Tag! You're it!

Tag! You're it! That's the name of Challenge #12 at A Blog Named Hero and I'm stealing it as my catchy title this week. For those of you who live under a rock I will just explain here that the super talented Tim Holtz is doing 12 Tags of 2012 rather than just the 12 tags of Christmas that he usually does. This month I decided to join in - mostly because I thought I had most of the supplies and it looked easy. Looking back and comparing his finished tag with mine I see his is better executed than mine but it was  my first time. The faux technique doesn't show off well in the picture because it basically didn't turn out well. Just kidding! It just isn't as pronounced as Tims. It's something I can work on for next time - if there is a next time.

Other than the faux embossed metal technique and wanting to use the Tim Holtz film strip I didn't have a plan for how this was going to turn out. The metal ended up being greener than I wanted. Might have something to do with the fact that I chose what I thought was a blue alcohol ink that turned out to be green. So green became the colour scheme from then on.I had to rummage and I mean rummage for the beaded trim. By rummage I mean tip everything out of my trims and ribbons box until I could lay my hands on it.The trim is from a lamp shade I altered and I knew I kept the little piece just in cases (not a typo). I thought it would finish the tag perfectly with the Karen Foster extra large word eyelets but.... I couldn't figure out how to set said eyelets with a cropadile or other tool. I tried using a way too small manual eyelet tool (the kind you bash with a hammer) but it munted it. I finally ended up setting a large eyelet in the back. Not a great job but it will do for now.  Anyone out there know how I can set them in the future?

This tag is submitted for the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2012 September: http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2012-september/
It is also submitted for A Blog Named Hero Challenge #12 Tag You're It! Challenge:http://ablognamedhero.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/challenge-12-tag-youre-it.html

I'm off to google how to set extra large eyelets.

Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog - The CAYG Freaks Got Me In The End

The trouble with participating in a challenge is that it's hard to have a catchy title without getting into trouble. At risk of annoying my regulars (cough, cough) I have tried to add one in today's title. Let's just hope I now don't get in trouble with my non regular SSS Challenge people.

As you might have guessed I have created a card for Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog. SSS people - I promise I will add the proper link this time :)

The challenge was to use the current trends on a card: hexagons, ziz-zags and neon. Here's my take:

 

 

This card came together really quickly (for me anyway).  Remember the blue 65 BDay card I made a few months back? Well, I made two card fronts as I was playing. This one was done with three tones of red/orange/brown inks (they were all Stampin' Up from memory). I pulled out my newly made cards container and pulled this one out where I stored it until I would use it. This is a new container I have where I throw in bits and pieces suitable for card making: free printables from magazines, celebration tokens like Happy Birthday, bits from commercial cards that I could re-use, pre-made pieces like this one etc. So today, instead of throwing things in, I started pulling things out and the card developed from there. The dress form die cut was from the first time I played with a MFT die+stamp set. Once I saw it I knew I wanted to use it. Then came the doily and the rest was history so they say.

Sadly, I have a use for this card as it will be sent to someone very extra special to me very soon which is why I selected that particular sentiment. On the inside I have embossed a stamp of the verse from Romans 8:28 For we know that all things work together for good. This is a verse which my very extra special friend has drummed into me over the years and now it is my turn to remind her.

I had a better, watermarked image that I wanted to use here which would've showed you the verse better....Just a word of warning here: I am about to break into an anti-blogger rant before I get to the catchy title bit. I am so over blogger! For some reason it has decided to not load my pictures any more from my laptop. Of course, lately I have been entering challenges which means I need to upload photos. To get around it I had to download and setup a Google+ account which I do no want!  Have you read the mobile Terms and Conditions? Have you realised what information they have access to when you use it? I was stuck so now I have it and 'they' are watching me. (I'm honestly not a conspiracy theorist, I just don't want people I don't know knowing goodness knows what about me that I don't even know about myself). Argh!

Rant over

For now...

