September - Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2016

I've been wanting to try Tim's Sept tag techniques all month -  and I finally got into my craft room last night to get at it before the month ended and it was too late!

and here's my version of Tim's Tag.

First I created a paint patina background on the manila tag according to Tim's tutorial.  I used Distress Inks in Antiqued Bronze, Cracked Pistachio, Weathered Wood , Mustard Seed and Fired Brick.

I spritzed the paints with water and dragged 3 tags through the mix - so I'll have two to use later!

Then I sponged Ranger Distress Hickory Smoke all over each tag and flicked with water.

 Next I took a piece from Alpha Parts Framed and colored it with Cracked Pistachio, Fired Brick and then Antiqued Bronze according to Tim's tutorial

Then I moved onto the Alcohol Ink resist part.  I rubbed Adirondack Alcohol Inks in Black Soot an Mushroom over panels of Yupo Paper.

I inked up some stamps from Tim's Mini Halloween set using Archival Jet Black and WV Archival Watering Can stamped them over the Yupo and rubbed immediately over the stamped images with a soft cloth to create the resist effect (at this point I got so involved in creating this cool panel I forgot to take photos!)  Then I laid Tim's Burlap stencil over the panel and pounced over it with Alcohol Blending solution - I had the sponge a little too wet so basically it just 'melted' the black it - but it gave a cool look anyway! 

Then I added some Remnant Rubs Curiosities, some Small Talk Occasions, and Ephemera/Frightful.  I layered the Yupo panel to a slightly larger black panel and then stapled it to the tag base.  I dropped some Black Soot Alcohol ink onto three Heirloom Roses - dried them with my heat tool and glued them to my tag.

I'll definitely be trying this super cool Alcohol Resist technique again!  LOVE the shadowy look it creates!

You'll find lots of inspiration from others who have  linked up over at Tim's blog here.

I'm also linking my tag to the following:

Addicted to Stamps - Holiday

My fellow A Vintage Journey Creative Guide - Brenda -has a Halloween Giveaway for one randomly chosen person who links up a Halloween Creation!

Stamps:  Mini Halloween Set - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  #8 Manila Tag, Yupo, True Black - Papertrey Ink.
Ink:  Ranger Distress Hickory Smoke, Archival Jet Black, Wendy Vecchi Archival Watering Can, Adirondack Alcohol Inks Black Soot and Mushroom.
Accessories:  Idea-ology Alpha Parts Framed, Small Talk Occasions, Ephemera Frightful, Remnant Rubs Curiosities, Trimmings Naturals Black/Cream, Jute String, Mini Attacher, Heirloom Roses, Distress Water Sprayer - Ranger.

Shades of Pink and Grey for Christmas

Today I finally got a chance to join in with the Merry Monday Challenge

The photo immediately made me pull out the Joyful Christmas stamp and die set from PTI - I just LOVE these bottle trees!  They bring back memories of my childhood Christmases 

(although ours were always green in the olden days!)

I stamped two trees in Hibiscus Burst Ink and one in Sweet Blush.  The tree stands and stars are stamped in Stormy Sea -  all from PTI.

I layered the trees on foam dots over a panel cut with a Wonky Stitches die from Avery Elle.  I layered the stitched panel with foam dots over a white panel and stamped one of the sentiments from Joyful Christmas beneath the stitched panel.

I used the Freshly Made Sketch for my card design

Also linking my card to:

Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More - Holiday

Stamps:  Joyful Christmas - PTI
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Stormy Sea, Hibiscus Burst, Sweet Blush - PTI
Accessories:  Dies - Joyful Christmas Dies - PTi, Wonky Stitches Dies - Avery Elle, foam dots, clear rhinestones - Michaels.

Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Yikes!  where was I??? I almost missed the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog hop! But luckily saw it two days before it ends!

I was excited to use this wonderful sentiment stamp from Stampendous that I purchased after the last Coffee Lovers blog hop. (I'm always looking for coffee/tea stamps now, aren't you??!!)

I added two die cut leaves using dies from PTI - one out of Kraft Core Coredinations paper that I sanded to expose the kraft.

I die cut the other leaf out of patterned paper from PTI.  I colored the mug and FRIEND in fall colors of Zig Brush pens.

I die cut the panel with a Wonky Stitched die from Avery Elle and popped it up over the leaves with foam dots.  I sponged all the edges with Ranger Distress Vintage Photo ink.

I'm off to the Coffee Lovers Blog to see the plethora of coffee/tea/cocoa cards linked up there!  There are tons of prizes to be won - so get yours linked up too!

I'm also linking my card to:

Freshly Made Sketches

The Male Room
Leaves and/or Trees

Stamps:  Shared Coffee - Stampendous
Paper:  Rustic Cream and Text Style Autumn Abundance - PTI, Kraft Core - Coredinations.
Ink:  Cocoa Bean - PTI, Vintage Photo Ranger Distress.
Accessories:  Leaf dies - PTI, Wonky Stitches dies - Avery Elle, foam dots, enamel dots - Michaels, Zig Clean Color Brush Pens.

Papertrey Ink September Blog Hop

I just love the inspiration photo for this months' Papertrey Ink Blog Hop and I knew just which stamps to pull out to create my card!

