Stencils

After watching a video of Tim Holtz using his stencils and the idea behind them being layering them, it looked like a fun technique to try.  This card front has SIX different stenciled layers.  I love how you can build with the distress inks to allow everything to come through on your final pattern.

This card came together with a bit of historical creative thought.  It started out with the distress painted stars signifying our flag.  Then stormy sky blue was laid down.  Grabbing the  Cargo stencil i inked the historical date of our freedom 7-4-1776 down in the left side corner.  I used the Splatter stencil to create the look of gun shot or dried blood as there was so much blood given in our fight for independence.  It seemed this needed to have some stripes to represent our flag also so out came the stripes stencil.  Next i thought of the newspapers of that era and thought a few letters from the alphabet stencil would be appropriate to represent that.  “by the dawn’s breaking light” out came the sun to see our flag still flying.  The faded dots stencil just added a bit of bandage like accents.   I put a tiny bit of gold shimmer in the bottom right corner to represent the rebuilding and independence of our great country.  One of my close friends has a 4th of July birthday and this will go to her this year.  

Challenges entered

Simon Says Wednesday/Shimmer

Word Art Wednesday

Vintage Flag Tag

Having more fun with my Tim Holtz products.  Using Perfect Pearls this time I created a shimmery wash for this tag that doesn’t show up very well on camera but in real life, ooo, la, la  it is so vintagy and cool looking.  I used some well masked sentiments from Tim to create by own message “journey on”  this card will go to the man my husband called Captain in Vietnam.  He is a fine man and a great leader still today.  Entering this into Simon’s Wednesday Shimmer Challenge and Word Art Wednesday.

Watercolored Roses

A rose by any other name…..it was time to watch my on line water color class for beginners again.  I really like how these roses turned out.  I’m working on how to form those leaves though.  I do have one perfect leaf on here so that means i can do it again.    This became a 5x7 card as i couldn’t bear to trim any of those roses off.  I know in three to five years i will look back at this post and laugh but for now i’m so pleased with it.  Can you see the shimmer?  I took a close up of the rose under the light because that wink of stella on the roses IRL is so softly beautiful.  Entering into Simon’s Wednesday challenge Shimmer  
        Also entering into Word Art Wednesday #236-237  

under the sea

Who knew a person could have so much fun with Tim Holtz.  I was never real impressed with Tim’s offerings long ago as mostly what he showed was grunge and that just is not my style.  However i was intrigued enough with all his products after my first use of Distress Ink.  That led me to learn more and as i watched videos and then was intrigued to take his online card class on the chemistry behind each of his products and how to use them I began to accumulate more and more.  I have never sat down and tried to use only his products though until this summer school offering.  I’m having so much fun and discovering a lot. 
Alcohol inked background with movers and shapers die cuts from Tim.   I glazed the sea horse with some shimmering gold from Viva pearl pen but it doesn’t show up on the photo.
I am entering this into Simon’s Wednesday Challenge to use shimmer.  Also entering into Word Art Wednesday #236-237

stenciled watercolor

Using Tim’s wild flower stencil i gave this a water colored look by sponging with distress inks and then spraying the flowers with a mist of water.  I had water colored the back ground that they sit on with a pale wash of color just for practice.  Sponging the outsides with mermaid lagoon really added some brightness to this and then some sequins made from my MFT sequins die and some viva pearl drops. The sentiment is stamped with Archival Ink which works so well on water color.

Mother Earth Stamp 469 and 470

Continuing playing with my Tim Holtz art supplies i decided to experiment a little since i was inspired by watching the videos again from Chemistry 102 on line card classes.

For this, i used alcohol inks.  i’ve never really played with them before and wasn’t prepared for the dark intensity of them.  However when i got the back ground made it simply said “mother earth” to me.  It reminded me of the pictures you see of the earth from outer space.  all the blues and greens of it.  This Stampers Anonymous collection was perfect for the back ground.   Now, I want to learn how to make lighter backgrounds than this but i didn’t want to toss this.  So let’s just call this an experiment and someone will still be glad to be the recipient of this creation somewhere along my life path.

