Tim Tag for December

Ok, so my last post wasn't the last for the year! I managed to get my Tim tag done for the month.  I still have to play catch up on a couple that I missed.  I think my resolution will be to get each tag done next year.

I love how sparkly it is! Perfect for ringing in the New Year!

Jess

In addition to Tim's challenge I am entering this into a couple others as well.
Mixed Media Monthly Silver and Gold

Frilly and Funkie Holiday Hues

Snowmen and Bottlebrush Trees are a few of my favorite things

It doesn't get much better in my book than snowmen and bottlebrush trees.  When I was sent some Soft Fallen Snow embossing powder from Emerald Creek Crafts I knew I wanted to make a beautiful bottlebrush tree with it.

I used a Tim Holtz woodland tree and dyed it with glimmer mist and Iced Spruce Distress Spray.  Once my tree was dry I used Picket Fence Paint on the branches.  While the branches were wet I sprinkled them with the embossing powder.  I gently heated the powder.  Don't over heat or the tree with start to smoke! I just might have done that, maybe...  I kept layering on the embossing powder until I was happy with the coverage.  

I glued on vintage mercury glass beads and topped the tree with Mirrored Stars.

I set my tree aside to work on my snowman.  The snowman is made out of Activa Premier Clay.  I have a tutorial on how to make the snowmen here.  

His little hat is the topper from an old ornament top, a plastic Christmas light cover, a jingle bell, some tinsel, and tiny plastic Christmas lights.  His scarf is ribbon from Tim Holtz.  

Once he was finished I glued the large tree and the snowman to the tart tin.  

I added a couple tiny trees to balance out the scene.  Some teeny presents and snow complete this winter scene.  

Our Creative Corner Wish Upon a Star Challenge

Mixed Media Monthly Silver and Gold

Simon Says Stamp Hoping for a winter wonderland

Emerald Creek Dares Wishing You a Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your friends and family! 

Jess

Shine like the whole universe is yours

I love dancing.  I should say I love to watch people dance.  I took dancing lessons for many, many years but you would never know it.  I am just not meant to dance.  My sister was a beautiful dancer.  She danced right up until she had her first child.  I think sometimes she forgets what a gift she gave us when she danced.  I wanted to make her a little something special for Christmas.  Check it out over on The Robin's Nest, but don't tell her! It's a Christmas gift.

Crafting with the kids

Pop over to Altered Pages to see my sweet ornaments made with Activa clay,  I am in love with this stuff!
Jess

The Star of the Show

The man of the hour is making an appearance over on Unruly PaperArts today.  Pop over and see what the Jolly Old Elf is doing.

Jess

Merry Christmas from all the girls

I have to admit when I started working on this panel I wasn't sure where it was going.  The background is Barn Door Distress Spray, a gold glimmer mist, and white paint flicked on after the sprays were dry.  Once I saw the red and gold shimmer I knew it had to go Christmas.  I layered on some green polka dotted paper, random text paper, and vintage ledger paper.

 

I don't color inside the lines

Yes, it's true, sometimes I don't color inside the lines.  Art is supposed to be freeing.  When I saw this quote I knew I had to create something using it.  Stop by the Robin's Nest to see the wood panel I made.

Making Spirits Bright

Do you love vintage Christmas like I do? I hoard so much Christmas stuff it is crazy.  I love old Christmas bulbs.  I display them all around the house at Christmas time.  This year I decided to repurpose some of them into ornaments.

Pop over to Altered Pages to see what I came up with!

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Spooning up some holiday fun!

When I was handed a wooden spoon and asked to alter it I thought people might be a tad crazy.  Once I got into it I realized it was pretty fun! Pop by Altered Pages to see the fun wintery spoons I created.

What have you been creating?
Jess

Define Good

Sometimes you have to ask Santa to define good.  Pop over to The Robin's Nest today to see what I mean.

Jess

Take Note

I don't typically craft using bold and bright colors, so when I saw this was my inspiration photo I had to think long and hard about what to create.

Stop by Unruly PaperArts to see what finally inspired me. 

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Notecards

The art of writing and sending mail is slowly coming back in style.  I think that for many of us crafters the idea of making a card has never really gone away, but perhaps you only make them for special occasions like a birthday or holiday.  Today on Unruly PaperArts I show you how to make a set of cards using a very easy formula.

Here's a sneak peek of one of the cards.

I hope you stop by to take a look!

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Mechanical Heart

 Stop by Altered Pages and see my steampunk mechanical heart card.

What have you been crafting?

Jess

All wrapped up with a bow!

