Looking for snow

Don't know why I have this fixation for snow lately.  Maybe it's because the long range weather forecast is for below normal temps with normal snow fall this winter.  Unlike last year's virtually no snow and milder temps; guess it won't happen two years in a row.

Here's my #8 tag...Frosty looking for more flakes to fall.  The 30th challenge over at Studio L3 is to use Tim's Reflective Imagery technique that can be found on page 55 of his 2nd book.  The tag on the bag of snowflakes features the technique.

I ran the tag through the embossing folder twice; water colored the trees and background.  Torn paper gives Frosty a snow mound to lean on...but you can't see much of  it.

Studio 490:  black and white embossing paste

Sizzix/TH:  Tall Pines embossing folder, Winter Wonder die

Ranger:  Glossy Accents, Multi-Medium, distress markers, distress stickles dry glitter (clear rock candy), meadow alcohol ink, sticky back metal sheets

Idea-ology:  Seasonal paper stash

Advantus:  fragment

Miscellaneous:  ribbon, small bag of mica flakes

They say there is a 40% chance of snow tonight...I'm keeping my fingers crossed but if it does happen I doubt it will stick around for very long.  Sigh.

Chipboard & metal birthday greetings

Haven't done a two-fer in a long time and this one just 'happened' so I'll take advantage of it.  A recently issued challenge on Frilly and Funkie is to use chipboard and metal on your project.  You have two chances to win; one winner will get a $25 gift certificate to the store (random draw) and the other will be given a blog badge (chosen by the design team).  Over on the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group site you are challenged to create a birthday card (or whatever) for Wendy, who has a mid-December birthday.  Talk about a challenge! 

So, all that's left now is to show you the card I created and tell you a bit about it.

Outside

Behind the door

This is an A-2 card with a top layer that has been bricked with Wendy's stencil and embossing paste; colored with distress markers, distress inks and a water brush.  The Sizzix door (new die!) was cut from chipboard and run through the Sizzix Woodgrain embossing folder (inked up first) then inked afterwards.  The hinges (older Sizzix die), door knob, and wreath were cut from metal adhesive sheets that were stuck on chipboard. 

A Sizzix candle die (older die) provides the birthday candles as well as holiday lighting.  They're also made of chipboard and colored with distress inks.  The flames have Crackle Accents on them with Gathered Twigs distress stain splashed into the cracks.  The center swirl and wick were colored with a white Sharpie.

One of Wendy's background stamps was inked with Scattered Straw and is the wall behind the open door.  I carefully stamped Wendy's sentiment 1-2 words at a time down the center.  Inside the card is her birthday sentiment.

Bet this door die gets a lot of use in 2013!

Monochromatic sympathy card

I saw a card on Pinterest and knew that it was something I wanted to recreate, not necessarily as a sympathy card but perhaps a wedding or anniversary card.  Unfortunately the need for a sympathy card came first.  Here's my version of the card.

The base card is white Bazzill.  I embossed a piece of white vellum in a Cuttlebug folder.  Martha Stewart punches (fern-branch, flower) and Hero Arts flat-backed pearls add a decidedly elegant touch.  Narrow white gauzy ribbon finishes the card.  I opted for no words on the outside; not really room with this embossing folder. 

RIP, my friend.  Cancer took you away from us too soon.

It's snowing!

No, not really.  In fact, it's supposed to be quite warm this week...mid 60s for Thanksgiving.  Oh well, I can dream.  It's challenge #29 over on the CCCc2 challenge hosted by Linda of StudioL3.  You'll find the instructions for using Tim's Texture Fade embossing folders to create 2 techniques on page 64 of his 2nd book.. 

I've used both methods on this #8 tag.  I wanted to see if I preferred one over the other...and I think I do.  The first one he describes was used on the large tag and tag topper.  The second idea is on the snowman inset.

