"Persevere"

Persevere- 1. the act of steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, or continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition, or discouragement. 2. to be steadfast. 3. to continue in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.

Okay...so why am I giving you a vocabulary lesson? Well, when I first read the challenge for the Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group this time of "A Stencil and Some Stamping", I thought to myself, "Oh this will be so easy!" NOT! It lead me to thinking, dang it! I don't want to think! I just want to do! But alas, my inner self won over, as usual, and I had to think. Next thing you knew I had picked a word...a dreaded word...the one thing I said I would not buy in to. So many in Blog Land are picking a word...a mantra....a manifesto....a resolution! Why? Well, because we ALL want to better ourselves....right?
Well, I've thought about this word a lot, and think I probably need a good one to constantly remind me of certain things when I feel ah...not so good about things. Yes, sometimes I get a little down on myself. It's something I am not to good at talking about. I am usually a very upbeat kind of person, but sometimes the blues get me too. So what to do about those times? PERSEVERE! I can do it, and YOU can too! Whatever the "IT" might be.

I gessoed a jumbo sized manila tag (#10) to have a white base and some added strength.

I thought I would see if Alcohol Ink would work to color Wendy's yummy Embossing Paste. It does! I used Sandal. I applied this onto Wendy's Brick Stencil.

I trimmed the bottom portion of the stencil so it would match up to the top part I already stenciled, and added more paste to it. LOVE this stuff! After it dried, I inked the edges and bricks using Pumice Stone and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.

I painted up a piece of Clearly For Art.

I turned the piece of CFA over and stamped the Butterfly in Jet Black Archival. I gave this a quick dry, then cut it out. Using the heat tool again, I shaped the butterfly wings. LOVE this stuff too!

Using a fab sentiment by Wendy, a painted it all up and stamped in onto my bricks for a graffiti look. I also turned the tag upside down so I could use the hole to hang something from. I traced around the letter using a Black Glaze Pen so that they would really pop.

On an Art Part piece, I stamped the Ruler and Stamping Sign, using Jet Black. I gave this a nice inking with Walnut Stain.

Another Art Part, The Lady, was painted with Pitch Black Dabber, and then I found this Cosmo Crickett Everyday Words For An Artist in my stash. Love what they say! I decided to get funky and I covered her in some choice words. I was shocked I did this...maybe I was up to late. Needless to say, I wasn't sure I liked it. I also made her a heart and painted it up, and computer generated the word PERSEVERE.

Those stark white words kept bothering me, so I inked them up with Black Soot and then coated her with Crackle Accents. The Crackle caused the Ink to bleed and blend. I LOVED it! Now I love her! You can still read everything.

More CFA was stamped, and this time with a sign post.

More painting on the Post. I cut it out and heated it up to change the direction of the white sign. I stamped the colorful sign with 'Art', and computer generated 'Boring' for the white one. I put everything on the tag, and added lots of Idea-ology metal and some other metal from my stash.

 

 

 

 

Talk about old....I could barely find some links on some of the stamps I've used for this, and I couldn't find one for the butterfly. Sad...an oldie but a goodie. So, I am also submitting this to Simon Says Stamp & Show's challenge for "Embrace The Old", and Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog Challenge for "Favorite Stamp". 

Supplies:
From My Stash-  Stamper's Anonymous Art With Wings Stampgear charms, art girl charm, hangers, light bulb brad


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

December ATC's and Cards Received

Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you my ATC swaps from December from the All Things Tim Yahoo Group, as well as some fabulous cards and tags I received from some awesome blogging friends. I am a very blessed girl, and am truly thankful for all of you. You make my life rich!

ATC's:

Julie Case (I've always wanted to try the rolled paper thing, and not smoke it! This is fabulous! The sugary background is gorgeous!!!)

Sandy Nolan (He is adorable! Love the sentiment too! What a fun ATC!)

Donna Jean Eno (WOW! Elegant and so perfectly Christmas! A real stunner!)

Claudine Criner (The metallic looking snowflakes are AMAZING! What a cool design!)

And, here is mine again.

