Grungy Monday #17

So upset that I missed my first week since the start of the CCC and GM! But work called-and life reared its ugly head! So back with a vengance (god, can't spell!) and of course, the Rock Candy Stickles is..well stickless! So first, go over to Linda's L3 Studio and see which wonderful product from Tim Holtz we get to play with.

So, here we are. I tried to take a picture to show the few sparkly stickel left. I tried smearing some in the folds of the rosette, but again, barely seen even real life! So, now go check out Linda's, visit Tim, and get Rocked!

WOYWW #112

Wow! I haven't opened my doors lately...it's been crazy busy, crazy hot...and just plain crazy! And today, nothing exciting...my Grungy Monday piece I finished last night,while I was packing to HAVE A PLAY DAY!! SO excited..playing hookie from work (well, not really, did take it as a vacation day)and hanging out with my friend Julie to try some new techniques! So, without further ado..here is my space...Now, I gotta run! I'll drop in on everyone a bit later! And if you haven't been yourself...go drop in on Julia's Stamping Ground and see whats going on! Have fun!

Some Birthday Cards

Good Morning. Just a quick posting of some of the last cards I've made, 'cause I kinda really like them! LOL!

The first is for my husband, and Thank Heavens for Tim Holtz, as it is now so much easier to make a "guy" card. This one used the watch texture fade, which I inked on one side before adding the paper and running through. Now Tim had mentioned putting the ink on the raised side, so the ink would go in the deep pockets; my problem, I don't know which side of the texture fade is to be "up". So I had all my nice dark numbers...in reverse! On the other side, all the nice inky goodness went on the face parts, since the numbers were raised... So, I did it without inking the fade, and then sponged the ink over the top lightly. I then stamped the big clock face and saying over velum, and eyelets attached everything together.

The second is for my Sister in Law: I was entranced by the Spellbinder embossing stencils: bought 2, and then found I needed a silicone mat and embossing plate to run them through the Big Shot. So I am now accessoried up; and as she lives on Cape Cod and is a beach freak, I used the shell one. I also used a blue sheet of the Whitewash Core'dinations paper...then sanded..and How Freakin' Cool! It also looks cool sanded from the other side, with the darker blue as the background and the shells in white! I used the deckle rectangle from Spellbinders (these really are cool, now that they work right!) and stamped the image from Clearly Crafty, and colored with Prismacolor Pencils. I think I should have deckle trimmed the embossed piece, no, torn it!! That would be awesome! Hmm, not mailed yet! And a little silver shell charm would be perfect, I can hit a store in my lunch hour! OK, you may see this one remade; amazing what a day can do! Have a great weekend everyone. Do some crafting for me, as I'll be spending the week in a Business Lending Credit Analysis course, where their idea of creative is how to move around depreciation on vehicles and furnature to increase the debt service coverage ratio. Oh Baby, I Just Can't Wait!!! LOL!

Grungy Monday #15: Get Rusted!

How cool is this technique!! I'm talking about Tim Holtz's rusted enamel technique, from the 12 Tags of Christmas, 2007 series, which Linda has used as our 15th Grungy Monday Challenge. I remember this from the Compendium challenge, and loved the effect! I have tried stamping over it, but, as Tim says, it's really best for backgrounds.

Now, if you've noticed, I usually do the challenge as a challenge piece, for the challenge's sake. This way I have the samples to look at when I need inspiration, but as I have done this one a few times since, and I have three birthday cards to do for this month, and I'll be away for work all next week, I couldn't putz around! Besides, after my space-reorganization, an idea for my best friends's son's birthday jumped right out. Now, the Ogre was a lot tougher to do than I thought; I now have quite a few of the little fellows, in various states of un-dress running around the desk! I used the Bundled Sage DI for the background, which is cut with an old retired sizzix die, "Parchment"-how cool is that! Now, bundled Sage is usually so soft, and light; not when used DTP!! It's darker than the Peeled Paint! But it was still doable. The inside has the Tim stamp "The world of reality has its limits, but the world of imagination is boundless" which I thought was fitting for a virtual role-playing gamer!

So, it's still early, you have time to jump on over the Linda's, check out the technique for yourself, and get Rusting!! It really is very cool. Have a great crafty week everyone!

