SCHOOL DAYS ATCs

School officially started here today.  I can't believe that the summer break went by so quickly!  Now, if we can only get some RAIN and cooler temperatures, it will FEEL more like it's time for school to begin again!

I signed up for an ATC swap themed "School Days".  Very appropriate for this time of year!  I wanted to share four of the cards six cards I made with you.  The only requirement for this swap is that you have to use vintage photographs or images in the design and they had to be fairly flat.  That is difficult for me because I love dimension.  But I tried my best to keep dimension to a minimum.  Many of the images I found online.  You may recognize some Alpha Stamps trims, some Paper Whimsey children, an Oxford Impressions Stamp and Graphic 45 ABC Primer papers among some Crackle and Glossy Accents, Stickles and Distress Inks.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope I inspired you have some fun and get inky!

Find some time in your day to play!!!  It's SOUL FOOD!!!

MY FAVORITE TECHNIQUE ... THIS WEEK ANYWAY!

It's another Monday and time for another Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge.  This week, we're asking you to share your favorite technique with us.  I don't know about you, but my favorite technique typically is whatever I am doing at the time.  

At the moment, I am sort of fascinated with a resist technique that I saw on Kaz Hall's blog; The Shabby Little Shed.  Check out her video to see the technique. It's so much fun and the results are really cool!

Here is my Glue Resist Technique Tag.

To begin, I lightly distressed my tag using the peacock feathers distress ink. Then I picked up my polka dot design stamp from mixed media and rubbed the collage glue stick lightly over parts of the stamp.  I did not put the stamp on an acrylic block. I just held it in my hand and randomly stamped on the tag; adding more glue between each stamping.  Then I heat set the polka dots and immediately cleaned my stamp of the glue.  Next I distressed the tag with a bit more peacock feathers and vintage photo distress ink.  

Then I took a baby wipe and gently rubbed over the polka dots, removing the ink and allowing the tag to show through.  Next I added glue to the scratch design stamp from mixed media and randomly stamped it on to the tag.  I heat set the scratch pattern and cleaned my stamp.  Then I began lightly rubbing more vintage photo distress ink over the tag and I did NOT wipe over the scratch pattern with a baby wipe.  I rather liked the grungy look of the brown attaching itself to the scratch pattern.

Here is an example of a background using this technique.  On my butterfly tag, I also used Tim Holtz' Spritz and Flick method of distressing where you cup your fingers, spray water into them and then release the droplets of water on to your tag.  Let it set for a few seconds and then either heat tool it dry or blot off the water with a paper towel. That also really leaves a nice random blotchy effect. 

You can see those little random blotches on this picture of my finished tag.

When I was happy with the background for my tag, I stamped the butterflies from Tim Holtz' Papillon stamp set on the tag using Jet Black Archival Ink.  While the ink was still wet, I randomly sprinkled a little copper embossing powder over the ink so that some of it would pick up the copper.  Then I removed the excess powder and heat set it.  I like the results.

Next, I rubbed just the edges of the tag with a perfect medium pad and lightly sprinkled some queens gold embossing powder on the edges of the tag (a side at a time). If I had too much powder, I simply used a paint brush to wipe away the excess powder.  Then heat set it. I repeated this process until I had all sides with a bit of random gold embossing on the edges.

Now to add all of the embellishments!  I used some paint on my finger from a gold paint dabber to alter a silver regal adornment crown and a silver game spinner and make them gold.  Then I added a bit of Juniper paint from a dabber (using my finger to wipe it on) to not only the crown and the game spinner; but also the sprocket gear, the corner and the drawer pull.  I set those pieces to the side to be added later.

I really like the "B" ensemble on my tag.  It is made from a "B" that I found in Tim Holtz' lost and found salvage stickers.  It is a license plate piece.  Then I covered it with a fragment and glued it to the fragment using glossy accents.  I aged the sides of the fragment by inking them with perfect medium embossing ink and sprinkling the side with queens gold embossing powder.  I did each side individually.  I love the result.  Then I heat embossed a scrap of plain grungeboard with the queens gold and glued it to the fragment.  I then cut around the fragment, leaving a little gold edge.  I glued it into place on the tag using glossy accents and then glued the crown on top.  I added the patina corner on the left upper corner.  

