Today's work is my first chance to participate in the Compendium of Curiosities 2 challenge being hosted by Studio L3. I've wanted to join in but life got in the way so I've been enjoying all the other participant's entries.
This week is Enameled Stamping and can be found on page 44 of Tim Holtz's book, Compendium of Curiosities 2. If you want to know how to do the technique, you'll have to buy the book!
So here is my take on the technique:
Now, for a self confessed addict like myself, you'll be surprised to know that I don't own any background stamps! So I improvised with a large one I had. I also chose to ink with 3 colours - Spiced Marmalade, Stormy Sky and Shabby Shutters and then finished off with Vintage Photo. To add a little extra sheen, I put on a few spritzes of Perfect Pearl Mist in Pearl. The embellishment at the top is a Pink Paislee Artisan Element that I inked with alcohol inks and then misted with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Iridescent Gold. I've also included to Word Sticks that were altered with black acrylic paint. The final element is a die cut made with the eCraft machine that is FINALLY sitting on my desk! It's a layered flower from the Fundamentals cartridge that comes with the machine. I cut it out of white card stock and then inked each layer with the same distress inks used in the background. I curled the edges and popped it up on foam tape to give it a bit of height. I added a few small paper flowers under it with small beads as the centres.
Here are some close ups of the detail:
I had fun with this although it was one of those projects where I had to stop and step away to like what I had come up with. I hope you have enjoyed looking and that you too make some time for your hobby of choice!
Yay!!! I'm back on line and in our new house. I can't tell you how much I detest moving but at least it is done for the next to last time. Which means, I have a new crafting space! It's fabulous for me as it is right in the middle of everything but still all mine so no need to clean up if I need to leave what I am working on. It's right next to the windows so it has great light and it has been Kiminated - overly organised for those of you who know me.
Here's what it looks like:
Of course with a new space, I had to give it a try. Oooooooohhhhhh....heaven! The right amount of space with everything close at hand and just a few steps from the cabinet of goodness that protects all my stash from 3 year old hands. And being that I am inflicted with "Tim Holtzitis", my first project in the new space had to be a Tim challenge.
This month is an industrial look (see Tim's tag here) and it required me to improvise a lot, which was fantastic. I have been watching videos and listening to podcasts while waiting to get back into it and the one saying that has really stuck with me was "What If I...". I heard it on the Paperclipping Roundtable podcast that Tim was recently on and it was from an amazing crafter, Laura Denison. Do yourself a favour, check her blog out. You will be blown away.
So, with "What If..." in hand, I began my tag! I didn't have foil tape or the right colour alcohol inks or steel wool or even any of the embellishments that were used on Tim's tag but I wasn't going to let that stop me! Here is what I came up with:
I used aluminium foil to replace the foil tape and instead of alcohol inking it, I used black acrylic paint. I found an old scratchy dish cloth under the sink and used that to rub the paint off and scratch up the surface a bit. I used the pen technique from Tim to create the rivet look and my pick for the holes. The "stitching" was created using my bone folder.
When it was time to embellish, I had to think hard because my Vagabond hasn't been replaced yet and I have no die cutting machine (so many dies and no way to use them!). I don't have any really industrial stamps but for some reason iron scrollwork popped into my head and I remembered some Kaisercraft stamps I had. I had actually picked out a bird but in the end, the dragonfly spoke to me more.
I stamped it using Staz-On ink onto silver foil card and embossed it with a glitter embossing powder. Then I used the ginger alcohol ink to colour it in.
I had a message in mind when I pulled out the word band and key. But where to find the words "the" and "is"? As I rummaged through my stickers, I came across the DCWV Once Upon a Time chipboard stickers and there was my "the". Still looking for the "is"... and then it hit me! I have had the grunge blocks for ages and barely used them. I could try a modified version of rusted grunge as I have no Distress Embossing powders!
