Crackled, Resisted, Oxidized Graduation Plaques Inspired by InStyle!

That title was a mouthful, but I don't know how else to describe these Graduation presents, that were inspired by InStyle Magazine's April 2018 issue, in the article Instant Style Color. You just never know how and where inspiration will strike, but I almost always find Art inspiration in each issue...go figure!!! With my daughter's graduation looming this month, I needed presents for her very close friends, and the minute I saw the article with five color palettes, I knew just what to make. Grab some sustenance, as it's a long post.

It took me a few days to complete all five, but after you make the first, the rest are all assembly line type work. They are going from girls to women, out in the crazy world by themselves, and the quotes from Tim's Pennant Stamp Set from Stamper's Anonymous were perfect for just that!

I gathered up Tim Holtz's Distress Oxides from Ranger, matching the colors from the five color combo inspirations (Tropical Swirl, Berry Crush, Fire and Ice, Lush Lagoon, and Orchid Bouquet...don't you just love the names?!!), and the rest just came together.

Using the Small Thickboard Etcetera Tags as bases, I used Collage Medium in Matte to adhere Worn Wallpaper pieces that I thought worked well with each color scheme. I applied Crackle Paste around the edges of the Wallpaper, and let this dry.

I hadn't tried the new Distress Resist Spray yet, and what a treat it was!!! I laid the Trellis Layering Stencil over the boards, and then misted the Resist Spray in. It dried very quickly, which I loved. FYI...wash stencils quickly or let them soak in water after using them with Distress Resist Spray.

I added all three colors of Oxides to each board, straight from the pad, to the crackled areas, and then misted the boards liberally with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain, and let the ink go where it wanted to, while the stain outlined the resist image. I let it soak it real well, and then used a rag to remove any left over spray from the Wallpaper area. The trellis design was of course resisted because of the Resist Spray...love that.

To bring out the trellis design more, I inked over each board with regular ol' Antique Linen Distress Ink, and then cleaned up areas of the Wallpaper with a rag and water. LOVE LOVE LOVE! Now you can see the trellis design well. I also added more Oxides to the areas in the crackle that I thought needed darkening using a Mini Ink Tool.

I applied all three colors of Oxides to the craft sheet, misted with water, and then dredged a #8 Mixed Media Heavystock Tag through, along with a #5 Kraft tag, drying in between layers, and dredging again and again until I liked the look. The Oxides layer so well without muddying up between dried layers. When I liked the results, I gave each tag a light misting of water to further oxidize the colors. SWOON! I could have done this all day...so much fun. I of course, repeated this for all the color combinations.

Loved the resist so much, I had to do more. I used the same stencil and misted the Resist Spray over each tag, this time going heavier with the spray. It actually makes the colors brighter and the layers more enhanced...love that. Tired of me saying LOVE yet?!!

Once the Resist Spray was dry, I applied Antique Linen Distress Paint over the tags, and wiped off the paint from the resisted stencil areas, so the paint lightly outlined the design.  I love how each one came out, very soft and shabby chic. A few of the tags were so light that the paint was not showing as much, so I added more paint and wiped off until it was more noticeable. I also applied the paint to the edges of the tags and the edge of the boards (applying two coats) for a framed look. I placed the smaller kraft tag inside a small Cabinet Card, hole side down, and then tied a cheaters bow to the tag using ribbon from torn up wedding dresses that I bought who knows where, but I need some more. I affixed a Jeweled Charm to each bow.

I adhered the tags onto the boards with Adhesive Strips, painted the holes for the boards with more Antique Linen and adhered them on with Multi Matte Medium. I inked over the edged of the girl and women Paperdolls with Antique Linen Distress Ink (First time for that as I always use a darker brown.), and colored in a few places on them with Distress Markers. I did the same with the Botanical flower pieces and the Quote Chip, and then adhered all of them on. I stamped the Pennant sentiments with Jet Black Archival onto more Heavystock, cut them out, inked them, and added those on. Then, I added the metal pieces using Multi Matte, and since the Jeweled Charm had rhinestones on it, I added more rhinestones to the butterfly and bow centers for a cohesive look. I inked over a cluster of Bouquet Flowers with one of the Oxide Ink colors for each board, and adhered them onto the Botanical flowers. Last, I tied on more wedding dress ribbon to the hole for hanging.

