Tim Tag September 2013 and Eclectic Elements

It is so good to have Tim's tag for inspiration because Mr Mojo has still not returned from his holidays!
My tag follows Tim's recipe but with different colours and a couple of different stencils (Tim ones) because I do not have the full set as yet.

Here is my effort:

I used the burlap, rays, schoolhouse and splatters stencils but to finish I added pearls instead of a charm and a key instead of a pen nib, otherwise it is similar. Click on the image for a closer view if you wish.

Because my tag has a key on it I am also entering it into the wonderful Hels' Sunday Stampers challenge which is KEYS.

But, even more exciting than doing the tag, if that is possible, I have got my hands on some of the new Eclectic Elements fabric!!  Woohoo - these fabrics are lush.  If, like me you have been dying to get your hands on some of these fabrics, well now you can.  Thank goodness for Dyan Reaveley's shop, which you can find HERE, as she does get Tim's new things in, in record time.  I am on her mailing list but even though I went online as soon as the email came through, all the larger (fat quarters) had sold out. I do believe that she got more stock in though.   Anyway, I am more than happy with my half fat quarters and 10" square pieces.

I am hoping to make one of Jim, the Gentleman Crafter's passport holders with some of the fabric and a nice holdall, plus, I have already given some of the fabric away, but in the meantime I have made these:

Top left is a notebook with ruled lines, in my favourite piece of fabric.  I have cut the letters from Tim's Wordplay die and added glossy accents (love that stuff) and the word 'notes' is a chit chat sticker.

On the right is a diary for 2014 with my next favourite fabric (what's not to like about butterflies!) and the notebook at the front also has ruled lines and the page edge colour matches this fabric so very well.  I added a word band which says 'possibility begins with imagination', which I coloured with Spiced Marmalade Distress Paint.  Finally, with the scrap of blue fabric that I had left over, I made a bookmark - so nothing wasted.

Just in case you want to cover some books too, the notebook top left is 6 1/2" x 4 1/2" in size and I used a half fat quarter to cover that.  The diary is 5 3/4" x 4 1/4" and also needed the half fat quarter size to cover it.  The small notebook is 5 1/2" x 3 1/2" and I used a 10" square to cover it and there was a bit left to make the bookmark.

I used Pinflair bookbinding glue to glue the fabric to the notebooks, it is very easy to do, the fabric is an excellent weight and quality to work with.  With the possible exception of the red butterfly pattern, all the fabrics are suitable for both male and female projects.  The fabric makes the books feel so tactile - I just love them.....

I am hoping you will all like them because I am thinking of making more to give away as Christmas presents and if you, my crafty friends like them, then I am sure my family and friends will too.  As always, thanks for looking and a special thanks if you take the time to leave a comment.  Big hugs, Anne x

Prima Doll and ICADs

As ever, thank you for the lovely comments on my altered clock for Our Creative Corner, I really appreciate that you take the time to look and comment!

Today I have used my new Prima Doll stamp and Prima tag and watch embellishment to make this:

Click on any photo for a better view.

I made the hanging to fit in with Hels Sunday Stampers, which is to 'make a hanging' and also  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the challenge is to 'stamp on anything other than plain paper'  It is not often that I can work out how to create something for more than one challenge at a time!

I started out with a hanging from Paper Artsy, they are a lovely size and very lightweight box shaped so ideal for painting.  The tag is a gorgeous Prima one which comes in a pack of 48, already lightly decorated with beautiful script.  I coated the hanging base with gesso, then modelling paste through various of Tim's new stencils and then Fresco Finish paint in Mocha Mousse.  I then covered the whole of the embossed base with the Prima tag, with the top part cut off.  I used the same Tim Holtz stencils and used Peacock Feathers DI through the mask and then Weathered Wood through the burlap stencil.  Love how these stencils layer up!

You can see the stencilling better here.  I also took an Indigo Blu script stamp and used the fabulous new Wendy Vecchi Archival ink in Cornflower Blue and stamped randomly over the tag.  I added a Tattered Floral flower (painted with Broken China DI and overstamped, in part, with WV Archival in Cornflower Blue).  The ribbon was ruched to give the doll something to stand on.  The doll herself is coloured with various shades of Distress Ink, fussy cut and raised with glue dots.

To finish off I added one of Finnabair's fabulous mini time pieces.  Inside the watch, which has a removable front I used a Tim Rub on and a chit chat word.

I made a little 'glass' front from thick acetate, added some chain and use a Tim metal tag holder which I poked through the top of the hanging and added more of the ribbon to finish off.  The watch and chain are removable to use as a handbag charm.

