planes, door knobs & the giveaway starts!

life is NEVER dull here @ Green Acres...

if you have followed previous posts, we've had skunks, raccoons, and a GIANT bee hive thingy...

today we were having coffee on the deck & saw this...

a low flying airplane...

really low...

and headed right for our house!

YIKES...

he was spraying the crops & he was so low we could wave to him...

SCARRY!

now on to business...

I had a few questions about how I got the words into tim's new birdcage, so I thought I'd show you how simple it is...

just open the jump ring...I use the hemostat...

and pop the pieces apart...

you now have a nice flat back that can easily be papered or stamped...

or both...

you'll see that there are tabs on the solid back piece...

and those tabs fit right into the slots on the base of the rounded part...

this holds it nice secure, after you put the jump ring back in...

I also had some questions about how Mr door knob was put together...

here he is from the front...

and the back looks like this...

a craft stick fit perfectly into the hole in the door knob...

when all the parts were assembled, I used hot glue to partially fill the knob, then pushed the craft stick in place...

& held it straight for a few seconds...

since he will be traveling to all my teaching events & will be packed & shipped...

I wanted to make sure it's nice & sturdy...

it is!

this was fun...

my new art parts fish...

stamped with jet black archival & the coordinating fish stamp...

then inked with broken china distress stain...

I added some shading with the blending tool & brushed corduroy...

you'll see, I hope... that I didn't mist the entire fish with the Perfect Pearls Mist...

but instead, I misted the new BRONZE PP Mist onto my craft sheet & stamped the fish into the Perfect Pearls...

then restamped the fish...

this places the Perfect Pearls right over the jet black...

for a fun effect...

the sand was made by randomly taping matte Multi Medium along the bottom of the ATC (using my finger) and then I sprinkled distress embossing powder over it & let it air dry...

it creates a nice textured effect...

Glossy Accents makes cool bubbles...

now about that GIVEAWAY...

here's the first of the 6 new stamp sets that will be given away here on the blog...

it's called ART FOR MEN...

and it has the fish I showed above...

the other 6 sets will be given away next week...

one a day...over on the group...

if you would like to have a chance to win

ART FOR MEN...

and promise to give it good home & USE it...

you just need to leave a comment...

it's very SIMPLE!

we'll have a random drawing @ 7am Chicago time,

tomorrow Tuesday July 26th...

to give this set away...

HUGE THANKS to TED & MICHELLE...

for the blog prizes...

ok...even though it's 99 degrees here...

I'm spring cleaning in the studio...

more on that redo later...

gotta make room for new art parts & cool STUFF...

and I need it nice & neat so that I can relax &...

make art!

wendy

ps...see you tomorrow with another new stamp set giveaway!

happy holidays ATC...

first...

the back...

Ranger's brand spanking new manila ATC...

inked with stormy sky, forest moss & walnut stain distress inks...

my ATC stamp, used with coffee archival...

and the polka dots border is @ the top, stamped in jet black...

now this was different...

I had this little idea last year...

I tried it but didn't like the results...

so I trashed it...

but today...

I played & it worked!

this is an ATC I made using Claudine's sticky back canvas as a base...

I LOVE the natural...

it's precut & ready for action...

the backing is Ranger's new manila ATC...

they come in the original white too...

the tree is made from my scalloped corner stamp...

you'll need to stamp it 5 times on grungepaper with olive archival ink...

then cut out 2 full corners...

and cut the other 3 corners progressively smaller like in the photo below...

oh...

and use a scrap of grungeboard to cut the tree trunk (aka a portion of tim's alterations hardware findings die)...

ink the scallops with stormy sky on the front & ink all 5 with forest moss on the back...

then use jet black archival to stamp random backgrounds on the 5 pieces...

plan A was to have a polka dot tree...

like the original stamp ...

but plan B developed...

all by itself...

