Ruby Craft

Frosted Film and Tattered Florals

2015-07-18T01:40:00.001-04:00

I'm running down to the wire this time on Linda Ledbetter's CC3C, So this will be a really quick post. Frosted Film is a challenging challenge because the Curiosity Crew and everyone who entered did such an amazing job. If you want to see for yourself go here. The sponsor for this challenge is The Funkie Junkie Boutique and you can visit them here. And of course as always you can find the technique I've used to create the lovely flowers in Tim's book A Compendium of Curiosities Volume III. Just check out page 59. Thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions just leave me a post. I'm going to bed now but I'll check back tomorrow!

Mostly Green Gelatos, A Challenge

2015-07-14T17:25:00.000-04:00

I just finished my second 2 boards for my Gelatos Art Journal. I was inspired by Mou Saha's July "Take the Challenge With Mou". Her challenge for July was to use mainly Green. I decided to create a page centered around leaves. I love the beauty of nature. There is something peaceful for me to just sit in a shady spot, watch the wind blow through the leaves and hear the birds sing. I wanted to capture a little of that peace in my journal.

To prepare my boards, I applied gesso through a 101 Stencil with a palette knife on the left page, applying the gesso heaviest on the left side of the page. Then I flipped the stencil over and pressed it onto the board on the right to transfer the excess gesso. I wanted to play with the gelatos and see how they worked with the resist of the gesso compared to the surface of the plain board.

After allowing the gesso to dry I scribbled on my boards with my gelatos, using mainly green with a little yellow. I wanted the color to run diagonally across the boards. Using my finger to blend I only had to lightly mist with a little water to get the look I wanted. I worked on both boards at the same time, treating them as one page. I was able to wipe more color off the gesso areas using a baby wipe, making sure I kept switching to a clean area of the wipe as I worked. I could also let the color build up on the baby wipe and and use it blend the color in the areas not covered with gesso by using a lighter touch. I was careful not to over-work the board while it was wet to keep from damaging the surface. You can also use a heat tool to dry your board or set it aside and let it air dry.

I used a Sizzix Originals die that had 3 leaves on a branch to cut out a bunch of leaves from some patterned paper from my stash.
Since I used a heavy weight paper (probably Basic Grey) I was also able to use it as a guide to draw with my Silver Paper Crafter's Crayon, adding silvery leaves onto my background. I buffed the silver leaves with a dry paper towel to get a soft shine.

I scribbled with a Chocolate gelato on the branches. I lightly misting them with water and blended the color a little with my fingers, letting some of the texture of the pattern show through. I then sketched in the lines on my leaves with a Light Green Big Brush Pen.

Once I glued the leaves to the board I used the May Green and Green Olive Big Brush Pens to add more detail to the leaves.

I found a quote by Albert Schweitzer I thought would be perfect for my art journal. "Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf." I printed it onto white cardstock, cut it into strips, glued it down and sealed it with gel medium.

I scribbled some gelatoes into the wells of a palette, sprayed them with a little mist of water and mixed them up to make some water colors. I used a water brush to add more of the colors to the leaves, branches and edges of the word strips.

Shine on the green leaves is glaze, The silver leaves are buffed silver crayon.

Once everything was dry I used a small flat (dry) paintbrush to add glaze medium to the leaves. I love the shimmer of the glaze on the leaves. Just enough shine to highlight and enhance the color but not as glossy or dimensional as glossy accents would be. The added shimmer of the silver crayon is subtle and looks like shadowy background leaves, adding another layer of depth.

Every month Mou Saha has a challenge on the Faber Castell Design Memory Craft Blog. I hope you hop over to Take the Challenge with Mou and see her beautiful page. You still have time to enter. Usually the challenge runs for 2 weeks but this months challenge is running a little longer so you have until Sunday, July 26 to enter.

If you want to see Mou's other works her blog is http://collagecollagecollage.blogspot.com/

Gelatos and Art Journaling

2015-07-05T18:02:00.000-04:00

An art journal is a great way to play with different products and techniques. I had a Faber-Castell mini board journal I had won in their February "Take The Challenge With Mou" monthly challenge, so I decided to start an art journal for my gelatos.

Since Summer Sun and Sunny Flowers were the inspiration for my first pages of my art journal, I decided to enter my pages into The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge # 14 - Summer Days, which runs through July 31st.

Along with my gelatos, I used quite a few different techniques and products, almost all are part of the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft line. I started by covering the entire surface of two of the art boards with gesso. Once it was dry I used a stencil from their 101 collection that had dots that went from small to a medium size and applied some gel medium with a spatula. The gel medium added texture and worked as a resist. Then I set my boards aside to let it dry.

A quick word about the Faber-Castell stencils. You can purchase sets of stencils or they may come in one of their kits. They are made of chipboard so do not hold up well if saturated with water but the gel medium and paste worked fine with them. I decided to use a spray sealer on my stencils and that seems to be working fine for me.

Applying the gesso to the boards allowed the gelatos to blend easily and be lightened or removed entirely with baby wipes. I picked some yellow, pink and orange gelatos and scribbled color on the boards and then blended with my fingers. You can also moisten your fingers with a little water to help blend the colors.

I used a small dot stencil from the Mixed Media With Gelatos kit and baby wipes to remove some color across the top of the right board and lower left corner of the left board. The other dots are from the gel resist. I used the flower stencil from the same kit still working with the yellows and oranges applied the gelatos with my finger tips to blend, then added some details with Stampers Big Brush Pens. I used a Faber-Castell papercrafters silver crayon to fill in circle in the center of the flower.

