; Bundled Sage distress stain; Terra Cotta paint dabber

I restamped the floral border image on the film strip ribbon using Library Green archival ink.  Terra Cotta paint was smushed into the word stick then carefully wiped away the excess paint so the paint would remain in the recessed letters.

With a foil 'cup' I improvised so I could create the porcelain flower technique.   Don't you think that rabbit's paws are just crying out to carry something???

Grungy and cool

Okay, it hit 93 today (3rd day in a row of 90+) and it's not even summer yet!  I am definitely feeling grungy cuz we haven't turned on the a/c yet but the breezes and opening/closing of windows has made it bearable...just.  And I'm definitely not feeling cool!  So I figured maybe some art would help me cool off, or at least forget how warm I felt.  We're in the 6th week of the 2nd Compendium book challenges.  No way!  Linda chose the Tissue Wrap Collage (pg. 38) and she has a new sponsor, The Funkie Junkie.

I chose Winter Sketchbook stamp set, Winter Wonder Sizzix die and Terminology Tissue Wrap as my base ingredients.

Distress Markers:  Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Weathered Wood, Black Soot

Distress Ink:  Shaded Lilac, Gathered Twigs, Walnut Stain, Chipped Sapphire

Distress Stain:  Picket Fence

Archival Ink:  Jet Black

Dabbers:  Denim, Cloudy Blue

Grungeboard

A most uncommon insect

I seem to have an affinity for discovering critters of all kinds on our property (in town, not rural)...the likes of which the rest of the neighbors apparently don't see.  We've had tree frogs take shelter in the siding & shutters, opossums living in a nearby tree, deer, racoons, groundhogs, silvery salamanders, Dekay's Brownsnake, and a list of birds longer than my arm.  Just this morning a Baltimore Oriole graced our gardens - first time I've seen one here.  But I've never spotted a housefly like this one.  Check it out!

A most uncommon housefly!  lol Look at those gorgeous orange metallic wings (Studio 490's Clearly For Art, alcohol ink and crackle paint).  Her body is blue-ish purple, her eyes amber and green flecked with gold.  She only flew when no one could see...she didn't know that I had spotted her and captured her image for a tag that will be entered in the challenge on the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo group.

I stamped the background plaid using the Picket Fence Distress Stain but rolled it on so I got only partial images; heat set.  I blended in Tim's new seasonal distress inks (Peacock Feathers, Squeezed Lemonade, Shaded Lilac) and Pumice Stone.  A few flicks of water droplets and applied another round of heat.  All stamping was done using Jet Black archival ink.  Any doodling was done using Sakura Glaze pens.

The house was stamped twice on grungeboard; the face once.  Distress inks (already on the blending tools) were used for much of the color; Tim's new Distress Markers were used on the eyes (so easy to use in smaller spaces!).


All stamps are Studio 490 (A Form Of Art, Mail Art, Be Inspired...Make Art, It's Face Art, Homemade Art). 

What will inspire you today to make art?

Hot ziggity!

I had one of the winning tickets for National Scrapbooking week at The Scrapbooking Studio in Bloomington, IL.  They also have a lovely store in Moline, IL.  The staff in both locations are great..helpful, friendly and very knowledgeable.  My prize was a beach tote loaded with Sizzix products.  Now you can see why I said 'hot ziggity!'  These are all new products to me and I can't wait to play with them!

A few days earlier my 'Tim technique' entry had been pulled (randomly) to win a set of Tim's Distress Markers at Absolutely Everything in Topsfield, MA.  Here's another store with super staff.  I've not had the opportunity to meet them in person but via the computer and phone they've been marvelous.  If you order from them online, you won't be sorry.  Not only does the order arrive quickly, there is usually an extra goodie or two inside and the items are wrapped neatly and tied up with a pretty ribbon or fiber.  I've only had a moment or two to play with the markers.  Oh my, I didn't think I needed them before but they sure do make life easier when coloring small spaces and having matching colors to all the distress inks I use in so much of my art.
 

I wouldn't consider myself lucky but you can't win if you don't participate.  The more you participate, the better the chance you'll win something along the way.  Even the experience and challenge is a win-win for me.  I get to try out something new or different and I have a new piece of art to grace my art space or give away.

This weekend it's supposed to be quite warm and humid here.  It's the perfect time to spend in my art space and try out all these wonderful products!  Hope you have time to spend in your art space and try something new!

Come fly with me

The weather is perfect for working in the flower beds, trimming shrubs, etc.  Not hot enough for dragonflies yet but plenty of butterflies and birds are quite at home here.  I'd rather be inside making art but sometimes you need to step back from the table and work on the other parts of your life. 

This week's technique chosen by Linda for the CCCv2 challenge is Shattered Stains, p. 48 in the book.  For your efforts, Simon Says Stamp will be choosing a random winner of a $25 shopping spree in their store.  I'll also be entering the tag in the latest Simon Says challenge in which anything goes.  A $50 gift voucher will be given to a random winner there.  You also have a chance at being one of three artists named to receive a blinkie award.  How can you go wrong with incentives like these?

#8 manilla tag
Sizzix TH Alterations: Cattails
Grungeboard (nature package, no longer available)
Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint
Glossy Accents

I added some ink to the embossing folder before running it through my Big Shot.  More ink and water was added until I was satisfied.  A few droplets of water were thrown onto the sky for interest.

The technique was used on the dragonfly and the word.

Distress inks:  Shaded Lilac, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Pumice Stone, Rusty Hinge, Forest Moss

Distress stains:  Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, Fired Brick, Vintage Photo, Shabby Shutters, Tumbled Glass, Dusty Concord, Forest Moss, Black Soot

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Tip of the day:  Rusty Hinge + Forest Moss = brown