Grungy Monday #39..Get Your Plaid On!

Heaven's it feels like a while since I've been able to get a GM Project done!! And the last one!! I would have hated to miss it! So, this week, Linda at Studio L3 has chosen a technique that has intrigued me since Tim first showed us in 2009! His cool Plaid technique from his 12 days of Christmas, Day 3, 2009! So, with alcohol inks all lined up: Bravely I go forth!! (I do have Celt blood in my...how could I fail! LOL) I sorta wanted to go with colors of my husbands clan colors....and this really couldn't be farther from those! And, I want an honest show of hands....who else can't drag a sponge across a piece of paper in a straight line??? So, here is the first attempt...ugh!

My second attempt got rid of the Stream AI, and I added blending solution to see if it would flow better...it came out much lighter, so I went with that. (Yeah, still not Clan Young-ahh well)

I then stamped the thistle stamp from Fred Mullett, some little celtic knots around the tag, and tied in a charm that sorta could be a Crest. I have to say, I am impressed with the color integrity of the Adirondack Currant ink. I used it in the Alchol version for the plaid, colored the tag with the Wrinkle-Free Distress Technique, even though it wasn't distress ink, it worked great!, and then stamped on the seam binding, which I than smooshed back into the left over ink on the craft sheet...all look spot on...cool!

So, there is still time to give this one a try! (definately check out Tim's first to see what is should really look like!) OH, and there are Prizes!! HTTP:\www.SimonSayStamp.Com will give someone a $25 shopping spree!! Have a great Crafty Weekend everyone!

GM #36:A Holtzian Valentine!

Lets face it: One of the best reasons to Love Tim Holtz is because he doesn't do "cute!" Good, strong, suitable for a guy images....great for guy birthdays and guy valentine's day cards. And this week's Grungy Monday Challenge with Linda at Studio L3 is to use any Tim product or technique and have at it...for Valentines Day! And as an added bonus, this week the challenge is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, with a chance to win a gift certificate to that wonderful store!!

So, while the construction happened at the last minute (really! with a great dinner starting in the oven for my Honey-planned just to allow stamping time while cooking; time management at it's best!) the mental planning had been going on since Monday morning. I started with Tim's hearts dies and grungepaper. (again; perfect for a guy; not too frilly) I painted them with the Picket Fence Stain, then ran them through his swirl texture fade, with his technique of putting Fired Brick ink on the fade so the red would imbed into the impression...came out totally cool!! The label (again, his alteration line) was cut, and stamped with the saying. Then the problems kinda crept in: assembly...it was missing something; so I cut a layer from his Seasonal paper stack, but it was too dark, so I hit it with the Picket Fence Distress Stain; a few times... Still needed something, so I cut out the Be Mine from the same stack, then edged the top heart with Black Soot DI to try to give it some contrast, which didn't really work, hit it with some more Stain, and once dry, did look pretty good.
Now, as the picture just loaded; it does look like one hot mess; but take my word, in person, it was much better! LOL! But now the baked potatoes were done, ready for stuffing and twice baking; and along with the grilled rib-eye steaks, ceasar salad, sherried mushrooms and green beans, my Honey seemed very happy with it all! And on a week night, on Valentine's day, he had better not said otherwise! Oh, and I haven't confirmed it yet, but he sorta indicated that my Valentine's gift was sorta on pre-order....Distress Markers maybe??? I'll keep you all posted! So have a great weekend everyone! And I know you all made some sort of Valentine's project- so don't be shy....hop to Linda's and share with us all!

GM #35: ATC's Holtz-style

Greetings everyone! Lovely Linda at Studio L3 has given the Grungy Monday challenge as doing an ATC (artist trading card) using either the products or techniques of Tim Holtz, or both!!

So, with time being an issue...again (how many years before I can retire or become independently wealthy? Too Many) I sat at the desk with no preconceived notion: threw down some milled lavender in a wrinkle-free distress style, then added aged mahogany to transmorph it into scribble distress (and again..to heavy with the reinker). But I did like the card...had a scrap of the film strip die, threw that in there...found the face fit, so stamped and cut that in. Added Rock Candy Crackle, then Vintage Photo to age it. Added the Curiousity saying; both from the same Curious Possibilities Visual Artistry's set, then added the pen nib (memoirs..but you can't read it!) I added the gold photo corners, then instead of STOPPING! I foolishly wrote in my grandfather's name, who went to Alaska to find gold...but my handwritting ruined it, but it was too late...Arghhh! Silly Kim! So, I'll hunt for a trinket to hide that part, but in the meantime...here it is...

