Tag Challenges

Keep getting those alcohol inks out!!
This time a tag, alcohol
ink background, stamped the main image (Wendy Vecchi) and then used a mask to stamp and emboss the details. Had a couple of the metal flowers left from playing with my TH tags yesterday. Added the stamped word 'beauty' because it needed something else and she is, I think!!

Challenges:
Artistic Stamper (March) - Tag (just about made it!!)
Out of a Hat Creations Challenge #53 - 'Faces'

Tags of 2013 - March

Tim's Tag is here. I gulped, read the instructions through once and had the germs of an idea.

Don't have a bunny die, but I could use an oval - looks a bit like an Easter egg.
Don't have tinsel but I've got some stellar flash I don't know what to do with - that might work instead.
Fringe die?.......Nope.  But I have scissors.
Flower  pins? Well plenty of pins, plus flower punches and craft metal - I'm sure I can come up with something.

And here they are. Actually thought these went together quite quickly (for me) considering I was improvising. One for me to keep, one to go towards next January's giveaway.

Speaking of which, the March Art Draw closes on Sunday 31st March at 9.00 pm. Leave a comment here if you want to be in the draw.

Challenges: Tags of 2013
 

Tags of 2013 - February

A pretty tag by Tim this month with a few Valentine overtones - sinking heart, I can't do a CASE on this tag (is that the correct terminology?), don't have most of the bits. So will need to deconstruct the tut to see exactly what all the elements are.

1.  Main image, stamped, coloured and decoupaged - what to choose?
2.  Distress background, that's OK, but may change colours depending on other items.
3.  Embossed and sanded kraft core as an embellishment - just need to choose something appropriate
4.  Custom cash key embellishment - perhaps I can use one of my 'medals' again.

5. Tissue ribbon -I know I won't be able to manufacture this without tearing - think I'll stick with stamping my vintage binding
6.  Finishing touches!

Mmm. First stop - stamp collection. There must be something there (!). I'm not feeling that loved up, Valentine's is long gone after all, and my gaze turns towards my oriental collection. Perhaps this lady with the lamp? She hasn't had an outing for a few years and I've never  tried decoupaging her before. She doesn't have a background as such but I'm sure I can find something to add.

My embossing folders aren't screaming 'oriental' at me but I've pulled out a couple of foliage ones and I do have some stencils - maybe I can emboss with them?

I like the red of the original - maybe I'll keep that, but I'll have to use inks, I don't have stains in those colours. Right. All my bits are gathered, off we go!!

Oh me likey!! Might not be quite what I usually expect from a Tim inspired tag but isn't going off and making it your own half the fun?

Here are  the finished tags - remember I'm doubling up ready for a giveaway next year. I managed to emboss with my bamboo stencil through my bug - perhaps not as deep as I would have liked but I am incredibly pleased it worked!! Not too sure the stencil is as happy as me however - it may have got a little bent in places - oops! My little medallions look cool too with their stamped chinese character (which means??!) finished off with glossy accents. All in all a very satisfactory evening's play.




 

Working the Cuttlebug..

The current challenge at Artful Times is to use two or more folders on a project. Like Neet, I was a bit flummoxed by the notion but thought I'd let it simmer.

Quite coincidentally, I was looking for confirmat
ion that I could use a certain die in my cuttlebug before ordering it and I came across this 'Double Cuttle' tutorial which explores using two embossing folders together. Result!! (there are a few other cuttlebug tutorials there if you are interested although the blog itself seems to have lapsed a bit lately).

The idea is to emboss the same piece of paper twice using two different folders, highlighting the first impression with inks or whatever and after running through with the second folder highlighting the second impression. The best advice as to choice of folders was to do the busiest one first, and all I can add to that really is perhaps use a background type folder first and then one that is more an image.

I used a diamond background folder and then the leaf folder (can't remember the names but I'm sure any buggies out there will recognise them). I used some mini ink pads to highlight each time. In a moment of madness I found some chipboard leaves and embossed them as well with 'divine swirls' - so 3 embossing folders for me!!

