Paper Snowflake

After seeing this tutorial over on Lisa Pace's website back in November, I knew I wanted to make one sometime.  Last week when a friend came over we each started one and I finished mine up this week.  I cut my squares from white cardstock using Spellbinders scalloped squares.  The square I used is about 1 3/4" and my finished snowflake has a diameter of 6 1/4".  After assembling the snowflake (minus the center area) I sprayed it first with silver glitter spray and then with Perfect Pearls Mists perfect pearl.  The center starts with a rosette (Tim Holtz die) I had made some time ago but hadn't used in a project yet.  The paper is from one of  the Tim Holtz paper stacks.  Layered on top of the rosette is two snowflakes I cut using Spellbinders Snowflake Wonder die set and to finish it off is a silver snowflake charm and glittery pink brad.  The center pieces were also sprayed with silver glitter and perfect pearls mist.  Since the rosette pink in color I added a little spun sugar Distress ink to the Spellbinder snowflakes and also the outside edges of the large snowflake.  I love how this turned out... it is soooooo pretty with its shimmer from the perfect pearls and just a touch of glitter from the glitter spray.

Friends ATC

Both the background and bird image on this atc come from a little book of papers called Winged Things A.T.C. Collection.  I received this cool little atc sized paper collection from my good friend, Tea in Norway (thanks, Tea!!).  I added a strip of text paper and then rock candy Distress Stickles onto the background.  The bird image was torn out and distress inks rubbed on the edges.  German scrap at the top and bottom.  The friends sticker (in a sheet also received from Tea) is layered on a piece of black cardstock... then I decided the black was too dark and rubbed on a little Adirondack snow cap pigment ink to tone it down.  Little dots around edge of bird image made with Glaze pen.  Glossy accents added to the center of the flowers.  After attaching the image to the card I went around it with a black sketch pencil rubbing to blend a little to give depth.  Red twine to finish it off.

Christmas ATC

This adorable image of the children is from Dezinaworld, specifically part of the first sheet on this page.  I cut it out with deckle scissors and edged it with gold Paint Dabber.  The background is printed paper inked over with Distress Ink fired brick and then rock candy Distress stickles spread just around the edges as you wouldn't see the center anyway.  Black dots made with Glaze pen.  German scrap at the bottom.  Paper holly leaves are punched from text paper, inked with peeled paint with forest moss on the edges and then crushed olive Distress stickles on top.  Attached over these leaves is a metal holly leaves and berries brad.  The button has a Christmas tree on it, I went over the star at the top with gold gel pen, tied some metallic red floss through the holes.  A row of little sticky back gems, light green, are along the bottom edge of the greeting.

Altered Tin

I recently participated in an altered tin mingle on the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group and this is the tin I made.  All stamps are Studio 490.  The pattered paper is Tim Holtz.  The tin was inked with alcohol inks on the outside before adhering papers.  Maya Road chipboard frame on the top.  Lots of Distress Inks, some Archival inks, and gold Paint Dabber.    

This is the top.

The Inside.

Inside the top.

Inside the bottom.  I left it flat so something could be kept in the tin. 

The bottom.

12 Days of Christmas Swap

This is the second year I've participated in a 12 Days of Christmas Swap on the Byhand Artists Yahoo Group.  This swap has become so popular that this year there were 3 groups of 13 participants.  You sign up for a day (I was day 11 this year), make 12 items (13 if you want one for yourself) and mail one to each of the other 12 people in your group. There is a day 13 person and when everyone else is opening your gift, you open the day 13 gift.  

This year I made a hanging using Studio 490 art parts (Stampers Anonymous), grungepaper (Tim Holtz Ideology) for the flowers (Tim's Sizzix tattered florals die) and flourishy leaves (Sizzix Bigz), ribbon, Maya Road stick pins, pearl sticky back gems, Distress inks, Archival inks, Studio 490 background stamps, chain and wire to attach the chain.  "Art is letting your fingers capture" rubber stamp is from Quietfire Design.   

Birthday Cards

This first card uses a piece of Prima die cut adhesive backed felt.  I added little gold sticky back pearls all over for a very cool look.  Happy Birthday is stamped and then cut with a Spellbinders nestability.  The Spellbinder layers, flowers, and punched butterfly are all edged using gold Paint Dabber.  More gold pearls used for the center of each flower and the butterfly body.

This card again uses Spellbinder dies to cut the layers.  Happy Birthday is stamped on a piece of textured wall paper.  The leaf image is stamped around the edges of the folded card.  Die cut bird from grunge and inked first with Snow Cap pigment, dried, and then inked with Distress ink.  Black Glaze pen to make the eye.

Christmas Gift Tags

I hosted a gift tag swap for the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo Group earlier this month and this is the tag I made.  The inspiration comes from a post on Wendy Vecchi's blog here where she showed us how to use her scalloped corner image to make a Christmas tree.  I loved the idea and wanted to try it so what better way than for the swap.  All the stamps I used are Wendy's Studio 490 images.  I've also used Distress inks, Archival inks, rock candy Distress Stickles, and snow cap Paint Dabber.  A gold star and some beaded stuff (comes on a roll like ribbon and I think I got it a couple years ago at Michaels) finish things off.

Merry Christmas

To all my blog friends!!!  I hope you have a wonderful, blessed Christmas filled with the joy of family and friends!!!

Both of these cards were done as projects for Quietfire Design and can be found in the project gallery on the QF website.  The deer card is here and the bird card is here.

