Amy's Tag

This is my next attempt at getting Holtzy, and I have to say, I absolutely LOVE this tag, not only because I think it's very pretty, but because I have spent the last couple of weeks in a real funk feeling like I don't have a creative bone in my body. and to finally come up with something I really like feels great. I am going to give this to my niece, Amy, for her birthday, specifically because Amy is one of the few members of my family who truly appreciates not only the effort that goes into making a tag, but also the beauty of it. She's a fashionista with a Silhouette Cameo, and I adore her!

 I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use My Mind's Eye's Breeze papers for the flowers, and so to match the colors, I made my own glimmer mists out of Distress Ink Reinkers (Broken China, Bundled Sage and Mustard Seed). I added some Irridescent Medium (found in the paint supplies at the craft store) to the mists, which added a lovely sparkle.

However, what really made the colors work was Tim Holtz's Distress Ink Stain Picket Fence. I love that stuff, because if your colors are too bright, you need only swipe a little Picket Fence over them and they're toned down. If they're not bright enough, swipe a little over them and reapply your color, which now pops out better because of the white background. In fact, I feel like I succeeded in attaining a translucent effect only because of the Picket Fence. Love it!

Recipe:
Heartland Creations Bella Rose stamp
Tim Holtz The Moment stamp
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 2 Breeze papers
Spellbinders dies: Donna Salazar Rose Creations
Prima Say it in Pearls flower centers
Sizzix Sizzlet Lear Die
Distress Inks for color wash: Broken China, Bundled Sage, Mustard Seed
Irridescent Medium (mixed in colorwash)
Distress Ink Stain: Picket Fence
Sakura Souffle pen
Stampendous dark blue and dark green Pearlescent embossing powders

Challenges:

Divas By Design--anything goes
Flutterby Wednesday--Open, must have a butterfly (there are three tiny butterflies on the tag)
Gingersnap Creations--Words of Wisdom
The House that Stamps Built--heat embossing (the words and stamped leaves are heat embossed)
Whimsy Stamps~~Make your own flowers.
Party Time Tuesdays--anything goes
Hook on Crafts~~something bright
Incy Wincy Designs~~flowers
Make My Monday--butterflies and/or dragonflies
My Craft Spot--anything goes

More Gettin' Holtzy

Continuing in my efforts to use Tim Holtz's techniques, I used Ranger's Distresss Crackle Paint to make this flower pin. This was so so so so fun for me, because it was something so so so different from a card or tag. It took me a couple of tries to get used to how the crackle paint worked, but once I got it, I fell in L.O.V.E.!!!!

I actually saw this idea in a Splitcoast Stamper gallery last month, and am just sick because I can't find it now to give credit to the person I stole the idea from. But, the following are the directions that she gave: 

1) Cut the flower pieces out of heavy paper. (I used white chipboard and then attached a matching pieces of white cardstock to make it extra thick.)

2) Cover each piece with Glossy Accents and let it completely dry. Though I have no idea why, this step was extremely important. I tried to skip this step a few times, and the result was always completely different, and not nearly as pretty, as what you see above.

3) Cover each piece with Picket Fence Distress Crack Paint and let completely dry. This step took me a few tries to get a feel of how much paint was needed for just the right amount of crackle. In fact, if  you've never used CP before, I would suggest first purchasing two bottles, so you can play with a lot of it without worrying you'll run out. .

4) Sponge the Distress Ink of your choosing over the crackle paint, being sure to get it into the cracks. I actually had a hard time with this step because the ink just wasn't seeping into the cracks like I wanted. Finally, I found that if I spritzed some Perfect Pearls (Forever Violet) on the flower parts, then wiped it off, the PP stayed in, and therefore highlighted, the cracks. I'm sure there are more effective ways to do this, but that's whatworked for me.

At that point, I repeated the above to make the leaves, and a swirl, then assembled the flower by adding a button, a feather, and the pin attachment.

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Happy Accident

I just discovered a lovely blog called Enjoying Life. Barb is very talented at making simple yet stunning cards, something I am NOT good at at all. And I'm really impressed with how she uses color on her more complicated cards. 

I was inspired to try a technique Barb described called "watercolor blocking" where you put distress stains on your craft mat, spritz it with Perfect Pearls mist, and then smoosh your acrylic block into the color and stamp it on paper. When I tried it, I was delighted to discover the grid lines on my block transferred to the paper, something I had not expected. I'm making tags for everyone's birthdays this year, and think this will make a wonderful background!

