July 4th and Tim's 12 Tags of 2015

Happy 4th of July. 

I hope everyone is having a fun holiday. I have had some fun time with my family earlier today. We went to the movies and then my husband cooked some of his wonderful hamburgers and home cut fries. He is an amazing cook.  While he cooked I worked on my July 12 Tags of 2015 tag. I had made the plaid background using Tim's plaid technique from June and for the rest I wanted to follow Tim's tag as close as I could but I did have a few little variations.

For the 4 and the stars I used some grungeboard shapes in my stash. I bought so many sets when they first came out I may never run out. I dabbed some White Distress Crackle Paint on them and let them dry during dinner. Once we were through enjoying our meal the crackle paint was dry and I was able to put everything together. Here's my tag for this month. I think this may be the earliest I have ever finished one.

I Love seeing Tim's July 4th projects every year. Check out Tim's tag at 12 Tags of 2015 for July and his post for Patriotic Inspiration for some more ideas and his great tutorials.

June 12 Tags of 2015 - Coffee!

So What's Your Favorite Brand of Coffee?

I grew up with the "Good To The Last Drop!" coffee in my house. It's still my favorite. However Tim, Mario and my coffee drinking daughter Sarah are fans of another brand. If you are a Tim fan you know which one it is.

When I saw Tim's tag this month I knew I had to make it. I really lucked out this time too. I don't have the coffee die but Linda at The Funkie Junkie Boutique encloses little goodie bags in her orders. I always find fun little surprises in these gift bags. I remember that she had enclosed a set of the coffee diecuts in the goodie bag with my last order. (Thanks Linda!) It was before Tim posted the June tag so it was just turned out lucky for me that I hadn't used them yet. The pieces Linda sent me were white except for  the corrugated band and the acetate top. I think the white cup turned out great on my tag.

I Love Distress Minis!

I followed most of Tim's directions with a few changes here and there due to what supplies I had on hand. I was so excited when I saw Tim's plaid. I was able to recreate my plaid using Distress Minis with his Stripes Layering Stencil. The first tag I did was with Festive Berries, Weathered Wood and Faded Jeans. I loved the way it looked but quickly realized that I had skipped Tim's first step.

When I realized what I did (or didn't do) I decided to start over. One reason was because the technique was so quick and easy. Another  was that I really need to play more with my Distress Sprays and finally I decided to use shades of greens. I'll use my Red, White and Blue tag for a July project.

Can you see the shimmer?

I spritzed my tag with water then Cracked Pistachio Distress Stain. I decided I wanted a little shimmer so I used Perfect Pearls Mists in heirloom gold instead of plain water for the drips and splatters step that was next. The colors of Distress Minis I used for my plaid were Forest Moss, Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive.

I wanted a heart where Tim used a star. I freehand cut one out of Clearly for Art Modeling film by Wendy Vecchi. I painted it with Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint and when it was dry added drops of Watermelon Alcohol ink.

I still don't have any of Tim's burlap so I used fabric from Tim's Eclectic Elements Line. The phrase I used is from Tim's stamp set Way With Words CMS165 from Stamper's Anonymous.

I always find such wonderful inspiration and tutorials at Tim's blog. If you want to see Tim's June tag and check out his great tutorial click here. Another place to get ideas for using Tim's products is the Ranger Ink blog. If you'd like to see some fun projects the Ranger Artists created after being inspired by Tim's June tag click here.

Last Day for Tim's May 12 Tags of 2015

I'm not the only one to wait to the last day to post my version of Tim's May 12 Tags of 2015. Many of the blogs I follow were posting their May tag yesterday and today too.

I don't have some of the products Tim used. Of course not having a particular product doesn't mean I can't make Tim's tag. I just have to be more creative. So instead of Burlap (which really looks fun to work with) I used his Burlap Texture fade and a Kraft tag. There were a few other things I don't have but they are on my wish list. So I decided to throw caution to the wind and get creative.

I used Abandoned Coral and Spun Sugar stain on the ribbon. The Chit Chat letters are colored with Distress Markers. The foliage is from Tim's Christmas Cardinal die. The musical notes are Remnant Rubs. The Singing bird, the 45¢ and the Crown savings stamps are from the Thrift Shop ephemera pack but the Nests and Eggs image is clipped from the 3x3 designs in the Wallflower Paper Stash. The eggs are colored with a Cracked Pistachio Distress Marker. I also used Idea-ology embellishments.

