altering tim's Sizzix alterations die...

is it a trophy or is it a goblet?

I was just playing the other day...

so this little art was not planned as a blog project...

you'll see some photos are missing...

but I think you can still follow along...

the photo below is another cool tim die...the big ticket...

I cut 2 of the tickets from manila card stock...

one will be my base...

the background was created using the wrinkle free distress technique...

instead of ink pads, I used scattered straw, faded jeans  & weathered wood distress stains...

when the base was dry, I added some gathered twigs around the edges...

and then tarnished brass distress paint as the final touch around the edges...

I masked off part of my plant stamp & used jet black to stamp the leaves...

the pot the plant sits in is masked off...

I used the shabby shutters & peeled paint distress markers to color the leaves...

remnant rubs are my statement for this piece... 

I darkened the recessed area with a pencil...

a nice pointy pencil fits well in the little groove...

not too stark..but it does define it...

in the photo above, you'll see stamping on the border only...

I cut the second ticket apart to make 2 masks...

with the center covered, I used potting soil archival with the large stamp from LSCS066...it's called remnants of art...

then I used the frame portion of the ticket to mask off the outside...

now it was simple to stencil some stripes with tree branch archival using the mini blending tool...

since the art I make gets shipped & handed lots, I wanted the ticket to sit on a solid base...

the base is the bottom of the art parts rectangle frame...

it's a perfect fit for the big ticket...

I used the reverse dots background stamp with potting soil archival ink to stamp the top & bottom of the base...

and I added a bit of potting soil to the edges, just incase a bit showed...

in the last post I explained how I created the vintage looking trophies with silver embossing paste...

it's heated to bubble the paste, then colored with archival inks...

see that left over paper/embossing paste scrap on the right?

I cut just a portion of a die from the scrap...

and here's the mini goblet...

is 1 ½ inches tall & stinkin cute!

and here's where it came from...

it's a small portion of this large trophy...

altered alterations!

the other new Sizzix tim die I just got cuts 3 bows...

it's called bow tied...

I followed tim's instructions, but added 2 tiny pieces of clearly for art...

they should be tiny...

and adhered to the fattest part of the bow...

now when you heat the CFA to shape the bow, it will be very strong & sturdy...

the photo below is watercolor card stock with the 2 pieces of CFA...

I wanted you to see where the CFA scraps fit the best...

tiny pieces work best & are invisible when the bow is assembled...

I used the smallest of the 3 bows on the die for this piece...

I cut it from a scrap of specialty stamping paper that was created with my archival reinker/rubbing alcohol technique, using forget-me-not and cornflower blue...

I think this is adorable...

I wish I had stamped on it...but I was too excited to get the cutie put together...

note to self...

don't be in such a hurry...

next time stamp before assembling...

and here's my finished piece...

you can see why I only stamped borders on the art parts base...

only the corners & a bit at the top & bottom show...

here's a closer look at the goblet & the mini bow...

I LOVE it when products can be used more than one way...

think about this...because the goblet is so small,

it's a great way to use up embossing pasted paper scraps...

that goblet would be great on a CHEERS card...

or a wedding card...

or you could use 2 for a wedding card & put their initials on the goblets or add the date with remnant rubs...

or how about an anniversary card with the # of years on the goblet...

it would be really cool to make a silver embossing paste goblet for a 25th!

or use the gold embossing paste for #50!

or it can be a chalice for a first communion card...

again, it could be personalized with an initial...

so...is it a trophy or is it something else?

what do YOU see?

it's fun to think outside the box when you...

make art!

wendy

ps...I'm off to Adventures in Stamping in Akron, Ohio to demo for the weekend. come visit us...

we'll have tons of supplies in the booth to...make art!

it's trophy time...

tim's new Sizzix trophy dies were the inspiration for this project...

I spotted (zoomed in on) them back in January at CHA & immediately the wheels were spinning wildly...

I had so many ideas on how to use them...

I KNEW that my metallic embossing pastes, combined with the dies, would be a fun play...

and they were...

WARNING...NO FLOWERS were used on this tag...

shocking!

hey...I didn't want you to faint!

the tag went like this...

I spread some silver metallic embossing paste on a piece of manila card stock & heated it with the heat tool to bubble it & add texture...

when the paste was completely dry, I die cut this trophy...

to create an aged effect, I randomly tapped on some dandelion,  hydrangea, leaf green & watering can archival inks & dried them...

then after shaking the brushed pewter distress paint, I added some in random areas...just using my finger...

now my trophy looks very vintage...

I stuck an oval industrious sticker to my craft sheet & rubbed over it with watering can archival, then dried it...

the oval frame is a perfect fit & a great spot to highlight the remnant rubs...

oops...forgot one photo...

on the finished tag you'll see that I added another remnant rub to the base...

