8th November, 2018 by iGirlZoe
Meet Ebenezer Bones, with a hat straight off the pages of Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’… it had to be done!
I’m slowly weaning myself off halloween and finding my Christmas spirit. Made easier with the new Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous holiday stamps… yuletide (cms356), music & advert (cms358) and mr bones (cms345).
Mr Bones fit perfectly into the wreath from the yuletide set. His teeth and eye were a little stained so I painted a layer of clean water over both, left for a few seconds and patted with a cloth to lift the distress ink.
I love the new Christmas design tape and used it around the edges of the bottom layer of the mount to give a pop of colour amidst the various shades of brown! This is one of my favourite ways to use design tape and you can edge a failed background and no one will ever know. 😉
Phew, first Christmas card done…
Thanks for stopping by.
Zoe
Category Card, Christmas, Halloween, Ranger Ink, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 8 Comments | Views: 948
2nd October, 2018 by iGirlZoe
Hello friends. It’s a couple of weeks since my last post and I’ve been busy cooking up some things in my cauldron. While waiting for a project to dry, I made this quick card to send to a friend for Halloween.
I LOVE the new Sizzix Sinister Bigz die by Tim Holtz! I was a smitten kitten when it was launched on Tim Holtz’s facebook live, and it does not disappoint.
I dragged distress mixed media heavystock through hickory smoke and frayed burlap distress spray. Die cut with the sinister bigz die and blended in walnut stain distress ink to the edges of the die cut. The die cut was mounted onto the card backing with 3D adhesive foam to give some dimension.
The backing mounts are Kraft card, black classic kraft stock sanded with the sanding grip and blended with vintage photo distress ink, scrap paper covered with halloween design tape. The background under the skull is heavystock stamped with the lace stamp from the Tim Holtz ornate and lace set with a frame embossed with the 3D lumber texture fades, adhered over the top.
I loved his gold tooth on the packaging image, so had to include one myself. I covered with a dab of distress collage medium and dipped into gold embossing powder and melted.
I die cut several pieces of foliage from the funky foliage thinlits set. Including some teeny wood grain leaves from a piece of 3D lumber embossed heavystock. I added a piece of mummy cloth, sprayed with rusty hinge distress spray. I covered an idea-ology halloween quote token with picket fence distress crayon.
Thanks for stopping. I will be back this week with my first idea-ology seasonal project and it’s quite wicked…
Zoe
Category Card, Halloween, Ideaology, Mixed Media, Ranger Ink, Sizzix, Stampers Anonymous, Texture Fades, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 7 Comments | Views: 843
2nd August, 2018 by iGirlZoe
It was definitely an indoor activity day in Copenhagen yesterday, with some much needed rain. With nature in mind I decided to break out the Tim Holtz Entomology stamp set and use one of my favourite thinlits mixed media die sets to create a card that I owe a friend and who has a thing about numbers…
I added some of the Tim Holtz design tape (collector) and covered with a thin layer of distress collage medium. I absolutely love this medium and it prepares the surface perfectly for distress crayons. It also stops flaking if you’ve added any kind of texture paste as it seals it in. The brush strokes from applying it make some cool texture marks too.
I used the Tim Holtz mixed media thinlits die in a slightly different way. Instead of cutting into a background, I cut the honeycomb out. I die cut twice, moving the thinlits die and lining it up as best I could to create a continuous pattern. I then cut it away from the background with scissors.
I layed the die cut onto distress mixed media heavystock and brushed a layer of distress collage medium over the top. Once dry, I applied opaque crackle texture paste over the honeycomb with a palette knife and set aside to dry. I applied fossilized amber distress crayon directly to the raised portions of the honeycomb die cut, followed by walnut stain distress crayon and then blended a little with my finger.
I had some die cut numbers cut from a sadly retired surface called grungeboard. If there was one product I would love to see come out of retirement, it would be grungeboard… Fortunately I hoarded it when it was for sale and even more so when it was discontinued, so I have a healthy stash. It’s worth investing in products that are being retired if you’re going to use them. I covered the grungeboard die cut letters with walnut stain, vintage photo and frayed burlap distress crayon and, with my finger, patted on a little (almost dry) broken china distress paint. These were adhered with distress collage medium.
I used distress crayons to colour my background and rubbed a little broken china distress paint on here and there. I stamped bees from the Tim Holtz Entomology stamp set from Stampers Anonymous. I don’t have the accompanying Sizzix Entomology framelits die set yet, but it’s top of my list. I used the background stamp from the Entomologt set to stamp randomly over the background. This stamp set is possibly my favourite release from Creativation 2018.
