God Bless America!

Happy Independence Day fellow American crafters!!!  I am so thankful for the freedoms we share, and I love this creative country in which we live! And to the those crafty friends from other countries (most of which I am dying to visit), I am hugely thankful that we have bridged the gap and can reach out and build relationships with each other. We ALL have the right to craft! It's ALL about freedom for ALL of us! Freedom to make what we want with our own hands and share it with the world...something we are ALL thankful for I am sure, no matter what country we hail from. I treasure this immensely, and wish blessings for All of you!

Enough with the emotional speech now! It's time for the Funkie's to show their stuff for this fortnight's Frilly & Funkie challenge. The challenge being hosted by the super talented Sue Carrington of Stamping Sue Style, and Sue wants to see "Texture". Sue says, "I love using different materials in my craft projects, and I love all the different textures and depth they create." For this challenge we want to see lots of different textures in your project, BUT with the added twist that one of them has to be material!

Beautiful creations have been done by the F&F Design Team! All ganders and comments are much appreciated!

Linda Coughlin - The Funkie Junkie

Marjie Kemper - She Who Stamps and Scraps 

Teresa Kline - Paperie Blooms

Terry Horrall -  Terry's Work In Progress 

Sue Carrington - Stamping Sue Style 

Tammy Roberts - Paperie Sweetness

I know, I know...it's more frilly than funkie!!! I just couldn't help myself. Once I started sewing, I started adding bows and hearts...I just had to! And of course, here is more denim. I am SOOOO into denim right now. I found the metal tag at a little junk and antique store around the corner from me. It was perfect for this patriotic tag.

I stamped the Star Spangled Banner image onto this canvas tag by Maya Road in Vermillion Archival Ink. I am loving this deep red....and it's Archival!

I stamped the tiny stars onto wood buttons, and then gave each button an outline on Vermillion.

I zig-zag stitched everything!

More stamping with Archival Ink...this time in Cobalt as well.

 

You still have another week to upload your projects to F&F. I hope you all play along!

Supplies:

Archival Ink In Vermiillion	Archival Ink In Cobalt	Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Snow Cap (FJ)	Burlap String - 10 Colors	Cream Woven Jute Ribbon 3/8"
Idea-ology Wire Pins (FJ)

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

12 Tags of 2012 - July X 2

Alternate July Tag

First July Tag

A new month equals a new tag by Tim Holtz! I adore this technique so much, and couldn't wait to get started. So after I chased the dog and cat around with my compressed air can, I got to work. 

For my first tag I pretty much mimicked Tim's, except for my background stamping. I added the silver Alcohol Ink a little too low so it overpowered my Archival Ink. I had to use a Sharpie to color in a few spots to make Lady Liberty a little more dark and stand out more. I didn't like that at all...craft and learn!

I had so much fun blowing 'cold' air, that I kept going and made some ATCs as well.

 

 

BUT...then I started to wonder what would happen if I tried the same technique on a black tag to emulate the night sky. I knew the Alcohol Ink would not glide over the surface of a black tag like it does on Glossy Cardstock and it would not show up very well, but I had to give it a shot.

I decided to use Snow Cap Mixative instead of the silver and then layer my other colors on top of it. It took a few layers but it worked. I wanted to really highlight the fireworks so I drew in some bursts with Glaze Pens. I love how it came out!

I trimmed out the edge with Snow Cap Paint Dabber, as well as added the stars and sentiment with the paint. I have had a craft love affair with denim lately so I had to add some of that too. It's such a simple looking tag and took no time at all, but I am so in love with it! That is strange for me, because I always love my most labor intensive projects and rarely love the simple ones. I think it is because it really has that fire cracker night sky look.

 

I am submitting the first tag to Hels Sheridan's Sunday Stamper challenge of "Silver", and the alternate tag to the Blogger's Challenge of "4th Of July", and both to Inspiration Journal's challenge of "Red, White, & Blue".

Supplies:
From My Stash- black cardstock, blue embroidary twine, denim, washer

Jumbo Manila Tag 8x4 (FJ)	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain - Picket Fence White	Star Spangled Banner Rubber Stamp	Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black	Black Soot Distress Ink (FJ)
Summer Seasonal Distress Inks (FJ)	Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool-With 2 Blending Foams	Core-dinations TH Kraft Core Paper Stack	Core′dinations Adirondack Collection Paper Stack	Inkssentials Gloss Paper (FJ)
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Sail Boat Blue	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Watermelon	Silver Mixative Alcohol Ink	Alcohol Blending Solution	Idea-ology Numerals
Americana Silhouettes Stamp Set	Idea-ology Metal WORD BANDS	Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Snow Cap (FJ)	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Wire Pins	Jump Rings - Idea-ology
Idea-ology Muse Tokens	Rayon Seam Binding	Inkssentials Water Mister (FJ)	Distress Stain In Barn Door	Distress Stain In Broken China
Surfaces Black #8 Tag	Adirondack Snow Cap Mixative (FJ)	Red Glaze Pen	Blue Glaze Pen	White Glaze Pen
Idea-ology Washers	Idea-ology Long Fasteners

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!