A little long weekend sharing

Hi blogging friends, I just wanted to stop by and share a tag with you that I made this weekend.  Nothing like leaving it to the end of the month but when I saw Tim's August Tag Challenge I knew I really wanted to play with this technique.  I loved his results and to be honest actually forget about using them when creating.  I am so appreciative of all the work Tim puts into providing us with the never-ending and always inspiring tips, techniques, projects, products and challenges. Thank you Tim! I wanted to share my tag with you and hope you either had fun creating with your masks or get inspired to in the near future.  No better time than a nice long weekend to get those creative ideas out!

 

In this tag I started by stamping my focal points in black archival ink on a blank manilla tag.  I did this because I knew I wanted the flesh colours to be clean and pop when I got to that and not have colour to contend with from an all over background.  After covering these stamped images with my masks I then used my blending tool, stamps and distress inks to create the remaining background.

 After creating the background, I removed the masks and started to add colour to the black stamped images.  Using the brush tip of the distress markers and watcolour brush, I achieved the general colour and then I went over with both the fine tip and brush tip to add dimension and shadow.

After I was happy with the tag itself I added a few embellishments to finish it off.  Randomly, remnant rubs were added and I love the look of these old cigar bands and I think they are quite fitting for this tag. I might do a little distressing of the brads but loving how this turned out.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all a great long Labour Day weekend! h

Dog Days of Summer

Hi All!  I hope you are all enjoying your summer and are getting great weather.  Here is Nova Scotia we can already feel the change in weather as the evenings are cooler and the forecasts seem to be more unpredictable.  Personally, my favorite season is Fall and wish that it could be Fall all year! I love the nice days and crisp evenings while enjoying the beautiful colours of changing leaves and the gathering of Fall harvests here in the valley.

I am stopping in today to share a card I made earlier this month!(sorry for being a stranger)  This card was made for the challenge over on the Inspiration Emporium Blog.  I made a card with a travel theme which would be perfect to send to someone you traveled with.  Sending a photo from your travels with a little note will sure to bring a smile to their face remembering the adventure.

 I started the card by embossing a piece of patterned paper and because it was larger that the embossing folder I turned it so I could get the overall look I was going for.  Using a blending tool I made the embossed area pop even more by adding walnut stain and peacock feathers distress inks.Various remnant rubs finish off the background piece. The globe was stamped with black archival ink on watercolour paper to prevent it from bleeding when water is added.  I can't say enough how much I love playing with my distress markers because they truly are so fun.  Having them dual tipped really adds to their versatility. The image was added with foam squares to the background to give it some lift and dimension.  One of new word bands released this summer was added with jute as a finishing touch.  I love how this card came together and I hope you do as well.

 

 Items used: kraft core cardstock, watercolour paper, destinations paper stash, remnant rubs, jute, observation word bands, travel blueprint cms148 stamp set, distress markers, distress inks, blending tool, watercolour detail brush, foam squares

There are a few days left for you to get in on the monthly challenge yourself so why not get in on the fun and possibly win 50 dollars to spend online with them.  The supplies used in this card as well as the newly released items are arriving daily at IE so drop by and use ink&flour to get 10% off your purchase!  Happy creating everyone! h

Sunday sharing

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! It has been absolutely beautiful here in terms of the weather which I am loving.  We don't get a long summer here so we must enjoy it when it is here because before we know it fall is here and the temperatures drop.

I want to thank everyone who has visited and also left comments.  I truly love reading them and are thankful you have taken a few minutes to do so.  I love to create but being able to read that others also enjoy what you do is heartwarming and encouraging so thank you! I am back to share a few more of my samples...

 This card uses another part of the paper I said I loved so much in the last post.  There is just so much holiday magic and innocence going on in this piece that I couldn't help but use it(twice).  Don't you agree?  

 This card uses the new 8x8 seasonal paper that we have come to love so much.  It is difficult to tell in this photo but I painted the letters with antique linen distress paint and added a bit of rock candy stickles to give them a little twinkle. 

 This project took on a life of its own.  I just couldn't wait to get back to this one as I was creating it because ideas just kept popping in my head.  Each little box that is turned around actually has the next number behind it.  This way I could stick to using only one tray and it also adds a bit of suspense to the piece.  This certainly was an ideology playground of the festive kind.

One of the new papers was the "Twas the Night before Christmas" story and I knew I wanted to incorporate it so I paper-pieced this to the back of the tray before sealing it.  What a great tradition to start on Christmas Eve after enjoying the tray all season. 

 I hope you are able to take some time this week to be creative.  I know I have lots of ideas swirling around in this crazy head of mine and with another week of vacation to go I am looking forward to playing.  I will be back soon with my monthly challenge piece for the Inspiration Emporium's monthly Blog challenge.  This month it is My Summer Vacation or any travel related project.  Why not get in on the fun, who knows you might be the winner of $50 to spend in their online store.  Enjoy your week and thanks again for stopping by and leaving your comments. h

More Sharing

I wanted to stop by and share a few more of my CHA samples.  I had so much fun making them and hope they will give you some inspiration for your future holiday creations.