So, it's not exactly what I was in my head but it is close and I like it. The blocks were inked with Black Soot Distress Ink and then I dusted silver embossing powder over the top. There's a lot more black showing that this picture suggest. The letters were inked with Vintage Photo and then embossed with clear powder. Before I heated though, I ran my fingers over the letters to remove patches of powder. Then I inked the top with Black Soot. I got a pretty decent speckled look.
Overall, I am extremely please with my improvisation! I hope you had fun looking and that you too will think with "What If I..."!
Tim challenged us to play with our alcohol inks in this month's 12 Tags and I finally have time to join in!
As we don't celebrate 4th of July in Australia, I chose some bright colours that would help me feel warm in all this cold. Also, I didn't have any canned air so I had to improvise there too. I chose to use a straw to blow the ink around. I am happy with the way it turned out. I turned the tag each time applied ink to ensure that I was blowing in the direction I wanted it to splatter. This is such a quick way to make a cool, colourful background!
Finally, I applied my stamps using Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black, added my embellishments and tied on my ribbon. Easy and fun!
Some of the close up details: As you can see here, I inked the edges of the glossy card stock with some Tea Dye Distress Ink
This addition of a chunky embellishment like a key is new to me. I have tried it a couple of times now and have determined that I need more of this style of embellishment with new ways to attach them! Watch out wallet :0)
I hope you liked my take on Tim Holtz's July tag. Thank you for looking and I will get back into posting after we have moved!
First, I just have to say I have the BEST husband. He has taken my Tim Holtz addiction on board and purchased me both Compendiums (both autographed too) along with the funniest email to Tim to get them for me for our 15th Wedding Anniversary. It just goes to show that he does pay attention each time I squeal at a new technique or product!
These cards were made using one of the techniques from the first Compendium called Alcohol Ink Monoprint. Essentially, you put a few different colours of alcohol ink on your craft mat along with some Metallic Fixative and blending solution, swipe your glossy card stock through and voila! So easy yet it makes a fabulous background. Using the same inks, you get some very different results as can be seen here:
Yes, the exact same colour inks were used to make these backgrounds - just in different concentrations. So now what? Well, this is what I did with these two.
This card was stamped with a combination of Bo Bunny Gabrielle stamps and Stampin' Up sentiment. You have to use a dye based ink pad like Memories or Archival Ink on top of the alcohol inks. It will dry on it's own but I am always in a hurry so I use a heat tool.
These stamps are from Gina K. Designs and I created the scene by stamping the horse first, masking it and then stamping the trees and fence. The colours of this background just really suited the theme.
Talk about easy cards! Just a bit of swiping and stamping and you have a stunning finished product! I was having so much fun though, I created one more. I have the same problem with my alcohol inks as I do with my Distress Ink - similar colours. I will need to make sure I get some colours outside of my usual palette next time. Here is the last card:
This is a Gina K. Designs stamp set too. I stamped the image onto silver card stock and added the sentiment before punching it out and adhering it with foam tape. I added some KaiserCraft pearls to the flower centres and used my Distress Stains to colour some Tim Holtz trimmings to match. Again, simple card but effective!
Thanks for looking and I will be bringing you a more constructed card soon!
So, I was given the day to craft today. I made 6 cards in total with three being made from Tim's first Compendium that Drew gave me for our wedding anniversary. The one I want to share first is using the same background I made for Day 10 of the Creative Chemistry class.
This is very different from my normal card and I'm still deciding if I like it. Please let me know what you think.
Right. The circle embellishment is a few different things. I used the base tray to die cut the butterfly from the middle of a chipboard circle. I had created an alcohol ink background on acetate before hand which I adhered behind the circle. Then I filled the cavity with Glossy Accents. I inked the chipboard after the Glossy Accents dried and added a coating of Diamond Stickles. It's hard to see but you can see through the butterfly to the background.
I embossed the Core'dination Distress card stock with a Tim Holtz folder and sanded it. I inked the Day 10 panel with Vintage Photo. Then I wrapped a key with twine and attached another small sentiment with jump rings to the twine. I used Glossy accents to attach the key and the chipboard circle. I added the ribbon and glued the whole thing to the card stock.