Once I had my flowers the colors I wanted I added some Glass Bead Glitter Gel through the stencil. I had to let it dry before adding it to the 3rd flower. In the picture you can see the gel is white and opaque when applied. It dries clear and glittery and very textured from the beads.

Glass Bead Glitter Gel dries clear.

Then I inked up a flourish stamp with Stampers Big Brush Pens and stamped to add some more texture to the page. I put my pages aside for a few days while I worked on some other projects. When I came back to my art journal I was having so much fun I forgot to take pictures but here is how I finished up.

First I decided my flowers needed stalks so I quickly drew them in with Light Green and Green Olive Stampers Big Brush Pens. Then I mixed some gelatos with whipped spackle and applied it to the left page with a spatula to add more texture and deeper colors.

Next I used my yellow gelatos on some Tim Holtz water color paper. I also used the dropper tool to add some drips of Metallic Melon Gelato mixed with water to the water color paper and across the tops the journal pages. I hand stamped my quote inking up my alphabet stamps with a black Stamper's Big Brush Pen. I tore the paper from around the quote and used a glue stick to glue it to the left page. The white edges looked a little too bright so I added some water to the yellow gelato on my kraft sheet and applied the watercolor to the torn areas with a brush. For the final touch I added some white gelatos to the flower petals inbetween the stenciling and then once dry applied the Yellow Stampers Big Brush Pen. This brighten the flowers up a little and mdke them a little sunnier.

For the month of June the folks over at Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft had a Art Journaling Month where they had 5 members of their design team post tutorials each week showing how they created their art journals. By the end of June I had seen quite a few fun ideas for using my Gelatos. If you are looking for ideas on how to use their products their blog a great place to start. You can see Mou Saha's completed journal on her blog here.

July 4th and Tim's 12 Tags of 2015

2015-07-04T21:09:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July.

I hope everyone is having a fun holiday. I have had some fun time with my family earlier today. We went to the movies and then my husband cooked some of his wonderful hamburgers and home cut fries. He is an amazing cook. While he cooked I worked on my July 12 Tags of 2015 tag. I had made the plaid background using Tim's plaid technique from June and for the rest I wanted to follow Tim's tag as close as I could but I did have a few little variations.

For the 4 and the stars I used some grungeboard shapes in my stash. I bought so many sets when they first came out I may never run out. I dabbed some White Distress Crackle Paint on them and let them dry during dinner. Once we were through enjoying our meal the crackle paint was dry and I was able to put everything together. Here's my tag for this month. I think this may be the earliest I have ever finished one.

I Love seeing Tim's July 4th projects every year. Check out Tim's tag at 12 Tags of 2015 for July and his post for Patriotic Inspiration for some more ideas and his great tutorials.

30 Days of Coloring Inspiration

2015-07-03T18:21:00.000-04:00

The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge 2 Started June 1st. Each day Kathy Racoosin posted a Card, Coloring Technique, Video or Give Away along with a daily challenge for everyone to enjoy coloring for 10 minutes. Her blog is The Daily Marker

Here are just a few of the projects I completed this month while enjoying Kathy's challenge.

Distress Paint, Distress Inks, Embossing and Distress Markers and Glitter Paste with Wildflower Stencil

During the month of June I would visit Kathy's blog. There was always something new. Some days she posted a card or a technique filled video and some days she would have a give away. I started strong with the goal of coloring something everyday. I posted my work on Instagram with her hashtag #thedailymarker30day2.

Distress Markers, Perfect Pearls Mist Forever Blue and White Embossing Powder

Gelatos and White Embossing Powder

I did color something most days and made several cards.

Collection Portfolio Cover using techniques from "A Compendium of Curiosities" by Tim Holtz

I also worked on my Collection Folio using some of my favorite techniques from my copy of Tim Holtz's first book "A Compendium Of Curiosites".

Prismacolor Color Pencils

I also colored in my copy of "Enchanted Forest" by Johanna Basford.

Comparing Distress Markers, Prismacolor Pencils and Gelatos with Winnie and Walter Stamp

One day Kathy posted a Copic marker color combo comparison chart. Since I don't used Copics, I decided to make a little chart comparing my favorite coloring mediums.

Even when Kathy is using her Copics I learn a lot from her about color combinations, shading and lighting, blending, design and composition. Kathy makes beautiful cards.

It has been a fun month for me as far as coloring goes. Well actually June has just been an all around fun month. Not only have I been able to spend a lot of time coloring, I have been able to spend time with family, some of which I haven't seen in a while, celebrated my sister's birthday with her and visited with old friends.

If you like to color stamped images and especially if you are wondering about Copic markers or water coloring techniques be sure to check out Kathy's blog The Daily Marker. And here is a link to her compilation of the challenge with the cards she created each day along with links to each post http://www.thedailymarker.com/2015/07/wrap-up/. While you're there be sure to look around. Kathy is always posting something beautiful on her blog. After all she loves to color and she is very good at it.

June 12 Tags of 2015 - Coffee!

2015-06-30T22:54:00.002-04:00

So What's Your Favorite Brand of Coffee?

I grew up with the "Good To The Last Drop!" coffee in my house. It's still my favorite. However Tim, Mario and my coffee drinking daughter Sarah are fans of another brand. If you are a Tim fan you know which one it is.

When I saw Tim's tag this month I knew I had to make it. I really lucked out this time too. I don't have the coffee die but Linda at The Funkie Junkie Boutique encloses little goodie bags in her orders. I always find fun little surprises in these gift bags. I remember that she had enclosed a set of the coffee diecuts in the goodie bag with my last order. (Thanks Linda!) It was before Tim posted the June tag so it was just turned out lucky for me that I hadn't used them yet. The pieces Linda sent me were white except for the corrugated band and the acetate top. I think the white cup turned out great on my tag.

