This and That

This is what I've been up to lately.  I was too tired yesterday to blog, so I posted some of these on FB.  But, there is something new here.  :)

One of the many gifts from Elena at Keys4Art was the complete collection of Julie Nutting's whimsical doll stamps.  Even a confirmed old anti-cutenik like me finds them irresistible.  I used them on a tag and a card.

Stamped on Ranger's Specialty Paper, colored with distress markers, doodled on with glaze pens and souffle pens, and cut out.  The conversation bubbles were traced and cut from a template of various sized and shaped bubbles I've had for years.  The words are all bits of two different (and very old) Stampin' Up stamps.



 

 

The tag (from Prima's tag book, the perfect size for Julie's stamps) was inked a bit.  Instead of coloring all of this doll, I stamped the clothing (and headband) on various papers from Jenni Bowlin mini paper pads, cut them out and attached them to the doll.  I added the bouquet of flowers and the two flowers in her hair.  The sentiments are also old Stampin' Up stamps.

 

The challenge at Everything Wendy Vecchi was to use distress embossing powder and at least one of Wendy's stamps.  I did that and then some on a journal page.

 

 

 

The two striped flowers are Wendy's stencil, filled with her gold embossing paste.  The third flower is from Stencil Girl, and that was embossed with broken china embossing powder.  More distress embossing on the leaves, and the rest is stamping.....Wendy's and even a few I've cut myself.

 

Remember my polymer clay mouse from last weekend?  The oil paint we used finally dried enough for me to add some embellishments.  Striped stockings, polka dotted sleeves, and some pretty shocking shoes.  And you can't see it, but....I filled her crown with gold micro beads.  As befits a royal mouse.

 

 

 

I received another book in the Kindred Souls round robin.  This one is Deb's, and her theme is "vintage feminine."  I used one of my favorite images.

 

 

 

By using both Tim's regular sized and mini cabinet card die as an insert, I was able to create the frame, which was embossed with Cuttlebug's vintage wallpaper folder.  It was cut from a piece of Ranger's foil tape sheet, and altered with a mix of Ranger/Vintaj patinas and distress paints.

 

The flourishes on the left are not stamps....they're Tim's rub-ons.  The flowers (sprayed with perfect pearls mists) are Primas, and the stick pins were made by my friend Carla.....she gifted everyone with a set of them at Keys4Art.  The pearls and lace are from my stash.

 

So, I'm caught up again.....just waiting for the next journal delivery.







The 12 Tags of 2013 AND a metal etching update

April really snuck up on me.  I had an idea for the March tag but before I knew it, April was upon us.  Click HERE to see what Tim did on his April tag.  It was all about the new metallic distress paints, which, sadly, I do not yet possess.  However, I do have some fluid acrylic metallics, and as their consistency is similar to the distress paints, I thought I'd give it a go.  And finally get something done on time!

Instead of working on a tag I did a birthday card on a coaster (4"x4"). 

The background directly on the coaster is from a gelli plate print.  Within that is the piece I did with one of Tim's techniques.....swiping paper through small amounts of distress paints, including a metallic.  Over that I stamped the butterfly from Tim's mini blueprint set, using black archival ink.

On Tim's tag (he used the full size dragonfly blueprint stamp), he added wings cut from Wendy Vecchi's Clearly For Art.  I stamped the little butterfly on a piece of CFA twice.  Once with black and once with magenta hue archival ink.  I wanted to see which I liked better, and decided to use both!  So I have a double set of wings.



For the body of the butterfly I used a pen nib and yet another technique for working with the distress paints......dabbing them directly onto metal.  I used pickled raspberry and a bit of the gold metallic paint I had on hand. 

The sentiment is one of Tim's word bands.  I covered it with peeled paint and broken china distress paint and then wiped the paint off, so that it settled into the letters.  It was then strung on a piece of narrow ribbon that I colored with some of the leftover paint (after misting the paint with water).

 

 

The back of the card is ready to be personalized.

