Ranger Seasonal Color Palette: April

Happy Sunday!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  I have been working on a landscape piece in honor of Earth day.  Ranger Ink has been hosting a monthly seasonal color palette challenge.  April's palette is earth tones of yellow, green, brown, and blue.  Check out the Ranger Ink blog post here.

I have been practicing my perspective on several pieces.  This one has a mountain scape in the background with a bird on a branch in the foreground.   I am starting to get more comfortable with the scale and placement to make a pleasing landscape.

I used torn paper inked with distress inks for the mountains and grass and die cuts for the rest.

Close up view of the bird, branches, and flowers.  I used an embossing folder on the branches to add a wood texture.

Mountains are a variety of blues and grays.  These were torn from white textured cardstock and inked with distress inks.

Flowers were die cut from the same white textured cardstock and inked with distress inks in a variety of yellows combined with perfect pearls for a bit of shine and sparkle.  The centers in the flowers were created with liquid pearls.

Earth day is a great reminder that we need to protect and nurture our environment and earth.  

Materials used:

• Core-dinations Paper:  Snowcap canvas texture cardstock
• Ranger Ink:  Distress Ink in stormy sky, faded jeans, tumbled glass, broken china, forest moss, spiced marmalade, wild honey, old paper, vintage photo, tea dye, walnut stain and pumice stone; Perfect Pearls in perfect pearl; Liquid Pearls in onyx pearl
• Sizzix:  Tim Holtz Alterations - Bigz die bird branch, Sizzlits decorative strip tattered floral garland
• Stampers Anonymous:  Tim Holtz Collection urban tapestry

Thank You for stopping by.  I do appreciate you taking the time to look and make comments.  Happy creating!

Hugs,  Sharon

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2013 April

Hello,

if you visit on a regular basis you know that I am a Tim Holtz fan and have been creating my own versions of his 12 Tags of 2013.  Check out Tim's tag here.

This was my first chance to use the new Distress Paints.  Oh so fun!  Looking forward to getting more and especially the metallic.  I'm pleased with my first attempt.  More experimentation to follow.

Love the dragon fly!  The blues and greens with a hint of metallic stain is such a calming background.

Never get tired of creating custom ribbon using distress and the crinkle ribbon!

Stamped the 4 from the Numeric stamp set and distressed with paints and stains.  The corner piece was a left over from an embossed piece of foil tape.

These tags are such a great way to try new techniques, improve my skill, and most of all to learn!

I am so grateful for the crafting community both online and at my local scrapbook stores.  Such a wealth of talent and inspiration.  Thank You all for sharing what you create and how you make art.

National Scrapbook Day is fast approaching.  If you are fortunate enough to have a local scrapbook or art store check them out to see if they are having an event.  Both of our stores in Chico are having 3 day events.  Check out Chico Scrapbooks and Paradise Scrapbook Boutique if you live in the North State area.  I encourage all you crafters to support your LSS (local scrapbook store).  They provide not only products but classes, inspiration, and a community of crafters.  If we all visit and spend some money at least once a month we will help keep this valuable resource in our communities.

Thank You so much for stopping by.  I really like to get your comments.  Happy Creating!

Hugs,  Sharon

Steampunk Birthday Watch

Happy Tuesday to you!

I have a fun project to share.  Got to play with the new Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Pocket Watch Frame die.  Taking my cue from the samples that I saw from Winter CHA I layered the pocket watch frames with gears and steampunky things.  This watch became the focal point for a birthday wall hanging for my friend Jodie.

Because of the unusual size and shape I ended up making a holder, or envelope if you will, to hold it.  I took a 12 x 12 piece of paper and folded it around the wall hanging.  There were gaps so I created a cover with the birthday greetings and held it all down with some hook and loop tabs.  Makes for a nice presentation.

You can see how the holder is folded.  Loving the new French Industrial Paper Stash!

Here is the finished piece.  Since the paper is double sided the envelope looks good open or closed.

A closer view of the watch.  You can see the gears background created with foil tape and the Gears Texture Fade.  The steampunk guys were stamped and cut out.

The sentiment was stamped on a Styled Labels die and coated with Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy.

The watch key die cut is hanging from some ball chain and is held in place with a memo pin.

I used copper wire to create a hanger.  Here you can see the close up of the chicken wire stamp from the mixed media set.  One of my favorite stamps.

This was so fun to make!  Love me some steampunk.  Look for some more with the pocket watch die.  I've got some other ideas formulating!  Ha, ha.

