Mother Sew Dear

That is the name of one of the Precious Moments figurines, and I always think of my mother when I see that one. As I’ve mentioned here before, she was quite the seamstress. She still has her Singer sewing machine, though she doesn’t use it now.

Multi-media art is very new to me, and though I am terribly inexperienced, I do enjoy my attempts. Recently I decided to “tackle” a canvas—sometimes there are too many elements for a tag! I had an 8x10 stretched canvas on hand and decided to make that the platform for a sewing theme project to take to Mother soon, hoping it will cheer her, in her illness.

First, I covered the canvas with gesso. I painted the edges of the frame with Making Memories Cranberry acrylic paint. Then I covered the canvas with Studio matte medium and laid an actual pattern down, scrunching it up to make wrinkles.

Then I stamped a couple of sewing theme impressions onto pattern material (using Ranger Archival Cobalt), gently tore the edges around the images, and used medium to apply them. I liked the double thickness of the pattern pieces, and so then tore strips of pattern and glued them down all over, as a collage. (Thanks to Marjie Kemper for sending me some authentic patterns to work with!) Probably the greatest challenge of the entire project was trimming the excess pattern material from the edges. I’m NOT a good cutter!

For the focal point of the canvas, I used a tag that I had made a few weeks ago, swapping out the flowers from the original tag (I was never happy with them). I added a flower from my stash, and I love the Wendy Vecchi sewing machine element. Thinking of the sewing notions Mother always had on hand, I added some measuring tape, buttons and ric-rac.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Proverbs 31, and the description of the “virtuous woman” in that reference well describes my mother. So, I pulled a portion of that reference that is relevant to sewing.

 

So, Mother, if you’re reading this, we’ll have to find a place to display this, next time I visit!

Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge – Technique #9: Time

This week’s Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge at Linda’s Studio L3 involves the use of Tim’s pocket watch and the technique he outlines on page 35 of his CofC2 book. This week’s challenge is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp.

I opted not to get terribly creative with this one. I will use it in a project, maybe even a scrapbook page, but will go ahead and post the watch project itself at this point. This project begins with an empty watch case.

This is a subject that has been on my mind a lot lately—with the high school graduation of my two granddaughters and some other life happenings, I’ve just become more acutely aware of the passing of time, and of the accompanying memories.

Art Journal Page – Soar

Taking inspiration again from Andrea Walford, I created this spread for my moleskin inspiration journal.

• Masking tape in seam
• Gesso
• Tim Holtz Terminology Tissue Paper over all
• Broken China Distress Stain over all
• Paints: Claudine Hellmuth Studio Classic Teal and Sky Blue
• Dylusions Spray Fresh Lime
• Crafter’s Workshop stencil, used with stencil and with Golden Molding Paste
• Tim Holtz Stamps
• Birds, cut from cereal box, on Cricut, covered with TH tissue tape, gessoed and painted with CH Classic Teal, stamped with TH stamp, sprayed with Perfect Pearls

12 Tags of 2012 – June: Tinting Old Photo

Though I’m not totally thrilled with my finished product, I do love anything that has to do with old photos. For such projects, I will always opt to use my own pictures. Through the years, I can imagine grandchildren asking, “Who is that?” and I don’t want the answer to be, “I got that picture from the internet—I don’t have a clue.” But then, when I create a project, I almost always am thinking about who will view it in years to come (truth is, no one may ever see it, but it makes me feel better to think that way, anyway)! Besides, I have SO MANY old photos, and I love them all, so why not use them in special projects!

This particular photo is one of my favorites. The twins in the old “wagon” or “stroller” are my mother and her twin sister (now 84). Their older sister, pulling the wagon, was 12 when they were born. The 28 represents the year the picture was taken. They were born in January 1928, and I believe they are less than a year old in this picture, so I’m relatively certain on the date of the photo.

The metal number 2 symbolizes the twins (of course).

I followed many of the suggestions on Tim Holtz’s blog. I used Bundled Sage and Broken China for the main colors for the tag and trimmings.

Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge – Technique #7

For this week’s challenge at Studio L3, I had fun using my new Artistic Outpost stamps on the background created by using Tim’s technique, Brushless Watercolor, outlined on page 49 of his Compendium of Curiosities, Vol II. This week’s challenge is sponsored by eclectic Paperie.

I used one of Tim’s background stamps and Dusty Concord Distress Stain and Ink. I colored the AO stamped image with Distress Reinkers and a water brush. The ticket is one I created some time ago (I make those a strip at a time, using Tim’s ticket strip die, and then save them for use on tags as desired).

This one was fun and simple. Actually I often find those two adjectives go together for me. Sometimes I’m guilty of over-kill on my tags, and it is refreshing to make something clean and simple!

