October tag

Are you following along with Tim Holtz as he creates his 12 tags of 2013?  Here's my version which features the new distress glitter.  I only have black soot, antique linen and pumice stone so I had to figure out what theme would work best for them.  Halloween is perfect!

Ingredients:  #12 tag (4"x8"); black core core'dinations; Stampers Anonymous stamp sets (skeleton from Trick-or-Treat, ticket from Odds & Ends, text, spiderweb and spider from Mini Halloween 3, and barbed wire and bats from Mini Halloween); Sizzix dies (Caged Bird, Ticket Strip, Autumn Gatherings); Idea-ology (grungeboard, black tinsel twine); Ranger distress glitter (pumice stone, black soot), distress inks (crushed olive, pumice stone, black soot, walnut stain), distress paints (scattered straw, crushed olive, ripe persimmon, seedless preserves), archival inks (jet black, russet)

Now that the temperatures have dropped slightly so are the leaves.  I can finally get into the groove of creating Halloween art.  Before you know it the temperatures will have dropped even more and it will be time (or past time!) to create holiday cards.  Time just flies by too fast!

Congratulations!

One of my nieces is getting married today in Colorado.  We're not able to attend the wedding but here's the card I sent via my folks.

I used Stardream Silver paper with a coordinating bankers' #10 envelope.  Can't remember when I got them, but probably from Marco's Paper at one of my very first conventions (and that was eons ago!).  This seemed like the perfect occasion to break open the cellophane.

The word and block (Endless Creations, Inc.) on the front were stamped in silver and had silver embossing powder heat set over the ink.  The 2 hearts were cut from a scrap of the same silver cardstock using Tim's mini heart die.

The interior sentiment was computer generated using Bernie 18 font.  I edged the white on white layer with a silver Sharpie.


Best wishes to Hannah and Erin!

Creative Chemistry 102 - Day 5 - embossable you

Today I feel I had mixed results with the techniques.  Some will take a bit more practice while others may benefit from more or less heat or a different color scheme.  But it was still fun creating tags using the techniques Tim shared.

 

Individually:

 Here's a list of the products and colors I used (in no particular order):

*Archival inks:  Jet Black, Sepia, Potting Soil, Red Geranium
*Distress inks:  Black Soot, Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers, Gathered Twigs, Seedless Preserves, various greens, embossing, Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo
Distress stains:  Spun Sugar, Tea Dye, various greens
*Distress paints:  Bundled Sage, Black Soot
*Stamp sets:  Artful Things, Nature's Elements, Papillon, Season's Silhouettes, Mixed Media, Thankful Silhouettes, Halloween Blueprint 2, Mini Blueprint 2, Simple Sayings, Mini Holidays 3
*Sizzix: Styled Labels, mini m&s deer, mini m&s lock & key, Carved Ornament
*Misc. Ranger products: Distress Glitter, Sticky Embossing Powder, Vintage Photo distress embossing powder, Enchanted Gold embossing powder, Frosted Crystals embossing powder, watermark resist ink, silver embossing powder, clear embossing powder, UTEE
*kraft core'dinations cardstock
*leafing

This week I've learned that I need to use my paints more so they don't dry out, keep trying new things, and that glittery things are still not my style.  And to close the window by my desk and turn off the overhead fan when working with leafing.  But I sure do look pretty now!  lol

Creative Chemistry 102 - Day 4 - Alcohol inks

It's a gorgeous fall day so the windows are wide open so I don't fall into a drunken stupor while playing with the alcohol inks and blending solution.  You definitely need good ventilation when using these products!

The one technique I used more blending solution than I should have but I actually like the results but I'll know better for next time.  Less really is more.

Here are the ingredients I used but not in any particular order.