I got out the Spruce and Sprigs stamp set and coordinating die set - as well as two label dies - Tag Sale #10 and Tag Sale #2.  Everything is popped up on foam dots.  I looped a piece of twine through the hole in the tag and let the ends dangle long.  The sentiment is from O Holy Night.

Holly is  my favorite holiday foliage.  One card closer to having this years Christmas cards done!

Here's the link to the hop.  I'm heading over to see all the festive entries!

I'm also linking my card to:
That's Crafty Challenge - Christmas in September
Sweet Stampin Christmas - Christmas Die cuts

Stamps:  O Holy Night, Spruce and Sprigs - PTI
Paper:  White, Kraft, True Black - PTI
Ink:  Simply Chartreuse, Cocoa Bean, Pure Poppy - PTI
Accessories:  Dies - Tag Sale #10, Tag Sale #2, Spruce and Sprigs Die Collection - PTI, twine, foam dots.

Ghoulish Greetings!

I resigned from the Fusion Card Challenge Design Team last spring - but I still love the challenges!  And the first challenge of the season was this month, with a fun new graphic design.

 At first I thought I was going to make a wedding card - based on the inspiration photo - but then I realized I needed to get cracking on making a lot of Halloween Cards to sell at our Church Fair in October (Is September really more than half over already??!!)- so this is what I was inspired to make instead!

I found this fun rub n by K and Company in my 'Halloween' drawer and thought it was perfect for the inspiration!   I sponged Green Parakeet ink from PTI over a white panel - and then added the rub on.  

Not sure you can see it -  but there are gray stars and moon in the sky and orange faces on the pumpkins and orange writing on the gravestones!

So - I've got one Halloween card made!

Here's the  link to the Fusion Challenge

Also linking to:

House of Cards -  use a bird 

(there are birds and an Owl in the tree)

 

Stamps:  Goulish Greetings - A Muse
Paper:  White, Green Parakeet, True Black - PTI
Ink:  Green Parakeet - PTI, Archival Jet Black
Accessories:  Raven and Spider Rub Ons - K and Company, dew drops, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive.

Tall Pines in the Silent Night

I made this card for the Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers - For the Love of Letterpress.  Audie asked us to be inspired by something in her Letterpress Pinterest folder.  I was inspired by this shell card.

There's a great way to use your embossing folder to create the look of Letterpress.   First, you can just emboss the card which gives a raised image.   You can also ink the folder -  if you ink the back panel of the folder (just rub your ink pad over the panel) the ink will show up on the depressed part of the image -  if you ink the front panel of the embossing folder - the ink will be on the background and the raised image will be plain -  that's the technique I used on my card.

I  rubbed Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink pad on the front panel of my Tall Pines Embossing Folder and ran it through my Vagabond.  You can see how the ink is on the background and not on the embossed trees.

and here's the whole card with a sentiment from O Holy Night set from PTI that I inked with Classic Kraft Ink from PTI

While I had everything out on my craft table - I made 6 of these cards - using different sentiments from the stamp set - and not inking the embossing folder on some of them.  Need to get my Christmas card box filled so I'm not rushing to make them during the season!!

I'm also linking my card to:

Happy Little Stampers

Christmas Challenge - SONG

Stamps: O Holy Night - PTI 
Paper: Rustic Cream - PTI
Ink: Ranger Distress Antique Linen, Classic Kraft - PTI
Accessories: Tall Pines Embossing folder - Tim Holtz/Sizzix/Alterations

Jurassic World Birthday

So Grandnephew Landon turned 6 on Sept 7th and today we are celebrating his birthday at Celebration Kingdom.  Landon LOVES dinosaurs and so I made the theme of his personalized b'day card Jurassic World!

I googled Jurassic World and found these photos from the movie

Then I looked through recent photos of Landon his mum, Katie, has sent me on my iPhone and thought these might work for my card.

At a nature park looking through binoculars with sister, Mila, standing next to him.

and at a playground

I embossed a piece of black card using Eileen Hull's Honeycomb embossing folder as it mimicked the cage on the dinosaur photo. I cut out Landon from the photos and popped swinging Landon up on foam dots right in front of the dino's jaws!
(he'll get a kick out of that I think!)

I added a die cut 6 (his age!) and some Idea-ology Small Talk stickers.

I placed the other Landon looking at the scene, popping this one up on thick foam dots so it stands out a little more than the swinging Landon.  I also added the Jurassic World sign above him on foam dots.

You can see how the pieces are popped up on this photo.

And, as usual - I've added a die cut Small Easel so the card stands up for display.  (this card is 8 1/2" x 4 3/4" and the easel is a little taller so I had to trim off a bit at the top but it worked out fine.

I always breathe a sigh of relief when I've finally created the kids personalized cards -  deciding on a theme and then finding good photos is so stressful!   But I'm always happy with them when I'm done and I really do LOVE making them their own special cards on their birthdays! 

I'm linking my birthday card to the following:

Seize the Birthday

The Toppings is frames - My photo is framed in the black panel

ETA:  adding a few photos from Landon's fun party!

As can be seen from the photos - everyone had a GREAT time!

Paper:  Kraft, True Black, Green Parakeet - PTI, photo paper.

Accessories: By the Numbers dies - PTI,  small easel die - Tim Holtz/Alterations, honeycomb embossing folder - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, foam dots, thick foam dots, Idea-ology Small Talk Stickers.