CC2 Challenge - #6 Tissue Wrap Collage

This week’s Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge at Studio L3 is using the Tissue Wrap Collage technique from Tim Holtz’s book, page 38. This one came together fairly easily for me, and I love working with the tissue wrap. The sponsor of this week’s challenge is The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

After deciding to use the Movers and Shapers hearts with the symphony tissue wrap, an old song came to mind (as a young girl I loved that old movie starring Susan Hayward—I know, I’m really old)—“With a Song in My Heart.”

The flower at the top is a Prima flower recently purchased at Hobby Lobby. The book text flower was cut from the Tattered Flowers die and inked with Black Soot. And I must say I am loving the Tiny Attacher!

Tim Holtz’s 12 Tags of 2012-May

Inspired by Tim’s May tag, this was a fun tag to make, and I didn’t mind buying a couple of supplies (Seamless Experience stamp set and Sewing Room die), as I can use them again for little projects for my mother to enjoy during her chemo. Since she was the CHAMPION seamstress as she was raising her five children (of whom I am proudly the oldest), I will use this theme more than once. She made almost all my clothes until I got married (as she did for all us four girls). She made my wedding dress and all the bridesmaids gowns for the wedding. For a time, she taught classes for Singer. So, I love this theme.

I will give credit to Shelly Hickox for the idea of using a stamp on sticky-back canvas for the dress form, but I must say that I had already purchased the die at a Hobby Lobby while traveling for our granddaughter’s graduation, to use in lieu of the stamp that Tim used (though I do have the stamp he used). I used my favorite Wendy Vecchi stamp for the pattern on the form, with Coffee Archival Ink. I cut the little dress for the hanger with Cricut Everyday Paper Dolls, using paper from October Afternoon. I stained the seam binding with Fired Brick. I stamped the spool stamp with Barn Door Distress Ink.

I found an old pattern on the internet and printed it on regular white tissue paper. I was hoping Mother had saved some of her old patterns (I remember Butterick and Simplicity and McCalls), but she says they have been gone for twenty years.

The really fun NEW thing for me was using the Melting Pot (recently purchased and used with beeswax already) and UTEE. It was so much fun, I kept trying to think of things I could dip in it! I had trouble finding paper flowers like I’ve seen on others’ projects, and the only thing I could find was some individual fabric flowers on stems in the wedding department at Hobby Lobby. They also had some leaves on wires.

I knew right away I would NOT be using the wooden spool (I don’t do woodworking, nor do I intend to), so I like the little spool that is part of the Sewing Room die set (cut from grunge board covered with natural sticky-back canvas and inked with Frayed Burlap and a bit of Barn Door). For my part, the next time I do a version of this tag, I will probably use flatter flowers, as I don’t like huge and heavy tags so much. But, I’m pretty much pleased with how this came together, and I’ll certainly be using UTEE again!

Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge: He Watches Over Me

I am playing along with the Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge on the Studio L3 blog.

Each week there is a challenge to make a project using a specific technique from Tim Holtz’s book, A Compendium of Curiosities Vol II. One of the sponsors of the challenge is Simon Says Stamp. I followed the instructions for the technique found on page 66 of Tim’s book, as the Challenge instructions specified.

I inked my stamp with archival ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. I cut a small flourish from a TH die and inked it with Dusty Concord, embossed with clear. I also used a stamp from TH Floral Tattoo and the cross stitch stamp from TH Spring Sprung.

The die that I chose to use for the project is the bird from the “Caged Bird.” It reminds me of a promise from Scripture that I am especially needing to remember today:

Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)

²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^{[a] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Art Journal: My First REAL Pages (Yay Spring in Missouri!)

This day is delicious. It is warm and sunny, really feels almost like summer. It was winter here just a couple of days ago. Seriously.

I decided to start my “real” art journal today. My two previous “attempts” were following some prompts from an online class about doodling. This one today is me, just an expression of how I feel today (or at least as close as an art journal page can express…).

For my jounaling (art and otherwise), the page needs to reflect something about the meaning of the day, to me.

For the background, I used my new Dylusional Spray Inks (five of them). On the pages you also see Faber Castell Markers, acrylic ink, stencils, oil pastels, water color crayons, and Hero Arts stamps. The book text represents the first time I have ever in my life intentionally “harmed” a real book. I have an old (as in my gifted teaching years, 1980’s) paperback of Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. It is yellowed and in very bad condition. I like the idea of using book text, but it needs to (again) have meaning. I rationalized that recycling this book into art journal pages would really not be harming it, but rather would actually be bringing it back to life. Sounds good to me anyway.

Yes, I am out of my comfort zone. For one thing, this whole art journaling thing is very messy. I make a huge mess. And cleaning up the mess is not nearly as much fun as making it. But I must clean it up so that I can get to the table to make my next pages (I’m caught up with scrapbooking for now, you see).

