Tim Holtz inspired Valentine for Hubby

Hubby is away in a curling bonspeil, so last night I didn't have to make supper. Had the whole late afternoon and evening for crafting. Wahoo! A glass of wine, some cheese and crackers was my supper.

I was watching some of Tim's Youtube videos from CHA, in particular the one where he was demo'ing diffusers. I have a set of ovals and rounds but have never gotten around to using them, so this started the thinking process.  I was also given a link to a challenge blog A Vintage Journey which stresses Tim Holtz techniques, etc. After reading a quote on their site for the current Love is in the Air challenge, "A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and a man cannot live without love", I used this as the basis for my card for hubby.

click to enlarge

The first thing I did was to cut a 4 x 6" sheet of Tim's Coordination paper and embossed it using the Sizzix Bingo card folder. The oval diffuser was used leaving an unbossed area near the bottom. Tim's hint: when using diffusers, remember they replace one cutting pad. The cutting sandwich is - diffuser on bottom, embossing folder, then cutting pad on top.  I sanded off the top surface exposing the kraft paper underneath, and distressed the edges.

Next I created a flower using the Alterations Tattered Florals die and canvas fabric. I stamped images on each petal with TH Ultimate Grunge stamps, dots and checks (though they are hard to see, they do add some dimension to the plain canvas) I sponged and frayed the edges finishing with a heart brad. Used Barn Door, Aged Mahogany, Brushed Corduroy, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo DI.

I found a chipboard kraft heart with an opening in my stash which I placed over the #14 of the bingo sheet. It was swiped with TH Gold distress paint and Aged Mahogany DI. 

Using Spellbinders heart dies, I cut a heart from a brown paper bag, spritzed it with water to crumple and crease. Let dry. Then I stamped a love definition verse, the words xoxo, hugs, kisses and a small heart over the verse. Flicked some dots of ink and swiped over the surface with Tea Dye and Brushed Corduroy DI. Distressed the edges and swiped with Barn Door and Aged Mahogany DI.

The little cherub is a Quickutz die I've had for ages. I used the same paper as the card base, brushed some TH Gold Paint on the wings, and Aged Mahogany over the edges of the body. The bow and arrow is cut from gold cardstock.

In the area of the bingo card where the diffuser was placed, I used TH kraft chit chat stickers. I went around each sticker with TH Brushed Corduroy distress marker (the technique Tim used in his January tag). The "i" sticker is smaller than the other two but I like that!

A Tim's ticket and gold key completes the card.

All in all, this card took quite a bit of time to put together, but I know hubby will like it and I enjoyed the quiet evening crafting! I've made him a few Tim's tags for bookmarks which he faithfully uses and he seems to take an interest in my crafting, especially the different techniques!

Sharon
Jan. 23, 2015

Challenge:

A Vintage Journey Love is in the Air


Craft Hoarders Anonymous -Choose your Challenge    Column 1 paint,ink, markers; Column 2 canvas; Column 3 die cutting, stamping; Column 4 sandpaper distressing; Column 5 ephemera,flower

Try it on Tuesdays: Add some fabric - handmade canvas flower

Valentine Shaker Card for Grandson

After swimming laps at our local pool this morning, I made a cup of tea and started this "clean and simple" shaker card for my grandson who is 2+.  My daughter & husband have a Springer Spaniel, Bella, who is Connor's best friend.

click to enlarge

The image is a Penny Black dog stamp ("Crush" #3786F), coloured with Copic markers. At first I stamped and coloured this image to look like Bella, who has a mostly dark brown face with some white spots, but it seemed too dark inside the shaker. So I did another one just shading with light gray.  Dalmation? LOL!  I put googly eyes on the dog, Stickles red glitter on the heart & collar, and inserted some micro beads, and round & heart shaped sequins inside.

The heart die in the corner is by Simon Says Stamp, "String of Hearts", and bottom verse by Penny Black, "Hugs and...." #3316F.

Connor can have fun shaking this card!!

Sharon
Jan. 23, 2015

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Have a Heart

Addicted to Stamps #128 Holiday - Valentine Day

"Grungy" Tim Holtz inspired Valentine

Here is a grungy Tim Holtz inspired Valentine I made for a friend who also enjoys doing Tim's techniques:

click to enlarge

I started with the verse from the "Good Thoughts" Tim Holtz collection, Stampers Anonymous CMS085. This was stamped on cream cardstock distressed with Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Pumice Stone distress inks.  The heart was coloured with Hot Cinnamon Twinkling H20 paint edged with red stickles.

I also wanted to try the Wendy Vecchi embossing paste I got just before Christmas. So on a piece of patterned paper by Antiquities (which I first distressed on the edges, and swiped several colours of DI to further age) I positioned a heart stencil in the upper left corner and applied the paste creating three hearts. It was aside to dry.