 

 

 

The cupcake is from Tim's Birthday Blueprint set.  It was stamped on the same paper the front image was stamped on, cut out and adhered to plain cardstock that I inked with just about all the red/pink inks I own.   I went over the cupcake with different colors of distress markers, and I'm happy to report that the metallic shine from the underlying technique still comes through.  The little birthday greeting is a Stampin' Up stamp I've had forever.

 

In my last post I mentioned that I was working on a better closure for my little book with the etched metal covers.  Here it is!

 

 

 

And I added just a few more charms to the spine.

 

 

 

Hey, sometimes less is more, and sometimes (this time) more is better.



 









  

Butterflies A Poppin'

The most recent challenge at the Wendy Vecchi yahoo group was to make something that included some sort of pop up (could be done with the Sizzix Pop N Cut die), hearts, glitter, and at least one of Wendy's stamps.  This coincided with my needing a birthday card for a friend, and I had immediate inspiration.

After completing the card (which was more involved and took longer than I normally take in my card making), photographing it, putting it in an envelope for mailing, and posting it on the group site, I realized one tiny little problem.  Oh dopey me....instead of using hearts, I used butterflies.  LOL!  Well, I appealed to a higher authority (that would be list mom Lori), who assured me in her unique style that there would be no challenge po po coming after me, and my entry could remain.  Phew!

Although I do have the Sizzix die, I was intrigued by an accordian fold pop up card by Sandi Genovese (remember her?).  You can find the video here. (Thanks Vic for sending us the link!)      So that is what I used as my inspiration.

Here is the front of the card.  Deliberately plain, because all the action is on the inside.

 

 

The background is Graphic 45 paper, over which I stamped four of my many butterfly stamps (the two on the right are Wendy's).  The very top one was cut from another Graphic 45 paper, and attached only in the center, so the wings could flutter a bit.  The stamped butterflies were colored with distress markers.

 

The inside.....which, you'll have to trust me, is more impressive in person.  A little difficult for me to photograph well.

 

 

The largest butterflies are stamped images which were colored and cut out.  The four in the front row and the one in the middle of the second row are from that same Graphic 45 paper from which I cut the one on the card front.

 

The birthday greeting is a Wendy stamp.

 

 

The bottom of the inside is a strip of Tim's tissue tape.  The two stamped butterflies are Wendy's again, and those were covered with Glue N Seal and then sprinkled with distress dry glitter in clear rock candy.

 

 

 

Oh, and all of the paper on the inside is Graphic 45 as well.  I'm not sure of the collections they came from as I was just grabbing papers from my stash.....my not terribly well organized stash.







Distress Markers/Inspired by Asia

Before I sat down to work on my friend Lori's (no, not Lori of I Been Thinkin' 'Bout Inkin' fame; another Lori) Asian inspired journal, I decided to head over to Linda's blog to check out this week's Compendium of Curiosities 2 challenge.  As luck would have it, the technique (on page 50 of Tim's book) coincided with my plans for the journal.

It's all about distress markers this week; using them for coloring, using them for stamping.  Here is the page where I used them on just about everything:

 

The kimono (a Judikins stamp I've had forever) was stamped on Ranger's specialty paper.  I used embossing ink and black powder.  I like to emboss the outline of a stamp I plan to color; the embossing helps keep each color from straying into other areas.  The color palette used:  tattered rose, worn lipstick, scattered straw, shabby shutters, crushed olive, and wild honey.

 

You can also see those colors in the background, which is layered.  I started with paper run through a Cuttlebug folder (from their Asian set).  I highlighted the raised areas with worn lipstick and shabby shutters, which came out way too bright.  So I covered the whole thing with tissue paper.  That helped a little, but not enough, so I then dry brushed some gesso until I got the look I was after.  Then the bamboo leaves (a Stampin' Up stamp) were applied around the edges and colored with crushed olive.

 

The kimono was attached with pop dots to paper that had been embossed with another folder from that Cuttlebug set, colored with worn lipstick (and then some vintage photo to tone that down), then sprayed with Perfect Pearls Mists in forever red for a little sparkle.  Here's a closer look at the kimono:

 

 

 

This is what the two page spread looks like.  The background for the other page is similar.  Bits of joss paper were applied and covered with dry brushed gesso to soften the bright colors.