Art Journal Doodles-Trial #2

This is my second attempt at a project, as I learn some techniques for art journaling from a free online class by Strathmore. This second week class was all about doodling with water color. Although I’m not thrilled with the output, I am learning some things about what will likely become “my style.” For example, I’m not so much about the spraying water everywhere. I do love water color crayons and love dipping the tip in water and then coloring. I’ll use that more.

I also like using my Faber Castell stamp markers. I still need to perfect the use of stencils, and I have some ideas to make that better next time (you can’t really see the attempts at stenciling here). I like stamping, so will use that more. I want to use words more, because I am basically a word person. I’m terrible with the India ink nibs but do pretty well with the “splatters”… ‘-)

Right now I am working on art paper, practicing as it were, for when I actually start the art journal.

Artistic Expression

It’s downright funny to use that term (“artistic expression”) in reference to ME. In fact, if this post is being visited by a family member or close friend, they are double-checking the address for this link, as we speak. If there ever was anyone NOT artistic, that would be me.

But I am a journal-er. In previous posts I have shared about how many journals I have in progress at any given time. So when I heard the term “art journal” being discussed among some of my crafting friends, it was intriguing. As a result of some research into the idea, I am taking a free online class on art doodling, as I start to learn some techniques that I can use in an art journal.

This is my first ever “art” project. When I was almost finished with the piece, I received a phone call that my mother-in-law had passed away (not unexpectedly). That’s when I added “The Lord is my shepherd” to the painting, to mark the significance of this piece.

On the work, I used various media: water color spray, oil pastels, acrylics, several kinds of markers, India ink, white gel pen, and more.

It is fun. I am a realist; I will never be good at this, but I can see how I can use this as a means of “artistic expression,”….yes, that COULD even be me!

2012 Tags--March Tag

Making do with what I have—that was my theme for this tag, inspired by Tim’s March tag. I cut the butterflies on grunge paper on my Cricut (one from Paper Lace and one from Kate’s ABC’s). I ran them through the xyron and embossed them with American Crafts pewter powder.

The background stamp and the sentiment are from Wendy Vecchi’s Sentimental Art. I started with a manila tag and inked with Shabby Shutters, Tumbled Glass and Dusty Concord Distress Inks, using the same colors to dye all the lace and trimmings.

The mosaic technique taught by Tim is quite lovely, I think, but it is very painstaking, clipping all those tiny snippets and then applying Glossy Accents over each one.

The butterflies reminded me of one of my favorite classical pieces from my piano lessons, Edward Grieg’s “Butterfly.” My International Library of Music, Book 3, always falls open to that page. I used it for the background for the photo.

February Tag (for 12 Tags of 2012)

This is my take on the Tim Holtz February tag. I started with a white tag, as I was a bit weary of the manila. (I cut the white tag on my Cricut, in Cricut Craft Room, using the Celebrations cartridge….I cut about 12 of them while I was at it!) I then applied Festive Berries (still my favorite for holidays) to the top side of the Valentine texture fades embossing folder and ran the tag through the Vagabond. I inked the edges of the tag with Walnut Stain.

Then I dyed some white lace and white seam binding with Barn Door Distress Ink, for the bottom border and the tie at the top.

I already had some extra foil tape cut, so I applied that on top of the lace border. I cut the grunge board Cupid from Love Struck, and the two grunge board hearts from the Mini Hearts set. I inked the Cupid with Barn Door and then coated him with a couple of coats of Xmas Red Stickles. The smaller heart I painted with Snow Cap Dabber and then applied Picket Fence Stickles. It wasn’t as sparkly as I wanted, so I added a coat of Stardust Stickles.

The box of chocolates from my husband (shown behind the tag) came wrapped in pretty red cellophane. I saved some of it and cut several layers of it with one pass, on the Vagabond (mini hearts die). I stacked them (glued with Glossy Accents) and placed them atop a grunge board heart that had been “ruffled” with the symphony tissue tape.

The little “I Love You” sentiment was computer generated (Typewriter font) and inked with Festive Berries.

The embellishments on the tie at the top are from my stash.

Valentine Theme Scrapbook Layout

Left Page of 12x12 two-page layout

Right Page of 12x12 two-page layout

I have always loved Valentine’s Day. Even though I was never very creative with my Valentine boxes at school, I always enjoyed seeing what the “other girls” created (there was always one, in every class, who could do incredible things with a shoe box…I was so envious). The Valentines I received in elementary school looked very much like the ones on the Tim Holtz background paper used on the Right Page here.

I used some pieces of Tim's Valentine stash to embellish the left page, adhering the pieces to grungeboard for dimension. On the right, the tag is one I made and posted a few days ago, with the plan to use it on a scrapbook page. The doilies (from my kitchen, for holiday serving) were inked with Festive Berries, and that is also the main ink used on the tag, because it happens to match our frosting color.  I scanned my “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” music, and printed it as a 4x6 photo on cream cardstock, then inked the edges with Gathered Twigs.

