12 tags of Tim Holtz - June 2016

Hello and Welcome

Sorry for my recent lack of blog posts but thank you for hanging in there and being here with me today as I share  my version of Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2016- June.

I have followed Tim's excellent tutorial (both tag and tutorial can be found here) but I have given my tag a real American 'Stars and stripes' theme. Well with the 4th of July - Independence day less than a week away I thought why not?

and here it is

I used the stars stamp from Tim's 'Rockstar' stamp set to add detail to the plain tissue wrap for the background. To the right I stamped rows of 'u' 's' and 'a' using the long alphabet stamp from Tim's 'documented' stamp set

I chose to use a stamp rather than a stencil for the stripes inking the stamp with Distress ink, spritzing with water and then stamping onto Woodgrain paper stock -love the way the Woodgrain creates great textured lines.

I was able to add some stitching having set up my sewing machine recently - that was fun even if I am a little unpractised. I adhered a memo pin behind a number token to embellish one side of the tag . The number is highlighted with white distress crayon

Tim's occasions small talk stickers provide the sentiment  and notice Uncle Sam's black gem buttons and silver and red rose buttonhole! 

not forgetting the hanging star studded heart!

and once again my Stars and stripes tag in all its glory! God bless America. 

As always I really enjoyed creating this months tag, probably more so as my dear American friends and family were close in thought throughout.

Thanks Tim for all you do to nurture my inner creativity and for endlessly inspiring! 

Time now for me to go link this up to 

Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2016 - June 

so for now I will love you and leave you and hope to see you all again soon . 

Thanks for all your visits, follows and comments - they are always appreciated . 

Take care 

Amanda 

xxx

Embossing Pastes/ Texture - A Vintage Journey - June 2016 Challenge

Hello Everyone and Welcome

Hope you are all doing good and have enjoyed a great week. 

As the month of June begins so does a new challenge over at A Vintage Journey. Lovely Astrid is the host this month and her chosen challenge is 'Embossing Pastes/ Texture

This is what she says :

'Use any kind of texture paste, homemade, crackle, coloured or plain on your project . There is an endless variety available so play, have fun and apply it to your hearts content. Use it through stencils, randomly or in whatever way you want but remember it should be in one of the vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling industrial or steampunk styles that we favour. Put on your mixed media hat and create some magic.'

What a fabulous Challenge don't you think?

As  its been just over a year since I began my blogging journey  I thought that for Astrid's challenge I would look back to my very first post and recreate the wooden hanging heart I made then using a different colour palette but retaining all the crackle and texture . It would make for a lovely birthday gift for an up and coming birthday too .

My first altered heart can be seen here where there are details of how I altered it so I will keep the 'how to' brief this time and focus more on the products I have used 

I began by priming the mdf heart with a coat of gesso and then decided on my colour palette. I strayed away from all the craft branded paints we all know and love and used instead a Laura Ashley emulsion paint,Pale Duck Egg Blue as the main colour accented with Daler Rowney Silver acrylic paint and Tim Holtz Hickory Smoke distress and archival inks. 
The crackle medium that's created those lovely cracks is Paper Artsy Crackle glaze. I also used Paper Artsy Grunge paste to create the texture, applying it through Tim Holtz bubble layering stencil. I love working with Grunge paste as it seems to be that bit thicker than other pastes I have used which I find helps reduce the risk of any seepage under the stencil when applied. I also love the rougher, grungier look it gives especially when enhanced with inks or gilding wax, in this case both.

Extra detail is created with a fine hand script stamp in Archival ink and some distress ink stencilling using Tim Holtz dot fade layering stencil. Notice the butterflies too with their liquid pearl trails. They are punched from card stock (painted the same colour as the heart) using a Martha Stewart punch. 

 The flowers, that give dimension to the heart, are die cut from more of the painted card stock using Spellbinders 'Bitty Blossoms'. I used Tim Holtz laurel punch to create the leaves. I embellished the flowers with beads and added a few twists of silver wire. 

The quote , so meaningful and true, is from Wendy Vecchi stamp set 'Love to Make Art' and is stamped in Hickory smoke Archival distress ink.   Looks like the gem topped hex nuts have made an appearance again too- oops, you're probably tired of seeing them by now but I just think they add an extra touch of interest and make a lovely finishing touch. 

 And once again here is my finished hanging heart that is actually a touch bluer (but only a touch) than the lens would actually have you believe.

  I hope I have offered some inspiration for Astrid's 'Embossing pastes/ texture challenge' and whether I have or have not be sure to pop by A Vintage Journey to see lots of inspirational projects created by my fellow Creative Guides.

We would love for you to join in the challenge so as Astrid says 'put your mixed media hats on and go create some magic'. We look forward to seeing your entries . 

I would like to enter this into the following challenges 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Monochrome 
Mixed Media Monthly #25- 2nd Anniversary 
(#18 Texture, #23 Dimension and #19 Silver and Gold) 

The Craft Stamper TIMI Challenge : June 'Lets get Inky'    
Stamps and Stencils - Challenge-  Floral Frenzy
Frilly and Funky - Challenge: Let the Words do the Talking  
Country View Crafts Challenge: Crackle
 

Thanks for taking the time to pop by today. Its always a pleasure to have you visit. 

I look forward to seeing you all again soon 

Have a lovely weekend 

Take care 

Amanda 

xxx