A Weighty Birthday

For the past two years, a friend at work has asked me to make a personalized birthday card for her husband.  Last year I made a card with a bike theme as he is an avid bicyclist - this year when we were trying to think of another theme - she said 'well, he likes to lift weights'.  Hmmm, I thought, how do a create a card with that theme???

But, as sometimes happens -  when I walked into my craft room - I suddenly thought of the strong man stamp in the Big Top Stamps and Framelits set from Alterations/Tim Holtz!

I just LOVE when inspiration hits - don't you???!!!

So I die cut,stamped and colored the strong man - using Archival Jet Black Ink and Ranger Distress Markers in Shabby Shutter, Tea Dye and Black Soot along with my waterbrush.

I also die cut and stamped the stars in the set.    I rummaged through my Paper Stash papers and picked out a piece from Correspondence of a collage of tickets  for the background.   I used two Pocket Cards - one with blue stars and a red label printed on it - and another with a universal calendar - and I highlighted his birthday with green marker - Apr and 2.

I outlined the Small Talk sentiments, stars and Pocket cards with my black Stabilo pencil - then rubbed the lines with a wet finger to smudge to add a little grunge to the design.

She was very happy and excited about my design - and thinks her husband will get a kick out of it when he opens it on April 2nd.

I'm linking my card to the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday 

I think I hit the toppings - The Great Divide - my card is divided by 3 panels - the ticket background panel, the stars panel and the calendar panel.

Inkspirational Challenge - Geometric (lots of squares and rectangles in my design)

Our Creative Corner - The Return of the Challenge

I revisited Aug 1st 2013 challenge - Words, Words, Words

Stamps:  Big Top - Stamps and Framelits - Sizzix/Alterations
Paper:  Kraft, Rustic Cream - PTI, DP Paperstash/Correspondence - Idea-ology
Ink:  Wendy Vecchi Dandelion, Archival Jet Black.
Accessories:  Ranger Distress Markers Shabby Shutters, Tea Dye, Black Soot,  Water Brush, Small Talk Occasions, Vial Labels, Pocket Cards, Label Letters - Idea-ology, foam dots, Stabilo Black Pencil.

Vintage Journey, Our Creative Corner and ePlay

I'm excited to be sharing a project I made for three challenges -  A Vintage Journey - Challenge #9 - to use every stamp in a stamp set (with a Tim Holtz influence),  Our Creative Corner Challenge - Use Home Made Flowers and Hand Dyed Ribbon, and this month's eclectic Paperie ePlay challenge - to alter a bottle.

I decorated a plain rose colored bottle that I got at Michaels for $1.99 - and a possible use for it would be to hold some of my paint brushes on my work table as shown here!

So let me show you how I decorated my plain bottle and how I hit all the points in all three challenges - WARNING - lots of pictures to follow!  I've linked all the products in or at the end of my post.

First, I covered my bottle with Wendy Vecchi Gold Embossing Paste, applying it with my fingers- and let it dry.

 Next I covered the bottle with Wendy Vecchi Crackled Texture Paste - and let it dry.  After it was dry and crackled - I sponged the bottle with Ranger Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry and Gathered Twigs. (no picture of this step!)

 I wanted to place all the images from The Chemist set on my bottle - but I didn't want the images to cover all the crackle and color - so I decided to decoupage it by stamping the images on white tissue paper with Archival Jet Black Ink and then coloring the images with Ranger Distress Stains Frayed Burlap, Bundled Sage, Tumbled Glass and Worn Lipstick (Ink Palette Distress Technique from Tim's Compendium of Curiosities Vol II Page 51) and my water brush.  I wasn't sure if the color would still show after I decoupaged it onto the bottle - so this became my little experiment!

 I cut the images close to the edges and laid them out on my grid paper that I marked roughly with the circumference size of the bottle so I could see how they would fit without overlapping.

 Then I started adhering the images to the bottle by brushing Matte Mod Podge on the bottle, laying the image over it and then brushing the Mod Podge over the tissue paper image - being careful not to get it so wet that the tissue would tear.  Then I let it dry overnight.

 Here are views of the 4 images after the Mod Podge Dried.  At this point I wanted to grunge up the surface a bit and so I added some Wendy Vecchi Gold Embossing paste with my finger randomly around the images.  I also used my Distress Spritzer with a black soot Distress Marker to add a little splatter.  Here's the 1st of 4 images.  You can still see the colors on the images - very faintly!

 I adhered a couple of Mini Gears using Glue N Seal.  Here's the 2nd of the 4 images.

 Here's the 3rd of the 4 images.  My hand made flower is below this image and I'll show you that in a moment!

 And finally, the 4th of the 4 images in this stamp set -  the Chemist himself!

 I added a Numeral to his apron - coloring it with Rust Alcohol Ink and Pearl Mixative.  I also stained the cork stopper using Ranger Distress Stains Picked Raspberry and Frayed Burlap.

 Here is my handmade flower.  I had the pieces already made, left over from a project I posted a few weeks ago - so I just had to curve it, color it and layer it.  I rubbed some Frayed Burlap Distress Stain on the petals to grunge it up a bit.  The Gold Berry Flower Center is by Wendy Vecchi/Blossom Bucket.

 I made the flower by layering a piece of Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabric to a piece of Wendy Vecchi Art Parts Clearly for Art Modeling Film using Glue N Seal

 Once it dried -  I cut the flowers out of the sheet using my Tattered Florals die.

 The Modeling Film will soften when you use your heat tool on it - so I was able to curve the petals

 And finally - my hand dyed ribbon.  I dyed my Crinkle Ribbon by rubbing Picked Raspberry and Frayed Burlap Distress Stains on my Nonstick Craft Mat - spritzing it with Perfect Pearl Mist - then pulling the ribbon through it - crinkling it up and drying it with my heat tool.

I wanted the ribbon to look masculine to go with the Chemist images - so I tied it with just a small bow - and threaded both tails through an Idea-ology Buckle.  I stuck a Philosophy tag through the bow with a Memo Pin and just let the long tails hang on the side of the bottle.

and finally - I rubbed more of  the Gold Embossing Paste on the ribbon.

Even though this is a rather masculine project -  I think it will be staying on my work table - giving me a lovely artistic container to look at while I create more art!

Ok - I think I'm done now!   SO sorry for keeping you so long!  I hope you'll join in on all three of these inspiring challenges!   A Vintage Journey -  Our Creative Corner - and eclectic Paperie ePlay challenge -  go and get creative!

Stamps:  The Chemist - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  White Tissue Paper - from stash.
Ink:  Ranger Distress Picked Raspberry, Gathered Twigs, Archival Jet Black
Accessories:  bottle - Michaels, Glue N Seal - Ranger, Mod Podge Matte; Gold Embossing Paste, Crackled Texture Paste, Art Parts Clearly for Art Modeling Film, Gold Berry Flower Center/Blossom Bucket - Wendy Vecchi; Distress Spritzer, Black Soot Distress Marker - Ranger; Adirondack Pearl Mixative and Rust Alcohol Ink; Ranger Distress Stains Frayed Burlap, Bundled Sage, Tumbled Glass and Worn Lipstick; Perfect Pearl Mist - Ranger; Tattered Floral Die - Tim Holtz Alterations. Eclectic Elements Fabric - Ranger, Idea-ology Mini Gears, Buckles, Philosophy Tags, Memo Pins, Mini Numerals, crinkle ribbon.