Layered Christmas tags

Hey Everyone,

Wow! It's been a minute since I last blogged.  I've been a busy bee.  We went to DisneyWorld for 8 days.  I love Disney.  I feel totally relaxed when we are there, even when we walk 52 miles in 6 days.  Seriously, six days in the parks and we clocked 52 miles.  We are the crazy folks that are there for rope drop and don't leave until we can't keep ours eyes open.  

And then it's been work, work, work, and decorating the house for Christmas.

I did want to share these super fun tags I made for the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Christmas release.    

 The stamps shown here are from the Seasonal Scribbles set. 

 The largest tags have been stenciled with various Tim stencils.

I did a quick tutorial for these over on my Instagram page and thought I would share it here too.

Start with three tags.  The largest is a #5.  

For the middle tag over the entire tag in Lucky Clover Distress Ink.  Spritz with water and a bit of Gold Heirloom Perfect Pearls.  Le the tag dry and using Pine Needles DO stamp the small heart from the Seasonal Scribbles Set.  Edge the tag using DI in Pine Needles.  Stamp the sentiment, also from the Seasonal Scribbles set in Black Soot Archival.  

Us the tall text stamp set to stamp "to" in the center of the tag.  You want to be sure this is not visible unless the smallest tag is lifted.  

Use the Tim Holtz Peppermint stencil to cover the largest tag.  Use embossing ink and then emboss using a shiny red powder.  Once the powder is cool paint a thin layer of white acrylic paint over the entire tag.  While the paint is still wet buff it and it will leave some of the red exposed.  

Use the tell text stamp set to stamp "from" using Black Soot archival.

Paint the smallest tag black and once the paint is dry stamp the brushstroke stamp in white. 

Stamp the holly from the Seasonal Scribbles set using Pine Needles DI and a second layer  of Pine Needles in DO.  Add red stickles to the berries. 

Layer your tags together and secure them using a ribbon dyed with Biscotti Perfect Pearls. 

These are so fun to make and you can come up with so many different layers and combinations.  

Have fun creating and have a Happy Thanksgiving,

Jess

Peace on Earth Greeting Card

Hi Everyone,

I have a super simple card for you today.  

Take a piece of Specialty Stamping Paper and use the snow die from the Winter Wonderland thinlit die to cut the top portion of the card.  Take the tree stamp from the Modern Christmas set (CMS388) and ink it by just pouncing on several shades of green. Stamp the tree in the center of the card.  Make a mask of the tree and cover the tree you just stamped.  Ink the tree stamp and stamp the image on either side of the large tree, but lower the stamp so the trees are shorter.  

Cut the deer using the Winter Wonderland die out of kraft stock.  Lightly sand the deer to make it appear as if they have shades of brown in their fur.  Take a few of the dots leftover from the snow and glue them on one of the deer. Glue the deer to the base of card.  

Cut the sentiment out from the Holiday Words Script thinlit die and  glue it  to the center of your card. 

I added a mirrored star to the top of the large tree. These have been retired, but you could use a die cut star here too.  

Cut a piece of silver metallic kraft stock slightly larger than your card front.  The silver peeps through the snow and it adds a lovely twinkle.  A large piece of red kraft stock is the card base and a bit of black craft thread is wrapped and tied at the top.  There are a few scribbles of white on the red card using a gel pen(no reason for this other than I love to scribble on my cards).

This card can be worked up quickly and would be easy to make in multiples.  

Have you started working on your Christmas cards yet?

Jess

 Tim Holtz Modern Christmas CMS388

Winter Wonderland thinlit die

Holiday Words Script thinlit die

Tim Holtz Kraft Stock

Tim Holtz Metallic Kraft Stock

Distress Ink Forest Moss

Distress Ink Mowed Lawn

Distress Ink Peeled Paint

Distress Ink Crushed Olive

Season's Greetings Christmas Card

Hey Everyone, 

It's October 1st, so it's ok to post Christmas cards now!

This is one of the cards I made for the new Christmas release from Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous.  I  loved this one because all of the elements really came together. And the pinecones; I'm a sucker for pinecones.  I apologize for the cruddy photos.  I had to get a new phone and these were taken with the old guy.  They are a bit darker than I would like them.

