'Tim tags' part #3 - Tags 5 & 6

OK, I'm on a roll now! I've actually finished tag 7 too but haven't got the light to photograph that one and I've got to prepare the studio table for tonight's scrap class!
So here are 2 rather unusual tags: #5 with its alcohol ink and plastic background has a rather clean & simple look. Tag 6 is metallic card, embossed, painted, sanded, inked and embossed with clear powder. You really need to go to Tim's blog to see the techniques explained - and his great tags of course - and you can believe him that you need to do the technique on tag 6 to see how good it is and that photos cannot do it justice!

Materials: both tags: Sizzix 'Tag and Bookplates' die; for tag 5:  Sizzix 'Festive greenery' die; adirondack alcohol inks: watermelon, terracotta, sunset orange; plastic packaging; white card, ribbon and pearls.

Materials for tag 6 acrylic paints: Metallic card from PaperArtsy; retired cuttlebug folder 'Lace Tree'; acrylic paints (PaperArtsy, Ranger Studio and DecoColor); Dovecraft brad and flower; ribbon.

'Tim tags' part #2

I'm back with the 3rd and 4th tag inspired by Tim Holtz. 8 tags behind as of today but ready to craft as soon as this post is finished...
For this tag I used Tim's Christmas background embossing folder and inked over the raised words with different colours of Distress before giving it a good coat of Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist. To get the different directions, I embossed the top part of the tag sideways then lined up the bottom half of the tag with the edge of the plates so it only embossed that bottom section and didn't put pressure on the part already embossed. After that, a little arrangement of leaves from the Sizzix Strip die 'Festive Greenery' with some red bling for the holly berries, ribbon coloured with frayed burlap and some twine with a bell and I was finished!

Tag 4 has a beautiful background, explained on Tim's blog, using Distress Stains (Picket Fence, Broken China, Weathered Wood) and stamped with Weathered Wood stain. I then embossed the tag with the snowflakes border that comes in the Christmas background and border Texture Fades set and run Pearl Dabber over it to highlight the texture. The snowman is grungeboard cut with the Winter Wonder die and then the 'Noel' movers and shaper die, painted white and then with Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and coloured with the Distress stains. I stuck a scrap of Lost and Found paper behind him, decorated him with ribbon, tulle and a bit of bling and then stuck him on the tag. The snowflake from the Winter Wonder die got the same paint, rock candy, Distress stains treatment and was then stuck (top right) on the tag. I added tulle to some buttons and stuck them down and then used tinsel, silver jute and a snowflake charm to decorate the top of the tag. Finally, I filled the spaces in the Noel with Glossy Accents and left it overnight to dry.
I used three further alternatives to tags 1,2 & 4 as the basis for workshops on Tuesday and Saturday where I introduced others to the wonders of Tim's products and techniques and they all left with their own versions of these tags:

'Tim Tags' part 1...

I wasn't late making these just slow to blog them... Have you seen Tim Holtz's fabulous tags this year? Still a few days to go: I love waiting for each one to appear.
Well, here are my versions of Days 1 and 2...

The first one features Tim's Kraft Core card, Sizzix 'Vintage Noel' die, Tattered Banners die, Festive Greenery die, idea-ology baubles, Distress Cardstock, Distress Inks, Distress Stickles, Lost and Found paper plus Snow Cap paint dabber, cuttlebug snowflakes embossing folder, white embossing powder, Prima poinsettia, red pearl bead and ribbon. Please see Tim's blog for the techniques involved.


My second tag uses Tim's Christmas Memories kraft resist paper, Picket Fence Distress Stain, Distress Inks, Tattered Banners die, Pine Tree die, Ornate edge die, Trinket Pin, Muse Token and Grungeboard along with Sepia Archival Ink, Sticky-back canvas mounted on card, brads, PaperArtsy Old Gold paint, ribbon, jute, twine and my own home designed and produced stamp! Tags 3 and 4 are already done so I'll be back with those tomorrow I hope...