I stitched the heavystock background, added a little picket fence distress paint with my finger. Mounted onto classic kraft stock which I sanded and blended in vintage photo distress ink and mounted onto card edged with design tape and finally onto a kraft card.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked this card.
Zoe
Category Card, Craft, Ideaology, Mixed Media, Ranger Ink, Sizzix, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 7 Comments | Views: 1,193
7th February, 2018 by iGirlZoe
It’s Wednesday and time for the funkie side of the design team to share our projects for the current challenge over at the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog!
I am hosting the current challenge and have chosen the theme ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, “With Valentines just a couple of weeks away, it’s time to let cupid draw his paintbrush and create a vintage or shabby chic project with the word “LOVE” somewhere on the project. It can be the focus or just a tiny detail.”
I wanted to make a Valentines card for Mister H, (as in Hillman, not Holtz)… just to be clear! 😉
To create the background I sprayed old paper distress spray stain onto a non stick craft sheet, misted distress heavystock with water, dragged it through the ink and dried with a heat tool. Then blended frayed burlap through the new stitched stencil (it looks like kisses) and stamped with images from the purveyor stamp set (CMS187) using the stamp platform.
I love this style of grungy industrial background, which is so very simple to create…
– Cover a piece of metallic kraft stock with picket fence distress paint. Set aside to dry.
– Tap potting soil archival ink directly onto the background using a very light tap. Set aside to dry.
– Run through your die cutter with an embossing folder.
– Put a drop of ground espresso distress paint onto a non stick craft sheet, pick up a little with your finger and rub over the raised portions of the background.
I affectionately call my husband “Mister,” when we’re being silly (there’s a lot of silliness in our house)! I created this using the alphanumeric marquee thinlits die set cut from substrate, mounted over with the alphanumeric thinlits dies cut from metallic kraft stock. I rubbed silver gilding wax over the top of the substrate to make it pop over the grungy background.
The alphanumeric dies are mounted over a strip of hearts from the shape strips thinlits die set. I grunged up the background and added a drop of alcohol ink to some of the hearts. This is sitting over the top of a strip of the industrial background I mentioned earlier.
Finally, I added some idea-ology chitchat stickers which I sanded and inked with walnut strain distress ink to create the perfect sentiment for my card.
I hope you will find time to join in the challenge and pop over to Frilly and Funkie challenge blog to see the rest of the DT’s projects. All the products I used are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique.
Thanks for stopping by.
Zoe
Category Card, Craft Techniques, DT, Frilly & Funkie, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 11 Comments | Views: 855
24th January, 2018 by iGirlZoe
It’s Wednesday and time for the funkie side of the design team to share our projects for the current challenge over at the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog!
The current challenge is hosted by fellow funkie team member Suzz (Suzz’ Stamping Spot), who has chosen the theme 2018 – THE YEAR OF… …SUZZ says, “Welcome to a brand new year! I am not very good at New Year Resolutions but I do like to think about what I want to focus on in the New Year. To help me do this, I pick a word that is my word for the year and try to use that word to keep me focused on what is important. The challenge to you is to pick a word that will be your inspiration for 2018. Create a vintage or shabby chic project that includes your word of 2018. The word can be part of a sentiment, phrase or stand alone on your project as long as it is featured somewhere in your art.”
Much like our lovely host Suzz, I’m not very good at new years resolutions, so it took me a while to find a suitable word. I wanted to combine travel and time, as this year I plan to do more of one and get better at keeping the other. Then I stumbled upon the “expedition” word band and it was a match! Expedition can be a journey undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose (travel) and it can also mean promptness or speed in doing something – promptitude (time). OMG I love that word! “Promptitude!” I digress, which only adds to my time keeping issues!
…I’m a work in progress…
I have been desperate to use the new Tim Holtz inventor stamps and it was perfect for the challenge. I had to use my favourite stamp from the Tim Holtz Dapper set as well (of course)!
I used faded jeans and brushed corduroy distress inks and a waterbrush to watercolour the hat and suit. I added the expedition word band and globe from the adornment souvenir set.
I confess I am a little addicted to these adornment index clips. I altered it by adding picket fence distress paint and, once dry, adding archival distress ink. Wendy Vecchi has this brilliant technique on her blog.
I hope you will find time to join in the challenge and pop over to Frilly and Funkie challenge blog to see the rest of the DT’s projects. All the products I used are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique.
