Willow for Your Thoughts

I wanted to try some embossing powder on this beautiful Willow stamp…

A Willow for Your Thoughts:

I started with white cardstock and embossed the tree using brown for the trunk and some of the branches and then copper for the rest of the tree (copper is my favorite embossing color). After heat setting I came back with my VersaMark pen and clear embossed the trunk of the tree. The background is wrinkle free distress and I added some copper thread stitching and Tim’s Idea-ology hardware to complete the card.

Are the trees budding where you live? We are still waiting here in NE Ohio.
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - Birch Tree Paintings (Innovative Stamp Creations)
Paper - White, Copper, Close to Chocolate Chip
Ink - VersaMark; Mustard Seed, Broken China, Peeled Paint, Walnut Stain Distressed Ink (Tim Holtz - Ranger)
Other - Copper, Brown EP (Ranger), copper thread, Muse Token, Game Spinner (Tim Holtz - Idea-ology)

You Inspire Me

I wanted to try Tim Holtz’s technique where he uses canned air - I tell you the man is brilliant - who would have thought canned air and Alcohol inks…

You Inspire Me:

The background is using Tim’s Alcohol Ink Air Splatter Technique - you can find Tim’s video here . The green panel is faux linen - alcohol ink on glossy cardstock and then sanded vertically and horizontally.

The bow is tied to one of Tim's mini paper clips - they are too cute - smaller than a dime!!!

Hope you are having a beautiful spring day where you are!
KAT


The Stuff:
Stamps - Nature Silhouettes II (Innovative Stamp Creations)
Paper - Glossy White, Black, Pretty in Pink (SU)
Ink - VersaMark
Other - Cloudy Blue, Shell Pink, Willow Alcohol Inks Lights (Tim Holtz - Ranger); Canned Air, mini paper clips (Tim Holtz - Idea-ology)

Bird Needs More Diet Pop

…cans that is.
Bird Needs More Diet Pop Cans:

Pop can after CuttleBug Embossing and Painting:

Finished Frame:

Back of the Frame (so that you can see the Root Beer can):

Alright I’ll admit I must still be on a Green kick - but this card does not have any paint resist - that’s good right?

I am in need of a few Thank You cards for Easter - This little birdie is on it’s way to my Aunt to thank her for hosting Easter Dinner for the family.

The frame and detail piece on the right are made from a pop can. The background is wrinkle free distress and the bird was stamped on a transparency sheet. The bird was colored on the backside with Sharpies and then I used an opaque white pen over the portions that were colored.

Hmmm what else to do with diet pop cans? Green is good right?
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - Urban Tapestry (Tim Holtz); Short and Sweet (SU)
Paper - Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze (SU)
Ink - Black Stazon; Vintage Photo, Broken China, Fired Brick Distressed Ink (Tim Holtz - Ranger)
Other - Diet pop can, acrylic paint, Metallic Rub color (Craf-T Products), CuttleBug embossing folders, Sharpies, White Writer, Transparency

Green - Once More

Okay - just once more… Same techniques as the last two days but I wanted to share two more cards made with those techniques:

Fairytale Friends:

Don’t you just love this new Tim Holtz Stamp set!!! This was for my BFF for Easter and yes - I gave her the stamp set as an Easter gift.

Lifetime Friendship:

This card I made for my BFF for Valentine’s day. All these stamps are from Innovative Stamp Creations. The girl with the flowing hair is one of her favorites!

Well I hope you enjoyed my trip down Green lane!
KAT

Thinking Green - Again

Okay - one more green Tim packaging idea….

Thinking Green:

Side View:

See on the side view how the larger square and the tag are thinker? That’s because those are both Tim’s Fragments. The inchie squares are made from - what- yes you guess it - Tim’s Idea-ology packaging scraps.

Steps
1. Stamp images on glossy paper and allow to dry
2. Apply Alcohol Ink to Fragments and the 1x1 pieces of scrap packaging pieces
2. Adhere Fragments and packaging pieces to glossy paper using glossy accents

The beautiful pink, blue and green Alcohol Inks are one of the new sets of lights - shell pink, cloudy blue and willow. I love the lighter colors - I need to get more of the light AI (mental note to add to shopping list).

Hope you have time to create today!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Nature Silhouette II, Dainty Daisies, Passion Flower, Art 4 Frames
Paper - Glossy White, Black, Mellow Moss (SU)
Ink - Jet Black Archival (my favorite for Glossy Paper)
Other- Alcohol Ink Lights (Tim Holtz - Ranger), Fragments and idea-ology scrap plastic (Tim Holt - idea-ology)

Diet Coke and Butterflies

So what do Diet Coke and Butterflies have in common?

Well….

The large butterfly is the inside of a diet coke can - really … Look:

Diet Vanilla Coke to be exact!

After using Tim’s tonic scissors to cut the can open I applied Alcohol ink and then embossed the Butterfly with brown EP. The background panel with the butterflies is paint resist (yes I seem to be on a kick with this right now).

The inspiration for this card came from SCS… Monday’s Technique Challenge - found here - and last week's Layout Challenge - found here.

Hmmm - thought I was done with my Green kick but I guess you never know where you’ll get inspiration from.

