Wendy Vecchi Stamp, Die, and Stencil Storage Binder

Hello everyone! Every year after Creativation, the Crafty Cave overflows with new goods launched at the show, and once I've organized I can finally play. This week, I've surrounded myself with some new goods from Ranger and Wendy Vecchi...delightful new product (yay more flowers!) and finally some dies!  Wendy has come out with a collection of value packs that contain acrylic stamps with coordinating dies and stencils, so I needed to figure out a way to store them. And with the a little help from Sizzix, here's what I came up with, plus it's functional Art!

Sizzix has all sorts of sizes of excellent quality storage envelopes for dies, so I used the 6 7/8 x 5 inch size to store Wendy's sets. I punched a hole in the corner, and added the label from the package so I know the name and product number for reference. They fit perfectly in Wendy's Stencil Binder. You can see my other binder in the upper left corner that I use to store all her stencils.

To decorate the binder I started out by using White Gesso to cover the surfaces so colors pop better.

I used the scalloped circle to ink in a sunrise using Wendy's Blendable Dye Inks. However, the Gesso made the surface so slick for these water based inks, and it didn't want to stick like I wanted to, but I had another plan that you will see below.

I inked in the sky with the inks, using sticky notes to separate the sky from the land. I also stamped in Wendy's new Register Background Stamp using her Archival. Then I rubbed on some Perfect Card Adhesive over the sun to keep that ink in place.

For the grass area, I inked over it with the Dye Inks and stamped over it with the Tiny Floral Background Stamp in Archival.

I added Wendy's new Washi Tape to the bottom and between the sky and grass. I inked the edges of the binders with Jet Black Archival. To make sure the rest of the ink didn't move I sealed the binders with Workable Fixatif...that was the trick and worked perfectly, as well as gave a nice sheen. I stamped the tree from the Art From Home stamp set from Wendy and Stamper's Anonymous using Fern Green Archival, but it just wasn't dark enough for me, so I stamped it again using Tim's Distress Paints, over and over again until I liked it. I painted in the branches and trunks.

I inked over the house from her coordinating  Mat Minis, using the Dye Ink, and went around the windows with a white pen. I added white vellum to the back for the windows, and filled them in with Glossy Accents. I made steps...sort of...with more washi tape, and added shadows with a black pen. Then I added on the fence pieces. I LOVE all her Mat Minis!

I used three of the new sets of Stamps, Dies, and Stencils for the flowers in the pots, die cutting them from Perfect Cardstock and inked and stamped them in. I added more embellishment with the pens, Perfect Adhesive, and Enamel Accents to finish it off.

Supplies: (Support Your Brick and Mortar Stores!!!)

(Scissors, Hole Punch, Craft Sheet, White Paint Brush, Sticky Notes, Washi Tape)

-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Make Art Stamp, Die, Stencil Set: A Million Thanks, Country Flowers, Flower Pot, Flowers Say It All

-Sizzix Storage Envelopes: 6 7/8 x 5 inches

-Stamper's Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Art Parts: Stencil Binder

-Ranger Dina Wakley Media Gesso: White

-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Make Art Blendable Dye Ink: Buttercup, Sunflower, Orange Blossom, Red Geranium, Bluebird, Thistle, Peat Moss, Fern Green, Watering Can

-Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool with Several Foams

-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Make Art Perfect Card Adhesive

-Stamper's Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Background Stamp: Register, Tiny Floral

-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink: Forget Me Not, Fern Green

-Ranger Wonder Tape: 1/4 Inch

-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Make Art Washi Tape: #1, #2

-Ranger Glossy Accents

-Krylon Workable Fixatif

-Stamper's Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Stamp Set: Art From Home

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Peeled Paint, Pine Needles, Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Walnut Stain

-Stamper's Anonymous Wendy Vecchi Mat Minis: Art From Home Coordinates, Picket Fences, Tiny Stars

-White Vellum

-Sakura Gelly Roll Pen: White, Black

-Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black, Pale Ochre

-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Make Art Perfect Cardstock Panels: White

-Ranger Detail Blending Tool

-Ranger Foam Tape: White

-Ranger Wendy Vecchi Enamel Accents: Leaf Green

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate all of you!
I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Ranger Mixed Media Powders Barnwood Wall and Funky Bouquet Card

Hi everyone! Today, I have one of the six cards I made for the Ranger booth at Creativation last month. This one uses Ranger's relatively new Mixed Media Powders, which I have come to love. They are mixtures of colors, grain sizes, and even grain luminosity so you have some shiny and some matte. They make for very cool textures on larger projects, and even can be used on detailed parts like these Funky Florals from Tim Holtz and Sizzix. I hope you enjoy!