So, if you read my post you will see that I mentioned a newly created container for card stuff that I throw random useful things into. It seems I am now more organised. I even occasionally try to put things away after using them. My desk is fairly clean. I don't know how it happened and I tried to fight it as long as I could but it seems that the CAYG Freaks have won. But don't worry there is still a portion of my desk storing items that need to be housed and if you turn around from my desk you will see that the office chair is piled high with stuff. Phew, it looks like I can be redeemed after all :)

[CAYG stands for Clean As You Go]

Scrappin Patch Challenge #4

 

Note: If you are looking for my Simon Says Stamp entry it is the next post down - apologies, I put the main web address down instead of the individual one :(

While I am starting with an apology, I might as well aslo apologise for the lack of a catchy title again. I will try harder next time :)

I took up another from Scrappin' Patch this weekend which was base a creation on a recipe. The ingrediants in the recipe were:

1. One piece of cardstock
2. Two pattern papers (can be double sided)
3. Two Photo's
4. Use buttons, brads or Tin Pins (you must have at least 3)
5. Chipboard Title

And here's what I came up with:

 

Another apology: sorry for covering up yet another gorgeous face. The facial expression is priceless and really matches the layout (total teenage scowl).

I have used a brad to adhere two photos and a further journaling spot to the page so I could have two photos without overwhelming the layout (they are both 4x6) as well as room for extra (hidden) journaling.

O Boy, I am beyond annoyed at Blogger! For some reason it is refusing to load my pictures so you get stuck with a terrible webcam one. Sorry!

Today's post was brought to you by sorry and by the number 1 stink picture!

Materials: Papers by DCWV and American Crafts (I  know which LSS I bought the DCWV paper from and it has been closed for almost two years so I know it counts as old), Bella chipboard painted with silver paint pen, Rembrandt letters for XOX and @, Field Notes stamp by 7 Gypsies, Momento journalling pen, Pritt glue, cardstock and brads unknown. The jewels that I've put on the photo like a tiara are from a broken ring.

If you liked it then you should've put a......

 

If you liked it then you should've put a stamp on it! And so I did!  Simon Says Stamp are having a blog hop with a catch. You have to actually create something in order to be eligible for the prizes. Here's my creation:

I finally got to play with my new Hero Arts Studio Calico background stamp - I'm loving that lattice. I think you are going to see a few cards featuring it in the coming months. I also got to add twine for the first time.  The mini ruler was from my Maya Rd prize from earlier in the year. I wrote the sentiment around the ruler and it reads: I can't measure, how much you mean to me. When my Dad first saw it he thought it meant he was the rule. We have a long running Tui Ad campaign in NZ that says...Yeah, right! I think it fitted that moment.

Scrappin' Patch Challenge #1 AND A Blog Named Hero Challenge #10

Scrappin' Patch has a challenge going on that is perfect for moi - use your stash. I love my stash but I want to use it so I can add more things to it. Oh, let's be honest, I'm gonna add to it anyway but this should even things out a little bit. Scrappin' Patch had a sketch loaded to their blog and you had to create a layout based on the sketch using only older items in your stash - I love it!

A Blog Named Hero has a challenge too which is to incorporate Kraft cardstock into a project. Now, Kraft is not a colour I use often yet I admire it in other people's work. Sounds like a challenge to me! Unfortunately I used only a small piece on my layout (to anchor my ribbon) and I coloured the edges to make it blend in better - does that still count? I sure hope so. Here's my creation:

Because I used a picture of a small person I had to cover their face and name. It is a shame because it is a beautiful face :)

Shall I tell you a few things about this layout?
The journaling spot is actually split and used either side of the photo. I do this with patterned paper too - why waste precious paper?
The ribbon is only used on the ends also - again, why waste gorgeousness?
The tissue tape actually covers writing on the journaling card which didn't suit my theme.
The kraft is colored with ink to make it blend with the layout better. Ditto for the tissue tape.
The staples are coloured with permanent markers - this is my favourite tip! You probably can't tell how well this worked out. The pink was too bright and the brown just blended into the ribbon so I layered the two colours together and it's perfect! (according to me, anyway)
The matt paper had buttons printed on the top right corner. I cut around that edge and put the photo under it. I took the risk of adding real buttons later. I am glad I did. When I use pre-decorated paper like this I like to cut around the decorative items to aid cohesion in the whole piece otherwise it can look like you just slapped a picture and some paper on a pretty piece of paper. Here I have cut around the bird's beak and slid the journaling paper under it.

