November Tag

November has always been one of my favorite months.  Even though it generally has cooler temperatures, which I am not very fond of it gives us time to reflect on what we are thankful for hopefully not just on Thanksgiving but each and every day.  I know that I have spend every day thinking about what I would do without my wonderful husband. We have been together since I was 16. Holy cow-- more than half my life.  He has been my rock and I feel like I have been his, although we have had some rocky times lately I know we have made it through the storm. 

November is the month when Tim and I both celebrate our birthdays.  This year my birthday was on Thanksgiving as it was the year I was born and Tim celebrates the big 4-0 on the 29th.  Above is a picture taken of us earlier this month in front of the Belligo in Vegas to celebrate his birthday.  Happy Birthday Baby!!!!

My November tag is another one of my favorites because it includes a lot of my favorite colors.  I have always been fond of oranges, yellow and green hues.  Add a little brown in there and I'm in heaven--although I have found some delight in the vibrance of the Dylusions lately.  This months tag was fun and pretty easy--hope you like my version.

Thanks for stopping by!!!
Tara

One Last Halloween Post

I couldn't help but work on Halloween projects up until the last minute.  I did this Halloween plague to put on the table to welcome my trick or treaters tomorrow night.  I love Wendy Vecchi's Art Parts.  I doesn't take any time to put together a great piece of work that displays beautifully.  Hope you enjoyed this fun piece I put together with Graphic 45's Happy Haunting paperline.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

 

October Tag-- New Love Dry Rock Candy Glitter

I had a great time making this months tag.  It was the first time I had a change to actually get to Tim's tag done before the end of the month.  I love the new Distress Glitter.  I used Dylusions under it on the broom and the witches face which I think made the witch a little more fun!!! I hope you like this months tag and hopeful it won't be the last one I do for the year. I'm going to try to catch up on all the other tags this week --wish me luck!!!


Thanks for stopping by!!!
Tara

One Perfect Day

A year ago this week, I spent one spectacular week on Royal Caribbeans Freedom of the Seas touring the Eastern Caribbean with two of my best friends-- my husband Tim and Angie.  This was part of Tim Holtz's last crafting cruise through Scrap Map.  I have not blogged about this experience but to say the entire experience was amazing is an understatement.  The people you meet... the sites that you see... and the memories you make.  My favorite day or memory of the entire cruise had to be one of the simplest we had.  Paul, Angie, Tim and I set off after we docked at St. Maarten and took a water taxi over to the shopping district where Angie and I both scored some fabulous Disney luggage at a great price before heading over to the most gorgeous beach I have ever seen.  We spent all day long--literally up until the very last minute we could on that beach.  Of course, my hubby had made some friends and we had them take our picture enjoying our perfect day.

For the project, I started out painting the base of the shadow box with Claudine Hellmuth Traditional Tan.  Once it was dry, I took some Vaseline and streaked it over the box in various areas that I wanted to look distressed then I covered it with Claudine Hellmuths Charcoal Black.  Once the box was dry, I sanded it down to reveal the tan where the Vaseline was.  I then used Graphic 45 Tropical Traveloge paper collection to embellish around the picture.  I fussy cut the flowers and leaves and the beach from the cover.  I found some flowers and colored them to my liking with some Dylusions and Perfect Pearl Mists.

I love the flowers in the Graphic 45 paper but the leaves remind me so much of the islands that we were on and that is the reason I am submitting this to the Simon Says Challenge this week.

Make sure you check out Simons Blog here:


                                                           Simon Says Challenge Blog

Thanks for stopping by!!!
Tara

Ranger Has Done it Again!!!

While I was in Maryland last month, taking classes with a great teacher--some of you may know him.

