Have A Heart For Christmas!

I love it when a project comes together very easily, that you design around several challenges. I made this one in about an hour and a half yesterday, and that rarely happens. It usually takes me much longer, and I find myself being indecisive at every turn. I think the Christmas theme makes projects easier for me...although I don't know why, aside from the fact that I love crafting during this time of the year more than any other time. Most everything is sparkly yet vintage and full of tradition this time of year, and I love that!

Anyway, back to the challenges. I originally started this piece for the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group's, Making Art Challenge. It's from Wendy's Book 4, pg. 30 for "Using Gesso For Texture", but once I got going, I decided to incorporate The Compendium of Curiousities II Challenge from Tim's Book (same name) pg. 65 for "Reflections Stamping", which is being sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, and the Sunday Stamper challenge for "Birds". However, this morning brought the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge, which  is "Stamping With No Ink", and it just so happens that a lot of that is used here, so I am throwing my hat in that ring too. And, that's enough!

The base heart was painted with Ranger's Pearl Paint Dabber.

I stamped Wendy's ticking image in Silver Paint Dabber.

When everything was dried, I taped down Dyan's Snowflake Stencil and pounced Claudine's Gesso into it. I did this all over the heart. And just so you know, I am a bad stenciler...very sloppy!

I painted the corner piece parts with Silver Paint Dabber...

...the stars with Pearl...

...and the flowers with Stain.

I also stamped the flower's with Barn Door Stain.

Gold Stickles were added to the centers of the flowers, and Rock Candy Crackle Paint to the Stars, followed by Pumice Stone Distress Ink  when they dried.

I stamped the numbers in Pearl onto the corner pieces.

The leaves were colored with Mowed Lawn Distress Ink straight from the pad, and then misted with Sour Apple Perfect Pearls.

Then they were stamped with the dots in Pearl.

I stamped the White Clearly For Art with the Stampers Anonymous Newsy Bird. I cut it out, and heated it with my heat gun to soften the parts I wanted to shape!

I used Tim's technique for the Reflections Christmas Words Image, and adhered it to the back of the heart. I used Silver Stickles to dress up my Gesso'd snowflakes, and then added Dresden Foil, the Art Parts, and Baubles, along with the plumber's chain.

 

 

Supplies:
From My Stash: acetate sheet, bell, plumber's chain


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

A Walk In The Autumn Woods

Gratitude and thanks are usually on the minds of people during the beautiful season of Autumn. We have so many people to thank and blessings to count and be grateful for. I know I do...especially for all of you, and of course to my family. So when Inspiration Journal's challenge this month was to show "Gratitude and Thankfulness" by giving a gift to our Thanksgiving guests, I knew that a packaged ATC containing my kids school photos this year,  was what I would give to my table mates, or rather my mother and brothers, but I needed a theme. So further inspiration was taken from the All Things Tim Yahoo Group, where the ATC challenge this month is "A Walk In The Woods", and we are to use colors from the forest floor. BAM! I knew my ATC would be a scene from that walk, an Autumn scene...one with warm rich color, and why not throw in a waterfall and a turkey too! ;-)
I also created a tag as well to give to a blogging friend I am swapping with. And, so the rest of you aren't left out, I included the steps for making the layered scene using lots of Ranger goodness.

I don't remember where I purchased this paper from, but I thought the Argyle print and colors would be okay showing through the scene. I painted a little more than half with Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Pool.

I applied Red Pepper, Sunset Orange, and Sunshine Yellow Alcohol Inks onto a felt cover applicator, and dabbed the color onto the bottom portions of the paper. The yellow and orange turned various shades of green on the blue paint...I loved the look.

Using Bottle and Espresso Paint Dabbers and Tim's tall timber trees, I stamped the images about three times across the horizon part.

I mixed some of Claudine's Landscape Green Acrylic Paint with the Bottle to make a new lighter shade of evergreen, and used it and the Espresso to stamp the full fir tree image of Tim's below the horizon. When this was dry I mounted the cards onto chipboard to sturdy them up.

Since I am from the mountains of New Mexico, I thought my scene really needed color, so Aspen trees needed to be in here somewhere, but I didn't have a stamp for one. So I made my own using Tim's sprig of some sort of fir tree. I stamped in Snow Cap, and added a white tree trunk as well. I ran Pumice Stone Distress Ink over the trunk to make some shadow areas.

Distress Markers and Red Pepper, Sunset Orange, Citrus, and Sunshine Yellow Paint Dabbers were used to make the leaves on the trees and on the ground.

Juniper, Meadow, Lettuce, and Bottle Alcohol Inks were pounced onto Glossy Cardstock.

This was die cut using the Mini Pine Tree Movers & Shapers die. I used Espresso Alcohol Ink to recolor the lower trunk of the tree. I inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, and affixed a tree to each card.

Using Mudd Puddles Sea Glass, Rock Candy Dry Glitter,  and paint color swatches, I tried to mimic water and a waterfall. When dried, I cut them into the shape I wanted and adhered these to the cards using Glossy Accents, which I also filled in the bare spots with.

I found these cute turkeys on Graphics Fairy. I inked the edges and then adhered them onto the cards. They were covered with Glossy Accents.

I colored these charms with Sunshine Yellow Alcohol Ink, and then cut them in half. I adhered them to the cards to mimic the sun. I edged each card with Tarnished Brass Metallic Distress Stain to finish them off.

I just love the In The Bag Die, and it's perfect for ATC's. These will house the pictures of my children along with the cards. I used it with the argyle paper. Once folded and secure, I stamped the leaf image on using the Paint Dabbers. I outlined the border and the leaf using a Vintage Photo Distress Marker, and then used Antique Bronze Distress Stickles for the veining. The whole thing was inked with Walnut Stain.

 

 

Supplies:
From My Stash: Argyle Paper, Chipboard, Turkey Image, Paint Swatches, Thank You Charm


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!