Alcohol inks on foil

Despite my lack of blogging for a while, I've been doing LOTS of crafting and that's included lots of metal work. I promise I will catch up on projects over the next few weeks but, for now, here are a few pieces made using foil on card coloured with alcohol inks. The ornaments were embossed before being coloured and are my entry for Grungy Monday #28 taking inspiration from Tim Holtz beautiful foil covered pumpkin. My ornaments follow the same technique except that I put the foil on to card before embossing it and used a blending tool to apply the alcohol inks.
I'm also entering these to the Crafts 4 Eternity challenge: Christmas decorations.

Just before I started to blog these I saw Sarah's lovely rosette hanging and took inspiration from that to make this little hanging of rosettes. I love how the foil and shiny colours catch the light: Ideal for this time of year.
All of my foil pieces are backed on to the same shimmery green card that I cut the letters from so they are pretty from the back too. For extra shimmer I also covered these letters in Crystal Ice Stickles. I am busy making cards and other bits for a charity sale (le téléthon) next Saturday so these will get added to the mix, hopefully with a few others as they are quick and easy to do.

Materials: Tim Holtz dies: Carved Ornaments, 'Noel' mover and shaper, Mini-rosette, Vintage Market alphabet; Cuttlebug Ornament embossing folder; alcohol inks: Watermelon, Bottle, Citrus; sticky-back foil; Crystal Ice Stickles; Trimcraft Shimmer card.

Charm kilt pin

I really don't know what to call this: I just know I've been wanting to make one for ages and finally got round to having a play! First attempt, and I'm not a big jewellery fan, but I quite like it.
The 'charm' materials are basically Tim Holtz idea-ology and some watch parts all held together with jump rings and glossy accents!

The Grungy Monday challenge #21 to use Tim's Fragments links to 'Transparent Illusions' on his blog where he shares even more techniques using these. I have used three Fragment Charms: One glued with glossy accents on to some of Tim's Lost and Found paper, a second one glued on to a scrap of My Mind's Eye paper and embellished with an idea-ology metal foliage flower and watch part and the third one which is coloured on the back with alcohol inks (terracotta and copper) and embellished with watch parts. While the alcohol ink was pooled on the back of the fragment, I also dabbed some on the pin itself so it takes away a bit of the bright silver.
With the use of gears and watch parts I am also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp and Show 'SteamPunk' challenge.
Materials: Tim Holtz idea-ology Fragment Charms, Sprocket Gears, Trinket Pin, Foliage, Lost & Found paper; Ranger alcohol inks and Glossy Accents; kilt pin, jump rings and watch parts.

Handmade bead flowers

Here's another holiday snap (only another few hundred to go - lol!) scrapbooked with some handmade flowers so I thought I'd share the technique too: I started off by tying some thread through one seed bead, then threading on 5 more and taking the thread back through the first bead. Repeat this 4 more times (for a total of 5 petals), always threading back through the first seed bead, then tie off the thread. If you want bigger, more open flowers you can simply add more beads to each petal. Using thin wire as the thread is another good option. I've used the flowers here as the centres to paper flowers which I've inked a little with some Wild Honey Distress Ink.

 Materiels: Papers/ card / vellum by Bazzill, ColorCore and Clairfontaine; Distress Ink; Gold Cosmic Shimmer spray; Heidi Swapp mask; Sizzix Wingo Zingo alphabet; Prima flowers; Tim Holtz stamps (Bitty Grunge); WRMK snaps; gems.
Entry for : Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything goes; Paper Play challenges - Make your own flowers

Trimcraft (Dovecraft) Inspiration

My delighted to say that two of my cards, made with Trimcraft (more usually known as Dovecraft) decoupage 'Fairy Cakes', have been featured on Aussie Scrap Source in their Inspiration weekend! It is worth having a look at the fabulous scrap pages the team have made too: They really are great inspiration. I'm also pleased to say that I have all the Trimcraft products featured in stock too!
Here is another card that I made for our Grandson's 2nd birthday this month:

This one is using the new 'Cookie's Birthday' decoupage and Paper Pad. I love how quick and easy the pre-cut decoupage are to make and you don't have to scramble for the right papers as there is a choice of double-sided papers included too! I just added ink, text and a bit of paper ribbon and layered it all on a Dovecraft card blank  :)

Travel - Intergalactic or Tunisia?

