Merry Christmas!

I couldn't figure out what to put on my blog today but the challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog came to the rescue.  It was a real hard one, too.  Create a Tim Holtz tag.  Well, since the 12 Tags of Christmas has just concluded I still had some ideas in my head.  No snow here, as you can see on my tag.  Kinda looks like my shagbark hickory tree outside my stamping room.  We do have blue skies today, as well.

The tree was stamped in Jet Black Archival ink, watercolored with Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.  The snowflakes were stamped in Snow Cap Paint Dabber, Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Weathered Wood Distress Inks were rubbed over all but the tree.  I gently dabbed off the snowflakes with a damp towel.  (Sorry, they get kind of lost under the crackle paint!)  The edges were coated with Walnut Stain and Black Soot Distress Inks.  I stamped 'Merry Christmas' in Jet Black Archival Ink then again, slightly offset to create a shadow, with the Gold Paint Dabber.  Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint was smeared over the entire tag.  When dry I smushed Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Inks into the cracks.  Using a Hero Arts alphabet I stamped '2011' onto the smallest of the Tattered Banners using Jet Black Archival Ink.  The banner was lightly colored with whatever blue ink was on my blending tool, the edges were colored with whatever brown ink was on the blending tool then a bit of Gold Paint Dabber was added on the very edges.  A few ribbons, lace and tulle create a bow with gold jingle bells added for holiday flair.

Hope your day is filled with plenty of merriment, much love, and lots of good food!

More card sharing

Here's another card I made this year using Studio 490 stamps and Ranger products.

It's hard to see the dimension in the flower and leaves but it's there.  You might see a bit of shine on the flower petal...Rock Candy Distress Stickles.  Love that stuff!

Card sharing

Here are 2 cards I made this month using Studio 490 stamps.  Hope you enjoy them! 

Female birthday

Male birthday

Simple yet just what I wanted.  All inks are by Ranger.  That's a grungepaper belt on the 2nd one.  I have some others I'll be sharing later.

24 tags on display

I know some of you have created frames or bound your 12 Tags of Christmas into books but here's how I'm displaying mine, at least for now.  Next year they'll join the previous 4 years of tags in my porch windows.

My display started out with a vintage wood shoe form, men's size 11D.  The center dowel is 1/2"x3'; the branches are 1/4"x24", 1/4"x20", 1/4"x16", 1/4"x 12", and 1/4"x8".  There are dowel caps on each end to keep the tags from sliding off.  The topper is Sizzix Snowflake #4 which is a die and embossing folder in one package.  It was cut from a light blue core'dinations paper and sanded with a bit of white paint dabbed here and there.

My interpretation of Tim's tags are on the left, my interpretation using mainly Studio 490 stamps and accessories are on the right.  It will be fun recreating these during the year, trying out the techniques with different color combos, stamps, etc.  If you didn't have a chance to play along or aren't a huge fan of Tim's (I know, not every one is), this may spark you to make your own using your favorite designer, holiday, or color scheme.

Tim's tags for Days 10, 11, and 12 but Wendified

Day 10 and we're using facets and foil tape to create faux mercury glass charms or ornaments.  This was really cool and I'm sorry my buttons don't show up as well as I had hoped.

Studio 490:  Art By Hand, He Ruled It Art, Fashion Style And Art; Art Parts - Tools For Art


Ranger:  Jet Black Archival Ink; Forest Moss, Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks; clear embossing powder; Perfect Pearls Mist - Heirloom Gold; Silver Paint Dabber; Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany Distress Stains; Glossy Accents

Tim:  Crowded Attic paper stash

Misc.:  Coffee Break Designs acrylic buttons, HVAC tape, muslin, broken zipper, snaps

Day 11 - one of my husband's favorites!  Tim showed us how to use shrink plastic then dip it into UTEE in the Melting Pot for a neat look of thick, aged glass.  Since I had cut out the Carved Ornaments I decided to not let the second go to waste.  As I mentioned on my Tim version, I don't have a melting pot but just kept pouncing embossing ink and UTEE over the ornament until I was happy with the results. 

In step 12 Tim spritzed water on his colored tag; I misted a solid stamp and pressed it to the glossy tag.  Cool, huh?  This particular stamp looks a bit like clouds floating in the sky.

Studio 490:  It's More Flower Art, Card Art Essentials, Art For Men

Ranger:  Glossy cardstock; Shrink plastic; UTEE; Gold Paint Dabber; Iced Spruce, Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans, Broken China, Stormy Sky, Festive Berries, Gathered Twigs Distress Inks; Peeled Paint, Meadow Alcohol Inks; Biscotti Perfect Pearls Mist; Glossy Accents

Tim:  Tag & Bookplate, Carved Ornament dies

Misc.:  red stones, ribbon

Day 12, last but not least...the lady with attitude!  I didn't have Tim's Tissue so I created my own from plain white tissue paper.  I crumpled it up before applying it to the tag.

