I played with LOTS of stuff...

to make this sample acrylic binder...
it's the perfect storage for...
studio 490 stamps!

I'll send it to Ted for the Stampers Anonymous convention booth...
and it will travel all over the country...
just like Ted does...

it's the new small size binder...
too cute!

it's almost done...not quite...
but I decided to show you today...
since I was desperate for some photos to share...

NOW WHAT?
this is...SHOCKING...

Did you notice...
no distress inks?
Can you tell the difference??

These inks are opaque looking, because I used Ranger's pigment inks to color the grungepaper stamped embellishments I made for this cover.

The pigment inks coordinate PERFECTLY with this tim paper.

FATE or did tim plan this???
what's your guess?

Check out butterscotch, lettuce & terra cotta...
they are awesome inks...


Looking @ the details...

so...when is a heart NOT a heart?
well...
when it's transformed into...
leaves...

it's inked with lettuce pigment and stamped with my tiny text register stamp & jet black archival...

and embellished with Sakura glaze pen dots...




NEXT...
this was fun...
I tapped Perfect Medium onto the game spinner & added some distress embossing powder to add texture...
heat to set...

REMEMBER...heated metal gets hot...be very CAREFUL!

Perfect Medium is very sticky, so it's my favorite for embossing...
in addition to making very COOL watermarks...





here I used tim's Sizzix on the edge die to make a border...
more dimension and...
a place to add...

stamped stuff.



NEWSFLASH...
eclecticpaperie has just added a whole tab full of the stuff you NEED to make art...

it's the stuff I use frequently...
my MOST FAVORITE supplies...
the tab is called...

wendy's ART PARTS!

They call it "convenient shopping"...
it has each company I LOVE...


be warned...
they are enablers...
sweet faces...but enablers...

they are making it EASY TO SHOP!!!

And speaking of SHOPPING...

tim's sizzix texture fades will FINALLY be arriving THIS WEEK...
YIPPEE!!!

They're well worth the wait...
because the are unique & over the top AWESOME...

Get 'em before they're GONE...
and you're sad...

and I'll close with the usual...
just in a little different format...






wendy

when favorites all work together...

you can make art!

in no particular order...

1. studio 490 stamps...(hey...it's my blog & I can't lie!)

2. Ranger PIGMENT inks...
the more I play...the MORE I LOVE them...
add some Perfect Pearls for serious fun!

3. Maya Road...gotta have something cool to ink & stamp ON...
this time it's my favorite chipboard heart...

4. Sizzix dies...
especially Tim's new alterations...
be still my heart...I'm IN LOVE!

I'm patiently waiting for the rest of them to be delivered TODAY...I hope the man in the brown truck hurries...

I thought I heard the truck about 6 times already...
even though I KNOW the delivery time is usually 3pm or later...
I feel like a 5 year old on Christmas eve...
I want them NOW!!!

I am NOT known for being patient...are any girls?

So where is rambling this leading???

This is a take off of this post...

using pigment inks with Perfect Pearls to make backgrounds...

So...after using that technique...
I wondered about other surfaces besides tags & grunge...

I wondered if it was possible to use chipboard...

I wondered if it got too wet...would it dry ok???
It was fine...but make sure to immediately dry it well...

So...I started with this Maya Road chipboard heart...

I like it for mini hangings...
cards...
to use instead of a gift tag...etc...

Here's the starting point...the naked heart...



I used denim & butterscotch pigment inks...misted with sunflower sparkle Perfect Pearls & pretty much water...
How's that for scientific...pretty much?

to make this...really cool mottled...
kind of cloudy look, since pigments are opaque...

which also has a little bling...

Pigments give a totally different inky background...as compared to the distress inks...

The polka dots & lined background were both stamped with olive archival...




The leafy border was also stamped with olive archival...
and then the scrolls and saying were stamped with jet black archival...

to make them stand out...

Stormy sky distress ink was the perfect color for adding the distress look to the edge...