One thing I have been busy working on this week is my collection portfolio. I love Tim's Wallflower Paper Stash so that's what I'm using for my folio.  I am making lots of little pockets to add throughout the pages. I decided that once I made my May tag I could turn it into a pocket too.

After I finished my tag, I made an little bag out of Melange Tissue Wrap and glued the tag to the front with glossy accents.

The back of the bag is reinforced with a sheet of cream cardstock. The card is cut the same size as the bag. I used the flourish stencil and applied Walnut Stain distress ink with the mini blending tool. The cardstock was larger than the stencil so I turned the stencil sideways so I could apply the ink edge to edge.  One thing I quickly discovered was that the pattern repeated from side to side, overlapping by about a 1/4".  If you look closely at the small picture of the stencil you'll see the edge of the stencil under my thumb and that the area already inked is lining up with the stencil after I repositioned it further down the card.

I used the Mini Baroque Movers and Shapers die to cut a topper for the card. I cut it in half, inked it up and glued it to the top of the card then glued the card to the back of the bag.

You can check out Tim's tag here.

Texture, Layers and Frameworks for Tim's April 12 Tags of 2015

Just so you know and in case you haven't seen Tim Holtz's April 12 Tags of 2015, I didn't use the same techniques Tim did this month. But I did use his design for his April tag to complete one of the framework tags that I created earlier this week. In my last post I shared that I was having so much fun working on my entry for the Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge #25 Frameworks that I made 3 backgrounds. I worked on all 3 simultaneously until I reached a point where I could decide which one to finish for the challenge.

The background for this tag is one I didn't use for the challenge because I really liked it so much I didn't want to cover it up. I was saving it for later. This weekend when I was thinking of Tim's April tag and wishing I had the Flower Garden Stamp (It's the next stamp on my wish list), I realized that even though I didn't have the stamp to use for the wonderful water coloring effects Tim had demonstrated, I could use my frameworks background and some of Tim's other products to create a different version of the April tag. The April design would let the background shine through instead of hiding it.

I started with a Kraft tag I embossed with one of Tim's embossing folders. Then I lined up a couple of the extra honeycomb frames I had die cut with the Frameworks diecut I was keeping on the tag, taped them down and used them as stencils. After applying some texture paste thinly over parts of the dry embossed tag, I removed the stencils. Once the paste was dry I then inked it up with Distress Ink. You can see the dry embossing peeking through the paste. Love the texture.

Keeping in the spirit of the CC3C Guidelines, I'm not going to go into the detailed instructions for the rest of the Frameworks technique because they are in Tim's book. He does an excellent job showing fun ways to use the die and has beautiful step by step photos. You'll find them on page 64 of his book, "Compendium of Curiosities Volume III". 
 

To create my Black-Eyed Susan flowers I used some techniques from "A Compendium of Curiosities" Volume II. I used Tim's Crumpled Kraft Suede Technique from pg 40 on Glassine paper to create the flower centers and then on watercolor paper to create the flower petals. The petals were die cut from Tim's Tattered Florals die and water colored with Distress Markers. The paper twine for the flower stems and for the top of the tag was colored with Cracked Pistachio Spray. The Grungeboard star is from a stash I created when first learning the Shattered Stains technique also explained in Volume II on page 48.

Since my background was already created on a No. 8 tag and I didn't want to trim it down, I used a larger Kraft tag and trimmed it down to leave a 1/4" border on the sides and bottom with a little more room at the top. Then I followed Tim's instructions to cut the 1" strip for my tag to weave through and for the word LIFE to be die cut out of, letting the tag underneath show through. Yes, I do have Tim's ruler and it makes this step so easy. I don't have the Adventure Words dies that Tim used so I die cut my letters out of cardstock with Tim's Alterations Chipped Block die strip, glued them down and carefully cut them out with a craft knife. I inked the backside of the tag where the letters are cut out to add definition. Love the effect of the negative space. The Adventure Words block dies would be fun to use and time saving dies to have.

To finish off my tag I added the machine stitching as shown on Tim's tag. I used the Chit Chat word "beautiful" and colored the edge with Cracked Pistachio and a waterbrush. I really like how my April tag turned out but when I get the Flower Garden Stamp I will revisit the Tim's April tag and try out these techniques. I really love the spritzed background.

