Button Up And Dream In Color!

Monday Monday (ba-da ba-da-da-da)!...sorry couldn't help it! I am still so happy from all the wonderful comments from last weeks post! Thank you truly for being so kind to me everyone! You all mean so much, and your words have a huge impact on me. 

It's time for another challenge at Simon Says Stamp & Show! From wood to paper, sparkly to plain, or just one to a whole handful, this week we challenge you to "Use a Button" on your next project.

I have soooo many buttons, and jars of them! I actually poured them all out searching for matching sets to use on this project. It was actually therapeutic and I even gathered a few new ideas along the way looking at buttons I hadn't seen or noticed in so long. I love the way buttons can become makeshift flowers or whatever else you want them to be. The ideas are limitless!

Using the new Burlap Panels from Tim's District Market collection, I gave it a coat of Claudine's Black Gesso.

I stamped a Wendy flower border from Stamper's Anonymous using Picket Fence Distress Paint from Ranger.

Then I stamped Tim's Butterflies using a rainbow of Distress Paints, as well as his Dream sentiment. The spinners from Idea-ology were painted with Mustard Seed and adhered, then came the American Crafts Metallic Glittery Buttons. I had vintage crystal knobs in my stash that came from my husband's grandmother's house. I added another button to the inside of the top knob, that I painted with Picked Raspberry.

 

 

So many of us have jars of buttons just waiting to be used in our projects. If you have buttons lying around, make a project with them, and then enter it into our challenge. You just 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 push the other buttons on your keyboard to go and look at the other Design Team Member's projects this week. They have made projects worthy of a shout out and certainly should not be buttoned up about! ;0)

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I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Hi Yo Silver, Away!

S is for Simon, stamping, stains, stars, and so much more. This week, however you choose, the idea is to be "Inspired by the letter S", or simply use a product that starts with an S. Perhaps you could share a technique that is your Specialty. Maybe you are inspired to create something Sassy or title your piece with a word beginning with S. From shabby to stamped, silly to seaside,there is a lot of inspiration in this letter. Let’s see what you’ve got! 

S is for silver! S is for steampunk! S is for saying thanks! ;0)

I'm so grateful for this challenge, as I've had no mojo at all for weeks and have been darn right SAD about it. So the letter S forced me to SEARCH out some things, and I've been so far behind on thank yous, projects, gifts...well pretty much everything...so once I found this quote in a book I purchased in England, Mr. Mojo paid me a short visit.

I rarely use Ranger's Inkssentials Black Surfaces tags. I should, but I don't, so this was a good time. I used a #10 Jumbo size, and coated it with Tim's Brushed Pewter Metallic Distress Paint in a basket weave type pattern.

I used a few Sizzix Texture Fades and a Texture Trade to emboss the tag. I really had to finagle things around to get the design I wanted.

This looks golden, but it's silver...bad lighting. I lightly sanded the raised portions, and to my delight the paper stayed black underneath! I gave the edges a light Distress Paint in Black Soot to define the tag more.

I coated a scrap piece of black cardstock with the Brushed Pewter, dried it, and then stamped and heat embossed Tim's Balloon Image from Stamper's Anonymous, using Ranger's Black Embossing Powder.

Then I added some texture to the balloon with the Gears Texture Fade.

I coated the whole tag with Rock Candy Distress Crackle...love the effect.

I painted some Idea-ology letters and metal using the same Distress Paints, and added those to the tag, along with a computer generated sentiment that I added to the bottom of the tag.

   

 

 

So many creative items, techniques, and mediums start with the letter "S", so this challenge should be a very easy one to join in on if you feel so inclined to participate. If you do, you just 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 if you are looking for some sensational work to be inspired by, please visit the other Design Team Member's blog, and be prepared to be stunned by the super work they have shown!

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Up Up & Away! Project 1

Way across the pond, there is a special place called The Artistic Stamper Creative Store & Art Bar, and the owner of said store Jennie Boxall, had asked me months ago to Guest Design for the store's blog, The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog, and of course I SQUEALED, "YES YES YES!", and I received a plethora of stamps to work with! Talk about generous! BUT, I had to put her off for several months as I was just swamped with commitments. So finally, I was able to commit, and here is a sneaky peek at my first project, and the rest of it can be seen here.
Many many thanks to Jennie and Emma (The right hand lady!) for putting up with me, and having so much patience! I am deeply honored you asked me to showcase many of your FABULOUS stamps!!!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

12 Tags of 2013 - May

I didn't think I was going to be able to pull this one off, but alas the creative time powers that be were with me, and I was able to make my May tag for Tim's 12 Tags of 2013.  Phew!

I basically followed Tim's tag to the tee, except the colors and images.

I inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink and doodled a little with a Gelli Roll Pen.

 

I am also submitting this to Inspiration Journal's Monthly Challenge for "Quotes", and The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog Monthly Challenge for "Words".

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Over The River And Through The Woods...

***FYI...the winning ink was Rusty Hinge! So many of you were undecided like me though. Ink favorites are sure hard. Thank you so much for all the comments! I appreciate all of you so much! 

Happy beginning of your work week crafty people, and have we got a job...I mean challenge...for you over at Simon Says Stamp & Show this week! Whether you’re a rugged lumberjack, or you're out for a casual stroll in the woods, or you are inspired by adorable woodland creatures, or you want the chance to play with wood grain products this week, we invite you to join us on a creative walk "into the woods". Create something inspired by a mountain wildflower meadow in a forest friendly color palette, or perhaps something whimsical with fairies or wood sprites! There is a lot of room for creative interpretation this week, from using wood grain patterned paper or even a wise old owl stamp and anything in between...Just have fun in the woods!

 I loved the theme of the challenge this week, and wanted to not only use wood as my base for the project, but I also wanted to have a woodland scene. Since I am from the mountains of southern New Mexico, my head was filled with so many scenes, too many, so I just gave it a go, and this is what I came up with. I am giving this to my parents, who I think will really like it.

I used a Stabilo Pencil to lightly sketch my scene.

I started painting with Tim's Chipped Sapphire Distress Paint, and misted with water a little as I went. I wanted some purple mountain majesties.

Then I blended in some Forrest Moss.

There was obviously a knot hole in the wood, and I thought this would be perfect for a sunset. I painted in a sky and a reflection in the water below. The scene has finally come to life a bit.

I wanted the water to shine some, so I coated it with Ranger's Inkssentials Glue N Seal Glossy Finish.

I stencil in some boulders and rocks using a The Crafter's Workshop Cobblestone Stencil.

I used some Christmas stamps from a few of Tim's sets to add in trees and foliage in all the shades of green in the Distress Paint line.

Using the Core-dinations Shattered Cardstock, I diecut a few Sizzix trees from Tim Holtz, and some from Simon Says Stamp. I love all the different varieties I have to choose from here.

 

 

 

Do you love using wood in your projects? Do you love going to woods for a little camping, hiking, or walking? Do you love the nature you see or think off when the woods come to mind? If so, create a work of art showing us a little bit of your wooded inspiration, and then enter it into our challenge. You just 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 please stop by the other Design Team Member's blogs and see what wooded items you might spy. Woodn't that be fun?

Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!