More updates

Here is an update on the tags I have been making. I completed the tags inspired by days 8 and 9 of the 12 Tags of Christmas by Tim Holtz. You can see the tags that mine were inspired by on Tim's blog at www.timholtz.typepad.com.

Here is the tag inspired by day 8. Tim created a parchment effect with his vellum and added the grunge board lamp post on top. I didnt' have all the same stamps but I did the same techniques. I also wanted my angel to look like she was flying, so I added some ribbon that looked like it was blowing in the breeze.

I apologize for the blurry pics. The camera doesn't like to take pictures without the flash.

Here is my tag inspired by Tim's on day #9. He used some photos of kids crying on Santa's lap. I have to say that the photos cracked me up. He posted them so that he could share the images. I downloaded them and printed them out right away. I don't have any photo strip ribbon, but I had this label holder and decided to use it as a photo frame.

I chose my two favorite pics and added them. I don't think those kids are having a very "Merry" time. Still so funny though. Santa can be a little scary. I don't have a label maker by Dymo, so I made the song lyrics using my typewriter and then cut up the paper to make little word confetti. I love the look and feel of the felt pointsetta flowers. The green leaves were made by inking up some white flowers and putting them behind the pointsetta.

I hope you are enjoying your holiday season. Thank you for stopping by and looking.

Catch up time

We have a lot to catch up on. I had a very busy weekend. I had to finish up all the tags last night and this morning. Here are the tags for the last three days of the 12 Tags of Christmas.

Here is the tag for day #5. Tim Holtz created 4 mini ornaments. I created 4 little items that could have been ornaments, but I don't have any wire, so they had to be attached to the tag with brads. If I pick up some wire in the future I could take the brads out and add the wire. Here are some close ups of the little fragments that have my stamped images glued to the back.

You can also see all the stamping I did on the tag itself. I really had fun adding layers on this one. Below is the whole tag. I was pretty excited when I found a stamp in my collection that looked like that German trim Tim used on his tag.

This next tag is for day #6. I didn't have a stamp that was a car or a cool pine tree. I went ahead and heat embossed this stocking on grunge board and cut it out. I inked it up, added the ribbon, and put glossy accents on the holly leaves. The greeting at the top just didn't want to be photographed well. It says "From Our Home to Yours". I enjoyed trying that masking tape techinque that Tim used on the dictionary paper. I did the same on my tag, but a lot of it is covered up by the stocking. I just tried to use the same techniques, since I don't have all the same stamps and supplies.

Here is my tag inspired by Tim's day #7. Once again, I don't have all the same stamps that he does. I decided to stick to the same main technique which was masking. I stamped the greeting and frame on the tag and on a mask. I cut out the greeting and masked it off. Then I proceeded to joyfully cover the rest of the tag in ink. I also stamped a splatter stamp in gold and green with some Mica Magic inks.

Can you see that on the close ups? It's subtle.

I added the fibers and pearls last. I don't have any stickels, so the gems had to do.

I hope you are enjoying the tags. I am sure loving making them each day. It's so true that the more you immerse yourself in trying something new, the more creative you feel.

Check out Tim's tags at www.timholtz.typepad.com

Thank you for looking. Happy Holidays.

Day #4 of the tag saga

Here is my tag for day #4 of the 12 tags of Christmas. I have to admit that when I got up this morning and saw the tag for today I was completly stunned. I was freaking out for like 2 hours about how to make a cool pin. I admit that I have only made a little bit of jewelry in the past. I have some odds and ends around here, but nothing as cool as what Tim used on his pin. Then it hit me....I have some fragments. I could make my own thing that way.

I decided that this shouldn't be as grungy, or as multicolored as Tim's tag. I wanted to use a bird stamp, and I thought the wood grain would be a perfect background for that. Then I started layering some stamps and papers that I thought looked good.

The pin turned out just as I wanted. I used a page from an old dictionary that I have. I just ripped it out, put a little Old Paper distress ink on it, and heat embossed a brown bird on top of the word "Wing" on the dictionary page. I put the fragment on top with some Glossy Accents and waited for it to dry. (That was actually hard for me. I sometimes ruin good projects because I'm impatient.) When it was done drying I put some of the same patterned paper used on the tag onto the back of the fragment. Then I added the jump rings and beads and attched the whole thing to the pin.

After the whole thing was done I decided to add the limited edition stamp that I used on the tag to the fragment too. I stamped it on the back.

I basically just took his ideas of having a tag, and matching gift pin, all in one little project. I love how today's turned out. I hope I can give it to a friend who will wear it with pride.

Thanks for looking. Leave me a comment if you are making the tags too. I would love to see your projects.

New crafty space

I keep getting asked for pics of the new way we have the basement arranged. I have it cleaned up a little bit more. It isn't the way we want yet, but it is much closer.

