Tim's 12 Tags - October

Hi blog friends, thanks for visiting! 

It's October and so far I've managed to keep up with Tim Holtz's Twelve Tags of 2013 - amazing!  I'm beginning to hope that I can finish the year...I've been looking forward to this one - Halloween is always so much fun!  

As usual, I've stayed fairly close to Tim's recipe.  This is my first play with Distress Glitter and have to say, I'm pretty impressed.  It's not quite so all-pervasive as the usual kind somehow.  The cat and moon are cut using a Sizzix die, the background stamps are from Tim's range, and the message is an old All-Night Media stamp..but see what it's stamped on?  Yes, vellum, and it dried within a few minutes because I used Surfacez ink!  Impressed?

Crafty hugs,

Keren

Halloween Tag

Good day blog friends, thank you for visiting.
Halloween is on the horizon, and everything's coming up spooky!  I’ve had an idea buzzing around in my head for a while and thought now would be a good time to try it out.  I began by gluing a piece of Spiderweb net down onto my tag.  

I happened to have black net,  but it could be any colour as the next thing I did was to paint it with black acrylic, then dry-brush it to highlight the texture (I used orange first and then just a touch of white).  I must tell you that I liked the effect a lot so you’ll probably be seeing it again.

I cut the cobweb border (a Tim Holtz die – love, love, love it!) from Bazzil Bling card and the pumpkin tendrils and leaves (Sizzlits dies) from Core’dinations Distress card.  I drew a face on one of the pumpkins and edged them all with a bit of Brushed Corduroy Distress ink.The little postcard is from Graphic 45’s Steampunk Spells 8x8 pad (it’s OK, I bought two so that I could bear to use one of them!)  I love that Toulouse Lautrec Black Cat image!
I'm entering this in the Our Creative Corner challenge – It’s Halloween – Let’s Tag it On!   (The tag must have a surface texture treatment )

LOC - Halloween, Orange and Black

Hello blog friends and welcome!  It's time for a new challenge over at Left of Center and this time we're getting ready for Halloween with our sponsors, Limited Run Digis, and a colour theme of orange and black.

Halloween is a truly LOC festival and is much bigger here in the UK than when I was growing up, when Guy Fawkes Night was the event we all looked forward to, and I do so enjoy the fun these days - and with fun in mind, I've created this card.

I used the Alterations Rickety House die, and couldn't resist asking "who lives in a house like this?" Just a minute, though - where's the digi? Aha, this is not just a card.  This is a "waving flag" card.  When you pull the edges apart, lo and behold, up pops "the Count"!

 He was coloured in with alcohol markers and cut out with the Cameo - although there are no fiddly bits to this digi so it would be easy enough to cut by hand.  I just like having an excuse to use the Cammie!

If you would like instructions on how to make this kind of card (which is really easy) I've put them here.

To see what the rest of the DT have been up to and join in the fun, why not hop over to LOC?  We'd love to see your creations!

This is being entered into
Country View Crafts challenge - Something Spooky
Paper Crafting Journey - Halloween colours

3D Halloween

You might not have noticed but at the end of this month it's Halloween.  Amazing how that's crept up on us, isn't it?    At Haunted Design House the challenge is to make something dimensional for Halloween.  Now, I'm beginning to suspect that I was warped in childhood by walking to and from school through a cemetery.  Seriously.  The secondary school I attended was situated between a churchyard on one side and a cemetery and crematorium on the other.  We always said that the neighbours never complained about the noise.  Come to think of it, my bedroom window looked out over the cemetery...and my office is next to a cemetery as well (not the same one) - a pattern is developing here!  Anyway, I wanted to make something that reminded me of the monuments I walked past every day on my way to school.

When I saw the corked vials from Tim Holtz, they reminded me of the domes that Victorians used to cover displays of wax flowers and so on.  Tim's  were too small for what I had in mind so I went hunting on my favourite auction site for jumbo test tubes and cork stoppers.  While I waited for them to be delivered I painted a cotton reel (previously covered in matte sealer) with Viva Terra paint, tinted with a bit of black acrylic.

I made some tiny lilies and ivy leaves with the Susan Tierney Cockburn dies, found a little skull bead which I'd antiqued with acrylic paints (a technique learned from Andy Skinner).  It all went together with some hot glue (for a quick bond) backed up with some glue gel (for a longer-lasting adhesive).  A bit of Flower Soft around the base of the "pillar" and there we are!  Happy Halloween folks!