I then added the game spinner and sprocket gear using a long fastener.  They both will still spin.  Then I added the patina draw pull so that it would highlight the stamped wording under the last butterfly.  I attached the draw pull with long fasteners.

So, that is my favorite technique this week!  The collage stick resist technique!  Thanks Kaz!

There are so many techniques out there...some intentional, some result from happy accidents!  I can't wait to see your favorite!  Make a project and post it to our challenge.  Your could be the lucky winner of our $50.00 credit voucher in Simon Says Stamp's weekly random drawing.  Your piece could also be voted one of the TOP THREE and you will receive special recognition for that feat!  Good luck and get those creative thinking caps on! 

PAINT IT UP CANVAS AND TUTORIAL

Hello everyone!  It's time for another Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge!!!  This week...it's all about PAINT.  Stop by the blog and check out the projects that my Design Team buddies have for you this week.  You will love the variety of their work and you can get some fantastic ideas about different ways to use paint in your crafting projects.

There are all sorts of paints but I really like to use acrylic paints.  They are easy to work with and the cleanup is a breeze.  There are all sorts of techniques you can do using acrylic paint; from the traditional brush on method to actually stamping with paint!

Here is my canvas that I just finished, using several different techniques working with paint.  In case you're interested in how this went together, I'm adding a tutorial.  So, grab a cuppa, pull up a chair and enjoy!

I started with a 5x7 blank stretched canvas.  I had recently purchased the Stampers Anonymous Phrenology wood block stamp and the Paper Artsy Hot Pics HP1107 stamps set.  I love that image so much and I really wanted to use them!  That was the only thing I knew that I was going to use on this canvas before I started.

Here is how I made this canvas.

 

Step 1: I painted the bare canvas with a base coat of Claudine Hellmuth's White Gesso and let it dry.

Step 2:  I applied a coat of Claudine Hellmuth's Matte Multi-Medium all over the canvas, including the sides.  Then I smoothed a piece of 7 Gypsies Life Collage Tissue Paper over the wet Matte Multi-Medium and tore off the excess paper.  The Multi-Medium works fantastic as a glue and also as a sealer.  In this case, I was using it at a glue.

Step 3:  I found a frame that I really liked from 7 Gypsies Frames Collage Tissue Paper and cut it out.  I applied a layer of the Multi-Medium under where I was going to add the frame.  Then I smoothed the frame down on top of the canvas.  See how the text shows through the frame?  Love it!  Then I applied a coat of the Multi-Medium all over the canvas, including the sides and let it dry.

Now the paint comes into play!

Step 4:  I created a "wash" by mixing some Mermaid Fresco Finish Paint from Paper Artsy with a little water; to thin down the opaque paint to become more transparent.  Then I lightly washed over the entire surface of the canvas.  Then I heat dried the surface.

Step 5:  I created another wash using Pumpkin Soup Fresco Finish Paint and randomly washed over the canvas, creating more color and interest.  I heat set the color.  Then I picked up a bit of Mermaid paint onto a paper towel and began just blotting it to the canvas, creating little splotches of the blue paint.  And I did a little dry brushing with the Pumpkin Soup as well.

Step 6:  Stamping with Paint - I painted some of Claudine Hellmuth's Altered Orange Studio Paint directly onto Tim Holtz' honeycomb stamp from his Mixed Media stamp set.  I did not put the stamp on an acrylic block.  I wanted to manipulate the stamp as I was stamping, to get a random pattern.  **Immediately wash off the stamp after painting on it.

Step 7:  I repeated this technique only this time, I used the grid sort of pattern from the same stamp set and I brushed Snowflake Fresco Finish Paint onto the stamp and then randomly stamped it onto the canvas.  I also white washed inside the frame to make that inside stand out.  I then used some Black Soot Distress Ink on the sides and edges of the canvas to create more depth.

Here are a couple of photographs of the canvas after completing through Step 7.

Step 8:  I stamped the phrenology stamp (LOVE IT!) onto a piece of plain white tissue paper twice:  once in Monarch Archival Ink and again with Aquamarine Archival Ink.  I then cut out the heads and using Matte Multi Medium, I glued the orange head directly onto the canvas.