I Love Distress Minis!

I followed most of Tim's directions with a few changes here and there due to what supplies I had on hand. I was so excited when I saw Tim's plaid. I was able to recreate my plaid using Distress Minis with his Stripes Layering Stencil. The first tag I did was with Festive Berries, Weathered Wood and Faded Jeans. I loved the way it looked but quickly realized that I had skipped Tim's first step.

When I realized what I did (or didn't do) I decided to start over. One reason was because the technique was so quick and easy. Another was that I really need to play more with my Distress Sprays and finally I decided to use shades of greens. I'll use my Red, White and Blue tag for a July project.

Can you see the shimmer?

I spritzed my tag with water then Cracked Pistachio Distress Stain. I decided I wanted a little shimmer so I used Perfect Pearls Mists in heirloom gold instead of plain water for the drips and splatters step that was next. The colors of Distress Minis I used for my plaid were Forest Moss, Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive.

I wanted a heart where Tim used a star. I freehand cut one out of Clearly for Art Modeling film by Wendy Vecchi. I painted it with Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint and when it was dry added drops of Watermelon Alcohol ink.

I still don't have any of Tim's burlap so I used fabric from Tim's Eclectic Elements Line. The phrase I used is from Tim's stamp set Way With Words CMS165 from Stamper's Anonymous.

I always find such wonderful inspiration and tutorials at Tim's blog. If you want to see Tim's June tag and check out his great tutorial click here. Another place to get ideas for using Tim's products is the Ranger Ink blog. If you'd like to see some fun projects the Ranger Artists created after being inspired by Tim's June tag click here.

Layering Stencil Fun for the Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge

2015-06-23T23:20:00.000-04:00

I had such fun working on my entry for Challenge #31 at Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosity 3 Challenge. Layering Stencil: Paint Resist that I posted a couple of photos of my work in progress shots on Instagram. Did you see them? Here is the completed tag.

The background of my tag was created using the technique from page 47 of Tim Holtz's "A Compendium of Curiosities Volume III". I used Picket Fence and Mustard Seed Distress Paint and Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Dusty Concord and Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink along with the Harlequin and Flourish Stencil but as to how I did it you will need to check your own copy of the book.

Rules for the challenge are here and loads of inspiration for the technique is here.

Sponsor of this challenge is Inspiration Emporium. They are generously donated a $50 gift certificate that some lucky winner can use to purchase some more goodies. If you want to check them out click here.

I realized I needed more of the smaller flowers.

Alcohol Ink on Gems

After finishing my base tag, I decided to create some flowers using one of my favorite dies, Tattered Florals. I used the pink pattern paper from Tim's Vintage Shabby Paper Stash. For the smaller flowers I used the smallest flower on the Tattered Florals die and after inking it up and shaped the petals with my fingers. For the centers I took the gems off the ends of Tim's Idea-ology "Gem Clips" and colored them with Butterscotch Alcohol ink then glue them into the center with Glossy Accents.

Making leaves and flowers

The leaves for the smaller flowers are die cut from the Motif paper stash which includes both white and kraft colored paper with varnished designs that resist ink. I inked the paper up with Bundle Sage and Mowed Lawn Distress Inks, then die cut them with the small Poinsettia mover and shaper die. I cut each poinsettia into sections with 2 petals for each flower. For the larger leaf, I hand cut a leaf shape using my very old deckle edged scissors. (I started scrapbooking when these were cutting edge technology!) I glued the leaves to the flowers. Once everything was dry I started playing around and arranging the flowers.

I used the Tattered Floral Die for the large rose. I used Dusty Concord Distress Ink and a blending tool over the Vintage Shabby die cuts. I won't go into all the details here but here is a link to a really good turorial by Hels Sheridan, one of the Curiosity Crew members, for a large rose. It's not exactly how I made mine but really close.

I used the Tattered Banners die and Remnant Rubs to create my banners, and finished up my tag by adding a few Idea-logy embellishments colored with alcohol inks and of course a ribbon bow.

My Layering Stencil: Paint Resist tag before I started putting everything together.

Suncatcher with Faux Cracked Glass CC3C 30

2015-06-15T11:58:00.000-04:00

When I saw Linda's beautiful red hummingbird feeder she made from a syrup bottle I knew I had to make a Sun Catcher for the Faux Cracked Glass challenge. You can see Linda's beautiful feeder at her blog. It is one of the wonderful art pieces you will find at Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge #30.

I actually finished it over the weekend but being NOT a great photographer had a really hard time catching the light for a good shot.

The sponsor for this challenge is The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Yes, one lucky winner will win a $25 gift certificate to shop for goodies. I love to shop there so wish me luck! There is also a prize for The Curiosity Crew's Choice. It is a box full of fantastic goodies donated by Tim Hotz and Mario Rossi. You still have time to join the fun. Create your own entry and link it up the challenge is open till this Friday. You can find a ton of inspiration from the Curiosity Crew here and the rules here.

These little bottles are Tim's Corked Vials. I colored them using Tim's Faux Cracked Glass technique from page 54 of his amazing book "A Compendium of Curiosities Volume III". If you don't have a copy you can order it directly from Tim and he'll sign it for you. You can see I've used Tim's screw eyes twisted into the cork tops to add his paper twine for hanging.

The little flowers on top of the cork are Idea-ology foliage painted with Picket Fence Distress Paint, then alcohol ink and finally Rock Candy Distress Crackle. Make sure each layer is completely dry before going on to the next. I placed Tim's Screw Eyes through the holes and then twisted them into the cork stoppers to attach the flowers.