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

Twinkle, twinkle

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!

How I wonder what you're at!

Up above the world you fly,

Like a tea-tray in the sky."

(Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)

The Altered Alice's challenge this month is to create something that twinkles or shines, and by happy chance Tim Holtz's tag for October uses glitter (Tim uses glitter!  Whatever next?), so it's one stone, two bats for this one.  I used a background stamp from The Artistic Stamper (Sequin Waste) as I didn't have a cobweb stamp (how did I let that happen?) but I think it works OK!

 

Hallowe'en is my favourite festival of the year.  When I was a child, the emphasis was more on Guy Fawkes night (we used to have HUGE bonfires in the village) and because legislation was a lot looser then going out at night was positively hazardous from the end of September until November 5th due to fireworks going off (usually "bangers").  It's probably just as well that we make a bigger deal of Hallowe'en now.  I've got all sorts of plans for this year..

 

Update - Honourable Mention at The Altered Alice - thank you so much!

 



Heavy Metal

I've been away from Hels Sheridan's Sunday Stampers challenges for a few weeks , busy with other projects.  This week Hels has asked us to make something with metal, and here's my interpretation!

I'm not usually this quick off the mark, but it just happened that I'd done the background for this tag - using the method that Tim Holtz demonstrated for his tag for September-intending to enter it in another challenge, and then didn't get the time to finish.   I will admit that the surface wasn't the easiest to stamp on - so I cheated and stamped the IndigoBlu stamp onto Safmat.  The roses were made using Donna Salazar Create-a-Rose Spellbinders dies made to look metallic with silver Gilder's Paste (I still love Gilder's Paste!), made some time ago, so all I had to do was stick them on.

There we are, job done!  Thansk for your visit - hope you enjoyed!

Davy Jones's Locker

Hello everyone, and thanks for visiting! I've been somewhat quiet on the blogging front of late, partly because my "real life" has been insanely busy but largely because I have been working on my final assemblage for Andy Skinner's Timeworn Techniques course.

Andy's course runs over eight weeks. At the start of the course, you get access to the "how-to" videos and it's up to you which order you try the techniques. You also get access to a private forum where you can post pictures of your efforts and Andy will critique them, offering constructive comments. The techniques are all achieved using acrylic paints plus one or two other items, and if you want to know more, invest in the course!

So here it is - my final piece.

The Dead Man's Chest!

I started with this -

and constructed the trunk, based on Laura Denison's Trunk Full of Memories pattern, adapted a bit.

And after a lot of work -

The spyglass extends and collapses like a real telescope.  Took me ages to work put how to do it!
The hasp of the fastening and the ring that holds the chains are plastic curtain rings;  the anchor and the skull are moulded from paper clay.  Apart from the chain, everything else is recycled cardboard from packaging.

The side of the chest - the octopus was moulded out of paper clay before being given the timeworn treatment!

A chest has to have treasure!  The spyglass fits into the case.  The skulls are plastic beads.

The tray comes out for more storage

The telescope case -

When I started the course, I didn't think I was going to enter a final piece (it's not compulsory)   I certainly didn't think I'd be waking up in the morning thinking "I need to make a telescope!"  or making "rum" out of clear acrylic floor wax and ink!  I've enjoyed every minute, recommend it to anyone with an interest in achieving these effects, and have signed up for the altered bottle course next month.  So I'll just have to start stockpiling wine bottles to alter...have to empty them first, though.  It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it....

WOYWW - 10 October

Did you miss me?  I’ve been just SOOOO busy the past couple of weeks.  I’ve been making my final assemblage for Andy Skinner’s Timeworn Techniques course (can’t show you just yet but I learned so much, I amazed myself!)  It’s been a hectic time in my real life as well, so I’ve had no energy to blog or participate in blog challenges, or even to join in WOYWW.  (I did visit some blogs, though, but only to lurk – sorry, I didn’t leave many comments...)

This is my desk this week – not much going on as I have cleared the decks after finishing Andy’s stuff and haven’t decided what I’m going to do next.

 

By way of contrast, this was my desk LAST week.  What a state – and this is after I’d tidied up a bit.  Why is it that, no matter how much space I have available, I wind up working in a space six inches square and covered in glue? 

 

Hope you enjoyed your visit.  I’m off to see what you’ve all been up to lately - see you around the blogiverse!