The first picture is how this originally turned out.  The second photo is how it looks after i tried to “lift” some of the color by squirting blobs of solvent on the glossy paper.   I should have tried that BEFORE i stamped the images on it but what’s done is done.  I learned a lot by playing and have a feeling of satisfaction.   ahhh. 

Tim Holtz Summer School

it’s been fun to review the summer classes at on line card classes.  I’ve been sad i havent been able to play along but i have some time this weekend so jumpin’  in where I’m at! 
After watching the classes again from 101 and 102 it’s been inspiring and i brought out my often used Tim products.  This time though I used Ranger Specialty paper and Archival ink.  I blended with several shades of mini distress inks.  Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry, Ripe Persimmon, Abandoned Coral, Peacock Feathers and Mermaid Lagoon.  After blending i used some Rock Candy crackle paste on the butterflies and also sprinkled generously with water to get a bit of flow going. Embellished with a soft and pretty coral color ribbon with a couple of mint green scrap ribbons tied into the bow part.   This will be an entry for the online card class Tim Holtz summer school.  Also entering into Simon’s Wednesday Challenge/Shimmer

#467 ~#468 trike

Found this cute little trike stamp at Michaels for $1.00  I’ve often wanted to attach balloons to a bike or trike or wheelbarrow or something moveable.  This balloon stamp is from that old SU set where I thought i would never have to buy another stamp, so anyway, it’s still getting used and that’s a good thing.  I cut the sentiment and the balloon strings off the image after stamping it and fussy cut the balloons.  Added my own strings for a fun touch and attached them to the handle bar.  It still looked a little “dead” and adding the rock candy glitter added some sparkle that i like and a touch of enamels.  Whee!  that is a dark purple background panel but it looks kind of brown on here.

Freedom

it’s been enjoyable to visit Word Art Wednesday and just revive a bit with their weekly scripture quotes.  A little rest in our frenzied pace of life.  This scripture and font I especially love.  This old old old flag stamp i have came to mind immediately when i thought of creating with this verse.

It was interesting to try this in three different ways.  I first used Memento petal inks to ink up the flag and did a direct stamp.  For the next try, i simply spritzed the flag with the left over ink on it and stamped it over the sentiment.   For the final attempt i placed the flag closer to the top and did a stamping off technique.  I think i like the 2nd one the best.  I printed the scripture in grayscale on all three.  Also this is very flimsy card stock that is able to go through my printer but doesn’t lay flat to photo.  Sorry about that.    Just wanted to play a bit.     Thanks for stopping by.

summer travel

road trips, they can be so fun.  likely we won’t be going on a trip this year but i am happy for those who can.  My friend JoAnn, from NC, will be flying to see her daughter in MI.  I am so happy she can go when the weather will be (COULD be) somewhat nice in MI.  She’s going in July so that should be good.  I

more scraps stamp#466

This came together because i just purchased this memory box die a week ago and i just had to run it through the big shot when i got home, so the piece just lay there, cut out of a scrap of orange, but it had all those parts that intrigued me.  I do like whatever creative forces hit to allow me to piece this together.  Stamp#466 is the star figure i used for the background.  (SU)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge guy cards

usin’ them scraps stamp#465

these banner scraps have been on my table for well over a year, i keep picking them up wondering how i will use them and then they go right back into the little container i have for them.  the pink banners have been there equally as long.  Today when cleaning the table off i decided it’s time to work on “that corner”. That corner where all the little leftovers get put because they are too good to throw away they just didn’t work on the project at hand.   Simon’s Wednesday challenge this week is guy cards and Tim Holtz is the featured product.  These gray banners are from Tim’s ribbon banner 12” border die.  i think the pink ones are sizzix dies.  The little happy jumping mouse is an old old old Stampin’ Up set.  Ha Ha, when i bought that set i so unknowingly thought i would never need another stamp set.  GROAN    I will use this for a retirement card.

easy one layer

i need to just sit down one day and let my one layer creativity take over and make a bunch all at the same time.  that would be a challenge.  For this colored cardstock i simply embossed the front with a memory box die and added the sentiment and a small hero arts flower in the frame.  no coloring, no matching, no design paper.  easy easy easy.