So who knew parts of Star Wars were filmed in Tunisia??? Not me, not until after we booked the holiday and started researching the tour sites: Wow, was my son excited when we found we were visiting two Star Wars film locations!
This week Simon Says Stamp and Show 'Travel' which is the perfect excuse for me to get started on scrapbooking my holiday photos! This 8x8" (20x20cm) page shows the place at Matmata where (apparently) Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle lived until they were killed by nasty stormtroopers! In real life it is a troglodite hotel but they left the props in place after the filming was done. Of course, Jack had to wear his favourite Star Wars T-shirt that day! 

Materials: Bazzill kraft; Distress Inks (Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain); Distress Stains (Peeled Paint); Tim Holtz idea-ology: Sprocket Gears; Tim Holtz Stamps: CMS-089  Bitty Grunge Stamps; MSE alphabet stamps; Punches: Dovecraft star and circle; Spellbinders 'Labels 1' and embossed with Cuttlebug 'Script'; lots of scrap bits of card.

Summer Tag - GM#20 & SSSS

Back from a fantastic week in Tunisia, I've made a tag to try to encapsulate our little adventure. I've made 6 for an exchange of Summer tags and I collected things to use while we were on holiday: the bottle cap, the charm taken from a necklace I bought there and real Saharan sand! The stamps were printed out and I was inspired by some art that I saw in Tunisia to have a go at metal palm trees!
I've also incorporated the Grungy Monday #20 challenge - to use Tim Holtz' Distress Stickles - and the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge - Bling. Well, if Distress Stickles aren't bling enough there is the charm and all that shiny metal so I hope that's covered?!
You might need to look closer for the Distress Stickles: I've used the Rock Candy which is a lovely sugary texture and I made good use of it as a glue for the sand and then over-coated that in places to define the 'dunes' a little: Subtle but lovely sparkle.

Materials:
Tim Holtz - Ranger: Manilla tag; Distress Inks (Broken China); Distress Stains (Broken China, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint); Rock Candy Distress Stickles; Foil Tape; Alcohol inks (Bottle and Citrus) and blender tool; Paint Dabber (Pitch Black).
Tim Holtz idea-ology: Charm clips;
Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous: CMS-089  Bitty Grunge Stamps
Other: ribbon (coloured with Distress Stain), Ten Second Studio metal tools to create the palm tree.

Grungy Monday 16, 17 & 18 !!!

Ooops, been a bad blogger again!!! I've been crafting in snatches and not getting to blog, at least not in time for Linda's Grungy Monday challenges: Until now!!! Made it for #18 !
So challenge #16 was to use grungeboard/paper; #17 was to use Rock Candy crackle paint and #18 is to use this technique demonstrated by the genius himself, Tim Holtz.
So here's my project with all three! The current challenge is the page with the stamped parchment in the 4th photo: You can zoom in to have a closer look :)

I have wanted to use Tim's Valise die to make a mini-book since he demo'd it back in January and here is my first: A little travel book for me to keep my notes and souvenirs as we travel around Tunisia for a week soon. I have made it general with lots of pockets and spaces for notes so that afterwards I can use all the bits I collect in scrapbooking the holiday and hopefully the little book will last for many more adventures to come.

Materials:
Tim Holtz - Sizzix: Vintage Valise die
Tim Holtz idea-ology: Dotted Grungeboard, Grungepaper; Lost & Found Papers, Ring Binder; Salvage Stickers; mini paper clips;
Tim Holtz - Ranger: Manilla tag; Distress Inks (Walnut stain, Vintage photo); Rock Candy Crackle Paint; Archival Ink (Sepia);
Stamps: Tim Holtz, Inkadinkado, Hampton Art.
Other: Zutter strap & clasp; PaperArtsy Old Gold Fresco paint; brads; scraps of paper, card and ribbon

Grungy Monday tours Europe

Some members of the European branch of the All Things Tim Yahoo group have recently swapped pages representing their home region so, of course, the resulting book needed covers. I took my inspiration from some covers Tim Holtz recently made and used this week's Grungy Monday technique, as demonstrated by Tim (are you noticing a pattern here?), to colour the grungeboard letters spelling 'Europe'.

