Celebrate Thanksgiving

Here in NE Ohio all the leaves have pretty much spent their color and fallen to the ground - we look like winter. But I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the beauty of fall…

Celebrate Thanksgiving:

I created a Thanksgiving card and coordinating napkin ring for this weeks Innovative Stamp Creations Crackle Challenge. My original plan was to create the card, but as I was making the bow I thought this would be a beautiful napkin ring - so off I went.

I used Tim Holtz crackle paint on the background leaves - love the way it adds texture to the project. The background leaves were created by stamping the leave images on the back of thin chipboard (you could actually use an old cereal box). I only have two colors of crackle paint (sniff, sniff - I know it’s sad) so I made do with what I have. The leaves were painted in Antique Linen paint and after they dried I sponged on Peeled Paint, Dried Marigold and Brick Red Distress Inks.

The focal leave was created by marker water coloring and then I added three layers of UTEE. The background color was created using the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique.

More about the challenge - Get out your Crackle paint and create something using only ISC images and you will be entered to win an ISC stamp sheet of your choice and a Tim Holtz Crackle paint. Don’t have any Crackle paint - don’t worry - create a project using the crackled glass technique. You have until November 23rd to join us. For more information visit the ISC blog.

Thanks for visiting!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Autumn Leaves, Collage of Leaves
Paper - (all SU) White, Choc Chip, Old Olive
Ink - More Mustard, Choc Chip (SU); Dried Marigold, Fired Brick, Walnut Stain, Peeled Paint (Distress Ink Ranger), Timber Brown Stazon
Other -Antique Linen Crackle Paint (Tim Holtz - Ranger), Thin Chipboard, button, organdy ribbon, copper brads, thread, UTEE (Ranger), SU markers, watercolor pen

What's a Bird TO DO

Grungeboard - I LOVE IT!!! It is so versatile you can mold it, cut it, paint it, ink it, emboss it, sand it, stamp it, punch it, sew it, Cuttlebug it (both cutting and embossing) - Oh the possibilities!!!

Since I am a Grunge junkie I was ecstatic that the Innovative Stamp Creations challenge this week is to make a Grungeboard minibook! And since I am fresh from my Tim Holtz classes I wanted to put some of my new knowledge and supplies to work (maybe I overdid it but a girl has to play)!

What’s a Bird TO DO:

This is the front cover of my To Do book. I am a list person - probably from when I was a career person - with a 1,000 things happening a day you had to keep an organized To Do list. Now I can keep a pretty list!

Back of the Book:

Let’s see… what to tell you about? The book cover/back were made from plain Grungeboard - I traced around another album that I liked the shape of and just cut it out (cut it - check). The bird was stamped on the reverse side, cut and covered with Crackle paint (paint it - check). The hinge and bracket were painted with Copper dabber, sanded, then antiqued with Black Soot (sand it - check). The closure was created with another hinge (see additional photos below) with a hole punched from Crop-A-Dyl and closed over a Hitch Fastener (mold it, punch it - check). The butterfly on the back was covered with Distress Stickles - yes they really look like glass when they dry - fabulous!!!

The book closure was a neat trick that I picked up at Tim’s classes. Below are some additional photos for you. Primarily you punch a hole in the hinge with you crop-a-dyl and then cut a little slit.

So if you stuck with me this far it’s pretty obvious that Grungeboard is one of my favorite products! I started with a love of the Elements sets and ended up with my favorite being the Plain Grunge Sheets. As Tim would say - Think of the Possibilities!

Now on to the Challenge from Innovative Stamp Creations:
Create a minibook using only ISC images (you don’t need to create the entire book from Grunge like I did - you can decorate a book with your Grunge) and you will be entered to win the Photo Negative Stamp Sheet/1 Pkg Grungeboard Basic Sheets of our choice… This is an excellent prize!!! Enter by Sunday November 16th! Visit the ISC Blog for more info. We can’t wait to see what you create!!!

As always - Thanks for the Visit!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Mini Book - Photo Negative, Art 4 Frames (bird)
Paper - NONE
Ink - Jet Black Archival (Ranger); Black Soot, Broken China, Tea Dye, Dried Marigold, Shabby Shutters (Tim Holtz Distress Ink Ranger)
Other - Plain Grungeboard, Harlequin Elements, Mini Elements, Game Spinners, Sprocket Gears, Hitch Fasteners, Long Fasteners (idea-ology Tim Holtz); Copper Dabber, Distress Crackle Paint (Tim Holtz Ranger); Peeled Paint, Worn Lipstick Distress Stickles

Happy Halloween!

Today is the day that things go bump in the night!

For me, it’s a fun holiday that marks the beginning of my favorite holiday - Christmas. As soon as Halloween is over I think it’s fair game to make holiday gifts, shop, bake and decorate for Christmas.