The 'time' wording is a Tim stamp which I stamped in Coffee Archival ink.

I know I keep saying it but I love how Tim's products can be used in both grungy and more feminine ways....





Now on to the ICADs, this was a swap organised by the very talented Astrid of Astrid's Artistic Efforts.  I have already shown one that I made and sent which you can see HERE.  This is the second one I sent, which has now been received and Laura seemed to like it.

I received the most wonderful ICADs from two very talented ladies, Joan and Elly.

In order of receipt, this is the one from the lovely Joan, who also kindly enclosed a second ICAD and also some beautiful napkins to use in my crafting.  I love this set of stamps that Joan used, it is now on my wish list:

The second is from the talented Elly who sent this amazing steampunk creation, the holder feels and looks  like real leather and contains some wonderful embellishments:

How lucky was I to get two such fabulous creations by two amazing crafters!  It has been the most wonderful swap, thanks so much to Astrid for organising it.

Finally, I got a lovely thank you from Dianne for sending her an ICAD.  She sent me this beautiful ATC, the butterfly has been stitched by hand and is gorgeous.  Thanks again Dianne for the lovely thought.

Apologies for the long post, I had a lot to pack in, hopefully you have not all been bored!  Take care, hope you all get lots of crafty time.  Big hugs,  Anne xx

Forgotten Things at Our Creative Corner

It is that time again - mid-month and time for some more inspiration for the challenge that I have the pleasure of  hosting this month over at Our Creative Corner which you can find HERE.  I hope you will go over and see what my talented Teamies have made.   Full details and rules can be found through the above link if you would like to join in, you have until 28 September - so lots of time left.

When I was cleaning up and clearing out my craft room I came upon this fabulous Tim Holtz Assemblage Clock base which I bought last year and had totally forgotten about (how could I?!). I do love how Tim's products can take both grungy and feminine approaches.  This is what I did, just click on the photos for a closer view:

This is the 'bare'clock, it is lovely and shiny but very plain.  It does have a glass front so that you can put lots of embellishments inside (and they will keep clean) or make it into a working clock, as I have done.  Tip: if you are making a working clock then you will need quite small hands on the mechanism and I bought a 'silent' mechanism as the ticking one I had in stock was quite noisy!

My clock went through four make-overs before I found a combination that I liked,  it has been black, red, white and now pale blue.  It nearly went in the bin, but I persevered.  I have sanded the blue back a little so that you can see some of the white below.  I used Fresco Finish and also Tim Holtz Distress Paints to cover the clock, over an initial base of Gesso (and unintentionally several other coats of paint!).

For the inside of the clock I laid down some lace on the inside edge, which I had tinted blue with Broken China Distress Paint and I cut a circle from some gorgeous BoBunny paper to make the clock face.  The numbers are Tim Holtz Remnant Rubs.

I wanted to add a pocket watch to the side, but the Tim Holtz one is a little large so I have used a Prima - Finnabair mini one.  I added a Renmant Rub clock face, added the word 'time' and then filled the void with Glossy Accents to give a clock face look.

For the front and second side I added some lovely flowers, the large ones were gifted to me by my lovely friend and fellow Teamie, Jenny (Buttons).   They started off as pale pink and I spritzed these with a mix of London Blue Dylusions spray and Broken China Distress Paint which I mixed in a spray bottle with a little water.  The paint toned down the London Blue beautifully and was a dream to work with.  It does not add texture but really give the flowers a firm feel.  I added a couple of stamped and coloured butterflies for some added interest.

To finish off the back I added some more of the sprayed flowers and a butterfly.  The clock back still comes off so that the batteries can be changed.

Thanks so much for looking, I hope you have been inspired to find some 'forgotten things' and join in the challenge at Our Creative Corner.  Big hugs, Anne x

Life is art...... and The Winner is ...

Welcome to my latest followers, thanks so much for joining me, it is lovely to have you along on my crafty journey.

Today I am showing you another accordian card, I love these dies, they are so much fun to use.  So, without further ado, here it is, just click on the image for a closer view:

I cut the base card from white card stock and then cut the outer and inner frames from Kraft cardstock which I then put through a Darice embossing folder. I did a little dry brushing on the outer frame with Picket Fence Distress Paint.   I used corrugated card (from the Funkie Junkie) for the inner frames, covered with small pieces of book pages and then covered with a light coat of Picket Fence DP.

The frames have been decorated with a Tim Holtz dragonfly, mini tattered florals, pieces of hessian, WordPlay letters (art), a BoBunny butterfly, chit chat stickers and last, but not least, a Wendy Vecchi's 'life is art' stamped sentiment.  Here is a little closer look at the inner frames.