WOYWW #110

Good morning (for me) WOYWWer's! Well, I have been very busy in my craft room; not stamping so much, which was becoming a problem. But I figured out why...my Muse was cramped. Some of you may remember in Feb. when I took over my stepson's room, and my husband bought me that nice drawing desk for Christmas that fit perfectly into the dormer window spot. Sure, looks nice, but it was a tight little cubby, and I was constantly turning around to get out to get stuff all along the walls. There was just no stacking room! So, to hell with keeping it as a functioning guest room (I am leaving the futon in there though!) I have now taken over the whole back quadrant and closet! And, viola! As soon as I was done-Bam! 3 Birthday cards done!! Its A Miracle! (One you will see better as part of the GM challenge! next posting) Oh, and that cute dormer space: it is now the spot for all my photography and music equipment! The only thing I haven't moved closer is the paper tower, well, because quite frankly, it frightens me. I'll deal with that when it is much cooler and less humid!

So, now jump on over to Julia's Stamping Ground, and visit some truely creative desks. There are good things going on around the world! Have a great crafty week everyone!

Grungy #14: A Dabber here, a Dabber there...

Welcome once again! Linda over at Studio L3 has once again handed out our secret technique mission....another time warp to 2008 with Tim Holtz's March Technique Challenge. This is an adaption of the dabber resist, creating your own perfect pearls mist, and going from there.

I have to say: I was having issues. I had 2 colors, peeled paint and Rusty Hinge made up from the compendium challenges last year (and first, has anyone noticed a smell after storing these? Kinda musty when sprayed? Just an observation) And I might not have used a full dropper full of reinker, but they sprayed on nice and dark. For this challenge I also mixed up Scattered Straw, and did use a full dropper. They sprayed on so rich and dark, but you couldn't see the resist underneath. I then went to dry with the heat gun, and the colors just faded away. I added more reinker to the older colors, but it didn't seem to matter. I finally ended up sponging some color back in. Did I use too much perfect pearls? Anyone else have this problem?

I also had to wipe the resist area over with a damp paper towel to get it to show. And then, as Tim had said, the photo doesn't do it justice! Well, I couldn't get a good shot at all, finally went out on the porch, and had to boost the contrast. So, here ya' have it. The leaves used for the resist is from Penny Black, the black leaves are from PSX and the saying is from Impression Obsession.

Grungy Monday #13 and Showing a Word!

This week on Studio L3's Grungy Monday challenge, Linda has sent us to Ranger Ink, where Tim Holtz is demo-ing Adirondack alcohol inks! Now, you all know I Love alchohol, (of any sort! LOL!) but I was a little stumped on what to do..I usually also don't like looking at everyone else's posts until after I post, (which adds to why I comment so little..time and dial-up-but I do peek!) But I just didn't want to do a background, so browsed, and Donna's was first up--and it was amazing! So I told her so..and then we started emailing, and she asked a simple question about some die-cuts, and..not kidding..I'm at work... and typing my reply, when a lightingbolt, ridden by my muse, blew into my brain! All sorts of ideas were flashing fast and furious! Of course, the last hour of work, the 50 minute drive home, the feeding of the felines and husband (our puppy just doesn't eat-not sure why she's getting bigger! LOL!) some of my energy left.

So, while not quite what I visioned, I still had a ball..you see, I got to play with an early birthday present to me (and Julie...sorta ruins the surprise of a folder you'll be getting in the mail!) but I had bought the TH Rosetta die! So, I cut it out on glossy, and then pounced away with AAI's Butterscotch, Wild Plum and Cranberry with Gold. Then, went to assemble; being a little nervous, as some people on some of the groups mentioned having issues...but-WoW! It just pressed right down into the perfect little rosette!! I used Glossy Accents to attach the ends and the discs. Now I needed foliage, and thought of the Florish die--again in glossy. Hit that with Lettuce, Meadow and Butterscotch AI's, and pretty cool! Didn't want to overdo the background, so used the Wrinkle free technique on the tag with Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge and Sage DI's (which really faded down when dry..but still look very agate-ey) I glued the flourishes and rosette down, added some bling , but it needed something, when I remembered that Simon Says Stamp and Show was about Words this week, so I used another TH die, and punched out Grow, and Ta Dah! A Two-fer! And all without using one stamp! Very weird! Also weird...the letters looked so well aligned last night--but not on todays photos! SO, go visit Linda's Studio, and see Simon Says, and then go grab some bottles of this wonderful stuff! there is still time to jump in and Play! Have a great Holiday weekend everyone!