Oh, my gosh!  Here it is the end of October already!  What a busy month it has been!  We welcomed Hurricane Matthew at the beginning of the month and thankfully survived.  So many people were affected by the storm.  The next weekend I was very privileged to be able to attend two Tim Holtz classes at Everything Scrapbooks & Stamps over on the other coast.  I cannot tell you how much fun that was!  I learned so much and had many "Ah Ha!" moments!  Tim is a great teacher and Mario keeps things rolling and organized - What a great team!

So, my normal monthly post is

I started out by creating a patchwork collage using pieces from the ephemera pack - Curiosities.  The tag still had open areas after I made my choices.  

I decided to stamp the tag with the Wallpaper Stamp in black Archival ink, then layer the ephemera pieces.  After securing the pieces on the stamped tag I applied a layer of Crazing Collage Medium on top and allowed to dry.  Then went in with a Black Soot Distress Crayon to shadow and smudge the edges.  A Picket Fence Distress Crayon was applied to highlight.  Picket Fence paint was watered down a little and splattered on the tag using the splatter brush.

I added the spider with a piece of wire - secured it on the backside of the tag.

To begin the 2nd part of this project I knew I didn't have any of the Frankenstein or other mask dies to use as the focal point.  I thought about using one of the crazy birds but felt it would get lost on the tag.  I decided to use the black cat from the Halloween Blueprint 3 set.  I stamped and cut it out and traced the pattern on the back of a piece of card stock that had the front side covered with a foil tape sheet.  I also cut out an extra face.  I used the bat texture fade to emboss the cat.

Black Soot paint was applied and buffed to remove some paint on the high points of the pattern. Sticky backed foam tape was applied to the face and the back of the cat after it dried completely.

A Halloween typed token was colored with a Picket Fence Distress crayon and added to a piece of jute with a Crypt Cameo pendant and some ribbon to finish the tag.

So much spooky fun!

Now, I ask you.... Does your work space look like this while doing a project? This is only half of the work space, lol.  

Tim Holt'z 12 Tags of 2016 -September Inspiration

Another busy month!  Well, I finished my September Tag - Inspired by Tim Holtz!

I finally got my hands on some Yupo paper and I have to say from how it reacted with this technique it is a very cool product.

The background distress painting turned out beautifully.  I used broken china, salty ocean, peeled paint, forest moss and antiqued bronze.  Then distress inks were added, spotted with water and dried.

Slate and Mushroom Alcohol inks were spread on the Yupo.  One of the stamps from the Evolution set was used with Black & Hickory Smoke Archival Ink., the  image was wiped and appeared.  The resist technique worked- its really fascinating!  A Dylusions Stencil was used to remove the alcohol ink.  I must have used too much because at the top of the image the squares aren't very defined.  But, as I went on the resist technique became more defined.

If I had black alcohol ink the image would have "popped" more.  The resisted background takes on a bluish hue that really compliments the base - Thanks Tim for the inspiration!  

Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of 2016 - August

Yes, it has been quite some time - I have to admit, well I don't really need to admit it - it is apparent that I am blog illiterate.  The past two months have been filled with lots of business, friends, family and travel and for that I am eternally grateful.

Every month I look forward to Tim's Tag of the Month - I love the challenge.  I am a methodical and orderly thinker and I find that it allows my creative side to come to the surface.  First, and foremost I am honored that my tag was chosen in June.  I cannot tell you the thrill and awe that I felt when I saw that my project was picked.  Like many of you I have followed Tim and Mario on their journey of creativeness.

So, that brings me to the August tag -

So, I dove in and started my tag.  I began this tag at the beginning of August.  While we were in the midst of the fascination and challenge Creative Chemistry - I cannot tell you how inspiring those classes were this summer.  CCI & CCII were taken a few years ago and I absolutely loved going through the classes again!  So the bulk of this tag was done the first week of August and here it is the last day and I am finally posting it.  I don't know if it ever happens to you, but I got stumped.

The tag was inked with Weathered Wood Stain.

Distress Inks were added with a Mini Blending tool.