I do like to finish off the back too so that there are no seams showing.  I painted the back with Walnut Stain Distress Paint, overstamped with an Indigo Blu script stamp and then stamped and heat embossed various Tim Holtz inspirational sayings in white embossing powder.

As I have used both dry embossing and heat embossing I would like to enter this into Simon Says Stamp Blog Monday Challenge which is Embossing.

I am also entering into Country View Crafts where the challenge is 'Layers', there are lots of layers on my card.

This is my second submission to the Frilly and Funky Challenge which is Anything Goes.

In my last post I mentioned a Tim Holtz Compendium of Curiosities 2 giveaway - well DH has kindly done the draw for me and the winner is.........  MARGIE!  Congratulations Margie, I will get the book off in the post in the next day or so.

I have been participating in Astrid's ICAD swap so I will be back soon to show the ones I have received, which are gorgeous!

Thanks for looking, take care everyone!  Big hugs, Anne x

Vintage Ladies and Friendship

I would like to say a big thank you for all your lovely comments about my ICAD and Pocket Watch, they really gave me a big boost!  Just what I need when Mr Mojo has gone off on an extended holiday.....

Today I want to share my Design Team piece for Nicecrane using Ignatio's Parisien Ladies (which sadly is not available at the moment but hopefully will be again soon).  However, Ignacio has lots of other fabulous Vintage Lady designs which can be found HERE.

This is a fairly simply design, as the image says it all really - three friends having a chat.  I love this gorgeous image.  The paper looks positively vintage and slightly distressed.  Click on the photo for a closer look.

The base card is Kraft coloured and I simply matted and layered patterned and plain papers to tone in with the colours on the image.  The edges are all distressed and finished with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  The script paper is BoBunny, the larger mat is Craftwork Cards.  I added some lace and a metal corner.

The book plate is Tim Holtz and I dabbed Vintage Photo Distress Paint over the book plate and the metal corner to dull them down and then lightly brushed Treasure Gold over the raised areas.  The word friend is from Tim Holtz Simple Sayings set of stamps.

This is my entry to Sunday Stampers where the wonderful Hels has set the challenge theme as 'Friends'. My card will be winging it's way off to a non-blogging friend soon.

Edited: I also wish to enter this into the Frilly and Funkie challenge, where Anything Goes.

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Now - on to Friendship, I have a little story to tell you, if you are interested (I hope you are). Long story, shortened version.

Those who know me well, know that I am every so slightly obsessed with a certain Tim Holtz.  You will also know that I missed out on his recent visit to the UK, despite spending 5 whole hours on the phone!  I was seriously distressed afterwards - I know, I know, there are more important things in life, but I was very upset.

On the day of the class, DH took me out to cheer me up and take my mind off things.  Well believe it, or believe it not, my amazing crafty friends Jenny, Annie, Rita, Alison, Kath and Brenda all frantically tried to contact me to tell me there was a place available in the afternoon session.  Did I get the message in time?  No, of course not, I was out shopping!  This was a double whammy for me and I think I was even more upset than the first time round..........

A few days later I got a parcel in the post from the lovely Jenny (Buttons).  It contained a personally signed, addressed to me, copy of Tim's Compendium of Curiosities Book and a Ranger apron!  You could have knocked me over with a feather!  I have since been in touch with Jenny who says that she interrupted Tim's lunch to tell him my sad story and he signed the book straight away!   The apron is from the very kind and generous Brenda (Bumblebees and Butterflies).  It is a long time since I have been so touched by a group of wonderful friends, each one met through crafting and blogging.  I know people say it all the time but crafters really are the loveliest, kindest and most generous of people - EVER.

I also need to mention my friends Mo, Darnell, Nicola and Laura who have all done some very kind things behind the scenes to try to both help and console me.  There may be others behind the scenes who have tried to help too and I apologise if I have not mentioned you.

So I want to say a very big,  personal and public THANK YOU to all of you, from the bottom of my heart. No one could ask for a more lovely group of friends.  Apologies, I did not mean to write a novel here....

So, why am I telling you all this?  Well, apart from wishing to thank these special people I want to do a 'Pay it Forward'.........  I have in my possession a used, but in excellent condition, copy of Tim Holtz Compendium Volume II (my old copy - alas, not signed by Tim though).  If any of you do not have this amazing book already, please say so in your comment and I will get DH to do a draw early next week.

Thanks to you if you have read through and reached this point!  Hope you are all getting some crafty time and please don't forget to enter our 'Forgotten Things' challenge over at Our Creative Corner if you get the time.

Big hugs, Anne xx