 

 

 

The photos on the bottom came from an old Japanese catalog, given to me by my friend Kyoko on the last Tim Holtz cruise.  I've made great use of that gift in this particular journal group.  And by the way, the bits of color in those photos came from.....you guessed it.....distress markers.

 

 

 

I haven't said it lately, but thanks to Linda for hosting these challenges; they always inspire me.  And if that isn't motivation enough, this week Linda is going to randomly select a participant to receive a gift, courtesy of Mario and Tim.







 



Spritzin' and Flickin'

Before I explain the title of this post, I just want to say that tomorrow I am leaving the Empire State for the Garden State.....yep, I'm heading to Jersey with my pals Pat and Cheryl for six days at CREATE.  It's the first time being held on the east coast, and I am so excited.  I'm taking six classes with some fabulous instructors, so in a week or so you can expect to hear all about it.  Classes will be held Wednesday through Sunday and it is my understanding that there are still some openings, so if you're interested, click on the link and maybe I'll see you there.

Now, back to spritzing and flicking.  That is the technique for this week's Compendium of Curiosities 2 challenge.  It's an oldie but goodie from Tim, and just the right thing to add to my fishy tag.  My wonderful friend Elena sent me the LaBlanche stamp as a present because she thought it looked like me.  No, not that I look like a fish, but that the stamp looked like my style.  And right she was.  I absolutely love it and had a wonderful time working with it.

I stamped the fish on the tag (it's a smallish tag, to give you an idea of the size of the stamp, the tag is 2 9/16" x 5 1/4") with clear embossing ink and embossed it with fine black powder.  Next step, coloring the fish with distress markers.  Here's a close up, and I hope you can see a bit of sparkle on some of the fish's scales.

This is how I did that:  I reheated the embossing and scattered bits of two different powders on the areas where I wanted a little bling.  I used the tip of a craft stick and very little powder, so I did have some control.  The powders were a blend of Ranger's verdigris from the Antiquities line, and goddess gold from the Ancient Gold line.  Then I reheated again and the newly added powders melted into the image.

The last thing I did was apply the background inks (salty ocean, peacock feathers, and mowed lawn) and do the spritz and flick distress technique (which can be found on page 42 of Compendium of Curiosities, Volume 2).

I enjoyed this process so much, I did a "few" more.  Looks like I have enough to share with some friends.

This week Simon Says Stamp is offering a $25 gift certificate for one randomly selected participant, so there's another good reason (besides the fun of getting inky) for jumping on the CCC train.

Splattered on Alcohol (Ink)

Tim Holtz's July tag in the 12 Tags of 2012 series is a patriotic one, perfect for this month.  It features a very fun technique that I believe I first saw in a video, and which was later in Volume 1 of A Compendium of Curiosities.  Or maybe it was the other way around.  All I know is, it made me rush out to Staples to get a can of compressed air.

I decided to go in a different direction, keeping to the techniques Tim used, but using a whole other color way and theme.  I love the water; my favorite colors are blues and greens, so here is my version:

I used willow, pool, citrus, and sailboat blue inks for the background.  Then I stamped those fabulous Wendy Vecchi fish twice.  First with emerald green archival ink, then right over top with black.  The dots (bubbles, really) were done with an old Stampin' Up wheel stamp.  I think the way the inks blew upwards looks a lot like seaweed, which is how I wound up going in the direction I went. The tag is topped off with some taffeta ribbon dyed with distress stains (peeled paint, shabby shutters, weathered wood and broken china) and a couple of ocean themed charms.

OK, I lied.  I didn't neglect Independence Day altogether.  I also did a red, white and blue tag; I just don't like it quite as much as the first one.

I was hoping my red pepper and stonewashed inks would resemble fireworks, but I'm not so sure about that.  The stamp, one of my favorite Statue of Liberty stamps (from Viva Las Vegas), was done with black archival ink.

