another fun gift...

happy holidays & here's another thanks for being blog friends...

this is another quick...

handmade gift idea...

start with a 4 inch length of tim's new trimmings...

the ruffled one...

wet it with water, then drop it into a sandwich bag & add 2 or 3 drops of espresso pigment ink reinker, & squish it around to alter the trimmings color...

when dry, stamp it with the polka dot stamp, using coffee archival...

let dry...

(every time I type RE-INKER, this machine changes it to reindeer & makes me laugh)

your trimming should look like this...

much more vintage...

or as dear Rick said...

"how did you make it look dirty?"...

it's all a matter of perspective...and choosing the right words!

use tim's new tag die to cut a tag & reinforcer from grungeboard...

use a scrap of grungeboard to cut just the top portion of the tag again...

it's about an inch tall...

since this is for a tote bag or camera case...

I wanted a smaller tag, so I cut the tag down to 4 1/2 inches tall...

here's a little tip...

if you lay the extra tag top upside down on the bottom of the tag, you can easily cut the corners for a perfect match to the top corners...

stamp the heart on grungeboard, using jet black archival...

cut out & ink with vintage photo distress ink...

ink the back too, since a portion of the back will be visible when it's assembled...

use the blending tool & butterscotch pigment ink to ink the tag & extra tag top...

make sure to ink the back of the large tag too...

add some vintage photo distress ink around the edges to distress...

ink the reinforcer with forest moss using the blending tool...

use coffee archival & this text stamp to lightly stamp the tag...

use the scallop stamp with jet black archival to stamp the scallop about one inch from the top of the tag...

measure the exact stamping location with the extra tag top to make sure it's not going to be covered up...

use coffee archival with this background to stamp the extra tag piece...

add pen stitching detail around the tag edge...

your pieces will look like this...

use jet black to stamp "vintage" 2 times @ the bottom of the tag...

use jet black to stamp the polka dot border across the center of the tag...

use a post it note to cover the lower portion of the tag & stamp the polka dots again, above the words...

stamp the flower on grungepaper, cut out & ink with stormy sky...front & back...

then stamp using jet black...

with this background stamp...

stamp the leaves 2 times on grungepaper, cut out using just 3 of the leaves...

ink with peeled paint & forest moss...

stamp over the leaves with the text and jet black...

glue the extra tag top in place...

add the reinforcer...

add the trimming to the heart...

then trim off excess for a perfect fit...

add a grunge scrap under the heart before gluing it to the left of the tag...

form & shape the flower & leaves, then glue the 3 leaves under the flower & add the accoutrement button as the flower center...

add to the left side of the heart...

some satin cord is the perfect way to add it to a tote bag...

your tag will now look like this...

and a close up...

options for the back...

you can stamp any background stamp...

or write the recipient's name...

or stamp a saying...

or write a special message...

because this is made from grungeboard, it's nice & sturdy & will last a long time...

trust me...

mine travels everywhere with me & it's still looking' good after 3 years!

so there you have it...

a quick little gift for someone special...

it's fun to give & VERY fun to make...

news flash!!!

if you want to see more holiday art...

again with instructions...

check out Ranger's blog today for another holiday project...

ah...that one was fun too!

if you'd like to leave a comment here & again on Ranger's blog...

you just never know when Rick will be packing up more goodie packages!

time to head to the studio...

I'm workin' on NEW stamps...

(and art parts too)

so we can...

make art!

wendy

no cooking...no cleaning...

so what else is new???

but I DID make art!

YIPPEE!

before I get into the post, let me warn you that tim's brand new configurations are ADDICTING...

let me say it again...

to make it perfectly clear...

ADDICTING...

my plan for yesterday was to start...

(like work an hour or so) & just get started on a configurations project...

6 hours later...YES!!!

6...HOURS...

OMG I was having too much fun to quit...

so, don't say that I didn't warn you...

here's my take on configurations...

the inspiration for this piece came from tim's alterations rosette die from Sizzix...

I've showed you layered rosette flowers before...

and another style layered Christmas tree...

this next tree has been sitting on my desk waiting patiently (not really!) for configurations to arrive...

this style rosette tree needed a recessed area, because it doesn't look good from the side...

so, I didn't think it was for a card...

but it's PERFECT for the configurations...

where you can hide the sides...

here it is...

with a grungeboard trunk, embossed with tim's woodgrain embossing folder...

the accoutrement makes a perfect tree topper...