So, the week is still young...relatively...so go get your own Tim on, and make an ATC! Have a great weekend everyone!

A Grungy Birthday Card: GM #31

I'm not worthy!! This week's challenge for Grungy Monday is to use any Tim Holtz technique or product, and make a card for His Birthday!

So, with no specific technique in mind, I messed around with Tim's watchface texture folder. I also used the Art Collage stamp from Stampers Anonomous and the saying is from Tim's Visual Artistry set "Artful Things" on a Journaling Ticket. I stampded the watch face from "The Journey" set on the charm fragment with Stazon, then hit it with some alchohol inks (latte and ginger). It needed something else, so I added a watch face back from Tim's Salvage Stickers which was attached with a charm holder.

My DI Colors: Black Soot, Vintage Photo, Shabby Shutters, Bundled Twigs. MY DI Stains: Antique Linen and Vintage Photo. Inside is a saying from Wordsworth Stamps, regarding Wrinkles on our Brow, not on our Hearts, for the Spirit should Never Grow Old. But I have a feeling Tim doesn't need that advise! LOL!

So Tim, I wish you a Very Happy Birthday, with many more wonderfully creative years!

Grungy Monday #30-All Taped Up

Here we are at the last Grungy Monday Challenge of the year! And as I'm just about to go on the clock at work, this will be short: All the details of our Grungy Monday assignments can be found at Linda's Studio L3, where we delve into the cool creativeness of Tim Holtz. And this week there is a prize offering, sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. This week: to use either Tim's new Tissue Paper and/or his Tissue Tape. Since I haven't found or seen any of the tissue paper yet, I had to go with the Tape. (But the paper sounds really cool! Now we have GrungeTissue to go with grungepaper and grungeboard! Totally workable, inkable, distressable stuff!)

I used my new Vagabond (sorry, just can't seem to stop saying that!) to cut the bird out of grungepaper, which I covered with the Symphony Tape. I then smooshed is some of my new purple Distress Stain (Thank you Linda! LOL!) and let it dry, while I then covered a tag with my other 2 new stains, Linen and Photo (thank you Boss Maria for the GC). In the process, I learned you really need to be aware of your work space when using these stains...While running amok with the purple, I manged to stain a stack of grungepaper, two wood stamps, and my jeans. LOL! I stamped the saying with the new Seedless Preserves (1st time use-nice color!) the flourish with the concord and lavender DI's, then went to put my stickle-less Rock Candy Stickles (when will I remember to replace it?) on the bird; and of course forgot that the stain would blend...so my really cool blotches all evened out...but still pretty neat. I finished the eye with the Glossy Enamels.

Oh, and Dakota would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I'm trying to convince her that her resolution should be to leave everything in the closet!

So, there is still time to get into the Tissue Fun! Go see Linda, then play for your selves. And I do hope everyone has a very healthy, happy New Year!

The 2011 Card Collection

Tadaaa! And Phewww!! Finally finished my Christmas Cards. I had done so well at the craft fair, I had to make them all over again; throw in a vacation, and let me just say...NEVER THIS LATE AGAIN! And I noticed, looking at them all layed out: every one of them used some type of die cut: Tim Holtz Alterations, Spell Binder layers and stencil, and Memory Box. Hmmmm, who would have thunk?

In no particular order; this one is using a Spellbinders stencil, with Distress Inks and Glimmer Mist. Tim Holtz gave a great tip with offsetting letters for depth, so I did the same with the saying... looks real shimmery!


And this is my kitty one for the year: stamp by Magenta, colored with prismacolored pencils.





This one is using the Memory box dies and background stamp, with Distress inks, and I believe an Anna Griffen holly background on the red panel. Can't remember where the little greeting came from.

This one used the Tim Holtz reindeer die and his green garland texture fade. The little saying is from Memory Box: Gotta love it! And a Hero Arts stamp was used on the deer, "On Comet, On Cupid..."


And this one: stamps also from Memory Box, and the ribbon Spellbinders die: very cool and useful die set! There is sparkly fluff on the trim of the hat!

And I just realized, I never transferred the Memory Box snowflake edge card to the memory stick to bring to work..bummer! My friend Julie had a great idea: find self adhesive paper for it, and it took a while, but then I found a sparkly white paper...and it worked Great! So there they are. A record year: 106 cards (ok, I did reuse a few designs from years past, as I was running out of supplies/paper, etc.) between commissions, craft show and me! I hope everyone appreciates them, and I hope you enjoyed seeing them too.