I made a hanger for my Sun Catcher vials out of Grunge paper that I die cut with Tim's Styled Labels die, painted with Distress Cracked Brushed Pewter Paint and embossed with his Rays embossing folder. Years ago Tim showed us how to make an Alcohol Ink Palette by dripping alcohol ink into a palette and letting it dry. The Alcohol Ink Refillable Pen has a brush nib and a fine point nib. Filled with blending solution it makes an excellent brush for picking up the alcohol ink and coloring glossy surfaces. The Brushed Pewter Cracked Distress Paint dries glossy so I was able to easily color my labels with alcohol inks. I folded the labels in half, glued and stapled them together with the mini attacher and inserted a dowel into the center making the top for my sun-catcher. I used my crop-a-dile to add holes to hang the corked vials from. I topped off the top with a white wooden bead I had in my stash and another foliage flower. I colored both with Silver mixative alcohol ink and put a clear gemstone in the center of the flower. It reminds me of a little pineapple and the silver color goes great with the pewter. To finish it off I painted the dowel with Brushed Pewter too.

Now I can stick the dowel into a potted plant and place it in front of the window in my craft room.

Eroded Metallic - Compedium of Curiosities 3 Challenge 29

2015-06-05T23:36:00.000-04:00

On page 44 of "A Compendium of Curiosities Volume III" you will find the technique for the latest challenge from Linda Ledbetter and the Curiosity Crew.. Eroded Metallic is a gorgeous technique and the Curiosity Crew has created another amazing array of inspiring art.

The Sponsor for Challenge 29 is Inspiration Emporium, They are generously giving away a $50 gift certificate to one lucky participant. Tim and Mario have also donated some prizes to be given to the Curiosity Crew's Choice. So 2 chances to win! Wish me Luck!!!

I decided to use this technique to alter a chipboard box I have had for quite some time. I actually finished the Eroded Metallic technique part last week. And I have been looking at it ever since. I just couldn't decide how I wanted to embellish it.

When I was a little girl, someone told me that when I saw a Cardinal it was a sign winter was here. It wasn't until recently I found out this wasn't true. I did a little research and found out they stay in the same territory all year long. When I won my Christmas Cardinal die (Thanks Linda and Crew) I knew I wanted to use them on something that wasn't obviously winter so they are the focal point and inspiration needed to finish my box.

Of course, I can't tell you how to do the Eroded Metallic technique. It is against the rules. But if you've enjoyed reading my tutorials in the past and would like to see a one on this project, just let me know. I'll make a separate tutorial page and post it in a few days. (without the Eroded Metallic technique of course).

Last Day for Tim's May 12 Tags of 2015

2015-05-31T23:52:00.004-04:00

I'm not the only one to wait to the last day to post my version of Tim's May 12 Tags of 2015. Many of the blogs I follow were posting their May tag yesterday and today too.

I don't have some of the products Tim used. Of course not having a particular product doesn't mean I can't make Tim's tag. I just have to be more creative. So instead of Burlap (which really looks fun to work with) I used his Burlap Texture fade and a Kraft tag. There were a few other things I don't have but they are on my wish list. So I decided to throw caution to the wind and get creative.

I used Abandoned Coral and Spun Sugar stain on the ribbon. The Chit Chat letters are colored with Distress Markers. The foliage is from Tim's Christmas Cardinal die. The musical notes are Remnant Rubs. The Singing bird, the 45¢ and the Crown savings stamps are from the Thrift Shop ephemera pack but the Nests and Eggs image is clipped from the 3x3 designs in the Wallflower Paper Stash. The eggs are colored with a Cracked Pistachio Distress Marker. I also used Idea-ology embellishments.

One thing I have been busy working on this week is my collection portfolio. I love Tim's Wallflower Paper Stash so that's what I'm using for my folio. I am making lots of little pockets to add throughout the pages. I decided that once I made my May tag I could turn it into a pocket too.

After I finished my tag, I made an little bag out of Melange Tissue Wrap and glued the tag to the front with glossy accents.

The back of the bag is reinforced with a sheet of cream cardstock. The card is cut the same size as the bag. I used the flourish stencil and applied Walnut Stain distress ink with the mini blending tool. The cardstock was larger than the stencil so I turned the stencil sideways so I could apply the ink edge to edge. One thing I quickly discovered was that the pattern repeated from side to side, overlapping by about a 1/4". If you look closely at the small picture of the stencil you'll see the edge of the stencil under my thumb and that the area already inked is lining up with the stencil after I repositioned it further down the card.

I used the Mini Baroque Movers and Shapers die to cut a topper for the card. I cut it in half, inked it up and glued it to the top of the card then glued the card to the back of the bag.

You can check out Tim's tag here.

From Postbox Red Flowers to Wavy Hearts

2015-05-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

What do Sprays, Paint, Baby Wipes and the last Wednesday in May all have in common?

My last post as the May guest designer for eclectic Paperie.

First thing I want to share is how much I have enjoyed this month on the eP blog. I enjoy challenges, they bring out my crafty, creative side. Kim has given me the opportunity to work with some new products that I have not used before which made it a fun challenge. When I started thinking about my final project, I knew I wanted to make a scrapbook page about reading with my grandson, Jasper. If you want to see the tutorial, please hop on over to the eP blog.

When working on my projects each week, I tried to use mostly what Kim sent me along with things from my stash that she carries in her store. This was for two reasons. First, I know that when you show someone a new product and they like it they want to be able to find it. Second, Kim was very generous and sent me products to use for my guest designer posts. She also encouraged me to create anything I wanted and is she is super easy to work with. So of course, if you don't already shop here, I want to encourage you to check out eclectic Paperie.

