Buttons, Grunge and Banner

While that title could be the nicknames of characters in a TV show, it actually contains the key words in the latest (number nine!) Making Art challenge at the Wendy Vecchi yahoo group.  Wendy's original project (in book 1, page 24) was a card, but all you need to know in order to participate is that your piece needs to contain at least 3 buttons and 1 dimensional item made of either grungeboard or grungepaper.  So, though I may think you should have the book, you don't need to.  What you do need to do, though, is join the group.  So, if you have any interest in the art and products of Miz Vecchi, c'mon over; you'll like it there.  And no, Wendy doesn't pay me to say those things; I honestly love her stamps and art parts and they all work so well with the twelve tons of Tim Holtz products I also have crammed into my tiny work space.

I created a little canvas for this challenge.  It measure just 4" square, and I did enjoy working on it.

And here's why I love Tim's new distress stains so much.  It literally took seconds to cover the canvas with a perfect coat of wild honey (the sides and edges are vintage photo), which I then stamped with Wendy's polka dot stamp, using coffee archival ink.

The dress mannequin is one of Wendy's art parts.  All I did to it was ink the bottom a bit with stained walnut, then covered the torso with natural colored sticky back canvas.  I trimmed as close to the edge as possible, then used a sanding block to complete the trimming and distress the edges.  The word 'style' is part of a phrase stamp.  All I did was ink only the word I was interested in using.

For the grunge part of the challenge, I cut the spool from grungeboard with Tim's new Sewing Room die, colored it with antique linen and edged it with tea die.  Then I wrapped some fiber around it.

The measuring tape is actually an image stamped onto fabric.  I don't know where it came from, but suspect it was sent to me either with a swap or a RAK.  I sewed the buttons onto it and then glued it down.  Some hat pins (origins of all unknown, but at least one of them is from Jenni Bowlin.  Or Maya Road) finish it off.

So, if you're really alert, you're probably thinking, what about the word banner?  Well, not at all part of the challenge piece, but I just wanted to share another project I did this week.  I was at my friend Heidi's open house (celebrating five years in NYC as well as five years of creativity) on Sunday.  It was joining Heidi's Meetup group that started me on my papercrafting journey.  I'd been doing one or another art form for years, but at that point was mainly scrapbooking and taking painting classes.  One thing led to another, one Meetup group let to another, which led to yahoo groups and online classes, and Tim cruises and......well, one little click on the enter key substantially changed my life.  So it always pleases me to attend one of Heidi's events.  Our make n take was an art banner, done with coasters, and using plenty of Prima,  gorgeous 7 Gypsies paper, and assorted other bling.  Though I love it very much, I have already sent it to someone who I know will love it too.