Celebrate 4th of July

Enjoy these tags I taught in Woodstock Il the other day. I tried to capture that patriotic feeling with Tim Holts inks, paints, stencils, glitter, stamps, and die cuts. I also added some die cuts from Chery Lane and Sizzix. Everyone of my students enjoyed everything except the tedious painted stars. The "lady liberty" tag background is done in distress paints on a non-stick craft mat, with water added. I'm not sure I quite captured the copper elements in this photo, but they are really cool. The USA tag has a star stenciled background and features glittered stars on top of layers of a doily and cardstock. "Old Glory" was a little complicated as we painted an embossed piece of plastic, which we layered over a tag that we inked and perfect pearled. I just love when my fingers get inky!

Kits, kits, and more kits! I have been kitting up projects for upcoming classes these past two weeks. Using Graphic 45 "By the Sea" papers, I created two classes for you! Above is the card class, featuring these four cards in which we layer paper and add some special embellishments, and some techniques to make them special! Check out my calendar for where you can catch this class. I'll be at Stamp, Scrap n' More in Mundelein IL on June 28th, and Memories and Beyond on July 8th. Check these stores out in person, on the web, or on Facebook. I can't tell enough how important it is to support these small businesses. They are disappearing on us and if we don't there will be no where to learn, touch or feel, other than your computer. There is nothing like touching and feeling when it comes to crafting supplies. Quality is hard to see on a computer, and if you are like most of my students, it is easier to learn when someone shows you how!

www.stampscrapnmore.com

www.memoriesandbeyond.com

Next time I'll show you the Mini Album I created using these lovely papers from Graphic 45! 

Get Inspired!

Kim

Inspiration for Tags

These creations are always a process to make. But once in a while I find some inspiration in ordinary everyday things. I was shopping in a store and saw a display that I just loved. I thought I could reproduce it in my studio!

I loved the industrial look that had elegant touches to it. The lightbulbs were so unusual in their shape and size. Awesome display!

This was the inspiration for this tag! The background is Distress Stain Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge. Once dried a piece of Tim Holtz Tissue wrap was adhered with glue stick, then scrunched up while wet. Let the tissue dry with all those lovely wrinkles. Edge the tag with vintage photo distress ink on a blending tool. Then I stamped a verse from one of Tim's stamp sets. Using the window die from Tim's Alterations line, I cut a piece of Grungeboard to fit just the inside of the window, then trimmed out the center. This makes a great frame. I cut grungeboard gears from Tim's Gadget Gears Alterations die and painted all the pieces with distress paints. At a big box craft store I found these amazing charms that are lightbulbs. I attached some jewelry making string to the charms and hung them behind the frame. Very industrial looking!

 This tag was made using Tim's stamp set, and Alterations dies. The background uses distress ink, feathered peacock and pine needles applied with the blending tool. I stamped the background design in Wendy Vecchi's Archival ink "Tree Branch". The color is impressive. It's a light brown but is crisp and bold enough to show a nice image. A strip of acetate was alcohol inked and attached to the back of the filmstrip die cut. The tag turned out so well, it surprised me, as I had the stamp set for a few years but hadn't used it, not seeing exactly how I would use it. Sometimes you just have to sit down and play with a product or stamp to see what exactly you can do with it!

This third tag is a combination of former tag techniques all in one tag. It looks very simple but there is a lot that went into making it! Each grungeboard rectangle has a different inking technique used on it. Upper left is an embossing resist over evergreen bough distress paint. Upper right is stamped and then inked with vintage photo and the blending tool. Lower left is the Rusted Enamel technique that I just love. Wanting to keep the same color scheme, I had to pre-stain the grungeboard with picket fence distress stain to achieve the light blue/green color of the evergreen bough distress ink. Onto the pre-stained grungeboard rectangle apply evergreen bough distress ink with the blending tool. Pour Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel over the rectangle, and tap off excess. You do not want full coverage as you normally would. There should be specks of no powder. Heat to melt the powder, and let cool. Then apply distress ink Vintage photo to the rectangle over the enamel and into all the non-enameled spaces. Wipe enamel with a wipe and you then have the "Rusted Enamel Technique". The last square is embossed in an embossing folder, painted black, then once dry sanded to reveal the grey grunge in the raised spots. I then inked the rectangle with evergreen distress ink with the blending tool. At the bottom of the tag is an embossed piece of metal I painted black. Once dry I then used Evergreeen Bough distress paint over the black, then wiped off some of the paint to give that patina look! I topped off the tag by adding some metals to embellish it.

 I hoped you enjoyed these creations. This class runs through mid June. E-mail me for details on attendance to one of these classes, or check out my calender to the right on this page.

Next time I'll share another book I just treasure.

Till then

Kim

"Botanical Tea" Cards

 These beautiful cards are elegant and simple to make. Layers and border punches on metallic cardstock really make these cards stand out! Graphic 45 papers are so easy to work with, unless you are hesitant to cut into them. Sometimes the paper is so pretty it's hard to cut into. Just go for it. The creation that comes out of it is worth it and often very rewarding.

 The shape of the "Hello" card is one of my favorites. It is size 3 1/2 x 12 scored at 6". It fits the common check envelopes you can buy in 100's at the dollar store. It also uses a scrap piece from one of the other cards.

  I used scraps of chipboard behind the stamps to raise them. I find this sturdier than foam dots, and cheaper. Elegant ribbons are something I am hunting for all the time. They can really set the project right! On the "Celebration" card, I used a Tim Holtz Alteration die, #658570 Cameo Frame, to make the shape the green dot paper is in. It wasn't a long enough shape so I added an alternate color to the bottom, and it really worked out nice.