Here's the finished 8 x 8 card with some pink accents, my new gorjuss stamp, shabby flowers and a sentiment at a jaunty angle. (I remark on that only because it makes me really uncomfortable)


















Here's a tag madewith the same folders plus a dotty one  - yep,  I managed to use three folders again! Another shabby flower (get used to it, I made a lot of them!!)



Then I wondered what it would look like if I stamped first and then embossed. So I tried out another tag, stamping 'LOVE' and the swirl before embossing with my dotty and hearts folders. Kinda like this, I think there are definite possibilities there. I'll gift this one to the first person who asks, I haven't put any embellies on it so it could even be a bookmark but be aware it isn't sealed.

Enjoyed that challenge, really like it when something prompts me to make use of the thin
gs I've already got in a different way - and it is soooo simple, do have a go.

See you soon.

Please note: still jumping through hoops to upload so apols if anything looks weird - never know till I publish quite what is going to happen!!
 

Craft Stamper Inspiration

Every now and again I get a guilt trip about my collection of magazines (do like a bit of eye candy!!) that I read once and do't try out anything. Rather more frequently I have an even bigger guilt trip about all the stamps I have that don't get used. Looking back through my blog it would seem I am not as much of a stamper as my level of supplies would suggest. So looking for kick start here's a card and tag made following a tut in January's Craft Stamper. The colours really called to me.

I didn't follow the instructions exactly (well, what did you expect?) but pretty pleased with them all the same. So then I did my own version in different colours. Like these too.

 

One thing I did decide after all this time is that I don't like working with inks direct to my card blank. However careful I am to clean as I go I always get ink all over the back and then the finished project looks a mess. So in future I will do all my inkwork as a topper and then mount on the card blank. Looks much better. Oh and the blogger photo thing is still not resolved . I have managed however to get the photos the right way up but does mean I can't edit anything I want to publish as I think that may have been why they were turning around. So much more careful initial framing is required, not just my happy snap that I crop later. That can only be a good thing right? LOL see ya soon.

Tim's Tags again - playing catch up!!

Right here are my catch up tags for July and August (don't know what happenned to those two months!!)

First, July - Tim's tag is here. The main technique for this was alcohol splatter ink background (nice technical term don't you think?) I know Tim likes us to be resourceful but I'm not sure he expected us to substitute his neat can of compressed air for a curly straw. But needs must when the devil drives and it was the best I could find in the kitchen drawer (!).

Despite perhaps a less than efficient tool I was still able to produce some reasonable results. Here are my finished tags:

Finally got a chance to give one of my Lynn Perella stamps a work out (truly it is killing me not to play but I just haven't had time).

I really love the vibrancy of these backgrounds and they are great with crisp black stamping (or not so crisp - I double stamped one as the first impression was a little wishy washy but I think it adds a certain something - OK, I think I got away with it!!).

Typically the little test piece I had done that I  then just stamped and made into an ATC came out the best.

And now on to August - Tim's vintage style ATC is here. The techniques on this ATC were to heat emboss a frame and then using an embossing folder to dry emboss the tag leaving the centre blank. I used an Anna Griffin frame and (as I don't have the folder Tim used) embossed the tag very carefully by just putting it through the cuttlebug so that only part of the tag was embossed (Hope that makes sense!). Came out quite well. I don't have a silhouette stamp but had these paper cameos. Tim used his pine cone die (I am tempted....) to make his roses but I used the Spellbinders bitty blossoms spiral die. I think they make great roses though I did follow Tim's pinching and folding technique which I think helps make the kraft paper a bit more pliable. The rest is just inking and spritzing. All in all quite pleased with all these tags, which just shows if you concentrate on the technique things come out a bit better.

But why (you may ask) do I make two of each? Well I did say I would do this so that at the end of the year I can have a whole set for either my December or January giveaway, keeping one for myself of course!! So far I'm only a little bit off track, and they should all be done by the end of the year. But if you can't wait till  then, just a reminder that the current giveaway is still running. Click here to have a look.

Oh well, that was my little escape from making bits for MacMillan so now I'm back making cards.