I love this trophy!

I wanted to make the trophy partially dimensional...

to do that, I added a scrap of clearly for art (CFA) on the back, to the bowl portion of the trophy, with Glossy Accents...

then heated it to soften the CFA...

and rounded it a bit...

the CFA will hold the shape...

to create the base for the tag, I used the archival reinker/rubbing alcohol technique, but on a manila tag, instead of my usual specialty stamping paper...

if you're using manila card stock...

the key here is LOTS of alcohol (surgical spirits for my UK friends)...

don't be skimpy...

I chose a blue background (to look like water), because I knew I would be stamping a fish...

the next photo shows lots of rubbing alcohol with 1 drop of the forget me not reinker & one drop of the cornflower blue archival reinker...

it's important to mix the color into the rubbing alcohol so there are no intense drops of the reinker...

next, I laid the tag in the alcohol/reinker fluid & immediately it soaks thru the manila card stock...

this is the front before it was dried...

it's amazing that using so much (rubbing alcohol) fluid,  does not warp the manila card stock at all...

the downside of using manila is that you have almost no chance to manipulate the colors like you do when the same technique is done on specialty stamping paper...

the fluid soaks in immediately when using manila...

you can dry it & add another layer, if needed...

sometimes the back turns out really ugly, which is why I use specialty stamping paper for my art journal pages with this technique...

but...oddly enough, this time I liked the tag back better, so I used that...

next, I used jet black archival to stamp my fish...

then used distress markers & the detail water brush to color the top portion of the fish...

his butt is going inside the trophy, so I didn't bother coloring his bottom half...

next I added some random background stamping with the vintage mesh background stamp & tree branch archival...

haha...it looks like a fish net!

the edges needed some brushed corduroy to start a frame effect...

then I used the detail water brush to add some water drops...

tap the detail water brush sharply on your finger & it will dispense random tiny water dots...

***one thing to note*** is that my archival reinker background is waterproof, so the water spots are only where I applied the brushed corduroy distress ink...

it's a cool effect & kind of look like fish bubbles...

 I started adding remnant rubs...

these rulers were perfect, since size is important when you catch a fish...

I put the cap from my tim scissors in the photo, because that's how I like to apply the remnant rubs...

try it...works like a charm...

the tag edges were still too light, so this time I added some gathered twigs...

the background still needed more, so I used watering can archival on the unmounted A to Z background stamp & randomly stamped the background...

I wanted the trophy to have a base to sit on, so I used an industrious trim piece & inked that with potting soil archival & dried it...

the trim got added to the very bottom of the tag...

to keep the fishing theme going, I created a realistic fish hook by cutting off a portion of the hook part of a small swivel clasp...

I removed the chain & hooked the 2 jump rings together & added it to the top of the tag...

I had to trim off about ⅛ of an inch at the top of the tag so I could close the jump ring & not squish the tag...

hmmm...

it wasn't quite finished...

I added a shadow around the fish with the iced spruce distress marker & the detail water brush...

I added some tiny inky dots with faded jeans distress stain & the detail water brush...

and I darkened the top border with the stabilo pencil...

I just drew a line & smeared it with my finger...

now...here's my finished trophy tag...

I think this is great for a guy...

this same idea could also easily be made into a card if you're not in the mood to create a tag...

I will use it for my nephew's birthday, since he is an avid fisherman...

I added "best day ever" remnant rubs to the base...

to let him know that it was "the best day ever" when he was born!

in the next photo you can see how that scrap of CFA makes the trophy dimensional, but not too dimensional to mail...

and you can get a better look at the embossing paste texture on the trophy too...

one other tiny detail that didn't show up very well...

I added a drop of Glossy Accents to the fish eye...it looks cool...

I like that I used 2 background stamps with 2 archival colors & they don't compete in the background...

tree branch & watering can are both awesome for background stamping...

I have to say that I had a blast making this tag...

these trophies have so many possibilities & can be used for any occasion & for both guys & girls...

I think they would be so cute for a child on a special day...

and I LOVE that they are perfect to use with the metallic embossing pastes...die cut embossing paste is magic!

I have more ideas brewing...in fact I already have another tag done...

and a 3rd one started...

have a good one my friends!

I hope YOU can

take time to

make (trophy tag) art!

wendy

put a bird on it...

today is a quickie post to let you know I have another mixed media tutorial on the Ranger site...

it includes a video, supply list & step out photos...

you'll find the tutorial here...

you'll learn how to use archival inks several ways...

how to change up a SiSi daisy...

how to alter metallic embossing paste...

and how to create the dimensional leaves...

grab your supplies...
it's time to mix your media &...

make ART!
wendy
ps...Happy Easter...I hope you find your basket filled to the brim with art supplies!

a card & THE WINNER...

well...we got the word loud & clear...

you guys love tim's newest mini distress pads too!