The flower is made of 2 of the flowers in tim's tattered floral die...

the large was inked with butterscotch pigment...then stamped with the register stamp & jet black...

the center was painted with the black dabber...

and a Maya Road button was a perfect fit in the small flower.

A little pen stitching and some tiny accent dots ...using the Sakura glaze pen ...finished it off...

So we have...

A quickie blog tutorial...

a little booth sample...

and I had inky FUN!

A triple play!

*

I'll be in Columbus this Friday & Saturday...

Yippee...I was there last year & LOVED it!

I'll be there with Michelle...Mrs. Stampers Anonymous...

*

Ted will be demoing in Philadelphia...Saturday & Sunday...make sure to stop by...

EDIT...SORRY...change of plans...Ted won't be there...but the booth FULL of stamps WILL!

*

Hope to see you in Columbus!

While I'm waiting (still) for the truck...

I think I'll...

make art!

wendy

day 5...wrapping it up!

well...now I see photos...

GEEZ...

That wasn't an earthquake...

it was me saying BAD words...
My parents are probably flipping around in their graves wondering where I ever heard those nasty words...

Anyway...I know for sure I don't need a stress test...
the OLD ticker must be OK!
and..
Persistence pays off...
FINALLY...success!!
she said with her fingers crossed...


So day 5...wrapping it up.
I hope you've had fun...I sure have...
well not this morning, but you guys are so worth it!!

THANKS for all the comments...
I appreciate each & EVERY ONE OF them & YOU!

Tieing into the title of this post...

today's offerings are altered wrappings...
simply done & very cheap...inexpensive...

no...cost effective...
I like that much better...
and you can use up those scraps in the process.

Hobby Lobby has their holiday wrappings on sale this week...
50%off...
perfect timing for me!

So here's one little gift container...
it's generic...
but it has huge potential...





By adding just a few scraps of Maya Road crochet trim, left over stamped polka dot cardstock, a black cardstock scrap, some Maya Road gingham ribbon and a tim type charm...


it can easily be transformed & personalized to this...




Next, I picked up these cute boxes @ HL too...
50 cents each...
I LIKE that!
Again...they're OK, but they need some help...



So, for a December birthday gift...

I added a scrap of wide polka dot ribbon,
a Maya Road felt beaded flower, which I covered with rock candy distress stickles,

a stamped stem, some leaves(on grungepaper) & the NEW tiny heart trinket pin from Maya Road.

The leaves were added with the cutie tiny attacher...

ah...
Much better...



And here's another...
a generic square box...
but with a great base color for inking & stamping...

I pulled this out of the archives, but I think Michael's & Hobby Lobby always have them in stock...



I started by lightly inking the lid with brushed corduroy, then I stamped the polka dots with fired brick distress ink.

I used the gold paint dabber to edge around the top of the lid...

a little touch...
but the details do matter...a LOT...

The holly is stamped with jet black archival on grungepaper, cut out & inked with peeled paint & fired brick, then covered with rock candy distress stickles...

Next, using jet black archival, I inked the text stamp, layed it flat on my table & pressed each edge of the box lid onto the stamp.

It's so easy to get your stamping straight that way.

Next, I checked to see what scraps were available...
the red is jillibean & the black is graphic45....

I added those to the top of the lid, stamped a few scrolls...

and added my holly.

There wasn't room for the whole saying, so I chopped it apart & used just the words that fit...

A little pen stitching around the edge...
some accent dots...

I LOVE the Sakura glaze pen in black...

The finishing touch is a row of black pearls...
from Hero Arts.

Pretty quick & easy too...




Here's a look @ the stamped sides of the lid...

another small detail, but that makes it look more finished, I think...




So there you have it...
3 simple gift presentation ideas...
wrapping it up....

Drumroll...the winner chosen from yesterday's comments is...

pooky said...

