12 Tags Of 2013 - January

You cannot believe the squeal I let out when I read he was continuing on with the tags! Creative life just wouldn't be the same...right? Thank you for the inspiration Tim!
Nothing like waiting until the very last day! Here is my take on Tim's 12 Tags of 2013 for January. It's a little...okay a lot...industrially gaudy, but it makes me HAPPY! My hands have been stained for days...YIPPEE! Maybe I should add a little more! ;0)

And finally, after many inkings and stainings and combinations therein, I've also included an easy tutorial for a cool background technique (Which I used on my January tag.), that I finally figured out after trying and trying to achieve it this past year, to make a "Colorized Metal Blow Torch Look" on paper. It's an Art to make colorized metal and steel now, but back in the mid 1980's when I was a pimple faced teenager taking Welding and Metal Shop, everyone was cutting out cool shapes and making fabulous signs and such with acetylene torches, while I was just heating up the metal and making colors, being totally fixated on it. It all makes sense to me now, but back then, everyone probably thought I was a bit mental (Still do perhaps!) I love the color combinations and how it changes and manipulates itself....like a metamorphosis. If I could go back in time, I would have cut the metal into cool designs, colored it up, and sold the goods for thousands! Oh, and all the while buying all the IBM and Windows stock I could! ;0)

I've deduced that Aged Mahogany (My fav!), Rusty Hinge, and Walnut Stain Distress Inks seem to make the best base colors. I apply them using Tim's good old technique of blending the inks in a circular motion starting on the craft sheet and moving on to the tag to prevent lines. Give this a little blast of heat to dry. Sorry for the poor photo quality...night shot.

Here is the secret...applying Weathered Wood Distress Stain directly over the blended inks, and then drying. It never occurred to me to apply it like this, but it makes all the difference here. I like do it in stripes, only because that is how I worked my acetylene torch way back when. You will not compromise the color inside the Stain, as the dabber does not allow color in. If the pad get Distress Ink on it, just purge it on your craft sheet a few times while whipping clean the pad. Here is the tag with horizontal stripes, and....

...here is the tag with vertical stripes. Both of the tags are very interesting and really look like heated up metal.

Next, finish off using Tim's spritz and flick technique, by applying water in the palm of your hand and flicking it onto the tag. Dry it with the heat tool after a few seconds.

I got a little too much water on the right tag, but it definitely adds interests. I wish the photos were better, and I wish I found a good colorized metal photo on the internet, but here is the link to a youtube video of a man showing you how he colors metal with a torch. You will see what I mean, sort of, as he doesn't finish the piece, but you will get the gist. I will be doing this technique a lot, so I am sure I will be getting much better photos of the results again.

Back to my January tag...I embossed the horizontal tag from above using the gears, and rubbed straight from the pad, Black Soot and Walnut Stain Distress Inks in different areas of the tag.

I misted the tag with water and then with Ranger's  Sunflower Sparkle, Heirloom Gold, and Perfect Copper Perfect Pearls Mists in the spots of color that I thought coordinated with them, and then misted them with more water to dilute them a bit. I dried it thoroughly.

I took this in the dead of night and just couldn't get my lighting correct to pick up the way it looks like light is shining from behind the gears, so this really looks very plain, but it really is not.

The Sizzix Gears, Mini Clock, and Maya Road Wings were colored with Metallic Distress Stains, then painted with Distress Crackle a bit. After all of this dried, I inked it all up using Walnut Stain.

I added Tim's Idea-ology Ball Chain around the Clock Face and filled it in with Glossy Accents a bit to hold it together, before adding the crackled wings.

This is probably my favorite quote of all of the ones on all of Tim's Stamper's Anonymous images. I thought it was perfect to start off a new year. I stamped it in Jet Black Archival and heat embossing it with Aged Mahogany Distress Embossing Powder. I did the same for the Pointing Finger.

I wanted this Word Stick to match the Philosophy Charm is terms of patina, so I did my best using these Alcohol Inks. It worked very well, and looks down right old!

 

 

 

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

A Heart That Pops???

I have wanted to do a pop up card for some time (Been very intimidated to try it.), and  I have yet to do one, until the challenge at the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group has prompted me to get going on that. Our mission, (Should we choose to except it!) was to make a Pop N Cuts something or another, with a heart, some glitter, and some Wendy stamps. I think I took care of it all on this card for my extra wonderful In-Laws for Valentine's Day, except that I didn't have a Pop N Cuts anything, so instead I used a Sizzix Pop Up Spinning 3D Platform. 

I have to say, I totally love this new stamp set of Wendy's "Sunshine and Art"...the sun especially! He is grown up and not cutsie. I'm totally loving the Plaid design as well.

I stamped the Plaid in Cobalt Archival and the Gate Scroll in Jet Black and embossed it on the giant #12 tag from Ranger after I folded it in half to form a card.