And I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Wonderful new year!

Grungy Monday #29---Git 'er Done!

OK, I'm a big fan of "Git 'er done", with all that red-neck twang and mentality behind it... only way to get the board packets out on time, get the newsletter articles out to the printer on time, get a loan approved..on time (get the gist?) I'm not a big fan when creating..well, maybe with practicing those flute studies, but it has been 40 years, so I'm entitled...but definately not while creating art with ink. So it is with a head hung in shame, that I admit, this sample was attacked with the whole idea of getting 'er done. Lovely Linda at Studio L3 even gave us two weeks for this one, and no set assignment, just use a technique or product from the fabulous Tim Holtz, in honor of his wonderful "12 Tags of Christmas". But, you see, I am WAY behind the eightball this season; I sold all my Christmas cards at the craft show, so I still have to make 45 to get out for me; I have a commission of 10 gift card holders for my head boss (no pressure), I haven't even started on shopping for the immediate family, but at least picked up the grand niece/nephews that have to wrapped, boxed and mailed out this week, and I don't have a clue what to get my husband!

So, as I'm on the home computer, I can't go back to check but it was the 2nd or 3rd tag with the Holiday Relfections set that I chose to follow (Yea for me! 1 Tag technique done! LOL!) This is the one where you use alcohol ink on hard plastic and the Reflections Stamps. To get the whole formula, hop over to Tim's blog and scout it out. As I had the folder out, I also tried to recreate his original technique of stamping on the embossing folders. Of course I did it backwards the first time! LOL!

Here is a close-up, showing the music staff. I wish I had used more ink on the felt, so it would be smoother and the detail would be cleaner. I used a drop of the enamel accents for the eye. The saying comes from Memory Box.

So, done, and with luck, may actually upload before tomorrows deadline.

And, I'd like to take this opportunity to let everyone who is following and completeing the "12 Tags" to know, while I just can't post, I'm am peeking and you all deserve a huge Congrats! And Tim, thank you for sharing your wonderful vision and creativity...it's my new year resolution to be all caught up by next December 1 so I can play along too! LOL!

Perfectly Distressingly, Grungingly, Monday (#24)

Not just grungingly Monday--but all week! I've been kicked in the A$$ by a cold that won't quit! I haven't missed this much work since I had major surgery 17, maybe 18 years ago! The other night after major cold meds, I actually was able to climb the stairs to the craft room and sorta get inky. Now, since I've been home, I haven't been able to download (22 minutes to load the intro..ugh! Who wants to go into a hostage scheme with the cable company?) Tim's video that Linda linked with this weeks challenge at Studio L3, so I hope it is the same technique he has in his Compendium of Curiosities. As I didn't have the energy to look through all the stamps, I went with the Inkadinkadoo set that was on the desk. After doing the background with Old Paper DI and stamping Tim's music in Pumice DI, I stamped the Cardinal in Fired Brick. Hit it with Gold Perfect Pearl, then misted with some of the same. The saying is from Memory Box.

WHile I feel it stills needs some embellishment, I didn't have the energy to play around, but liked it enough that I made 2 more, so if I find that perfect "finish", I'll have 3 more cards for the craft fair...next Thurs. (Gasp!) Hopefully, as I made it downstairs today without fainting, I can make it upstairs and try to make up for lost time! I still have a lot of crafting to do! So, go head over to Linda's, check out Tim Holtz's video, and go get perfectly distressed.

GM #23: aka Speed Grunge!

Oye Vey! Linda picked a doosey for our 23rd Grungy Monday Challenge. And as there is still plenty of time, go visit her Studio L3 for all the details. Now, what made this a doosey? Not the difficulty of a technique...not digging to find a substitute if you don't have the same product...no, this was a self-destructive kind a challenge: Time! Make a card using a Tim Holtz technique or product. The challenge..do it in ten minutes or less!!!

Now, what you don't know is I was actually published a few years ago for a Christmas card I made in Somerset Magazine's "Take Ten" issue. Then, like now, the actual planning and prepping don't really count in the ten minutes...But for some reason..even with my planning, I imploded! And the only way this got done is I have a lot of layers cut for my craft fair...so basically I had all the cutting done. And. looking at the photo...not sure I'm even liking it. The technique I learned at a Tim Holtz Style Card making class. Use Versamark ink on glossy, stamp your images, brayer with Adirondack Inks, then overstamp a border in archival black. And I love this new stamp set I just got...but somehow..it's just not quite right. And now I really hate the purple around the saying.. yeah, I think I need a red0...