All the details of the challenge, including the link for the technique, are on Linda's blog. I used Crushed Olive and Black Soot Distress Inks for my example then outlined the letters with black pen after they were stuck down.
Here's the rest of the cover and I shall show the pages over the next few days so be sure to check back.

My covers are made from Dovecraft chipboard covers and a recycled clothes tag then decorated with Tim Holtz stamps, Distress Stains, 'Pitch Black' Paint Dabber and 'Kraft Resist' paper, Hitch fastener, Charm clips, D-Book rings, Alpha Parts, Grungeboard (Nature) and Sprocket Gears from the Tim Holtz idea-ology range.

Finding My Wings

When my son asked me what I wanted for Mother's day this year, I said "This!" - I was looking at Kelly-Rae Roberts' book 'Taking Flight'. So, here is the cover of my journal, created by trying to follow some of her tutorials, substituting materials where necessary (a lot) and generally playing with paints and inks. I've also managed to incorporate the theme for Hel's Sunday Stampers challenge #162 - Flying: Wasn't difficult was it?! In the process, and through trial and error, I've learnt a little more of what to do and not to do when trying different techniques. That makes me happy :)

I've used a child's board book, sanded and painted with gesso. Then on the front cover I've used Studio 'Traditional Tan' paint, 'Stream' ColorWash, Tim Holtz' butterfly stamp, 'Snow Cap' paint dabber, Perfect Pearls mix and Tim Holtz' idea-ology tissue tape. The 5 pieces stuck on the left are fabric collage, painted with acrylics. The panel on the right is a paper collage on card, painted with a variety of acrylics watered-down to different extents, black and white pens, Lumiere paint (wings), 'Snow cap' dabber. Studio Matte Gel Medium has been used for several layers across all of these.

Mixed Media Scrapbooking

This little piece was made as an assignment on a Mixed Media course I am currently taking with Shirley Pando on My Creative Classroom. The photo is of my husband's grandmother and I've used fabric, lace, ribbons, paper, ink, card, chipboard, faux leather, beads, metal....lots of stash that has been hoarded for years. All that on a piece that only measures 4x4" (10x10cm): The small size was the biggest challenge for me!

I'd love to know what you think.

GM13 - Alcohol inks

I'm determined to get something, anything blogged AND to get something on to the Grungy Monday challenge -this week. Did you notice I'd disappeared again ??? I've actually been making lots of things and have loads to blog but I'm soooo tired that I just haven't found the motivation to sit in front of the computer and show the world. And I'm rather embarrassed that, with everything else I've been doing, this is such a simple piece!
It's basically using the platform of the Grungy Monday challenge to kick-start an alcohol inks technique book which will be just a sampler of different techniques on different surfaces:

Here I've used 4 different blues and greens with pearl mixative and stamped over the background with stamps by Fiskars and Tim Holtz and black Stazon. You can pop over to GM13 on Linda's blog or click this link to Tim Holtz explaining the technique.

Crop à St Yvi (29) : le dimanche 5 juin

Je vous propose une journée à la fois bon pour la créativité, d’apprendre les techniques et pour l’humour.

Nous faisons un album de bonne taille avec plusieurs poches et des étiquettes avec les nouvelles collections de JilliBean Soup. Ces collections sont pleines de fleurs et de papillons et nous travaillerons les plaques à découper et textures, les encres et les tampons.  C’est un album avec plein de place à l’intérieur pour mettre vos plus jolies photos de voyage, enfance, printemps ou d’été ... à vous de décider!

La journée comprend un super kit, toutes les instructions, convivialité et des gâteaux !

Pour avoir l'affiche détaillée avec l'aperçu, la liste des photos et des fournitures à prévoir, simplement laissez un commentaire ici avec votre adresse mail : Il ne sera pas vu sur mon blog mais je peux l’utiliser pour vous répondre. Pour l’instant, quelques places restent encore disponibles.

Butterfly tag with a twist!