Then I brushed on another layer of Matte Multi-Medium over the orange head and laid the blue head directly on top of the orange head and then brushed another layer of the Matte Multi Medium on to seal over it.  I've never done this before...purely experimentation but I really liked the cool shadowy type image I got. Experimenting is fun!

Step 9:  Isn't that phrenology head just so cool?  Now to add the Paper Artsy images....the same phrenology heads attached on a steampunk style bird's body! Love it!  I again stamped the bird onto a piece of plain white tissue paper using Jet Black Archival Ink.  I heat set it and cut it out.  Then I applied a little Multi-Medium to the canvas, glued the bird into place then layered the entire canvas with Matte Multi Medium again.  This time, I was using the Matte Multi Medium as a sealer.

Step 10:  I stamped the gears (also included in the Paper Artsy stamp set) directly onto the canvas; allowing the rubber stamp to bend over the edge of the canvas.  Then I added the "ART" inside of the frame.

Step 11:  "ART" was created from some Tim Holtz Grungeboard letters that are painted with a base coat of Little Black Dress Fresco Finish Paint.  I heat set it and then followed up with a coat of the Crackle Glaze.  You can either heat set it or let it dry.  I was impatient so I heat set it.  But, I think you get better results if you let it dry naturally.  At any rate, I then added a top coat of Mermaid Fresco Finish Paint and it crackled a little bit.  I was not totally happy with the crackle result, so I decided to add some Crackle Accents to the top of the letter and I let it dry naturally.  When dry, I distressed the letter with Black Soot and wiped off the excess; better revealing cracks.  Then I glued the letter into place using Glossy Accents.

From here, it was just a matter of layering metal embellishments that I made to look a bit more like they had a patina finish by swiping a little Mermaid paint onto them.  I just put a little of the paint onto my index finger and then lightly worked it onto the metal.  (Just keep adding or wiping away until you get the result you want.)  Since I added some clock elements, I coiled some wire to look like mainsprings and I attached some gears to look like they were springing off of the canvas.

Here is a closeup of the steampunk bird with a pair of altered Tim Holtz Regal Adornments metal wings.  They were altered by swiping a little of the Mermaid and Pumpkin Soup paint onto them with my finger.  The metal Mini Numerals "1/2" is altered with Butternut Fresco Finish Paint that was also swiped onto it using my finger.

Finally, I added "steampunk" at the bottom left of the frame and my canvas was finished!  Just have a play with the paint, layering it up, swiping it with your finger, using brush techniques, washes and then stamping.  Then add stamped ink images and embellishments and you've got a wonderful piece of art!

Now it's YOUR turn to pull out your paints and create something fun.  Then enter it into our weekly challenge.  You could be the lucky winner of our prize of a $50.00 credit voucher 

Your work could also be voted as one of the TOP THREE entries for the week.  

Good luck and it's time to get painted up!

Here are all of the items used to create this piece:

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

Happy Monday to all!  Can you believe that is almost the end of July already? Where does the time go?  Well...it IS time for another Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge!  This week, we want to know what you think or feel as expressed through sentiments.  

Check out the amazing projects my Design Teammates have created for you this week.  Such wonderfully different styles yet all tied together through words!

Usually I would have to say that I agree with my very talented teammie, Sarah Engels-Greer that old photographs and sentiments go hand in hand.  That is very much in my comfort zone of creative thought.  But, I wanted to design something totally different than you guys might expect from me.  So ...

I created a very bright, colorful tag in the style of Dyan Reaveley.  The sentiment is one that I totally agree with and was my inspiration for creating this tag.  It comes from Dyan's Say What You Mean stamp set and says,   "CHANGE FOR NO ONE AND BELIEVE IN WHO YOU ARE".  That says so much, doesn't it?

This tag is done on a #8 Manila tag.  I spritzed the tag with a little water and then sprayed several of Dyan Reaveley's fantastic Dylusions Sprays to create this wonderful blended background of vibrant color!  Specifically the colors I used are:  Bubblegum Pink, Lemon Zest, Squeezed Orange and Vibrant Turquoise.  Then I heat set them. 

