Creative Chemistry 103

I know it has been awhile since I posted on my blog.  I have been busy and not taking time to create or enjoy my hobby.  This has made me really sad.  I have been taking Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry Class 103 in hopes it will jumpstart my love again for the hobby.   I will be posting a few blog posts to share my technique tags with you.

Today I am sharing a fun tag using the Distress Ombre Technique.

This was a fun technique using the products I have in my stash.  I look forward to incorporating it into my card making.

Thanks for visiting!  I have missed this!

Tim Holtz August 2014 Tag - Blind Bird Justice

Here I am finally getting around to making my tag for the monthly Tim Holtz challenge of the 12 tags of 2014.  This summer has been super busy with both fun and crazy things (like a flood!). I was glad to spend some time creating and getting my fingers inky today.

This tag incorporated so many various mediums (Distress Inks, Distress Stains, Distress Paint and Embossing Paste), lots of stencils and techniques and fun products, too.  I used a piece of filmstrip ribbon over the bird's eyes, so now you know why I named it as I did.

I will be giving this to my friend Ruth who enjoys my tags and as a thank you as I have been so behind in my crafting.  Hoping this autumn my fingers will be plenty inky again!

Have you tried making a tag?  It is so much fun, and it is a way of learning new techniques and having some creative time.  Visit Tim's blog and enjoy the fun along with us!

Until next time!

June 2014 Tag - Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2014 Stencil Fun!

Can you believe it is already nearly the end of June?  This summer has been very busy for me and I am glad that I was able to get in my June tag for the 12 Tags of 2014 by Tim Holtz!  Can't believe I got it done today under the wire!

This month Tim showed us a fun technique using his stencils and distress inks.  I used a new arrow stencil by Tim that I just picked up this weekend and I thought would be fun to use. I incorporated some of Tim's rub-ons and a plastic arrow as a 3D element.  The sentiment I used was one from the Stampers Anonymous set called Hashtags.

Have you ever tried making one of these monthly tags?  If not, why not give it a try? I find I learn a lot of great techniques and interesting ways to use the supplies that I have on hand.  You can find the directions over at Tim's blog.

Hope you have a great day! Thanks for visiting!

A Three C Weekend (Cooking, Comedy and Crafting)

Hi, guys! Hope all is well!  This weekend was a very busy one for me.  We attended a local fair, and a comedy show where my hubby's high school friend, Rob Bartlett, was performing.  It was a lot of fun.  I also did a lot of cooking which is great because I am hoping it will free me up to spend more time in my craft room!

I thought I would share two of the dishes I made. Since I have a large cookbook collection I just browsed until I settled on these two dishes.

 I made Paula Deen's baked spaghetti:

Boy, is this delicious!  I love that you can cut squares just like lasagna.

I then took out my David Venable cookbook and made his turkey shepherd's pie.

I love shepherd's pie, but normally I like the beef one, but David's uses turkey which I thought would be a good change.  

How about a card?   I am sharing a tag I made for a friend.  This is my take on the February tag for the 12 Tags of 2013.  I had made one, but was waiting to make this one when I got the stamp set he used for his. I just love this Queen of Hearts image.

I used Distress Stains for the background and Distress Markers for the watercoloring of the image.  You will see I used Core-dinations card stock that I sanded after embossing.  The ribbon was made with tissue tape.  My friend was very happy to receive it (finally!).

Until next time!

July 2013 Tim Holtz Tag (Patriotic Theme)

Hi, guys! Hope all is well!  As many of you know, I am participating in the 12 Tags of 2013 challenge by Tim Holtz.  Each month, I look forward to Tim posting his new tag and learning something new! This month, being July, the tag had a patriotic theme.  Tim's was to thank the firefighters who lost their lives in the Arizona wildfires.   I made mine using a patriotic theme, but mine focuses on how lucky and happy I am to be living here in the USA, and how "good" my life is because of it.

These tags are very technique and product heavy.  I used crackle paint on the stars and "4," lots of Distress Stains, Distress Ink and stamps galore.

Winnie's fingers were very inky when I was all done with this tag!  But boy, was it fun!

If you haven't tried one of these tags, I think you should.  It is always a fun, creative challenge!

Until next time!

If The Young Only Knew ... (Mixed Media Doll Tag)

Hi, guys! Hope all is well!  Today I am sharing a fun piece I made last night.  I made a tag using a Prima paper doll.  I decided to make a mixed media tag for myself after seeing a lot of them being made. Once I started working on the doll I remembered how much I loved playing with paper dolls as a little girl.  I remember being able to sit for hours and dress them up over and over.  Talk about a very low tech toy!  But oh, the fun!

I was able to incorporate my love for paper dolls with Distress Ink and other goodies to create this tag. The tag is from the Prima Tag Pad, and I used Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Ink to give it an aged look.   The doll was stamped on Tim Holtz French Industrial paper.  I paper pieced the clothing and headband with papers by Lily Bee.  The sentiment is by Dyan Reaveley  and I thought it was perfect for a tag with a young girl on it.

One thing I love about making mixed media pieces is that I can go through my stash and use my goodies.  On this tag,  I decided to use some dried flowers I was gifted by a friend. She picked them up on vacation in Italy!  I kept "saving" them but decided this was the perfect piece to use them on.  My friend Chaitali sent me the lovely lace trim!

This was so much fun for me to make.  I bought 4 Prima Dolls, so I can't wait to make some more of these!

Have a great day! Hope you find some time in your day to do something you love!

