Artful Tag

I was playing with my new Tim Holtz stamps last week and used this one from "Artful Tools" on the base of this tag:


My tag was cut from my most used die, Sizzix's Tim Holtz Tag and bookplate.  I then layered die-cut paper and patterned vellum(Crate Paper) cut out with Sizzix's Ornamental die and folded it over the edge of my tag.
I used my mini-attacher and stapled it onto the tag.  I added on some wood rulers from Maya Road (stained with distress stain), a metal faucet knob and pen nib, and ticket pieces.  For the bottom of my tag, I used my smaller Sizzix Matchbook die and the No. die  die-cut into the cover.  Next, I stapled in some kraft sheets inside and wrapped the book around the bottom, adhering to the tag in the back.  I adhered green cardstock to the inside cover so the "No." showed up better.


To complete my tag, I added some ribbon and Tim Holtz embellishments to the top.  I think I'll probably write in some of my favorite quotes in the matchbook.

Thanks for visiting me here!
Until next time,

Jan

0

Because You Are The Best

I have a tutorial on the Carta Bella Blog with this layout using their new collection, "So Noted", hope you visit me there!

































Have a great day!

Jan

2

CSI Challenge

Sizzix is sponsoring the challenge blog, CSI (Color, Stories, Inspiration) this month, and the Design Team have been invited to participate as guest designers!  For  those of you who have never gone on this site, it's a weekly challenge using "case files".  There's a photo for inspiration (The Scene), a palette of five colors (The Scheme), prompts for elements to be used (The Evidence), and journaling prompts to be used to tell your story (The Testimony).  For those of you who have trouble thinking of ideas for your layouts, this is a great site!  
I participated in this week's case file #64.

Here's my layout:

For this color combination, Kaisercraft's collection, "Pickled Pear" was perfect.  For my flowers, I used Sizzix's Tim Holtz Tattered Flower die, Tattered Flower Garland Decorative Strip and the Tattered Pinecone die


For my "Evidence" I used rub-ons, stamps, a bird and leaves.  For the hard part, the "Testamony" or the journaling, I chose to write about something I love about me and also the words Create, and Imagine.

I hope you check out the CSI site and join in, there's lot of inspiration and some great prizes!

5

Tattered Floral Challenge

I'm sure a lot of you have checked this out already, but right now Tim Holtz has a tattered floral challenge going on at his blog.  Since his Tattered Flower Sizzix Bigz die is one of my favorites and probably the most used, I decided to play along.  I started trying different things with it a couple of weeks ago, but unfortunately most of my "over-tattered" flowers ended up in the  garbage!  I decided to give it a go again, and wanted to use a wood birdhouse kind of basket that I had bought last year from Winners (like a TJ Max).  It was painted white with an ugly shade of yellow that was crying out to be altered!  I was so inspired by Tammy Tutterow's beautiful flowers, I decided to use some chiffon type fabric that I've had for years.  I can't even remember why I bought it, probably had some project in mind; along with all my other unfinished ones (or should I say not even started projects)!
Here's my finished project:


I started out by painting all the yellow trim with black paint, and then after it had dried, clear Rock Candy crackle paint.  Once that dried, I lightly applied a bit of Bundled Sage and Peacock Feathers Distress stain in a few places.  I didn't want the stain too dark, so I wiped a bit off with a damp cloth before it dried. The main box was covered with "Dear Jane"paper from Carta Bella Paper's "So Noted" Collection.  I painted the inside with a light turquoise paint.  After it dried, I painted lightly over it with white paint.  After that had dried, I put a bit of Sage Green Distress Stain in a mini mister with water and sprayed lightly over the painted inside.  I dried the sprayed areas immediately with my heat gun, so it had a vintage spotted look.  Now I was ready to make my flowers!


First, I cut squares of my chiffon fabric about the size of the large tattered flower.  Cut out quite a few, it's always good to have extras for other projects.  I took three or four, layered them, folded in half, then again and stapled the corner.  Fluff out your flower to get it ready for the coloring.  To get a soft color, I dabbed Peacock Feathers and Bundled Sage Green Distress ink in two separate piles on my non-stick craft mat.  Next, I sprayed a small amount of water on my flower and the small stain piles.  Dip the edges of the flower into the stain and depending how light you want it, spritz more water on your flower.  Lightly and  carefully, dry immediately with your heat gun.  This particular fabric curled up when I heated it, so I didn't do it for very long.  Some of them I left that way, and others I applied a bit of clear embossing ink on the edges with Ranger's Embossing dabber.  Next I embossed with Ranger's Antiquities Verdigris embossing powder.
For my leaves and twirly twigs, I used thin wire and Tim Holtz Tissue wrap.  Cut the tissue in thin strips (about 1/4" wide), apply Claudine Helmuth's Matte Medium, and wrap around the wire.  I cut the leaves with Sizzix's Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die, covered two with Matte Medium, and glued together with a piece of wire in between.  Lightly brush the leaves and twigs with Bundled Sage Green Distress Stain.

I added a few flowers and twigs along the sides and back also.


I filled my bird house box with moss and some easter eggs.  I love that rusted one, which really isn't an easter egg.  I bought this, which was in a set of four, from Wellington Gardens(my favorite store) last year.  It's really an antique grape protector that opens up.  Isn't that cool?
I love looking for objects to alter, sometimes finding a great deal on damaged or badly painted ones!
Hope you like my take on the Tattered Flower challenge, and if you have that die, join in!


9

Enjoy the View

Today I have a tutorial on the Sizzix blog on how I created this layout.


Hope you visit me there!

Jan
6

An Easter Card

Before you know it, Easter will soon be here and hopefully some spring weather!  Here's an Easter card     I created using some Sizzix dies.

