A Vintage Journey #12 - Time Flies

I finally got my very first Journal Page completed and adhered into my very first Journal (seen on this post here).  My design is based on the latest A Vintage Journey challenge - Time Flies.

I have quite a few photos showing many of the steps I took to make my page -  I wanted to start out with acrylic paints - and although I am trying to get comfortable with the Tim Holtz/grunge/steampunk look - I find I'm still kind of a neat freak.  Since I really didn't know what I was going to do - I started my work on a panel of white card stock instead of working directly on the page in my journal - so if I made a complete mess - I could start over!

So - after covering the page with White Gesso and letting it dry - I brushed 3 different colors of Dina Wakley Acrylic paints (Sky, White, Lemon) mixed with a lot of water - over the page.

Thinking I wanted it a little darker -  I brushed on more paint  I realized after I was done - if I waited between colors - they wouldn't have blended so much - but I really wasn't sure what I was trying to do anyway - so I continued on!

After that dried overnight  I added some birds in flight using Wendy Vecchi Metallic Gold Embossing Paste and Dina Wakley's Birds Stencil.  (I am SO impatient!  I want to go from one step to the next in one sitting - and that just cannot happen with paints and embossing pastes!)  I'm realizing you have to allow 4-5 days to make a journal page if you are using paints and pastes!

The next day - I did more stenciling using Wendy Vecchi's Translucent Embossing Paste and Dina Wakley's Plastic Canvas stencil.  The paste looks sort of white here because I had just put it on - but it drys clear.

So now I felt the paint colors and gold embossing paste were too bright and 'clean' - so I mixed some white paint with a lot of water and brushed a 'wash' over the whole page to tone it down.

After the wash dried - I spritzed the whole page with Dylusions White Linen Ink Spray.  Then I just started adding things -  Remnant Rubs, Chit Chat Stickers, Film Strip Ribbon adhered with my Tiny Attacher, and Deco Type Industrious Stickers.  I drew around the Chit Chat Stickers with a black Stabilo Pencil and rubbed it with my finger to blend the lines in.

The clock face is cut from a piece of paper from Tim Holtz Paper Stash/Collage pad.  I brushed Rusty Hinge Distress Paint over the Game Spinner - dried it with my heat tool and adhered it through the page with a brad - I realize now I should have added two hands for a clock (DUH!!)   The sentiment is from Tim Holtz set - Classics #16.  Along the bottom I inked Tim's Cargo Stencil with Archival Orange Blossom Ink.

I also have found it's tricky to know when to stop adding things on to a project.  Sometimes you find out when you add that 'one more thing' and it ruins the project (!)  I stopped here for my page - layered it to a slightly larger piece of black card stock (to give me a clean edge!) and adhered it into my Journal  - and I'm happy with it!

In addition to the A Vintage Journey Challenge

I'm also entering this into the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - Stencils and Pastes

and the August eclectic Paperie ePlay challenge - any kind of Embossing

Stamps:  Classics #16 - Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz
Paper:  White, True Black - PTI, Tim Holtz Paper Stash/Collage.
Ink:  Ranger Distress Brushed Corduroy, Archival Jet Black and Orange Blossom
Accessories:  Non Stick Craft Sheet, Dina Wakley Acrylic Paints Sky, White, Lemon, Dina Wakley Brushes, Dina Wakley Birds Stencil and Plastic Canvas, Ranger Distresser, Dylusions White Linen Ink Spray, Black Stabilo Pencil, Scor Tape, Rusty Hinge Distress Paint, Idea-ology - Film Strip Ribbon, Game Spinners, Chit Chat Stickers, Remnant Rubs Botanicals, Industrious stickers/Deco Type, Mini Blending tool, Ranger Tiny Attacher, Wendy Vecchi Metallic Gold and Translucent Embossing Pastes, palette knife, Tim Holtz Cargo Stencil.

Snow in the Mountains

Today I have a Christmas card to share - using the rather unlikely colors of black, tan and white!

I used one of my favorite Waltzingmouse dies -  the Alpine Christmas die set along with the coordinating Alpine Christmas stamp set.  I white embossed both the beautiful mountain range and snowflakes.

My card was inspired by this wonderful image for the Festive Friday Challenge

 Can't you just smell those yummy frosted gingerbread snowflakes???!!! Hmmm - I love the smells of baking in the kitchen at Christmastime....