As a past skater, the large and small skate dies just called to me!  I knew I had to incorporate them into a project where they were the focal point.  I used die cut grunge board from the new vintage market die and trim from ideology.  I can't wait to get this back to hang over the holidays.

 Next up is a stand alone holiday piece using the new Merriment paper. I absolutely love this piece of paper(not to mention the whole pad) but also made another card using this piece that I will show tomorrow.  I wanted to draw attention to the focal point without taking away from it by adding too much.  I didn't get a photo before sending them off of the back but I mounted this to a piece of painted chipboard to give it stability and used two of small easel chipboard die cuts so it can stand alone in just that perfect place.  These trees are so fun to work with and ink like a dream.  I clipped the back of this one in order for it to stand flat against the project which also gives a place glue.  New cord, tissue tape, mirror stars and remnants rubs complete this project.

A few shots from the show (Thanks M and Scraptime for the use of your photos)...

Personally, I love creating for the holidays and can't wait to do more.  This release and seeing all the wonderful samples by amazing people has got my creative soul charged.  I will be back with a few more samples tomorrow.  Make sure you check out Inspiration Emporium and pre-order all the new goodies, remember to use ink&flour and receive 10% off your purchase. Have a great Friday! h

CHA Excitement

I hope your week is going well! I am sure many of you have been checking out all of the updates and recaps from this summer's Create and Connect(formerly CHA).  I know I have and all I can say is WOW! Wow on so many levels.  New Products, amazing booth displays and so much amazing talent when it came to samples for all to see...seriously WOW!  I have to say that this years releases are over the top amazing. As you can probably tell from my past blog posts, I am a huge fan of anything Tim Holtz and the companies he is involved with and this year I had the honour and privilege of creating samples for my friend.  I want to start first by thanking Tim for the opportunity because I was over the moon excited and humbled to be part of the journey and have to say scared at the same time.  This was the first time creating samples for such a big stage so that is where the scared factor came into play.  A big thank you also goes out to Paula Cheney for answering all my crazy questions and all your guidance. 
 
I am sure the woman at the post office truly thought I was crazy when I picked up my parcel but I was ok with that.  It was so exciting seeing all of the new things for the first time and those little skates(OMG) put a huge smile on my face because they have alot of meaning for me! (Beware, they will be on so many projects for years to come, LOVE them!)  Once, I settled my brain, I got to work because I knew I would have one less week to create due to travelling for my niece's high school graduation. (Congrats Kat, wouldn't have missed it for the world)

The first sample I am sharing uses the new merriment paper, word bands and mirror stars.

(photo used from Scraptime with permission- check out their Flickr account)

 For this card I used the 2x2 snippets page included in the paper pad.  I cut apart the small squares only to sew them back together to resemble a patchwork quilt piece before layering them on my card.  This technique gives great dimension to a project and I had alot of fun making this.  I coloured the mirror stars with alcohol ink...what a simple thing to do that made such a difference in their look.  Don't you just love the new wordbands? I sure do!

I will be back sharing more samples very soon but until then make sure you check out the blogs of fellow sample makers, there is so much incredible talent.  A list of individuals and links to their sites are found HERE and I hope you are checking out Tim's recaps each day and leaving comments.  Until then, Cheers! h

The Challenge is on!

Happy Summer everyone!  There are a few days left to get in on this month's challenge over at the Inspiration Emporium blog.  The theme this month is birthdays or celebrating so why not get in on the fun for your chance to win $50 to use at their online store.  Head on over HERE and check out my project which I hope will give you some creative inspiration when making your own. 

I feel there is going to be some relaxing creative time in my future with over two weeks of vacation ahead.  I am in much need of a work break and what better way to spend some vacation time than by getting a little inky. 

Recently I had the honour of making samples for Tim Holtz for this summer's Create and Connect trade show which was formerly CHA.  You have no idea my nervousness, excitement and sometimes overwhelming feelings to be a part of this exciting time and keeping everything a surprise.  I am sure the woman at the post office thought I was crazy when I picked up my parcel of supplies.  Over the next week I will be sharing with you my projects and photos of some of my favorite products released at this show.  So check back often for some holiday goodness.  There is nothing like a little Christmas in July! later. h

I'm on Tour!

Hey there, just wanted to let everyone know that I have taken to the road and am on tour with a guest blog post over on Inspiration Emporium's blog today.  I had a lot of fun creating this project last weekend and just enjoyed some 'me' time.  I have been thinking for a while about the perfect way to include a whole stack of pictures from a trip to Disney World back in 2011.  I love how it turned out so I hope you will take a few minutes and head on over and check it out.