Not sure where I got this idea from, having the tag with butterflies also being a butterfly, but I just had to go with it so the text is very appropriate! It is for the challenges Grungy Monday #6, Simon Says Stamp & Show (Anything goes) and PaperMinutes (Wings).

J’ai créé une étiquette plein de papillons pour les défis Grungy Monday #6, Simon Says Stamp and Show et PaperMinutes (les ailes). 

The Grungy Monday challenge is a technique demonstrated by Tim Holtz on his tag #8 from 2007 which I have used directly on the tag. Not having a suitable colour of paint dabber, I coloured some white acrylic paint with Stream ColorWash and applied it with a tooth brush! I then used pumice Stone and Black Soot Distress Ink. The large wings were printed on to card and painted with Lumiere paint, as were the little ones cut with the Sizzix Movers and Shapers Butterflies designed by Tim. All the stamping is with Tim Holtz stamps and Black Stazon. Unfortunately the flash seems to have picked up a sheen on the ink but not the Rock Candy Stickles smeared on the small butterflies for extra sparkle.

Le défi du Grungy Monday est d’utiliser une technique montré par Tim Holtz du décembre 2007. J'ai appliqué la technique sur l’étiquette, utilisant l’acrylique blanche coloré avec ColorWash ‘Stream’ et l’encres Distress en Pumice Stone et Black Soot. J’ai découpé les petits papillons avec le Sizzix ‘mover and shaper’ die dessiné par Tim Holtz et j’ai imprimé le grand papillon. Je leur ai donné une couche de peinture Lumière et du Stickles Rock Candy. Toutes les images ont tamponnées avec les tampons de Tim en la Stazon noire.

embossing, inking and stamping...

My table at the art fair is all set up with about 250 cards - every one different - and I'm still not done. I shall be handing over my contribution to the tombola prizes when I arrive in the morning: I have decorated a box and made some cards to go inside. A friend gave me lots of flat, unused boxes which I think we're destined as cake boxes but they are plain kraft one side and glossy white on the other. Not been inspired to use them until today when I laid a square envelope inside and did a quick remake on the dimensions to make the box fit. It will take 6 cards easily so here is a picture with 3 of those destined to go in it. The ribbon is just for now until it is handed over: They'll want to see inside and possibly even leave it open to show what's inside over the next few days. This is the 4th year I've done this event - Always fun with a great range of art displayed so I'm looking forward to it.

I have used Tim Holtz's technique of using Distress ink inside a Texture Fade embossing folder on one of the cards and the same technique with a Cuttelbug folder (Script) on the box. The technique is the Grungy Monday #4 challenge so head over to Linda's blog to see learn more and the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge is to use a Tim Holtz technique so I've covered that too! On the card, I've also inked over the raised parts for contrast - Pumice Stone direct from the pad where it is darker and with a blending tool where it is lighter.
Papers: DCWV (I think?); Stamps: Tim Holtz; Distress Inks: Faded Burlap, Tumbled Glass and Pumice Stone.

A quick 'thank you' card

I'm at a craft fair over Easter so have been making lots of quick cards to sell and to put together in a folder to donate as a tombola prize. Here is a 'merci' (thank you) card using the Sketch Saturday #151. I used scraps of paper left from scrapbook projects with Nestabilities, Cuttlebug butterfly, PaperMania ribbon, Artemio stamp and ColorBox ink. I added sparkle with Stickles Ice Diamond and PaperMania gems so I am also adding it to the ABC challenge 'S is for Sparkle'.

Voici ma carte pour le challenge #151 de Sketch Saturday et du challenge ‘Sparkle’ chez ABC-challenge. Réalisé avec des chutes de papiers, Nestabilities, papillon de Cuttlebug, ruban, tampon d'Artemio, encre ColorBox, Stickles et quelques pierres.

Shabby Chic Sewing Room

Finally got to take stock of the Tim Holtz-designed Sizzix Vagabond machine this week and one for me, of course! So I had to try it out and used the new Sewing Room die with idea-ology grungeboard to justify to myself that I needed a machine that will cut thicker materials: It was an absolute dream! I love it.
So, started this piece yesterday and finished it today with 2 challenges in mind: Grungy Monday challenge to use ColorWash, and Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge 'Distressing'.