Thanks for having a look! Don't forget to let me know what you think and I'd love for you to share this with others you think might be interested.
Now that Mom has gone home (sigh), I am catching up on my homework for my online class with Tim Holtz. Day 3 is all about archival inks. Here are my Day 3 results:
Some close ups of each tag:
This is the Alcohol Ink Agates Technique.
Tag 2 is Archival Resist Technique
Tag 3 is meant to be Stamping with Reflections Technique but I didn't have any Reflections Stamps or an embossing folder that formed a frame so I used what I had and added a repeated stamped image on top. I think this one is my favourite of the 3.
If you want to learn how these tags were done, you can join in on the class (there is still a week to go) at Online Classes. You get lifetime access to Tim's videos, the pdfs and forums. It's worth the money, in my opinion!
Oh yes, I went there...finally! I have been wanting to get these inks for AGES but just haven't done it due to cost or because there were other things I wanted more. So, when I got a gift card for Christmas, I decided to buy the lot of 23 that I had my eye on in an Etsy store. It included two of the fixatives (gold and silver) and then I ordered the other items I needed from SimonSaysStamp who are a fantastic site to purchase from. Contrary to what some of my friends wish - these are not for drinking or licking! I do suggest that you work in a well ventilated area though!
On Monday, I finally had the chance and the energy to try them! Here are the results:
(Materials used: Stampin' Up Whisper White Card Stock, tissue paper in purple, blue and white, Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black, Diamond Stickles, Glue Arts Glue Glider Pro, hot glue, Hero Arts Stamp and Emboss Collage Background, Tim Holtz Sizzix Die Mini Butterflies Movers and Shapers, Alcohol Inks in Stream, Currant, Wild Plum, Silver, Gold and Sail Boat Blue, misc brads, Clear Embossable Acetate, Tim Holtz Sizzix Springtime Backgrounds and Borders Texture Fade, Vintage Treasures Scrapbooking Dazzles, Pearl Pen in White)
(Materials used: DCWV Cardstock, Gold Glitter Paper, Ranger Archival Ink in Plum, Rhinestones, Vintage Treasures Scrapbooking Dazzles, Plastic packaging, Time Holtz Sizzix Springtime Backgrounds and Borders Texture Fade, Glue Arts Glue Glider Pro, hot glue, Staz On Ink in Jet Black, Tim Holtz Sizzix Die Mini Butterflies Movers and Shapers, Alcohol Inks in Cranberry, Red Pepper, Watermelon, Gold, Butterscotch, Sunshine Yellow and Sunset Orange, Adirondack Alcohol Ink Cardstock, Hero Arts/Sizzix Stamps and Die Cut Message Frames, Gold Twine)
The purple card was done using a clear embossable acetate from Sparkle and Sprinkle while the red card was done using Adirondack Alcohol Ink Cardstock. You will need some form of glossy or slick surface to use these on but they have SOOOOO many applications. Here is a video from the guru himself about how to use them:
He tells you just about everything you need to know about these amazing inks in this video. There are many great videos on YouTube about Alcohol Inks as well if you search for them. I can also recommend Scrap Time as a fabulous site for videos too. Sorry I didn't have any step by step photos this time! I was just to excited to remember :)
What is this EXCITING NEWS I hear you say! Well, if you didn't see it on my FB feed - I've been published!!! Scrapbook Creations Issue 91 has a two page layout with one of my cards! I am beyond excited and very honoured that they chose one of my creations. I would have been jumping out of my skin for just a gallery shot but to have the two pages is more than I could have hoped for.
So run out and get a copy. If you live close by, I'll autograph it for you ;0) You never know, it might be worth something some day! Here's the cover of the issue it's in too:
Thank you so much to all of you who have been so supportive and encouraging. And thanks to all of those who have already celebrated with me! Your words of congratulations have made it even more enjoyable.
Next time, I will have some fun to show you with Claudine Hellmuth's paints and sticky back canvas!