I inked the sky portion with Salty Ocean Distress and the bottom with Cut Grass. I stamped the Sun in Jet Black onto Specialty Stamping Paper, cut it out, and colored it in using every shade of golden toned Distress Markers I have. I adhered that onto the card. I stamped a Floral Art Part with it's coordinating Floral image, colored it in with Distress Markers, and blinged it up using Stickles. It too went on the front of the card.

I stamped the sentiment onto Specialty Stamping Paper, dried it, and inked it using Picked Raspberry Distress Ink, then flicked some water on it. I dried it, and then sewed around the edges. I adhered this to the front of the card. I inked all the edges in Walnut Stain.

For the inside of the card I stamped the Script image in Yellow Chrome Archival, then I stamped the Tulips in Jet Black. I die cut the Spinning 3D Base using a scrap piece of black cardstock and folded and adhered it as per the directions. It took a few tries, and you should probably watch a video rather than listen to me, because I flunked Origami 101! I colored in my Tulips with Distress Markers, and added some color with the Summer Distress Inks to the sky and ground portions just like the front of the card. I made some dashed lines using a Glaze Pen around the edges for a border.

I stamped the Heart in Jet Black onto Specialty Stamping Paper, dried it, and colored it in with both Picked Raspberry and a Spun Sugar Distress Marker. I love the blended look. I dried this, and then stamped and heat embossed in Black Powder and Jet Black Archival the works.  I used a fancy cut out pair of scissors to cut out the heart, then used the Crop O Dile to punch holes to make a doily type pattern. I added the hand written and cut words.I adhered this to the Pop Up Base. I secured the ribbon using the Tiny Attacher to finish the card.

   

I am also submitting this card to Hels Sheridan's Sunday Stamper challenge of "Wish", since I'm sending some lovely Valentine wishes here. 

Supplies:
From My Stash- ribbon, fancy pattern scissors. rhinestone heart


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

The Year Of The Snake

Happy Monday crafters! It's the beginning of a new challenge at Simon Says Stamp & Show, but before I tell you what it is, I would just like to say THANK YOU for making my first challenge week with SSS&S so special! All of the comments and emails have just touched my heart in the biggest way! You guys are the best, and make me feel so good. Thank you to all the new followers as well! WOW! 

Back to the challenge for this week....we want to see "Stars"! You’re welcome to take this inspiration literally or you can instead focus on a ‘star’ supply that you couldn’t imagine crafting without! Some glitter that sparkles like a star could work, or how about a punch, a sticker, or some paper. You choose to interpret this challenge any way you'd like. Whether you’re inspired by the night sky, the sports all-star in your life, or the cute star stencil you just found, we can’t wait to see what shines in your project this week!

When I first read the challenge of having to use "Stars", I wanted to incorporate this with the New Year somehow. I am also involved in an Asian themed postcard swap, so that got me thinking in terms of astrology by means of the zodiac...the Chinese Zodiac. 2013 is the Year of the Snake...yikes! I learned that from the paper place mats at my local Chinese restaurant, that are all detailed in gorgeous tones of red and gold. While I'm not into horoscopes or anything, I do find the place mats fascinating to read. They are almost always about what year you were born in, what animal you are represented by, and how other animals affect you. I'm a big pig, well technically a boar, and my husband is a snake. We are supposed to be mortal enemies. Even though we can put on a good fuss every now and again, I still like him after close to 21 years, so I don't place much creed in mortal enemies, but it's fun to discuss!

Using postcard shaped tags I got somewhere I can't remember, I made a Marbled Stained background ala Tim using Brushed Pewter, White Picket Fence, and Broken China Distress Stains, along with a water mister.

Unbelievable as it might sound, I have a miniscule amount of Asian ephemera...to be exact, I have two 7 Gypsies Paper Pads with tiny amounts of Chinese writing on them, and a paper torn out of an Asian magazine that I received wrapped up in a package I ordered from Ebay, not paying attention that is was coming from China. It took weeks to come to me, but the paper was so cool I of course saved it. I have no idea what any of it says, but I think it is about different types of kitchen cabinets for sale based on the photos...cool! What was I thinking participating in a swap that was going to be very difficult to accomplish? Anyways, I used one of the 7 Gypsies papers in the Rays Texture Fade. It reminds me of the sun on the Japanese Flag. I inked over the raised areas using Vermillion Archival Ink and then coated it with Glue N Seal to stiffen it up. Hello McFly...now I can't see the writing! Ugh!

On another 7 Gypsies paper from the Gypsy Market Stack, I used  the new Winter Branches Texture Fade. I inked over it with Walnut Stain and coated it with Glue N Seal as well. I tore both of papers to give them that rugged look. Guess what? Can't see the writing on this one either!