I will be back to share the samples that I made for this years Creativation (CHA). Thanks for stopping by.
Zoe
Category Card, DT, Frilly & Funkie, Ideaology, Ranger Ink, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 10 Comments | Views: 784
10th January, 2018 by iGirlZoe
Happy New Year! I am delighted to be back with the Frilly and Funkie Design Team.
This first challenge of the year is hosted by the very lovely Cec (CW Card Creations), who has chosen the theme THREE IS NOT A CROWD …CEC says, “Create a vintage or shabby chic project that includes three of something. Examples of three of something could be three different patterned papers, three colours, three layers, three flowers, three bows – the list goes on. This would be a perfect time to use some of the new supplies you received for Christmas or to make space in your stash by using up old supplies. Just remember to think in multiples of three..”
For many of us, this time of year can be as busy as the holidays. Making samples for creativation (formerly CHA), getting kids back to school, returning to work, taking the decorations down and getting organised for the year ahead. A lot of my friends and family have birthdays in January, so I have plenty of cards to make. I decided to use this challenge to make a masculine birthday card…
I adhered a page from an old dictionary over mixed media heavystock with distress collage medium. Using the Tim Holtz stamp platform I stamped the large hot air balloon stamp from Remnants CMS130 stamp set. I stamped the tiny hot air from the tiny things set 3 times. I used distress crayons to colour the balloons and background and added remnant rubs.
The background is stamped in fired brick distress ink with walnut stain distress ink blended in and stamped twice using the stamp platform. 3 idea-ology adornment stars were added with distress collage glue.
Finally, I stitched with a sewing machine and mounted onto classic kraft stock.
I hope you will find time to join in the challenge and pop over to Frilly and Funkie challenge blog to see the rest of the DT’s projects. All the products I used are available from The Funkie Junkie Boutique.
Thanks for stopping by.
Zoe
Category Card, Craft Challenges, DT, Frilly & Funkie, Ideaology, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 8 Comments | Views: 523
11th December, 2017 by iGirlZoe
Happy Holidays friends! Whether you celebrate Christmas or just enjoy the magic of the festive season, I hope that you have found some inspiration from Tim Holtz’s holiday inspiration series. Check out all SIX incredible weeks of festive follies over from week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5 and week 6.
Here’s the recap of my holiday makes…
Fa La La La
Joy to the World
Tim Holtz Inspired December Daily
Tis the Season
Oh Starry Night
O Christmas Tree
Holiday Gift Card Holder
Tidings of Comfort and Joy
It’s a Wrap
Another big thank you to Tim Holtz, Mario Rossi and Paula Cheney. And a big thank you for the lovely comments you have left over the past few weeks, here and on social media. Merry Christmas!
Zoe
Category Card, Christmas, Gift Card Holder, Ideaology, Ranger Ink, Sidekick, Sizzix, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz, Tim Holtz Holiday Inspiration Series, Tim Holtz Inspiration Series | Tags: | 3 Comments | Views: 783
29th November, 2017 by iGirlZoe
Hello again. I’m back with some more festive fun for the Tim Holtz holiday inspiration series. Follow Tim on instagram and facebook to see inspiration throughout November and December. You can catch up with all the inspiration so far in week 1, week 2, week 3 and week 4.
Firstly I must apologise for the low quality photo. It was shot in low light because in Scandinavia, it’s pretty much low light until March 2018!
Dear Santa, please could you bring some studio lights or relocate us to Arizona… 😉
I wanted to play around with the idea-ology tissue wrap and create a book page style background. I used an older Stampers Anonymous background stamp set (CMS281) ‘stripes and holiday type’ to create the text. The frame is cut twice from heavystock with the Sizzix stitched rectangle thinlits die, which I stenciled with the mini plaid stencil and stitched.
I covered distress mixed media heavystock with distress collage medium and immediately covered with plain tissue wrap. Once dry, I trimmed the edges and sprayed frayed burlap distress spray stain onto my non stick craft mat and dragged the heavystock through. I spritzed with water and dried with a heat tool. The glue, creased tissue wrap and distress stain created this cool worn/aged effect!
I used my Tonic stamp platform by Tim Holtz to do all the stamping on this card with the Stampers Anonymous stamp set (CMS31&) ‘watercolor trees’ by Tim Holtz. You will see from the scrap paper that I had a few practice stamps first. As someone who likes straight lines, this stamp platform is a total game changer!!