 Christmas Goodies:

From Redanne aka Anne

From This Life aka Sue

From Made By Sannie aka Sandra

From Curious n Crafty Treasures aka Annie

From World By Eliza aka Eliza

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Happy Birthday Tim Holtz!

First, sorry I've been AWOL. I needed a little break and some fun time with my kids, and when I was ready to get back to it of course I've had internet problems. Happy New Year though, I hope it's your best yet and most creative!

Happy Birthday to the man who is the reason why I blog. He opened my eyes to his grungeful (New word?) and industrial ways which now play a huge part in how I craft. He is the reason why so many of us craft like we do. He is an inspiration to us all. He brought the vintage scene to the forefront of paper crafting. Happy Birthday Tim Holtz! 

I made Tim this card last week, and then the next day Linda posted her last Compendium of Curiosities II Challenge of "A Birthday Card For Tim", so I was ahead of the game for once in my life...shocker I know. Thanks Linda! And, I've used a bunch of techniques from both books...are there any better than those?

Using Tim's Fireworks paper from his Seasonal Stack, I stenciled these fab Numbers Claudine's Sky Blue Paint and Ranger's Dabber in Sailboat Blue.

I misted the paper with Turquoise and Perfect Pearl Mists. I cut my paper to size and stitched around the pieces. I made enough for three other cards besides Tim's.

I used the Giant (#12) tags as the base for Tim's card. I stamped the regular size and mini size of the Numbers in Watermark Resist.

I cut strips from the Ruler paper from Crowded Attic and adhered them to Grunge Paper. I glued them to the edges of the tags to be the binding. Lots of inking on the edges with Walnut Stain came next.

I turned the tags over and joined the edges with Tissue Tape.

I measured out where to punch tiny holes for brads at 1.5 inches from each end and then in the center at 6 inches.

Brads and washers came next (I'm all out of washers and can't find any to buy...ugh!) I made pings in them to distress them up a bit.

In the inside of the card I covered the Tissue Tape and brads up with the tickets I saved from one of the cruises I went on for Tim's classes. I distressed them up a bit as well. I roughed up the edges of the now card and inked them as well.

When I stitched  the Firework paper to the black cardstock I also stitched odd tickets to it. I adhered this to the front of the card. I made a letter "T" as per Tim's directions for Grunge Block Letters. I changed up the numbers on the ticket as well.

For the inside of the card I made a ticket using the Fireworks paper, and I die cut Happy Birthday from a Sizzlet. It is colored with Espresso Color Wash and a Blue Glaze Pen.

 

Also submitting this to Simon Says Stamp & Show's challenge for "Tea Party - Anything Goes", or in this case "T" party...;0)...and the Sunday Stamper for "Writing".

Supplies:
From My Stash- tickets, Blessing stamp

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

My Top 10 Favorite Craft Products Of 2012

Well here it is...New Year's Eve! This year has flown by! It brought with it many happy and joyous times for me, and many new creative opportunities and blogging friends. Thank you to EVERYONE who follows, comments, emails, and watches! You have made this year the very best, and I am SO THANKFUL for all of you!

I am going to continue on with my tradition of listing my favorite genius creative products from this year that I added to my already mega huge hoarding stash! I really need a 12 step program...no joke!!! Some may have been around longer, but I just started using them this year. Feel free to tell me yours in a comment in case I haven't tried it and need to.

In no particular order:

1. Tim's Idea-ology Frosted Film
2. Wendy's Studio 490 Embossing Paste and Stencils
3. All of the Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Blueprint Stamps
4. Ranger's Inkssentials Specialty Stamping Paper
5. Ranger's Distress Markers
6. All of Ranger's Metallic Distress Stains
7. All of Dyan's Dylusions Ink Sprays and Stencils
8. Ranger's Inkssentials Jumbo (#10) and Giant (#12) Sized Tags
9.All of the Mudd Puddles
10.Ten Second Studio's Verday Paint

Happy New Year Crafters!!! I pray you have the very best 2013, and that you get to kiss the lips of the one or ones you love at midnight!  I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!