 In the "Thinking of You" card again I used a Tim Holtz Alteration die, #658557 Pediments, this time in white chipboard. I then sprayed the chipboard with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist "Tattered Leather". It sits boldly at the top of the card.

I love the shape of the "Hello Friend " card! it is 8 1/4 x 7 1/2, and scored at 3 3/4. This will fit a normal business size envelope. It stands out tall among the group of cards. Finding envelopes for this card is fairly easy!

This class is running through the first week in June. Kits are available. E-mail me for more information.
Until next time!
Kim

Old with New

Playing with distress paints and the new Frameworks dies from Tim Holtz, I created this Spring Tag!

The background has pumice stone and antique ivory paints streaked and then sprayed with water. Dry paint then cover tag with frayed burlap ink via the blending tool and foam. This creates a faux wood background. I painted the frameworks piece in evergreen bough, then sanded and inked in vintage photo. Wipe to remove the ink from paint and dry. cut into pieces then adhere to tag. I punched circles out of clear plastic packaging, then embossed it in the clockworks TFEF. I alcohol inked the clockface, then pressed it into a staz-on inkpad to catch the raised edges. The flower is from the new XL Bigz die, the center is the center of the wreath with a plastic bling piece, and brad. I fininshed off the tag with ribbon dyed with tattered rose stain, and a butterfly cut out of Tim's mirror with one of his mover shaper dies.

My last Spring Tag uses one of Tim's new stencils and his new Marker sprayer. The tag's background is Broken china ink with the blending tool and foam, then I used the lattice stencil and sprayed with evergreen bough marker in the sprayer over the stencil. I stamped an image at the bottom of the tag. Then I tore a piece of patterned paper inked the edges and adhered it to the tag, added the die cut lace at the bottom. I die cut the leaf from Tim's spring green die in grungepaper, colored it in peeled paint stain, then when dried I coated it in glossy accents. Adhere the leaf to tag then wrap string around tag and attach a tag and charm. I used a Wendy Vecchi quote stamp onto the upper right of tag. This tag is a combination of old and new. New dies, stencils, and tools like the marker sprayer. Old in dies, inks, stains, and stamps. Just like Spring, everything can be new again!

Spring Tag #1

I find Spring to be so full of inspiration! My Spring Tag class is always some of the easiest for me to make. I am itching for the warmer weather and flowers, (GREEN!) and leaves. Here is one of this years tags that was in my mind for several months. I was just waiting for Spring!

Spring in Paris

The background of this tag was inspired by a technique I saw Wendy Vecchi demonstrate at CHA.If you don't know of her, check out her blog "Studio 490" with blogger. I used distress ink re-inkers and a bottle of household alcohol. I put one drop of each ink in a row onto a non-stick craft mat, and dribbled alcohol over them. I gently mixed each drop with alcohol with a small popsicle stick, then laid the tag onto the inks and swished it around. The trick is to make sure you have mixed only slightly, and have enough but not too much alcohol. The alcohol makes the colors pop and the mixture you make on the craft mat is frozen onto the tag. Dry with your heat gun then I inked the edges with Black Soot distress ink and the blending tool. Before the next step you must completely dry the tag. 

I inked a background stamp with VersaMark ink and stamped over the entire tag. After putting the cover back onto my inkpad, I opened my Perfect Pearl Powder (Pewter) and with a short soft rounded brush used just a little powder in a circular motion over stamped image. The versamark with hold the powder and create a shimmery image.

The tag is decorated with a Grungeboard Eiffle Tower that has been embossed with an embossing folder, then Crackle Painted in Black Soot. I Also embossed the Fleur de Lis with the same embossing folder, and added pearls and a feather. I hand beaded the beads at the bottom onto the lace for the perfect finishing touch!

Enjoy the much needed sunshine this spring. I'll post the other tags from this class in the next few days.

I am picking up more places that I will be teaching at. Be sure to check out the schedule on the right.

Enjoy

Kim

Inspiration

Sometimes a paper line can just start the wheels going. Thats how it was with me and Prima's "Printery". I saw this line at CHA and instantly I knew what I wanted to do with it. This book remains one of my favorite, and the lucky students who got to make it treasure it as I do. The album is filled with pockets and flip outs.

I misted the black chipboard cover with "Atlantic" glimmer mist, then added the layers. The large green piece is a Tattered Angels Chip piece misted in "Driftwood" and "Atlantic". I cut a square out of the top half and hung the Prima charm birdcage in the square. I mounted the chip onto the cover using scraps of chipboard to raise it so the birdcage would swing. Then I added the ruffle, flower, crystal stem, and bow.

As lovely as the cover turned out, the inside is packed with pockets and flips, decorated with flocked rub-ons, resins, doilys, lace, tissue flowers, and material flowers. Everything inked of course!

 I added an open scalloped border punch to most of the pages, adding elegance and making the paper go farther. It also adds a contrast of color to the book.

 The page on the left was a black and white paper. I misted it with the same color mists used on the cover, let dry and ironed to make flat. I do love my glimmer mist!

 Some of the flip outs have unique closures. I used an antique shell button, two long fastners, and an elastic loops. The elastic loops go thru holes in the binding and are tied behind the page.

Even the back of the book is decorative!
I'm so glad to share this album. I'd love to hear what you think about it. I"ll have news soon of upcoming classes, and where they will be.
Kim