Here is the paper I received from my far away package. I searched through the stamp stash and pulled out what looked Asian ornate to me. I cut the papers into strips, and heat embossed one of  Tattoo Flower images on them using Queen's Gold. I colored the strips with Barn Door Distress Stain. I could smell Emboss It Dabber forever...yummy cinnamon!

I stamped the Fiery Looking Vines from the Rockstar set in Olive Archival onto the bottom of the postcard. They look very Asian to me. I kept thinking a dragon would be cool here. I adhered my embossed strip and torn pieces to the card.

On my other 7 Gypsies paper pack called Camden, there are 4 teeny tiny strips of Asian writing. They are so small so this should tell you how I scoured my whole stash looking for ephemera. I had to use tweezers to help me cut them out, but they fit perfectly as trim on my card. I stamped the Row of Stars in Water Resist Ink and followed with Heirloom Perfect Pearls, but it wasn't bright enough ornateness for me, so....

I heat embossed the Row of  Stars using Queen's Gold, and cut them apart thinking I'd only use one for the tag whole, but that was not enough for me, so I ultimately just did the whole row...much better. This reminds me of the Chinese Flag now.  I looked online to see what the Chinese sign was for Year of the Snake, and did my best free hand of it with a Black Glaze Pen.

I die cut the branch using the Bird Branch die and Kraft Paper. I trimmed the bird off and will use him for something else later on. I stamped the branches with the Wood Grain image and Sepia Archival and then ran them through a Wood Grain Texture Fade. After rubbing a Walnut Stain Distress Pad onto the raised areas, I coated the branches with Glue N Seal to sturdy them up to hold a giant slithering yucky reptile.  I read that this is supposed to be a black snake, but I'm from Texas, so it's a scary as all get out, oh my gosh I hate and never want to see you, rattlesnake. Yes, I don't like snakes!

Using an image I found online of a creepy snake on a Chinese coin as my guide, I free hand cut a snake out of Kraft Paper and used it to make a pattern for the rest. I added that gross bumpy rattle...yuck!

After painting the snakes with Gold Paint Dabber, I embossed them using Tim's Bubble Texture Fade. Talk about cool!  I started liking my scary little guys and had a little paper doll fun with them. Here little hissy hissy!!! That Fade was perfect!  I stained the rattle with Brushed Pewter Metallic Stain and some of the circles with Antique Bronze Metallic Distress Stain. Walnut Stain Distress Ink was then directly applied from the pad to color in the rest of the circles. COOL!

The snakes were finished off with a red wired tongue and some Black Glaze Pen detailing. Do these not look great? Am I allowed to say that? I love how they came out. Sick isn't? Yucky Snakes! I wrapped the snakes around the branches, and of course more play time ensued and now my son was playing a part. If we had Barbies available, they would have needed anti-venom and quick! The branch was given a little Peeled Paint Distress Stickles on the buds. Metal numbers for the year, a computer generated title, and some gold accents with a Krylon Marker finished this off.

Show us the "Stars" in your life! After you create your work of Art, enter it into our challenge, and you might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck, and don't forget to visit all of the other fabulous DT work this week...awesome!

 

Supplies:

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Winners!

My cup runneth over...again! All of the comments from the CHA posts to the Simon Says Stamp & Show post have overwhelmed me with pure joy! Thank you TONS for all the wonderful words through comments, emails, tweets, and messages! I truly am grateful for each of you who spur me on and lift me up. I sincerely hope I do the same for each of you, and encourage you somehow. I also wish you all win the lottery to be able to pay for all the creative loot you want from all the new goods coming out!

Now for three random winners out of the 55 who commented from the CHA Goods post.

1. For a DoCrafts Creativity Back Issue Magazine and a Tim Holtz Americana Blueprint Stamp Set, the winner is....

Number 9 is Sue (Waters)! Woohoo!

2. For another DoCrafts Creativity Back Issue Magazine and a Tim Holtz Valentine Blueprint Stamp Set, the winner is...

Number 33 is Marjie Kemper! Woohoo!

3. And, for the Craft Industry Today Magazine, with the autographed article from Tim Holtz, as well as his Easter Blueprint Stamp Set, the winner is...

Number 15 is Barbarayaya62! Woohoo!

Please email me your addresses winners! I am thrilled to be sending these out to you!

Oh...one more thing. Please don't feel as if I am ignoring your blogging posts from the last week. Since I've been home my internet connection has been sporadic and not very cooperative, so I've been slow commenting. I promise I shall be around soon, after the darn repair goes through. Thank all again!!!!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Hello Simon Says Stamp and Show!

There is a lot of blabbing away in this post, so grab some sustenance first if you choose.
A new year has brought a new creative journey. I am beyond honored to say that I am now a part of the Simon Says Stamp & Show Design Team! WOW Crafters WOW! Talk about a humbling feeling to have been asked, and the biggest honor to work with this talented crew...I am still in shock! I will do my very best to live up to their expectations. 

