Nimble Fingers

As I mentioned in my last post I had some baby cards to make.  Then the good news came that my niece got a job teaching art part-time at our local high school.  And I heard a long-distance friend needed a bit of paper cheer. 

Now I have the weekend to play in my art space...and it's the perfect weather for it...upper 90s and above for at least the next week.  Whew!  

1st grandchild

Baby girl

New teacher

Paper cheer

Between celebrating a special anniversary, family reunion, helping friends, refinishing a school desk and life in general, I've not had much time, or inclination, to be creative.  However, I did need to make cards for surgical patients and thank a friend who had treated me to lunch. 

The first card was water colored and is from the Burt & Anthony collection that Sunday International had.   Card #2 was also water colored and is by House Mouse.  The third card features a flatware punch that is on its last legs.  The restaurant is called 'The Brown Bag' so this design is perfect for the occasion. 


Now I find I need to make some baby cards...a friend's daughter had triplets, another friend's daughter had a little boy and a friend had a little girl.  Guess I'd better get busy!  With this heat wave in place for maybe the rest of the summer, I think I'll be spending a lot of time in my art space.  Hope you find time to be creative, even if it's just for yourself!

I know, Tim didn't colorize his Tissue Wrap Flowers but I did!  Another CCCv2 challenge has been met.  For #10 Linda chose to challenge us to create these very simple flowers.  The instructions can be found on p. 37 of Tim's 2nd book.  I didn't like the way my first one turned out so I refolded it and made the cuts deeper.  On the gold one I chose to make pointed cuts but then cut between the petals; the green one I folded the short side so the flower is a bit smaller in diameter.

Once I cut the tissue wrap I colored each one with a different medium.  The pink was colored with Dusty Concord and Barn Red distress stains.  The gold one was colored with Butterscotch and Sunshine Yellow alcohol inks while the green one was colored using Pool and Butterscotch Adirondack inks.  I attached each to a floral pick and added a button for the centers.  I can't believe the color coordination - perfect!

The small jar has a Wendy Vecchi technique used on it.  She used Glue 'N Seal and Crackle Paint.  The jar is filled with sand so it's hard to see the cracks.  A remnant of burlap was wrapped around the jar and tied.  Another button was glued on top (after it was sanded to distress and covered and wipe clean of black gesso).

Here's a view from the top.  Leaves were cut from the Sizzix/TH Tattered Garland Die using the tissue wrap scraps.  They were colored with Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo distress markers.


















This week's challenge is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie's Boutique and they're giving away a $25 gift certificate.  Can you say 'shopping trip'?    Hope you find a bit of time to make your own bouquet!

We know Wendy favors a grungy or distressed look and feel to her art but Lori's urging members to think outside their box or comfort zone with this challenge.  While I'm not a fan of bright colors I did use brighter colors in this piece of art that I'm submitting to the challenge she has posed to the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group. 


I inked up the background stamp from Rose Art Part 2 in Mustard Seed, Peacock Feathers and Seedless Preserves distress inks and cut the into pieces to fit an ATC.  With a Sakura black glaze pen I drew around each piece.  The letters 'a', 'r', 't' were stamped in Jet Black archival ink using an old Hero Arts alpha set. 

There is a smaller layer of black under the ATC to give a bit of dimension to the card.  Another layer of white and black Bazzill cardstocks come between the ATC and the white card (A2) itself.

While this card may not use the brighter colors such as fuschia, lime green, or hot pink, they have taken me outside my normal range of colors.  Challenge accepted and met!  And NO browns!  Gasp!

Walt and I don't exchange cards or gifts on our birthdays or anniversaries.  But this year is special so he's getting 2 cards and a gift.  As you know, over at Studio L3 Linda is hosting the 2nd Compendium of Curiosities weekly challenge.  This week she chose Tim's pocket watch that can be found on page 35 of Tim's book.  And to encourage you to participate, Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $25 gift certificate to their store to a randomly picked entry.  Yowza!  Who doesn't like to go shopping?!?!!?

This photo was taken on a glacier in Alaska...we got to dip our hands into a crack in the glacier where a small stream had formed and drink some of the purest water on the planet.  That is one memory we will never, ever forget!   

