Through the looking glass and more clean up

There's been quite a bit of focus on Wendy Vecchi and her line of Studio 490 products recently.  And it's about time!  That woman has some really cool ideas, stamps, Art Parts, stencils and so much more.  I decided to pay homage to my fave lady by creating a looking glass using Art Parts.

A small piece was removed from the watch part base so the lamp post would fit inside like a handle and be more stable.  The lamp post and pocket watch (frame and base) were colored with distress markers.  Then I did a Faux Tarnished Silver technique to the frame, ala Shelly Hickox.  She's posted the instructions at Splitcoaststampers. 

The base of the watch part was colored with Picket Fence and Pewter Distress Stains.  Heat set.  The eye (An Eye For Art) was stamped in Jet Black Archival.  I g-e-n-t-l-y colored the eye using distress markers.  Note:  since the base color and the markers are dye based, they will bleed.  Yes, they will.  I had to go over a few lines with a Micron pen.  I added distress stickles to the colored part of the eye and a black flat-back gem to the pupil.  Let dry.  GOBS of Glossy Accents was added to the watch.  While it was drying I added some Beadazzles by Suze Weinberg to the handle.  Oops...some went into the glass.  Drats.  Okay, so add a few more so it looks like I did it on purpose.  Please note, I did NOT place the gold one directly in the center of the pupil.  That was purely coincidence!  A bit of gold marker on the handle and here's looking at you, Wendy!

And for the clean up portion of the post...I still had a remnant of the Halloween Shadows strip die (Tim and Sizzix) on my desk.  Hey, it fits perfectly around a battery-operated tea light!  NOW my desk is clean...at least for the moment.  lol

From the front

From the top

I'm taking an Art Journaling class under the tutelage of Wendy on Saturday at The Scrapbooking Studio in Bloomington, IL.  While I've dabbled with this medium just a tiny bit, I'm so excited to be learning more about it from one of the masters.  AND she has something new to share...can't wait!!!

Happy Halloween!

I needed a RAK for a young man who has been hospitalized for a rare auto immune blood disease.  I still had some components left on my workspace from previous projects so I decided to make them the focus of the card.  It didn't take long and this was the result.

The base card was run through the Sizzix/TH Halloween background embossing folder.  Various purple, orange and green distress inks were smudged over the raised words.

In the center is a dark blue and black piece of decorative paper.  From the Sizzix/TH Halloween Shadows decorative strip die you'll find the fence, owls, tree and bat.  The harvest moon was cut with a circle punch.  The owls' eyes were colored with Kiwi Perfect Pearls.

I don't normally mail naked envelopes so I pulled out Tim's Apothecary stamp set and stamped the skull in Jet Black Archival Ink on the front.  For the back I stamped 'Happy Halloween' in JBAI and then again, slightly offset, in Venetian Orange AI.

 I'm so glad I didn't throw those extra pieces away when the previous project was completed!

Fall sympathy cards

Sympathy cards can be quite challenging to make.  I try to incorporate something of the person who has passed on the card.  If that fails, then I work with a seasonal theme.  Here is a card that had to go seasonal since I didn't know the individual, only her children.

The A-2 card base is off-white.  A 2nd piece was cut slightly smaller.  From that piece I die cut one of Tim's mini oak leaves.  Decorative paper was placed behind the cut out and added as a belt across the bottom of the card.  I placed the die cut atop this and added a mini acorn (Tim Holtz die) on top of that, also cut from the decorative paper. 

The sentiment is from the Renaissance Stamp Collection and stamped with Coffee Archival Ink.

I found the inspiration for this card on Pinterest (boy, can this place get you in trouble with time management!).  Here's the link to the individual's website.  Maybe you'll find it sparks an idea or two for you.

Boundless imagination

It's time for another CCCv2 challenge.  This being #26 it means the end is drawing near.  Sigh.  Sure hope Linda over at Studio L3 has something else in store as a continuation because I love these challenges.  This week's sponsor is The Funkie Junkie Boutique and a $25 gift certificate will be given to a randomly selected piece of art.  My shopping list is never ending so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I win!

The technique for this challenge can be found on page 40 of Tim's 2nd book.  It's called 'Crumpled Kraft Suede' and was quite fun to create. Without further ado....I bring you springtime!  Yeah, I know, it's fall but you go with the mojo and this is what happens.  lol

#8 kraft tag

From the world of Ranger, I used a Gold Paint Dabber, Perfect Ink Refresher, distress stains (Shabby Shutters, Forest Moss, Tea Dye), distress inks (Peeled Paint, Frayed Burlap, Scattered Straw, Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey), Cappuccino Perfect Pearls, and clear embossing ink and powder.

From the Sizzix world, I used Tim's mini bunny and bow, mini ticket and Tattered Flower Garland.

Other items that made it on to the tag...brads, fabric and card stock scraps, grungeboard scroll, and watercolor paper.

The sentiment comes from Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz set 'Stuff To Say'.

So, let your imagination wander...

Just plain weird

For some people this theme might be a piece of cake.  But I struggled with it.  Eh, it is what it is.  The latest challenge offered on the EWV Yahoo group is to create something creepy, freaky or just plain weird.  If that doesn't work, a fall theme would be fine.  I think I should have done fall.  Oh well.  Here's my entry...

My #8 tag is sporting stamps from the following Studio 490 sets:  Believe in Art (2 backgrounds, label), Visions of Art (face), Optical Art (glasses), and Original Art (weed spray).  I used plenty of Ranger Distress Markers (Tattered Rose, Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Barn Door, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Old Paper, Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain) to stamp with and use as all over color.  Old Paper and Frayed Burlap Distress Ink pads were also used as was Jet Black Archival Ink, Turquoise Stickles and Bronze Distress Stain.  The glasses were stamped with embossing ink and Ultra Fine Copper Embossing Powder was heat set.  A Sakura Black Glaze Pen adds some doodles on the top portion of the tag.

I think she looks like she's ready for a masquerade party; love the soft colors in her hair using the markers to color the stamp.  Eh, maybe she doesn't look so weird after all.  I'll let you be the judge.

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!!!

Autumn leaves come tumbling down

As I look outside my window this morning, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, and it's blustery so the leaves are rapidly falling from my trees.  It's a pretty sight but I don't like what that ultimately means...raking and bagging.  Oh well, if it's pretty it usually means a mess somewhere along the way.

Over on the Simon Says Stamp blog they've asked for artwork featuring autumn leaves.  This is just one page of an art journal I'll be submitting to their sister site, Simon Says Stamp & Show, that is requesting art featuring Wendy Vecchi and her amazing line of Studio 490 products.

The journal is 4x4 and features four seasons.  Fall is my favorite...the colorful array of leaves, pumpkins, gourds, etc.  For me, it is a wonderful world!

I've used plenty of Ranger inks, Distress Stickles, 4 Studio 490 stamps and Kraft Core'dinations papers that I hope will be a winning combination with the Random Generator...a $50 gift voucher to their site is a nice enticement to make more art!

More details will be shared tomorrow when you'll be able to see the album in its entirety.  Until then...

 happy fall y'all!