Layered Bee Sympathy Card

Hello eP land!

There has been a LOT going on in my new office with my new co workers, multiple family members passing away and one co worker left. 

Of course in craft-land this means we make cards. Today I would like to share one of the sympathy cards that I made for my co worker whose uncle passed away. This co worker ahs been paramount in making me feel welcome, so when I found out that he lost someone very close to him I definitely wanted to let him know how sorry I was for his loss.

When I saw this bee, all I could think of were the french bees with the crowns. However, my first project with it turned out nothing like that. Although I used papersoft for the main part of my yellow, I inked a majority of the edge in wild honey and then stenciled my images in ripe persimmon and rusty hinge. I then used my water spritzer to splatter some water on the card and react with the Distress Ink. Then I stamped my brown images using various Stampers Anonymous stamps and a new set of Wendy Vecchi stamps.

I used Distress Glitter in Antique Linen on the wings of the bee to give the card just a touch of glam even though it is for a male. I love the embossing folder on this bee. The brown corrugated piece is from my 7gypsies scrap pack. I ran a nail file over it to distress it a bit. I love the texture with the canvas from the banner. Those Maya Road banners are adorable. 

Hope you enjoyed my masculine sympathy card today. Love my bee. If you haven't tried one of the new Bigz dies with the embossing folder I would DEFINITELY recommend it. 

{{hugs}}

Andiepants

Spooky Cats Tag

Julia here -  just in time for Halloween -  I have a tag to share that I made for the August Tim Holtz Tags of 2014.

I started with a plain manilla tag - and laid down two pieces of Tissue Tape (under my cats) - I used Commute.  Then I stamped my cool cats from Tim's new set Halftone Halloween over the tape.  When I was all done with my tag - the cats didn't show up too well being stamped over the Tissue Tape - so I stamped them again on card stock, but them out, sponged the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and layered them over the stamped cats with foam dots - slightly lower so the stamping behind looks like a shadow.  I also used some stamps from Steampunk.  The spider is die cut from Alterations Candlelight Fright - that I covered with Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint.  I tucked the spider web into the Tinsel Twine and Natural Trimmings I looped through the hole on the tag.

I used Tim's Halloween and Harlequin Stencils with Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste over my tag.  After the paste dried, I colored my tag with Spiced Marmelade, Wild Honey and Weathered Wood Distress Stains - rubbing the stains on my nonstick craft mat, spritzing my tag with water and dragging the tag through the stains.  I let the colors drip down and dried the tag with my heat tool.  To add the dots -  I stenciled over the tag using Tim's Dot Fade and Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

I added a Plaquette with the #31 for Halloween that I covered with Archival Dandelion Ink.  I put a Remnant rub/Apothacary spider on a Vial Label adding a Chit Chat Sticker over it and inking that with Dandelion Ink. To finish off my tag - I spread some Glossy Accents on the top right and bottom left corners and a little on the left edge - than poured Mustard Seed Distress Glitter over it, tapped it off and let it dry.

A fun decoration or card to send for Halloween - don't you think?!

Finally - my Art Journal

Hi eclectic Paperie friends!  Julia here to share my altered Art Journal.  I have been trying to muster the creative energy to make this for ages - I just wasn't confident in my skills to put it together in a pleasing (to me) design (!)

So I decided to bite the bullet and just jump in -  and here it is! My Journal that started out life as a plain black - spiral bound journal - I think I got it at Michaels.....I've had it for some time - gathering dust in my Craft Room!  

 

I decided to see how Distress Stains would look on Kraft Glassine Paper.  So I stamped the bird and window frame from Tim Holtz Classics #16 stamp set using Archival Jet Black Ink and let it dry.  Then I just dabbed Tumbled Glass and Picked Raspberries Distress Stains over the images - they kind of beaded up on the Glassine paper so I just kept dabbing and the color did soak in a 'blotchy' kind of way - and they did keep their bright colors!

I die cut borders using Tim Holtz Vintage Lace Sizzlet die out of a Foil Tape Sheet that I had adhered to white card stock  and then inked it with Ranger Distress Black Paint.  I adhered the strips across the top and bottom of my cover .  I didn't pop out the little circles on the lacey cuts so the black distress paint would show up better. I also used this technique on the crown and ink bottle which I'll show close up below.

