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What a sorry looking sight...an empty craft desk

Sorry for the late post, I've been an ill bunny for the last few days so no crafting this week, not even had the strength to watch any Creative Chemistry 101 videos since last Friday and am now many, many days behind. Instead I thought I'd show you where I keep all my stash.

I love the Really Useful Boxes...they stack and pack so well and I can see through them so don't have to pull everything out to find the stamp I'm looking for.

Thanks for looking and for more WOYWW madness, please hop over to Julia's place...

Architecture ATCs

A couple of ATCs for the monthly swap I take part in on the Rebel Stamper forum. The theme was Architecture and after rummaging around in my stamp box I found one of the Eiffel Tower. Is it just me or does it look more like Blackpool...

I used Tim's brushless watercolour technique for this first ATC, as described in Day Two of his amazing Creative Chemistry 101 online workshop. The image was stamped onto watercolour paper and when dry the text was stamped in black. A fleur-de-lys rub on was applied to a small Tim Holts fragment piece and attached to the card with Glossy Accents.

For the second ATC I used the Tissue Wrap College technique again. The background was stamped with French Script in black permenant ink then covered with a light splattering of PVA glue. Green tissue paper was squiggled over the top making sure wrinkles were created. Once dried, Bundled Sage Distress Ink was swiped over the top to make the wrinkles pop and the edges were inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The Eiffel (Blackpool?) Tower was then stamped in Olive Archival Ink and the tower detail cut out, leaving a white boarder. This was then layered over the tag with foam pads.


Day 5 of CC101...can't wait to see what Tim has for us today!

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In the middle of a few projects again...but mostly enjoying Tim Holtz new online workshop; Creative Chemistry 101. One of his finished tags takes pride of place on my craft mat, surrounded by lots of supplies. I'm loving this course and learning how to do techniques properly that I've been messing around with for ages and never quite getting right!

This is a close-up of my "Distress-Ink-foam-applicator-storage-device" a.k.a two pieces of laminated card with sticky-back velcro. 

Unfortunately I don't have the money or space for 36 applicator tools with dedicated foam pads so I printed out Tim's handy colour swatch guide and laminated it. Then I drew grid lines on another piece of paper to fit 36 foam applicator pads and laminated this too. I attached sticky back velcro to the grid boxes and now I can stick my colour specific foam pads down alongside the reference table. 

Its really useful because I can then store it in a ring binder or magazine rack and it is always easy to grab. Something else I noticed was that it makes me see which colours I go for the most and encourages me to use others...

Worn Lipstick and Spicy Marmalade look to be my favourites while poor old Dried Marigold, Old Paper and Pumice Stone have been rather neglected...

For more WOYWW shenanigans pop along to Stamping Ground

Marbled Stains

Another card and another technique from the new Tim Holtz Compendium of Curiosities...Marbled Stains.

The main background was made by applying Picket Fence Distress Stain to a craft sheet followed by splurges of Broken China and Crushed Olive Distress Stain. White card was then swiped through the stains several times to build up the layers. Perfect Pearls Spray in Biscotti was then spritzed over the remaining mix on the craft sheet and the card swiped through again.

Using Distress Inks applied with sponge, the owl was built up directly on the background by dabbing through a stencil; I used Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge and Aged Mahogany. His branch was coloured using Gathered Twigs. A circle was punched out of white card and inked up with Mustard Seed and edged with Spiced Marmalade. Beak and claws were also cut out and coloured in Mustard Seed. Wobbly eyes were stuck on with Glossy Accents.

The sentiment was stamped using Black Staz On ink. Both pieces were edged with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. Brads were attached to the corners of the sentiment and the two pieces then layered up on yellow card and adhered to Eco Kraft recycled card.

Ruffles, faded layers & shattered stains

Three new Tim Holtz techniques in one anniversary card today...

The background was made using the faded layers technique; 

White card was coloured with Distress Inks in Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose and Milled Lavender then splattered with some drops of water to create a spritz and flick distress. A mask was placed over the background and inked over with Vintage Photo and Aged Mahogany Distress Inks using an ink blending tool. Text was stamped in Vintage Photo and the edges were then roughed up with a Distress Tool. The background piece was then mounted onto white card and a piece of organza ribbon wrapped around.

The crackle heart was made with a variation on the Tissue Tape Ruffles and Shattered Stain techniques;

Two hearts were die cut in white mount board and one coated with a thick layer of Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and put to one side to dry. While this was working its magic three strips of pink tissue paper were cut and double sided sticky tape attached. These were stuck along the edge of the second die cut heart in pleats and then trimmed so that the ruffles overhung by 1cm. This was then spritzed with Perfect Pearls Spray in Biscotti. When dry Black Soot Distress Ink was used to lightly smooch over the ruffles to highlight the wrinkles. When the crackled heart was dry, Shabby Shutter and Crushed Olive Distress Stain was dabbed all over followed by a very light splattering of Worn Lipstick. This was then stuck on top of the ruffles using Glossy Accents and attached to the card.

The sentiment was stamped onto white card stained with Shabby Shutters and embossed with Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder. The card was then edged in Black Soot Distress Ink and attached to the card. A vintage image was stuck onto a piece of Ideology and fixed to the ribbon using a jump ring then secured onto the card with foam pads.

The whole piece was then mounted onto Eco Kraft Recycled Card from PDA Card & Craft, this is fantastically thick, quality card stock and I love it for my card blanks.

Tissue Wrap Collage Tag

This morning I made an Easter basket gift tag using one of the techniques from the new book by Tim Holtz, A Compendium of Curiosities Volume II - Tissue Wrap Collage. I didn't have all the right supplies so had to improvise.

The background was stamped with Staz On black permanent ink and small tattered floral die cuts from mount board attached with glossy accents. I then covered the whole tag with a light smattering of PVA glue and quickly stuck down a piece of pink tissue paper from a Tesco multipack. This had to be applied very gently as it easily rips when squiggling down and making the wrinkles. Once dried I squooshed on Worn Lipstick distress ink using a foam applicator to highlight the wrinkles and the tattered floral die cuts.

Cardstock was inked up with Shabby Shutters and Broken China distress stains then the bird on a branch image and alphabet letters stamped in Staz On black ink. These were cut out and mounted with foam pads. Tiny wee green buttons were used to accent the tattered florals. A hole protector was made with a circle punched in pink card and another hole made with a crop-a-dile. Pink spotty ribbon was then tied through.

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A whole load of half finished projects...scrapbook pages, ATCs and tags plus new supplies to play with, including my new favourite stamp, Keykeeper by Stampotique, still to be stamped.




Here's the little chap, isn't he a cutie...

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Steampunk Tag

My first entry to the Sunday Stamper Challenge run by Hels Sheridan and inspired by her recent "Ranger Techniques" workshop run at the Stamp Attic in Wantage.

The tag was stamped and embossed with Vintage Photo distress powder then coloured with Wild Honey distress ink and a light spritz of Perfect Pearls Mists in biscotti. Sticky back metal sheet was stuck to card and run through the Vintage Dressmaker embossing folder by Couture Creations then distressed with acrylic paint, sanding and a coating of Shake'n'Spray Creative Colour Spray in black star copper from Crafty Notions. Eyelets were attached and ribbon used to create the bodice detail. The trinket was made by sticking a vintage image onto a piece of Ideology by Tim Holtz and adding a copper heart through a jump ring onto a safety pin then attaching to wrapped ribbon.