Manila file mini album for Inspiration Journal

On our recent visit to Scotland I had the pleasure to meet up with some crafty friends (Rita, Annie and Astrid) for a day of chat, great food and a bit of crafting.  Astrid gave each of us a large manila file and showed us how to fold into a mini album shape and we set about decorating them.  

I decided right away that I wanted mine to hold photographs from the visit - those of you who are expert at these folders will see that I folded mine wrong but I didn't let that deter me - you know what Tim Holtz says - embrace imperfection and so I did!!

Mine will ultimately hold photos, so I didn't want to over-embellish mine or add texture paste, the whole folder is covered simply with Distress Inks in Cracked Pistachio and Gathered Twigs and I used a few of Tim's stencils to add some interest.  The words are from Tim's Big Chat stickers.

I stamped, coloured, fussy cut and mounted two of the gorgeous Cone Flowers from Tim's Flower Garden set of stamps.  The flowers were coloured with Ripe Persimmon, Gathered Twigs and Mowed Lawn Distress Inks.

I took one of Tim's mini clips and embossed it with Wendy Vecchi's Red Geranium Embossing Powder and then distressed it with some Ranger Black Archival ink.  The other two pieces are from Tim's Idea-ology range, I swiped the 'Authentic' piece with Ripe Persimmon Distress Paint.

I kept the inside fairly simple, with just some stenciling and a little stamping.

A bit more stamping and stenciling and a piece of Tim's Idea-ology film strip.

There are still a few days left to join in the challenge at Inspiration Journal which is 'Get Pasted' where you just need to include some Embossing Paste somewhere on your creation.  As always, there is a fabulous $50 prize for one randomly selected individual to spend at Inspiration Emporium.  If you use my code Redanne you will get a 10% discount off your entire purchase.

I would like to enter this into the lovely Hels Sheridan's Sunday Stampers, where this week is a Free Theme week.

Thanks for looking, hope to see you again soon!  Hugs, Anne xx

Products from Inspiration Emporium
Tim Holtz Distress Inks
Tim Holtz Distress Paint
Tim Holtz Idea-ology
Tim Holtz Stencils
Tim Holtz stamps
Archival Ink
Wendy Vecchi Embossing Powder

Compendium of Curiosities #28

Hello friends, thank you to all who commented on my posts whilst I was on holiday, I really appreciate it!  Internet access was poor and on return home I found over 300 posts in my reader, which I don't think I will ever catch up on, but I will see and comment on any new posts ....

Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities #28 is all about Tim Holtz's Alcohol Ink Ombre technique and the Curiosity Crew have created some wonderfully inspiring projects which you can see HERE.  You will find the technique on Page 57 of Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities III.

I would like to say a huge thank you to the Curiosity Crew for choosing me as an Honourable Mention for my seahorse hanging for Challenge #27.  It is such an honour to be recognised by such a talented team!

The sponsor for Challenge #28 is the lovely Linda Coughlin of the Funkie Junkie who will award one randomly selected individual to receive a $25 Voucher to spend in Linda's on-line store.  Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi have also donated a fabulous prize of Tim Holtz goodies for one person chosen by the Curiosity Crew.

I made a simple tag for my entry, I cannot share how I did the Alcohol Ink Ombre technique but I can tell you that I used Lettuce, Meadow and Pesto coloured Alcohol Inks to create the background.

I wanted to 'brighten up' the background so I stamped and coloured the flowers from the Tim Holtz Flower Garden stamp set in Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink for the petals and Gathered Twigs for the cone part.

To finish off I added some Tim Holtz Crinkle Ribbon coloured with Ripe Persimmon Distress Spray Stain and added the words from Tim's Idea-ology Small Talk Stickers.

At Inspiration Journal, the challenge this month is 'Get Pasted' where we would like to see you use Embossing Paste somewhere on your creation.  As always, there is a fantastic prize of $50 for one randomly selected individual to spend at Inspiration Emporium.  There are still a few days left to enter!  If you do make a purchase from Inspiration Emporium and you use my code Redanne, you will get a 10% discount off your whole order too.

I hope you will not mind this indulgence, but my wonderful friend Rita of  RMG Creations, gave me an early birthday present when we visited her and her hubby Andrew when we were on holiday in Scotland last week.  Rita made this gorgeous bag with Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabrics that she won last year from Paula Cheney. Am I not just the luckiest Tim Holtz fan ever!!  The beautiful bag is lined, has inside and outside pockets and a zip closing - very professionally finished....

