Happy Birthday Tim Holtz!!!

Happy New Year again everyone!!! I hope everything is well and wonderful with all of you. There has been a firestorm of activity here on the Artful Maven, after Tim linked it on his blog. Several new followers and subscribers have joined us. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my crafty heart! I hope my projects live up to your expectations and inspire you in some way.

On the 7th, Tim will celebrate a birthday! Crafters from near and far are making and sending him cards. Can you imagine the poor, weary mail-person? It will probably play out like the scene from Sleepless In Seattle...when Tom Hanks goes to unlock his front door and the mailman brings bags and bags of letters...in the rain no doubt! I am sure it will be just as crazy at Tim's abode! I finally finished the card I am sending to Tim this evening, after working on it several days. The man just sent me $100 worth of goodies and blog appreciation, so the least I can do is show some appreciation back. Thanks again Tim!

I am also entering the card in a few weekly challenges. Linda from Studio L3, is hosting the Grungy Monday Challenge of "making Tim a card". The submissions are wonderful, and if you have time, please check them out. Simon Says Stamp and Show, is hosting the challenge "something old (paper shopping bag and wire) and something new (corrugated paper and Vintage Lace die". Also, and newer to cyber world, Lisa Somerville's Blogger's Challenge, is hosting a "celebration" theme, and Paper Issues for "using numbers". Warning:  The usual...lots of pictures and a tutorial...grab some chocolate and get comfy!

I wanted to incorporate the embossed metal technique Tim taught us during 12 tags this last year.

Using Ten Seconds Studio soft metal sheets I embossed several designs with texture fades (TH Alterations Jack of Clubs, Admit One Ticket, Number Ledger, Time, & Cuttlebug Music Notes, Happy Birthday, and Gears). I also adhered a chipboard letter "t" to the back of a metal piece and molded it in and gave it some texture with the metal working tools.

I trimmed each design and grouped them as I wanted them laid out, and painted them with Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers in Gold, Espresso, and Pitch Black. Then they got a soft sanding and inking with TH Distress Ink in Black Soot.

I adhered the metal pieces onto black cardstock, coated them in Ranger Inkssentials Clear Embossing Ink, and covered them in UTEE.http://www.rangerink.com/products.htm..twice. I added some TH Idea-ology Gadget Gears, Spinners, Washers, and Brads, a clock face from the Paper Studio, a crown from Art Chix Studio, a number 7 and gears from my stash, and a headshot of Tim that I coated in Glossy Accents. Crackle Accents was also added to a few images as well.

This is my favorite part...I used a craft tag and covered it in Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink in Latte, Pitch Black, Caramel, and Snow Cap Mixative. I am in love with this look and color combination. It's sort of camouflagey.

Then I ran TH Distress Stain in Tea Dye all over the tag, dried that with a heat gun, and misted with Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist.  Then I distressed the edges of the tag.  Hello...I am in love even more! I almost hated to cover this up. It looks like the most beautiful piece of granite....I so need my kitchen redone!

I choose 4 different designs of TH Idea-ology Tissue Tape, stuck it down on grunge board, and coated it with Tea Dye Distress Stain. Then I used brown Craft Core cardstock and embossed a small piece using the TH Alterations Ice-icicles fade, and die cut another small piece using my new TH Alterations Vintage Lace die. I cut out the ice-icicle, now frosting, and gave it and the lace a coating in Glossy Accents.

I went around the borders of the tag with Gold Paint Dabber, adhered a strip of corrugated paper to the bottom of the tag and around the back, and adhered a cut circle from the corrugated paper onto the front and back of the tag hole. All the corrugated paper was trimmed in TH Distress Ink in Gathered Twigs and Black Soot. I had one real mother of pearl button and the backside of it was very jagged and distressed. I trimmed it out in Gold paint dabber and found another vintage looking button and did the same. I poked two holes into the corrugated paper circle and ran a double layer of wire through it and the buttons...one on each side. I curled up the wire sporadically and twisted so it would keep the buttons in place, but leaving a loop so the tag could be pulled or even hung up. I also added some TH hardware to the bottom of the tag and stapled a pattern "x" design there as well.

I cut each of the 4 pieces of tissue tape covered grunge slightly smaller than the other in pyramid fashion. They were inked with Gathered Twigs and coated with TH Distress Stickles in Antique Bronze. I adhered them to the tag from largest to smallest, on top of each other, but staggered them some to suggest uneven cake layers. The lace was adhered to the bottom layer and the frosting to the top. I placed computer generated words "happy birthday Tim" onto the frosting. Last I applied the Antique Bronze Stickles between the cake layers.

