All Is Calm All Is Bright

Getting in the Holiday Spirit ... I'm clearing off my work area preparing for another project and I decided to make this cute tag with leftovers from various other projects. I watched Dyan Reaveley do a demo one time and she showed how she uses excess ink on her mat to make backgrounds for future tags so I've started "mopping  up " my excess /leftover ink on my mat with tags and setting them aside.
This tag was created from leftover distress stain sprays from two different projects creating  interesting layers.  It's so fun to do this and see what it looks like when it's done.

 I used the adorable movers and shapers mini reindeer & 25 set ; tattered pinecone,  festive greenery die and the label from Tim's new labels die. I added rock candy stickles to the edges of the pine cone along with snow cap distress paint, I also added stickles and snow cap paint to the light green leaves. The greenery was cut from kraft core ( love that kraft core) .  My background was created swiping a tag through leftover distress paints ( evergreen bough, tumbled glass, forest moss, antique linen and rusty hinge) for the first layer and leftover walnut stain and tarnished brass distress stain spray for the second layer. The label is Tim's thinlits labels die stamped with the mini handwritten holidays stamps.
Who knew clean up could be so fun !!

12 Tags of 2014 November Tag

WOW... where did November go ... it's the 30th ALREADY ! Well ... I'm last minute AGAIN! My die did not come ( you know how I like using what Tim used) I don't have any of the new die texture fade combo sets yet . Surprisingly I could not find it locally. I used my gift certificate to purchase the leaf die but they were on "reserve until 20th of November ( so I really thought it would be here :(
I thought of not doing the tag until my die arrived but the thought of being left out killed me.
So I had a Plan B ... so I thought ... Plan B did not work so well. I had wanted to use the bell die but I could not figure out how to position it on the die so that I could cut just the bell  "negative" without breaking my frame ... oh well some of us can't walk and chew bubble gum LOL !!

ANYWAY I attempted a couple of things to  make a tag using these techniques. I played around until I found one of my dies that could "stand alone" going through the big shot.  I  chose  the gentleman from the Victorian Carolers ; my background is  Sheet Music Texture fade. This was a fun process trying to position the sheet music so that I captured parts that could be distinguished.
I did not want to completely change my color palette as I had everything all laid out. So I chose evergreen bough, tumbled glass, broken china, forest moss, rusty hinge,  and antique linen.
Interesting colors for caroler don't you think !

I was getting more and more frustrated along the way until I added the foil ... OMG ... this is so amazing... and so easy !

The Distress stain spray such a cool touch( once you get  the hang of the use) . I remembered all the things Tim had said while he was demoing with it at the Carson Stamp show ... in my mind I pretended I was him doing it ... LOL ... little more practice needed here :)

So I won't be left out ... I do hope you enjoyed my tag ... I certainly enjoyed it ( the techniques were awesome ! See you next time ! Thanks for visiting !

CC3 Challenge # 15

Hi everybody ! Can you believe it's November  13th already? I hope you remembered to Thank a Veteran this past week ( actually Everyday is a good day to thank a Veteran).
Well Linda Ledbetter over at  http://lindaledbetter.com/2014/11/compendium-of-curiosities-3-challenge-15.html and the fabulous Curiosity Crew has graced us with another wonderful Challenge.
We are at Challenge # 15 but it is not too late for you to join us. Tim's wonderful book Compendium of Curiosities Volume III is still available ( yep ... you can still get it autographed too ) . Go visit Linda's site check out the rules and the  guidelines ; there aren't many, but you will want to follow them to be eligible for some awesome prizes.
 Speaking of prizes my friend Joy and her family over at  http://www.inspirationemporium.com/ are our sponsors this week, they are offering a $50  gift certificate to their store for some lucky winner ... fifty dollars ... that's awesome... you know what you could do with that ?  Yep buy more Tim stash !
The Curiosity Crew has a Curiosity Crew Choice Award... sounds prestigious doesn't it ? It's awesome they showed a photo of the hand picked goodies from Tim and Mario + a surprise TREAT!!
You know you want to get in on that action...
While you are checking out your guidelines check out the Crews work... they've got some amazing projects for inspiration to help get you started. Go visit each one of their blogs so you can see some amazing details. If you show them some love while you are there you'll be eligible for the goodies and surprise... so easy ... get started !!
This weeks challenge ... Challenge # 15  Cabinet Card Pocket is found on page 38 in your book.
Omg ... this is fun !
I chose Tim's Found Relatives as my spring board ... I love these ... just so much fun!

I used my Wallflower Paper ( both the regular and the Vellum) ... I so love that collection; Thrift shop Ephemera (regular and vellum) ;Remnant Rubs Life Quotes, Botanical, Numbers,  and Elements... LOL I love remnant rubs too; and I used Industrious Stickers and tissue tape. Oh I got so excited I forgot to tell you I used baubles, adornment arrows,  mirrored stars, heart charms, word band, gem clip ,wire pin , linen ribbon and crinkle ribbon and my cabinet card.
One of the things I LOVE about the challenges is that I USE my TIM STASH !!
I used vintage photo to distress my cabinet card, I attached my photo to a piece of wallflower paper  and embellished it by adding various vellum ephemera, using the remnant rubs I embellished some of those pieces. I colorized my word band and the arrow using bundled sage distress paint.

I distressed my tag using  antique linen, old paper, vintage photo and crushed olive distressing ink. I layered it with a piece of vellum cut from wallflower paper and added sentiment from my Words For Thought Stamp set, trimmed it with industrial sticker borders and corner... added some additional verb age using the remnant rubs, and then  attached a ticket  using my tiny attacher.
I added crinkle ribbon that I colorized using barn door, picked raspberry and Victorian velvet distress stains.

I so hope you enjoyed my cabinet card pocket as much as I did . Better yet go do one, you've got plenty of time ! Don't forget to show the crew some love ! See you again soon :)

Veterans Day Thank You

Just wanted to take the time to say " Thank You "  to the many men and women who have served and are serving our Country  and Keeping us safe.  God Bless you for your service, courage and dedication to our country; and for serving when and where needed... defending our freedom. We appreciate each and every one of you ... Happy Veterans Day !

My card was created using a prayer from ( A Prayer for Veterans; card from American Greetings... a card I gave to my uncle some years ago) as my background. I stamped over it using USA stamp from my Tim Holtz Americana Blueprint CMS 145 set ; I colored the USA using my barn door, picket fence and faded jeans distress markers and detail paint pen. I mounted it on the fabulous coredinations papers scarlet and klondike blue ( by Tim of course). Absolutely love these papers I sanded them with my sanding block to give a vintage look. I punched out stars using my Marvy Uchida punches stacked them and added bling !