I started by taking the Stamptember set from 2018 and using archival inks in Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo.  I used specialty stamping paper and stamped the images in the corners.  I wanted a good portion of the image, but still blank space in the center so the sentiment would draw your eye.
 I blended old paper, antique linen, and tea dye distress inks all over the entire background. I lightly spritzed on distress spray stain in tea dye and quickly blotted it so it just makes the paper look like it's foxed. I added highlights using a gold gel pen.

  The sentiment is from the new Christmastime 2 set(CMS389).  It was stamped and then embossed using Ranger embossing powder in gold. 
The specialty stamping paper was then backed with brown kraft stock.

The next layer is the snowflake acetate sheet from last year's Ideaology Christmas Stack. 
The gold metallic kraftstock was stamped with the new Lumberjack set(CMS384) using archival ink in Vintage photo. 

I dyed some sari ribbon using all(yes all of them) the green Distress Inks.  I smooshed then all on my glass mat and ran the damp sari ribbon in it until I was happy with the color.  I added a bit of Vintage Photo Distress Ink to pull in the brown.  The ideaology pinecones were colored using gold and mushroom alcohol inks.  They were tied on with an ideaology tiny bell.  I glued the ribbon to the back of the layers and then used a final layer of kraftstock as my card base. 

I hope this starts to get you into the Christmas spirit!
Happy making,
Jess

Boo to you!

Hey Everyone,

 It's been a bit since I have blogged.  I have been working my pay the bills job and doing some behind the scenes crafty work.  I hope you had a chance to catch the Stamptember Tim Holtz release on Facebook Live. I had a blast making samples for this release.  

This project might be my favorite.  

The turn around time for these projects was lightning fast so I didn't take any process photos, but I can walk you through my project. 

The treat bag was made using the Tim Holtz In the Bag die and some glittery black paper.  I just assembled it according to the instructions. 

 For the tissue, I used plain tissue wrap and Distress Inks.  I used Black soot Distress Ink, Carved Pumpkin and Wilted Violet Distress Oxides to make the stars.  The stencil included in the Stamptember set has two different star patterns.  I used the larger pattern(the more circular one) with the Black Soot and then the smaller pattern with the Oxides.  I cut the sentiment off my bat stamp.* Side note: Don't be afraid to cut your stamps!  Use a really sharp pair of scissors and go for it! If you can't commit then you could just ink the sentiment too.* The sentiment was stamped using black soot archival ink. The paper was tucked right inside the bag.  

I used the star stencil on a tag to make the black stars.  They are embossed with a glittery black powder to match the bag.  Once the embossing was done I used Ripe Persimmon, Carved Pumpkin, and Dried Marigold to blend the background.  A border punch completed the tag.  

The saucy little bat was colored using Distress Inks(Wilted Violet, Dusty Concord, and Seedless Preserves)  and a waterbrush.  She was stamped using Black Soot Archival Ink on watercolor paper and colored in. I stamped the wing again and colored it on both sides. Everything was fussy cut and attached to the tag.  

I left a long tab on the wing and stuck it to the back of the bat.  I creased the wing so it matched up with the other wing.  Now there is a fun interactive piece of the treat bag.  A little word band and paper twine finish it up.

Please pardon the background change on the photos.  We were working fast and furious to get these guys out the door.  My poor husband was my photographer, editor, and mail man for me!  He's a good doobie.  

I hope you like my creation!  These sets sell fast and once they are gone they are gone.  Go grab it before it disappears like Halloween candy does in my house.  

Jess

   

Land of the Free

Hi Everyone, I am posting my final project as a guest designer for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.  I hope you have enjoyed my projects as much I have enjoyed making them.

This week's theme is Stars and Stripes!

Today I have made a little home decor piece for you.  I started with a mini Tim Holtz Etc tag and covered it with paper from the Correspondence paper pad.  I used collage medium to adhere it to the tag and another coat on top.  Once the collage medium was dry I spattered on some Black Soot Distress Paint nand made some scribbles using a white gel pen.  A little bit of Vintage Photo Distress Crayon added some shading to the edge of the paper.
I spritzed some of the Tim Holtz Christmas Fringe with Tarnished Brass Mica Spray and glued it to the edge of the tag.