I also had another little craft break at the WOYWW Crop yesterday - what fun, hopefully I'll put a few piccies up tomorrow! Ate too much, talked too  much..... oh well what's new? Must dash, have to prep for an interview tomorrow, I've been putting it off all day and now it's dinner time - oops!!


 

Tags of 2012 - October

Halloween tags. I'm not a great fan of Halloween and I don't have many Halloween bits n bobs. So what I shuld have done is take the technique and do something different. Doh. But instead I tried to copy Tim's and I'm not overly enamoured of the results. Pop over to see Tim's original tag and instructions here.

Could have cropped the photo as well but didn't LOL. Loved the background effect, although I did use a very fine book old page and following Tim's warning was careful not to be too over enthusiastic with the baby wipe wiping. The stamping and the shimmer made it yummy.  I didn't have black glitter or black alcohol ink so I tried my Staz-on re-inker to re-colour my white glitter. Ve-ry messy, and it didn't 'de-clump' once the ink had dried as Tim says the alcohol inks do and went absolutely everywhere. It also comes out rather purple, which fortunately went OK with the background. Frankly I think I'll just  put black glitter on my shopping list, at least if I brush it off my clothes there won't be a risk of ink stains. Anyhow used it to cover an old grungeboard skull and words and spider I cut out myself. Quite pleased with the way they turned out it's just all the other bits, nothing seems to look quite right so it looks rather unfinished to me. I also bizarrely chose a different sized tag to the ones I have been using so my tag book will have different sized tags. I worried about that for exactly 5 seconds.

And on the subject of that book, some of you may think OK, so this is October's tag where are July through September? They are coming along, and will be here shortly!!

Ruby Wedding Card

 

Just wanted to quickly share a ruby wedding card for a friend. I had made a rich red background with DI's and a bit of gilding flakes and thought it would be ideal for this project. I have been waiting to use this adorable LOV image for a card and frankly, I'm a bit fed up with all those layered weddingy embossed pearl cards I've been doing. I don't care if it's a 'young' image, I like it!! (And they must have been together since they were about that big!)

 

I can't decide whether to put a '40' on the front - inside it says their name and  'Congratulations on your ruby wedding'. Whadya think? Or is it rubbing it in LOL?

 

Here are a few tags put together with some of  those bits n bobs that were in my WIP pile, odd images, bits of inky paper and backgrounds that looked promising etc. Quite pleased with these.

 

 

 

That's all for now!!

Mostly a Tree.....

I don't wan't to give up onSummer - such as it was - but there is a  decidely autumnal feel to the air at the moment. So when I saw that the current Artful Times Challenge was to create something with a tree as the main focus I was drawn to create this colourful tag.

 The background is distress stains and inks (I also used a new leaf mask I got at Ally Pally) and for a change  I stamped the tree image onto black card with versamark and embossed with distress embossing powder although it looks more brown than black in the photo. I really don't know what the two bits of string are doing, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Now, be honest, are my photos getting any better? I am trying to take photos with my ipad which allegedly has a very good camera - they do seem to me to have a bit more depth to them (although I still can't seem to get the lighting right, especially at night) but what do you think?

See ya soon, Cindy

September Art Draw - Vecchi inspired Tag

I was browsing yesterday when I came across this tutorial that Wendy has done for the Simon Says Stamptember challenge. (Do have a look, if nothing else the start will make you smile!). I thought it looked rather cool but of course I didn't have all the right bits. I used Paper Artsy Fresco Finish paint (Honeydew) for the main stamping and then coloured with distress inks. Watch the tutorial,the rest is pretty much the same.
 
SO.......... as I am struggling with finishing what I originally had planned and the days are marching on, I have decided to offer my attempt up as this month's giveaway.

Also quite pleased with the photo which I took with my ipad and managed to upload. (Just to be clear, I'm not saying it's a great photo, I'm just pleased I  managed to a) take it b) upload it to my pc. You know what a technophobe I am).

So if you want to enter the draw you just need to add a comment on this post before 9.00 pm on Sunday 30th September.

International players welcome, feel free to link from your own blogs if technically able to do so.

Thanks for playing!!

Cindy

Pastel tag for TOFF...