*Stencils:  Burlap, Schoolhouse
*Alcohol inks:  Butterscotch, Caramel, Latte, Meadow, Stonewashed, Sunshine Yellow, Sailboat Blue, Raspberry, Gold Mixative, Peach Bellini, Sunset Orange, Terra Cotta
*Stamp sets:  Attic Treasures, Mini Holidays, School Desk, Captured Moments, Artful Flight, Lost & Found, Papillon, Mini Halloween 2, Warehouse District, Worn Text
*Archival inks:  Jet Black, Monarch Orange, Saffron, Watering Can, Cornflower Blue, Potting Soil, Red Geranium, Orange Blossom
*Adirondack ink:  Slate
*Watermark resist ink
*Distress inks:  Tea Dye, Weathered Wood
*Distress stains: Shaded Lilac, Tumbled Glass, Weathered Wood
*Idea-ology:  tinsel twine, adornments, fragment

If you haven't looked into taking this amazing class, please do so.  The price is right, the material will always be available for review and referral, there is a student gallery and a forum for questions and discussion.  You do need Creative Chemistry 101 as a prerequisite but again, you won't be sorry!

Creative Chemistry 102 - Day 3 - I'm so distressed!

NOT!

Today we're experimenting with lots of distress products.  I think these have been my most successful attempts at following directions...but using my own ideas.  Some I don't like as much as others but it's all about the learning process.  I still had fun and will definitely be trying some of these techniques again in the near future.  Can't wait to see what's on tap for tomorrow!

Creative Chemistry 102 - Day 2....stencil mania!

Another busy day attending Tim Holtz' Creative Chemistry 102 classes!  Finally got the 2nd day's samples made and photo'd.  I'll share them with you...some are better than others but at least I tried.  I know practice makes perfect and sometimes it's the stencil and coloring medium than can make or break your idea.  Sigh.

Good ole blogger...a mind of it's own when it comes to arranging photos and text. 

This lesson features stencils and using distress inks, distress paints over them, through them, and on them.  And another technique that I'd not thought about because I thought they'd be too thin to make this work.  But it does if you have what it takes to make it happen.  Curious?  Then you need to be taking the class if you haven't signed up already.

I used plenty of distress inks, paints and stains, not to mention archival inks, Glossy Accents, distress glitter, some Sizzix dies, an embossing folder or 2, and some rub-ons.  I'm learning a lot from the videos and thankfully they'll always be there for me should my rememberer need refreshing!

Like the lens with the 'no' tag on it?  That's in recognition of my upcoming cataract surgeries; hopefully I won't have to wear glasses at all once the 2 procedures are done.  But readers may be in my future.  Oh well.  Better than what I've had for the past 50 years.

On to see what's on tap for Day 3!

Creative Chemistry 102 - Day 1 samples

Oh my gosh!  I've just finished the Day 1 sample tags and am already overwhelmed with inspiration!  It was so much fun to watch the videos then apply what I learned using my own ideas.  Day 1 is all about ways to use the new distress paints.  Some of the methods I'd tried before; some were more successful than others.

Distress Paint Marbling

Altered Surface

Eroded Metallic

Stamping Resist

Industrial

                                                                                       

Colored Crackle

I'm not going to try to figure out why Blogger is being so difficult with positioning.  Sheesh.

Distress Paint Marbling: distress paints, distress inks, Remnant Rubs, Remnants stamp set, Playful Journey stamp set, Air Travel stamp set, archival inks

Colored Crackle:  grungepaper, Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, distress paints, distress stain, Oval Diffuser, Jack-o-lantern silly face die, burlap texture fade, distress ink

Altered Surface:  Thankful Silhouettes stamp set, Mini Blueprints 5 stamp set, Jet Black Archival Ink, distress inks, distress paints, Idea-ology fragment

Eroded Metallic:  distress paints, mini snowflakes & 25 dies, Rock Candy distress stickles, Mini Holidays 3 stamp set, Jet Black Archival Ink

Stamping Resist:  Sizzix mini spider, black soot distress glitter, Trick-Or-Treat stamp set, distress inks, distress paint, Halloween Silhouettes stamp set

Industrial technique:  collage embossing folder, mini telephone die, distress paints, Good Thoughts stamp set, fiber, trim, Jet Black Archival Ink

Off to watch the Day 2 videos!