12 Tags Of 2012 - June

This week at Our Creative Corner, Linda Coughlin of the Funkie Junkie is hosting again, and man o man was I loving her challenge!!!  Linda wants you to show us your favorite Tim Holtz technique! She say, "Whether you are a fan of Tim Holtz or not", (bahahahahaha) "you have to admit he's had an amazing impact on the paper crafting industry for the past 10 years.  He's originated hundreds of new craft products and dozens of new techniques."  For inspiration, check out his many blog posts and tutorials, videos, or the Ranger Inc.blog. We can't wait to see what you create. 

Further inspiration and can be found on the other Design Team's blogs. Please check them out and see how Tim inspires them as well. 

Linda Coughlin- The Funkie Junkie

Vicki Burdick- It's a Stamp Thing

Sue Butler- Scrumplescrunch

Ann Marie Hile- Stampin' Anne

Wendy Janson-  It's All About Stamping

Marcy Kaminski - En Papillote Arts

Holly Kean- Kean On Paper

Irena Kowalczyk (aka Rudlis) - Love, Life and Crafts

Meihsia Liu- Simply Paper Crafts

Tui Nathan- Stampin Time

Lori Rider- The Diva Stamper

Kristin Tierney- Lilly Beth Boutique

Sharon Wheet- Designs by Sharon

You know I can go on for hours about Tim, but I won't....this time! And, you know there is no way I can pick a favorite technique...no way, no how....so I decided to go ahead and do the June tag and show two of the techniques, and use it for my DT piece as well. Here's the thing though....when I first saw Tim's tag, and eyed that he used the tinted photo technique, I was even more thrilled. I've been working on the same technique for a little present for my Mother's 75th birthday. I've printed so many versions of this picture, in various papers, different sizes, and hues, and just couldn't decide on which to use. Finally, I went with plain ol' black and white and on Specialty Stamping Paper. It takes the Distress Ink better and it's a little more vibrant. I couldn't be more pleased with this tag, and find myself staring at it often. I think it's my new favorite tag, or it could just be that gorgeous picture of my very beautiful mother at such a young age. She looks like a star....oh wait, she is! She is my Star!!!
Distress Stains Marbled Background Technique:

Apply Picket Fence Distress Stain in the middle of a craft sheet, and in circle it with other various colors of stains. Drag a dry manila tag straight through the stains, and repeat until all of the tag is covered. While drying with a heat tool spritz the tag with water to make a marbled effect. Continue drying with a heat tool until completely dry.

Here is my completed background, after I stamped the flourish flowers image in Jet Black Archival.

 Distress Ink Photo Tinting:

Print a photo out in black and white or sepia using an Ink Jet or Laser Printer. Glossy photo paper usually works best, but Specialty Stamping Paper was better in my opinion. Using a Craft Nib, color in the parts of the image you feel need color with Distress Ink. I used Victorian Velvet on her dress. Using an Ink Blending Tool, apply a light tone of ink to the background. Antique Linen or Tea Dye look very realistic. Ink the edges of the photo with a darker brown. I used Vintage Photo. Dry completely or use a quick blast of a heat tool. You can use Distress Markers for this, BUT the image will not be as soft and natural looking. They are much more vibrant straight from the marker.

The smaller picture is Specialty Stamping Paper, and the larger is Glossy Photo Paper from HP. You can see that the smaller is more vibrant but still soft, and that is the look I wanted.

 

I am also submitting this tag to Unruly Paper Art's Reader Art Quest 2 challenge for "Best Bouquet". I love how the Stains transformed these little rosettes.
Supplies:
From My Stash- heart charm, rhinestones


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

7-4-1776

It's getting close to the time the United States celebrates Her independence, and there have been a few challenges asking for red, white, and blue, so I thought I would make this plaque to commemorate the occasion. I also wanted to combine this with the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group challenge of "circles & hearts" from Wendy's Book 3. I will link it up to the Sunday Stamper and The Artistic Stamper's challenges of "red, white, and blue".

I made a boo boo and reversed my 4 and 7, but I guess it can represent a European style date.

First, I adhered a quarter sheet of Tim's 4th of July collage paper to an Art Part, and then adhered the top part completing the frame.

I cut strips from old blue jeans and adhered them to the frame, allowing the ends to fray.

On the sides of the frame, I stamped Wendy's ticking image in Manganese Archival Ink. I stamped the star border using Snow Cap Acrylic Paint Dabber.

I painted stripes of red and white on the ticking image using Paint Dabbers. 

I inked the flowers with Barn Door and then stamped the coordinating flower image on them in Jet Black Archival.

I inked the stems in Bundled Sage and stamped them with the dots image in Jet Black Archival as well. I arranged all my pieces and adhered them. I stamped the hearts and sentiment in Jet Black and then colored them in with Distress Markers. Glossy Accents was added to the white areas to highlight the images. Wooden bits, letters, and star Blossom Buckets were adhered to further embellish the plaque. A mini bungee cord was used to hang the plaque.

Supplies:
From My Stash- denim scraps, vintage wooden and paper letter tiles, bungi cord


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Kraft & Twine Time!

The fortnightly challenge continues this week at Frilly & Funkie with the Funkies. Our host, Linda Coughlin, of the Funkie Junkie, wants to see Kraft & Twine. Frilly or Funkie, from kraft cardstock to recycled corrugated cardboard, let's see how creative you can be. You still have a week left to upload your projects to be eligible to win a gift certificate to the Funkie Junkie Boutique. If you need a little inspiration, please visit the other Designer's blogs. 