So, now go over and see some amazing 10 minutes miracles! Then get your timer and.....GO!

Grungy-Spooky Monday #22

Wow..almost missed the first Grungy Monday Challenge over at Linda's Studio L3, which has been on a break, since it seems like forever! Our mission: A Halloween inspired project using one or more of Tim Holtz's products. While I don't have a dearth of Tim's wonderful products, I do have a dearth of halloween-type items. Don't know why: I love Halloween, I love costumes, ditto candy; I have just never "crafted" anything halloween, not even web cupcakes!! So, I have spent the whole week wondering what to do. Then Tim's blog gave me some inspiration- I have a stash of the Seasonal Grungeboard diecuts-under lock and key!! I thought I had the craft resist paper, but apparently not.

So..using one of the rare bats, I black dabbered it, then spritzed with the home-made blend of perfect-pearls mist. While that was drying, I colored a tag using the wrinkle free distress technique and Tim's new seasonal colors. I then Embossed the tag with Tim's old tree folder, and hit that with the Bundled twigs. I then realized I should have done the moon first...sigh. So , I cut out the moon from the Memory Box cat w/moon stamp, hit that with DI Mustard Seed, and the gold Perfect Pearl mist. I cut out a bit of letterblocks from the Seasonal Stash, stuck the bat over the cat-head in the moon, then just had to add the googly-eyed scaredy cat sticker on the bottom. And yay! I even found some black ribbon to finish it off. So, go pop over to Linda's to see what Grungy Monday is all about--you still have a smidge of time left! Have a great rest of the weekend everyone.

Absolutely Everything, Day 2!

(ok, full back-up running at work, I have 15 minutes to post again! LOL)

So, Our Tim Holtz Inspired Weekend finished with a class that converted some of Tim's Tag Techniques into cards. Very Fun-especially since I mostly make cards!! Some of the techniques are in Tim's book, The Compendium of Curiosities, with some Perfect Pearls Spray added for good measure! So, without further ado:

Card 1: A take on the "Perfectly Distressed" technique in TCC. Stamp with Distress Ink, dust with Perfect Pearls, spray and let the magic happen!

#2: My favorite: The rusted Enamel Technique on the background, and the Indsutrial Grunge technique on the gears. I so love the color on this one!

#3: Using Perfect Medium, stamp one or two images on glossy cardstock. Then using a brayer, brayer the heck out of it with Adirondack Inks. The darker the better! Then overstamp with black. I do wish my bird came out a tad darker.

And Finally: #4: Which I honestly can't remember what we did! LOL! I think it was the Wrinkle Free Distress background, with the grunge label adding texture, along with the seam binding.

So, that was our fabulous weekend of creativity! The true test of our craftyness though was in the smuggling of the 8 or so bags of "Stash" that made their way into the craft room! LOL!

Well, gotta run, work becons yet again. I still have a few more posts to catch up on, so do stop by in a bit to catch up with me!

Absolutely! The Best!

Already seems like a lifetime ago! The first weekend of August, "Absolutely Everything", in Topsfield MA, was having some Tim Holtz inspired classes, with a little after hours get together of members of the "All Things Tim" Yahoo Group. Well, it's a 4 hour drive for us, but as my sister lives in Haverhill, MA, just a jump down the road, my friend Julie and I took the Friday off, packed leftovers for the men, and headed out. On the way we stopped at "Ink About It" in Westfield, MA. What a very cute store, and as all our local stores have closed, it was like a stamping oasis! Even knowing we'd be shopping the next two days didn't stop us from packing quite a few bags in the car.

Saturday was a whole day class--using Tim's Configurations Tray. Now...I preface that our LSS's classes where very..ummm, specific. Everyone on the same steps, with almost the same colors, same stamps, etc. After a few years, you become a soldier. Not so at AE!! Julie and I were SO Befuddled! LOL! It was really kinda shocking. We got to pick just about all the elements, which made for some serious confusion. The first project was to take the two larger dividers and make a little suitecase with a book inside! Very Cool! That we accomplished on time.

The actual tray?? Julie was a perfectionist on the Tissue Tape step, which put her way behind...I just winged it...and still finished just last weekend! So, here are the project from our first day of our wonderful Tim Inspired Weekend.