I have used a wooden shallow tray approximately 21cm (8.5") square which I wiped over with a mixture of watered-down white acrylic paint coloured with 'Stream' ColorWash. This was then distressed with more white acrylic smeared on and 'Frayed Burlap' Distress Ink rubbed on round the edges. I scanned and printed some real cotton reel labels to add to these new ones and aged them all with the Frayed Burlap I used that and 'Walnut Stain' to colour the grungeboard. Tim's new Kraft Resist paper and the idea-ology 'Trimmings' flowers were coloured with Distress Stain 'Spun Sugar' and the dress shape was made with Claudine Hellmuth Sticky-back Canvas sprayed with more 'Stream' ColorWash, stuck on to the grungeboard and trimmed to fit. I then picked all round it to show the fibres and make it shabby. Finally, I added buttons and bits of ribbon and flowers from my stash in keeping with the shabby chic tones. Everything was stuck down with Studio Matte Multi-Medium so I know it will stay stuck when displayed.

It's a kind of magic !

Yes, I admit I've been listening to Queen's greatest hits :)  However, if you try the technique that is this week's Grungy Monday challenge, you'll see why the title is appropriate. I've used resist techniques with paint and embossing powder but they're not as magical as using Claudine Hellmuth's Studio multi-medium matte: You cannot see anything as it dries flat and invisibly, then you add Distress Ink and WOW!
Just as magical is how I've used the still unavailable Sizzix Umbrella Man die designed by Tim Holtz! It was actually a demo piece that Pete Hughes of Sizzix UK gave me at the NEC trade show in February. He demo'ed the die and embossing folder in the Vagabond machine so I popped it on my tag with some 3D foam. So, without further ado....

As this tag is definitely not a card, I'm also entering it in the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge.
Apart from the medium and die-cut, I also used: Ink-essentials manilla tag; dictionary page; foam; Tim Holtz Sizzix 'Townscape' die; Distress Inks in Stormy Sky, Broken China, Dusty Concord and Black Soot; Tim Holtz idea-ology 'Trimmings' ribbon coloured with Distress and Tim Holtz sentiment stamp with black Versafine.

'Tea for Two' birthday cards

A couple of really quick birthday cards using the Dovecraft Tea House range: No colouring; just cut, stick and stamp whilst singing 'Tea for two and two for tea, me for you and you for meeeeeee...'
J'ai créé deux cartes simples avec les papiers et attaches parisiennes de la gamme 'Dovecraft Tea House' et Nestabilities. 

Used Dovecraft Tea House 6x6 (15x15cm) papers, 3D stickers and brads; Dovecraft cards and envelopes; EKS border punch (scalloped scallop); Spellbinders Tag Trio and Nestabilities Labels 1 and Labels 3 in the Cuttlebug; cream card and flowers from stash.

GM #1 - Spring

Linda has started the Grungy Monday challenges which will take inspiration from Tim Holtz' techniques. This week's was to take inspiration from Tim's tag #10 from Christmas 2008. I created my interpretation for Spring and at the same time worked in lots of gold for this week's Sunday Stamper challenge over on Hels blog.

I used Inkessentials manilla tag; Florets mask, Grungeboard, Foliage, Trinket pin, and Charm clip from Tim Holtz idea-ology line; Perfect Pearls mist 'Hierloom Gold', Cosmic Shimmer 'Gold Mint'; Distress Inks: Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Forest Moss, Frayed Burlap; Distress Powder: Peeled Paint; Archival Ink: Sepia; Stamps: Tim Holtz 'Spring Sprung'; Perfect Pearls 'Pearl' powder; Prima flowers; Cuttlebug embossing folder: D'vine Swirl on some gold paper inked with Alcohol Ink 'Citrus' and I used the same on the snap used as the flower centre; ribbons from stash.
I was interrupted part way through making this by an elderly neighbour asking if she could look round our garden to see if the plants she'd shared with me last year had grown: Fortunately, spring has arrived and I managed to find proof that most are alive and well. Just a shame the weeds always grow faster!