I knew I wanted to create a barnwood wall of sorts with the powders, so I began by inking three of Tim's Distress Woodgrain Cardstock pieces with Distress Embossing Ink and then sprinkling a little of the Hammered powder here and there on each and heat embossed. Then I added the Bone powder to one sheet, the Scarlet to another, and the Sea to the last piece, layering them on top of the already melted Hammered.

Layering and then heating the powders made for a really distressed look, and I was hooked.

I trimmed the pieces either one inch or 1/2 inch, inked the edges with Coffee Archival, attached Tiny Fasteners to an end, and then adhered the pieces onto a Kraft Cardstock base, alternating colors and sizes to make the barnwood wall look.

Using pieces of Kraft, Mixed Media Cardstock, and Tim's Metallic Kraft Stock, I die cut a bunch of parts from his Sizzix Funky Florals 2 and 3, and the 'hello' from Shadow Script 2. Then I inked parts of them with more Embossing Ink and applied either Lime, Bone, Sea, or Scarlet to parts of the die cuts and heat embossed them. Some pieces I did nothing to. Then I layered them up into a bouquet and added the Idea-ology Linen Trimming. I mounted the card on corrugate for even more texture.

 

Supplies:

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Woodgrain Cardstock

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Ink

-Ranger Mixed Media Powder: Hammered, Bone, Sea, Scarlet, Lime

-Ranger Archival Ink: Coffee

-Ranger Surfaces: Mixed Media Cardstock, Kraft Cardstock

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Tiny Fasteners, Linen Trimming

-Vintaj Hole Punch

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology Metallic Kraft Stock: Confections, Jewels

-Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Thinlets: Funky Floral #2, Funky Floral #3, Shadow Script #2
-Ranger Multi Matte Medium, Adhesive Strips

-Corrugated Board

I have five more cards to show you from the show, and I'll be spreading them out over the next few months. Thank you so much for stopping by, and as always... 

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Clowning Around Valentine Playing Cards

Happy Love Day Eve everyone! ;0) Here are the Valentine Cards that I have sent out this year. I apologize for the photos. I'm on the road, away from everything I have and know for photos, so I made due. I also don't have photos of all the cards that I made...a whooping 24, and each one different...as I had to mail several out so they could be received on time and of course didn't snap a pic. Anyway, here are several of them and the step outs. Enjoy, and I hope you are feeling the LOVE of all those you care about tomorrow (and always) including from me. Happy Valentine's Day!!!

So I pinned a site that had these free clown images (Pierrot and Pierette as they are called on Wings of Whimsy), and then that lead me to another site (Graphics Fairy), and so I downloaded the images, printed them, and cut them out, Voila! Then came inking them and planning out my assembly line.

I inked Tim's Distress Heavystock panels with Antique Linen and Pumice Stone Distress Ink from Ranger, and flicked drops of water as well as Gathered Twigs Distress Ink from a Water Brush. Then I adhered Ranger's Adhesive Sheets to the backs for easy assembly.

I die cut Tim's heart from the Tiny Shapes Movers and Shapers and the 'k' and 'q' from 3/4 inch Alphanumeric Thinlets from Sizzix on the Heavystock panels to give the look of playing cards. Yes, I have a thing for making playing cards (I scour fleas looking for new collections.), especially on Valentine's Day cards if you can remember my cards from years past. I also cut either burgandy or red cardstock to fit the center of kraft cards with a pre-printed striped border that I purchased from a craft store.