Grungy Monday #19

Whew! I made it! Quite the week at work; which manages to steal from my precious craft time..but I'm here, with a suprisingly ok example of the technique Linda has assigned for the Studio L3 Grungy Monday Challenge. This week, we visit Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, 2010, Day 10. This is the one that grabbed my attention, but I never went back to check it out after the holiday rush. So I was quite excited..had great plans, and then reality said I only had 45 mintues to work and photograph, and still get other things done. Hence, the "suprisingly ok" comment.

I would have like a better dabber resist texture around the background, which I had cut out of a manila file folder, not quite so heavy, but it was a learning curve. I love using the recycled plastic packaging stuff..I've been saving it ever since I saw this tag. (Trivia: I read somewhere that 18% of emergency room visits are for stitches from opening this type of bubble packaging--really!)

I used the shattered glass texture fade, and the "B" and the heart are from Tim's Grungeboard sets. I used watermelon dabber on the heart, and espresso on the b, then stamped the rest of the letters also in espresso. I also edged the heart with a bit of the espresso. The background was spun sugar--which shifted by being over the manila tag; with the snowcap dabber I thought I had just skimmed around the edges. Now, go visit Tim's link, check out the technique, and go get busy--there is still time! Have a great week everyone!

Grungy Monday #9

Good morning everyone. I hope you all had a great Holiday Weekend. Despite my plan to get much time in the craft room; I only got 3 hours in! How sad is that? On the otherhand, with so much to do and finish, I was pretty focused.

So, on to the Grungy Monday Technique Challenge, Linda at Studio L3 has set us to another of Tim Holtz's wonderful 12 Days of Christmas Tags from 2007, day 10. This technique is also in his wonderful book, the Compendium of Curiosities, under Shabby Chic. I hadn't gotten a stash of grungeboard when we had done this the first time, so was using a piece from the Elements set, and was sorta afraid to experiment. In the 12 Tags example, Tim used a tag, and also suggested using black card stock instead of the black paint...Brilliant! This worked out so much better for me! My black cardstock seems to be double thick too, made it that much sturdier.

After embossing the images from Tim Holtz's set, I used Lemonade, Lettuce and Stream Adirondack Dabbers. Totally waited for it to dry (see- I learn from past mistakes! LOL) and rubbed away--very nice, except I lost a lot of the lemonade, the green sorta took over. I then went to stamp a saying over the top. OK, raise your hands...who knew you couldn't get a crisp image over the paint? Re-dabbed and tried twice! finally went with the ticket to cover the mess underneath. And yes, it's official, my bottle of Rock Candy Stickles, even though 1/3 full, is completely out of the stickle stuff--only glue is left. Oh, and I used some Black Soot Distress Stickles on the tag. Neither of which is clearly seen in the photo. But this was pretty fun, and sparked my creation for the Play Date Cafe challenge, which you can see in my previous post.

So, now go over to Linda's and check out the details, then jump on in. There is still plenty of time! Have a great week everyone!

GM #3--Color-wash-ific?

Adirondack Colorwashes---This weeks subject for Linda's Studio L3 Grungy Monday Series, where we explore the techniques and products of Tim Holtz. Hmm, yes, of course I have a few, or so. I have actually taken a class at my LSS making realy cool backgrounds on watercolor paper. So, let me preface: 1) That was a few years ago 2) I have the original bottles, which I don't want to get rid of, but my denim sprays sideways, a few dribble down the sides, and the raisin just seems to pour out of the mister top if tilted greater than 45 degrees 3) Couldn't remember which type of watercolor paper; mine is obviously the wrong one. Oh, and 4) it involved the nefarious iron (need I say more)

So, with much messiness; crazy spraying and deciding the watercolor paper wasn't working, getting the iron out afterall, I went with trying them on a tag. Much better! Thank heavens! LOL! This is butterscotch and terra cotta. OK, now I just had a tag..so, I broke out my trusty big shot, and used all the awful, wrinkly watercolor papers and made the scroll and flowers. And yay!! The bright leaves really pulled it off! They were lettuce and stream; the flowers were butterscotch, terracotta and raisin, and the scroll was butterscotch and eggplant. (The denim is on my new storage cabinet and my newly cleaned carpet) Oh, and all had an overspray of gold perfect pearls in a mini mister (because my tattered angels mists are completely clogged--hmm, better start using things more regularily! LOL!)