Distress Ink page

Apart from being quite ill after I got back from the UK, I don't know why I've been unable to blog anything again lately: Just got out of the habit and couldn't get back in to it. So here's a page that I finished a few weeks ago, just to break the ice really, with the intention to blog more (again)...

The white card base and layers are all coloured with Broken China Distress Ink: I used a brayer on the base and different resist techniques (paint on the flowers and clear embossing powder on the dots) and tone-on-tone (diamonds). I edged the pieces and page with Aged Mahogany for a bit of contrast and stamped with Sepia Archival ink.
Stamps: Hampton Art, Inkadinkado. Title cut from foam with Sizzix alphabet.
The photo isn't mine: It's a nursery photo of our grand-daughter but I don't know who to credit.

ArtsyCraft - Meeting Tim Holtz

I have had an amazing week! First, at the Stitches Hobby and Art trade show, seeing what is new: I headed straight to the Sizzix booth to see the Vagabond which I loved! Look at this display, mostly Tim's work: I have the machine and all the new dies and embossing folders on order :)
I met Stacey Caron, who is the founder of Spellbinders, and Jo Channon, who is often on Create and Craft TV, also 'PaperArtsy' Leandra and Mark Franich. Of course, it was a great opportunity to place orders and I have lots and lots of new stock on its way, but that is for later...

Thursday was the ArtsyCraft event: Met so many people, Tim Holtz included. He was lovely, a great teacher and so patient with everyone's demands for photos and autographs. Mario, Tim's personal assistant, was just as lovely: I went to shake hands and got a big hug instead! We started a configuration box in Tim's class and received lots of goodies from Ranger and Tim, including some of the new idea-ology ranges. No photo yet until it is finished.

After lunch was Lin and Leandra's class using more Ranger and idea-ology along with new PaperArtsy products. I finished this project:

One of the best things was meeting people that I had previously only known via the internet but art brings you together: First photo here with the very talented Linda who has been a blogging buddy for some time. She is part of Lin's LB Crafts team who all worked like crazy on the preparation and to ensure all went smoothly on the day. Second photo is with Sally and Bethan both of whom I have met on the All Things Tim Yahoo group, have exchanged emails with and was also delighted to meet. My only regret is that, in our art-filled day, there were some people I didn't get to meet or chat with. I look forward to the next time.

Grungepaper business card holder

One of the many lovely people on the 'All Things Tim' yahoo group is the very creative Eileen who shared her template for making business card holders from Grungepaper. Thank you Eileen: I knew I HAD to make one: My business cards needed the protection and I just loved the idea. I want it to be able to take the use and abuse I am going to give it so kept the decorations fairly simple: I coloured the grunge with Dusty Concord Distress Ink, embossed it in the Cuttlebug (Floral Fantasy) and coloured some Tim Holtz idea-ology foliage and hitch fastener closure with alcohol inks.

I love it! And, as the challenge on 'Simon Says Stamp and Show' is embossing, it is getting entered there too.
You can see more of Eileen's card holders here and here.

Oh to be 21 again...

That could be my future in that photo, stretching off in to the distance...You'll notice I haven't recorded the year! I'm the one in the red top, with my best friend Mads, at the top of Mt Blanc on a university field trip of France and Italy.

Used: Cuttlebug embossing border and alphabet; Stamps by Tim Holtz, 4heures37, Hampton Art and Artemio; Versafine and ColorBox chalk inks.

Fairy Cakes - Decoupage cards

I've been asked to make some samples for a cherry fair in a local village so here are a few cards - they need to be quick to make so these pre-cut decoupage are ideal especially as decoupage is very popular here.

Ces cartes sont exemples pour la fête de cerisiers en juin (oui, en avance!). J'ai utilisé le bloc de découpage et papiers 'Fairy Cakes' chez Trimcraft, l'encre craie ColorBox 'Rose Petals', tampons d'Artemio et ruban.
Both cards are made from the Trimcraft 'Fairy Cakes' decoupage and paper pack. I added ColorBox Rose Petals ink, Artemio stamps and PaperMania ribbon and bow.
I'm entering these for the challenges on Cupcake craft 'Food for thought' and PaperPlay 'Layer it up'.