I used just 2 of the little compartments (configures??? ha! that's funny!)...

from the 5 1/2 x 5 1/2...

the small square made a gift & a larger rectangle, made a drawer to stuff with goodies...

LOVE the curio knob on the drawer...

my mini stamp was a perfect reminder to...

look inside!

the time change had me up @ 4AM...

and I was in the studio by 4:30, because I had another idea...

the box was finished last night, but was there anything else I could add?

this next photo is looking down...

the whole piece is sitting on an art parts rectangle (the base from my 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 frame) with a large scallop trim as the finishing touch...

there's a scallop on the top too...

tim's new salvage stickers are THE BOMB...

soooo simple to customize...

here's a side shot looking from the left...

and one from the right...

I was actually sad when I finished...

but guess what?

I have MORE...

I got EVERY SIZE!

reluctantly...

I told Rick to hide them so I can get some assignments checked off the TO*DO list...

I'll probably be hunting for them later...geez!

so, there are 2 morals of the story for today...

#1...

there art NO rules for art...

you don't HAVE TO use every little compartment...

and...

#2...

configurations & art parts are a match made in heaven!

ok...in addition to the products listed above,

I used a billion products for this piece...

here's some of the KEY ingredients...

I actually used the new espresso color wash on the inside of the box, mixed with heirloom gold Perfect Pearls Mist...

I used lettuce color wash to color the gift...

the drawer was inked with red pepper PIGMENT ink...(sooo simple)and I used the red pepper to alter the metal heart too...

I used Ranger's gold dabber to edge...

jet black archival & coffee for stamping...

Glossy Accents for gluing...

tim's lost & found paper stash & also retro grunge...

tonic distresser...

game spinners...

accoutrements...

mixed grunge minis...

trinket star pin & mini Christmas tree pin, both from Maya Road...

from my studio 490 stamps...

drawer background...

polka dots...

scallop...

script...

mini heart...

houndstooth background...

now I'm off to suck up to Rick so he hands over the other configurations...

so I can...

make art!

wendy

ps...why oh why did I give them to him???

another ps...

I'm getting ready for a Q & A session later this week. stay tuned!

Buffalo or BUST!

YIPPEE...we're about to head out to Midway...I LOVE that airport...

they have a LIFE IS GOOD STORE = shop!

Here's a VERY QUICKIE tutorial...

this will take you like 5 minutes or LESS!

guaranteed...

Die cut MY NEW "clearly for art" using tim's alterations Sizzix tattered leaves die...

Use Ranger's jet black archival to stamp one side...

DRY with the heat-it tool...

make sure to work on your non stick craft sheet...

Use alcohol inks with the alcohol ink applicator & felt...

on the OPPOSITE side of the leaves to color them...

I used pesto and caramel...

archival ink removes alcohol ink...

but that's a technique for another day...

heat the "clearly for art" to soften...

shape...

bend...

make them dimensional...

TADA!!

These guys will be tied with twine to a jar candle for a quickie gift...

keep in mind that if you don't like the colors, alcohol blending solution will remove them & you can start all over...

The blending solution will also remove the archival ink, if you have a stamping oops...

The BEST thing about the "clearly for art" is that it can be reheated & reshaped multiple times...

until you are PERFECTLY happy with it...

AND...

it's rock solid...

very sturdy...doesn't chip or break...

it's simple, fun & fool proof...

More ideas to share next week...

Stay tuned...

until then...

make art... I WILL!

wendy

PS...I'm EXPECTING "clearly for art" to ship soon...

Believe me...I'll yell it from the roof top when it does...

or just post it here...

kissing rubber is fun...

this is an old technique that someone showed me a LONG time ago...

I had just discovered rubber stamping & I remember thinking it was MAGIC...
not sure who to give credit to...
but this is NOT an original idea from me...

Anyway...
this is a quick way to alter solid rubber stamp images...

It's simple...

just ink the stamp (fern)...

then press it onto a clean background stamp to remove some of the ink, which creates a subtle pattern...

Exhibit A...

this fern is stamped with olive archival...
the image is nice & solid...



Exhibit B...
the same fern stamp, kissed onto the un-inked houndstooth background...

to create this...




Exhibit C...