Yes-- I traveled all the way to Maryland to the great Queens Ink to take two of Tims classes that I have not taken--fan--yes. Inspired--yes.  I was lucky enough to get my hands of some of Rangers new metallic Distress Stains.  Ok so these stains are unlike any stain out there--as soon as I picked them up, I immediately thought picket fence.  Which made my mind race to Tim's great marble stain technique.  This is my favorite of all stain techniques.  I can go through a bottle of picket fence just to see all the different patterns I can make with this technique.  And now with these three new varieties--the possiblities are endless.  I have hardly been able to sleep.  Now that I have time to play. This is what I have come up with.  Below is a tag with just picket fence, fired brick and pine needle. You may be thinking Christmas with these colors but wait until you see what it does with the metallics.

 

 

Now with the metallics, you get that same opaque effect that picket fence provides.  Thank you Creative Chemistry 101.  Below you will see the same fired brick and pine needle (with from left to right antiqued bronze, tarnished brass, and brushed pewter.)  You can see how it provides a perfect motten and mingle effect that is perfect for the changing of leaves in a fall project that will be effortless.

 

 

Now you can see how beautiful these are-- hey will produce beautiful leaves. Thank you Ranger for hitting it out of the ball park again!!!

Fall Canvas

As I said yesterday, I am not ready for fall to be hear but I think it is on its way even if I'm not ready.  So here is another creation to gear up my house for the fall. 

I love to mix it up with a mixed media canvas to put up somewhere in the house or give to a friend to boost their spirits.  On this particular canvas, I started out with a base of Tim Holtz's Tissue Wrap which due to all the layers I used you really can not even see-- and I'm ok with that.  I next added several layers of Faber Castells gelatos  smooshing them around and then spritzing to get a little more of a blended affected.  I added some of Claudines Hellmuth Gesso with a Prima stencil to get some dimension and let it dry.  I used several stamps to give to a layered effect which are difficult to see in the photo and  then spritzed away with several different Dylusions, Perfect Pearls and Glimmer Mists. I added some leaves after altering them a little with some Distress ink.  Then comes my favorite part of the project--The Pumkin.  I found some small pumkins at the dollar store and I cut one in half and covered it with Rangers foil sheets and performed a mini version of Tim Holtz's the Great Pumpkin and adhered it to the canvas.  If you have not seen last years Great Pumpkin Challlenge, I'll add the link-- however I feel as though you may have been living under a rock because it is amazing and you are in for a real treat!!!

Tim Great Pumpkin Creation 2011

Now this weeks Simon Says Challenge is requiring that you use text and as you can see (or barely) I have used Tim Holtz's Text Tissue Wrap as a base to my canvas.  So what better thing to do than get a two-for out of this project.  A great project to decorate that house with this fall and something to enter in a great company challenge--What?? You didn't know about this challenge--well check out the deets down at the link below!!!

Simon Says Challenge

Hope you all enjoyed project number 2 this week--whoa I'm on a roll now!!! LOL

Tara

Fall Already??

With the start of school, I have finally found time to spend in my scrap room today.  This is the first time since May that I have had a free moment to myself.  I can not believe fall is upon us already.  I am not a fan of cooler temperatures, however with fall I do get some of my favorite things: football, wonderful fresh crisp apples, pumpkins and Halloween. 

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday.  I decorate my house each year with wonderful haybales all sorts of stuff for the fall.  If I could just have the fall without the cooler temperatures, I would be one happy camper. 

Today, I made a shadow box that I can sit on my table or counter with a lot of Tim Holtz Sizzix die cuts and My Minds Eye Haunted paper.  I used the blocked paper method for a background.

Hope you enjoy my first of many Halloween projects for this year!!!

Thanks,
Tara

Creative Chemistry Days 2

So far Tim is not disappointing me with his first online class.  The videos are very informative with somed great PDFs to print off and save for the future.  He has put a lot of time into making creative how to tags to glue to the back of your tags that you creative that you can save for a reference. 

Day two started off with a bang showing us some great technique that he has shared on his blog several times as well the explaination as to why it works the way it does. My favorite technique of the day was the waterbrush technique. This is a technique I have tried in the past and not really mastered or enjoyed but after several tries, I mastered the skill to a level I was satisfied with. 