The hearts were cut using two dies: Love Struck and Heart Set (both mini movers and shapers). Some were cut from grungeboard and painted (gold and black paint dabbers) or inked. Some were cut from card stock. The collage music notes were cut from grungeboard that was first collaged with Tim’s tissue tape and then coated with Glue ‘n’ Seal and then partially inked (Vintage Photo).

Spending a day with my mother, baking cupcakes with my granddaughter, crafting with all my fun supplies, and making a scrapbook layout—a combination of some pretty special things from my life!

First Smash Journal Altered Cover

My first Smash Journal is almost full. Well, it IS full--more than, actually. But a few of the pages are not filled in, so I may still add some to it. I posted earlier how I had embellished the cover. I since pulled off a couple of the paper die-cut images and replaced with some of my new-found Tim Holtz-style goodies (grungy and vintage).  I like how it feels “me-ier” now.

Altered Clipboard + Inspiration

Okay, I AM just a scrapbooker, but I guess I must admit to playing around a bit with “altered art,” although I still cannot think of anything I do as “art.” I was intrigued by a fellow ATT member’s altered clipboard and decided to try something similar.

Inspired by a book we are studying in our small group, The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg, I have come to love the word “flourish.” Ortberg says that “flourishing means moving toward God’s best version of you” and he contrasts flourishing with languishing (none of us wants to do that!). I love the passage in Psalm 92:12-13: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree….they will flourish in the courts of our God.” So, that was the “theme thought” I had in mind as I bought the $1.99 wooden clipboard and pulled some ideas out of the air.

I removed the metal clamp and primed the front of the clipboard with gesso. After it dried, needing a break from my fall and holiday project colors, I just started grabbing some Distress Ink pads that fit my mood that day (Broken China, Dusty Concord, Wild Honey and Faded Jeans). I just inked as the fancy hit me. After it dried, I pulled out some stamps that fit my thoughts and created a “stamp collage,” using Archival Black Ink for all the stamping.

I cut my theme word, FLOURISH, from cereal box, using the Storybook font, with the Cricut. I then cut the very same letters from a beautiful paper from Tim’s Lost and Found Paper Stash (found one that fit the ink colors I had chosen) and glued them to the cereal box letters. Then I covered all the letters with Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, let dry, and then inked edges with Black Soot. I adhered them to the clipboard with Glossy Accents.

I had fun with the little embellies I attached through the hole in the metal clamp. I had two items to color with Alcohol Inks: the little chain (it was attached to a box of chipboard letters I bought about 4 years ago, and it was light green) and the large pearl bauble (from Tim). I mixed Wild Plum and Denim inks in a little zip-loc bag, to get just the shade of purple I wanted (to match the Dusty Concord distress ink).

I used Cricut Craft Room to weld the letters for the word GROW and then cut from grungeboard (yes, I use the Cricut to cut grungeboard). I then inked it with Dusty Concord, inked the edges with Black Soot, and covered it all with Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint. I added another little bauble I had in my findings. I glued on a flower in keeping with the theme of flourishing and growing.

My little white mini-legal pads that I love to use will fit just right, and I will be taking the clipboard with me to small group tonight!

Valentine Tag for Scrapbook

Inspired by a project created by Shelly Hickox, I made a tag to use on the scrapbook page I will put together, with the photos posted earlier in “Cupcakes with Tory.” The Festive Berries Distress Ink exactly matches our frosting color!

I used a Cuttlebug folder to emboss the manila tag. Then I inked it lightly with Festive Berries Distress Ink. The cupid and heart are from Tim’s mini Love Struck set.

My least favorite thing to work with is glitter, and I should’ve stuck to my guns on that one. Not only is it a huge mess, but it never photographs nicely. I used Martha Stewart yellow gold glitter on the cupid, and on the heart I used her crystal coarse glitter.

The flourishes are cut from grunge paper, using Tim’s mini flourish die (love this one). Two of them I painted with the black paint dabber, and the other I painted with the Red Pepper dabber. I sanded them lightly after painting.

The trim at the bottom is colored with Festive Berries, and the ribbon at the top with Black Soot (both were originally white). I used music tissue paper and tissue tape behind the cupid. I sprayed the entire tag lightly with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls mist and then inked the edges of the tag with Black Soot.

The paper from Tim’s seasonal stash (behind the tag) will become the background paper on the scrapbook page. The sheet music is from my library (used many times through the years to play for weddings).

I am quite enjoying creating my own detailed embellishments for some of my scrapbook pages.

Second Smash Journal

Just bought a second journal, this one to use primarily for saving ideas for projects. I grunged it up a bit.

Tag for Opening Page of 2012 Scrapbook

This tag was inspired by a beautiful New Year’s tag shared by Anita Houston.

