Tea Party

'Tea Party' is the new collection of papers from Dovecraft and, as I received them on Thursday, I had to have a play! I have been spending so much time pricing and packing and planning for the craft fair (Creativa Brest, France) starting on Thursday that it was nice to come up for air and make a quick card.

I used the Sunday Stamp and Sketch layout with Tea Party papers, stamp and buttons with Basics III Blossoms. The image is stamped with Archival Ink (Sepia) and coloured with Distress Inks (Tattered Rose, Festive Berries, Iced Spruce, Frayed Burlap, Shabby Shutters) and details added with Liquid Pearls, Glossy Accents and Studio Paint mini (painterly pink): See the little dots of pink on the flowers and bottom cake? It's one of my favourite things at the moment: I have some large tubs of the Studio paints (by Claudine Hellmuth for Ranger) but I love how easy it is to add little dots of paint with the Studio minis.

SpiderMouse

It has been ages since I last used this digi-stamp 'SpiderHenry' from Whiff of Joy but it always makes me smile. I was reminded of him when my son, who is now 11 but has inherited my hoarding tendencies, had to admit that he was never going to wear his spider-man outfit again: He's out-grown it in sooo many ways!
So here is SpiderMouse, painted using a waterbrush and Distress Inks (Fired Brick, Tumbled Glass, Pumice Stone, Black Soot) and edged with DI Stormy Sky, layered on Basic Grey 'Boxer' papers.

Challenges: Basic Grey: Star; Saturday Sketch #196; Cupcake Challenges: Boys and their Toys; Crafts 4 eternity: Digital delights.

GM#35 ATC

Oh my poor neglected blog! I have been up, down, and sooooo busy: I have tons of art to share.
For today, before I completely miss the deadline (again), here is my entry for the Grungy Monday challenge hosted by Linda to make an ATC* celebrating all things Tim Holtz. I think this is only the 2nd ATC I ever made and it is destined to become a card topper some day soon!
I have used Tim's stamps with Archival ink Sepia and Adirondak ink Espresso including on some fabric and some paper towel and, next thing I knew, there was a whole paper piercing thing going on using these different layers and a scrap of white ribbon. I added a glossy accent eye and a snow déco tail plus a little idea-ology game spinner and voila!
* ATC = Artist Trading Card = 2.5 x 3.5 inches (environ 6.3 x 8.9 cm)

Cette fois le défi 'Grungy Monday #35' nous démande à créer une carte d'echange (ATC de 6,3 x 8,9 cm) avec les matériels ou techniques de Tim Holtz. Voici ma carte y utilise ses tampons et embellisements avec les encres Adirondack (Espresso) et Archival (Sepia).

Happy Birthday Tim Holtz!

The Grungy Monday challenge #31 is to make a card for the king of craft, Tim Holtz, whose birthday is 7th January.
Une carte pour le défi Grungy Monday à célébrer l'anniversaire demain du 'roi créatif', Tim Holtz. Presqu'à toutes les matériels j'ai utilisé étaient dessinés par lui: les matrices, papiers, classeur d'embossage, l'encre Distress... génial!

No, I haven't used a photo of Tim but I have used his papers (Lost and Found), music stamp, embossing folder, Vintage Photo Distress Ink and Peeled Paint Distress Stain, and the Tattered Banners and Vintage Lace dies: Just to show what a clever bloke he is! Grateful for your genius Tim and wishing you a great day :)
I used the Sketch Saturday #188 for my layout and, in their grungiest of shades, the red, cream and sage green combo of the Colour Create challenge.
Also used a white card blank, green card and brad by Dovecraft and Bazzill kraft.

'Green' birthday card

In trying to get some cards made in advance of when I need them - rather than the usual last minute rush - here is a simple birthday card combining challenges Sunday Sketch and Stamp #87 and ABC challenges 'G for Green'.
Une carte d'anniversaire, tout simple et rapide: L'image, tamponné avec Archival Sepia, et coloré avec l'encre Distress et un pinceau avec le réservoir d'eau, et découpé avec les Nestabilities. J'ai utilisé les chutes des papiers et du Bazzill sur une carte kraft créé avec le papier recyclé: Tous vert - le couleur, et pour la planète!

I used a couple of old stamps (PaperMania), coloured the image with Distress Inks (Shabby Shutters, Frayed Burlap, Tattered Rose and Stormy Sky) and a water-filled brush then cut it out with Nestabilities Curved Rectangles and edged it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I mounted this, with a few scraps of paper and embossed Bazzill card, on to a kraft card blank (made using recycled paper so it's 'green' in more that sense too) and added a few green pearls.

Calendar gift

I wouldn't normally gift something with photos of myself but over Christmas we visited an elderly friend who we hadn't seen in a year. She had said on the phone how much she missed me since we moved to France so, as I know she uses a calendar and being stuck for other ideas, I used this Basic Grey calendar kit to create her gift with photos of me with my husband and/or son.

I made some changes to suit the photos and or theme but I love the mix of Basic Grey designs included. I was glad I remembered to photograph it (sorry some are a bit fuzzy) before giving it to her as I was pleased with how it turned out :)











J'ai utilisé un kit calendrier chez Basic Grey à créer un cadeau : Petit souvenir de nous qui traverse la Manche!

Entering this for challenges:
Basic Grey - anything goes
PaperTake Weekly - anything goes, option 'new': New year, new calendar
Crafts & Me challenge - anything goes

'Tim Tags' #4 - Tags, techniques and more!

Happy New Year! Bonne année!
Here are the last of the tags, following the tags of Tim Holtz, that I created at the end of last year: Tags 7, 8 and a mix of 9 & 12. These formed the basis of a second workshop to share the techniques and materials created and shared originally by Tim and others.

I love Tim's tag for day 7 using his 'kraft glassine' paper and alcohol inks: Here is my version with hand-cut holly leaves and pieces cut using Tim's 'Elegant Flourishes' die underneath:


My version of Tim's tag 8 is less 'Steampunk' than his and includes for the ticket a technique using Cut'n'dry felt that Tim shared last year and again on Tag 3 this year.

The third tag shown here takes inspiration from Tim's tag #12 for the background and tag #9's background 'double embossed technique' for my bauble.

There are explanations of the techniques on Tim's blog and also extra examples to check out such as his pocket watches included under tag #8. I fell in love with those so here is my version that I have been wearing all over Christmas!

Materials used for the tags: manila tags, Distress Inks (various colours including the limited edition Winter 2011 colours); Tim Holtz stamps; Paint Dabber (gold, snow cap white, silver, copper) paper distresser tool; ribbon; Sizzix dies: Festive Greenery, Elegant Flourishes, Gadget Gears, Ornaments, Upon a Time and Vintage Lace; Alcohol inks (citrus, bottle, gold mixative, blending solution, watermelon); Tim Holtz kraft glassine paper;   Stampendous black embossing powder; Archival, Stazon and Versafine inks; Cosmic Shimmer silver mist; Hero Arts large flourish stamp; idea-ology sprocket gears and pen nibs; Cut'n'dry mousse and felt; plus charms, beads, lace and tinsel from my stash.
Materials for the pocket watch necklace: Tim Holtz idea-ology pocket watch, lace chain, pen nib, tissue tape and baubles and Tim Holtz Seasonal papers with some sticky gems and mica flakes.

'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...