Advent Inspired!

After looking at all the Advent ideas out there, I did what any 'sane' scrapper would do - make one!

I started on mine on Monday night, loved how it was turning out, but was not happy that it really wasn't Christmas enough for me!

The base of the project came from a class I bought via Stephanie Ackerman's Homegrown Hospitality Blog called Homemade Holidays 2012.  The Canvas itself is pretty cool I must say, but started to lose the effect when I added the clips. So what does one do....
 

  ....she heads off on another tangent!  Must say, liking this tangent!  Really, it took me about 30 minutes start to finish.

 

Here are a few close ups of the completed project.

made the poinsettia 3D by pinching the leaves with my index, middle finger and thumb to curl it and give it some lift.

Products used (25 Days of Christmas):  Prima 4x6" Canvas Refill Page, Seam Binding Tape sprayed with Ranger Adirondack Color Wash Meadow, Poinsettia made with Tim Holtz Sizzix Bigz Die Tattered Poinsettia, covered with Distress Stickles Rock Candy with some glitter mixed in; inked with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad Gathered Twigs.

Canvas covered with 7 Gypsies Collage Tissue Paper Paris, adhered and sealed with Ranger Glue n' Seal Matte, bits and pieces of paper from the Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas 6x6" Paper Pad. I used a little bit of this and that when I came to create the background on the canvas - Tim Holtz Distress Stain Tarnished Brass, Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers in Bottle and Cranberry, Adirondack Color Wash Spray in Meadow, Studio Calico Mister Huey's Color Mist in Classic Tan as well as some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Meadow Green.

Prima Junkyard Findings Typo Bulb 1 adhered with Ranger Glossy Accents; clips are from my stash of office supplies I am trying to use up, but you could use Tim Holtz Hinge Clips too! I used Tim Holtz Washers and Long Fasteners to attach to the base.  The 'tags' are actual pages from the Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas paper that I simply cut to size and inked the edges.  I also dded Tim Holtz Alpha Parts - Ransom numbers to each tag.

There are a total of 12 tags - one each of the numbers 3-9 and 0, two each of the number 1 & 2.  Thought about making a 13th tag with an additional 0, but then just said what the heck do I need a 0 0 for on Christmas Day!

The 'first attempt' products used:  Prima 4x6" Canvas Refill Page, Seam Binding Tape sprayed with Ranger Adirondack Color Wash Meadow.  Canvas is once again covered with 7 Gypsies Collage Tissue Paper Paris as well as some bits and pieces of paper from Tim Holtz Paper Stash Crowded Attic. Inked with more or less the same as the second but did add some Gesso.  Embellished with Tim Holtz Ruler Ribbon and some ScrapFX Chicken Wire Chipboard (inked with Ranger Jet Black Archival ink) from my stash. Chicken Wire was adhered to base using Glossy Accents.  Clips were done the same and this time I used Tim Holtz Journaling Tickets as the countdown source.  Just hadn't put any number on yet when I took the photos.

Let the countdown begin!

Project(s) 4!

This is where I took some time off the the brain strain and had some good ol' fun! I had just watched a video the day before I headed out to Rustic Ridge Ranch. It was a Tim Holtz video from CHA recorded by Mark Giles of Scrap Time and can be watched here.

I played with the Ranger Kraft Shipping Tags (#8) which so far work the best (tried using the #12 Manila on my canvas project - even though the effect was there, the texture was totally different). Here are all three...

The first one here is stamped first (using Ranger Archival Black Ink) then sprayed using the Ranger Ink Refresher to get this texture effect (see video). Inks for distressing were of course Gathered Twig (with an accent of Barn Door & Weathered Wood). The stamp set used is Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection Artful Artifacts.

The next tag, I sprayed with the Ink Refresher first, crinkled it up - dried it and then stamped the image. Distressed it with ink and then finished it off with Tsukineko Goosebumps Texture Spray. The stamp set used was Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection Fairy Tale Frenzy. Inks were same as listed above.

This final tag I tried something a little different yet again. I used the Pink Paislee Misting Mask along with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Faded Jeans. I then applied the Ink Refresher (which did make the ink bleed, but was still okay), once it was dried - I applied Picket Fence Distress Stain. Dried it and then added the stamped image and of course the Distress Inks in Gathered Twig, Weathered Wood & Faded Jeans. The stamped image is from the set Soulful Journey.

I totally recommend checking out the video listed at the beginning of this post - there is so much more on there than just this tag technique. I have so many more ideas I want to try using this basic technique - wonder what it will look like using a patterned sheet of paper or cardstock weight printed sheet? Only time will tell on that one...gonna just have to make the time and try!

It's been a while....

no excuses here...well okay maybe just one - life! I don't know about you, but as I get older my life seems to be getting busier instead of slowing down? Anyone care to tell me why that is?