However, after reading what my first challenge was to be, I was very taken aback. Today's challenge of "What Am I Known For" is the hardest one I've ever had. While I'm pretty sure I know what I'm known for personally...just being fabulous ;0)...I have no idea what I am known for creatively speaking. I love dabbling in several different genres of Art. I want to try it all, and take what I love to use in my projects. I don't like to be stuck in a creative rut, and mixing it up solves that for me. I'm sort of all over the place, so I do my best to share the process and steps of how I create, so that I can show others who are just like me, but I don't think being all over the place is something I want to be known for.
I can certainly pick out work that belongs to some of my blogging friends before I know for sure who created it. Some people just have a certain style that is easier to distinguish, but do I? I've searched my artistic soul to try and figure this out. I've looked back at all of my projects from 2012 to see if I could identify a certain characteristic that points to me, but I just couldn't find one, aside from the obvious use of metal and/or wood embellishment on almost every single one, often too many at that. I've often said I am the gaudy paper crafter...more is better, right? :-)
Strangely enough, as all of this inner reflection and investigation was going on, I was working on my husband's Christmas present. I made him a 16x20 inch mixed media painting on canvas for his office, which was based on four photos I took and collaged together to create a scene of the two things he does almost everyday here in West Texas...work and play golf.  This course is where he won the City Championship a number of times. Oh yeah that's my man!!! This would be hole 18, but I certainly doctored it up...a bunch as you will read.  We could only dream of a city public course this lush and green, but I can spin it how I want...right? He also works in one of those buildings downtown, and oil and gas is his field of work.
When I finished the piece, it became apparent to me that I often create scenes in my projects. I went back to look at all those 2012 projects again, and it was like a smack in the face. More than half of my projects contained a scene. They were all scenes that I planned out to look realistic and representational (Some drawn out in my Art Journal first.), but ended up using so many elements to spin it, that they turned out a tiny bit abstract. Further thinking on this, lead me to note that these are also the pieces that are easiest and fastest for me to do. I can fly through one without eating, talking, or taking photos, because I get so drawn into them. The non scene items are harder for me, and require me to think through them, and I often procrastinate making them.

As you read above, I got so carried away with the canvas that I neglected to take any pictures except for these two. Here is the canvas painted with Claudine's Acrylic Paints and Ranger's Paint Dabbers, before I started adding the buildings, lots of Tim and Wendy stamped foliage, Distress Stains, Idea-ology goodies, Wendy Embossing Paste, Flower Soft, Mudd Puddles, and a Wood Stamped and Embossed fence.

To make the buildings, I stamped the Hero Arts image onto silver tissue paper using Espresso and Pitch Black Dabbers. I cut them out and did my best to make them look like the buildings in my down town area. I used Glue N Seal to adhere them to the canvas.

Embossing Paste makes the best clouds. This stuff looks yummy too. If I was about 3 years old, I'd eat it! I also used it mixed with paint and Flower Soft, and along with some Mudd Puddles I made the rough areas and greenery.

Crackle Accents was added on top of the blue paint, and then I used Chipped Sapphire Distress Stain and worked it into the cracks to make it look like a pond. This pond is actually on the hole before this one, but in my little world it needed to be, so now it is.

The sand is Mudd Puddles. The flag is red ribbon and white wired raffia.

All of the trees were made with Tim and Wendy foliage stamps and paint. I did a little free hand painting for detail on them as well.

The fence is Kraft Paper stamped with the Wood Grain Stamp and then Embossed with the Wood Grain Fade. Walnut Stain Distress highlights the raised areas, and then it was coated with Glue N Seal to strengthen it. I cut this into strips, cut slits into them and inserted strips into strips to form a fence. This fence is also really on the hole across the way from this one, but I'm telling you it looks better here!

The pump jack actually moves, but I told my husband "No playing with it!" I don't want him tearing it up. There is actually not a pump jack on this part of the course, but there is one across the street, but I wanted one there, so now there is. "I know that possibility begins with imagination!"

So maybe I'll be known for creating scene...someday. Regardless, SSS&S has given me a free therapy session, and I didn't have to lay on the couch to figure it all out...kudos to them for that. And, as far as personally, I've asked a few people close to me and it seems I am different things to different people, but they are all good....phew!
So, what are you known for? Do you always have a cup of coffee in your hands? Are you forever adding brown ink to the edges of everything? Is no project complete without a button? Whether you feel like being inspired by something you’re known for in your crafting, or if you’d prefer to scrapbook or journal something that you are known for in general we can’t wait to learn a bit more about you and your crafting. After you create your work of Art, enter it into our challenge, and you might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck!

Supplies:

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!