It's just a few months till Christmas (gasp!) so it's really time to get going on our Christmas cards so we can relax and enjoy the season don't you think?!  I'm glad I'm getting mine done early!  You have until the 27th to link up to Festive Friday.

Stamps:  Alpine Christmas - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  White, True Black, Fine Linen - PTI
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Accessories:  Alpine Christmas Die Set - Waltzingmouse, foam dots, white embossing powder, foam dots.

Waltzingmouse Team Talk Blog Post

Today is my day to post over at the Waltzingmouse Team Talk Blog

I'd love for you to hop over there and take a peek at my Halloween Treat Projects!

I'm also linking my projects to:  Addicted to Stamps Challenge - Holiday

Waltzingmouse Stamps used:
The Count
Wanda's Pantry
Midnight Feast
Splat That

Waltzingmouse Dies used:
Stitched Tags
The Count
Gift Card Envelope Die
Gift Card It

Fusion Card Challenge - August 14th

Hi all -  it's another Thursday - AND it comes with another Fusion Card Challenge!  You guys outdid yourselves with the Beach House theme and sketch on the last challenge - what great cards you all shared! 

So here is this week's challenge -  a vase of bright florals and an easy paneled sketch to inspire you!  You can make a card inspired by the photo,  or the sketch -  OR do a FUSION and use both on your card!

and here's the card I created - once again being inspired by the photo AND the sketch.

I cut panels of Coredinations Distress papers - I love the texture it gives even though it's open space - I also sponged the edges of the papers with Ranger Distress Mustard Seed Ink.  The blooms are from that wonderful WPlus9 set- Fresh Cut Florals and I used the coordinating die set to cut them out.  I love all the cards I see out in blog land using this set - and I don't get it out often enough!  The florals look so pretty layered together - don't they?!  I used foam dots to pop some of them up and dangled one off the edge of the MFT Die cut Sentiment Strip.  I finished my card with 3 sequins from Avery Elle.

What speaks to you from this week's Fusion Card Challenge?   Check out all the details and find the link up here.

And check out all of the Design Teams inspiration linked below:

Betty J
Dannielle Robeson
Deepti
Jeanne Jachna
Julia Aston - me!
Katie Brooks
Kelly Griglione
Kimberly Wiener 

Lyndal Higgins

Lynn Mangan 

Michelle Folland

Michelle Lupton

Sindu
Stephanie Severin

I'm also entering my card in the Seize the Birthday challenge - anything goes.

Stamps:  WPlus9 - Fresh Cut Florals
Paper:  White - PTI, Cordinations Distress Collection
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tangelo, Rose Bud, Angel Pink, Bamboo Leaves, Cottage Ivy, Cantelope; Ranger Distress Mustard Seed
Accessories:  Dies - WPlus9 - Fresh Cut Florals, Sentiment Strips - MFT, foam dots, Lemonade Blend Sequins - Avery Elle.

CC3C #8 - Faded Layers

I finally got a project made for the Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge - Faded Layers.  Our challenge is to use Tim Holtz' Faded Layers Technique - which can be found on Page 58 of the Compendium of Curiosities 3.  We cannot describe the technique in our post - as the challenge creators request that you work from your own copy of Tim's book.

I needed to make a card for my son's long-time girlfriend's birthday - which is today! I've invited them to dinner in our yard on the deck.  She loves dragonflies and I'd recently purchased Tim's Dragonfly die so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to use it.  And I thought a Faded Layer background would be perfect for it!  So I killed two birds with one stone so to speak (although isn't that an awful saying??!!!)  I got the card I needed  made and I got my challenge project done! 

My card is a large 6" x 6".

First I made my Faded Layers panel using Tim's Technique.  I die cut it with Alterations Postage Stamp Die and layered it over a piece of a lovely woven design patterned paper from Idea-ology Paper Stash/Destinations.  I die cut the Dragonfly from a piece of Lovely Lavender metal craft sheet  and white card stock and adhered them together to give firmness to the metal.  Then I embossed them with the dragonfly embossing folder that comes with the die.  I rubbed some Autumn Gold Rub N Buff over the metal, added a little piece of black wire for the antennae and black rhinestones for the eyes.  I rounded the wings with my finger and adhered the dragonfly to the panel with foam tape along the body.  The wings will flatten if pressed - but since I'm handing this to April today - they will stay rounded!