As always, thanks so much for looking, I always appreciate your comments and look forward to seeing you again soon!  Hugs, Anne xx







Products from Inspiration Emporium - Click on the link
Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Lettuce
Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Meadow
Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Pesto
Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink Cardstock
Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Applicator Tool
Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Blending Solution
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Crinkle Ribbon

Twelve Tags of 2015 - May

Another scheduled post, I am still away from my computer, I apologise again if I have not been able to visit you, we are on our last couple of days of our holidays in Scotland, with some very dear friends, internet time is limited, but I will hopefully get round to visiting soon.

I am sharing my Tim tag, which I have to say was quite a pleasure to make.  You can seeTim's original version HERE.  I am not going to go into detail as, apart from some words and picture changes, I have stuck pretty much to Tim's 'recipe'.

There were certainly a lot of elements in this month's tag, I was concerned it might look a bit overcrowded but I don't think it does after all!

I tried not to use the same elements and colours on mine.  I envisioned the lady in the photo being a seamstress and tried to find elements to match that.

Sadly, I have not been able to get the new tiny Tattered Floral die yet, so I improvised and used the Tattered Floral Garland die.  To finish off I added some of Tim's small talk stickers.

This month at Inspiration Journal, the challenge is 'Get Pasted' where we are asking you to use Embossing Paste somewhere on your creation.  We hope you will join us there, one lucky randomly chosen individual will win a $50 voucher to spent at Inspiration Emporium's on-line store.  Remember too, if you do shop at Inspiration Emporium and use my code - Redanne, you will get a 10% discount off your whole order!

Thanks for looking, I hope to see you again soon!  Hugs, Anne xx

Inspiration Emporium Products Used:

Tim Holtz Surface Textures

Ranger Texture Paste

Tim Holtz Distress Paint

Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Garland die

Tim Holtz Idea-ology (various)

Tim Holtz Crinkle Ribbon

Mixed Media May-hem with DecoArt Media

Welcome all my lovely blog friends, thanks so much for your visit.  I am actually away from my computer for a couple of weeks, so I apologise in advance if I don't comment on your posts, I will do my best to catch up once I am online again.  I have a couple of scheduled posts set up, of which this is one - I wouldn't want you to forget me entirely!!

We are all having great fun over at Eileen Hull's Art With Heart Challenge - which this month is:

Mixed Media May-hem with DecoArt Media

We are so fortunate as a design team to have received some fabulous products from DecoArt to use and what amazing products they are (my own personal opinion).  I am also proud to be a member of the DecoArt Blogger Outreach Program (details on my sidebar).

If you saw my last post you will know how much I love seahorses and all things to do with water and the sea/ocean so I am following along on that theme and I have used Eileen's fantastic Artist Trading Block die to create a treasure chest which, in my rather vivid imagination, was brought up from the depths of the ocean....

It is hard even for me to believe now, that this started out as plain cream coloured mat board  (mount board in the UK), as you can see below!

I cut two of the large Artist Trading Blocks (ATBs) from die No. 658984, using the largest ATB on the die  (2.1/2" square) and I joined the two together to make a rectangular shape.

For the top part I cut the same two ATBs again but cut them down height-wise and added a semi circle of card to each end to form the rounded section of the lid.  Some plain card was then scored at 1/4" intervals to form the 'wooden' elements of the chest.  I painted this with Quinacridone Gold Media Fluid and whilst still wet, I added a coat of Burnt Umber Media Fluid (I wanted a random appearance).  I did not take a photo of the next step (I got carried away!) but I added some black and gold Ultra Thick Embossing Crystals to the wet paint, to give a rough texture effect, painted here and there with Paynes Grey and Cobalt Teal to give an 'aged' appearance.

To finish off I then covered the piece completely with Andy Skinner's Dirty Wash recipe (70% Quinacridone Gold, 30% Paynes Grey mixed with Media Ultra Matte Varnish to make a glaze).

For the metal effect edges to the chest I cut some 1/2" strips of card, scored down the middle and painted these with Metallic Silver Media Fluid and then pounced on some Quinacridone Gold, Carbon Black, Cobalt Teal and Paynes Grey Media Fluids.

I gave the metal hinges (Tim Holtz) the same metal colour wash.

The lock at the front and the chain got the same 'metal' paint treatment.  You can see some of the texture in the wood in the pictures above and below.

A close-up of the lock and the 'netting' I added.  The netting (gauze) was sprayed with many different colours of the Media Fluid paints which I watered down and put in spritzer bottles to randomly spray the gauze.  You only need the tiniest amount to make up a spray and the colours stay true.

Apologies for the long post but I know that some of you like to see the detail.  Please do consider joining in Eileen's challenge HERE, it would be lovely to see you there - I cannot describe to you how much fun it is to use these DecoArt Media Fluid products!!