I play a card game called Rage once a month with a group of women that I’ve know forever. The winner gets a prize and then has to bring the prize for the next month. I created a basket that was Frightfully sweet. The basked had a cool artificial pumpkin that lit up, fall salt and pepper shaker and some Halloween candy. I made a tag, altered a candy container and a pin.

Halloween Tag (background is Wrinkle Free Distress Technique, tree colored via watercolor markers):

Dimension of the Grungeboard bats:

Altered Candy bottle:

Pin - inspired by the Shrink Mosaics Tim Holtz class (more on this in another post):

Tag on the package:

Overall package (I love to make pretty gifts!)

I hope you have a spook-tacular day! (or at least eat some two week old Halloween peeps - they are my favorite - once they get nice and chewy)
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - Eclectic Collage (Tim Holtz), Tree, Bat (Stamps by Judith); Happy Halloween (Inkadinkado)
Paper - office tag, scrap of white
Ink - Broken China, Shabby Shutters, Dried Marigold (Distress Ink Ranger); Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger); Silver (Brillance), black stazon
Other - Close to Cocoa, Choc Chip Markers (SU); water brush, water mister, distressor (Heidi Swapp), plain grungeboard (Tim Holtz - idea-ology)

Winter Comfort

I originally planned to upload something Halloween related today -but - since I woke up to snow on the ground I thought I would share this card:

Winter Comfort:

I really like the blue and brown colors together - I’m not so sure about the layout. You picture something else in your mind and then what you are creating takes on a mind of it’s own. The felt snowflakes were white - I sponged on some Close to Cocoa ink and added some stickles so that my dirty snowflakes would have some sparkle.

Thanks for the visit!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - Christmas Trinkets (Innovative Stamp Creations)
Paper - Fruitcake (Basic Grey), Close to Cocoa (SU)
Ink - Close to Cocoa (wow - a card with only one ink - this has to be a first for me)
Other - Build a Brad (SU), Felt Snowflake (unknown), Crystal and Cinnamon Stickles (Ranger)

Christmas Poinsettia

Yes, can you believe it, it’s less than two months until Christmas? Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love to decorate my house - I’ll share my trees as they go up. I plan on putting up my first two trees by the middle of November - yes, I know, it’s a sickness!

So I thought I would share two Christmas projects with you today - a card and an ornament.

Christmas Poinsettia:



I think the Poinsettia image is great and looks nice as both a card and an ornament. Techniques used are paper tole, embossing and wrinkle free distressing.

I have a Tim Holtz inspired technique to share with you tomorrow!

Happy Creating!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - Christmas Trinkets (Innovative Stamp Creations)
Paper - FaLaLa (Making Memories); White, Kiwi, Cranberry Crisp (SU)
Ink - VersaMark; Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain (Distress - Ranger); Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive, Pink Pirouette, Mellow Moss (SU)
Other - Memory Frames (Ranger - available at ISC), Long Rectangle Megabilities (Spellbinders), Clear EP, Cinnamon Stickles (Ranger)

Ode to Tim

Well I scheduled this post for Saturday at 9:00 am - I am now in my first Tim Holtz class!
When I take complicated classes I like to write notes so that I will remember what I learned. Usually I have a plain notepad, but, for Tim I needed something special! I was inspired by the ISC Tim Tag challenge and I thought I would make a tag book.

Ode to Tim:

The cover features:
Tim’s Distressed Inks
Fragments
Grungeboard (the A - in drunken scotch)
Lots of heavy metal from Tim’s idea-ology line

I made a page for each of the six classes. My plan is to take notes on the back of each page and to take a picture of Tim’s sample for each class and my completed creation for the front of the page. I also created a page for Tim’s signature and I plan on getting picture of me with Tim to add to the page.

Close Ups:

I know I am having a fabulously creative weekend - how about you?

KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - Creative Collages, Branch (Tim Holtz)
Paper - Office Tag, Wanted (Cosmo Cricket)
Ink - Rust (Adirondack Ranger); Antique Linen, Walnut Stain (Distress Ink - Ranger); Timber Brown Stazon, Sage Shadow (SU)
Other - Glossy Accents (Ranger); Fragments, Swivel Clasp, Sprocket Gears, Game Spinners, Ball Chain, Jump Rings (Tim Holtz idea-ology); White Opaque Pen (Inksentials), Stream, Ginger (Alcohol Inks - Ranger); Scotch Scrapbooker’s Glue, Bind-it-all

Leaves In Copper

Another card made with the new Autumn images from Innovative Stamp Creations - I wanted to incorporate a little copper in this card.

Leaves In Copper:

A close up:

The image was embossed with Copper EP and sponged with beautiful fall colors. The tie on the card was made using a leaf punch.

Enjoy the fall colors - it will be snowing before we know it!