Yummy!!!!!!!! What a cool idea! I have a jar just like that but no candle.......hmmmm...could use for buttons or something? thanks for the chance to win some goodies!Happy Holidays!

CONGRATS pooky...you have until 11am tomorrow to contact me with your mailing info...since this post is LATE...

N0w about that GREAT PRIZE...

How would you like a

ONE

HUNDRED (100.00)

DOLLAR

GIFT CERTIFICATE for...



I TOLD YOU...

What an awesome prize...

You can Christmas shop for...

YOU...

thanks to Heidi & Terra!!

Get yourself some art supplies...

something you've had your eye on...

whatever you NEED...

or just a total splurge...

I hope the winner will post & tell us what they chose...

MANY THANKS to Simon Says Stamp...

for being so generous!!!

We'll draw the winner @ 7am on Monday morning...
A simple comment is all it takes...
your odds are much better here than the LOTTO!

So...CHEERS!!!

Here's to 490 more posts.

THANKS AGAIN!

make art!

wendy

today...just random stuff

One of the things that's hard for me with this...

... job?

...work?

...play???

(whatever it is I do...) not sure what to call it...

is not sharing...

I've made art...but for now it's top secret CHA stuff...

not to be seen my anyone...

believe me...it kills me...

I like sharing...

I've discovered a few little fun things...

new ways to use products...

new ways to combine products...

but I guess that will have to wait...

So...my dilema...

How can I blog with no photos???

What CAN I share???

The agony of it all...

So...looking thru the archive for photos...

did I show you this?
it was my fragment art workshop from the cruise...

some studio 490 stamps, some papers...some embellishments...

the one on the far left...and the star on the second are
from a mini jenni bowlin bingo card...
I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE her stuff!

it's fun to layer fragments...like on #2...


those little black dots...
are from the Sakura Glaze pen...
I'm addicted...

the awesome pearl accents are from Prima...
they are so pretty........
our cruisers got them too...

They're fun to use as a whole or cut them up & use just bits & pieces...
like on the one to the right of "make art"...
and best of all...
they REALLY do stick very well!



Hmmm...what else?

I LOVE Southwest Airlines...
got my free round trip flight voucher yesterday & 4 drink coupons...
Life it good...

Did you know that for $10.00 each way you can get early check-in @ Southwest & good seats?
Well worth it in my opinion...

And bags fly free...
unless they weigh 90 pounds, like mine!
YIKES...that is NOT a good thing...

That's the end of that infomercial...

More randomness...

After much consideration...
we got Blackberries...
Hmmm...we just might even do texting and get into this century...

The main reason is above...so I can be notified via text message about flight changes...it certainly does no good to get them via email, when we're already on the road & headed toward the airport...
with no access to email...

So...MR TAX MAN...
it REALLY IS a business related expense...
HONEST! At least mine is...
Rick is on his own!

and...here's a little progress made...
while watching the world series...

remember this from the other day?...




It's almost there...
just need to get rid of those fuzzies...
and add a few more tiny accents...




The stitching isn't perfect...but I don't care...

I think I'll make several of these guys...
and this is how I'll present gift cards this Christmas...


They're FUN for me to make and a little something extra for the recipient...

and in other breaking news...
I got my first NEW STAMP IMAGES from Zach today...

YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!

and I'll be sending more to him in a bit............

now when those come...
I just know I'll be so anxious to...

make art!
wendy

Maya Road treasure box with fragments

Our PO guy brought a box earlier this week...
Hmmm..what did I buy??

I didn't remember placing an order...

Here's what was in the box...


This is a project that I made for Maya Road & it was being returned from the Scrapbooking & Beyond folks.

It's published in the Spring 2009 issue...

This is Maya Road's treasure box...and the recessed lid is loaded with tim's fragments. Since these fragments are small...
they are perfect for left over paper scraps....

USE THOSE SCRAPS...DON'T TOSS THEM!

They are also the perfect base for bits & pieces of
leftover rub-ons.