Thanks Kim for giving me a shot and if you ever want me to be a guest designer again just let me know. It's been fun.

CC3C 38 Alcohol Ink Ombre, Remembering the Moment

2015-05-22T23:18:00.000-04:00

Here is my tag for Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge. If you are curious about Alcohol Ink and want to know more or even if you like working with them and just want some inspiration, you should check out this challenge. Linda Ledbetter and her Curiosity Crew create beautiful artwork for this bi-weekly challenge that promotes Tim Holtz's A Compendium of Curiosities Volume 3 and this week they all used the Alcohol Ink Ombre technique.

The background of my tag is created with Tim Holtz's Alcohol Ink on Gloss paper from Ranger. The technique is Alcohol Ink Ombre shown on page 57 of Tim's Volume 3 of A Compendium of Curiosities.

I've also used Wendy Veccki's Clearly for Art modeling film and Tim Holtz wood block Butterfly Stamp E1-1538 from Stampers Anonymous for the butterflies. I stamped the butterflies with Archival Jet Black ink on one side. On the other side of the film I used the Alcohol Ink Ombre technique. Then I cut out the butterflies and heated the modeling film with my heat tool and shaped it. Once it cools it holds the shape. You can heat it as many times as you need until you get the shape you want.

The other stamps I used are also from Stampers Anonymous, Urban Chic CMS086 and Mini Cirque CMS079.

Funkie Junkie Boutique is the sponsor of Challenge 28. I've shopped with Linda before and she has great selection and prices. Of course she has wonderful customer service too. There is also a chance to win a special prize (donated by Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi) awarded to the Curiosity Crew's Choice. Check out all the details at Linda's blog. This challenge ends tonight at midnight but a new one will start tomorrow.

I love the challenge and I love Tim's book. Of course I'm not the only one. There are quite a few talented artist that link their artwork to CC3C so If you are looking for inspiration you will find it just a click away.

Botanical Sketch CMS215 and Cracked Pistachio

2015-05-20T05:36:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! Welcome to another Wednesday and my third post as guest designer at the eclectic Paperie blog. This week I've used my favorite stamp, Tim Holtz Botanical Sketch CMS216 from Stampers Anonymous, along with Cracked Pistachio Distress Paint, Faber-Castell Gelatos, BoBunny Stickable Stencils and BoBunny Glitter Paste. Please be sure to visit the eP blog post to check out the tutorial at http://eclecticpaperie.blogspot.com/2015/05/distress-paint-gelatos-glitter-paste.html.

While you're there, please check out some of the other post at eclectic Paperie's blog and also their shop.

Be sure to let me know what you think. Comments and questions are always welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

Fun Trophy Cup Photo Holder

2015-05-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

For week number 2 as Guest Designer on the eclectic Paperie Blog I altered one of Tim Holtz Idea-ology Trophy Cups to create a photo holder for these fun little Fuji Film Instax Mini photos! It was fun and easy to make. Hop on over the eclectic Paperie blog to see the tutorial and be sure to leave a comment! Thanks for stopping by.

Curious how Time Flies CC3C 27

2015-05-09T00:59:00.002-04:00

Another Friday night and another late night post. Just finished a tag for CC3C #27 Embossing Diffusers. Loved working on this project. I don't use my embossing folders nearly enough and although I have played around with my diffusers I hadn't created anything with them until this tag. If you follow my blog or are a participant in the CC3C you know that every other week Linda Ledbetter issues a challenge based on a technique in Tim's book and if you participate you might win a prize! I have won in the past and let me tell you I love getting happy mail.

Challenge #27 is Embossing Diffusers on page 61 of A Compendium of Curiosities Vol 3. The sponsor is Inspiration Emporium and of course a special prize is awarded to the Curiosity Crews' Choice from Tim and Mario. You can also see some inspiring creations by the Curiosity Crew.

Once you checked out the technique in Tim's book you'll understand how I started my tag. Now I did ink up parts of my embossing folder with Distress Ink before embossing but I can't go into detail about that because of the rules of the challenge. But after the technique I did a little blending with Distress Inks and then added some Distress Rock Candy Crackle Paint over the entire tag. Once the crackle is dry the Live the Life You've Imagined sentiment from Creative Muse CMS046 is stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink. Then I stamped the heart from Love Struck CMS082 repeatedly to add interest to the background. Both stamp sets are from Tim's line from Stamper's Anonymous. I used Ranger Ink Archival Inks because they will dry on slick surfaces such as Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.

Several years ago, Tim had shown us how to create an alcohol ink palette by dropping alcohol ink into the wells of a palette and letting it dry then using the refillable pen filled with blending solution and color with it. I used my pen and Terra Cotta alcohol ink from my palette to color in the one heart stamped on the background and the Idea-ology heart hanging from the pin on the ribbon and the page corner on the lower right corner of the tag. Cherish on the idea-ology tag is highlighted in Cracked Pistachio Distress Paint the Idea-ology foliage is unaltered.

Wednesdays in May at eP

2015-05-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

I'm really excited to be the guest designer at the eclectic Paperie blog for the month of May! As I mentioned in my last post, I will be posting a new project on the eP blog every Wednesday this month. Here is my project for my first post as guest designer. I hope you like it. I had fun using some products I haven't used before along with a few of my favorite ones. If you want to see more about how I used stencils, paste and paint (and a few more things) to transformed the cover of this kraft board book from plain to bright and cheery check out the post at http://eclecticpaperie.blogspot.com.