I have actually had the chance to do some creating in between posting and shipping all the new stuff that has arrived in the shop. One I can't post photo's of as they are Christmas gifts that my niece and I made for the Grandparents, the other I just haven't taken photo's yet and then there is this one! Since I am so excited to see Tim Holtz's 2011 12 Tags of Christmas, I thought I would do a Christmas Countdown Tags set (or sets, have yet to decide if I will do more than the one) for my Great Nephew who is 7 months old and beyond cute I will have you know! (Okay, this blogger is ticking me off everything keeps underlining like there is a link and I am typing double duty here...what gives?)

So for this project I decided I wanted to use some of my odds and ends papers - sad thing is once I decided which odd and end I wanted to use - I only had three sheets of it! There has been a tear of buying this line and of course there is none left in the store now for me to grab! So make do I will try!

The printed paper line is Teresa Collins Noel (from 2010) and the solid cardstocks are Bazzill (Cream & Black) and the red is SU!'s Riding Hood Red. The Tags are Ranger Inkssentials #8 Kraft Shipping Tags. I am only using the new Tim Holtz Limited Edition Winter Distress Inks. The ribbons used on the top of each tag are MME Stella and Rose Boy Trims (black & cream) and the Red/Cream and Twill are SU! from my stash. So far so good on staying on track (only time will tell if I am able to stick with it)! I will give a brief run down on other items I used on each tag....

misc other items used: Tim Holtz Alteration Die - Decorative Strip Mini Paper Rosettes and Maya Road Crystal Star Trinket Pin.

misc other items used: Tim Holtz Alteration Die - One the Edge Snow Flurries, misc charm from stash.

misc other items used: Pink Paislee Misting Mask, Tim Holtz Alterations Die - Mini Snowflakes and Mini Reindeer & 25.


misc other items used: The Crafter's Workshop Doodling Template Numbers Collage, Tim Holtz Alteration Die - Winter Wonder.


misc other items used: Tim Holtz Alteration Die - Mini Reindeer & 25, Tim Holtz Idea-ology Stencil Type (letter J), Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher.

misc other items used: Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fade - Calendar/Holiday Words, Lobster Claw/Chain (unsure, think it may be 7Gypsies) and Heart Clip is an old Creative Impressions from many moons ago!


misc other items used: Tim Holtz Alteration Dies - Artful Dwellings and Winter Wonder (Snowflake).

misc other items used: Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

Here is a group shot of them all (so far)...now to finish before Dec 1!!



Loads of new product in....just in (finally) Little Yellow Bicycle Winter Twig! Be sure to head over and check it all out soon - here!

Don't forget Tim Holtz's 2011 12 Tags of Christmas starts DECEMBER 1 12:01 am (pst)!

Tag Inspirations

We all know how tags 'HOT' right now, okay still! I too love to check them out and get inspired.

These two sites are ones I follow regularly as they has many great ideas and great inspiration. The links I am providing is for 'tags' (site labels) but there are a ton of other ideas there as well....enjoy!

Burst of Creativity

A Crafting Journey

And of course the no post would be complete when talking about tags - if one didn't mention the master of it all...Tim Holtz! His 12 Tags of Christmas are legendary. He has four years of them on his blog!

So people always ask me - 'ya, but what do i do with them?' My answer is always - 'Whatever you want!' Put them in your scrapbooks as a page embellishment, mount on the Small Easel, use as a card front, make into a mini book, make a calendar, create a wall display....

Wall displays -use vintage straight pins to pin tags onto a bulletin board, adhere to 7 Gypsies Vintage Receipt Holder and Photo Trays...

....oh, and what about using the 7 Gypsies Mini Library Drawer to display your creations. In the past I have used the Library Drawer (larger one) and put in horizontal decorated tags as dividers...very cool!

the list could go on forever - let your imagination go wild - you never know what will come out of it...have fun!

finally getting around to it...part 3!

Alcohol Ink Technique Tags:

Products used - Tim Holtz Alchohol Inks; Tim Holtz Alteration dies - Steampunk on the Edge, Mini Rosettes Decorative Strip, Tag & Bookplate and Ticket Strip Decorative Strip; Pen Nibs, Steampunk Stamp Set, Grunge Paper and Hinge Clips, Distress Stains & Inks; Ranger's Gloss White Paper.


Distress Stain & Inks Tags:

Products used - Tim Holtz's Alteration Dies Tag & Bookplate, Sewing Room, Caged Bird, Lavish Trimmings, Trinket Pins, Hanger Clips, Ruler Ribbon, Jump Rings, Distress Crackle Paint Clear Rock Candy, Distress Stains & Inks; Ranger Sticky Back Canvas; Jenni Bowlin Pearl & Rhinestone Pins and Pearl & Rhinestone Charms; Divine Twine Brown Sugar.


These were a lot of fun to make - the color possibilities are endless as are the variations in which you can make these tags.. Thank You Mr Tim Holtz for all the inspiration!