So, on my next non-windy day (it will be a while; I live in a wind tunnel! LOL!) these puppies are coming out and getting totally cleaned, purged, etc. and see if I can get those sprayers working right. Maybe I might just need to get the new smaller bottles! Because they really do lend themselves to great backgrounds. So head over to Linda's and see all the otherways these sprays can be used. Have a great weekend everyone!

WOYWW #97

Here they are!!! Just before I turn out the lights Wed. night...aren't they beautiful?? (Oh, no, not the Reese's! They were long gone!) No, the canvas's! I had gotten Tim Holt'z 2nd DVD, "The Journey Continues" at Christmas. His altered canvas with beeswax facinated me! Since then, I have been on a quest to find natural canvas. The credits listed Canvas Concepts. They were still around, but only do wholesale now. And when I got their distribution list, sure, stores carried the white, gesso'ed canvas's, but not the natural ones. (I had even managed to place 2 orders, Mid West Scrapbook Supplies cancelled it almost immediately, and Sears went so far as to give me a tracking number and date of delivery...only once that day came and went, and I called them, they told me the product was no longer available, did I want a credit???) So, after emailing the company rep 5, er, 6; maybe 7 times..she finally hooked me up with an 8 x 8 inch pack! They arrived Tues! Of course Tim's segment lasted about 15 minutes, start to finish....these took about 15 minutes, and still had to dry! LOL! Hopefully I can start the beeswax portion on my next craft break-away; and get the letters and everything else ready and complete by the weekend!! If "pleading" a migraine to call in sick didn't always bring the real thing...I'd be all waxy now-LOL!

So, jump on over to Julia's place, and check out hers and everyone else's busy, beautiful desks! And keep peeking in on me; I'll post those canvas's as soon as they are done!

Showing the Grunge!

This weeks challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show is showing your interpretation of "Grunge". I had done this card for a friend, and since it had to be mailed, I couldn't add too much "Stuff" on the outside...I love my postman (I should, he's my hubby!) but I don't trust them to get stuff with bumpy envelopes where they belong! But I did use a few techniques from the Compendium of Curiosities! Three to be exact! See if you can tell which ones they are! And all the stamps are from Tim. And Happy Crafting everyone!

CCC #11-Blended Batik

Happy week 11 everyone! Before I go too far in this blog; I have a few disclaimers: 1. I have an active dislike of irons (I will not say irrational fear...) 2. My girlfriend Julie was to come over and have a play-day; but she's sick. 3. Since I had planned for a party, and my husband will be golfing all day, I felt it only right to partake of the menu; I've had 2 pineapple mojito's; I just realized I probably shouldn't be driving to meet my SIL for dinner; and 4. I have a brand new digital SLR; these are the 8th shots from it: I don't know how to work the software that came with it' and am giggling too much to read the manual-you'll just have to live with what is coming out. I think they still look better than the little olympus that died last week; but I should refer you back to #3.

So, this week was page #36 in Tim Holtz's book for the challenge at Studio L3. (pretty cool; finally figured out this link stuff..sorry, refer to #3) Aside from disclaimer #1, I was looking forward to this challenge; I can't find a good white ink; and this is a great substitute; as long as you know you want to do something thats paler than your background--before you do your background. So, how did my image not turn out pale?? I don't know; somewhere between during my first tag the checkboard popped into my head; and of course I started it backwards. So on take 2 I did the red first, then the black over, then continued with the instructions--can't share them here! LOL! I tried to go back to the original celtic knotwork in green; but now it looks really boring; and busy; and way too pale- But this one---I'm really liking it! And since I wanted to show the technique in a more normal fashion, I also used it on the little tag. Now, because the clip was increadbly shiney, I used some alcohol inks to tone it down, and took a close up (because I can! LOL!) to show that detail, with some of the batik effect.

Now, as if one challenge in my time-deprived life isn't enough, Simon Says Stamp and Show also has a weekly challenge. And since this is an item inspired by Tim, and this tag is darker than I usually do, a tad grungier, so to speak, I'm sorta cheating by sending it to both places. I will try on future challenges to not have one piece do double duty!

And lastly, some good news; it has taken 1 hour 22 minutes to load the photos (and yes, I start those first; and you wonder why my blog can ramble...); in which I've had 2 ice teas (normal ones..Sheesh..) and feel that I can safely drive to dinner in the next half hour. So have a good weekend everyone! Julie; I hope you feel better soon, and you can get your challenge done! See you all on week #12!