 

All of the details are provided there so you can make your very own album too!  So, have fun with it and be crafty this week. h

Happy Weekend!

Wow, I think today was the first really nice day this year here and I totally took advantage of it.  I guess I thought we wouldn't get another so outside it was!  I got my outside furniture restained, my deck cleaned and organized, and my truck all nice and shiny! I am happy to report though that this weather is suppose to continue ALL WEEKEND! But here in the Maritimes, wait five minutes and it could be something else...I am just hoping that isn't the case this weekend.  Here in the Annapolis Valley the Apple Blossom Festival has been kicked into high gear today.  This weather is great news for those who have put countless hours into organizing and for those that take in the festivities.  I am in the percentage that enjoys staying as far away from the crowds as possible but truly enjoys the beauty of what this valley has and thrives on.

The farmers market has begun again for another year and there is nothing like knowing where your food actually came from and the people that produced it.  I love seeing our regular customers back each year because they have become friends, not just simply customers.  In saying that, the flour portion of this blog is going to flourish because I have to admit, this winter was a nice break from baking but I did miss it!  I can't wait to get back into the kitchen to play as well as in my craft room.

There is a few more hours to get your entries in for Inspiration Emporium's monthly challenge of Don't Quote Me.  Share with us on their blog your creation using your favorite quote and you could win 50 Emporium dollars towards your next order at IE.  I have combined the quote challenge with Tim's monthly tag challenge this month because I have vowed to complete every one of them.  (A little challenge I have going with a friend!)  There are so many quotes out there that hit a cord with me but there is one I keep coming back to and it is what I find myself repeating and reminding myself of often. It is simple yet so meaningful with everything going on in our busy lives.  We just need to slow down sometimes, breath, and take it all in!

 

I love the idea of using the Remnant Rubs randomly over the tag which acts as a resist to any ink or stain.  I also couldn't wait to use this stamp set (Time Travelers) and love how he turned out.

A few of the details:

So don't forget to get your creations uploaded both HERE and HERE for your chance to win. I hope you all have an amazing weekend and remember to enjoy the journey! h

A few of my favorite things

I hope all of you had an amazing Mother's Day whether you were spending it with your mother, thinking of your mother or being thanked for being a mother or in a mother role.  I did so with my mom on Saturday and had a lovely afternoon! I am thankful every day that I have the mother I do, love you mom!

Have you ever found yourself buying that certain something that you will keep for that perfect place in a project just because it calls to you? Over the years I have done that and even though I try to use them, I have to admit I have a little stash of things that were just waiting for that perfect home.  When thinking of my next project I thought what better way then to have these pieces all together in a piece I call 'A few of my favorite things'.  I was given a shadowbox frame a while ago and was told, not sure what you can do with this but you might find something.  It has just been sitting there for a while and my thoughts kept going back to it knowing it was going to take some serious altering (I know you all have those pieces)!

So, this is how this whole project started...

After some black gesso, various distress paints, and distress embossing powders this frame looks a whole lot different. 

There, that's better!

For the next step, I wanted to decide on the frame orientation and just how I wanted to place my extra configuration boxes in it.  I didn't necessarily need to do this but I wanted to know so when I covered the individual boxes in the next step , I wouldn't have all the tissue wrap upside down or on its side. 

In the next couple of steps you just let things go and do with little thinking.  All of the configuration boxes are covered using Tim Holtz's ideology tissue wrap and Ranger's glue n' seal and painted with various distress paints.  I wanted my paint to be an accent to the tissue wrap and not just an all over colour so I just played with the paints, my water mister and waterbrush. Once these were dry the fun of assembling came next.  A little trick to making this step a bit easier...take a photo of how you decided you wanted your boxes in the frame.  Once you are ready to attach your found treasures, have this on hand.  I attached everything in the boxes with multi medium and let set overnight before finally adding them to my shadowbox. 

 

Added dimension can be added by propping certain boxes up to various heights while leaving others flat to the frame.

 

Supplies: configuration boxes, shadowbox frame, black gesso, distress paints, distress embossing powders, glue n' seal, multi medium, foam brush, waterbrush, water mister, and found treasures. Remember if you are need of any of these supplies or others, stop on over to Inspiration Emporium and mention ink&flour to receive 10% off your purchases.

 

There you have it...a few of my favorite things.  I hope you are able to take some time and be creative this week.  Thank you to everyone for your sweet comments left on my last tag post and stopping by. h

Happy International Scrapbook Day!

I have to start out by saying I have missed blogging but sometimes life just gets interrupted!  Among other things my computer's hard drive went kaput so just getting that up and running again.  I think there is no better day to get back at things that International Scrapbooking day.  I truly hope everyone of you are getting your creative juices going today whether it is on your own or out with friends. 