Metallized Ornaments

Last month I participated in an ornament swap on the TenSecondsStudio Yahoo Group.  These are the ornaments I made.  They are all 2 sided... on one side I used plum metal and the other I used barn red metal. I started by attaching humungo tape to both sides of a piece of grungeboard leaving the liner on the top of both sides.  I cut the ornaments from this taped grunge and also from the colored metals (Tim Holtz ornament die).  Did my word and design on the metal using tools from Ten Seconds Studio which is also where the metal is from.  Filled the back of the words (back side of the metal) with light molding paste... let it dry well... took the liner off the grunge ornament and stuck on the metal... flipped it over and repeated for the other side.  Be very careful when cutting things out and when sticking the metal on as the ornaments are not symmetrical... you need to be sure you are matching things up correctly.  The hole was made in the top using a Crop-a-dile.  Around the edges of the ornament I used glass glitter adhered with white glue which really spiffed them up and covered the grunge layer well.

Created Byhand Challenge - Meditations/Shades of Blue

I really like this ornament I made for this weeks Created Byhand Challenge (blog or forum)!!  I went with the color blue but watching a softly falling snow can be a great time for thinking about things.  All stamps and supplies are available from Quietfire Design.  I started by cutting 2 pieces of white glossy using the Spellbinders ornament die.  Stamped them both with the snowflake using Versamark ink, let that dry, and added Distress inks broken china and faded jeans using an ink blending tool and foam.  I then flicked on some water, blotted it up and dried them with the heat tool.  Edged both pieces with silver Krylon.  After deciding which one would be the front of my ornament, I stamped Silent Night with Versafine black ink and embossed it with clear powder.  Next I took the piece for the back of the ornament and working on the backside of it applied Tim Holtz snowflake tissue tape around the edge ruffling it as I went leaving just enough room at the top for the Tim Holtz metal corner to fit.  Taking Perfect Pearls pearl color mixed in a mini mister bottle with water, I sprayed the front of the tissue tape well and let it dry.  I then turned the piece over.... this side of the tissue tape is still sticky and to remedy that I applied Perfect Pearls pearl color powder onto the tape using a brush.  Next I applied adhesive to the back of the front ornament (the one stamped with Silent Night) and placed it over the tissue taped ornament, set an acrylic block on top for some weight and let it dry.  Added the Tim Holtz corner to the top... punched a hole in it using the Crop-a-dile... and added 7mm white silk ribbon colored with distress inks for a hanger and also a bow.

This picture shows the ornament before I added the bow so you could better see the placement of the corner.

This picture shows the back of the ornament and the fabulous shimmer from the Perfect Pearls powder on the back of the tissue tape.

Another picture of the front of the completed ornament.  

ATCs

These are some atcs I made back in October to take to an in-person swap up in Des Moines but I forgot to put them on my blog... so here they are now.  I'm not going to explain them all but if there is something you want to know, just ask!!  

12 Tags of Christmas - #3

Another fun tag!!  Tim's Day 3 tag is here.  My tag is almost the same as Tim's but I didn't have the tree so used the pine bunch, stamping it twice... I think it worked well.   I cut up some very fibery fibers to place by the birds legs.  I also figured out that you shouldn't really use your heat tool to dry this trimming... it does shrink if it gets too hot.  I had made a tissue tape flower before and really do like them... but then I like almost all flowers.

12 Tags of Christmas - #2

Tim's Day 2 tag can be seen here.  It's been years since I made a custom ink pad and had a great time making one for the Christmas Carols stamp.  Stamping around it with the music image, flourish, and splatter.  I cut leaves and berries from craft store holly picks for embellishing.  Also some of Tim's baubles (1st time I've actually used these) and colored Tim ribbon.  This is nice ribbon... I could use it by the rolls!!!!

12 Tags of Christmas - #1

Once again Tim Holtz is doing his 12 Tags of Christmas and I'm attempting to play along this year.  The first tag was posted on Dec. 1st and it will continue every day until 12 are done.  You can see Tim's Day 1 tag here.

My tag is very similar but not the same as I didn't have all the supplies... which is fine... his tags are for inspiration and to try new techniques... doing them exactly is not required.  First off, I do not have that old rickety house die - yet - but after seeing the fabulous Christmas time house it made I've decided I should own it.  In the meantime I opted to make a more... different house.  I did the technique he share... which is WAY cool... but then I cut out one of the styled labels and then cut a key hole in it for the window (ya, I should have cut them at the same time but I wasn't thinking that far ahead, lol).  I cut a chimney afterwards from what was left after cutting out the label... cutting it exactly where I was going to place it on the label so the edges fit together... not that you can see them after adding the "snow".  My tree is a Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 stamp... stamped it with Archival jet black onto grungeboard, cut it out, inked it completely with peeled paint and then a bit with pine needles.  I then took Tim's small pine branch image and stamped it on the tree using pine needles to give the tree the look of pine tree texture.  For my wreath I punched a Martha Stewart pine branch several times from green cardstock, inked them just a bit with pine needles and stuck them together in a wreath shape.  The ticket looked way too big down by the house so I put it at the top of the tag.  I just had to add a little bird and it is also a Martha Stewart punch.

CCC #23

I'm so glad we are going every 2 weeks with this challenge until after Christmas!!  So I'm not actually late with this tag :-)   As always, hop on over to Linda's wonderful blog to read all about the challenge.  This is challenge #23 and the technique is called Double Distress.  Colors I've used on my grungeboard piece are rusty hinge, brushed corduroy and black soot.  On the saying (Tim stamp)  I used mustard seed and pine needles.  Ideology pieces for the clock and the ribbon.. ribbon is colored with Distress Inks.