Now I have another tag inspired by Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2015. Tim has a way of showing us how to use his products in ways I haven't imagined yet. That's why I follow his blog, have his books, have taken his Creative Chemistry Classes and love his products. He encourages us to be curious, try new things and get our fingers inky. His tag is gorgeous this month and I really hope you visit his blog here and see it.

Tim's March 12 Tags of 2015

If you want to see Tim's tag look here http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-march/. It was the inspiration for the tag I'm posting today, this last day of March.

I had so much fun with Distress Paints over Tim's tissue tape. The stamp I used here is from Creative Muse CMS046. One of Tim's earlier sets, it includes the infamous Umbrella Man. I needed a stamp with not only a solid area but an open area too. I picked the Rook Card because it reminds me of when my parents used to play Rook when I was a small child.

The most fun though was using a mask with a stencil and embossing paste and then using embossing powder on top of that. You can see step by step pictures on Tim's blog.
Let me just say that the effect is gorgeous.

Grungeboard and Rock Candy Crackle Paint

I Love Tim's Buckles!

I've also used some Remnant Rubs, some grungeboard with Rock Candy Crackle Paint along with Distress Stains and Alcohol Ink, and Filmstrip Ribbon.

Tim will have a new tag to inspire us in April and I've seen quite a few Easter theme works of art on his blog this month so I am really excited and looking forward to seeing his next 12 Tags of 2015.

Looking forward to Spring with 12 tags of 2015 February

Tim's February tag has a Valentine theme and focuses on a collage technique using Glue N' Seal from Ranger and his Thrift Shop Ephemera pack. When Glue N' Seal first came out, it quickly became a must have for me. It is a great liquid adhesive that can also be used to prepare a surface and is a waterproof sealer.

My last post had a Valentine theme so I decided to go with spring for this tag. I love Tim's Wallflower Paper Stash from Idea-ology. I decided to use it and various stickers from my stash of Idea-ology to create my collage background. I followed Tim's directions to create my base. I really love the dimension the shading with the distress markers added. Tim used Black Soot but I decided to use Frayed Burlap for a softer look. Applying it over the dried Glue N' Seal makes blending easy. If you check out Tim's post you will see step by step how he creates his tag. Here is the link http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-february/

I used Tim's Tattered Floral die to die cut the small flowers from white felt. The edges are lightly inked with the blending tool and Barn Door distress ink. The flower centers are Tim's mini brads painted with Mustard Seed Distress Paint. I used the poinsettia from the Mini Cardinal and Poinsettia mover and shaper die for the leaves. It is cut from green cardstock and then divided into 3 sections and inked, then tucked behind the flowers.

Blending with Distress Ink

My friend Mary Jane has Tim's Caged Bird Die. When she first got it she made me a die cut on white cardstock. I've been saving it for the perfect project. Using a robin from the Wallflower paper as a reference, I inked my bird using the round blending tool and Mini Distress Inks. I then added some details with the fine tip of the Distress Markers. The Industrious Frame is backed with blue pattern paper also from the Wallflower line. My robin reminds me of a spring morning and the felt flowers look like they are growing along the branch. The bird is on pop dots and there are tiny pop dots behind the flower petals. I used Distress Paint to add color to the Inspire token.

In January Tim Holtz tweeted:

"2015 is the year to make time for yourself each month to do something creative! the #12tagsof2015 is the perfect way to start - full tutorial on the blog... #timholtz"

 Thanks for the Inspiration Tim!

Do something different everyday.

Tim Holtz January tag is gorgeous as usual. If you haven't seen his tag you can check it out here http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-january/.

For this project I used Tim's techniques but also decided to use some ideas from Paula Cheney at One Lucky Day.

Paula created and posted a calendar back in October and it is gorgeous. When I was looking at Tim's January Tag for 2015 it reminded me of Paula's calendar. Instead of creating a tag I worked on a wood base and created a calendar (Paula's idea) but otherwise followed Tim's step by step process. I printed Paula's calendar pages that I downloaded from her blog. Paula started with a wood base but her technique and look is totally different. If you have thought of making a desk calendar you should check it out.  Here is the link http://www.oneluckyday.net/2014/10/the-2015-calendar.html.