Using the Alternations Mini Lock & Key die and TH grungepaper, I cut a set and did the Rusted Grunge technique on pg. 45 of the first Compendium of Curiosities book.

After the paste was thoroughly dry, I repositioned the stencil over the hearts, sponged them with TH Barn Door distress ink, and stamped each heart with a different stamp in gold ink. As the surface of the dried hearts is not completely smooth, it is hard to get a clear stamped image, but there is a crown & butterfly on the smaller hearts and roses on the larger one.

Several flourishes are embossed with Fine Gold EP on the background paper.

I took a piece of cream and black patterned paper from my stash and cut a doily (Cheery Lynn Designs DL103, Italian Flourish). Then I swiped Barn Door, Aged Mahogany, Tea Dye and Brushed Corduroy inks over the surface. It was then cut in half and placed at an angle under the verse and near the embossed paste hearts.

The lock and die is joined with a TH ideology pin, tied with burgundy/gold ribbon and attached over the doily.

I am entering this card in several challenges as noted below.


Sharon
Jan. 22, 2015

Challenges:

Cheery Lynn #168: Sweethearts   Italian Flourish Doily die

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge  Have a Heart

Craft Hoarders Anonymous: Choose your Challenge- One item from each column:
Medium - Ink; Fibre - ribbon; Technique - stamping; Texture - embossing/paste; Embellish -ephemera (pin).

Valentines

I made a few valentine cards recently so will post each one individually.

This one was created following the sketch challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges; however I turned the sketch upside down and added the hearts.

Papers used are from a 6 x 6" pad by Fancypantsdesigns.com called "Love Notes". There are 18 different papers all co-ordinating in shades of red, black, pink and grey. The red heart is a paper doily from my stash, and the white heart I cut from cardstock using the Simon Says Stamp "Large Heart Doily" #SSSD111325.  I added two loops of red dotted grosgrain ribbon, a red wooden button and silver string ribbon to the centre of the hearts.

I cut the black border using a heart doily edger punch (although the heart openings are somewhat hard to see in the black/white square patterned paper), and added 3 heart gemstones at the lower right top edge of the border.

click to enlarge

Sharon
Jan.22, 2015

Challenges:

Crazy 4 Challenges: Sketch Challenge C4C269

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Have a Heart   (Simon Says product "Large Heart Doily" die #SSSD111325)

Really Reasonable Ribbon: Hearts & Ribbon

Party Time Tuesdays #194 - Anything Goes

Birthday Card for Nephew

My nephew is turning 25 this year on Jan.25th. What a fine young man he has grown into, and has a very responsible job in the tech business that takes him occasionally from Halifax to the big city of New York! Who would have thought that Tommy, who was into competitive go-karting as a young boy, then motorcycles, would be wearing a suit in the Big Apple!  You just never know...

He always enjoys getting my cards. When he was a little boy, he loved doing crafts and knows how much time goes into creating.  I learned today from my sis that Tommy has kept all the birthday and christmas cards I have sent to him over the years. Awww...that made my heart smile!

He likes vintage things, and this old typewriter reflects the way work used to be done, not like computers now-a-days.

Click to enlarge

I used stamps from Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps "Office 101".  On a small ledger sheet, I punched holes on the edge to look like a refill sheet, stamped the background images in TH Pumice Stone distress ink, and shaded the edge with Tea Dye distress ink.

The typewriter is embossed with ultra fine black EP, and shaded on the edge with Tea Dye DI, raised up with pop-dots.

Ticket tag is a Tim Holtz stamp. I circled Tommy's birthday date, and numbered it 25.

I downloaded a vintage typewriter keys graphic and printed out the sheet on cardstock on my printer. Then punched out the letters T, O, M with a one-half inch punch. Swiped over the letters with Tea Dye DI, and then covered with Stampin'Up Crystal Effects. They look like stickers.

Background dotted paper was edged with an EK Success punch, and I placed a brad at the top. I thought it resembled a type key.

I'm entering the card into the challenge at "Cards 4 Guzs, Happy Birthday".

Sharon
Jan.13, 2015

Other Challenges:

Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes

Top 5

Woo, hoo! My Winter Wishes tag was one of the Top 5 in the "Winter Frosty" challenge at Allsorts Challenge Blog.  Thanks so much design team, and congrats to the other winners, beautiful cards each and every one.