I added Wendy's new Washi Tape around the borders of the panels. Then I used a Marvy DecoColor Premium Gold Leafing Pen (My new fav!) to outline the card base and the insides of the cut out letters and hearts.

I couldn't wait to get Tim's new Sizzix Faceted Heart Thinlets and use them on these cards. I experimented with various papers, vellums, and acetates, using both sizes of hearts, to find the perfect make and fit for these cards. I finally decided on the smaller heart and using a very thin acetate (the backing from Tim's Mask Sheets of all things) to make my shaker hearts work. To make them, I pounced on Latte, Pebble, and Lake Mist Alcohol Inks onto the acetate first, and then die cut them. I tried about 6 different adhesives to secure them, and figured out that Ranger's 1/4 inch Wonder Tape was THE ONLY ONE that worked (It was strong enough to hold everything together once the heart was filled.). I filled the hearts with a mixture of sequins, beads, and chunky glitter. I cut out the little heart from a larger red foil heart doily (I often cut pieces out from foiled doilies as it looks so much like much more expensive Dresden Foil.), and adhered the Faceted Hearts to them.

I also used some of the other hearts I made on a few of the cards since I liked them, but originally and in my head, I planned on using the smaller of these, still made from acetate but covered with Rock Candy Distress Glitter. Alas, I decided I wanted to see the guts inside better, so I went with the non-glittered style. However, I will keep these and use them elsewhere as I love the vintage look of them.

I added the love day clowny kids to the cards along with metallic gold die cut hearts, and then added the Faceted Hearts. You can see a few of the other hearts I made in this picture. Then of course I had to add Stickles...it's just not a proper Valentine without Stickles!

  

If you've followed me awhile, you know the hubs is a Valentine baby, so this is his birthday/Valentine card. ;0)

 

 

 

 

And there you go! Thanks for stopping by, and for all the comments and likes on my last post about the Chocolate Box. I so appreciate all of you. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Tim Holtz Valentine Vignette Challenge Chocolate Box

Hello All!  I was thrilled to have been asked to participate in the Valentine Challenge over at The Crafty Scrapper. Thank you so much for having me again. The challenge was to use five pieces of Tim Holtz Idea-ology, Vignette Box, Frame, Panel, Baseboard, and Paper Dolls for a Valentine project. So I used that and a whole lot more to make this Valentine Vignette Chocolate Box.  I had a few mishaps along the way, but overall I was very happy with how it came out. 

These are the five products I decided to use to build my box.

I started off by lightly painting a coat of Antique Linen Distress Paint to the box, frame, and panel.

I was out of Matte Collage Medium, so I used Multi Matte Medium to adhere the Collage Paper to the box and panel. I painted the sides of the frame and panel with Black Tie Paint.

I colored in the images on the paper with Pitt Pens, and added Glossy Accents to the berries and centers of flowers. Then I coated the box and panel with a thick layer of Crazing Collage Medium. When that dried, I smudged Antique Linen and Hickory Smoke Distress Crayon to portions of the paper. I also misted Gathered Twigs Spray Stain to some parts.

I misted over the large frame with Festive Berries, Hickory Smoke, Gathered Twigs, and Antique Linen Spray Stain and let those sit for a minute before sponging some up. I attached a Clock Key to the center upper portion of the frame. I poured out a tiny bit of Resist Spray onto a craft sheet and painted over the black framed area of the Baseboard Frame so it wouldn't get any color on it. Then I applied more crazing to the rest of the frame. Once dried, I added Hickory Smoke Spray Stain into the tiny cracks to distress it, and I adhered it to the panel. I added silver foil to the large frame here and there with a bit of tacky dried Multi Medium.

I inked the edges of the Quote Chip and Paper Dolls with Gathered Twigs, and colored over the rest of the Quote Chip with Festive Berries using an ink blending tool. I colored in parts of the Paper Dolls with Distress Markers, and added Glossy Accents over their eyes, bow tie, and dog collar. I also used it to add on the Transparent Wings. I am in love with those! I colored over the hearts and roses with Crimson Alcohol Ink.