Here's a close up of the Faded Layers Panel -  I actually used 4 different Stencils on this - Rays, Measured, Splatters and Harlequin.  It's very subtle!

So I hope you will join us in the CCSC#8 challenge - check out all the details  here.  

This week the challenge is sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique and one lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate

Just a reminder about the August Mixed Media Card Challenge -  Summer
you have until Aug 25th to link up your card!  see all the details here.

Stamps:  Simple Sayings - Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz

Paper:  Glossy Paper - Ranger, White - PTI, DP - Idea-ology Paper Stash Destinations.

Ink:  Archival Hydrangea, Cornflower Blue

Accessories:  Stencils - Rays, Measured, Splatters, Harlequin - Idea-ology/Tim Holtz, Lovely Lavender Metal Craft Sheet - Add a Little Dazzle, Alterations Dies - Layered Dragonfly, Postage Stamp Frame, foam dots, Autumn Gold Rub N Buff, black wire, Adirondack Alcohol Inks - Wild Plum, Stonewashed, Butterscotch and Alcohol Blending Solution.

Home Sweet Home

I've been wanting to use my Alterations Artful Dwellings die for quite a while - and today I finally got it out!  This cute New Home card was so easy to put together!

The die cuts all 4 of the dwelling shapes.  I attached them by laying them down side by side on my work table with just a little space between each one so they could fold over each other.  I ran a piece of Idea-ology Tissue Tape across all 4 pieces - then wrapped it around the back over each panel to where I started.  Here's the view from the back when it's opened up.

Here's how it looks folded up. It's small enough to be mailed in a regular A1 envelope.  Kind of cute isn't it?!  (It actually folds flatter - but I opened it a bit so it would stand up!)

I was inspired to make my house card by this month's Virginia's View Challenge - Shape Card

and I used stripes on it for the Cas-ology Cue card - Stripe.

The little windows and door were die cut using Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Mini Openings die and Where Women Cook Windows Die from Sizzix.  The sentiments, front door and little house stamps are from A Cottage Home, A Cottage Christmas and Country Labels 4 from Waltzingmouse.

Stamps:  A Cottage Home, A Cottage Christmas, Country Labelsd 4 - Waltzingmouse

Paper:  Black, Vintage Cream - PTI, DP October Afternoon - Sidewalks and Farmhouse pads.

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories:  Dies - Alterations -  Artful Dwellings, Mini Openings Movers and Shapers;  Windows - Where Women Cook - Sizzix, Sketch Book Tissue Tape - Idea-ology, Glue N Seal - Ranger.

Sand Castle Summer

Today I have another card to share using Burlap - for the August Mixed Media Challenge:  Summer - Optional Element Burlap.

For this card design - I just used threads that I pulled from a square of burlap - like beach grass - tied them together and adhered the 'sheaf' to a die cut window. 

I used some wonderful embossing powder I just got - Frantage Shabby Blue - on the window - it has little specks of color and metal along with the white base - that gives it a rough textured look and feel and it's really sparkly IRL!

For my background panel -  I first sponged it all over with Salty Ocean Distress Ink - flicked water over it and dried it with my heat tool.  Then I embossed the sand castle stamping with Ranger Tan embossing powder.  I stamped the sentiment from Gina K Designs directly onto the panel, layered the window onto the panel with foam dots - and adhered the burlap 'sheaf' to the frame with Glossy Accents

The design of my card is a loose interpretation of this week's Freshly Made Sketches - turned on it's side.

My colors were inspired by the Color Q challenge

I hope you'll join us in the Mixed Media Card Challenge - you have until Aug 25th to link up your card here.

Stamps:  Sandcastle - Stamps of Excellence, Sentiment from Gifts from the Sea - Gina K Designs.
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Versamark, Ranger Distress Salty Ocean.
Accessories:  threads pulled from piece of burlap,  Glossy Accents, foam dots, water, heat tool, Frantage Embossing Powder Shabby Blue - Stampendous, Tan Ranger Embossing Powder,  Blending tool - Ranger, Small Madison WIndow Die - Poppy Stamps.