June 2013 Tim Holtz Tag (Distress Marker Fun!)

Hi, guys! Today is the last day of the month, and I am squeaking my June 2013 Tim Holtz tag in! This month Tim focused on using the Distress Markers for watercoloring and other techniques.  I had fun using them to watercolor and splatter ink as well as a few other tips he gave us. This month I decided to have some fun and use some old twill I had on hand.  I saved it from an old shopping bag as I loved the thickness and color.  I used Tim's tool to fray the edges of the twill and used ink along the edges to give it an aged look as well.

As you can see, I did two tags.  I do one for myself each month, and one for my friend Ruth, who loves them, and now visits Tim's blog as well.  Some day, I hope to get her to get her fingers inky, but until then, she can share in the fun this way.  If you haven't tried your hand at these tags, I highly recommend you give one a try! You learn some great techniques, and you have plenty of inky fun!

Hope you have some fun today, and enjoy the remainder of the weekend!

Until next time!

May 2013 Tim Holtz Tag - Rub-On Resist

Hi, guys! Hope all is well! Today I am sharing the two tags I did for the Tim Holtz Tags of 2013 for May.  Tim showed us how to use rub-ons as a resist and they work great for that.  You will see I used Distress Stains in 4 colors to get the background as well as a spritz of water to blend.  I enjoyed antiquing the enameled tags with Alcohol Ink and then applying rub-ons. Staining the ribbon and giving it the crinkled look is something that I really enjoy, too.

Here is a closer look at each tag:

As you are probably aware by now, I really look forward to this monthly challenge.  I find that I learn so much, and have a blast while doing so.  Besides, I can guarantee my fingers will be EXTREMELY inky by the completion of the tags and that means I had a great time.

If you haven't tried your hand at a tag, I would highly recommend you join in the fun.  The size of a tag is great for learning and then you have a completed piece of art to enjoy.  After we complete our tags, Tim has a gallery on his blog where we all share them (if we want), and that is another aspect of the fun, learning and community.

Until next time!

April 2013 Tim Holtz Tag

Hi, guys!  Sorry in advance for the super short post, but time is a-ticking and I want to submit this tag for the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2013 for the month of April (which is almost up in a few hours!).

This month we learned how to give our projects a patina look using Distress Paints.  I am loving these paints, especially the metallics!  I must say, this tag was a hoot to make as I even got to do some finger painting on the embellishments!  So, Winnie's Inky Fingers are now Painted Fingers!

If you have time, I highly recommend you join in the fun and try making a tag of your own!  I can't wait to see what the May tag will be!

Good night all!  See you soon!

November Tag for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2012

Hi, guys!  As many of you know, I am participating in the 12 Tags of 2012 by Tim Holtz.  Each month Tim demonstrates a new tag using various techniques and products meant to inspire you to create your own.  I can't believe it is November already!  Here is my submission:

I love that I get to use so many of my supplies when I make a tag.  For this tag, distress stains were used in various colors as well as distress inks.  The image was heat embossed onto the tag.  One of my favorite parts of this tag was making the leaves by using Core-dinations kraft paper, then sanding and inking them.  Love how they came out.  I never thought to pull apart my twine before, and then inked it as Tim showed.  It was a fun touch and am so glad he shared that idea.

I hope you like this tag, and if you are interested in making one for yourself, I would suggest you check out Tim's blog at www.timholtz.com and I am sure he will inspire you.

Have a great day!  Until next time!

September 2012 Tim Holtz Tag (Faux Riveted Metal)

Hi, guys!  As you may recall, I have been participating in the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2012 and for today I am sharing the one I made for September. Tim used a technique called faux riveted metal. I didn't have the foil tape he used, so I improvised and took out my Reynolds Wrap foil from my kitchen cupboard.  This tag was a total departure of my normal style as it has a more industrial look and feel. So, to make it more "me," I used a lighthearted sentiment and my favorite Mona Lisa stamp.

I figured since I was using a lot of metal and silver the "shine" sentiment would be fitting.  I had a blast making this tag, and got to use a lot of embellishments I had waiting to be used.  Alcohol inks, paint, and inks were all used on this tag.  Steel wool is not something I have on hand in my stamp room and it was needed to rough up the tag and remove some of the alcohol ink.  I had to head into the kitchen and remove all the soap from a Brillo Pad before I could use it.  It was funny.  The kitchen products sure came in handy for this tag.

If you would like to learn this technique or how to make these tags, I would suggest you give October's tag a try.  Tim will walk you though it step by step.  Then, you go and create something of your own and add your personality to it if you want.

I am off to get out my craft scrubbie by Ranger  as my hands look like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz right now!

Have a great night!

It's Tag Time (Jane Austen Inspired)

Hi, guys! It is time to share my monthly (August) submission for the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2012!  This is one of my favorites that I have done.  I had to incorporate a cameo type image as the focal point, and decided to use my Jane Austen set by Papertrey Ink.  You may recall that I have a great bunch of friends that formed a group because of our love of Jane Austen.  So this tag will be going to one of the ladies in our group with her Christmas gift.  We do a secret santa each year, and what better way to celebrate Jane than a tag using one of her quotes about friendship.

I had a blast making this tag.  The distressing and paint resist were fun to do.  What I love about doing these tags is the freedom to use what you have on hand, and use the basic idea, but make it your own. Tim never ceases to amaze me with his ideas and creativity.  I can't wait to see what he comes up with for the September tag!

Hope you have a great day!  Hope you find some time to do something you love (maybe read a bit of Jane?).