Check out the tags I've made so far and the card with my waterbrush technique.  Now, I know most people think of flowers and wild life when you think of waterbrush--I know I do. But when I was looking for a stamp to do this project, I saw the old jalopy and the first thing I thought of  the old show The Waltons. I remember wathcing it as a kid and the fading in and out when it started was a very waterbrush sort of thing so I used my jalopy stamp.  So I made a quick card for a project to put on Day 2 forum--now off to catch up on Day 3's forum.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Tara

Ah Ha Moment

Well today was day one or maybe day 2 depending on how you look at it of Tim Holtz's first ever online class.  There has been much anticipation to this--that is at least on my part.  I have had the distinct pleasure of taking several classes from him but I always learn something new from each section and feed off of his enthusiasm--this class has already provided more than I expected.  I have been super excited because the class is called Creative Chemistry and I am a science geek by profession and today was just what I needed--it gave some background to what the properties of the mediums we use and how and why they work.  Thanks Tim for clarifying why and when I try things it just doesn't work. 

What made todays lessons so funny was just last night I was talking with my BFF Angie about covering some Art Parts with picket fence Distress Stain to get a shabby chic look.  And I told her that I preferred covering them with snow cap Adirondack Pigments Inks its-- I don't know "milky."  Who knew I would learn why it was different when I got home from work this morning.  I tested out the difference this evening.  Its not a huge difference but its different. The ATC on the right is covered with Snow Cap white and Rusty Hinge Distress Ink and the ATC on the left is covered with Picket Fence Distress Stain and Rusty Hinge Distress Ink.  Check it out.  And check out Tims class its not too late to enroll, you won't be sorry.

Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry

Where is your Vagabond??

You need to run over to the Sizzix Blog and check out what Tammy Tutorial is doing this week.  She is doing a great contest that asks where is your Vagabond.  Now I love where she took her picture.  She is a Missouri girl as am I so she has her Vag in front of the Arch, which I have never been up in because everytime we visit it is too windy to go up in the top. Oh well, maybe someday.  So I decided to take my Vagabond on a little excusion around Columbia to some of the hot spots.  In front of the pillars at Jesse Hall on Mizzou campus, only the best pizza place this side of the Arch-- Shakespeares, and of course I included my office.  And the photo I am going to download, is a photo of my Vagabond one of the local Starbucks--of course after the supreme creator--Tim himself and his quad Espresso.

So check out the Sizzix blog and wish me luck because I sure do want those stickers and gauge keys.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Tara

Sewing Room Tag

This week you need to check out the lovely Linda Ledbetters Grundy Monday weekly challenge.  It takes you all the way back to Tim's Christmas Tag 2 from 2007.  I find this extremely exciting because I didn't even know who Tim Holtz was much less what this crazy craft I was getting myself in back then so I definately was not playing along like I am now.  I had my nose in a book focusing on passing my state boards to get my license to become a pharmacist. Check out how Tim created his tag way back in the day here:

Tim Holtz Tag 2 2007

Now I wanted to use my dress form stamp set but when I used all the smaller stamps with the paint dabber-- they were a little too detailed to work.  So what to do?? What to do??? I remembered Tim has blogged about creating your own stamps using craft foam and your Sizzix die cuts.  I used my Vagabond to cut some craft foam to get a custom stamp of a spool of thread which I stamped all over the tag with white paint.  I then used mustard seed and peeled paint distress paint on my craft sheet with water to get a great blend of color on my tag.  I wiped the ink off  white ink to expose the stamped areas.  I stamped my dress form with sepia archival ink.  I took some vintage lace and sprayed it with lettuce color wash and tied it at the top of the tag.  Lastly, I added some vintage sewing embellishments. 

Now go and check out Linda's work of art here.

Grundy Monday Challenge


Thanks for stopping by!!