Starting with a #8 manila tag, I sprayed it with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Glacier (have had on hand for years but never used). After drying, I inked with Iced Spruce and Broken China distress inks. I stamped a few of Tim Holtz’s clocks and then heat embossed with white powder. I found some old transparencies for laser printers (from my teaching days) and printed a scanned copy of my music for “Auld Lang Syne” onto the transparency and adhered with staples. The sentiment is from one of Tim’s stamp sets. The border is cut with the Vintage Lace die on metal tape. The “ribbon” is twill tape, inked with Iced Spruce. I finished off with some metal embellishments and flourishes from my ever-growing supply of TH goodies.

Since most of my tags make their way onto scrapbook pages, I must be careful about being too “dimensional.” I think this one will work just fine!

Scrapbooks Caught Up!! Yay!!

I scrapbook everything, and I take lots of pictures. So it’s necessary that I stay caught up, or I may never see the light of day. As of today, I finished 2011: two full Creative Memories 12x12’s and one 12x12 of our vacation. As an aside, I also have mostly filled my first Smash Journal—and my Prayer Journal is bulging this year as well! I was running a bit behind as of December, having joined the craze of learning and using Tim Holtz techniques (I even completed the 12 Tags of Christmas!!).

It’s a good feeling to be caught up! – Well, actually, I have three pictures ready for go for 2012, and the new CM albums should arrive tomorrow!

Family Christmas Digital Page

Most of my scrapbooks are traditional, paper. Occasionally I throw in a digital page, to put in a special album just for digital experiments.

Timeless Memories Scrapbook Layout

Left side of 2-page 12x12 layout

Right side of 2-page 12x12 layout

As threatened, I finally completed the two-page layout using my Christmas pictures of singing around the piano, and incorporating a photo from 1980. I LOVE the pages, but it is SO frustrating to try to capture the “real” look in photographs! I have a great camera, but I just can’t capture the real thing. For example, the black behind the tag and the old photo is tissue paper (that happened to come in some packaging in the mail that day)—and the colors of the photos on the left side are not true, (they are much brighter in life), but changing those with editing software makes the background paper (Tim Holtz tissue paper) not a true color. Oh, well, the main purpose of the layout is NOT to take pictures of the layout!

For both pages, I first adhered plain white cardstock to my Creative Memories page (I use the spargo pages). Then I spread Studio matte glue all over the cardstock and scrunched up the music tissue paper. After stacking books on it as it dried, I then spread Picket Fence Stickles over the entire page. I gathered some tulle behind the old photo, giving it a rather “airy” look (in real-life).

This is much more “dimensional” than most of my pages—otherwise, I would never get an entire year in two 12x12’s, and that’s my goal this year.

“Hark” Tag for Scrapbook Page

I am in a holding pattern for scrapping my Christmas pictures, because I ordered the prints from Snapfish, and once again, the order is lost somewhere and not in my hands, after 12 days. Ugh!

But I have been working on a tag to use on one of the layouts, once the prints do arrive. I finished the tag today. It is based on one of this year’s 12 Tags of Christmas (Tim Holtz). The challenge for a scrapbook page will be to “smoosh” the tissue paper flower!

Scrapbook Layout-Alyssa’s Christmas Madrigal

Left side of 12x12 two-page Layout

Right side of 12x12 two-page Layout

Since the setting of the Christmas Madrigal was Medieval England, the vintage style seemed very natural for this layout (not that “vintage” and “medieval” are the same, but closer than contemporary and medieval!). I used paper from Tim’s Lost and Found stash, and it was handy to have a 6x6 portion of the music page to put onto a tag. I love the Christmas lamppost, and it was fun to incorporate it into this project.

There are more and larger pictures from the event in an earlier post, but I wanted to post this layout as a part of my journey to incorporate more creativity (via vintage techniques, for one thing) into my pages.

Our beautiful granddaughter Alyssa is the STAR of this layout! Can’t believe she is a senior, and this was her last Madrigal!

Scrapbook Layout-Conner’s Christmas Concert

Inspired by Tag #2 of this year’s 12 Tags of Christmas, this layout provided the opportunity to experiment with bringing in “tag” elements and techniques onto a scrapbook layout. I used some of the beautiful music paper in the Tim Holtz Christmas Memories Kraft Resist Stash. Challenging it is, to get 7 photos on a two-page layout, and still leave room for some embellishments.

The photos for this layout are included in an earlier blog post. We were so proud of Conner, as he is in the top audition choir at his large high school, as a sophomore!

A Heritage of Bird Hunting (Scrapbook Page)

 

Having completed the 12 Tags of Christmas as my introduction to the Tim Holtz technique, I was determined to implement some of the vintage techniques into my scrapbook pages, as this is the primary “crafting” that I do. I had just about completed my current layout (from November) when I received the rosette die. I thought it looked very difficult when I saw others use it, but it in fact was quite simple. So, I used that to embellish the page.

This evening I also watched Tim’s video on some ideas for using the kraft glassine paper (love it). When I saw his idea of printing a photo on the glassine paper, I knew how I wanted to bring that element into this scrapbook page, as my old photo of Daddy with Pooch came to mind. The photo was very faded, so first I edited it to make it a more intense black and white photo.