This time I kissed it onto the polka dot background...



I used the same fern stamp to make this tag...
click for a larger view to see the detail better...

The background is a combo of the new distress colors...
crushed olive, stormy sky & a bit of chipped sapphire...

After I had the background inked...

then I misted sunflower sparkle perfect pearls onto my craft sheet and stamped into it with the leafy background...& dried it.

I call this perfect stamping...

The Perfect Pearls/water removes & lightens the color...

I like the watercolor-ish (not clear & perfect) leafy look...

Ah ha...this shows it better...

The large flower is colored with Ranger's butterscotch pigment ink...

yep...PIGMENT...which is an awesome opaque ink right from the pad...

here's how...

Tap the pigment pad on your craft sheet...
mist with the mini mister & water...
or the mini mister & water with Perfect Pearls...if you like bling...

now just take your cut out, stamped flower image...

that was stamped with ARCHIVAL ink ...

(it must be waterproof...right?) ...

color the grunge image with the watery pigment ink...

just smoosh it around to ink...

heat to dry & done.

So now the pigment isn't opaque and you have a whole new lighter color pallette of pigment inks to choose from.

This is why I LOVE LOVE LOVE inks...

there are so many options...

OK...back to the kissing...I got carried away...
notice that the fern looks textured now??



I used the jet black archival & my text background to alter this velvet ribbon from Maya Road...

another presto...chango!
SIMPLE to alter & customize with archival ink & stamps.

That's it for today...
just typing this makes me want to go and...

make art!
wendy
ps...tomorrow more Sizzix gadget gears flowers...
see you then

now it's March 2nd...

and we're one day closer to spring...
but still no sun!
What gives?????????
OK...give it up & talk about art...


I have some photos for you today, compliments of Susan Kesselman...

She was @ the workshop on Saturday & brought a mini rose to show me...

I made ONE about the size of a quarter a while back, as a test for a possible stamp...

The operative word here is ONE...
it was such a pain...no more for me...

Look @ the one below, made by Susan...
This chick must have the patience of an art saint!
it's soooo ADORABLE and sooo mini...



Amazing...right?

And that's not all from Susan...
She embellished a sweatshirt...using my stamps!

Let me tell you...I wasn't the only one who wanted to steal it!

CUTE!!! CUTE CUTE!!!
That's Lori on the lower right...Deb on the lower left & I'm next to Susan. They're group friends.



on to some Q & A's...

#1...Could you be persuaded to sell you personal pocket journal kit?? (please envision sad puppy dog face) It would be perfectly practical, I'm sure - prudent even... I would love to purchase (pretty please with rock candy stickles on top!)

Lots of people would like me to sell kits...I get this request frequently, but here's my thoughts...

My workshops are all about inking and stamping...
LOTS of stamping. I bring TONS of inks & TONS of stamps...

So...if you have the kit parts and instructions, but not the stamps or the right color ink...
the kit does you no good.

We thought about stamping everything...but then you have no fun & may as well buy the finished piece. make sense?

We're still thinking on kits...plus time is another HUGE issue. We talk about this often...to be continued...

#2...I thought this comment was soooooooo sweet

Wendy, love the q & a- I have to tell you this- I am a curriculum specialist at an elementary school and yesterday was Dream Big day- where we got to dress like what we want to be when we grow up- well i wore painted on jeans and a shirt and an apron with "Make Art" on the front- I also had a tag that said Mrs. McKinney- Artist- So I guess you could say that I dressed up like you yesterday!

Hey Dawn...I hope you didn't have a paper towel up your nose!

#3...forgot 2 ask...how did u mount ur craft sheet to the cutting mat?

I have my non stick craft sheet attached to a self healing cutting mat, like quilters use(JoAnn's)

I attached it with Ranger's Wonder Tape...but just around the outside perimeter.

You don't want an X diagonally...that will show thru when you ink over it...

I like that it's more stable and you can still see the quilters lines thru the craft sheet....for straight easy stamping.

#4...this is from NANCY...it's a blog comment...I have no email to answer this...so here goes...

Hi Wendy,Glad you are back! Yikes....sorry to read of your paper towel episode. Looking forward to receiving your book. Will I get a pay pal notice first?

We mailed every book order yesterday...so Nancy, please resend your book request in an email. THANKS!