Studio 490:  Be Inspired-Make Art, Regal Art; Art Parts-Residences; White Clearly For Art

Ranger:  Picket Fence Distress Stain; Jet Black Archival Ink; Glue N' Seal; Rock Candy Distress Stickles; Cloudy Blue, Silver, Black, Snow Cap Paint Dabbers; Walnut Distress Ink

Tim: Vintage Lace, Carnevale, Festive Greenery dies; grungeboard crown & wings

Misc.:  tissue paper, HVAC tape, vellum, pearl earring, heart charm, tinsel

The tissue paper flower didn't do anything for me but thought I'd give it a whirl and add it anyway.  I didn't make one for my Tim version.  Now I know why...lol!

I hope you've enjoyed the 24 tags I've created following along with Tim and the 12 Tags of Christmas and the Wendy Vecchi version.  The lessons I learned will be fun to put to use in future art pieces.

Tim's tags for Days 1-3 but Wendified

Since all 24 tags are now complete and hanging on my new display tree, I'll get back to showing the rest of the Wendy style of Tim's tags.  First up is Day 1.  I really, really love this one and how vibrant it is.

Studio 490 supplies:  Art For Men, Dimensional Rose Art, Art Rules

Tim supplies:  Tag & Bookplate, mini flourishes dies; Kraft Core #12, #19; grungeboard; Retro Circles embossing folder

Ranger supplies: Jet Black Archival Ink; Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive Distress Stains; Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce Distress Inks; Antique Linen Distress Stickles

Misc.:  holographic cardstock, Martha Stewart branch punch, starfish & shell beads, seahorse charm, Christmas ornament hanger

Day 2 was all about creating your own resist on a kraft tag. 

Studio 490:  Art From The Heart, Label It Art, Just Word Art, Love To Make Art; Art Parts heart

Ranger:  Jet Black Archival Ink; kraft tag; Picket Fence Distress Stain; Festive Berries, Evergreen Bough, Iced Spruce, Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo Distress Inks; Perfect Pearls Mist-Pearl; Sticky Backed Canvas; Gold Paint Dabber

Tim:  grungeboard, brackets die

Misc.:  scrabble tiles, 'u' charm, green brads, soulmate brad, Martha Stewart ribbon, holiday cording

Day 3 found us coloring stamped words with different colors.  This can be quite dramatic. 

Studio 490:  Card Art Essentials

Ranger:  Kraft tag; Peeled paint, Stormy Sky, Fired Brick Distress Ink re-inkers; Tea Dye Distress Ink; Perfect Pearls Mist - Gold

Tim:  Kraft core #12

Misc.: evergreen wreath, red bow, Martha Stewart ribbon






Tomorrow I'll share Days 10, 11 and 12 with you.  If you haven't tried using non-Tim things on your tags, you don't know what you're missing!

Day 12 - the end...sigh

until next year...at least I hope Tim does them again!  I've created tags for the 5 years he's done them and learned so much along the way.  It's also been fun creating them later in the year to suit other occasions or holidays.  After all, it's more about the techniques and finding new ways to use dies, stamps, etc. than it is to copy his tag.  Nothing wrong with that, especially when I'm trying to make certain I've mastered the particular technique.

No tissue here, in fact my local stores don't have any so I opted for snowflake tissue tape.  I'm actually happier with it because I could leave gaps and add another layer of color there.  I followed along with the steps but used my own ideas instead of the dwelling and frozen charlotte (those are just too weird for me to use but I can appreciate them from an antique point of view).

Tim supplies:  Season's Silhouettes background stamp; Holiday Lamppost, Carnevale, Festive Greenery, Vintage Lace dies; grungeboard & grungepaper;

Ranger supplies:  Jet Black, Saffron, Coffee Archival Inks; Glossy Accents; Picket Fence Distress Stain; Antique Linen, Forest Moss, Fired Brick Distress Stickles; Walnut Stain, Iced Spruce, Peeled Paint, Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany, Tumbled Glass Distress Inks; Black, Silver Paint Dabbers;

Misc. supplies:  HVAC tape; snowflake buttons, ribbons

Okay, so I think Jet Black Archival Ink and Glossy Accents are my 'must haves' when I'm stranded on a deserted island!  LOL, seriously, have you ever used them so much?  But they are so gosh darned invaluable!