Here is my desk. It is an old drafing desk. It is 4 feet across. I can store so much in it and spread out my projects as much as I want. I love it. I'm going to try keeping my Silhouette down here at my desk. I had it upstairs at the computer, but I think this way might be better. I need a cozy/dust cover for it so it doesn't get dirty. Anyone know how to do that? I'll sew it if you can help me figure out how to shape the fabric.

Here is my old bookshelf. I'm trying to figure out how we will hang the cork board on the concrete wall. Duane might just have to put a screw into the concrete.

Here are the new shelves. I need to move all those boxes underneath to a new spot. Maybe I'll just throw them away. I don't know what is in them. Do I really need that stuff? Probably not.

Here is a peek into a couple of the flat file drawers. I used to keep the stamps out, and the paper in the drawers. I'm doing it the other way around now. I feel like it's better to see the paper all the time and know at a glance what I have. I don't want 100 sheets of orange and no sheets of blue.

I started to make my own clip it up type of thing. I need more clips and then I can get all of the ribbon up there. I can't wait.

You can see a little of Duane's Lego area behind the ribbon in that last pic. He is still trying to get that all arranged. You might have also noticed the set on top of my desk. He didn't forget that one. It is all mine. That is my favorite Star Wars ship the Jedi Star Fighter. I need to put the set together and then I can be "in" on some of his fun too.

I'll post more pics when things are better arranged. Hope you want to come over and play soon.

Day #3

Allrighty, here we go for my day three interpretation. I would just like to state that today was not my best day ever using alchol inks. I am not satisfied with how that portion of my tags turned out. I guess we are all allowed to have an off day. (Please say "yes"!)

Here are my tags for today. I saw that Tim did two and thought to myself that I would only do one. Then I didn't like how my first tag turned out, so I did two also.

Sorry it is sideways, but it's just that kind of a day so far. Here is the deer tag. I like it a little better than the bird one. The metal tag says, "Happy Holidays".

Here you can see a close up of the tag and see how I sprinkled the Liquid Applique with glitter before I heat set it. It sparkles so nicely.

Did you all know that if Archival Ink is till wet when you sprinkle on your glitter it will stick to the ink? I didn't. Now I do. That is why I wasn't as happy with the bird tag. I should have heat set the black ink before I went on to the next step. I was a little excited. I added a jingle bell that I had floating around in a drawer. So my tag will "sing".

See? He is glittery all over, instead of just on the snow.

Oh, well. I think every artist and crafter has little things happen like that every once and awhile. I think someone else will like the look. I'm only dissatisfied because the end result doesn't match my vision. That is OK.

I used Stampendous and Tim Holtz stamps on these two tags.

Thanks for looking.

If you are following along too leave me a link to see your pictures.

Here is day #2

I am so excited to be sharing. I am loving this, following along with Tim, thing. In the years past I just lurked, and looked. Following along is so much better.

I admit that this morning I was up and logging onto the internet to look at his day #3 tags before I had made the kids' breakfast. (Is that wrong?)

Here is my version of the tag for day #2. I used a Stampendous stamp for the greeting and the other two are Tim Holtz stamps from Michael's. I'm so glad my sister gave them to me for my birthday last June. I don't have any little metal flowers to alter (but wasn't that the coolest technique?) so I used a white Hero arts flower instead.


I rubbed copper ink on them and then embossed them with copper embossing powder. Then I layered them on top of each other and used an antique looking brad for the center.



It was as close as I could come. On both yesterday and today's tags I used pearl mixative alchol ink to splatter the tag like Tim did. I don't have any perfect pearls to use, but the shimmery look comes close.

If you are following along with Tim too please leave me a comment and I'll look at your tags.

Thanks for looking.

I'm inspired

There is a very inspiring, and creative blog out there that I love to read. It's by Tim Holtz, the rubber stamping guru. Every year in December he creates the 12 tags of Christmas. This year I'm trying to follow along and use his tags as a jumping off point for making some fun projects of my own.
I just wanted to post what I had created and spread the fun around. I need to type a disclaimer. The photos loaded in backwards order. I meant for the first to be last, and the last to be first. I'm sure you will get the idea.
Here is a closeup of some of the glimmer I added. It's hard to see in this photo. We have no natural light today. The sun is hidden and the world is covered in snow here. I used Tattered Angels, glimmer mist, pearl mixitive alcohol ink, and prisim glitter.

I loved using the crackel Glossy Accents on the snowflakes. It is SO cool how it cracks as it dries. I just seem to go with the snowflake I stamped on the acetate.

Click on the link below and follow along with Tim ,each day, as he creates his tags. I will. I'll also be trying to remain inspired, and use his tags as a jumping off point to create my own.

Peace be with all of you.

www.timholtz.typepad.com