I made quite a few using different colors, but they weren't photographing well. I thought the pic above would give you the general idea, though. I just love happy accidents. Thanks, Barb!

By the way, Barb is giving away some fabulous blog candy, pictured to the right. Click on the link to her blog, located above, to enter.

Doug's Tag

 My next  Tags for Twenty-Twelve (see sidebar) is for my brother-in-law Doug. Once again I tried to make it Holtzy, and actually quite like how it turned out. 

I wonder, though, if any of you feel as conflicted as I do about using Tim's trinkets. Don't get me wrong, I think they are wonderfully unique and full of character. But, I've always had issues with using pre-made embellishments because I feel like it's cheating. If I can't make it myself, I don't use it. Obviously, though, given so many of Tim's embellishments are metal, it's not possible for me to make them myself. But I really struggle with just slapping something pre-made on the card, even when it works, because I feel like it's the designer's work, not mine. 

Yes, there are so many really awful things to worry about in life, and this is stupid! But, there it is. :)

I recycled a paper bag for the tag's envelope. Because the bag was already a kraft color, the Distress Inks do not look as vibrant, but I thought it was cute anyway.

I picked up the My Mind's Eye burlap on sale at my LSS, thinking I had no idea what I could possibly use it on, and it's actually one of my favorite parts of this ensemble.

Recipe:

Tim Holtz products:

   Texture Fade Clock and Steampunk 

   Memo Pins

   Filmstrip Ribbon

   Timepieces

   Adornments Classic (crown)

   Type Charms

   Spinners

   Harliquen stamp

   Alphabet Soup Grungeboard (the "5" and "6")
Spellbinders Labels One 

Stampin' Up Circles of Friendship stamp
Distress Inks
Stampendous Kaleidoscope embossing powder
My Mind's Eye burlap

Challenges:

Splendiferous--Elements of Time
Raise the Bar Challenges~~circles
C.R.A.F.T. Challenges~~use numbers
Simon Says Stamp~~anything but a card

The Tags of Twenty-Twelve

I actually had a bit of inspiration last night, which you might want to mark on your calendar because it happens so rarely. I have decided that, instead of making everyone cards for their birthdays this year, I am going to make everyone a tag, and then for Christmas I will make each family a mini album with slots for their tags, giving them a remembrance of “The Tags of Twenty-Twelve.” I think this will be especially poignant for the four young families who are having babies this year.

The only thing I haven’t figured out is how to politely, and appropriately, insist that everyone put their tags somewhere where they’ll be able to find them come Christmas. I am disabled and am not responsible for taking care of anyone but myself, and I know how hard that would be for me to do. Everyone else has families and jobs, and I'm sure they don't need one more thing they have to do. So, if anyone reading this has any ideas of how to word a request that the tag's recipients keep their tags somewhere where they can retrieve them at the end of the year, I would be mighty grateful.

My favorite part of this tag is the pretty heart with my niece's age on it, shown above. I decided that, in keeping with "The Birthdays of Twenty-Twelve," I would add every person's age to their respective card. Here I cut the heart out of white chip board, stamped the "28" on it, then embossed it twice with Metal Art's UTEE. Once it was cold, I made cracks in the enamel, and it looks like old china with cracks in it. Unfortunately, I could not get a picture that shows the tiny cracks, just the large ones, but you still should get the idea. 

01-11-12: Edited to add: Lots of happy dancin' going on here because my tag made it into the top three at Tuesday Throwdown! This is my first time ever making it into a top three, and I am both excited, and honored.

Recipe: 

Melissa Frances 5th Avenue paper

Stampabilities Wire Dress Form stamp

Foam stamps for the number "28," but I don't know who made them

Martha Stewart Small Flower punch

My Mind's Eye Lost and Found trim

Spellbinders Ribbon Banner die

Melt Art Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tissue Tape

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Trinket Pins

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Metal Charm -- bird

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Chain Tassels

Mubbleberry Bear paper mini-rosebuds and flowers

Bling and ribbon from stash

Challenges:

CES Challenges~~anything goes

Simply Create Too--more than two layers

Crafty Creations Challenges~~heat embossing

Fab 'n'Funky Challenges~~use something new you got for Christmas (Tim Holtz Chain Tassels)