Tim's small airplane (Warehouse District) was stamped on shrink plastic in Manganese Blue archival ink.  'travels' was stamped on scrap paper and edged with brown distress ink.  The stamp is one of the pre-inked ones from JustRite Stamps.

I'll be putting the pocket watch inside this altered Altoid tin.
Tim's Lost & Found paper covers the tin.  The tutorial that inspired this package used Mod Podge matte to adhere all the papers.  The airline ticket (Warehouse District) was also stamped on shrink plastic but in Jet Black archival ink.  I sponged a bit of Coffee archival ink around the edges before I shrank the image.

Using a scrap of gray cardstock, I cut one of the smaller banners from the TH/Sizzix Tattered Banners die.  'Embrace. The. Adventure' was stamped in Jet Black archival ink.  This stamp is from the 'Dressed For Art' Studio 490 set.

Here's a front view and an interior view.   I wrote many of our travel destinations all around the outer edges of the tin.
More papers from Tim's Lost & Found were cut to size for the inside.  I edged the papers with Coffee archival ink.  More CAI was added to the inside walls to soften the gold interior.

With the theme of 'Anything Goes' over at Simon Says Stamp Show this week, I think I'll submit this altered tin.  Maybe I'll  win a $50 gift voucher or even get a 'Top 3' blinky award.  

You have to participate to win!

Inside (pull) is a library card that says 'Happy Anniversary' on the top line then I've written Walt a letter, thanking him for the adventure thus far, etc.

Ingredients:  Ranger's Jet Black, Olive, Coffee and Crimson archival inks; Walnut Stain and Black Soot distress inks; Studio 490 stamp sets: Label It Art, Dressed For Art, Optical Art, Quality Art, So In Love; Sizzix/TH pennants on-the-edge die; Penny Black (good mate stamp), Bazzill card stock

This card will tie in with the theme of  tomorrow's post of my version of TH pocketwatch (CCC v2 Wk 9) and altered Altoid tin.

Here's the tag I created based on Tim's June tag from the 12 Tags of 2012.  The photo is my husband's grandfather standing in front of his Brooklyn grocery store, or whatever it was called, in the early 1900s.  The dairy cap is authentic as are the World War II meat ration token (small red round disc) and the cancelled check from 1937.  Even the silk tape knotted to the 'cherish' Idea-ology token is vintage - found a large spool of it at a flea market.

Ingredients:  Remnants stamp set; Jet Black archival ink; Sunshine Yellow paint dabber; Vintage Photo, Barn Door, Wild Honey distress inks and stains; binder clip (sanded to look older)

The 43rd MakingArt challenge on the EverythingWendyVecchi Yahoo group is to feature 3 circles and 2 hearts.  Lori chose Wendy's third book,  page 28, as her inspiration for the challenge.

Can't believe I'm about to celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss. Here's the card I'll be giving to my husband in a few weeks.  Inside I've stamped 'happy anniversary' in Jet Black archival ink using Wendy's stamp and added a silver '25' that was cut from HVAC tape and Tim's mini mover & shaper.
And yes, there are days we do look like this!  lol

Studio 490 stamp sets:  She Spoke of Art, Worried About Art, In Love With Art, Art Parts, Card Art Essentials, Art Rules

Sizzix:  circle dies, '25' mini mover & shaper (TH), Pocketwatches alterations embossing folder

Kraft core'dinations, watercolor paper

Ranger:  Jet Black archival ink; Tattered Rose, Dried Marigold, Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar, Stormy Sky, Weathered Wood, Pumice Stone, Antique Linen, Tea Dye distress markers; Weathered Wood, Spun Sugar, Pumice Stone, Tea Dye distress inks

I'm still not sure this is my style but my friend Debby assured me I'd have fun playing with Dyan's stamps, stencils and sprays.  And I did.  Oh boy.  These are the last of my projects I'll share with you from this past weekend.  There are additional tags and journal pages under construction but they'll be fuel for future art pieces.