I’m on my way to meet Tim Holtz!!!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Collage of Leaves, Autumn Leaves
Paper - (all SU) Choc Chip, Very Vanilla, Really Rust
Ink - VersaMark, (rest SU) Really Rust, Old Olive, More Mustard, Choc Chip
Other - Copper EP (Ranger), Copper Brads, Copper Extra Large Eyelets, Waxed Linen String, Curvy Cutter (IK Success)

Mona Meet Tim

Today’s tag was created for this week’s Innovative Stamp Creations challenge - create a technique tag using one of Tim Holtz’s techniques from his blog.

Mona Meet Tim:

The timing for this challenge is perfect for me… You see I will spend all day Saturday and Sunday with Tim Holtz!!!! YYYYIIIIIPPPPPEEEEE I am so excited I can hardly stand it - I have been a huge fan of his for years and he is coming to a LSS and teaching 6 classes. Rhonda, my SIL and BFF, and I are spending the weekend there and taking all six classes. Just to show you why I am so excited here are samples of the classes that we are taking - Tim’s Ohio Classes. I am hoping to find all of Tim’s new stuff - my credit card is in for a work out!

Back to the challenge. I did not use a particular technique of Tim’s I used a bunch of them and his products:

Ink on craft mat and spritz (background of the tag)
Alcohol ink on fragment
Alcohol ink on transparency (butterfly wing)
Grungeboard (ink and metallic paste)
Metal idea-ology line
Tim’ Distress Inks

I tried to get a close up of the fragment and the wing but my camera just did not want to cooperate.

ISC Challenge Details:
Tags are fun and easy to alter!
Use at least 1 tag on a card, make a box, make whatsoever you desire, but you must use at least 1 technique on your tag by Tim Holtz and use only ISC stamps. To get your inspiration visit his blog and scroll under categories column!

You will be entered to win a FREE -1 pkg of Tags/Mona Lisa Stamp Sheet!
Then post your link in the comments section of the ISC blog by Sunday 10/26.
There's more.... ISC has a package of 10, #8 manilla Tags for $1.50


Now just two more days until Tim… Yiiiipppppeeeee (oh, wait I already wrote that - snicker)…
Find something that inspires you today!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - Mona Lisa Arte (Innovative Stamp Creations)
Paper - Office Tag, scrap of Glossy White (behind the fragment)
Ink - Black Stazon; Dried Marigold, Weathered Wood, Tea Dye, Broken China, Vintage Photo (Distress Ink Ranger); Butterscotch, Stream (Adirondack Alcohol Ink)
Other - Grungeboard, Fragments, Sprock Gears, Game Spinner (idea-ology), fibers, metallic paste rub (Craf-T Products), Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Celebrate Fall

I’ve been having major rubber withdrawal lately - between vacation, being sick and life getting in the way I have not had a chance to be creative. Well last night I put an end to that and used the inspiration all around me - the fall leaves. You see I live in 25 acres of woods so this time of year is breathtaking!!!

Celebrate Fall:

This card is mostly mustard because most of the trees are this color right now - I think they are maples.

The strips of background is the Collage of Leaves image that I stamped in VersaMark and then More Mustard and clear embossed (this is how you can make any dye based ink emboss able). I then sponged on fall colors. The panel behind the leaf started out as Very Vanilla - I used two different distressed inks on my craft sheet, spritzed it with water and put the paper in it repeatedly - I then sponged the rust and green color on it.

I hope you have a chance today to enjoy the beauty around you!

KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Collage of Leaves, Autumn Leaves
Paper - (all SU) More Mustard, Choc Chip, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Ink - VeraMark; Antique Linen, Tea Dye (Distress Ink - Ranger); More Mustard, Old Olive, Really Rust, Choc Chip (SU)
Other - Clear EP (Ranger), Wax Linen string, Photo corner punch (su), tab punch (McGill)

Natures Secret

I’m back from the beach and a little under the weather… I’m just starting to feel better. It figures you go on vacation, have a great time and you get home and ugh…. Well at least I was not sick on vacation!

Today’s card is for a sketch challenge over at Innovative Stamp Creations.

Nature’s Secret:



I think sketch challenges are a great way to stretch you out of your comfort zone and get you to look at you stamps differently!
Challenge Details…
Make a card using the sketch posted on the ISC blog here . Using only ISC images and submit by 10/12/08 and you could win a $25 ISC shopping spree.

Thanks for visiting!
KAT


The Stuff:
Stamps - (all Innovative Stamp Creations) Harlequin Flowers 2, Butterflies, wood grain, marvels of nature, textures and sentiments
Paper - Very Vanilla, Mellow Moss, Really Rust
Ink - Really Rust, More Mustard, Pumpkin (SU); Brushed Corduroy, tea dye, vintage photo, antique linen (Distressed ink ranger)
Other - glossy accents, button, brads, chipboard