Obviously, due to the nature of the kraft glassine paper, the photo does not show up as well as it does in person. I am pleased with the effect and love the whole vintage idea of displaying a photo of my dad with his bird dog as an embellishment to the modern-day picture of my son with his bird dog.

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 10

Whew! I did it! When I first started with the 12 Tags, I really did not intend to do all 12. The more I did, the more I wanted to do, until I finally realized it was imperative that I finish the task. It has been very challenging but fun, and I have learned so much, and have a new appreciation for the vintage technique, as it appeals to the “feel” I have always had for relishing the wonderful things of times past.

I “winged it” on the embellishments at the bottom, as I am also learning to find things around the house that I can use to enhance a tag.

The facet ornaments that I created using suggestions from Tim did not turn out as vibrant as his, and it could be because I “made do” with heavy duty aluminum foil rather than purchasing the metal tape. Still, they are fine.

Next year, I need to get the tags done within the 12 days. Finishing up this last one has been a challenge, as our Christmas is tomorrow evening and Saturday, and things are a-flurry here with last-minute wrapping, baking and cooking.

I think there is something fundamental here, in my joy in creating these tags—it has been fun to do something with my hands, to actually create something enjoyable and lasting (I hope), as I think about the real reason why I love this season so much—the celebration of the birth of Christ, He who is the reason for the joy in my heart—in this season, and all the year round.

Merry Christmas!

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 11

I used glossy card stock on all the parts of this tag. Alcohol inks provided the colors for the holly leaves/berries/branch (Meadow, Lettuce, Red Pepper). I inked the edges with Walnut Stain. The branch was especially fun, because I didn’t have a brown alcohol ink, so I used the Butterscotch and after it dried, I inked over it with Walnut Stain. The tag itself is a combination of several of the blue distress pads. The snowflakes on the blue background were created with water splatters. The ribbon was white; I stained it with the Festive Berries distress ink pad.

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 8

Well, this was an interesting challenge for me. I waited to do this one until I could get my hands on some of the supplies needed. I wanted to follow Tim’s suggestions as closely as I could for Tag 8, because I was intrigued by the “steampunk” theme. It evokes good feelings about a bygone era. In fact, I am finding that the  entire “vintage” technique is right down my alley.

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 12

 

Starting with a blank manila #8 tag, I stamped some Merry Christmas sentiments, and in the spaces around the stamps, I wrote some passages from Luke 2. After “whitewashing” the tag with Picket Fence stain, I then glued tissue wrap (symphony) over the entire tag and then covered it all with Rock Candy Stickles.

I followed Tim’s instructions for the tissue wrap flower, and I was surprised it was so easy!

I cut an angel on the Cricut, from the Christmas cartridge, on grunge paper. I painted the blackout piece with Silver (dabber paint) and the overlay of the angel with Snowcap (dabber paint). The letters for “Hark” were cut on the Cricut from the Storybook cartridge (using American Crafts glitter card stock). I inked all edges with Black Soot Distress Stain, and added some tinsel and “ribbon.”

12 Days of Christmas – Day 9

Tim’s tag for Day 9 used a combination of red and green (Festive Berries and Evergreen Bough) distress ink. I wanted to do something a little different, color-wise. Using the double embossing technique he demonstrated, I first stamped the tag with a Hero Arts stamp (not the one Tim used) with a white pigment ink and heat embossed it with clear powder. Then I stamped over the dry image with Evergreen Bough distress ink. I loved the way it looked as I applied this color. This is my new favorite color! Then I put clear embossing powder over all and heated again. This tag gave me the opportunity to use the charming little lamppost! Love it! For the soft glow in the lamp, I painted a little square of a kraft tag with the gold dabber paint. Applying a thick layer of Glossy Accents gave it the look of glass. For the “snow” I used Picket Fence Stickles.

So far, this one is my husband’s favorite!

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 7

My first opportunity to work with glassine paper, it will not be my last! I really enjoyed staining it with alcohol inks and then wadding it up several times to create the “crushed look” before cutting the holly leaves. That was my favorite part of this project. Using alcohol ink (cranberry) to color the pearls for the holly berries was fun. Interestingly, the silver tinsel in the lights of the Christmas tree make it appear that there is red also on the tinsel—it’s just a reflection of the red berries.

I also enjoyed a new technique (for me) of “ghost stamping” on the background of the card. I also particularly enjoyed using black embossing powder—very dramatic!

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 6

When I saw Tim’s tag for Day 6, I knew that I would have to do my own take on this one for sure. I knew I wanted to go for a monochromatic look. I started playing with it, and it took shape on the fly. I did use the tin, but I used heavy-duty aluminum foil, adhered to glossy cardstock. After running it through the Vagabond in the vintage texture fade, I coated it with Picket Fence, let dry and burnished lightly. I heat embossed it (clear) and then inked it with Walnut Stain—had no idea that Walnut Stain on top of burnished Picket Fence on foil would result in this soft taupe color that I love.