Tara

I Dream of Jeannie

This week when I saw the Simon Says Challenge I immediately thought of a Genie in a Bottle and who was the most famous Genie but Barbara Eden.  Well??? Maybe Alladin!!!  It depends on what era you were brought up in.  I was raised in the early 80s and loved watching old re-runs after school and I Dream of Jeannie was a favorite.  So this weeks Bottle It challenge is a tribute to Barbara Eden.  I used Wendy Vecchi's Crackle techique to cover the bottle with Dusty Concord stain.  I covered some Ranger Metal Foil with alcohol inks and cut them with different punches to get the top and bottom embellishments that I wanted--this was easier said than done.  The foil is so thin it doesn't work well with punches --it much easier with my Vagabond and a die cut but I didn't have anything that suited my fancy for this product.  But after many takes I finally got it done.  Hope you like my Genie bottle.  If you want to check out Simons challenge this week check it out here.
Simon Says Bottle It Challenge
                                                  
Thanks for stopping by!!
Tara

A Little Bit of Vintage Style

Ingredients:

1.    Red plaid tissue paper
2.    Various Graphic 45 Fashionista paper
3.    District Market Tissue Wrap
4.    Distress Inks: Fired Brick and Vintage Photo
5.    Ideology Tissue Tape
6.    Black Craft Foam
7.    Core'dinations Kraft Core Paper
8.    Ideology Kraft Resist Chipboard Letters
9.    Jute
10.  Faber-Castell Gelatos : Blue Metallic and White Metallic
11.  Ideology Frame Corners
12.  Rangers Glue and Seal
13.  Water in a Mister
14.   Blank Canvas 8X10
15.   Sizzix Tim Holtz Dress Form Die Cut and Machine to cut with (Vagabond is my choice)

Directions:

1.    Tear the tissue paper, Fashionista paper, tissue wrap and find a pattern that you find suitable to you.  Once you are happy with the pattern start glueing it down with Rangers Glue and Seal.  Set it aside to dry.

2.    Take out your die cut machine and get ready, this may not be an easy step because even with the power of the Vagabond its not the easiest in the world.  Sandwich your plates, die cut and craft foam together and run it through your machine.  I did try this several times to make several buttons but did not end up using them so I may use them at a later date.  Never throw anything away.  Repeat step with Kraft Core Paper.

3.    Sand Kraft Core Paper to your liking and glue together with craft foam.  This will give the dress form a lot of dimension and a little depth since it is black.  Set aside and allow to dry. Repeat with button and thread. Add jute to thread.

4.  Cut out Fashionista cards and decide how many and which ones you like and would like to use. This may prove to be the hardest part.  I know I said before pushing the craft foam through the Vagabond was hard but Really??? Isn't this paper beautiful??? LOVE it!!!  Once you have made your decision cut them out and distress them with Fire Brick Red.  I splashed a little water on mine as well to give it a little more distress and weathered look.  I then added a little Vintage Photo to give them a littlle more depth. Set these aside.

5.  Decide what you would like to say up the side of you canvas, the only obvious choice to me was "Style".  Of course, you may be more poetic than I am or want your name or something on there. So remove the letters from there package and distress away.  I find it best that you take a soft towel and wipe the resist area once you are done so it looks crisp. Once the letters are ready, glue them to the canvas.

6.    Now comes the fun in my opinion, take out your Gelatos and just go crazy.  You can do anything you want with them: put them on your craft sheet and paint them whereever you see fit or like I did just color all over the canvas then mist the heck out of the canvas and work it until you are happy. I am loving these and I seem to be using them a lot lately.  Remember to dry your canvas with your heat gun every now and again so it doesn't get too wet. 