Sometimes

Sometimes you just have to go with what you can.  I started this thinking my die was larger for the inside part of this, it ended up taking a couple of hours to “fix” what my thinking messed up.  So it’s a balloon under an awning kind of card.  You know what, my sister-in-law won’t care a bit.  She, being the kind person she is, will tell me how much she loves it.  and she will, she’s just like that, sweet and all.   So anyway, i like the colors of the shaker bling i used in here.   

Pinterest inspired

How fun and simple these were to make.  I made four of them just for some quick note cards.  Water colored two swipes of color and added the sweet little hearts from Simon’s snail mail set. Layer, POW! done!

saw it on pinterest first with stamps that i don’t own and it’s my version of it.

never thought i’d spend much time there but it’s fun to see other’s card ideas.

Polka dot balloon

Who needs balloon dies, she said, i have lots of balloon stamps that i can just cut out.  But then she couldn’t resist and she bought the balloon dies from MFT and they have already been used and used and used.  Now for this sweet one, it is stenciled with polka dots for a fun feeling and flying high above the felt clouds from Simon.  The sentiment is stacked four high for a fun depth.  Who doesn’t feel joy when they see a balloon flying high in the sky?  Well, maybe the toddler who let go of it wasn’t so happy but what it does for the rest of us, oh my!!

What posesses me…

Sometimes I just get a wild hair, ya know???  I was cleaning the stamp room and came across my tag Big Die from Sizzix and just had to cut out some tags from scraps.  I like the orange fizz color from MFT and then I thought it would be clever to emboss the tags just a bit.  I found the just a note sentiment stamp and got started.  Found a lonesome brad in the same color and added that.  Now what?  it took a full week of laying on the desk for this card to come together.  The piece the tags are sitting on is dark chocolate fudge not dark gray.  I kept looking at the tags and that strip of DP and knew i wanted to have them on the same card.  Then I found this wonderful little strip of gems on mesh and it begged me to use it on this card.  I have no idea where it came from.  A rummage?  A gift?  A bag of Good Will treasures?  Anyhoo, it was the perfect add on.  This card will go to my nephews wife who teaches piano and is going through her third bout with cancer.  Poor girl. 

Kopy Kat…

Friend Angie sent me this ever so sweet birthday card.  I love water color and was so impressed with her technique and skill on this card that i had to CASE it.  As you can see, my technique needs a lot more practice.  I liked my that i turned into a thank you card but i loved hers with all the dimension she was able to create.  I shall keep practicing.

playing with pretties

It was fun to win these avery elle stamps and sentiment dies.  Also Simon was having a clearance sale and i scored this sweet heart die.  The two things combined made a sweet little thank you card to my friend that gifted me with a red, white, and blue potted flowers.  It’s huge.  (she owns a green house) The sentiment is stamped with my MISTI.  Stamped three times to be really bold as the paper has a texture and the stamp was new.

playing with shakers

Playing with my Fuze tool.  Yeah, I’ll use it, would I be sad if i had spent the money on it myself instead of receiving it as a gift?  Probably.  I’ll use it because I have it but it’s not my favorite toy.  Money put towards a MISTI would likely be better spent in most craft rooms. I use my MISTI over and over and over.  If you are going to make shaker cards then you have to also purchase all the little goodie things that shake and that’s more things to store and from my foraging around on different sites they also are not inexpensive.  Note to self:  always check Michaels clearance aisle for shaker materials.  A teeny little packet from some of the well known companies and they are asking $3.99 for teeny little packets.  I won $25 from Simon and I used it to purchase some of the shaker bling but i was very surprised to see the small size of the packets.  I won’t do that again.   Also note to self, if using glitter in a shaker card it would be good to “powder the acrylic” before making the card so the glitter doesn’t stick to the window.  Thanks for reading.  Always love your comments.