#5...(was that snowman in your backyard?)

HA! NO WAY would I stay out there to make him...NEVER! I'm IN 'til JUNE!

#6...can I ask what machine you use for those Tim dies?

I have the Big Shot Express from Sizzix & I LOVE IT...(but I will be getting tim's new Sizzix machine...you can bet on it! It's TOO COOL...It's coming this summer and I can't wait)

#7...ah ha!!!!!!!!! YOU thought you were being sneaky. I found out what you were hinting about...the guest artist thing. I FOUND your new Ranger video. do I win a prize?

HA HA! WRONG...that's not what I was hinting about...but thanks for letting me know it's been posted.

I see that LOTS of new FREE videos from CHA are up on Ranger's site...featuring Tim, Claudine, Suze & my sweet UK friend...the REAL Lady Dy.

Get a beverage & check them out for some FREE fun!

There's more questions for another day...
I'll be back tomorrow.

Until then...
make art!
wendy

where do I begin...

to tell you all about Holiday Hideaway?

I remember leaving there last year & telling Tim that he couldn't possibly out do himself the next time...
let me say...

I was TOTALLY wrong.

It was really an absolutely ink-redible weekend.

I felt very @ HOME...
I LOVED seeing my friends...
I LOVED the gifts...a MILLION of them...
I LOVED Mario's food...
I LOVED our projects...really LOVED them...
I LOVED the SHOPPING...

It's like an art family...just a really special group.

The only room for improvement would be to control the weather...30 degrees????? SNOW??? GEEZ!
I like 80 better...maybe we could do HH in July???

And speaking of ink...
here's what the new distress pads look like...

ha!!!
They're so new the labels aren't even ready yet...
We got them HOT OFF THE PRESS...

As for actual colors, I can't say until Ranger gives us the OK...

But I will say, I LOVED them all...
they are the perfect compliment for the 24 we have...
and these are colors we have NEEDED for a VERY long time...

I think I discovered a new favorite or 3...
I kept reaching for the same 2 colors over & over...

They're all ready, except the labels...
they'll ship right after CHA...
so the wait won't be horrible...

THANKS AGAIN to Alain for the extra effort he made to get them to tim for us to play with...

We got a TON of stuff...
I can't even begin to list them all...

Our final gift was the Big Shot express...
each person got one...

Thank YOU Ellison/SIZZIX!!!!!!!!!!
And best of all...
they gave each of us a new TIM DIE...
from his new line, called Alterations...

Can you imagine???
That baby got shipped along with 50 pounds of other gifts...
The boxes are scheduled to arrive on Friday.

It will be like Christmas all over again...
when I dig in...

One other HUGE surprise was this Ott light...
I didn't realized that I NEEDED one...
but now that I tried it...
I DID!!!
I LOVE IT...

We got more products from Ranger,
the I-top brad maker (COOL) from imaginesce...
cool stuff from...
Jenni Bowlin
Cosmo cricket
Hero Arts
Basic Grey
graphic45
a cool trimmer from Fiskars
Melissa Frances
Advantus
MARTHA STEWART...
a GIANT tote bag FULL of every glue Arts product...
it is HUGE!
NEW STAMPS FROM STAMPERS ANONYMOUS!!!
NEW RUBBER........makes me so happy!

There's a ton more...but my little brain can't think of them...
more when the boxes arrive.

Another highlight...

when we went to tim's, we got to see his new idea-ology stuff...OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL his dies for his NEW die cutting machine...

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

his new book...OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't sleep that night.....dreaming of the possibilities...

I'll share my projects later...

some I shipped...

some need more finishing touches.

And in other breaking news...

MY NEW STAMPS ARE HERE!!!

YIPPEE!!!!!!!

I made my first project (for the new book) yesterday.

I'm pleased!

I also came home to a box of new MAYA ROAD CHA products...

Let me just say...WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's FATE that one of my stamp sets is perfectly coordinated with one of their new releases.

They didn't say what they had planned & I didn't share my stamp set with them...

it's amazing that they will work together so very well!

OK...
now there are 2 million things to get done here before CHA...

I spoke with Bonnie from Ranger yesterday...
I got a BRAND NEW RANGER product in the mail...

now I get to make some samples...
I think you'll LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas party tonight...

SHOPPING all day tomorrow...

Happy Holidays...

make art!

wendy