To create my art I used the following items:

Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz:  Mini Holidays 3 stamps set

Sizzix/Tim Holtz Texture Fades: Christmas Background, Snowflurries, Snowman 3

Ranger:  Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles Dry Glitter, paint dabbers (Snow Cap, Sunset Orange, Mushroom, Pitch Black); distress inks (browns, Pumice Stone, Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire) and the black Distress Marker

Misc.:  brad, ribbons, 2 #8 tags

This challenge ends 11/22 at 8 p.m. MTD...hope you'll have a few moments to try this technique.  I know it's a busy, busy week.  Do you prefer one method over the other?

Snowflakes for Christmas

I think we'd all like to have snow on Christmas...even if it's just for the day.  Sometimes you just need a little Rockwell in your life.  We've been waking up to frosted yards, roofs and car windows so it's easy to think that snow isn't far away. 

Here's my take on Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of 2012 for November.  The focus on the tag is the Faux Batik technique; I've used it on the snowflakes.

Ingredients from Ranger:  #8 tag, distress ink (Weathered Wood, Chipped Sapphire, Gathered Twigs), distress stain (Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Weathered Wood, Milled Lavender), Cobalt archival ink, white paint dabber, clear embossing ink and powder

Tim's line:  Season's Silhouettes, Grunge Flakes (stamps), Festive Greenery strip die, Tattered Pinecone die, mini snowflake movers & shapers die, token, jump ring, mini pin, Kraft and distress core'dinations

From my stash:  miscellaneous fibers, clear packaging, beads

Guess it's time to get started on my holiday cards marathon.  December will be here before you know it!

Oh, nuts

I can't begin to tell you how many of these things I scoop up on a daily basis on our drive and sidewalk.  But the messier the tree, the prettier, or so I've been told.  I've made them the focal point of my tag, or at least they are fashionably framed on it.

This is my entry for the 28th Compendium of Curiosities Volume 2 challenge hosted by the lovely Linda Ledbetter of Studio L3.  Simon Says Stamp is sponsoring the challenge and offering a $25 gift certificate to one lucky, randomly chosen artist.  All you have to do is follow a few simple rules while creating your art piece and who knows, you might just be the lucky winner of a shopping trip to a store like no other.

I've used the technique on the tag as well as the leaves and acorns which means I opted for both methods.  Lots of fun, especially if it turns out like you'd planned!

Here are the items I used on my tag.  From Tim Holtz & Sizzix comes the Thankful embossing folder, mini leaves, branch and acorn dies as well as the tag and label from the Tag & Bookplate die.

Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz provided the Thankful Silhouettes stamp set.  Idea-ology brings the trinket pin and token.

From Ranger there's Jet Black archival ink, distress inks too numerous to mention, clear embossing ink and powder, gold and copper embossing powders as well as UTEE.  There's also Lettuce and Gold paint dabbers at work and some distress stickles.

I created the veins in the leaves using a water-soluble graphite pencil.

I hope the high winds we've been having the past few days take away the remaining leaves so I don't have to collect them!

An interesting and unique card front

I took Wendy Vecchi's art journal class last Saturday at The Scrapbooking Studio in Bloomington, IL.  It was a lot of fun to create the covers and pages using her Art Parts, stencils and stamps.  One of the top tips I learned was how to not fear the blank page.  Don't you just hate looking at that naked page and try to figure out what you're going to do?  Enter Wendy's advice...just get some base color(s) on it first then let the page speak to you.

Using Ranger's Specialty Paper (oh my gosh, this stuff is totally amazing!!!) I misted it then applied distress stain.  I pressed another sheet onto it...two pages for the effort of 1!  I don't remember the order I did things but here's what I used on my card front.  Studio 490 stamp sets (Original Art and 3 Cheers For Art), stencils (Dots & Stripes Borders, Large Heart, Funky Words, Brick Wall).  The tree was stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink.  Too many distress inks and markers were used for me to remember them - sorry!  A white Sharpie was used as well as a water soluble graphite pencil by General.  We used a Stabilo graphite pencil in class but this is what I found in a local big box store and wanted to compare them.

I sure wish I knew how I created the depth of light on that tree.  I bet that won't happen again any time soon.  Everything about this card front pleases me.  A big 'thank you' to the creative gods who were sitting on my shoulders while this came together!