Is this over yet? Not quite but almost! I got a TH Idea-ology Pen Nib in "memoirs", dipped the tip in embossing ink and sprinkled a mixture of TH Distress Embossing Powder in Antique Linen and Close To My Heart Gold Embossing Powder onto the nib. I heated embossed it holding it with a pair of pliers. It was adhered to the top of the cake to look like a candle.

I received this vintage printed paper sack after buying something on Etsy many moons ago, but loved the print and images so much I saved it. Tim is so worthy, so I cut it in half and glued it down onto a large white envelope. After trimming and inking with Gathered Twigs and Black Soot, I gave each side a coat of  Liquitex  Gesso. The Gesso not only blended the ink even more but it strengthened  the envelope and actually padded it some, so my card will hopefully arrive safely to Tim after many miles of shipping and handling.

Phew...I am finally finished!

Tim is the "King" of the ATT Yahoo "Club"!!!

 

 

 

 I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year everyone! It has been an absolutely fabulous day for me since the moment I was woken up at 9 am! Yes, I stayed up way to late last night, so sleeping in from my usual 6:30 am was wonderful in itself! I was being read to by my 11 year old, who is enthralled by The Hunger Games, when I heard the chime on my cell phone, cluing me in that there was a new twitter message. I checked it and saw that Tim posted something on his blog. When I clicked on over, I read that 12 bloggers out of hundreds, had been drawn to receive gift certificates because we  finished all 12 tags, and I was one of them. You would have thought that I was either in massive pain or had gotten the worst news, because I screamed out and proceeded to cry like a baby for about 30 minutes...no joke! My husband and children were deeply concerned until I passed the phone over for them to read the news...they were relieved and joined in the joy!  Since then, it's been a nonstop emailing of thank you's between trying to finish up the following tag and getting those black-eyed peas finished for tonight's special dinner. My new friend Anna from across the pond, gave me an idea though, so before I continue on with my tag I have to give a shout out to somebody special.

You totally never seize to amaze me! Not only are you awe inspiring but your generosity is beyond belief! Happy New Year Tim! May it be the best one yet!

This gaudy little tag gave me some fits today, but I'm love with it. The pictures really do it no justice as there is too much detail that just can't be photographed with my currant camera. I used a new product I have, called Sophisticated Finishes in Patina Green,  to see just what it can do when you don't use it correctly in the first place!

First, I sprayed Perfect Pearls Mist in Blue Patina and let it dry. Then brushed on a coat of Sophisticated Finishes. When it dried I noticed that some of the streaks were darker and the paper underneath looked sanded. I don't know if it sort of eats the paper some, but it looked so cool. I inked over it with Iced Spruce and Broken China, then splattered on some water droplets.

I love the look of this background. I really hated covered it up.

I heat embossed Tim's clock stamp image with CTMH  white embossing powder.

I printed the music for Auld Lang Syne on transparency and adhered it to the tag with the tiny attacher. I used metal sheet and die cut lace using my new Vintage Lace die (loving that) and adhered that as well. I added some tulle and ribbon at the top and now my tag was ready for some gaudiness!

I die cut foliage and flourishes from Tim's Festive Greenery die and adhered a Rock Candy crackled and UTEE heat embossed sentiment from Pink Paislee House of Three Daily Junque, with 2 brads.

Here's where things get tricky. I die cut the birdcage and bird using grunge paper. I crackled and heat embossed the cage after adding a few extra pieces of grunge to make a door. It's difficult to see the open door but it's there. I added some more Sophisticated Finishes to the cage but it didn't do much here, so I inked it with Gathered Twigs. I stained the bird with White Picket Stain, inked with Broken China, and highlighted a few key parts with a sharpie. Rock Candy Stickles was added for extra shine. I made a banner with number stickers and twine and tied it to the cage. A mini clock, hands, and brad where added to indicate that this is the cage of yearly time. I had this great Prima bedazzled bird cage outline and added it to the tag, glued the bird on, and doubled up on the foam tape to adhere the cage. A chain and charms attached the cage to the ribbons above.

Last, I added a heat embossed Dresden bird, who is flying away with the old year, giving way to the new and fresh year.

I send out heart felt thanks to all my followers, subscribers, and commentors! I really have no words to express how wonderful it makes me feel and how I am inspired everyday from all of you. I have met new friends cyberly that I would never have had the chance to otherwise, and I so love that. Blogging has opened my eyes to a whole new world. I wish you all, as well as those who drop by, a wonderful and immensely blessed new year!!!