Tim's Chit Chat letters came with 2 white sheets and 2 kraft. The white words are randomly place for inspiration for this coming year. I used the kraft words to create the phrase "Do Something Different Everyday and at the bottom right corner "Embrace Imperfection" To remind me to loosen up a little and look for adventure every day.

Curious?

Inspired by Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge # 4

Are you curious?

I have to admit I can be. However, I can also be a procrastinator. That's why the Compendium of Curiosities 3 challenge #4 was perfect for me.

This challenge is hosted by Linda Ledbetter. Every other week there is a new challenge inspired by a technique Linda selects from Tim Holtz's "A Compendium of Curiosities III". She and her Curiosity Crew create and post amazing projects. Then they invite everyone to play along.

The sponsor for the even challenges, which includes this one, is The Funkie Junkie Boutique. The prize is a $25 Funkie Junkie Boutique gift certificate. You can visit their online store at www.thefunkiejunkie.com. Participants also have a chance to win another great prize too (from Tim and Mario!) so check out the rules for the CC3 here.

Are you curious as to why challenge #4 was perfect for me? It features page 49 of "A Compendium of Curiosities III". Layering Stencils-Texture Paste. Here is where the procrastinator part comes in. Ages ago I bought some Dreamweaver Stencils Embossing Paste and never really used it. When I saw Challenge #4 used texture paste, I found my jar, checked it out and it was still good. I already had some of Tim's layering stencils so I was ready to go.

So far I have 5 of Tim's layering stencils and I used every one on my tag. Not only with embossing paste, but also inking, misting, paint and even Distress Embossing Powders. Once I got started I just couldn't stop. His stencils are fun to work with and his book is full of techniques.

Add A Bevel Edge

After making the background tag using the Layering Stencil-Texture Paste technique from page 49 in Tim's book (Can't post instructions for that part here, you really need the book), I die cut the hanging tag with Tim Holtz Alterations Styled Labels die from Sizzix out of the 3x4 prints from the Wallflower Paper Stash. With the brush tip of my Distress Markers I added the bevel look. I lightly sketched a line around the tag about 1/8" from the edge and inked around the side edge with Gathered Twigs, then used Frayed Burlap to blend it in. The colors in the Wallflowers papers didn't quite coordinate with the background tag. It needed a little of the blue so I used the Broken China Distress Marker to outline the flowers and a waterbrush to wash the color out into the background. I like the way it makes the flowers stand out. I also used a little Broken China on the right side of the tag along the inside of the bevel and to add a little color the leaves blending it out with the waterbrush.

One of my favorite quotes, "Life isn't about finding yourself Life is about creating yourself.", is from the Mini Classics CMS062 from Stampers Anonymous. After cutting apart the tiny words, I ran them through my Xyron (X) create-a-sticher, making it easier to ink them up. I used Distress Markers and a water brush. It also made it easir to place them on the tag where I wanted them.

When posting his May tag Tim mentioned that we all have "that stash of things we collect just to admire and cherish the fact that we simply have them". At least for me he's correct.  To finish off my tag I dipped into my stash of Idea-ology and played. After tying his paper string to the top of the tag I inked it a little with Frayed Burlap and a blending tool, then unraveled it and used a few of the strands to add the pearls. I decided on the "Inspire" Philosophy tag but the brass finish didn't quite go with my tag.  Distress Paints work great on the metal tags so I was able to pick up some of the colors from the tag. I even mixed in a little Brushed Pewter Distress Stain with the paint layers. Dab, wipe, heat, dab some more, even used a fine tip paint brush to add specs of color here and there and touch up Inspire.

So are you curious? Challenge #4 is open until Friday June 20th MST so you still have time to create something and enter or you can just hop on over and see what the Curiosity Crew made that inspired me. Let me know if you decide to join in the fun!

P.S. Just in case you're wondering the hinge really does work. The hanging tag lifts up to reveal another layer created using Tim's tissue wrap. Curious? I think I'll save that for another post.

UPDATE Sun Aug 10, 2014 - When I originally created and posted my tag Ranger didn't make a texture paste. Now they do! The Dreamweavers Embossing Paste I used here is resistant to ink once it is dry so unless  you want subtle color you have to mix the color in before you apply it. Ranger has just released their new Texture Paste and it is really easy to ink or color, even after it dries.