I hope you'll hop over and let Kim know I sent you!

Exciting News for May!

2015-05-04T06:16:00.001-04:00


Every Wednesday in May!

I'm really excited to announce that I am going to be the guest designer at eclectic Paperie's blog for the month of May! I will be posting a new project on the eP blog every Wednesday this month.

I will be working with some fun products, many that I've never used before, so it's sure to be interesting. You don't have to wait until Wednesday. Visit Kim's blog at http://eclecticpaperie.blogspot.com/ for some wonderful inspiration.

In the meantime here is a cover I created for my Tim Holtz Stencils. Rangers #10 tags are the perfect size to protect my stencils. I used my mini blending tool and some Distress Inks, a little texture paste with embossing powder, some of Tim's tissue tape, a few Remnant Rubs, stencils and a lot of fun!

Throw Back Thursday and Scrapbooking

2015-04-30T10:07:00.000-04:00

A long time ago I started scrapbooking. I needed a hobby and I had plenty of pictures. I don't scrapbook often anymore, but I still enjoy it. I realized I haven't posted many of my scrapbook pages and since today is Thursday I thought I would have Throwback Thursday Post. This is one of my favorites created a while back I don't believe I ever posted it.

Even though it is a scrapbook page you can see I'm still using my Tim Holtz products. The paper is from the Seasonal Paper Stash. There are several different papers for each holiday or season. The 12x12 pad has a variety of design sizes, from full page design to 6x6 designs, 2x2 snippets, ATC sizes and borders. "SWEETHEART" is cut out of the 12x12 background paper and mounted on grungeboard. After inking the edges and adding Rock Candy Distress Glitter over the top (it looks like sugar is sprinkled over the top) I placed it on a torn strip of one of the other Valentine sheets, inked up the edges and placed it back over the area cut out from the background. The ephemera cards are cut from the snippets sheet. They remind me of little valentines.

The winged hearts are die cut from Grungeboard and painted with Distress Crackle Paint then inked with a blending tool with what is probably Walnut Stain Distress Ink but it may have been Vintage Photo.

The large picture is one my sister, June, took when she was taking her photography courses in college. I love this photo because Mama hated having her picture taken. Daddy just wrapped his arms around her and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. My sister was able to capture the smile. I selected 5 more pictures of my parents together from different moments in their life together and printed them out very small, added them behind the Filmstrip Ribbon and used the Tiny Attacher to mount it to the page.

I made this page after my parents passed away but before the scrapbook store I worked at part time closed. It hangs in my studio where I can see it and think about how much my parents loved not only each other but all six of their children. I find that when I lose someone I love it helps me to create something in their memory to help me cherish my memories of them.

So Many Stamps to choose from...

2015-04-25T00:20:00.000-04:00

When I realized that time was running out for the Smudge Stamping Technique at Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge #26 I got out all of my Tim Holtz stamps, my Distress Inks and my #8 manilla tags and started playing. I ended up using 8 stamps from 5 different sets. After 3 attempts I figured out the right placement of the stamps and colors I wanted to use. One thing I found out quickly is that this is a fun technique and I will be using with it more.

Curious about how it's done? Get out your copy of Compendium of Curiosities Volume III and turn to page 42 to find out all about Smudge Stamping. Don't have your own copy you can buy an autographed book from Tim here.

Want to see some more examples? Go to Linda's blog and see the amazing art she and the Curiosity Crew created. You can even check out the art from other creatives who have answered the challenge.

The sponsor for this challenge was The Funkie Junkie Boutique. If you follow my blog you will know there is also a Curiosity Crew Choice winner (who wins a box full of goodies donated by Tim and Mario!), and an honorable mention.

I'm keeping this post short tonight. I had so much fun I lost track of time and it is awfully late here in Georgia. Lucky for me the challenge is open until 11:59 MST.

Botanical Sketch

2015-04-17T23:19:00.002-04:00

Getting started on the background

This is a watercolor I did last month using my newest and favorite stamp from Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous. It it called Botanical Sketch CMS216. I stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink on Distress Water Color paper and heat embossed with Ranger's Clear Extra Fine Detail Embossing Powder. I used Distress Ink Markers and the detail Water Brush to water color it.

Botanical Sketch is a very versatile stamp. I've also used this same stamp on my tags for the last 2 challenges for Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosity 3 Challenge. You can check them out here, my Remnant Rub Happy Life and the my Frameworks FLY tag.

If you'd like to see a great tutorial on using Distress Markers as water colors check out Tim Holtz's April tag here. He has created 2 beautiful water color tags and has a wonderful step by step tutorial with excellent instructions and photos.

P.S. Did you notice anything different about my blog this visit? I finally decided to create a header for my blog. Since I use Blogger to manage my blog, it was actually easier than I thought it would be. I made this as a test header, but I like the way it turned out so I think I'll keep it for a while. Let me know what you think.

Texture, Layers and Frameworks for Tim's April 12 Tags of 2015

2015-04-14T20:41:00.000-04:00

Just so you know and in case you haven't seen Tim Holtz's April 12 Tags of 2015, I didn't use the same techniques Tim did this month. But I did use his design for his April tag to complete one of the framework tags that I created earlier this week. In my last post I shared that I was having so much fun working on my entry for the Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge #25 Frameworks that I made 3 backgrounds. I worked on all 3 simultaneously until I reached a point where I could decide which one to finish for the challenge.

