Happy Sister's Day!

The first Sunday in August has been set aside to celebrate having or being a sister.  That means a lot of us will celebrate this special day.  Sisters are truly special and unique.  They may argue and fight, but when it comes down to it, sisters are the best!

I've had the picture and ribbon sliders on my desk since late last year and was saving it for Sister's Day.  Can't believe it didn't get lost or damaged - whew!  With this in mind, I took the 20th challenge on the EWV Yahoo group to create a piece of art using 4 squares with 4 different backgrounds.  You can see Wendy's first book, page 12, to see her art.  So not only did I get to add a piece to the challenge photo album but got a card made for each sister. 

Studio 490 stamps:  Well Worn Art, Live & Make Art, Art Fit For A Queen, Art Colors Life, An Eye For Art, and Art Inspiration

Ranger:  Plum, Jet Black Archival Inks; Weathered Wood Distress Ink

Yes, that's me...the tallest one.  I'm guessing it was 1960, pre-baby brother.  I think this is a neat picture and we have several like it of other family members.  Love the perspective!

Anything goes with rock candy

Yes, ANYTHING!  This may look like an ordinary wood box (5.75"x4.75"x3.25") but it's not.  Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of my father's death and I've been trying to figure out how to decorate the box that contains his ashes.

I used Walnut Stain Distress Stain all over the exterior of the box but knew it was not what I wanted.  I then wiped down a watered Snow Cap Pigment Ink over that and was very pleased with the new color.  Kind of like the wood was pickled.  The inside was painted with Claudine Hellmuth's Traditional Tan paint with a bit of watered down Espresso Color Wash over that for an uneven tone. 

The top is adorned with 3 faux wood block letters (Maya Road), a patriotic piece from Tim Holtz's Seasonal Stash, and leaves, bark, mica and a twig.  I did coat the leaves with Claudine's Multi-Medium (matte) for a longer-lasting finish.  The patriotic piece was adhered to chipboard, sanded, smeared with Rock Candy Crackle Paint, Walnut Stain Distress Ink wiped over that and metal corners were added for protection.  Let me explain the significance of these items.

When my dad left the service it was as a Colonel in the Army Reserves.  He was very proud to serve his country.  While he never saw active duty abroad, he was ready if they should call him.  The natural materials are an equally important part of his life.  When my dad retired he worked for the parks department in their community.  He was so well liked and his job performance was such that the park was eventually named for him.  He took pride in everything he did and it showed.

Wendy's stamps from Evidence of Art were a perfect fit for this keepsake.  The sentiment (stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink edged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink) on top portrays many of his feelings.  The license plates are from the Seasonal Stash sticker book.  These are the states he lived in during his lifetime.  The tree was stamped in Coffee Archival Ink.  I took my pinky and dabbed it into Pale Ochre, Monarch Orange, Crimson, Sienna and Olive Archival Inks to show off the leaves.  I squirted Rock Candy Distress Stickles on my craft sheet and once again dipped my pinky into it and touched each of the colored leaves.  Fortunately my pinky was a perfect fit!  The label holder is by Creative Impressions and the label has his birth and death years.



The photo frame was a glossy blonde - yuk!  I sanded some of the gloss off and ran the Walnut Stain Distress Stain over it, waited a moment or two, then wiped off the excess.  I love how this looks!  And this little guy is my dad!  I don't think he was even 1 at the time (1930).

I'm really, really pleased with how this turned out and I think he would be too.  I hope that the folks over at Simon Says Stamp & Show (Anything Goes challenge) and Linda (Grungy Monday - Rock Candy Crackle Paint and/or Distress Stickles challenge) think so as well.  And a big thank you to Tim, Wendy, and Ranger for such awesome products and stamps!

Medically speaking

Time for another Making Art challenge over on the EWV Yahoo group.  #19 is all about using one of Wendy's birds, of which she has 3.  Yes, 3 (Let Your Art Have Wings, Be Happy...Make Art, and Art Is Therapeutic).  While the first 2 are the same bird but in different sizes, the 3rd is a different bird and on a label.  This is the one I chose to use in my project.

This was the first time I independently played with Art Parts (rectangle & frame, scallop trim).  Woohoo!  What fun!  There's also Clearly For Art (bottle) that was shaped around a can to be more round, and shrink plastic (doctors).

Studio 490 stamps:  Funky Flower Art, Art Inspiration, Art Colors Life, Art Is Therapeutic, Card Art Essentials

Ranger:  Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Antique Linen Distress Stains; Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain Distress Inks; Cranberry Pigment Ink; Jet Black, Coffee, Crimson, Saffron Archival Inks

The doctors (Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers) were stamped on shrink plastic and colored with chalk.  Perfect!  The pills (RBBB) (stamped and cut out 10) were stamped on Ranger Glossy Cardstock.  They are layered within the bottle but it's a bit hard to see them.  Rx (Ann-ticipations) was stamped on grungeboard and given the faux enamel treatment.

Comfort was stamped on a file folder label, inserted into the holder then glued down between the bottle and frame.  A bit of gauze stained with Antique Linen Distress Stain is the ideal embellishment.

Our guest bathroom is full of antiques so this will fit nicely in there...who doesn't need a bit of bathroom humor?  lol

Embossable grunge

It kind of sounds like 'Impossible Dream', doesn't it?  That's very nearly where this stayed...in my dreams. 