I then randomly stamped the hearts, leaves and polka dots onto the tag using Dyan's Dylusions Stamp Sets:  Further Round the Edge, Inbetweenies, and Basic Backgrounds.  Rather than laying them on an acrylic block, I just inked the stamps with Jet Black Archival Ink and held them in my hand; allowing them to roll off of my fingers and create some interesting partial stamped images.  I also stamped some of the polka dots by putting Vibrant Turquoise directly on to the stamp and then stamping it onto the tag.  Then heat set all of the stamping.  Next I doodled using a white opaque pen around the polka dots, in some of the hearts and along the edge of the tag.

The basic tag was finished and time to add my character.  I chose to use the large face image from Dyan's Bits of This stamp set.  I stamped her onto Ranger's Specialty Stamping Paper with Jet Black Archival Ink.  I also stamped the flowers from Background Love on the special paper.  Those flowers always make me think of the 60s or early 70s...when hippies, flower power and free love was the mantra. (smile) 

 (Flowers before adding the Stickles)

I colored the flowers and the girl's lips using several Tim Holtz Distress Markers.  The colors I used are: Broken China and Tumbled Glass, Bundled Sage, Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick, Mustard Seed and Dried Marigold.  I colored in between the flowers with a Black Soot Distress Marker so that it would look like this girl had flowers in her black hair.  Then I heat set all of the colors.  Next I cut out around the perimeter of the flowers and set it aside.  I then filled in what would be considered black hair on the top of the stamped head and cut it out.  I glued the flowers on top of the head and I really like the way the two stamps worked so perfectly together! 

(Flowers after adding the stickles)

Next I added complimenting Ranger Stickles to the flowers.  The colors I used are:  Fruit Punch (lips), Yellow, Eucalyptus, Orange Peel, Glam Pink and Waterfall.  I also added Waterfall Stickles to the ends of her lashes.  They look so pretty and they really add a lot of sparkle to this tag.

Finally, I stamped the sentiment on to the Specialty Stamping Paper and heat set it.  Then I cut it out, leaving just a little of the white paper as a border.  Then I glued it into place on the tag.

So...remember my sentiment..."Change for NO ONE and believe in who you are!"  Believe in your ability to create something wonderful using sentiments, too!  Then DO IT and post it to our challenge!

You could be the lucky winner of our most generous sponsor's weekly random gift of a $50.00 credit voucher to the lucky winner.  You could also be voted as one of our TOP THREE works of art for the week!

THE SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW PRODUCTS USED IN THIS PIECE

Good luck!  I can't wait to see your creations!

 

CALLING ALL GIRLS!!!

Hello again and welcome back to my blog!   This week, Simon Says Stamp and Show's challenge is especially for girls!  But hey guys, you can enter the challenge, too!  Just get in touch with your feminine side and create something girly!

I had an unfinished four drawer wooden chest that measures 11" tall x 7 1/4" wide x 5 1/2" deep that I loved but didn't know what to do with it...until I saw Pink Paislee's London Market Collection!  As soon as I saw them, I knew that the Pink Paislee's London Market papers, Collage Sheets and Ephemera pack were destined to create the shabby chic look on my poor little plain wooden chest.

So, I removed the cheapy little black metal handles, sanded down all of the box and gave it a base coat of Vintage Lace Paper Artsy Fresco Paint.  When dry, I added some Gathered Twig Distress Ink to distress the edges and the little wooden knobs that would later become "feet" for my chest. 

Next was the task of choosing between all of the beautiful designs and images of those gorgeous papers to cover my chest.  Here is the chest front with the four drawers and one of the sides with the papers glued in place and distressed around the edged using the Gathered Twig.  I also added some Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose and Vintage Photo Distress Inks to the papers to further distress and pull the colors from the papers.

Here is the back of the chest, covered in the Fresco Paint and London Market paper.

Aging paper is fun!  This is a comparison of one of the wonderful collage sheets that come in the London Market Collage Sheet package.  The sheet on the left is the sheet after I aged it through the use of Vintage Photo, Gathered Twig, Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose and Black Soot Distress Inks.  I inked the paper to add color and depth using Tim Holtz' "walk on" method of adding the ink.  Then I used his "spritz and flick" technique from his Compendium of Curiosities~Volume II.  This added the random spots on the paper.  I also tore and bent up some of the edges and applied the Black Soot Distress Ink to those edges.  I then lightly added a little Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Powder to give a subtle sparkle to the collage sheet.  Then I added another stamped bird cage image to this paper courtesy of the wonder Kaisercraft Bird Cage stamp.  Do you not LOVE that stamp?! This piece of paper was now ready to add to the side of my chest.

