Metal tape on ATCs

At our quarterly in-person atc swap in October Annette did a demo showing embossing with an embossing folder onto hvac tape (the metal tape rolls you can get at hardware stores to use on duct work), painting with acrylic paint, and wiping off the high spots.  She had supplies so everyone could try the technique and when we were done playing the challenge was issued to use our pieces in atcs and bring the atcs to the January swap.  I had made 2 pieces of tape and these are the atcs I made with them.  Lots of fun!!!  

XOXOs ATC

Another atc I made for the swap last month.  The background is embossed with an embossing folder and (if I remember correctly) painted with gold acrylic paint.  Added the image, XOs cardstock border, button tied with red fiber, lace trim, holographic heart stickers, sketched around the photo with a fine tip pen. .

Key to my Heart ATC

The last Saturday in January was our quarterly in person ATC swap up in Des Moines.  I made several atcs the week before the swap and will be sharing them over the next week or two.  

The heart on this atc was cut from a large sheet of watercolor paper that has been painted, stenciled, and stamped.  You see more pieces from it over time.  Wrapped the heart with cording and hung a key.  The background is just white cardstock embossed with a folder and Lumiere paint rubbed around the edges.  Tim's roses trim along the bottom with pink gems in the centers.  A simple but quite striking atc!!!  

Remembering Mom

I know it's been a while since I've blogged... a busy couple weeks followed by an even busier couple of weeks kept me away.  I do have art to share (several atcs and some cards) that were made towards the end of January/early February and will get to that soon.  But for now a major reason for my absence...... 

My mom's health had been declining for the past couple years and especially this past year.  On Feb. 4 she went into the hospital not doing well at all and passed away on Feb. 11.  Although she never really "woke up" during that week in the hospital I was able to be there with her.  I'd spend all day by her side and sleep at my brother's at night.  After she passed away I helped my brother clear out her room at the care center and meet with the funeral home.  I then came home for a few days, gathered up pictures of her, did laundry, and we all headed back up to Minnesota for the funeral which was on Feb. 17.  I thought I'd share a couple of pictures here. 

I love this first picture.  She is about 16 years old in it.  She looks so pretty and happy!!!!

I can't remember exactly when this 2nd picture was taken (and I know it's a little blurry) but it is totally her.  For years and years she always wore her hair long and straight with a headband, which she has on but you can't really tell because of the glasses on her head.  She loved all animals and especially small dogs.  This poodle, Babe, was a favorite and I still remember how sad Mom was when Babe died.

We love you, Mom!!!!

A Win and A Tag

In this picture of stamps is All 12 of Tim's new sets!!!!  I Won them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..  in a Twitter Contest that Ted, owner of Stampers Anonymous, held during the 12 Tags of Christmas in December.  I can still hardly believe that I have them all sitting here on my counter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  A HUGE Thank you to Ted, Tim and Stampers Anonymous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I've had these stamps for a week now and I've been itching to use them and finally managed time yesterday to make this tag.  I started with a Ranger kraft tag, layed on a Crafter's Workshop stencil (cubist), dabbed on picket fence Distress Stain in some spots (I did not add it to the whole tag), took off the stencil (cleaned it) and dried the stain.  Next I rubbed on colored Distress Stains (aged mahogany, victorian velvet, worn lipstick, dusty concord), spritzed with some water and dried the tag.  Layed the stencil back on sprayed with wild plum Color Wash, dried it.  Stamped the tag with a background from the new set Mixed Media CMS125 (it's the 2nd stamp on the sheet) using Distress Ink aged mahogany, dried the tag.  Sprayed the tag with Perfect Pearls Mists (pink gumball and grape fizz), dried it.  Stamped the Creativity quote from the new set Words For Thought CMS132 and embossed it with black ep.  Used the Inkssential white pen on the words finding and making.  Butterflight On-The-Edge die was cut from grungepaper and then one of the butterflies trimmed off leaving the 3 you see along the bottom of the tag, inked this strip first with picket fence stain, dried, sprayed with Color Wash wild plum, dried, sprayed with Perfect Pearls Mist pink gumball, dried, the tops of the butterfly wings inked with Distress Ink aged mahogany, dried, I thought they needed "something" and added the dots and lines with the Inkssential white pen, and stapled them tot he tag using Tim's tiny attacher.  I did just a bit of trimming on the butterfly I cut off the strip to even out the wings as they weren't quite right after it was cut from the strip, sprayed it with wild plum Color Wash, dried it, sprayed with Perfect Pearls Mist pink gumball, dried, detail added with the white pen, punched a hole and hung it as shown using Tim's clip and jump ring.  The ribbon is from Tim's Trimmings... I dipped it in left over wild plum Color Wash and pink gumball Perfect Pearls Mists, scrunched and dried it, stamped it with the same background stamp I used on the tag using picket fence stain as my ink.. put it through the tag and both ends through one of Tim's jump rings and squashed the jump ring with my pliers.  I quite like how the tag turned out!!!!!!  What do you think?