Materials used:

• Paper:  Tim Holtz:   Core-dinations Distress cardstock, Idea-ology French Industrial Paper Stash,  Idea-plogy 8 x8 Collage Paper Stash; chipboard from my stash
• Dies:  Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations: Pocket Watch Frame,  Mini Clock Key & Pocket Watch, Sized Circles, Styled Labels, Gadget Gears, Tattered Floral, Tattered Banners, Tattered Floral Garland; EK Success Large Punch Flourish Square
• Embossing Folders:  Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fade:  Blueprint and Gears Set, Diamond Plate & Riveted Metal set
• Stamps & Ink:  Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Stuff To Say, Mixed Media, Slight Alterations, The Journey, Curious Possibility; Ranger Archival Ink in Coffee and Jet Black; Distress Metallic Stains; Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy
• Misc:  Idea-ology memo pin and gears; ball chain, burlap,  copper wire

Thanks for stopping by.  I so appreciate all of you.  I love to get comments.  Happy Creating!

Hugs,  Sharon

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2013 March

Happy Easter!

Hope you are having a wonderful day.  I was at a crop last night at one of our LSS, and was able to finish my March tag.  Speaking of LSS's I want to give a quick shout out.  Here in Chico, CA we are lucky enough to have not one, but two excellent scrapbook stores.  I'm proud to be a regular customer of both.  Paradise Scrapbook Boutique and Chico Scrapbooks both have great product, wonderful service, classes, crops and events.  If you live in the area or are ever visiting they are both worth a stop.

If you haven't been participating in Tim's 12 Tags of 2013 go and see what it's all about here.

The March tag was so much fun to make.  All about Easter and Spring.

I changed it up and used a butterfly image and clear rock candy dry glitter instead of the bunny and tinsel.  Look at the sparkle from that glitter.  Yummy!

Crinkle ribbon was dyed with Distress ink.  Love how the ribbon takes color so that you can match it to any project.  The sentiment is stamped onto the Tattered Banner. 

Flowers from the Tattered Flower Garland die were inked up as well and mounted onto memo pins as Tim did.  My grass was cut using the Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors.

It makes me happy to look at it.  A sign that Spring is here.

Materials used:

• Sizzix Alterations Dies:  Hanging Sign, Movers and Shapers Mini Butterflies Set,  Tattered Floral Garland, Tattered Banners
• Idea-ology:  memo pins, jump rings, crinkle ribbon, seasonal paper stash
• Distress Inks:  Dusty Concord, Broken China, Wild Honey, Worn Lipstick, Tea Dye
• Embossing:  Distress Embossing Ink, Ranger Sticky Embossing Power, Distress Stickles Dry Glitter-Clear Rock Candy
• Other Paper - Core-Dinations Distress Collection
• Tools:  Big Shot, Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors, Simple Sayings Stampers Anonymous Stamp Set

Blessings to you and your family.  Thank you for stopping by.  Happy creating!

Hugs,  Sharon

My Crafty Friends

Hello everyone,

hope your week is going well!  March is just flying by, right?   Wishing you all a happy Easter.

A few weeks ago I got together with a group of long time friends for a card party.   Some I have know for decades and others for a few years.  What we all have in common is we used to have an investment club.  Recently we decided that the investment club had run its course and we disbanded the club.  One thing that we all really wanted to do was to keep in touch on a regular basis so we agreed to meet every quarter.  When I suggested a crafty get together everyone was excited.  The plan was set in motion to have the ladies to my house.

Even though we have know each for a long time we had never crafted together.  Can you believe that? I know, hard to imagine, ha, ha.  So, not knowing the skill level of the group I prepped the pieces so all they had to do was choose colors and patterns to put a card together.  I used one of my favorite dies, the Sewing Room from the Tim Holtz Sizzix collection to create a dress form card.  Thought it would be fun, like playing with paper dolls, to dress up the form.  Similar to what I did for my nieces birthday card.  Also cut some flowers as an alternative to the dress form focal point.

Look at the concentration!

It was so great to see everyone.  We laughed and shared and had a grand time.  Much to my excitement and delight I discovered that I have some really crafty friends!  Not one card came out the same and they all had unique and fun ideas on what to do with the dress form and flowers.  Take a look at the beautiful collection of cards they created.

Card by Cyndi D.  Look how she added a flower to the envelope.

Card by Angela.  Notice the patchwork background.

Card by Jean.  Ooo la la, check out the slit in the skirt.

Card by Mary.  Perfect mix of casual and bling.  She used die cut leaves as wings.

Card by Cindy S.  She's got the flower shaping down.

Look at these beautiful works of art!