To create the center panel I used a vignette panel and covered it with paper.  I used the collage medium again underneath and on top of the paper.  Once again I added black and white details using the paint and gel pen.
Using metal tape I made several lengths of the Mini Provincial 3d Impresslit.  I painted them white and then used Distress Crayon in Walnut stain and Vintage Photos to grunge it up a bit.  I also pounced on a bit of Mushroom Alcohol Ink.  I removed tha backing from the paper and stuck the tape around the edges of the panel creating a frame.  I glued the panel to the center of the tag.

The paperdoll was given a coat of clear gesso and then I added Distress Marker in Faded Jeans and Festive Berries to give her a pop of color.  A teeny star was added to her sash for some bling.  A metal star was added to the top of her flag.   She is popped up on the panel using foam tape.

The stencil chip was painted with Dina Wakley Media Paint in Ancient.  While the paint was still wet I dripped on alcohol ink in Mushroom and Patina.  Because the paint was still wet it looks like it corroded the metal.  A vintage ticket was layered underneath and then the chip was glued down using foam tape.

I used letters from the Tim Holtz Halloween typography set to make the word "free.'  I  sanded the letters and painted on some Tarnished Brass Distress Paint, then wiped it off before it was totally dry.  I used collage medium to glue the letters to the panel.

A flashcard from the Tim Holtz Elementary was added to the bottom of the panel.  The card was dinged up a bit by running it along the side of my media mat.  I added some Tarnished Brass Distress Paint to the edges and glued it down using collage medium.

The clip on top was coated with clear gesso and then alcohol ink in mushroom and patina was added to age it.   A large star completes the clip.

I hope you were inspired to enter the challenge or at least bust out your supplies and make! Have a happy and safe Fourth of July. 

Happy crafting,

Jess

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store

Follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too

You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in 

All of the products I used on today's project that are available from Simon Says Stamp are linked below.

Tim Holtz Christmas Fringe
Tim Holtz Mini Etc Tag
Tim Holtz Vignette Panel
Tim Holtz Mini 3d Impresslit Provincial
Tim Holtz Stencil Chips
Tim Holtz Elementary Flashcards
Tim Holtz Halloween Typography
Tim Holtz Paperdolls
Tim Holtz Vintage Clips
Tim Holtz Paper Pad Correspondence
Tim Holtz Faded Jeans Distress Marker
Tim Holtz Festive Berries Distress Marker
Tim Holtz Collage Medium
Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Mushroom
Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Patina
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray Walnut Stain
Tim Holtz Distress Crayon Vintage Photo
Tim Holtz Distress Crayon Walnut Stain
Tim Holtz Distress Paint Tarnished Brass
Tim Holtz Distress Paint Picket Fence
Tim Holtz Distress Paint Black Soot
Tim Holtz Mica Spray Tarnished Brass
Tim Holtz Star Adornments
Uni-Ball Signo White Gel Pen
Prima Clear Gesso
Dina Wakley Media Paint Ancient
Dina Wakley Media Paint Umber

We're going shopping!

The theme this week is Transport It.

When I saw these ladies in the latest Tim Holtz Found Relatives pack I knew I had to use them and I knew it had to be snarky.  This week's challenge seemed to work out perfectly for them.  These ladies look ready to transport a ton of merchandise and fun!
I started by taking a number 8 tag and covering it with a bit of Chipped Sapphire and Broken China Distress Spray.  I didn't want too fine of a mist, I really wanted blotches of color so I took the topper off and dripped some of the Spray onto my craft mat.  I sprayed it with a bit of water and then dabbed the tag in the color.  I dried between layers until I got a color I was happy with.  To fill in the gaps I used Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink and my blending tool.
I used Tim Holtz's Cityscape stamp set to cover the background.  I used bits and pieces from each city and alternated my archival ink colors.

Using a glue stick, I lightly skimmed over areas of the tag and used Rangers Foil sheets to give a hint of gold shimmer.  Random scribbles of gel pen complete the background. The edge of the tag has a bit of Gold paint pen on it .

A bit of gold metallic kraft core paper is behind the photo and I sanded the paper before gluing the ladies down.
I used a teeny bit of the Tim Holtz Classic kraft stock and stamped on the kraft side.  I used the Ink Road Mean Girls set and stamped in Black Soot Archival ink.  This was mounted on a bit more of the Classic Kraft in Dusty Concord just for a pop of color.

I attached the sentiment using a mini Tim Holtz paperclip.  The teeny plane charm from the Tim Souvenir charm set is tucked under the sentiment and glued down.
A bit of vintage seam binding was threaded through the hole at the top of the tag and a wire pin hold a variety of charms.

