Saturday 28 April 2012

12 tags of 2012 - April

I've only just remembered I haven't done Tim's April 2012 tag yet - how remiss of me!! So, just in time, with only a few days left, here's my take on it...


For the tag background, I stamped Tim's sun rays embossing folder with a Dylusions background stamp, and then inked the tag with distress in wild honey, mustard seed & broken china, and with one of the browns (just what was left on the foam blending pad) on the edge.
I used the twigs from the Autumn Gatherings decorative strip for the branches, I added tattered rose distress embossing for blossom (as I haven't got any green) & die cut Tim's small movers & shapers bird.  I had a tiny crown stamp (Making Memories) which I embossed. Finally I added string, a stained adage ticket & a small heart.
Back soon!  Kay

Thursday 26 April 2012

CC2C - Challenge 2

This week's 'Compendium of Curiosities 2' challenge is on page 58 of Tim's book - faux patina.  The prize this week is a wonderful Tim Holtz messenger bag, signed by the man himself! and donated by Angie Lentz who chose the technique and also did a lovely sample.
I decided to make a simple pendant, using the technique on Tim's idea-ology bits and on glossy paper. I enjoyed the technique, but I must admit I had a bit of a struggle with deciding what to do!
Back soon!  Kay

Sunday 15 April 2012

CC2 technique 1

Linda Ledbetter of Studio L3 is hosting a series of challenges using Tim Holtz's new book 'A Compendium of Curiosities volume II' and each week she'll post where in the book to find the week's challenge...  Luckily my copy arrived last Thursday so I'm able to play along from the beginning!


This week, the technique is on page 66 (you can buy the book from Tim's website - & while you're there, check out his new website design - very Tim!) & this week's sponsor is Simon Says Stamp.

So, turning to page 66, you can see how to make your own custom foam stamps... I decided to make a card this week, using a couple of the stamps I'd made...  for 'fashionistas' everywhere!  Quite simple, this one; custom foam stamps, a bit of distress ink blending on the background (antique linen, barn door & broken china), a text stamp & a few 'pearls'!!


Back soon!  Kay

Friday 6 April 2012

Creative Chemistry 101 - afterwards...

So what have I been doing (craft-wise) since my last post?  I've been busy playing & experimenting some more, & doing a few cards for Easter etc
I tried the nostalgic batik technique again...


My first attempt (above) didn't work too well - the card I used was very porous, & the heat embossing of the elephant & the trim didn't work too well!  At first, I thought it was my embossing powder (I noticed after I'd bought it that it said it was for pigment ink) but, as a 'creative chemistry graduate' (!!!) I experimented with different inks & cardstock... It was definitely the card!! And then I got too much water on the card (by the elephant's head) and the card started to disintegrate!  So this ended up just a practice piece, and I took note not to use this card again for this or similar techniques!!! I liked the colours though, and the design!




I tried again with the elephant, stamping & heat embossing onto a small 2 1/4" square canvas...  After I'd inked it up, I used beeswax to seal it - it rather 'lost' the embossing! & I need to perfect adding a top coat of beeswax! but it did work!


So third time lucky!  - I did this card for a friend who likes butterflies ...


Tim's nostalgic batik technique as before - butterflies in vintage photo and trim in dusty concord - both clear embossed.  Then I distressed the background with broken china, dusty concord & vintage photo,  and stamped the 'weeds' over with black soot.  To finish, I used spritz & flick technique.


& now onto Easter... first a very simple card


I just inked the embossing folder with mustard seed distress for the chick, and for the background, I just embossed the card, & then coloured it with distress inks in shabby shutters, broken china & mustard seed.


For the next cards, I cut egg shapes out of card, then used the stamping with reflections technique with the springtime background texture fades and finally sprayed with heirloom gold perfect mist.  I added a die-cut felt bunny on top of some lace & a little bit of 'grass' texture fade (inspired by Tim's Easter tag), but roughly cut the edge to shape (I haven't got any kraft core at the moment).




And finally another Easter card - I wanted a pastel, 'shabby chic' feel to this one.  I used similar techniques to the ones above, but I stamped the texture fade with aquamarine archival using the script stamp from one of Tim's Christmas sets - of course the script is reversed, but because so much is embossed I think it just gives almost a texture to the background...  Again I sprayed it with heirloom gold perfect mist.   I used some printed tissue paper for the 'lace' and die-cut the flowers out of alcohol-inked paper. I used the  bunny from Tim's March tag... and used scraps of the alcohol-inked paper (and one of the tiny flowers) for the bunny's mosaic, and embossed with tattered rose distress embossing powder (the powder seemed to want to stick onto the paper, so I carefully brushed the paper with a small brush!). And I heat embossed the bunny's bow with gold embossing powder to match the flower brads.


So my next two projects must be Tim's Easter & April tags, which I haven't done yet!


Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!!  Back soon!  Kay