Chest : DecoArt Media Fluid : Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Umber, Paynes Grey, Metallic Silver, Cobalt Teal, Carbon Black

Faux Metal:  Metallic Silver, Quinacridone Gold, Cobalt Teal, Media Ultra Matte Varnish

Netting/Gauze : Cobalt Teal, Pyrrole Red, Green Gold, Quinacridone Red, Burnt Umber

Thanks for looking, I have another scheduled post in a few days with my latest Tim tag, I hope you will join me then.  Hugs, Anne xx

Compendium of Curiosities #27

I am bringing up the rear again with my creation for the lovely Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities #27  where the challenge is to use Embossing Diffusers.  The Curiosity Crew have made some wonderful and inspiring projects.  You can find the technique on Page 61 of Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities III.  If you still need a copy, you can buy a signed copy direct from Tim, HERE.

As always, there are fabulous prizes on offer for the winners.  Linda's Curiosity Crew will choose their favourite to win a bundle of goodies from Tim Holtz and his Logistic Director, Mario Rossi.  One randomly chosen person will win a $50 voucher to spend at Inspiration Emporium's online shop.  Great prizes!

Now that Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner I decided to use my Tim Holtz Sand and Sea die (the seahorse is a favourite) and, of course, the Embossing Diffuser, Set 1.  I cannot share the technique with you but this is what I created:

I used Tim's Wave Embossing Folder for my background, which was coloured with Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink to bring out the 'wave' effect.  The bubbles were created using Wendy Vecchi's Clear Embossing Paste - it is nice to use the clear, as the colour below will show through.  I added some more paste to the bottom and covered it with Tim's faux sand technique which you can find here.  I had some left over from then (yes I don't throw much away!). I backed the piece with some corrugated card which had been painted with Picket Fence and Mermaid Lagoon Distress Paint.

The seahorse was coloured with Mermaid Lagoon and Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink and a layer of Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint was applied over the top.

The sand dollar was coloured with Antique Linen Distress Ink, edged with Gathered Twigs.  The starfish is coloured with Abandoned Coral Distress Ink.  They were all coated with Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.

To finish off I added some twisted rusty wire for the hanging and one of Tim's new Idea-ology tiny bottles with some faux sand in it.

I hope you will check out the new May challenge at Inspiration Journal which is 'Get Pasted' - no not literally, but you need to use Embossing Paste somewhere on your project. There is a $50 prize for one randomly selected individual to spend at Inspiration Emporium.  If you do shop there and use my code Redanne, you will receive a 10% discount on your whole order.

As always, thanks for looking and I hope to see you again soon!

Hugs, Anne xx

Products Used:

Tim Holtz Sand and Sea Die

Tim Holtz Embossing Diffuser, Set 1

Tim Holtz Texture Fades - Waves and Bubbles

Distress Paint

Distress Ink

Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint

A Vintage Journey - Spring Colours

It is time for a new challenge at A Vintage Journey and it is the turn of the uber talented Astrid this month and she has chosen Spring Colours as her challenge theme.

I always know that Spring has arrived, in our part of the world, when the beautiful Star Magnolia in our garden bursts open it's buds into the most glorious display of flowers.  I have tried to emulate the Magnolia flower using Tim's Tattered Florals die and using the beautiful Spring colours of Cracked Pistachio and Abandoned Coral to transform a plain wooden box.

The base of the box was coated with Abandoned Coral Distress Paint and then given a coat of DecoArt Weathered Wood Crackle Medium.

Once the Crackle Medium was dry a coat of Cracked Pistachio Distress Paint was added and all the lovely crackles appear as if by magic!  The keyhole is from Tim Holtz Idea-ology range.

Time to create the flowers - these were die cut using Tim's Tattered Floral die, using just the spiky flower.  Each flower has two layers.  Heavyweight white card was used so that the petals could be 'shaped'.  The flower centres are from my stash, they were originally white and they were coated with Spun Sugar Distress Paint.  The branch and leaves were cut from Tim's Movers and Shapers Mini Branch & Leaf set.

I thought I would show you a picture of the real Star Magnolia - and yes, I have used some artistic licence in creating my version!

A final view from the side which shows the crackle off nicely.  I think I am slightly addicted to crackle at the moment!

As always, our wonderful sponsor, Country View Crafts have a £20 voucher for one randomly chosen individual to spend in their on-line shop.  Nearly all of the items I used today came from Country View Crafts, where Susan keeps a fantastic range of Tim Holtz products (and lots of other makes too).  Susan gives the most amazing service and postage and packing in the UK is free.

The Creative Guides (DT) will also choose three people to receive a Pinworthy Badge and I don't mind telling you, it is always a very touch decision to make!

We hope you will join us at A Vintage Journey, you have a whole month to do so and we would love to see how you interpret Astrid's 'Spring Colours' theme.

As always, thanks for looking and I hope to see you again soon.  Hugs, Anne xxx