My Mum's Craft Shop~~use something new (Tim Holtz Chain Tassels)

Simon Says Stamp~~use something new (Tim Holtz Chain Tassels)

Stampavie and Mor~~hearts

Ladybug Crafts Inc.~~-anything goes using your new stash (Tim Holtz Chain Tassels)

Party Time Tuesdays~~anything new (Tim Holtz Tassels)

Tuesday Throwdown~~something shiny (bling and the embossed heart)

Celebrate 26 Tim Holtz Style

 It's been a very long time since I've posted any new projects. I actually made quite a few Christmas cards as well as some really beautiful monogrammed card kits for gifts. But, to be honest, my heart really wasn't in it, and for some reason that translated into not wanting to post them on my blog. 

In an attempt to get my mojo back I had asked for anything Tim Holtz for Christmas, because his style is not something I'd previously been good at and wanted a challenge. So, I decided to try Tim's style for my nephew's upcoming 26th birthday card, and to be honest, it didn't work, at least not the first three attempts. I wish I had taken pics of those first three cards because they were so butt ugly it was hilarious. Finally, on my fourth try I was singing to myself "I think I've got it!" because not only do I think it works well, it is also one of my all-time favorites.

What finally did it for me was to stop trying to make my own background paper with Distress Inks and giving in to the gorgeous that is My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Two: Breeze. I LOVE OLVE VELO OLEV LEVO VOLE LOVE that paper! My favorite part of the card, shown below, is where I stamped and embossed Tim's Weathered Clock  in white in the bottom left corner, centered the circle of Stampin' Up's Circle of Friendship over the clock stamp, and then added those yummy Spinners for clock hands. I swear MME's designers are psychic and designed and placed that beautiful flourish just so I could make that clock! So, I am really really happy to start the New York with a card that I really really love.

Recipe:

My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Breeze paper

Colorbox black and sky blue pigment inks

Stampendous White Opaque embossing powder

Stampendous Kaleidoscope embossing powder

Versamark Watermark ink

Ribbon from stash

From Tim Holtz:

  Crackle Paint Picket Fence

  Distressed Inks: Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Broken China, Concord Grape

  Alterations Die Weathered Clock

  Grungle Blocks

  Wordsticks "Time"

  Timepieces

  Game Spinners

  Ornate Plates

  Muse Tokens

  Trinket Pins

  Texture Frame: Postal

Challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday--anything goes

The Artistic Stamper--vintage

Cupcake Craftroom--anything goes

Cards for Men--recycling (I cut the Weathered Clock out of the three layers of cardboard backing that comes with paper packs. I had been saving them for quite a while, and they were starting to take up a lot of space, so I was glad to use them to make the clock.)

Craft Your Passion~~anything goes, distress

Crafty Boots~~celebrations

Critter Sketch Challenge Blog~~celebration

Heart Song Inspirations~~anything goes

House of Gilli--anything goes

Kaboodle Doodles~~anything goes

(Lawn)scaping Challeng~~birthday

The Pink Elephant~~anything goes

Truly Madly Crafty--anything goes

Fashionable Stamping Challenge~~-use something from new stash received at Christmas. All of my Tim Holtz products, with the exception of the Weathered Clock die, were Christmas presents.
Robyn's Fetish ~~ anything goes
Paper Sundaes ~~ something old and something new (Weathered Clock die is old, all other Tim Holtz items are new.)
Sparkles Forum Challenge~~anything goes
The Squirrel and the Fox~~use something new (Tim Holtz products)
The Secret Crafter ~~ anything goes
Splendiferous Creations--Celebration
Card Crafter's Circle--anything goes (I withdrew my entry because I failed to read the rules, which stipulated you could only enter 10 or fewer challenges. I HATE when I do that because I know it causes others more work. But I decided to leave the link in case it directed someone else to enter their challenge.)
Clearly Inspired~~birthday
Delicious Doodles~~something new
Stampin' for the Weekend~~anything goes
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards~~sketch

Win Webster's Pages gorgeous new "Sunday Picnic" Collection

 I am so in love with this new collection by Webster's Pages called "Sunday Picnic." And if you go to its blog and explain what you love best about the collection, you have a chance to win it! I don't really get any traffic on my blog, but if someone happens to chance on this post, and wins the prize as a result, then YAY for you!