This creative outlet has really made my life better.  I have seen some amazing places, made art and most importantly met some truly amazing and unforgettable people.  I have made some true and genuine friends for life while doing what I love to do and that I am forever grateful!!! We all have things happen in our lives that test our beliefs and sanity but knowing we have something we can lose myselves in and and have true soul friends that are just 'there' (whether they are next door or countries away) is everything! I am humbled by this thing we call scrapbooking! I have to say I probably can count on one hand how many scrapbook pages I have made in my life but I love to make art and love the process of making 'memory homes', be it mini albums or art pieces.  Each time I look at them it takes me back...

 So, today I wanted to share this tag and this sentiment with you...

I first want to apologize for the few pictures that were taken of the process because I guess I just got lost in the creating.

 

I started out by taping my tag and stencil to my craft mat and with my craft scraper applied white embossing paste to create an allover pattern.  I removed the stencil while the paste was still wet to be washed.  While the tag was still wet I pounced a piece of crumpled up paper towel over the paste which added a bit of texture and took away any sharp looking edges.  I did this step first so it could be set it aside to dry. When inked this process resembles that of using embossing folders.  This is a great way to get that look when you don't have just the right embossing folder.

I then used my Tattered Pinecone die cut and cut various colours of cordinations cardstock of the pinecone and brown cordinations for the foliage.  Leaving the excess cardstock, I sanded the pinecone piece to give it the distressed look I was going for and giving it some contrast.  Remember, always sand on something other than your craft mat so you do not destroy it. 

Here is where my process lacks pictures but what is better than pictures...videos! Tim Holtz has a great video showing just how we can use this tattered pinecone die to make dimensional pinecones as well as flowers.  Find it HERE along with many other great informative videos.

Next step, I selected just the perfect letters to attach to my tag.  These adhesive backed plastic letters from Tim Holtz and Ideology just scream alter me so I painted mine with distress paints.  I can't say enough how much I LOVE these paints! Before attaching them to my tag I added some colour to it with distess inks and ink blending tools once the paste was completely dry.

To pull it all together the roses and foliage were attached with glue and seal after being inked, ribbon dyed with distress stains and embellishments were added. As always, mention ink&flour when visiting Inspiration Emporium to get 10% off your purchase. 

So, THANK YOU! Thank you for being a part of this adventure and for visiting my little creative home here.It feels good to be back at it!  h

Getting Inky

Man, what a dreary day it is here weather wise.  It has been a whole bag of weather here recently and none of it really resembles Spring.  I think there is no better way to spend these kind of days then to get a little inky! 
I have always thought that envelopes are such a waste and just get thrown away so why not create something that is art itself.

Instead of using a plain jane envelope that just gets thrown out, I chose to use one of Tim Holtz's new cabinet card frames as part of my card.  Using the Birthday Blueprints and Mini Blueprints 4 sets I had fun colouring with my distress markers and waterbrush. It sure takes me back to my childhood because I loved to colour!

Using walnut stain stickles, ink and balloon cut outs allow for dimension without adding thickness and bulk.

In order to add the great dimension that this card combo has glossy accents, rock candy stickles, liquid applique and twine have been used and the balloons have been added in three layers to the cabinet card with glue n' seal and foam squares.

So, despite the weather there was some nice bright art happening inside today! Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone has a great Easter weekend! h

*needing supplies...use the links below to take you to Inspiration Emporium and mention my code inkandflour and receive 10% off your order.

Come On Spring!

I hope everyone is having a good start to their week and hopefully had their chance for a green beer or two over the weekend!  I wanted to share with you an Easter card idea I had a lot of fun making.  I have always been an 'add color' kind of stamper so this one made me happy. 

Using the Mini Blueprints 2 from Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous I stamped with black archival ink on watercolor paper.  With the distress markers and water brush I had some coloring fun.

 

Next I took a piece of the natural sticky back canvas and sewed around the edges to make a seam and added some colorful felt squares. 

Using pop dots and multi medium the stamped pieces were arranged to resemble a sampler quilt.  The canvas piece was layered on the final card base with a little more color.  Each stamped piece got gilded with rock candy stickles and glossy accents. I also should add that at every step vintage photo and walnut stain distress ink was used to achieve the look I was going for; an aged treasure you might find in an attic trunk. 

items used: mini blueprints 2, black archival ink, natural sticky back canvas, walnut stain and vintage photo distress inks, distress markers, waterbrush, rock candy stickles, glossy accents, pop dots, multi medium, scissors, cardstock and sewing machine.
Head on over to Inspiration Emporium and use my discount code ink&flour to receive 10% off.

With Spring only a few days away on the calendar, I sure hope our weather follows suit. I am so ready for this maritime winter weather to be OVER! Bring on Spring! Thanks for stopping by. h