I found this in my scrap bin.  Looks like I was trying to create weathered wood, but I always saw it as a zebra in need of better nutrition.  But the weathered wood tone blended with the background so I adhered it to some tag board and die cut it with the Trellis Frameworks die.

Found some remnants of papers in my stash,  I love adding the foil as a random touch.  It seems to lighten up the projects in a subtle way.  

I tried using the Wildflower thinlets die - (Sorry about the sideways image) - But I think I made my background too bold and the flowers weren't standing out enough.

So, I tried feathers - um, no, I wasn't feeling it.  This is when I stepped away to work on another project and go visit my family in Texas. 

When I came home I looked at it again.  I tried the bird on a branch and it sang to me.  That and I had the new Coldplay song "Up and Up" singing in my head.  

I know the next photo will be random for this type of project but I just could not resist! 

Thanks for taking the time to have a look - Hope you have a great day!

June 13, 2016

Creative Chemistry 101 - I took this class several years ago and I am really having a great time reviewing and focusing on these techniques again.

Here are my attempts for Week #2:

Day 4 - Since I only have one re-inker (Peeled Paint, of course) I couldn't exactly watercolor with one color - however, since I just typed that I realized that I could, I just didn't try.  I will have to try it.

So, I tried the Layered Misting Technique and got the following result.

Stains for base:  Shaded Lilac, Seedless Preserves and Worn Lipstick

Stencil: Dyan Reaveley with Vintage Photo Stain

It's growing on me a bit - I like the contrast of the purples and the browns.

Day 5 - Stained Resist Technique

The honeycomb pattern with this pattern yearns for the yellows and golden colors of honey.  The base stain was a swipe of Spiced Marmalade.  Fossilized Amber, Rusty Hings, Riper Persimmon and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks were applied with a blending tool.  Water was spritzed and flicked and the edged were distressed.  Pulled out some vintage Stampin Up stamps (from back in the day) and stamped them in Black Archival.  

Day 5 - Stamping with Stains Technique

The background stains:  Peeled Paint, Weathered Wood & Broken China

Picket Fence stain on the Papillon Background Stamp. Washed out and dried.

Mermaid Lagoon and Brushed Corduroy highlight the edges.

Jet Black Archival Ink stamps the butterflies.

Day 6 - Watercolor with Markers

So, I bought this stamp years ago after visiting Yellowstone Park - Fabulous place everyone should enjoy!  I don't think I ever used this stamp until the other day.  Using markers, distress inks (to fill in for missing marker colors) and water brushes I had fun coloring and reminiscing about this trip.  Happy Trails to You!

12 tags of 2016 - june...

12 tags of 2016 - june...

I just love these challenges.  Here's my attempt at the June, 2016 challenge -

The background is the chambray textile surface.  Fired Brick and Picket Fence combine with the stripe stencil to make the plaid pattern.

I didn't have any substrate sheet for the overlay so I used some mat board, applied the tissue wrap and  collage medium.  Stamped a retired Fiskars clear background stamp in Archival Cobalt blue.

The Stacked Star Bigz die, which was the original spark for this project, was used to create the negative spaces.

Once the project was adhered I used a stitching stamp for a border.  Distressed and ink the edges.  Added white gel pen to highlight the stars. Some chit chat stickers and a star finish the project. 

June 4, 2016

Well, I am finally launching this blog.  Here's a project that I have made probably 10 times now and have had the fortune of sharing with some very special people.  Each one has been constructed in the same manner.  The magic occurs when the papers, colors and details come together. Of course, I only have pictures of a few because I tend to get caught up and forget to photograph them along the way.

The Eucalyptus Box

This is the finished box.  The lid lifts off and the box lifts out of the base.  The box then opens up and photo sleeves cascade from each side.

Next time I make one of these I will be more mindful of documenting the process.  The box becomes another type of a scrapbook of sorts. 

 I have made them for brides to document their engagement or weddings.

  

Boxes have been made for little boys who were just born (The JHM monogram) or just turned one-year old (The Thomas the Tank Box).  

This photo will not load correctly and the monogram turned out so well!

Here is one I made to celebrate my sister-in-law's Golden Jubilee!

Sometimes you just never know what you know.  There is always a silver lining.