I'm taking Joanne Sharpe's online lettering class, so decided to do my own writing.  Trust me, I've done better, but at least I'm trying.  It was written with a micron pen and colored with distress markers.

If I don't post again before then, have a safe and fun July 4th!

Art Journal Marathon

You know that expression, "when you're hot you're hot.....," well nowhere does that apply more than in what we do in the mixed media world.  Sometimes you stare at blank paper for hours without a bit of inspiration, and sometimes you just can't stop creating.

When I sat down at my work space Saturday afternoon my intention was to work on one of the three asian themed collaborative journals I had in my to-do pile (along with other stuff).  Saturday rolled into Sunday into Monday, and I had finished all three, plus one Artistic Evolution journal as well.  When the muse is so willing, the body just better cooperate.

First up, the pages I did for Sox.



Golden fluid acrylics and Dylusions sprays on text for the background, then lots of stenciling and some stamping.  The fish are from Wendy Vecchi's Art For Men set, and were stamped with black archival ink and colored with distress markers.

The next two pages are for Val's journal.

Some paper collage and stencils over text for the background.  The female figure on the left is a stamp, colored with a variety of things, not all of which I remember.  I know I used watercolors and distress markers.  I also did some stenciling on top of the clothing.

The male figure on the right was cut from a Japanese catalog my pal Kyoko gave me on the last Tim cruise.  I've been using it lots in these journals as it is a treasure trove of beautiful images.  The little pocket sewn onto the page is actually fabric, and it was part of a gift from Naomi, another cruise pal, this one given to me on the New England Tim cruise.  I love being able to incorporate things I've received from one friend in something for another friend.  It just feels good.

Sue's book was created with signatures of four pages.  We were only obliged to work in the center two, but if we wanted, we could do something on the first and last pages of the signature as well.  Sue said she has plenty of beautiful paper to fill in the blank pages, so no worries.  As I was definitely on a roll, I did all four pages.  The first was a no brainer.  Ever since I did this tag I knew it would find its way into someone's asian journal.  All I did for the background was spray some color on a page of text, then stamp the grass with pigment ink and add some embossing powder.

This is the two page spread followed by each page individually.

The stones were created by scraping gesso through a stencil.  When dry they were inked with a variety of brown, gray, and black.  The seated woman is a stamp.  The bamboo was done with a cuttlebug embossing folder, colored with distress inks and carefully cut out.  Other stamping (the foliage) was heat embossed.

The last page in the signature was done with another embossing folder.  On this one I applied broken china ink directly to the folder before running it through my machine to create the water.  The koi were colored with distress markers.  The piece was matted on a piece of decorative paper.

The last journal I worked in was Sue's Artistic Evolution journal.  Her colors are the colors of Provence, green, amber and purple.    I was thinking of fields of flowers, and did a lot of stamping, added texture by applying fiber paste through stencils, sprayed, doodled, and created some flowers with bits of canvas.  The decorative edge on the right was done with Tim's tissue paper,which I first inked with dusty concord and chipped sapphire.

It's good I'm finished, because I just heard that two more asian journals are heading my way!



Layers Without Lumps

I love texture and layers and layers of embellishments as much as the next person, but sometimes (like when I want to send a birthday card without the extra cost of a padded envelope and additional postage) flat works best.  But it should only be flat, not look flat.

Just the other day I bought some masking fluid.  I know I made that purchase for a particular reason, but for the life of me can't remember exactly what the project was or where I saw it.  Sigh, story of my life.  Anyway, the universe decided to be nice to me today, and Splitcoast Stampers has a new tutorial on layering with masking fluid.  Bingo!  Rather than me trying to explain the technique, click on the link above and see for yourself.  It really is an easy way to create a richly layered look without adding a whole lot of bulk.

I was in the middle of working on a birthday card using this technique when I decided to take a break and check my email.  And once again, the universe was kind to me.  I'd been using rather bright colors on my card, and there, in my inbox, was a note from Lori, list mom of Everything Wendy Vecchi, announcing the new challenge......create something, use Wendy's stamps, and bright colors.  Bingo again.

