Theme Thursday - ATCs

For some reason, ATCs aren't really my thing. I'm not sure why...I just have a hard time fitting stuff on that little rectangle! I know some fantastic artists like Viola who can create incredible works of art in this 3.5" x 2.5" space...and I try, but I don't seem to have the touch. Nevertheless, I decided to join in with everyone over at Theme Thursday and see what I could come up with!

My background was created with the Watercolor Distress technique from the Feb/Mar '07 issue of the Technique Junkie newsletter. Instead of regular Distress ink, I used Broken China and Peeled Paint Distress Stains. On top of that, I stamped the background from Tim Holtz's Papillon stamp set using a Snow Cap paint dabber. The Wish stamp is from Tim's Stuff to Say collection and the flourish border is from his Nature's Discovery set.. The little girl is a rubber stamped image from Oxford Impressions' Heritage collection. Isn't she adorable?! She is stamped on glossy paper using Jet Black Archival ink. I really wanted to do stitching around the edges, but I was too lazy to change the thread color in my machine, so I opted to cheat a little and use the Drywall Stitching technique from the Apr/May issue of the TJ newsletter. Finally, I dyed a little rose from my Idea-ology Lavish Trimmings with Broken China Distress Stain and attached it to my ATC with an Idea-ology Long Fastener and a set of Idea-ology leaves.

Thanks so much for stopping by! :-)

Wednesday Stamper - The Last Hurrah

I was so sad when I checked the theme for today's Wednesday Stamper challenge and read that this week is the final week of the challenge. WS was one of the first challenge blogs I started participating in. It was always one of my favorites because they highlighted stamping, and the artwork was so varied.

For the final challenge we were instructed to use at least one rubber stamp, which has always been the minimum requirement for Wednesday Stamper. For my card, I used a variety of rubber stamps from both the Loverly London and London Underground stamp sets from Artistic Outpost. Again, the versatility of these stamps is amazing. If you'd like to buy them, please remember to use my discount code: stamptramp, and you'll receive 10% off your total!

Thanks so much to Belinda, Christine, Tina, Hermine, Patty, and Linda for challenging us to make the most out of using rubber stamps in our artwork!

Supplies used:
Idea-ology Plaquettes
Idea-ology Tiny Fastener
Core'dinations Distress Collection paper
Ranger Black Embossing Powder

Grungy Monday Meets Simon Says Stamp & Show

I absolutely love the Papillon rubber stamp set by Tim Holtz. I've seen so many great things done with it, but for some reason, I have not been using it much. After pondering the Grungy Monday alcohol ink challenge, I finally had a little 'aha' moment and found the perfect way to use it!

To create my tag, I first stamped the script background from the Papillon set on a plain tag using a Snow Cap Adirondack Dabber. When it was dry, I used my ink blending tool to apply Worn Lipstick Distress ink. I stamped the edges with the flourish from Tim Holtz's Take Flight stamp set, again using Worn Lipstick Distress ink.

Next, I stamped the butterflies from the Papillon set on acetate using black Stazon. I flipped them over and colored them following the directions from Tim's tutorial here. After the ink dried, I covered over the back with a Snow Cap Dabber, so that it would be more opaque. So pretty!

The label was cut from a scrap of chipboard covered with a French book page using the Sizzix Styled Labels die. I dabbed over it with the Snow Cap Dabber, so soften and hide the text a bit. I attempted to glitter the edge using Spiced Marmalade Distress Stickles and Cotton Candy Stickles. I say attempted because I just cannot wait for that stuff to dry, so I ended up smearing it all around, thinking I'd give it a shabby kind of look. Ha! Shabby or sloppy, not sure which! ;-) In the center of my label, I stamped the word 'wish' from Tim's Stuff to Say stamp set. I added a few roses from the Idea-ology Lavish Trimmings and then attached my butterflies using Glossy Accents. The trim along the bottom is dyed seam binding that I gathered using my sewing machine (thanks to my friend Becky for that great tip!) and adhered using Inkssentials Wonder Tape.

I'm also entering my tag in this week's Simon Says Stamp and Show a Word challenge. Speaking of which - did you see my fancy new blinkie? My tag was chosen as one of the Top Three for the Metal challenge! Woo hoo! Make sure you visit their blog and check out the fantastic work by their design team. They are truly amazing.

BTW, you still have time to enter Inspiration Emporium's monthly challenge. Read all about it here. You could win a $50 gift certificate!

Sunday Stampers - More Than Words

Today's Sunday Stampers gives me yet another excuse to trot out my new Artistic Outpost London Underground stamps*! This card is also an ode to my new found love for Ranger's Adirondack Dabber paints. I was slow to warm up to these, but now I don't think I can live without them!

For this piece, I wanted the Union Jack to be fairly neutral...I also wanted the aqua to be the main color focus. Since I was using the corrugated cardboard as a base, I knew I'd have to think of something clever, since there was no way that I was going to get the impression I wanted on such an uneven surface. My solution was to stamp on tissue paper using Adirondack Slate ink and then adhere it to my painted cardboard with Claudine Hellmuth Studio Matte Multi Medium. I used an Adirondack Cranberry Dabber to stamp the sentiment, and added other stamped images using a Snow Cap Dabber. I used my new Sizzix Pennants die to cut a cute banner from red and white ticking fabric. It's attached to a piece of string and then attached using the Idea-ology Tiny Attacher.