One of my trials resulted in cutting off some of the bottom of the design, so after adhering the material to a tag, I had some open space left at the top. I used a little piece of vintage matching paper from the Christmas Memories stash. I swiped it with Picket Fence and then Espresso paint and let dry. I inked the edges of the finished tag with Black Soot.

I pulled out an old Christmas ornament charm, painted it with Espresso dabber, dried it, and embossed it with clear powder. I used a pearl ribbon from my stash. Totally different, and I like it (frankly).

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 2

This tag is out of sequential order because I kept waiting for some supplies to arrive. Since they are not here yet and I don’t like partially-completed projects, I finished up with what I had on hand. I made my own little border with the Cricut and distressed the little brads with—believe it or not—a meat tenderizer hammer. After “whitewashing” the background with Picket Fence, I wanted to draw a little more attention to the gold resist words “Christmas Carols,” so I put a little Perfect Pearls Medium on the letters and then brushed on some Perfect Pearls gold. I am pleased with the results.

I like the feel of this tag. I love anything with music. I love little deer.

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 5

This one was considerably more simplistic, because I made it that way. I did not follow very much of Tim’s example, except that it is a resist (I think it is anyway—sorry—all so new for me). I took a regular manila tag, and on it I stamped snowflakes from Tim’s stamp sets, a line of music (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”) with a wood stamp from Michael’s, and “Merry Christmas” from one of Tim’s sets. I stamped with VersaMark and then heat embossed with white powder. Then I used the Winter Seasonal Festive Berries ink pad and covered the pad with the pad-to-tag method, the embossed stamped images acting as a resist to the distress ink. I flicked a bit of water onto the tag, just to break up the extreme red (though I was ready for a RED Christmas tag!!).

I did not have the die that cuts the wreath, so I cut branches from my Cricut (Martha Stewart Seasonal Cake Art) from grungeboard to make a mistletoe sprig. I used Cricut Craft Room so that I could make the branches a little skinnier. I added pearl bling for the mistletoe berries. I inked the branches with Pine Needles (pressing down the blending tool). I inked the edges of the tag with Black Soot Distress Ink.

The Santa metal charm is something I have had on hand for several years.

As I mentioned, I am decorating my lower level Christmas tree with these tags!

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 4

Oh my. I wouldn’t want to count the hours I spent on this one. Unless you have made a similar tag, it impossible to guess the level of activity this project required! But I was so motivated by the beauty of Tim’s tag that I just wanted to do it. So, here it is. I’ll only mention the techniques/supplies I used that were different than Tim used.

To cover the tag, I used the Weathered Wood and Tumbled Glass distress ink, but I did not have the bottles of stain, so I used it from the ink pads, applying directly to the craft sheet and mixing with the Picket Fence stain, then dragging my misted tag through it. I used some of Tim’s snowflake stamps to stamp with Weathered Wood on the tag, once inked.

Probably the funnest part of this project was inking on top of the dried Rock Candy crackle paint. Not having the distress stains, I used the suggested colors (Weathered Wood and Tumbled Glass—becoming my favorite combination!) directly from the ink pad, using the ink blending tool to pat it on pretty heavy (dried with heat tool). I took several photos of the tag in different lighting, but in all of them, the snowman looks more mottled than he does in real life.

I did not have Tim’s snowman die, so I cut a snowman (and a snowflake) from my Cricut/Creative Memories Cheerful Seasons cartridge. I cut the snowman from grungeboard and the snowflake from grunge paper (love that stuff). I love Stickles Crystal Ice and used it on top of the snowflake, after coating it with Picket Fence.

On the little snowman guy’s hat, I ran a strip of Rock Candy Stickles along the top, as Tim suggested, but I wanted a bit more bling on the “snow,” so I sprinkled some Martha Stewart Crystal Coarse Glitter on top, while the Rock Candy Stickles was still wet.

I was able to use the 25 Movers & Shapers Die and run it through my Vagabond with the snowman cut from the Cricut.  I had the buttons on hand (they are perfect, much better in person as far as shade of color). A fellow crafter gave me the hint to use a dental floss threader to bring the tulle through the button holes. Worked like a charm!

For the white flourish, I used a clear stamp I had on hand and stamped it with white pigment ink, dried it with the heat tool.

All this is new to me. I feel very challenged and am learning so much. It was fun looking for “tulle,” something I had not thought of since my mother made my wedding gown and veil 46 years ago!

Oh, and my white feathers did not come from Mario’s bird!

Also finished my version of Tag 5 today. Will upload it next.

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 3

Yes, I skipped a day. I am waiting for some supplies to complete the Day 2 tag. So, here is the tag for Day 3. I have three trees in my house; the lower level tree has only lights and silver balls. I am using my tags to decorate that tree.