    Tropical Swirl

 

 

Berry Crush

This one was my favorite...I just love Aged Mahogany! My daughter ended up picking this one too!

 

Fire and Ice

 

Lush Lagoon

 

 

Orchid Bouquet

 

Each girl got to select their color combo choice first, and then they got to see and take their plaque...more fun that way. Needless to say, all were happy, and that of course, that made me happy. 

Until next time, 'see possibility everywhere'!!! 

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Etcetera Small Tag	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Worn Wallpaper	Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte	Tim Holtz Collage Brushes	Ranger Texture Paste OPAQUE CRACKLE
Dina Wakley Ranger Palette Kinife	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad ABANDONED CORAL Ranger TDO55778	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide FOSSILIZED AMBER	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Shaded Lilac	Tim-Holtz-Distress-Oxide-Ink-Pad-AGED-MAHOGANY-Ranger
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Mermaid Lagoon	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad PICKED RASPBERRY	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad CANDIED APPLE Ranger	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide WORN LIPSTICK	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide BROKEN CHINA
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad LUCKY CLOVER Ranger TDO56041	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad PEACOCK FEATHERS Ranger	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Blueprint Sketch	Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pad WILTED VIOLET	Tim-Holtz-Distress-Oxide-Ink-Pad-TATTERED-ROSE-Ranger
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Squeezed Lemonade	Distress Spray Antique linen	MINI ROUND INK BLENDING TOOLS	Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad ANTIQUE LINEN	Tim Holtz DISTRESS SPRAYER
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress HEAVYSTOCK	Ranger Kraft tags #5	Tim Holtz Stencil TRELLIS	Tim Holtz Distress Resist Spray	Antique Linen Distress Paint
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Jeweled Charms	Idea-ology Paper Dolls	Tim Holtz Distress Markers SET	Ranger adhesive foam white	Ranger Adhesive Strips
Tim-Holtz-Idea-ology-BOTANICAL-Layers	Tim-Holtz-Idea-ology-QUOTE-CHIPS	Tim Holtz Pennants	Ranger Archival Jet Black Ink Pad	Ranger Distress Mixed Media Heavystock
Ranger - Multi Matte Medium 1 oz.	Tim Holtz Idea-ology RIBBONS & BOWS Adornments	Tim Holtz Idea-ology BUTTERFLIES Adornments	Tim Holtz Idea Ology BOUQUET Findings

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

An Octopus In A Bowl Stickles Card

Hi Crafters! Today, I have the first of two cards made with Ranger Stickles, which were in their booth at Creativation this year. It was my favorite card that I made for sure, and the pic does not do it justice. Stickles are a must product for me to have, and they transform the blah to a WOW, and I'm not even a glitter loving kind of girl...well maybe a little.  Can you imagine how this would look with no Stickles??? I can't. Hope you like.

I used the Movers and Shapers Cameo Frame from Tim Holtz and Sizzix, to die cut two pieces of blue cardstock, three pieces of cardboard, and an acetate piece. I cut out the centers and top from the cardboard pieces, and glued the three pieces together to make a thick frame, and then I painted the edges of them with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Paint. I cut out the center of one of the blue pieces of cardstock.  I embossed the solid piece of blue cardstock with the Bubbles Texture Fade.

I adhered the bubble cardstock to the cardboard frame, and then outlined them with Diamond Stickles. I used a slew of blue toned Stickles on the cutout frame in an ombre effect, alternating lights and darks.