Thanks for stopping in!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Reflections, Butterflies
Paper - Rustic Chic (Angel Company); Baja Breeze, Choc Chip (SU)
Ink - Versa Mark, Choc Chip (SU)
Other - Diet Coke can, Brown & Clear EP (Ranger); Token Muse, Game Spinner, Mini Paper Clips, Jump Ring (Tim Holtz - idea-ology), Stream Alcohol Ink (Tim Holtz - Ranger), Green Glitter

Rustic Silhouette Resist

Still on the what do you do with Tim Holtz Idea-ology packaging - here is another idea:

Rustic Silhouette Resist:

A shot to show you the dimension:

So what is it? I save the packaging from Tim’s idea-ology stuff (yes I am addicted to Tim’s stuff but don’t tell my husband). I cut off the flat pieces of the packaging and use it. In the card the scraps of plastic are the colored flowers and the butterfly - you can really see them in the dimension shot.

The overall technique used with this card is Paint Resist -this is one of my favorites - of course I love any resist because it’s like magic to me. Here are the steps:

Background
1. The background is clear embossed on a page from an old book
2. Then cover with brown acrylic paint and allow the paint to dry
3. After the paint is dry mist a paper towel and wipe the paint off the resist portion. When using pages from an old book be CAREFUL to not rip you paper.

Colored Flowers and Butterfly
1. Do steps 1 - 3 above except instead of the old book page use brightly colored scrap book paper
2. After removing the paint from the embossed areas use Glossy Accents to adhere the plastic packaging scraps to the pieces and allow to dry
3. Then cut out the pieces - I like to leave a “paint boarder” on them so I don’t cut right up against the embossed image
4. Bend as you like - they will hold their shape

It looks like a lot of instructions but give it a try it’s really easy! I have one more Green Tim Packaging idea for you tomorrow - so until then - start looking for your scraps of Plastic Packaging!

KAT

The Stuff
Stamps - (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Nature Silhouettes II, Rustic Artsy Swirls, Passion Flower
Paper - Rustic Chic (Angel Company); Choc Chip, Baja Breeze (SU)
Ink - VersaMark, Choc Chip (SU)
Other - scraps of plastic packaging (from Tim Holtz Idea-ology collection), Glossy Accents (ranger), Acrylic Paint

I’ve been on a kick lately trying to be Green with some of my stamping product packaging - you’ll see a few uses for some of that packing in the next few days. But for today… How about converting this…

Tim Holtz Fragment Packaging

To this….

Daisy Gift Card Set

Individual Cards

Cute huh? The square “bubble” is perfect for 3x3 cards.

The background and all the cards use the Bandanna Technique. Stamp your images, sponge your colors and use your white opaque pen to highlight areas. Also in the packaging background I used Tim Holtz’s new Mini Regal mask to add some addition interest.

Made any Arty gifts lately?
KAT

The Stuff
Stamps - (All Innovative Stamp Creations) Dainty Daisies, Nature Silhouettes II, Birch Tress Paintings
Paper - White, Black, Baja Breeze (SU)
Ink - Mustard Seed, Broken China, Peeled Paint Distressed Inks (Tim Holtz - Ranger); Jet Black Archival (Ranger)
Other - Empty Fragments Packaging; Vintage Photo Distressed Stickles (Ranger); Mini Paper Clips, Fragment Tag, Regal Mini Mask (Tim Holtz - idea-ology); Inkssentials Opaque White Pen (Ranger); Labels One Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

One of my favorite color combination is Black and Cream. I know you probably think its boring - but when I see it I think elegant and classy.

Horizon of Friendship

This card is pretty self explanatory. The background for the Willow Tree is Wrinkled Distress. I think this Willow image is great (hmmm - maybe because I love tree stamps???).

I hope you have trees budding for spring where you are - here in NE Ohio - we don’t have any trees budding just yet - but soon….

Hope you find time to be creative today!
KAT

The Stuff
Stamps - (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Birch Tree Paintings, Nature Silhouettes II, Dainty Daisies
Paper - Very Vanilla (SU); Reflections (Close to My Heart)
Ink - Jet Black Archival (Ranger), Antique Linen Distressed Ink (Tim Holtz - Ranger)
Other - misc punches

Distressed Pearls - Friend

Where have I been, what have I been up to? Just life and I’ve been creating away but too lazy to upload to my blog - I know - very bad blogger! I hope the Easter Bunny will still leave me a Dark Chocolate Bunny!

On the 13th Innovative Stamp Creations is releasing their April stamps and they are just BEAUTIFUL. I’ll be sharing some different projects of the next week using these stamps.

Distressed Pearls - Friend

This is a new technique from Tim Holtz using Distressed Inks and Perfect Pearls. It’s very simple with a great end effect. Stamp you image using Distressed Inks and quickly apply your Perfect Pearls - mist with water and allow the background it to run until you are happy with it and then dry with your heat gun. It shimmers. I thought these new flowers looked like Tim’s stem flowers from the Nature Grungeboard set so I added one stem with some Distressed Stickles.

Making any Art today?
Kathy

The Stuff:
Stamps - Nature Silhouettes (Innovative Stamp Creations)
Paper - Mellow & Archaic (Basic Grey); Choc Chip, White (SU)
Ink - Peeled Paint, Spiced Marmalade Distressed Inks (Tim Holtz - Ranger), Choc Chip (SU)
Other - Spiced Marmalade Distressed Stickles (Ranger), Nature Grungeboard (Tim Holtz - Idea-ology), Pearl & Gold Perfect Pearls (Ranger)