Gilded Gears

If you've been visiting my blog lately (Thank you!) you can't have failed to miss mentions of the wonderful Andy Skinner, who is to Altered Art techniques what Tim Holtz is to Grunge.  Andy offers online courses at a modest cost, which show how to use paints and a few other items to create great effects.

This tag features two of the techniques, the Steampunk Brass and the Burnt Oxidized Copper.  Just for once, I'm not entering it in any challenges;  this ones just for me. If you've done Andy's course then you'll know how I got the effects;  if you haven't - well, I'm not telling.  It wouldn't be fair to Andy. 

The course is coming to an end now, and I'm already contemplating the next one;  the Evil Elixir Mixer sounds like fun...

Compendium of Curiosities II- Challenge 21

Where does the time go?  Thursday already and my entry for Linda's challenge not yet posted!  If you don't know about it,  every week Linda challenges us to make something using one of the techniques from Tin Holtz's most excellent book, A Compendium of Curiosities, Volume 2.
This week the challenge is being sponsored by the generous folk at Simon Says Stamp.
This timewe've been using the Blended Stains technique, and that's how I've created my background.  And then I stamped all over it, so you'll just have to take my word for it that the background is truly awesome.  The tag also features some Andy Skinner Timeworn Techniques - I don't know how I'm going to cope when the course ends...I'll just have to sign up for another one!

WOYWW - 19 September

Didn't think I was going to make it this week due to a serious collapse of broadband service in my area.  (ARRRGH! NO INTERNET!  PANIIIIC!!!)  However, it has returned in time for me to join in the fun that is WOYWW.

It's all a bit if a mess at the moment.  On the left is a bag of Radiant Rain sprays, just delivered (well, there was a half price sale so it would have been rude not to).  The dark brown bit is a practice piece for Andy's course (here's a better pic  -)

The tag on the right is going to be my contribution for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge this week, if I ever get caught up!  The rest of it is just stuff I really ought to put away...when I get a chance...

OK, I'm off to visit some blogs.  Hope you enjoyed your visit - thanks for stopping by!



True Colours

I missed Sunday Stampers last week, and I almost didn't make it this week either.  It's been a wee bit hectic round here, and between stuff happening and wanting to try out the techniques I've been learning in the Timeworn Techniques course,  the week has just flown by. The theme this week is Colour, and so I inked up a tag with nice, bright Distress inks, using the Spritz & Flick technique. 

 

I had my background, but what to do with it?  Don't ask me why, but the colours made me think "Retro".  Now, I usually buy stamps because I like them, but I had a set of motor car stamps that I'd got because my husband liked them.  When we met, he had a 22-year old VW Beetle (the original version) in turquoise, called Ringo.  So that's what I put on the tag. 

 

 



 

I coloured the car with Perfect Pearls - turquoise, of course. Hope you like it.  Thanks for visiting!

Compendium of Curiosities 2 - Challenge 20

This week the technique from Tim Holtz's most excellent Compendium of Curiosities , Volume II, that Linda Ledbetter has challenged us to employ is the Enamelled Stamping technique.  If you want to know how it's done, you'll just have to buy the book!

I've used stamps from The Stamp Man and the Harlequin background is from The Artistic Stamper.   The dragonflies I stamped onto acetate (packaging material - crafty austerity is still in force) and adhered gilding flakes to the background.  Hope you like it!

Got to blog and run now as I'm REALLY late with this entry...see you soon!

WOYWW- 12 September

It's Wednesday, and it's time to go jaunting around the Blogiverse, inspired by Julia Dunnit.  Wednesday usually finds my desk between projects, as I have tidied up after the weekend's craftathon.  Dancing class happens on Wednesday night (it's Jive and Waltz at the moment)  so the desk is between sessions.

This week you can see some paints, sticky stuff, distilled water (for mixing with inks) as well as some assorted sticky stuff.   At the front left there's a couple of bits of work in progress - and I have no idea as to how they're going to turn out.  Ah wel, it'll be a surprise for all of us, then!

Thank you for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Time is a Companion

The recipe for the DragonsDream TIO challenge -
a beating heart, a weathered timepiece and a bit of grunge

So, using some of the techniques I've been learning from Andy Skinner's online workshop, here is my interpretation!

This tag turned out very different to the way it was planned.  The clockface was going to be in the middle of the heart, and there was only going to be one winged heart.  And I was going to use a different clock stamp in the background.  And only one sentiment.  Something just gets into me sometimes...