 

Here is a closeup of the collage sheet on the side of my chest.  I also added a London Market Button with a little flower glued on to it, a little metal bird cage hanging from a metal crown hot glued on to an Shabby Accoutrement Button.  The butterfly is one of the butterflies in the Ephemera pack.  I distressed it with the above mentioned distress ink colors and added the Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls.  The butterfly's body is a Pen Nib that has been colored using a Gold Paint Dabber to alter the silver metal and a Juniper Paint Dabber to patina the finish.  I added a little wire for the antenna and glued it into place using Glossy Accents. 

Below the collage sheet, I stamped this sentiment and birds onto another of the pieces from the Ephemera pack.  I colored the birds using Tumbled Glass and Spun Sugar Distress Inks swiped onto a craft sheet.  I picked up the color with a Small Sakura Water Brush and colored in the birds.

I also added another Ephemera butterfly with a Word Key as a body and two 7 Gypsies Antique Brass Corners to two opposite corners on this side.

Here is a picture of the entire side of the chest.  

The opposite side of the chest features a 7 Gypsies Optical Lens Charm that has a Tim Holtz crown from his Mini Ornates stamp set.  The charm is dangling from a 7 Gypsies Antique Brass Hook that is covered with a shabby bow (white seam tape colored with Tattered Rose and Spun Sugar Distress Ink & lightly spritzed with Perfect Pearls Sunflower Sparkle Mist).   The Ferris Wheel Post Card is from Glitz Afternoon Muse Epmehera Pack.  I distressed and added the photo corners to this and some other ephemera on the chest.

More beautiful ephemera is found at the bottom of this side...distressed with Vintage Photo, Spun Sugar and edged with Gathered Twig.

Here is a picture of the right side of the chest.

The back of the chest is probably my favorite!  I love all of the detail!

"Fairy Whispers" is from a paper layers pack I had left over from Glitz Afternoon Muse.  I think it is so precious. I have added a Tim Holtz crown from Regal Adornments that has been altered with a Gold Paint Dabber.  I have also added more colored seam tape and little flowers; some sprayed with Vanilla Breeze and Vintage Pink Glimmer Mist Sprays.  Holding the ribbon and tulle on the right is a Tim Holtz bird from his Adornments Ideaology.  It, too, has been altered with Gold and Juniper Paint Dabbers.  The other side of the ribbon is being held with two buttons; one from Shabby Accoutrements, the other from Fanciful Buttons and an attached Tim Holtz Bauble.

The bottom detail includes some London Market Buttons, Tim Holtz Vials filled with "fairy dust" also know as glitter (smile), more little flowers and some antique laces.  In the corners of "Fairy Whispers" are some smaller 7 Gypsies Antique Brass Corners.

Here is the finished view of the back.

The top of the chest features more ephemera, a stamped bird colored in Distress Inks and a water brush:  Tumbled Glass and Scattered Straw.  The Time Piece sits atop an Ornate Plate and another metal embellishment; all altered with a Gold and Juniper Paint Dabber. 

The front of the chest is embellished with more ephemera and buttons from the London Market collection.  The drawer pulls are crystal knobs from Tim Holtz' Curio Knobs.  "LOVE" and "DREAM" are from Tim Holtz' Stuff To Say stamp set. 

Here is a closeup of two of the drawers.

The drawers are also lined with London Market paper and they are deep enough to store laces, trinkets, etc.

I even found some little metal tins at a local craft store that fit perfectly inside a drawer.  I plan on putting little charms in them.

So...there is my girly, shabby chic piece and I love it!  Think PINK and let's see what you can come up with for this challenge...something for the girls!  Then post your project to our blog at Simon Says Stamp and Show. While you're there...check out all of the ideas our very talented Design Team has waiting for you! 

You could be the lucky winner of our sponsor's $50.00 credit voucher!

You could also receive special recognition for being one of our TOP THREE entries for the week!  

Good luck and I can't wait to see what you create!