I agree...they are just plain CUTE!

thanks too for the kind words about my art journal page...

making art makes me happy...

I had 2 emails asking how the above art journal page could be transformed into a card, for those who haven't jumped on the art journaling craze yet...

so I created a card, using the same technique as I did for the page...

you'll find that post HERE...

you can see the weeds look similar, but since the base is much smaller, I didn't use the girl or the spotlight frame...

instead you'll see the ornate dots background stamp used as borders...I used tree branch to stamp them on my specialty stamping paper card base...

the background was randomly stamped with the A to Z background stamp, using tree branch archival...

I used the tiny attacher to ground the weeds & to keep the card flat for mailing...

a little matting & done...

so that's how I would use the art journal page as inspiration for a card...

the 3 sets of the newest distress ink pads...

are going to ...

 Susan said...

This is now my new favorite page! i wondered how you 

got the weeds to look so dimensional! i love the 

technique!

April 14, 2014 at 11:21 PM

 

CONGRATS...Susan...please email me with your shipping info...
wbv1213@me.com

that's it for me today...

now it's time to...

make art!
wendy

perfect partners...distress & archival inks...

today's post is to celebrate the release of 

the 3 new sets of tim's mini distress pads ...

and the good news...

there's no long wait...

they start shipping to stores TODAY...

yippee!

what's a celebration without a giveaway?

pssst...keep reading...

from the moment I opened my first distress pad (vintage photo) I was HOOKED...

TOTALLY hooked because of the beautiful colors & the special properties of the distress inks...

so today, I wanted to share how well distress & archival inks work together...

like the title says...

they're perfect partners...

in a previous post, I showed how to create a stamped spotlight frame...

the post is here...

below is the finished large art journal page, made to fit my art parts journal covers...

I used my fav specialty stamping paper as the page base...

the subtle brown in the background is created with brushed corduroy distress ink...

because archival inks are permanent & waterproof when dry, I knew I could stamp the weeds with archival inks, then add the detail shading/shadows with distress inks, working right over the archivals...

I knew my archival stamping would remain crisp & clear with no bleeding...

it's a cool effect...

the weeds were stamped with dandelion & fern green archival...

then dried...

I scribbled some distress ink onto my craft sheet, then picked up the color with the detail waterbrush & painted away...

make sure it's not perfect...

it should be more of an uneven watercolor effect...

distress ink in any form will work...I especially like the cute new mini pads, the regular size distress pads or the distress markers...

I painted tumbled glass & iced spruce distress inks unevenly around the weeds & added some peeled paint to accent the centers, all using the detail water brush...

iced spruce is the perfect color for adding shading...it coordinates with everything!

even though the weeds are completely flat, they look very dimensional because of the distress ink shading...

and that's another reason why I think distress inks are MAGIC!

the sweet girl is one of tim's new found relatives...

I cut her out &  accented her with several of the distress markers...

and gave her a heart charm to hold...

I thought the page needed a few remnant rubs...

I added some stamping...

the lacy background inside the circle is the lace background stamp...

it was inked with tree branch archival...

then stamped inside the circle frame...

***TIP***...use the left over typing paper that was used to cut the circle as a stencil/mask...

position it in place over the circle...

it will allow you to easily stamp inside the circle & keep the background masked off...

a sentiment (be true) & the lace borders were stamped in jet black archival...

I added some stenciling with the checkmate stencil, using watering can archival...

and some stenciled dots using orange blossom archival...

oh...those extra leaves were cut from the thistle stamp...

I traced around the circle & the background stamp with the Stabilo pencil & rubbed it with my finger to soften the pencil line...

below is the result...

I LOVE that the weeds look raised!

now it's...

GIVEAWAY TIME!

I have 3 new mini distress sets to GIVE AWAY to a lucky blog friend...

just leave a comment & I will be back on Wednesday to announce the winner...

congrats tim!

I adore your new distress minis!

well actually...I  LOVE ALL your distress products!

remember...

distress & archival...

are perfect partners when you...

make art!

wendy

ps...pop over to tim's blog & you'll see a list of our friends who are participating in the mini distress giveaway!

visit all the blogs, leave a comment & you'll have LOTS of chances to win new inks to...make art!

always...

I have a fun textured card tutorial over at Ranger today...

there's a supply list & some step out photos to guide you...

there's even a video to explain how to create the background...

you can check out the mixed media tutorial here...

thanks for stopping by...  

I hope you'll be inspired to grab your stamps, stencils, inks, embossing powder and then...

make art!

wendy