But I like the way it turned out.  Hope you do, too!

WOYWW - 5th September

Happy Wednesday!  Time to go careering around the Blogiverse, visiting workdesks, as part of Julia's WOYWW. 

This week my desk (annexe) is looking quite clean.  That's because I have just finished my piece of faux leather, one of the techniques in Andy Skinner's Timeworn Techniques course.  All I can say is, you should have seen it on Monday - there was paint EVERYWHERE. It was worth it, though, the finished product is quite realistic - it even feels soft and flexible, like leather.
Here's a better view-

OK, off to do some visiting now - hope you enjoyed your visit.stamping-ground.blogspot.com

Samhain Blessings

 

Create  something with a Hallowe'en-ish theme they said, at the Haunted Design  House Challenge Blog.  No problemo. said I,  my idea of a fun holiday is going and sitting in a haunted house hoping the ghosts will come out to play, so I can do spooky.  Ah, said they, but it has to be - flat!  FLAT? FLAT? That means no lumpy embellies....Oh, the HORROR of it...

 



So here's my interpretation.  The background is done with the Spritz and Flick technique from Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities, Volume 2.  The crow you probably recognise as a Sizzix Alterations die (love that crow).  Samhain is the Celtic New Year festival which corresponds with Hallowe'en and I stamped the letters individually. 

 

What's really scary is that it will be Hallowe'en before we know it, followed by Yuletide before we can blink...where does the time go? 

Not a Card...

The inaugural "Anything But A Card" challenge blog has launched (May God Bless Her, and All Who Sail In Her)

This is Not A Card, so I'm sharing it...

This little papier mache box has been altered using techniques I'm learning at Andy Skinner's Timeworn Techniques online course.   Andy is an amazing teacher and I'm having lots of fun;  this is my first make for the course and I'm so pleased at how it turned out.  Here's another view -

The initials on the lid - TF - stand for Thomas Felix (that's Major Thomas Felix), consort of that plucky gel, Lady Ermintrude Duffryn-Felix, who has been mentioned in this blog previously.

I worry about me, sometimes.

Altered Tin

Not a clever blog title but my brain has gone on holiday after an unusually stressful day in work (I won't bore you with the details - suffice it to say that, at one point,  the Police had to be called to remove a customer who was refusing to leave the premises!). I'm lucky that my hobby keeps me sane(ish)!

Here's the tin that could be spotted lurking on my desk on Wednesday.  The latest challenge for the Stamp Man Challenge Blog is to alter something and as I have a number of these tins that I use to keep by crafting bits in (they came with coffee in originally) I thought I'd give one a makeover.

To begin with, I stripped the paint from the tin.  I use a brilliant gel paint stripper (Home Strip Paint and Varnish Stripper) that's not caustic, smells pleasant and cleans up with water, and does an AMAZING job, but it struggled a bit with the paint on this one.  I was determined, however, and once it was back to the bare metal I sponged on a couple of light coats of gesso, and once that was dry, I painted the tin brown.

While that was drying, I splodged some Distress Inks in various shades of brown onto my craft mat, sprayed them with water and smooshed them (technical term) about a bit, then spread a sheet of white tissue paper over it to pick up the colours.  (This tin needed one A4 piece for the tin itself and another A5 bit for the lid)

When it was all good and dry, I spread PVA glue over the whole thing, covered it with the tissue paper, allowing it to wrinkle , and then put another coat of PVA on top so that it was well and truly stuck on, and left it to dry.  I sponged another thin layer of PVA over it to make sure it was sealed and to give it some texture, and put it to one side while I thought about what I was going to do next!


After a couple of days drying time, I inked up the Harlequin texture mat with gold Brilliance ink and rolled the tin over it and added the embellishments.   (Though tempted, I refrained from adding flowers).  I think it's going to look good on my desk, and it'll keep my odds and ends under control - I hope!

Come Fly With Me...

It's a Blue Moon!  Tonight's Full Moon is the second in the calendar month, so isknown as a blue moon.  So to celebrate the event, here's a blue moon tag, inspired by the blog challenge at Haunted  Design House!

The requirement for the challenge is to include a BIG moon.  So here it is, nice and big and bright, so that Mysti can see where those cheeky bats are...they are due a talking-to and she's just the cat to do it, after a bit of genetic modification, of course....

Update 6/9/12 - I made the Gruesome Twosome!  Whoopee!