Here's what my background looked like, after following the tutorial directions.

Except for the old wood background (a Stampin' Up stamp, stamped with coffee archival ink) all the stamping up to this point was done with one Wendy stamp (the leafy border stamp from It's Face Art) and several distress ink colors (broken china, faded jeans, peacock feathers and weathered wood).

Next step, some additional stamping.

The flower is from Wendy's Botanical Art set (I just stamped the flower, eliminating the leaves) stamped with magenta hue archival ink.  I decided to add leaves from another set (Nature's Art), and used olive archival ink.

Last step, adding the birthday wishes and just a tiny bit of bling.  Couldn't resist, but the sparklies don't add any real bulk, so I still consider this to be a flat piece.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I recently received an order from one of the very best stores in the world, Absolutely Everything.  Patti, who fills all the orders always includes some extras, and not any cheapo ones either.  In that order I received this wonderful LaBlanche stamp:

These stamps are like no others.  They aren't rubber or acrylic, but are made of silicone.  They are definitely odd looking, but they stamp like a dream.  Here's what the stamping side looks like.

I used this stamp to make a birthday card for a musician friend.  All I had to do was add a bit of color, which I did with distress inks and markers.  Again, not a bit of bulk, but the stamp is so detailed and beautiful I think it doesn't really need any extra embellishing.

In addition to these two cards today I did something I've been wanting to do for some time.  I removed my large Stampin' Up background stamps from their wood mounts.  They were just taking up too much space.  I definitely feel I've accomplished a lot, so it is time to reward myself with some time on the couch and a few NCIS reruns.  What can I tell you?  Love me some Mark Harmon.

Tagathon, and more

I've been in a tag making mood this week.  Normally, when it comes to challenges I like to try to qualify for as many as possible with one piece, but for some reason, this week was different.

Tim's June tag for The 12 Tags of 2012 featured the technique of tinting photos with distress markers.  You can see his tag HERE.  My take is oddly romantic and feminine, a departure from my usual style.  Hey, I sit down and something inside me tells me what colors to grab and I take it from there.  My motto (well, one of many) is don't argue with the muse.  The muse doesn't like that and will retaliate by leaving you. 

The image I chose to tint is one I found ages ago on the internet.  The stamps are from a set by Darcie's that I've had for a while and never used. 

Over at the Everything Wendy Vecchi yahoo group, the current challenge is based on the piece on page 28 of Wendy's third book.  The deal is, create something that contains three circles and two hearts (and of course, at least one of Wendy's stamps).  I hope Lori meant AT LEAST three circles and not JUST three circles because I went a little circle happy.

The large circles in the background were done with a Crafter's Workshop stencil and a Dylusions spray, but everything else is a Wendy stamp.  In addition to the stamping, I punched several holes in the tag and then backed the tag with green paper.  Some of the circles were outlined with a black glaze pen, and some were also filled with glossy accents.  The hearts were accented with a white gel pen.

My third tag of the week is for the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge, and the theme is texture. 

The tag itself has texture from a Cuttlebug embossing folder called clockworks.  Some antique linen distress crackle paint was applied kind of randomly on the right side and bottom of the tag for another kind of texture.  The gears were cut with Tim's steampunk on the edge die from a scrap of black cardstock that already had some embossing on it.....more texture.  The wire strung with tiny springs and fastened with the little staples in the tiny attacher is yet another layer of texture.  The small tag on the top (actually part of the packaging from grungeboard sets) has a suede feel to it, so more texture.  And last of all, the man (a Wendy stamp) was highlighted with both white and black glaze pens for even more.

That's it for the tags.  Remember my beaded cuff bracelet?  Sure you do.  If not, here it is again.

The other thing I was busy with this week was figuring out how to make a pair of beaded cabachon earrings.  I didn't have any pattern or directions to follow, and really winged it on the edging, but all in all, I think they're wearable.  I had planned to add some dangly things, but ran out of steam.  Well, I CAN go back and do that someday.

I just realized that I have no tag for the current Compendium of Curiosities 2 challenge.  Now, how did I miss that????