Something I always do, and I mean always, is ink edges. Something I did here was a first-time try and it worked - love it when it does that! The buttons (mentioned above) didn't seem to blend well with the layout so I inked the edges with a permanent marker - brilliant! But, wait, there's more! The big pink button had grooves in it so I took the risk of quickly and lightly running the permanent marker in the ends of the grooves. O how brilliant it worked in making it blend but still have it's own presence. Here's a few other things I often ink the edges of: photos (with Stazon ink) as I don't usually use a photo matt, the whole page as it helps it stand out (just with a brush marker instead of with Tim Holtz blending tool) and lastly, embellishments.

This turned out to be a long post. I apologise for the lack of a catchy title this time but I shall leave you now with the list of materials used and a link to both A Blog Named Hero Challenge #10 & Scrappin' Patch's Challenge #1 - give it a go then you can buy new stuff.......

http://ablognamedhero.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/challenge-10-krafty-crafter.html

http://scrappinpatch.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/use-your-stash-challenge.html

Materials: Paper MME, notepad paper (behind photo), journaling paper Making Memories, Tissue Tape TimHoltz, Ribbon DCWV and Spotlight, Ink Colorbox , Punch EK Success, journaling and inking pens Momento & Sakura (plus unbranded permanent markers), staples, buttons, resin piece (?), kraft paper.

Thanks CAYG Freaks

Did you miss me? As usual, or not so usual for me, I've been making a few cards. I got the  [what was then] *new* Tim Holtz seasonal spring distress inks. It seemed like as soon as I got them the summer ones were out. Where does  time go? It's August already people - how did that happen? Back on topic: they sat with my stash until I could finally get an afternoon to play. I had peacock colours in my head and wanted to try blending some of the spring inks with the winter inks. The colours didn't end up as vibrant as I wanted. The smaller two were done on watercolour paper and the bigger ones were on gloss paper (my first time using gloss). The darker one on the left was embossed with teal embossing powder - something I now regret. I didn't think they blended well when I misted them with water either.

Did you like the inky fingers? I then turned them into cards. I gave one away in the weekend and today I realised I didn't have a picture of the final products for this blog post. Sadly, you miss out on the one made with the smaller one on the bottom right. For reference, I added a big silver embossed brad in the middle with a number on it (it was for a birthday - go figure). I got to use the tissue and woven paper I had in my stash (I may have come across it while tidying - thanks CAYG Freaks!)

Where Did That Lady Go?

The 65th Birthday card I promised you. There are a few things I wasn't happy with but left it all the same - don't ask me about coloring the chipboard numbers which were originally shiny and green. Ok, I'll tell you anyway. I had the idea of glossy, smooth, white numbers for the card. I will just white emboss some numbers in my stash I thought. My heart sank as I watched the embossing slide around and off the numbers under the heat gun. Next idea: I would peel off the coloured layer and colour them with paint. The outcome was chalky, lumpy numbers, not the glossy, smooth image I had in my head. Idea #3: add a coat of white embossing over the paint. It worked ok, but I had to add more than one layer and I just couldn't get it smooth. After a few attempts I realised it wasn't worth the level of my angst and decided to use them as they were. Not so sure about the happy birthday ribbon either - moving on...

On a happier, more content note; I discovered that I could use my Stampin' Up! half round punch to create holders for the coupon! Something was going my way, unlike the jammed square punch that is currently sitting on my desk. What happened, you ask? Well, I saw an online tip about cutting perfect notches on the ends of pennants by using your small square punch. Brilliant I thought and tried it out as I really dislike unevenly cut notches on my pennants. The only trouble is: I tried using it on ribbon that was kind of plasticy, not cardstock. Punch stuck and hasn't budged since. It's been two months or more. No exaggeration - it was used [unsuccessfully] on my Mother's Day card which I made ahead of time as documented in an earlier post. Those of you who read my blog regularly and commit the wisdom within to memory will know (just cracking myself up with that one).


On this card I got to experiment with my new Hero Arts background stamp and Tim Holtz distress markers. I've also been experimenting with new Tim Holtz spring distress ink and making cards with the results. I've also tried out another online idea and made them into cards too.  It unsettles me to note that I've been making a few cards this year, more than ever before even, and sadly few layouts. I have previously mentioned my little secret of disliking making cards and preference for layouts which begs the question: where has that lady gone?