I know, I know it was Halloween last night and here I am shoving Christmas down your throat.  Just think I was putting this post together back in September.  In Arizona.  In 100 degree heat.  Nothing says Christmas like the a/c on blast! This project is so stinking cute and easy that I think you will forgive me.  Head over to The Robin's Nest to see just how quickly you can make these to wow your friends and family.

What have you been crafting?

Jess

12 Tags of 2015 October

Just under the wire once again! Awesome inspiration thanks to Tim.

Daper Halloween Cat

This has to be one of my favorite projects I have made in a very long time! I have a full tutorial up on Unruly Paperarts today.

I just love that this super serious dude turned into a gangster cat from the 1940's!

This serious dude was fussy cut and then given a slight makeover. 

 I hope this kitty made you laugh as hard as I did when I finished him!

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Zombies!

I am not a horror movie fan.  I can read the scariest, creepiest, goriest books out there, but show me a movie and I am covering my eyes and ears.  I joined a Halloween ATC swap on Instagram and sat down to make a slightly creepy ATC.  Things quickly took a turn for the worst.

The sheet music background got a spritz of Tea Dye Distress Spray and then a shot of Barn Door.  The Tea Dye made it creepy.  The Barn Door turned it into gore.  Now that my ATCs looked like a crime scene I decided to run with it and grabbed my photobooth strips.
Using my distress markers I took these poor innocent souls and make them soulless zombies.
Just in case you needed to know Frayed Burlap makes excellent under eye circles.

I hope I didn't give you nightmares with this post!
I am entering these into the Something Wicked Challenge on Frilly and Funkie, the Halloween Horror Challenge on Our Creative Corner, and the Halloween Challenge on Try it on Tuesdays.

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Retro Holiday Fun

I have the cutest kitten ornament over on Altered Pages today.  Check out the kitschy fun!

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Thankful Place Card

With so many family gatherings right around the corner it is the perfect time to start making place cards for your holiday table.  Pop over to the Robin's Nest today to see my place card that can double as a tiny treat holder.

What have you been crafting?
Jess

Undertaker Calling Cards

I love to create for Halloween.  When I saw the Undertaker stamp set from Stampers Anonymous and Tim Holtz I knew it was a must have.  

I made a large cabinet card using the big Undertaker stamp.  I stamped the image on watercolor paper using Black Archival ink and then used Pumice Stone and Crushed Olive to tint the skull.  The hat is colored using Dusty Concord.  

The background is a combination of Dusty Concord, Twisted Citron, and Spiced Marmalade.  I used the Gothic Stencil and Hickory Smoke Ink for detail.  The cabinet card was given a coat of Crushed Olive Distress Paint and splotches of Rusty Hinge.  Then a coat of Black Soot.  I sanded off some of the black so the green shows through.  I inked around the edges using Twisted Citron.  I slid the background sheet in the card and then mounted the head on the card using foam tape.  The hat got some Maya Road ribbon and a resin flower.  The flower has some Slate Alcohol Ink on it.  I fussy cut the Halloween stamp and used my water brush to paint on the Dusty Concord.  A vintage watch part vial has some Meadow Alcohol ink inside and remnant rubs to warn you not to drink it.

Once I did the big cabinet card I thought it would be really fun to make mini cards.  I have been calling them calling cards.  They look like something the Undertaker might hand you to let you know your time is up. I used the same basic techniques on the little guys as I did on the large card. 

This card has some German decorative scrap on the side.  I love the bloody pen nib.  The little skull and feathers on his hat make me think of a voodoo undertaker.  

This guy has a flashcard and a token.  The rose looks like it is made out of bone.  It's almost enough to make you shiver.  

This is my favorite.  The "nice knowing you" stamp is from Martha Stewart.  I love the stamped and embossed spiderweb on the card.  The whole thing is just creepy perfection.  

I hope you don't get one of these calling cards anytime soon.

 I am submitting these to the Our Creative Corner Halloween Horror ,the Try it On Tuesday Halloween Challenge, and the Simon Says Stamp Color Inspiration Challenge. 

What have you been crafting?

Jess

He's got your number

I've got an art journal page up on the Altered Pages blog today.  Come over and check it out!

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Pumpkin Rosettes

Hey everyone,
I am on the Robin's Nest today showing you how to make this adorable pumpkin.

It is such a quick and easy project you can make a ton in an afternoon.

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Crepe Paper flower gift boxes

I have a tutorial for you over on the Altered Pages blog today.  I show you how to make these awesome tiny crepe paper flowers.

What have you been crafting?

Jess