All the rub-ons on top of the fragments are made by Maya Road...as is the large scroll under the knob.

I am NOT prejudice when I say they are wonderful quality.
They are simple to apply & they really do stay in place.

That's a fact...



Scrapbooking & Beyond's photographer did a great job...
THANK YOU!



Here's the article & instructions...




MAYA ROAD...
Treasure box...it's 5 3/4 inches square...

Other products...

tim holtz idea-ology
fragments

RANGER INDUSTRIES...
latte adirondack dye ink...applied with the blending tool

jet black & coffee archival inks...2 MUST haves.

I like to stamp my backgrounds in coffee, then my main image in jet black...

Glossy Accents...for adhering the paper to the back of the fragment & also for adhering the fragment to the lid.

STAMPERS ANONYMOUS...
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the newspaper scraps stamp #U2-943

The paper is from Melissa Frances & the pattern names are Gilbert, Sandra, Thomas & Wesley.

The knob is made by 7 gypsies.

I used the black glaze pen from Sakura to add dots to the fragments.

That's it for today...

I'll be back with the full project from yesterdays peek...
just as soon as the box gets delivered.

It's on the truck!

Have a fun weekend...

I hope you're inspired to...
USE those scraps and...

make art!
wendy

THANKS...a tag with a tutorial and some talk...

THANK YOU ALL for all the posts & emails about being a cover girl. Believe me...I'm counting the days 'til the October 7th release!

As you could see, Ranger made himself comfy for the photo shoot. He got TONS of fan mail. For those of you who asked how I got him to stay put...FRIED CHICKEN. He loves it & he actually will sit like a dog & beg for it. Too funny!

Ok now...

A little talk...I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time. When I started teaching, a gal in class told us this story about being safe. She had used her heat tool for a project and left the room to take a shower. Somehow...her project fell over, right onto the switch, turning the heat tool on...which in turn started a fire on her worktable. She arrived back into her studio to find a pretty big fire. Luckily she only lost her table & a bunch of art supplies...not her whole house!

So...the moral of the story...BE SAFE!! UNPLUG your heat tool when you leave the room!! Same thing with an iron...don't take a chance!

OK...now the tag...

The Maya Road design team was asked to make a tag for the monthly consumer newsletter. We were asked to add our name & a fact about us.

Here's mine... wbv loves flowers...

And here's the instructions & ingredients...I added Maya Road product numbers to assist with your shopping...NEEDS!

WARNING...

ENABLER alert!

I used one page of the 6 x 6 Maya Road square binder as my tag base. (CO25)

1. Cut paper (Fancy Pants) to size, round corners & machine stitch around the perimeter, with black thread. Ink the edges of the base with black Soot distress ink. (Ranger)
2. Adhere the paper to the base & pen stitch around the edge.
3. Stamp the metric ruler stamp (SMP944) toward the top of the tag as shown, using Jet black Archival ink. Accent with glaze pen dots. (Sakura)
4. Cover the chipboard letters, heart (C010) & leaves (C877) with peeled paint distress ink (Ranger) and stamp with screen
stamp (studio 490), using Jet Black Archival ink. Accent with doodling.
5. Adhere green scrap paper behind the heart. Stitch 2 jewel pins (TK022) in place, using black thread.
6. Stamp the scrolls (studio 490) & accent with dots from a glaze pen. (Sakura).
7. Add a strip of double stitched green velvet (DS965) above the ruler stamp.
8. Glue initials, heart & leaves in place.
9. Add 3 black felt blossoms (TK982).
10. Add a few stamped butterflies (SMP851) and some jewel flowers (TK985). I added some fun mini brads to the flower centers.
11. Hang with a loop of the double stitched green velvet ribbon.
12. Sit back & ENJOY!

Here's the link to the newsletter if you missed it. There are some really COOL tags from the other members...each with a unique style. And as a bonus...there are instructions for all of them!

Happy Thursday!

wendy