There it is! A quick and simple tag for your snarky friends.  I hope this project transported you to your creative space and you are ready to join the challenge!
Jess

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store

Follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram

Do you use Instagram ?  If so please add  #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too

You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in 

Tim Holtz Cityscapes Stamp set
Distress Spray Stain in Broken China
Distress Spray Stain in Chipped Sapphire
Distress Ink in Cracked Pistachio
Ranger Foil Sheet
Ink Road Stamp set On Wednesdays 
Tim Holtz Found Relatives
Tim Holtz Metallic Kraft paper
Tim Holtz Classic Kraft paper
Archival ink in Black Soot and Vintage Photo
Tim Holtz Wire Pin
Tim Holtz Souvenir Charm
Tim Holtz Mini Paperclip
Mini Blending Tool
Gold Paint Pen
Metallic Gel Pens

The house that snark built

This is the house that snark built.  

It's a bittersweet day for me today.  After three years with the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts team today will be my last post.  I have loved every second I have been on the team and promise I won't be gone forever.  So, for this post I decided to go out the way I came in- full of snark.  

This project was made with the House Oddities box.  This kit includes the box and all the little houses inside.  It's pretty amazing.  

I started with two sheets of watercolor paper and used Distress Oxide Sprays to color them.  The first sheet has Broken China, Wilted Violet, Pumice Stone, and Cracked Pistachio Oxides.  After the initial layer of Oxides I added some PaperArtsy Infusions in Rocky Road. I areas that were still exposed got hit with Distress Ink in the corresponding colors.  

The second sheet was made using Picked Raspberry, Peacock Feathers, and Squeezed Lemonade Oxide Sprays.  I added Infusions in Violeta and filled in the blanks with Distress Ink.

The houses are hinged together using plain white sports tape.  I cut a small piece and put it on the front of the house.  A second piece went on the back so there was no stick exposed tape.  I knew I wasn't going to make the pages too thick with embellishments.  If you want to recreate this house and know you will have chunky pages just make the hinges longer.  The hinges are painted with colors that correspond to the pages.  

I cut the watercolor paper to fit each house and then stamped up the backgrounds.  I used several of Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous sets (CMS364, CMS341, CMS328,CMS302, CMS294,CMS261, CMS187, CMS172,CMS083, and CMS081) for this.  Some of the backgrounds were stamped using Archival ink in Hydrangea and the rest were stamped using Staz-on Pigment inks.  

Part of the stamping was done before the embellishments were added.  After the paperdolls, sentiments, and other bits were glued down I added a bit more stamping. 

Once all the stamping was done I went back in with various gel pens to add doodles and scribbles.  

So this is what the front row of houses looks like all stretched out.  

You can see I added bits to some of the pages.  The little crown, chain, party hats, and coin add just a bit of bulk but I took that into account when making the hinges. 

 Here are the back pages of the house.

 Now these could be the front.  It just depends on how you fold them up.

 I had so much fun picking out the paperdolls and the snarky sentiments for each.

The exterior is quite simple to put together. 

I painted the exterior black and the interior with Dina Wakley's Lime.  Once it was all dry I used Beacon 3 in 1 glue to stick it all together.  Don't glue the front to the box or you won't be able to get inside! I gave the exterior a spritz of gold ink spray just so it wasn't flat black.

 The interior was splattered with the same color paints I used to color the hinges in the book. You can see the little houses all fit right inside the box.  

You can hinge the door to the houses, so when you pull the door open all the houses come right out.  I decided to do mine a bit differently and I actually used Tim Holtz hinges to hinge the door to the box.  The door panels were covered using the same background paper that covers the houses inside. 

Here you can see the top of the box was stuck to the door using a layer of foam tape.  The door is hinged to the side of the box using the metal hinges.  I used an awl and then was able to use brads to attach the hinges.  Please pardon my hand in here, the wooden base I use to take my photos is a bit warped so sometimes projects want to fall over.  

The final touches were added by spraying the finials with Oxide sprays in Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio.  They got splattered with the paint too.  The baseboard doll was edged with gold(and the entire backside is painted gold too).  He got his snarky sentiment and was glued to the box using super glue.  

I hope you enjoyed my project today.  I had so much fun making it! 

Happy Crafting,

Jess