So proud of what they all created!  So much fun that we are going to have another crafty party in the future.  It was such a joy for me to share my love of creating and crafting with my friends.  Hugs to you CWIG ladies!

Hope this gives you some inspiration to create your own works of art!

Thanks for stopping by.  Appreciate your comments and thoughts.  Happy creating!

Hugs,  Sharon

Twenty One

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

I had a wonderful relaxing day just taking it easy and then topped it off with a yummy corned beef and cabbage dinner.

It has been quite the creative week for me.  I had some friends over on Wednesday for a card making party and Saturday I took a class.  Will be posting what was accomplished at both those events soon.

Tonight I wanted to share with you a birthday card that I promised I would share several weeks ago.  My niece living with us just turned 21 recently.

I wanted to make a special card for this special young lady.  She is a girly girl and very stylish so I wanted something to reflect that.

The Tim Holtz Alterations Sewing Room die is one of the newest to my collection.  It seemed fitting (no pun intended, ha) for the card.  What fun I had "dressing up" the dress form.  I wanted something bold so I chose red, black, silver and white.  This is a larger card that fits into a 6 x 9 envelope.

I'm happy to report that my niece loved her card and has it displayed up in her room.  I included some gift cards which I will give you details on in a bit.  She works nights so I left her a box of some yummy cupcakes from a local bakery and the card to find when she got home.  In return I got the sweetest note from her.  Glad I could make her big birthday a little more special and fun.

The happy birthday banner is from Tim Holtz Tattered Banners die.  Inked and rock candy distressed.

A bit of lace and some sparkle with some buttons from my stash adorned the bottom.

The "dress" was actually two dress forms pieced together.  I embossed the base dress form and the dresses.  Here is a good view of the sparkly waist band.

Close up of the buttons and silver dress form.

As for the gift cards, I created some pockets on the inside of the card to hold them.  To celebrate her twenty first birthday I got her two gift cards.  A Starbucks card with $21 on it.  A Forever 21 card with, yup $21.  Just a fun way to celebrate a significant birthday in any young persons life.

Hope you enjoyed my bold and sophisticated birthday card.  Great fun to play dress up.

Thank You for stopping by.  I really appreciate and enjoy your comments.  Happy creating!

Hugs,  Sharon

Tattered Florals Challenge

Happy March to you!

Feeling more like Spring these days.  It is one of my favorite times of the year.  The flowers and trees are starting their growth, the temperature is just right, and it just feels like a renewal after the cold winter.

When I read about the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Challenge all kinds of ideas came to mind.  So many possibilities.  Spring makes me think about taking my basket out to the garden and cutting flowers from my garden.  I wanted to incorporate the basket and decided that a bunch of flowers falling from a basket would have movement and really showcase the variety of flowers.

I love making flowers.  It's the perfect way to add an accent that matches your project exactly.  Besides, its just plain fun!  Tee Hee.  I know, easily amused!

This is one of those projects that takes on a life of its own.  What started as a basket with flowers spilling out of it on a single 8 x 10 wall hanging turned into two panels with the flowers spilling from one panel to the other.  Warning, lots of photos here so grab a cuppa and enjoy!

  

Here is the top panel with the basket and smaller flowers.  I used Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick, and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink for the floral colors.

The basket is woven of banners from the Tattered Banners Sizzlits Decorative Strip.  Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Inks were used to color it.  I used another banner for the life is good sentiment.  

At this point you may be saying, Sharon oh no you put the banner on upside down!  Well, look at the photo above.  This basket is upside down and I put the banner on it so that if it was right side up the sentiment would be correct.  Thought it was a fun way to emphasize the movement. 

The bottom panel has increasingly larger flowers as these are in the foreground of the scene.  The grass was cut using a fringe scissor using Distress Core'dinations paper.

A closer look at some of the larger flowers including the rose in the center using the largest of the Tattered Florals.

I added some butterflys and a dragon fly to complete the Spring feel.  Here are some close ups.  I added some buttons, bead and brads from my stash to create centers for the flowers.  On some I used a paper button cut out using the Sewing Room die.

A variety of Tim Holtz paper and tissue wrap and fabrics were used to create the flowers.  This one was a fun challenge.  So many techniques.  Like I said, this wall hanging took on a life of its own and I just kept adding one more thing to make it complete.  Ha, now its done.

Thank You Tim for the inspiration.  What a fun challenge!  It has been amazing to see all the different projects and styles that have been created.  Thank You everyone for sharing your projects.

Hope you get to take some time to get creative.  Have a great week.  Appreciate you coming by.  Love to read your comments.

Hugs,  Sharon