This is my favorite part! Again, more great examples of how versatile the Dabbers are. My flower was cut from Idea-ology Kraft Glassine using the Sizzix Tattered Florals die. I added a bit of Snow Cap paint here and there to soften it, and painted an Idea-ology Foliage piece with the Cranberry Dabber for the center. The flower is mounted over a frame cut from chipboard using the Sizzix Tag and Bookplates die. The frame was painted with a Snow Cap Dabber and the edges lightly sanded. I attached a Philosophy Tag that I painted with an Aqua Paint Dabber (loving this color so much right now!).

I'm also loving this view of all the layers! The bottom is chipboard, the red layer is a piece of the new Adirondack Core'dinations paper that's been embossed using Tim Holtz's Regal Flourish Texture Fade. The whole grungy sandwich is attached to the base using - what else? - the Tiny Attacher.

***Don't forget, you can use this code: stamptramp and get 10% off of your order at Artistic Outpost!***

Thanks so much for stopping by. Enjoy what's left of your weekend and have a wonderful week!

Theme Thursday, Stamping With Stain, and a Tiny Pillow

Today's Theme Thursday challenge is borders - this chunky tag's border might be tiny, but it adds a subtle little touch that I love. Another thing I love?  Both the London Underground and Loverly London stamp plates from Artistic Outpost (as if you couldn't tell). My favorite stamp of them all is the grungy Union Jack. I have been dreaming of this stamp for ages and am so thrilled to finally have one! Below is a quick tutorial showing how I created the border on my tag using the Union Jack stamp and Tim Holtz Distress Stains - another thing I am crazy for right now!

Supplies: Fired Brick and Faded Jeans Distress Stains, Inkssentials Mini Mister, plain white typing/computer paper, Union Jack rubber stamp from Artistic Outpost.

Begin by inking the red stripes with the Fired Brick Distress Stain. Don't worry if you get a bit on the area that will be blue; it gives it a nice blurred look. If it bothers you, carefully wipe it off with your finger.

Next, do the same thing with the Faded Denim Distress Stain.

To reactivate the ink (in case it dried a bit) spritz lightly with a water-filled Mini Mister -  three squirts is about right, depending on how 'watercolor-y' you want it to look. Side note: while I was doing this I wondered what it would look like if you spritzed it with some homemade glimmer mist. Hmmmm....need to try that!

Align your stamp with the bottom edge of your paper and press down. Oooooh! Very cool!! This is the best stamp in the world, is it not?

Now, you're going to repeat the process until you have a nice border. Don't worry about cleaning the stamp in between impressions. 

At this point you can cut your strips in half and you have a cute border to use in your projects. I also used a strip to cut a rosette using Tim Holtz's Paper Rosette Die. VERY cool! (Not shown 'cause I used it in the collage I posted a couple days ago!)

If you like a more vintage feel, ink it up with a little Brushed Corduroy or Vintage Photo Distress ink.

Guess what? You can do the same technique on fabric! Is this the most adorable pillow you've ever seen? I love it so much! It is tiny...like a baby kitten would use it for a pillow, tiny. Too, too cute. I told you, I'm obsessed!

Have I convinced you that you need these stamps? If so, you can use this coupon code: stamptramp and get 10% off your order at Artistic Outpost. Sweet!

If you're looking for the rest of the supplies, be sure and check out Inspiration Emporium!

Supplies for tag:

Artistic Outpost London Underground and Loverly London Rubber Stamps

Idea-ology Film Ribbon

Idea-ology Sprocket Gears

Idea-ology Plaquettes

Inkssentials Manila Craft Tags

Idea-ology Tiny Attacher

One more thing - the red ribbon is from the batch I dyed awhile back and wrote about here. I love that I can easily make coordinating ribbon for my projects. I forgot to mention it in my earlier post, but the ribbon I used is actually seam binding that can be purchased very inexpensively here. Be careful, you might end up like my friend Bonnie! Now, that is a party I would love to go to. :-)

Grungy Monday #12 + Simon Says Metal

This week's Grungy Monday challenge was to work with Tim Holtz's resist technique from April of '08. I had a bit of trouble getting started, but once I did, I had a fun time with it. I added quite a few gears and sprockets...some cut using Tim's Mini Gears die, and some from his Idea-ology line. I also added a die cut metal clock for more texture. After I'd piled on all that faux and real metal, I realized it was perfect for this week's Simon Says Stamp and Show - Some Metal!

Supplies used:
Idea-ology Paper Stash - Lost and Found
Idea-ology Tissue Tape - Marketplace
Idea-ology Reinforcers
Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Stuff to Say
Artistic Outpost Rubber Stamps - Loverly London
Idea-ology Sprocket Gears
Idea-ology Memo Pins
Idea-ology Hitch Fastener
Sizzix Mini Gears Set
Sizzix Weathered Clock Die
Ranger Embossing Powder - Silver and Gold and Ultra Thick
Adirondack Dabbers - Pitch Black and Espresso
Idea-ology Tiny Attacher

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great week!