Trust me when I say that Fired Brick Distress Stain on an unfinished wood frame with Picket Fence Crackle Paint over it is NOT a pretty thing...unless you love Pepto Bismol pink!  lol  Oh my, this was definitely not going to work with the photo of 3 kids peeking out of an opening on an old red barn.  Note:  If you've not played with Ranger's Crackle Paint, let me tell you that it does not act like other crackle mediums in that the base color really doesn't show through the cracks.  It's meant to have a color wiped over the cracks.

I called out to all my Ranger distress inks, distress stains, pigment inks and archival inks in nearly every hue to remedy this mess.  After much playing around I finally came up with a color I could accept on this 6.5"x8.5" frame.

Not only is this a birthday present for my neighbor* (little girl on top) but it also fits the requirements for challenges on the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog (embossing) and Grungy Monday over on the StudioL# blog (grungeboard/grungepaper).  Thank you, T!m Holtz, for getting us such cool products!  The 3 larger flowers are grungepaper and have been embossed using Spellbinders dies (cut and emboss) while the tractor was heat embosssed on grungeboard.  I watercolored the tractor mixing 2 Nick Bantok ink colors.  Ranger doesn't make 'John Deere green' ink...lol!

Tim Holtz/Sizzix dies:  Tattered Florals, Elegant Flourish, Hardware Findings

Spellbinders:  Daisy Heads & Leaves

Stamps:  Cornish Heritage Farms (tractor)

Ranger:  Distress Inks (9 colors), Distress Stain (4 colors), Crackle Paint (2 colors), Pigment Ink (3 colors), Superfine Black Embossing Powder, Nick Bantok ink (2 colors)

Jenni Bowlin:  Bingo card

Bazzill:  chipboard rectangle

Maya Road:  chipboard letter

Grungepaper and grungeboard, misc. buttons, twine, rusty wire, brads, glass bottle, ribbon, vintage ad from paper sack, TH paper clip

*  This is the neighbor that LOVES grungy stuff, rusty things, old buttons, vintage bottles and flowers.  One of her brothers is on the bottom of the heap, the little girl in the middle is her cousin.  This barn was on her parents' farm but it's no longer standing.  There are still barns on the property, along with several vintage tractors.  They had several horses when she was a young girl, hence the ad in the bottle.  I've gone 'picking' in the attic of one of the barns...cool window frames, old glass bottles, etc.  Fun but scary because some of the floorboards are missing. 

Life's fears and dreams

Running behind schedule again.  I've been busy sorting my stamp collection so I can downsize but I just had to take a break from all the bending, moving and decision-making.  Where have all those stamps come from and why are they in my collection?  

Why not see if I can create some art for the Grungy Monday and Simon Says Stamp & Show challenges?  Grungy Monday 15 features the amazing rusted enamel technique found on Tim Holtz's blog while stitching is all the rage over at SSS&S.  Tim's technique is on the larger tag; faux stitching is on that tag as well as a blanket stitch using gold thread.

Tim Holtz:  Stuff To Say stamp set; small rosette die, mini paper clip, key

Studio 490: faux stitches from Just Sew Artsy set

Ranger:  Old Paper, Vintage Photo, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Black Soot, Walnut Stain Distress Inks; Perfect Pearls Gold mist

DecoArt:  Mocha Creme Paper Perfect (behind the text image)

A challenge for a cheese box

Hey, we're on a 2-week challenge to create a piece of art using striped paper and a rectangle frame over on the EWV Yahoo group.  Why don't you join us?  The deadline isn't until Tuesday night.

I took this cheese box

4.25" in diameter



and added some striped paper, the leftover piece of crepe paper ribbon roses (scalloped strip), and a chipboard rectangle frame and came up with this.



Finished garden walk album



After I glued the 2 chipboard frames together (for more depth) I covered them with Fired Brick Distress Ink.  See the areas without ink?  That's the glue that I got all over the frames - oops!  But I love the distressed look so I'm keeping it just like that!  Amazing how a messy finger can make something cool - lol!

Our community garden walk was last weekend.  I selected 12 photos, made 13 playing cards (the title page is one) and created a rather unique keepsake of the day.

Studio 490 stamps:  Well Worn Art, Book Art Basics, Flower Art, Rose Art Part 2

Ranger:  Tea Dye, Fired Brick, Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Vintage Photo Distress Inks; Olive, Pale Ochre, Saffron, Coffee, Jet Black Archival Inks; Gold Paint Dabber

Hero Arts: Playful Alphabet

Don't forget to scrap your garden photos!  It will help you remember how nice (or not) the garden looked this year, what to plant (or not) next year, color combos you want to try again (or not), etc. 

Inside cover






 
 

All 13 cards

Back of playing card



Happy birthday, Vic!

One of my fellow EWV members is celebrating her birthday today....hope it's super special, Vic!

I'd seen a card in a magazine that I liked so I recreated it ala Vecchi style.  It's a great way to challenge yourself.  There's a bit of vellum, shrink plastic and glossy paper involved as well as plain old cardstock.

Studio 490 stamps:  It's Face Art, Nature's Art, Sketch Art, Botanical Art, Card Art Essentials

Ranger products:  Olive and Jet Black Archival Inks, Eucalyptus Stickles, Bundled Sage Distress Stickles, Bundled Sage Distress Ink