Linda Coughlin - The Funkie Junkie

Marjie Kemper - She Who Stamps and Scraps 

Teresa Kline - Paperie Blooms

Terry Horrall -  Terry's Work In Progress 

Sue Carrington - Stamping Sue Style 

Tammy Roberts - Paperie Sweetness

For my card/tag, I decided to do another project for Father's Day. This one is loaded with texture...embossing, repurposed packaging, wood, metal, and twine. It's the ultimate 'tool man' card. I can just hear "o ah hah hah" every time I look at it. It even has a little envelope to tuck a gift card in.

 

I am also submitting this to some manly sized challenges. My Mojo Monthly's challenge is "Man Up", The Stamp Man's Challenge is "Make It For A Man", Simon Says Stamp & Show's challenge is "Show Texture", and the Compendium Of Curiosities II Challenge is "Repurposed Packaging". I have also been introduced to two new challenges by Chris, Art With No Boundaries, where the challenge is "Anything Goes", and Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-Invent, for "Heavy Metal".

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

May Tags Received From ATT

I received gorgeous ATC's from the All Things Tim Yahoo Group in the mail while I was away with my family on vacation...love my happy mail!!! May's theme was "yellow".

Sandy Alsfasser (Texture galore, and check out those hub caps....love this Sandy!)

Stephen Jew (This looks and feels like real wood. Love the whole design, and those drops look like real honey or amber.)

Susan Salyer (Gorgeous butterflies and love the pin...really adds texture.)

Claudine Criner (Love Tim's new die with the background. Great design, and those fibers and key are fantastic!)

And...here is mine again.

If you are on the fence about joining in a swap, give it a go! You will more than likely be pleasantly surprised with what you get back, and probably learn some technique from your participants!
I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Metal Tags Tutorial

To see the new challenge at Our Creative Corner, please click here!

A couple of weeks ago, Linda, for the Friday Focus at Frilly & Funkie, showed you how to create metal embellishments that were fabulous and real show stoppers. I am going to add to that for this Saturday Step By Step, and give you a quick tutorial showing you a few ways to create metal embossed tags.

Cut a piece of Foil Tape Sheet to fit a jumbo sized tag.

Apply the Foil Tape and use a brayer to flatten it for better adhesion. Trim the fol and punch the hole for the tag.

Using a Texture Fade of your choice, emboss the image on the tag. From this point, you have many options. The following snippit samples show you two options.

Sample #1: Apply Acrylic Paint Dabber making sure to get into every crack and crevice, let dry, then sand the top until a shiny finish appears. You can add an embossing medium and UTEE  to the whole image, and then heat emboss, for a wonderful thick glaze.

Sample #2: Apply Vintaj Ink Patina, let dry, sand the top, then apply the Vintaj Glaze.

Add drops of a darker Alcohol Ink straight from the bottle.

Using an Alcohol Ink Tool, dab the drops of ink on the tag. Add more darker ink and gradually add lighter colors until you achieve your desired look and color.

You can stop at this stage. The following snippit sample shows you another look using all the same techniques as this, but with more lighter Alcohol Ink than dark.

Sample #3

Sand the raised edges of the embossed design using a very fine grit paper or use a Vintaj Reliefing Block. Apply Vintaj Glaze or use UTEE heat embossing. When dry, add your embellishments and ribbon.

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Frame's The Name Of The Game!

A new week, equals a new challenge at Our Creative Corner!  Our hostess again, Sue Butler of Scrumplescrunch, wants to see an "Embellished Frame".   Make the frame the primary focus. She wants it to be the first thing you see before the image or text. Your creation can be off the page, out of the box, or whatever obscure title you come up with. In other words, it does not have to be a card or tag. So have a play and have some fun and enjoy the experience. Try mixed-media if you dare!

If you are looking for mounds of inspiration for this terrific challenge, check out the Design Team's work, as well as our Guest Designer LeAnne Pugliese of WeeInklings.  I am absolutely floored by the creativity this week by the team...a real wow!

Linda Coughlin- The Funkie Junkie

Vicki Burdick- It's a Stamp Thing

Sue Butler- Scrumplescrunch

Ann Marie Hile- Stampin' Anne

Wendy Janson-  It's All About Stamping

Marcy Kaminski - En Papillote Arts

Holly Kean- Kean On Paper

Irena Kowalczyk (aka Rudlis) - Love, Life and Crafts

Meihsia Liu- Simply Paper Crafts

Tui Nathan- Stampin Time

Lori Rider- The Diva Stamper

Kristin Tierney- Lilly Beth Boutique

Sharon Wheet- Designs by Sharon

First of all, I have to apologize. I made this card in about 10 minutes, while on my way out the door to yet another conference. I have been gone a total of 15 days in the last 16 days, and while I did try to make a ton of projects before hand, I never had time for this one. It is certainly NOT my best work, but for a 10 minute card it is not that bad. I could have declined this challenge, but that is just not me. It would have to be a major issue for me to ever skip out. This is why there is a whole lotta DT members...in case one slops up. Please stop by their blogs...very impressive I tell you! I will be so happy to be home for a while next week.

Supplies:
From My Stash- black snap


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!