The background for this tag is one I didn't use for the challenge because I really liked it so much I didn't want to cover it up. I was saving it for later. This weekend when I was thinking of Tim's April tag and wishing I had the Flower Garden Stamp (It's the next stamp on my wish list), I realized that even though I didn't have the stamp to use for the wonderful water coloring effects Tim had demonstrated, I could use my frameworks background and some of Tim's other products to create a different version of the April tag. The April design would let the background shine through instead of hiding it.

I started with a Kraft tag I embossed with one of Tim's embossing folders. Then I lined up a couple of the extra honeycomb frames I had die cut with the Frameworks diecut I was keeping on the tag, taped them down and used them as stencils. After applying some texture paste thinly over parts of the dry embossed tag, I removed the stencils. Once the paste was dry I then inked it up with Distress Ink. You can see the dry embossing peeking through the paste. Love the texture.

Keeping in the spirit of the CC3C Guidelines, I'm not going to go into the detailed instructions for the rest of the Frameworks technique because they are in Tim's book. He does an excellent job showing fun ways to use the die and has beautiful step by step photos. You'll find them on page 64 of his book, "Compendium of Curiosities Volume III".

To create my Black-Eyed Susan flowers I used some techniques from "A Compendium of Curiosities" Volume II. I used Tim's Crumpled Kraft Suede Technique from pg 40 on Glassine paper to create the flower centers and then on watercolor paper to create the flower petals. The petals were die cut from Tim's Tattered Florals die and water colored with Distress Markers. The paper twine for the flower stems and for the top of the tag was colored with Cracked Pistachio Spray. The Grungeboard star is from a stash I created when first learning the Shattered Stains technique also explained in Volume II on page 48.

Since my background was already created on a No. 8 tag and I didn't want to trim it down, I used a larger Kraft tag and trimmed it down to leave a 1/4" border on the sides and bottom with a little more room at the top. Then I followed Tim's instructions to cut the 1" strip for my tag to weave through and for the word LIFE to be die cut out of, letting the tag underneath show through. Yes, I do have Tim's ruler and it makes this step so easy. I don't have the Adventure Words dies that Tim used so I die cut my letters out of cardstock with Tim's Alterations Chipped Block die strip, glued them down and carefully cut them out with a craft knife. I inked the backside of the tag where the letters are cut out to add definition. Love the effect of the negative space. The Adventure Words block dies would be fun to use and time saving dies to have.

To finish off my tag I added the machine stitching as shown on Tim's tag. I used the Chit Chat word "beautiful" and colored the edge with Cracked Pistachio and a waterbrush. I really like how my April tag turned out but when I get the Flower Garden Stamp I will revisit the Tim's April tag and try out these techniques. I really love the spritzed background.

Now I have another tag inspired by Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2015. Tim has a way of showing us how to use his products in ways I haven't imagined yet. That's why I follow his blog, have his books, have taken his Creative Chemistry Classes and love his products. He encourages us to be curious, try new things and get our fingers inky. His tag is gorgeous this month and I really hope you visit his blog here and see it.

Fly with Courage. Frameworks - CC3C Challenge 25

2015-04-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge # 25 comes to a close tonight and I have finished my tag. The challenge is to open your copy of "Compendium of Curiosity Volume 3" by Tim Holtz, turn to page 64 for Tim's instructions and tips on how to use his Frameworks die. Then create something fun and link it up to Linda's Blog.

Inspiration Emporium is the sponsor for the challenge and one lucky winner will receive a $50 gift certificate. There is also a Curiosity Crew Choice winner who gets an amazing box of goodies that Tim and Mario donated along with a badge for their blog and one more person gets an honorable mention along with a badge for their blog.

I've had so much fun with my Frameworks die that I was working on 3 different backgrounds at the same time. I have one background I like too much to cover up yet and one that I am definitely seeing some definite possibilities for and the one you see here.

Botanical Sketch.

The one I decided to go with for the challenge is the one that everything just seemed to pull together on. Once I got to a certain point I just couldn't stop. The background of the tag was created using Tim's wrinkle free distress technique in a variety of blues. Then I used a section of the Botanical Sketch Stamp CMS216 and Chipped Sapphire to stamp the edges on both sides of the tag then embossed with Antiquities Frosted Crystal from Ranger. This adds dimension without the gloss and I love the feel. I inked up a ribbon and ran it down the center of the tag to cover the gap.

The next step was to use the Framework die so check out Tim's book for the instructions.

I used all the butterflies from Thrift Shop Ephemera Pack. I used Distress Markers and a water brush to colorize the front and back of the butterflies, and the edges of the wings. I shaped the body and wings to give them more dimension. The largest is up on 2 sets of pop dots. The Oval and smaller butterflies are on one layer of pop dots. You can see the back of the butterfly wings reflecting in the mirrors. I also used Industrious Stickers, Remnant Rubs, and paper twine.

I love my Distress Inks. Whether using ink pads, markers, stains or sprays, there are so many ways to apply and alter these amazing inks to paper, fabric, ribbon, twine and more.

If you are looking for more inspiration for Framework dies check out what the Curiosity Crew did at Linda's blog. You'll find more amazing pieces of art. Tags, cards, art journal page and a canvas. You can also find inspiration in Tim's books and on his blog. Oh! I was testing the link and this just saw this! He just posted on his blog this morning that he has 4 new products! Got to Go and watch the product videos!

You'll be seeing the backgrounds on the left and right soon!

have courage, FLY!

Edited to Add that I did finish the brown background. I used it to create my April tag inspired by Tim's 12 Tags of 2015. You can see it here.

Tim's March 12 Tags of 2015

2015-03-31T22:56:00.002-04:00

If you want to see Tim's tag look here http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-march/. It was the inspiration for the tag I'm posting today, this last day of March.