I added a bow die cut from the Sizzix fold-up bows thinlits set from heavystock and sprayed with fired brick distress spray stain. I edged the bow with walnut stain distress ink and adhered into place with distress collage medium.
*SIDEKICK TIP: The small bow will just about fit on the sidekick platform from corner to corner. It does need a snip at each end with scissors to release the bow from the cardstock, but in a pinch, you could take the small bow with you on your travels with your sidekick.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and a special thanks to those of you who have left comments, I really appreciate it. I will be back on Friday, until then…
Cheers
Zoe x
Category Card, Christmas, Ranger Ink, Sizzix, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz, Tim Holtz Holiday Inspiration Series, Tim Holtz Inspiration Series | Tags: | 2 Comments | Views: 1,367
27th November, 2017 by iGirlZoe
Hello! Is it just me, or is November flying by?! Today I’m sharing a card I made for the Tim Holtz holiday inspiration series. Follow Tim on instagram and facebook to see inspiration throughout November and December. You can catch up with all the inspiration so far in week 1, week 2, week 3 and week 4.
Now to my card… I am ever so slightly in love with the new Stampers Anonymous starry stencil by Tim Holtz!
I sanded a piece of idea-ology metallic kraft stock with a sanding grip. Placed the starry stencil over the top and spread texture paste through it. Removed the stencil, sprinkled embossing powder over the top and set aside to allow the texture paste to air dry, before melting the embossing powder with a heat tool.
Using the stitched oval die, die cut distress mixed media heavystock. Stamped with the text stamp from stampers anonymous christmas nostalgia stamp set, (one of my all time favourite Tim Holtz seasonal stamps)! Using the stamp platform it was simple to line up the strip stamp to continue the pattern down the frame.
I trimmed a christmas paper doll, postmark and holiday greeting, stamped from the stampers anonymous holiday postmarks stamp set and adhered it to the card with distress collage medium.
**The christmas paper dolls are now sold out in most places but there are still some in stock HERE… but hurry!!**
Using the sidekick I die cut festive greens from distress mixed media heavystock that had been sprayed with distress spray stain. The pinecones were die cut from classic kraft stock, sanded and blended with vintage photo distress ink.
I painted fired brick distress paint onto one of the die cut pieces to simulate berries and give a pop of colour. I also added bells from the idea-ology tiny bells pack, they even jingle when you move the card, (SWOON)!!
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’re taking some time to craft during the festive season and I’ll be back very soon…
Cheers
Zoe x
Category Card, Christmas, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz, Tim Holtz Holiday Inspiration Series, Tim Holtz Inspiration Series | Tags: | 8 Comments | Views: 1,781
20th November, 2017 by iGirlZoe
Hello again. I’m back with a card I made for the Tim Holtz holiday inspiration series. Throughout November and December Tim will be sharing projects by some of his crafty friends, to provide some inspiration to get you creative during the holiday season. Follow Tim on facebook and instagram and his blog for the recap each Saturday.
I wanted to make a card that I could recreate to send out this holiday season. It needed to be quick, easy and relatively light on consumables to make it affordable to send out lots. For me, that’s when stamps and dies come into their own.
I began by stamping directly onto an A6 kraft card with the tree stamp from the Stampers Anonymous great outdoors set by Tim Holtz. Stamping in peeled paint distress ink, varying the height to give a more natural tree line.
I cut a strip of kraft cardstock to fit the width of the card. Blending candied apple distress ink through the Stampers Anonymous plaid stencil by Tim Hotlz, (one of my favourites from this season). See how here. Using the stamp platform, stamp the merry christmas background stamp along the bottom of the card with vintage photo distress archival ink.
Using the new trusty sidekick, die cut the festive greens from classic kraft stock, sand with a sanding grip, blend in vintage photo distress ink and adhere with distress collage medium. Cover idea-ology baubles with red pepper alcohol ink and adhere with collage medium.
Stamp the wood slice, stag and “tis the season” stamps onto distress mixed media heavystock, fussy cut and blend in vintage photo distress ink. Mound the wood slice over the festive greens with 3D foam.
Thanks for stopping by, don’t forget to catch up with all the projects from week 3 for more holiday inspiration. I’ll be back later this week with some pages from the inside of my Tim Holtz inspired December Daily Album.
Have a great week!
Cheers
Zoe x
Category Card, Christmas, Ideaology, Sidekick, Sizzix, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz, Tim Holtz Holiday Inspiration Series, Tim Holtz Inspiration Series | Tags: | 4 Comments | Views: 2,139