The papers that were used for my card are from Carta Bella Paper's "True Friends" collection.  I started with this nice Sizzix Doily thinlit die and cut it out with white cardstock.   The little flowers are hand cut from patterned paper and the vellum ones cut from Sizzix's thinlit die, Butterflies and Flower Vine set.  The Tim Holtz Bell Jar Bigz die is cut out with vellum first (the edges lightly inked) and then I cut it out again with a clear transparency sheet, which I lightly alcohol inked the edges (gives it dimension and hides glue).  I'm on a vellum kick again, ever since I made a butterfly in my CSI layout from yesterday's post!  The little vellum flowers were embossed with Lindy's Stamp Gang embossing powder (Spring Leaf Chartreuse).  After I put the petals together with a brad(these ones are really old, I can't remember who made them, but I like them!), I just took my Ranger Embossing Dauber and dabbed on the petals lightly, sprinkled on the powder, shook off the excess and heated.  I glued a few flowers on top of the vellum bell jar and then glued the transparency on top.  I used very thin SookWang tape (about 1/8" wide) around the edges, it holds really well and you can barely see it.  The photo doesn't really show the glass effect well, I was trying to take a picture without glare, it doesn't work well!


Now for my Sizzix Tim Holtz Easter Elements bunny and the pedestal!  I used this technique on my Urban Scrapbook's March layout (which I will post another day) and loved the results.  I cut both of these parts with chipboard, dabbed on Rangers embossing ink.  I've been using the embossing dauber quite a bit these days, I like it thicker when I'm using a lot of powder.  The embossing powder I used for these two parts is from Stampendous and is called Shabby White Embossing Enamel. Love this powder, it has little bits of gold in it.  I pour it on top, shake off the excess, and then sprinkle on a little bit to make it thicker.  Heating from the bottom (otherwise, it will go flying everywhere... I can't be the only one who's done this!) melt it and then press your rubber stamp (this is Stamper's Anonymous Classic #7 for the bunny and Christy Tomlinson's Painted Punchinella for the Pedestal) while still hot.  I've used this technique before, o.k. I admit, I'm hooked, but with this chunky powder it takes on a different look.  After it has cooled, I take some paint and dry brush the edges and in a few places.  I say dry brush, which is just wiping  the paint off your brush and leaving a little on, but really I just stick my finger in the paint and lightly swipe where I want it.  Much faster and my hands are already a mess, what's a little more color!  Add a little bow to the bunny and adhere everything to your card base and you are done!
Hope you have a great weekend, and don't forget to check out the CSI challenge site!  Sizzix is sponsoring this month and there are some beautiful layouts on display. Also, if you join in, some great prizes!

Until next time,

Jan
5

CSI Challenge and Carta Bella Blog Hop Winner


Sizzix is sponsoring the challenge blog, CSI (Color, Stories, Inspiration) this month, and the Design Team have been invited to participate as guest designers!  For  those of you who have never gone on this site, it's a weekly challenge using "case files".  There's a photo for inspiration (The Scene), a palette of five colors (The Scheme), prompts for elements to be used (The Evidence), and journaling prompts to be used to tell your story (The Testimony).  For those of you who have trouble thinking of ideas for your layouts, this is a great site!  
I participated in this week's case file, #61.


And here's my layout:


I love this color combination!  My background paper was from an older Pink Paislee collection.  The patterned papers were from Prima's Sunset collection, Glitz's Hello Friend, and My Mind's Eye Lost and Found.  I used Sizzix's Tim Holtz Brick Wall decorative strip, On the Edge File Tabs, Sizzix's Thinlits; Butterlies and Flower Vine and Doily and Doily Border and Sizzix's Framelit Fancy Labels 3.
For the "Testimony" I chose to document a dream or aspiration.  We lived on Vancouver Island for two years and during that time, I realized that I loved living by water.  My husband and I would love to retire on the coast someday.  Hmm, I think we need to win the lottery first... oh well, at least I can dream about it!  The photo with the house on the edge of the water was actually a luxury tent that we stayed in, last summer on our holidays.  It was amazing!  There was a long boardwalk that went through the trees to get to each tent.  I would love to wake up each morning with a view like that! 

                        

My Evidence elements were butterflies, something hanging (the Tim Holtz word band), rub-ons (Kaiser), buttons, gold accents, and string.  My large butterfly was cut out with the Sizzix Easter Elements Bigz die and the small butterflies were from Sizzix's mini movers and shapers Butterfly set.
I used vellum and Stampendous Aged Embossing Enamel and just a bit of Lindy's Stamp Gang Terra Cotta Plum embossing powder.  The chipboard ruler, small frame and doily were from Teresa Collin's collection, He Said, She Said.


For the photo in this frame, I printed it on Vellum.  I was going for a light dreamy look, not sure if that's what it looks like, but I like the see-through effect.  My sticker letters were from Basic Grey, Kaiser flowers, My Mind's Eye baker's twine and the spray I used on the background was my own mixture of Dylusions Orange, and Ranger Perfect Pearl Biscotti, and little bit of pink.
I hope you check out the CSI site and join in, there's lot of inspiration and some great prizes!

Speaking of prizes, here is the winner of the Carta Bella Paper blog hop!



Thank you to everyone who took part and left a comment here in Carta Bella's blog hop.
       A big congrats to  





                                     Oh so SWEET! LOVE this layout - and the darling pictures!!!


Thanks to the random number generator, #63 was chosen and you are the lucky winner of a current Carta Bella Paper Collection Kit of your choice.  Please send me an email (jan.roxy49@gmail.com) with your name, address and which collection kit you would like to receive!


Thanks again everyone, for stopping by and leaving a comment!


Jan
1
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