Sharon
Jan.5/2015

Winter Frosty Tag

It was a green Christmas here in Nova Scotia and very mild, more like fall weather. However, the past few days it's been very cold and we've been getting some snow.  Today it is storming and the snow is coming down steadily. The pine tree branches in my back yard are covered and looking very pretty! Snow covered trees is the inspiration for my winter tag.

click to enlarge

close-up of glitter

For the background, I used a piece of Core'dination colour core paper and cut a tag using the Tim Holtz tag die. I swiped TH Picket Fence distress stain across the whole surface and let dry. Then I embossed the tag using a snowflake embossing folder ("Northern Flurry" -older one by Stampin' Up). I really like this folder and use it a lot as the embossing is only in the upper to middle left corner, leaving a blank area near the bottom right for stamping or adding layers. Next step was to sand off some of the raised areas showing the blue core of the paper. I swiped TH Brushed Pewter distress paint around all the edges and very lightly over the embossed snowflakes. Went to my die-cut stash and added snowflakes cut from silver mirror paper and put a dot of Stickles glitter in the middle.

The icicle border at the top of the tag was cut from acrylic sheet  (See previous post "Deer Frame". I had an idea and didn't go with it!) It is covered it with Stickles Star Dust glitter  ("Icicle Border" by Cottage Cutz)

Next I cut a white tree using the Tim Holtz large tree die. I put a thin layer of Stampin' Up Crystal Effects all around the edge and pressed some Twinklets Irridescent Diamond  Dust Glass Glitter into it, and let dry. This is actual shards of glass and you have to be very careful pressing it; however, when it is firmly dried in glue, it isn't sharp. I love how it looks like sparkly crusted snow! The tiny bird is a die by Impression Obsession cut from silver glitter paper and tail feathers covered in Pink Stickles glitter.

I got a new set of Tim Holtz Seasonal Thinlit word dies for Christmas which I used to cut the winter wishes from silver mirror cardstock.

White sheer & silver tinsel ribbon, along with silver corded ribbon on the bottom, completes the tag.

CHALLENGES:

Our Creative Corner Christmas Leftovers:  Icicle border, leftover ribbon bits from my stash, and leftover silver snowflake die-cuts

Really Reasonable Ribbon Look what I got:  New Tim Holtz Seasonal Thinlit word dies

Allsorts Challenge Cold Frosty Colours 

ABC Challenge - Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Sharon
Jan. 4/2015

Rustic Mixed Media Deer

I created this for my daughter for her birthday near Christmas. She has been after me for years to make her something other than cards. I love the way it turned out and she really liked it too!

click to enlarge

Products used were:

Tim Holtz tree, greenery, snowflake rosette, prancing deer dies (I gave him an extra leg LOL!)
Impression Obsession deer
Martha Stewart pine needle punch
Scallop border punch
Canvas Corp banners
Maya Road glitter cording
Letters were cut with my Cricut machine
Tim Holtz distress inks and Tim Holtz Picket Fence Paint dauber
Clear EP and Chunky White EP
Blue, Stardust and Rock Candy Stickles Glitter
Wired tiny holly for deer's wreath and clear teardrop pendant
Snowflake, Tim Holtz tree, Stampin' Up tree Stamps

Sharon
Jan. 3/2015

Tim Holtz Tags 2015- January

Last night being New Year's Eve, we went out with three other couples for dinner at a nice restaurant, and then to a house party afterwards. It was nice to have a quiet day today! Hubby and I went for a 40 minute walk after lunch, then I came upstairs to my craft  room with a cup of tea.  Noticed Tim had his January tag posted so I followed his instructions on his blog.  Here is my tag:

Click to enlarge

This tag looks simple, but the background technique was like an onion - layers and layers! Didn't take too long though....

Instead of tissue paper I used strips of Tim's tissue tape for the starting point. Distress paints used were Antique Linen, Broken China, Peeled Paint and Brushed Corduroy for the background technique. I also used Brushed Corduroy Distress Marker for the shading under the chitchat stickers rather than Black Soot as it wasn't so harsh. When I brushed the multi-medium over the entire surface, the ink ran onto some of the stickers, but I didn't mind that so much.

The "live, laugh" words are chipboard pieces from my stash that I covered with TH Broken China and Peeled Paint distress daubers, along with Adirondack Gold dauber.  I took the picture in my livingroom and the late afternoon winter sun was streaming through. I think that is why the words and ribbon look more pinkish than gold. Have to remember that for future pictures!

The #5 chipboard piece is covered with Stampendous Frantage Champagne Glass Glitter, edged with a bit of Gold Stickles. I added an acrylic sticker and locket for embellishments, along with acrylic numbers edged with gold paint. Finally, I spritzed the whole tag with Heritage Gold Perfect Pearls spray -there is a hint of glimmer which doesn't show in the pic.  The ribbon is done by Tim's technique with gold distress paint.

Sharon
Jan.1, 2015

Tim Holtz Blog - January 2015 Tag