Well I'm AWOL from WOYWW once again, mainly because I just don't have any time this week to go bloghopping and it hardly seems fair to invite people to visit when I don't have time to return the favour. But you know when you are really really busy and something says ...'Stuff this, I'm going to make some art... ' (or words to that effect!!).    So last night I made this little pastel tag for the TOFF challenge which I have never entered before but thought that as I am so in love with these images it would be rude not to join in ....

So, digi image from The Octopode Factory, DI's and copics, flower, ribbon.... simples. Probably needs a word but can't think of one. That's all, feel better for that.

Hugs

Cindyx

PS Just 3 more days to enter July Art Draw!!! Which also features an Octopode digi!!

Tags of 2012 - June

Well it's halfway through June and it occurs to me it might be time to mosey over to the 12 tags of 2012 and see what Mr Holtz has to  inspire us this month. Here is Tim's tag:






First I tried out the marbled/mottled backgrounds using the materials at my disposal. Unbelievably, I do not yet own the picket fence distress stain so I try and improvise with a chalk acrylic. Quite pleased with the result but I'm a little pinker than I should be perhaps. That'll be the Fired Brick I chucked in to liven things up!!

I'm going to have to make my own flower embellishment. Grudgingly looked in my material box (don't go there..) to see if I had a piece of organza I could use. Nada. Then I recalled I had one of those little drawstring bags floating around the craft room. So I chopped it up and stained it along with some vintage ribbon and (just in case) some flowers I'd found on an old hula hula costume ( I kid you not). It did occur to me that this might have been a bit premature as I am not yet sure what colour this tag is going to turn out ......

Chose a different TH stamp, but one that had the 'photography' words on to randomly stamp the background. These tags are definitely going to  be pink!! Did a bit of 'stressing' (as my dear old mum calls it) round the edges with Black Soot and Vintage Photo.

Watched the Vid with delight as I have tried this technique before and actually posess some of the nibs (though not the holder). Tim's photo was so cute I decided to go with it but with no photopaper to be found had to be content with a decent graphic paper. The tinting went well I think, although it was hard to spread the ink because this was not a coated paper. I wet the nib with water to help me move it around.



Nearly there, I had to go my own way with my embellishments - I even got out a needle and thread to that organza... not entirely successful LOL, in fact not happy with the flowers at all -  a bit of alcohol inking, distressing, embossing and generally mucking about with bits and bobs in y stash. Just don't have the variety of things to load them up as much as Tim does but here we are.
Had to re-colour the ribbons......

I'm still not sure about the pink though!!

Tres Chique....

I was restless when I got in from work today, another late finish for me. After faffing around for a while I realised that what I wanted to do was play with my new stamps the 'Antique Dress Forms' set from Creative Expressions. After doing Sir Tim's May tag I was feeling deprived that I didn't have any dress form stamps (apart from my steampunky Kanban one.....oops) and I've liked these ones for a while - who am I kidding, any excuse to go shopping!!

So I whipped up a quick tag which I'm quite pleased with even though I didn't stamp the forms quite where I originally intended. Oh well I can always try it again!! I must say these stamps came out beautifully right from the word go. I made a quick scrunchy flower because it was already getting quite late, and finished it off with a couple of die cuts and some ribbon. I spent half an hour looking for a suitable piece until I caved and just coloured a bit of vintage seam binding to match. I really don't know why I have so much ribbon, I never seem to find a use for any of it and its an absolute nightmare to store. Added a little bit of clear rock candy for some texture (probably still wet in the photo LOL).

I added a little button to the centre of my flower threaded with baker's twine (which I am still in love with). Little tip - after getting rather frustrated trying to get the twine through the holes in my button I hit on the idea of binding the end with sellotape - a bit like the end of a shoelace. Worked like a dream. (I may of course be the only person on the planet who didn't know that already).

So because this tag has a button I am able to enter it in to the current 'Out of a Hat Creations' Challenge. So typical of me, I have a million things I should be doing and make something for the challenge with the furthest away deadline!!

Anyhow that's it for now, feel better now I've actually made something but need to go and get some zzzs, work again tomorrow.

Cindy x