I did not have the embossing folder that Tim used, and I was not motivated to try the stamping technique that he demonstrated (making the stamp pad and then using two tags). So, I used my Distress Ink Pads to stamp a kraft tag and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I used Festive Berries, Barn Door, Fired Brick, Evergreen Bough, and Pine Needles. I used a music stamp “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” across the bottom, also heat embossed. I frayed the edges of the tag and then inked the edges of the tag with Iced Spruce, Frayed Burlap, and the very edge with Walnut Stain.

This was my first experience with Perfect Pearls (Heirloom Gold). I think the technique will get better with time, but I was pleased with it, for a first try. The tag has a gold glimmer that I was not able to capture well with my camera.

I used some greenery that was left over from the Day 1 tag, and I implemented Tim’s idea for staining the bling-on-a-roll. I could not find the Red Pepper Alcohol Dye, so I bought a set that had a red in it, and it happened to be Watermelon. I used a couple of coats. Would have preferred a deeper red. An alternative would have been to use Christmas Red Stickles on top of the bling, but then the pearlized effect would have been lost.

For the ribbon, I used a trimmings piece and stained it with Festive Berries. I added the natural twine and a couple of jingle bells—for me, they have to be gold and not silver, since the overall hue of the tag is gold.

Side note: Several years ago, before I knew I could do anything at all with crafting, even before I started scrapbooking, my daughter bought a glue gun for some altered art around her house. At that time, I told her she must be adopted. A glue gun? Are you kidding me? I couldn’t even imagine going inside a Michael’s. My how things have changed! I guess she’s not adopted after all—she recognized the “genes” before I did! This is such fun!!

Twelve Tags of Christmas

I am SOooooo out of my comfort zone. I have been experimenting with some new crafting techniques. I am participating in Tim Holtz’s 12 Tags of Christmas. (I posted my first attempt at the TH technique, a Thanksgiving tag, a few weeks ago).

For me, participating in the Tim Holtz world-wide event means I go to his blog, watch his tutorial on the creation of the tag, and then adapt it for myself, using the supplies I have on hand. This one was a challenge, since I don’t own all the dies and supplies he used in the tutorial. I used all three of my cutters: Cricut for NOEL (cut from grungeboard) and some of the greenery, Silhouette Cameo for the tag itself and the music banner, and the Vagabond for the holly. Also used the Vagabond for dry embossing the tag, which I then heat embossed with Bridal embossing powder. I used several Ranger Distress Inks and paints. The color on this tag features Tim’s new seasonal winter color, Winter Spruce.

It was fun using a lot of the things I have had on hand for a long time. However, I am not a glitter person, and now it seems my entire hobby room is covered with Martha Stewart Sterling glitter. The holly berries are from a discarded centerpiece. For the music banner (only the edges are seen from the top view), I scanned my vintage (authentic) copy of “White Christmas,” printed it on cream cardstock, cut the banner out of it, inked the edges and folded it.

I’m tired now. I don’t see myself doing all 12 of the tags—there are other things to be done, like my life and Christmas shopping.

But, it was really fun. And, it is another chapter in “enjoying my hubby.” Oops, hObby….. VBG…

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

I have always “posted” our menu in the kitchen for major holiday meals. Since I have been experimenting with digital scrapbooking, it has been fun to create the menu on a digital page.

We are thankful for so many blessings, and I love that there is a special day of the year to give special attention to that thankfulness.

Autumn Craftings

Experimenting with some new craft techniques is refreshing. For me, all projects must have an end-game. That is, I create not only for the fun of the process. While I do enjoy the process, it’s the product (or the output) that is my motivation. For me, the purpose for my projects is their ultimate inclusion in my scrapbooks.

I am having fun using Tim Holtz techniques and products. This is new for me. I created my first “tag” today, and will display it on this photo display plaque until such time as I find a place for it on a scrapbook page. This is my first “tag,” and so it looks lonely on the display plaque right now!

I used the Vagabond die cutting/embossing machine and Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die to cut the leaves from patterned cardstock, and then inked the edges with Walnut Stain. The tag is embossed with a Cuttlebug pumpkin embossing folder. With the Tim Holtz Pumpkin and Acorn die, I cut the pumpkin on the Vagabond, from grungeboard. I then made a collage on the pumpkin with TH Tissue Tape, which I then stained with Spiced Marmalade and Ripe Persimmon. The Distress Ink pads that I used on the tag itself: Walnut Stain, Ripe Persimmon, Spiced Marmalade, and Frayed Burlap. The cardstock with the Thanksgiving words is from Tim Holtz Seasonal Stash. I frayed the edges and then inked it with Walnut Stain. The metal leaf is something I have had on hand for several years. I died the fabric tape with Walnut Stain.

I got some inspiration from tags I found for my Pinterest board.