Please don't ask me what all I used.  There were way too many art supplies on hand to remember.

journal page

'The Birds' tag

laugh tag

Frog prince tag

Chikn tag

mousetrap art

Here are a few photos of Debby's work.  She's a natural when it comes to Dyan's style!

art journal page

art journal page

art journal tags

mousetraps

How about another two-fer?  The eighth challenge over at Studio L3 featuring Tim's 2nd Compendium of Curiosities book is to repurpose packaging material (page 62) while the theme of this week's challenge over at Simon Says Stamp & Show is to show some texture. 
I created the background on the tag following the directions for 'Marbled Stains' in the 2nd CofC book, pg. 46.  A glue stick was rubbed across the tag in no particular fashion.  A pattern piece was placed onto the tag; let dry; tore off wherever the pattern didn't stick.  Walnut Stain distress ink was added to all the edges of the tag.

The packaging from Sizzix dies is most plentiful in my house so I cut a piece large enough to cover most of my tag, cut the bottom edge with the Mini Scallop On The Edge die then ran it through the Patterns & Stitches alterations embossing folder.  It was machine-stitched onto the tag.

Sticky backed canvas was applied to grungeboard; cut out the Mini Sewing Room dies set; distressed with more Walnut Stain distress ink.  I wrapped blue fiber around the spool and added a blue bow to the mannequin's waist.  Blue and brown buttons were glued at the top.

'Sew' was stamped 3 times in black ink at the top of the tag. It's part of a sentiment from River City Rubber Works

Simon Says Stamp & Show is giving a way a $50 gift voucher to a randomly chosen entry.  Not sure if there's a prize at Studio L3 but it doesn't matter to me because I enjoy the challenges for what they are; my prize is more knowledge about Tim's products and ideas and having another piece of art to add to my collection.

It simply amazes me to see other people's visions of ordinary items turned into extraordinary creations.  Not long ago, Shelly Hickox posted her version of Suzy's mousetraps.  Good golly, what a lot of inspiration going on with these 2 artists. 

As you know, some 'local' (aka IL) buddies and I got together over the weekend and went nuts playing with inks, sprays, stamps, stencils, etc.  Deb doesn't have a blog but you can see Lori's art here.  I'll try to post Deb's pics here in my next post (it may take me that long to figure out how to retrieve/save them from her email).

Here are my versions of this normally nasty household item after they met up with a few art supplies.  The first one uses a Cuttlebug star embossing folder (I know, it should have been blue, not red), a Tim Holtz sticker, ticket stamp, grungeboard Sizzix star, Ranger Jet Black archival ink and Faded Jeans distress stain.  The metal is from Ten Seconds Studio. 

The second trap features Studio 490 stamps (ah, yes, Wendy's rose...the first class I took from her!), Kraft Core'dinations and Peeled Paint distress stain. 
 What about that tag?  It has lots of stains, sprays, an embossing folder from a UK company, and stamps by Studio 490 and Dyan Reaveley.  Some days you just have to be ridiculous!  His neck and arms are coiled wire (Christmas tree hooks that are dirt cheap after the holidays) so they sproing with any movement.  You might not be able to see it but he's also sporting blue eyeshadow!  Wish my legs were as shapely as his!  lol

Making art is so much fun!  And even more so with good friends!

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to host 2 art friends who brought some of their favorite toys so we could all try new things.  Over the next few days I'll share the tags, art journal page and mousetraps I made.  But today I'll share some 'crime scene' photos.  Nah, not really.  But if the ink on our hands had been red instead of blue or green......

hard at work

more art supplies

spray booths and lots of sprays and stencils

We set up our art supplies on our enclosed porch.  Plenty of room, great natural light, nice ventilation, lots of inspiration outside...bird feeders with plenty of hungry mouths and lots of colorful plants and flowers.  The spray booths were out in the garage.

I have two tips to share with you.  Tip #1 I found quite by accident.  Tip #2 is useful if you struggle to keep your card backs clean while creating.

#1:  Cut out the large TH/Sizzix Styled Label in shrink plastic.  Stamp; shrink.  Cut out the mini Styled Label from cardstock of your choice.  The shrink plastic one creates the perfect border for the mini.  Who knew?

#2:  Save the cellophane sleeves from the cling mounted stamps.  Slit one end.  Slide your card back inside.  Now you can work on the front and the back won't get dirty.  Sure beats putting a large sticky note on the back or Eclipse tape!  The cellophane sleeves are also great to use as a palette when gluing; it can be moved to another location while the item is drying and your work surface is free to continue with other projects.  I sometimes will slide a sheet of chipboard inside the sleeve if I need stability when I move it off my desk.

Hope you have time to get your hands inky this week!