I stamped the octopus and sentiment from Tim and Stamper's Anonymous with Paradise Teal Archival onto Specialty Stamping Paper, and cut them out after they dried.

I mounted the bowl onto the card base, and added Juniper punch pieces for seaweed coated in Seafoam Stickles. The octopus got several colors of Stickles as well. Once all that dried, I adhered the acetate and then the frame on top of the bowl, and finished with the sentiment.

I'll be back again with sadly the last card used at the show...aren't you glad?!!

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Movers and Shapers Die - Cameo Frame	Tim Holtz Core′dinations DISTRESS Colorcore 4.25 X 5.5 Cardstock	Hot Off The Press HEAT RESISTANT ACETATE 5 Sheets 8.5x11	Tim Holtz Sizzix Waves and Bubbles Embossing folders	Multi Medium Matte
Tim Holtz Flip Top Distress Paint MERMAID LAGOON Ranger TDF50193	Ranger Stickles in Diamond	Stickles - Waterfall	Ranger Stickles in Sea Glass	Ranger Stickles in Ice Blue
Ranger Stickles in Sea Spray	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Specialty Stamping Paper in 4.25x5.5	Ranger Archival Ink in Paradise Teal	Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous SEA LIFE	Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous MINI MOTIVATION
MINI ROUND INK BLENDING TOOLS	Ranger adhesive foam white	Sizzix Tim Holtz Paper Punch in Large Juniper	Ranger Stickles in Seafoam	Ranger Adhesive Strips

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

New Holiday Collection Stamps - May

Happy May everyone, and I believe it's May Day too...reminds me of the dance around the May Pole I did in primary school. Anyway, here are some samples from my new Holiday Collection Stamp Series for May, from WeCraft, featuring Mother's Day, Graduation, Memorial Day, and Thank You images.

May Set - 9 Images

I used Tim Holtz paper for all of the cards. For this Mother's Day card, I stamped the sentiment and the tulips in Ranger Glacier White Pigment Ink a few times onto black cardstock, and filled in the open areas with Wendy Vecchi's Enamel Accents. I accidently covered up some ink, so I went over several parts with a white pen. I sewed around everything it seems like, and then foam taped the images on the card. The paper was perfect as there are tiny tulips in the design.

Again, another perfect paper for these Dahlia stamps! I stamped the flowers on Deli Paper with Jet Black Archival and dried that with a heat tool, as somethings ink bleeds a little on Deli Paper. I cut them out and collaged them on with Tim's Collage Medium. I colored them in with Faber Castell Pit Pens, and then with to town with Gel Pens. The Mom was embossed with Clear Embossing Powder from Ranger. 

I loved doing the Deli Paper collage so much I did it again with the Graduates here, and colored them the same as above. Again, perfect paper and ephemera with writing paper, report cards, rulers, alphabets...I had so much fun with this card, and made a larger one for my daughter who is graduating this month.

More collage again...I told you I loved this technique...with the flag. More perfect paper and paper dolls and washi tape, and photo booth image, and stars...thanks Tim for making all this stuff to help me out! ;0)

I stamped the Dahlias onto the tag in Jet Black, colored the centers with a Pit Pen, and then used Distress Micro Glaze over the top of them. I inked the open areas of the tag with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink, and then flicked more of it all over. The Micro Glaze protects the flowers from getting inked and splattered. I did the same to the little tag, after embossing the sentiment with Clear Powder.

Well, I hope you are like these images...they were very fun to draw. I'll be back soon.

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Wendy Vecchi Art Parts Merci Tag For Ranger

Hello crafty peeps! Today, I have a tutorial over on the Ranger Ink Blog for making this Wendy Vecchi Art Parts Merci Tag, using Wendy's new Make Art Blendable Dye Inks from Ranger...LOVE them...and her Art Parts and Stamps from Stamper's Anonymous, and at the end of the tut you will learn a little trick. ;0)  Hope you will check it out, and here are a few more photos. Thanks for stopping by! 

 

 

 

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!