I actually liked the backs better with each layer having a different stamped background...

so...I went with plan B...

here's how to cut the scallops...

next take Claudine's sticky back ATC, remove the backing paper...

stick it to your craft sheet...

on a side note...

in the photo below you'll see that I have a small craft sheet on a clipboard...

someone cut into mine so I salvaged a section & it's actually quite handy, on a clipboard...

NEVER EVER CUT ON A CRAFT SHEET...

trust me, you won't be happy!

apply stormy sky & walnut stain distress inks right from the pad...

mist it with a bit of heirloom gold Perfect Pearls Mist and a few squirts of water from the mini mister...

I used my finger to blend the colors, then dried it with the heat-it tool...

it was too light, so I sprayed a small amount of sail boat blue color wash...

added a bit more water from the mini mister...

dried it again & I was satisfied...

it looked like this...

next...

stamp the script stamp with the gold paint dabber...

it takes just a bit of paint...

remember to clean your stamp...

then use Adirondack black pigment ink to stamp tim's row of stars @ the top & bottom of the ATC...

I lifted it off the craft sheet,

stuck it to the manila ATC, frayed the edges & then edged the ATC with the gold paint dabber...

(aka, my newest addiction)...

so now the ATC looks like this...

next, assemble the tree starting @ the bottom with the largest full corner...

the second layer is the same full corner...

then add the progressively 3 smaller layers...

form & shape the tree layers, I curved them up...

and from the side the tree looks like this...

what happened to the corners?

cool huh???

to make the tree trunk, emboss it with the woodgrain embossing folder...

ink with brushed corduroy, then ink just the raised areas with walnut stain on the blending tool...

add long fasteners to each of the holes...

tada...a unique tree trunk!

then...paint the grunge star with the gold paint dabber...

I learned @ Ranger U, that if you pounce the paint dabber it will create a cool texture...

(this only works with the metallic dabbers)

let dry...

I figured out that by rubbing the coffee archival pad over the dried texture, you can make it more vintage looking...

and coffee is the PERFECT color...

add a gingham bow to the tree trunk before gluing onto the ATC...

everything is held in place with Claudine's multi medium...

I like the matte...

the mini bottles are AWESOME & very convenient...

the word JOY is from tim's new salvage stickers, the seasonal ones...

just put them on black presentation board,

(framing dept @ HL)...

cut the individual letters, distress the edges with tim's sanding grip & add some walnut stain distress ink to the edges, with the blending tool...

add a little pen stitching around each letter...

add a grunge scrap under the O to raise it up...

then use multi medium to adhere everything to the tag...

it was fun to think out of the box...

making the tree was a blast...

especially since the idea worked...

this could easily be adapted to a card, if you aren't INTO ATC's...

it could be the main focus...

or it could even be an ornament for your tree...

it could be double sided, by adding the same 5 layers to the back of the tree...

try it...let me know how you do...

Mr. shipping & receiving said he wants to send more prize packages...

so...how about one for...

grandma m has left a new comment on your post "a color washed gift tag...":

Your tag is different and beautiful. Love it!!
PS
To my favorite artists....
Wendy and Tim ...Great minds think alike. Awesome reindeer tags, You too are geniuses when it comes to making ART.



Posted by grandma m to Studio 490 at December 6, 2010 7:45 PM

and one for...

Sherry Cheever has left a new comment on your post "a color washed gift tag...":

I absolutely LOVE this and especially the frame! TOO COOL!!!!!



Posted by Sherry Cheever to Studio 490 at December 6, 2010 8:56 PM

and another for...

rhonda said...

Simply stunning enough said!

December 6, 2010 1:27 PM

send us your shipping info @ wbv1213@me.com

and one last thing...

for those of you looking for Clearly for Art...

I just got word that it arrived yesterday &

it's back in stock here and also here...

and both received their restock stamp orders yesterday...

just incase you NEED any rubber...

art parts were restocked yesterday too!

so if you want to leave your wish list laying around to be...

found...

guys like hints...

lots on the to-do list today...

I'm headed to the studio to...

make (book #4) art!

wendy