I had so much fun with Distress Paints over Tim's tissue tape. The stamp I used here is from Creative Muse CMS046. One of Tim's earlier sets, it includes the infamous Umbrella Man. I needed a stamp with not only a solid area but an open area too. I picked the Rook Card because it reminds me of when my parents used to play Rook when I was a small child.

The most fun though was using a mask with a stencil and embossing paste and then using embossing powder on top of that. You can see step by step pictures on Tim's blog.
Let me just say that the effect is gorgeous.

Grungeboard and Rock Candy Crackle Paint

I Love Tim's Buckles!

I've also used some Remnant Rubs, some grungeboard with Rock Candy Crackle Paint along with Distress Stains and Alcohol Ink, and Filmstrip Ribbon.

Tim will have a new tag to inspire us in April and I've seen quite a few Easter theme works of art on his blog this month so I am really excited and looking forward to seeing his next 12 Tags of 2015.

My Happy Life

2015-03-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

The current challenge at Linda Ledbetter's CC3C is Remnant Rubs! So grab your Compendium of Curiosites Volume 3, check out page 51 and then go to Linda's blog for some amazing inspiration. Now grab a pack of Tim's Remnant Rubs and have some fun creating something.

Tim shares a lot more techniques in his book than I used on my tag. Mainly because I am using a very large stamp from the Botanical Sketch CMS216 set. This set is one of Tim Holtz's new stamps from Stamper's Anonymous and is sure to be one of my favorites. It features a beautiful 5"x6" stamp that is a line drawing of flowers with an open space in the middle of the stamp for a sentiment and the set includes several. The image is beautiful to color. Once I stamped it and added the Remnant Rub, I knew that when I was through coloring, I would only need to add a few elements to finish it off.

Tim designed this stamp set with cardmakers in mind. It is larger than a standard size card, so by moving it around on your card surface you can position the opening in different places on your card. For me, it turned out perfect for my tag. The opening was the perfect size for the Remnant Rub I picked out from the Life Quotes set. I stamped the flowers in Jet Black Archival Ink. At 6" tall it didn't quite cover the entire tag and left a small strip at the top but I just re-inked the stamp and stamped that area careful not to overlap the image. As you can see, I covered the seam with Tim's harlequin tissue tape. Unless you know its there you can
t even tell.

I used Distress Stains to create a wash for the background and colored in the image with Distress Markers. I had so much fun. I love this stamp and plan on using it a lot.

To finish off my tag, I painted one of Tim's Idea-ology birds with Distress Paint using Chipped Sapphire, Broken China, Red Barn and a little Walnut for the beak. After the paint dried I sanded a little of the color off for highlights. The bird's crown is also from Tim's Idea-ology line and has been altered with Tim's Alcohol Ink in Gold Mixative and added with a glue dot. I used pop dots to attach him to the top of the tag.

The sponsor for this challenge is The Funkie Junkie. Linda has a great prices and selection and wonderful customer service. There is also a special prize from Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi for the Curiosity Crew's choice. So what are you waiting for? This challenge is open through Friday, March 27, 2015. Visit Linda and her crew, open Tim's book and get inspired!

Inspiring Curiosity

2015-02-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

Yes! Another Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge completed. If you haven't check out Linda Ledbetter's challenge, maybe you should. This is Challenge #22 and uses the Dimensional Cutting Pad as shown in "A Compendium of Curiosities Volume III" by Tim Holtz. On page 62 you will find 6 detailed photos along with detailed instructions that walk you through, step by step, how to use the Dimensional Cutting Pad. At Linda's blog you will find the challenge details and 9 fabulous projects created by the Curiosity Crew using this technique. If you don't have a Dimensional Cutting Pad yet, you may want one after seeing what Linda and her crew created. Everything from cards & tags to an art journal page. There's even a home decor project for a fireplace mantel that doubles as an accordion album.

Challenge #22 is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique who has provided a gift certificate to one lucky winner so they can go shopping at their excellent online boutique. They not only carry Tim Holtz products but have just about anything you need for your vintage projects. You can even set up a wish list (which I have)! There is also a special prize awarded (thanks to Tim and Mario!) to The Curiosity Crew's Choice and the lucky selectee not only wins an amazing prize package but also gets a banner for their blog. Too Cool!

I did something a little different this time. I started with a #12 size tag. At 5 1/8" x 10 1/2", this tag is huge compared to the size I usually use. Why so big you might ask? Two reasons. The first is I wanted to use at least one product, technique or idea from each crew member's tag that inspired me. I needed lots of room because they are very inspiring. The second is I love Wallflower Paper Stash and especially the page with the two birds side by side on the branch. With the #12 tag I had enough room to use the 12x12 size which has the largest image of the birds and still have room for my die cuts.

Lots of fun techniques here. Everything from Distress Ink, to Distress Markers, Tissue Tape and Remnant Rubs to Idea-ology, Stencils, Stamps to Die Cuts and Papers. That is real bird seed in the vial and I didn't have green felt so the leaves for the felt flower was die cut from white felt and colored with Lettuce Alcohol Ink and Blending Solution.

I always want to give thanks to Tim Holtz for all his amazing products, tutorials and ideas and to Mario for his hard work behind the scenes and his amazing BTS updates and to both for their generosity is making time in their busy schedule to share so much.

This week I also want to thank Linda, Anita, Annette, Candy, Cheryl, Hels, Marjie, Susan and Yvonne.

Even though I used something inspiring from everyone's project here, there are still plenty more ideas that I can use to jump start another project. You guys inspire me... all the time.

P.S. Linda's challenge is open through Friday, Feb 27.