I used a Craft Pick to poke holes into the bottom of the frame for the Hinges, and used tiny screws to secure them. I adhered heavy acetate to the back of the frame. I colored the 14 with Pearl Mixative, and then layered on all my bits with Multi Medium and clear foam tape.

This part required too much thinking, but I needed a way to secure the lid so that when the chocolate was in the box it wouldn't pour out, and then there was the weight of the hinged door to think about. I drilled into a wooden cube the size of a magnet I had in my stash. The magnet would hold on to the screw from the Clock Key to keep the door closed. It worked wonderfully. Since the box is upright, I didn't want it fall over either. I needed a wide base, so I used the largest of the Vignette Bases, drilled a hole in the middle of it, and into the box where it would go. I knew I needed screws to affix it. I wanted a little more height, so I added a few washers and a timepiece to it. I secured a long screw into the box and threw all the pieces and tightened it with a hitch fastener. Then I filled it with another very heavy washer and poured Glossy Accents into it to hold it all together, and it gave the base a fantastic weight to keep the box steadied and upright.  I really should have used Ice Resin instead of the Glossy Accents but I was too lazy to mix it up...lol! I let this dry over night, and in the morning everything worked like I wanted. Phew!

I used the smaller Vignette Base for the top of the box, and adhered it the same way, drilling through it and this time adding a Compass Coin. I have a bunch of crystal knobs from my husband's Grandmother's house that I nabbed before it was sold, and colored it with Crimson Alcohol Ink. Since the screw was secured with a Hitch Fastener, the knob fit perfectly over it and gave more security when I adhered it with Glossy Accents. There was a little problem though as I guess some of the Alcohol Ink inside the knob hole was either not dried or flashed off, but there was a little ring of Crimson around the knob in the Glossy Accents. I panicked but let it dry, and in the end I sort of liked the colored ring...see pics below. I found a metal flower brad that fit perfectly into the knob hole at the top. I know that's a lot of work, but I want my box to last the ages.

I tried to make the red velvet inside the box have pleats that would adhere to the door so the chocolate wouldn't come tumbling out, but after several failed attempts...too many to list...I gave up and just lined the box and let it be. It's not the best design for sure, but it will work. I also added washi tape around the back of the door to cover up the the acetate edges. Then I attached the hinges to the box, and as luck would have it everything matched up and worked. I added a heart charm and velvet ribbon to the Clock Key to aid in pulling the door open.

  

 

 

 

You can see the red halo around the knob from the Alcohol Ink...ugh...but it does have artsy look. LOL!

 

I really wish I could have figured out the expanding pleats to keep the chocolate in the box and not allow the door to open so much, but then I wouldn't have this yummy photo!

 

Materials:

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Vignette Boxes, Vignette Panels, Vignette Frames, Baseboards, Paper Dolls, Botanical Collage Paper, Vignette Bases, Vignette Hardware, Hitch Fastener, Timepieces, Compass Coins,  Clock Key, Hinges, Jump Rings, Transparent Wings, Quote Chips, Arrow Adornment, Numeric, Treasure Adornments, Heirloom Roses, Mirrored Hearts, Floral Adornments

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Antique Linen, Picket Fence, Aged Mahogany, Festive Berries

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Crazing

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Brush

-Tim Holtz Tonic: Sanding Grip, Kraft Pick

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Resist Spray

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain: Antique Linen, Hickory Smoke, Festive Berries, Gathered Twigs

-Ranger Paint Dabber: Black Tie

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons: Antique Linen, Hickory Smoke

-Faber-Castell Pitt Pens

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs, Festive Berries

-Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Markers: Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet, Festive Berries

-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink: Crimson, Meadow

-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Mixative: Pearl

-Ranger Vintage Foil Sheets: Silver

-Ranger Multi Matte Medium, Glossy Accents, Red Line Adhesive, Clear Foam Tape

-Carpe Diem Washi Tape: Kissing Booth

-Acetate, Red Velvet, Red Velvet Ribbon, Antique Crystal Knob, Metal Flower Brad, Washers, Wood Cube, Magnet, Screw Driver, Drill

Thanks so much for stopping by!!! I'll be back again soon with Valentine cards. Until then...

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!