7.    Add tissue tape around the edges of the canvas.

8.    Place everything on canvas in a pleasing manner. Once you are happy--glue it down.

9.    Add corner.

Thanks for stopping by!! I did this blog entry a little different because Simon Says Stamps Vintage Challenge is Show a Recipe using Torn Edges, a Button and Wings.  Well I have all those things in this project.  You may ask me wheres the wings--look at the wing backed shoes.  Its a stretch I know --but I have never been one to stay in the box.  If you are interest in the the challenge check it out here:

                      Simon Says Challenge

Olde To Tim

While many of us follow Tim, I have had the distinct pleasure to take several class with him over the last two years.  As Linda posted in her blog, he is truly amazing and can fill the room with so much excitement about this wonderful craft it will take your breath away.  At times, I think it takes his breath away. So when I saw this weeks Grungy Monday Challenge, I thought it might be fun to get inky but had to put some thought into it.  How do you celebrate THE MAN????  I mean really??? THE MAN??? How???


Well when I thought about it, I thought I would merge his world and mine. Hearing him speak several times, I have heard him say more than once -- "he is living the dream."  Man, what a dream it is.  How many of us would love to get on that boat and ride along for just one day??? I know I would-- AMAZING.  And we all have to remember life is short-- it passes us by before we know it.  I watched my mother pass away at a very young age and it reminds me to live life to its fullest.  So I ask myself-- am I doing everything I can to really LIVE life everyday???  So I added a perfect Tim stamp quote on shrink plastic "Life is what happens while we are making other plans."   Thank you Tim-- I am no longer making plans, I am doing it.  I have attached this to Tim's stamp "Pierre LM Gaudette Druggist" because I am a pharmacist by day (or night I guess I should say.)

And lastly I added an Ideology heart that I added some gold alcohol ink to represent Tim's heart of gold.  When he is talking about his work, you can see how much he loves what he does--why else would he put up with all the fans.  This man must never sleep.  Thanks for keeping us all inspired and helping me find my way.  Now, I can keep this in my bedroom and see it everyday to keep me inspired to work a little bit everyday to reach the goals that I am working toward. Thanks Linda for a great challenge!!!

Sayings To Live By

I am in love with this stamp set I picked up at The Scrapbook Page in KC the other day and when I looked the most recent challenge by Simon Says Stamps I thought it would only be appropriate to make it center around the recent holiday and this saying is perfect.

I took my Festive Berries Distress Ink and smeared it on my Rangers craft sheet then sprayed it with Biscotti Perfect Pearls Mist and smeared my tag to soak up all the color.  It's hard to tell by the photo but the tag has alot of sparkle because I used a lot of Perfect Pearls Mist on the kraft sheet.  Once the tag was dry I edged the tag with Pumice Stone Distress Stain. I stamped the star images from a Wendy Vecchi stamp set and the saying was from the same set.  I stamped the saying from the same set. 

Thanks for stopping by and remember to check out everyones creations at

Simon Says Stamp

Tara

What A Way To Bring In The New Year

Happy New Year to everyone!!! I hope you are enjoying today as much as I have.  My family brought in the new year with family and friends--no better way to celebrate another year.  I can not believe how fast time is flying.  While in the last year I made a change on the work front to be at home with my family more I am still not getting as many blog posting done as I would like--maybe this should be a new years resolution. However--we all know what usually happens to those.

I went to Kansas City the other day to meet up with my best friend Ang for a scrappin evening and I purchased up some Art Parts that I could not wait to use.  I used a large flourish a base and two of the small residences along with a vintage ruler I found at a antique store a few months ago.  I colored all of the Art Parts with Rangers Archival Ink and Tim Holtz Distress Ink.  I stamped some of Wendy Vecchi's images on some grungeboard to create some flowers to create a scene on the flourish board.  Instead of using her flower for one of the flowers, I used some of Tim Holtz's Tissue Wrap.  For the second flower, I layered tissue tape on grungeboard and painted it with Rangers paint dabbers then stamped the flower image on it. 

Hope you like my entry for Mrs. Linda's Grundy Monday this week.  Check it out here because you could win a great prize from Simon Says Stamps just look:

Simon_Says_Stamp

If you need more inspiration, go to the man himself Tim Holtz

http://www.timholtz.com/


Now for my creation

Thanks for stopping by!!

Tara