The sentiment stamps are from Destination Art by Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490 Stampers Anonymous.  Perfect for my Art Journal I think!

 

I added Forest Moss Distress Stain to some White Embossing Paste from Wendy Vecchi and applied it to both the Dot Fade and Stripes stencils.  I cut the label from the Apothecary Bottles die from cork, stained it with Picked Raspberries Distress Stain and added some Life Quotes Remnant Rubs to it.  I dabbed the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Paint.

I stamped the feather from Tim Holtz  Bird Feather stamp set on vellum using Frayed Burlap Distress Paint (wash your stamp right after 'inking' it with paint!)  The paint on the vellum is very subtle but can be seen better IRL!  I added some Life Quotes Remnant Rubs over the feather  (note - Remnant Rubs will NOT stick to the Kraft Glassine but will stick to vellum- how do I know this??!!)

The ink bottle is a die cut Apothacary Bottle that I cut the bottom off of to look like an ink well - with the feather as the pen.

I die cut another  Apothecary Bottle labels out of Art Parts Clearly for Art Modeling film, added a Chit Chat sticker that I stained with Tumbled Glass Distress Stain and outlined with a black Stabilo Pencil and layered it over the bottle.  I used the clear film as I didn't want to hide any of the design on the inkwell!  I used the Sizzix Patchwork Embossing folder on this.

 

Here's a close up of the crown.  The curve of the crown fit nicely over the bird's head.  I used the Riveted Metal Embossing folder on the crown

You can see the Idea-ology Door Knob that I screwed into the cover better in this photo - you can actually open the Journal with the knob - so fun! and when the Journal is open on the table - the knob actually protects the popped up pieces on the cover since it keeps the cover from lying flat.  I looped a single piece of Linen Ribbon through one of the binder rings.

I wanted to keep the back flat - so there is nothing sticking up here. I used several Remnant Rubs here (Life Quotes and Botanicals).  I used the same papers on the front (under the Kraft Glassine) and the back - Paper Stash/Wallflowers.

I stained some Chit Chat stickers with Picked Raspberry Distress Stain and outlined them with a black Stabilo Pencil 

I die cut the Ornante Frame from Kraft Glassine and stained it by dabbing Tumbled Glass Distress Stain over it and framed the gentleman's face on the patterned paper.

 

 I used the same papers on the inside covers - I've just left them as they are for now - they have such wonderful imagery on them - maybe I'll put some sentiments or stampings on later.....I find I sometimes have to just STOP before I over do it - and go back later to see how I feel about it!

Now I just have to work up the nerve to actually do something on all of these clean white pages inside my Art Journal!!!   One step at a time - right??!!!

Thanks so much for sticking with me through all of these pics!

Stamps:  Stampers Anonymous - Classics #16 and Bird Feather/Tim Holtz, Destination Art/Wendy Vecchi,
Paper:  Kraft Glassine - Idea-ology; Foil Tape Sheet - Ranger, Vellum - Stampin' Up, Paper Stash Wallflowers - Tim Holtx, cork sheet - Michaels, Art Parts Clearly for Art Modeling Film - Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490.
Ink:  Archival Jet Black
Accessories:  Ranger Distress Stains - Tumbled Glass, Picked Raspberries, Forest  Moss; Ranger Distress Paint - Black Soot, Frayed Burlap; Alterations Dies - Apothecary Bottles, Heart and Wings, Ornate Frame, Vintage Lace Sizzlets; white embossing paste - Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490; stencils - Dot Fade and Stripes - Tim Holtz; Cropadile; Idea-ology Door knobs, Chit Chat Stickers, Live Quotes and Botanicals Remnant Rubs, Linen Ribbon; Black Stabilo Pencil.

Pinterest Inspiration

Today my post will be a tad bit different. Today my post is based on Pinterest inspiration.

"Whatchu talkin' bout Willis?"

Ok...so how much time do we spend on Pinterest? Ok now add 3 hours a day to make it in real time right? 

You in the back stop glaring like you don't know what I'm talking about.

We are constantly browsing through Pinterest for ideas and inspiration for whatever we do in our lives right? Where would we be without Pinterest?!

*ahead on housecleaning and caught up on laundry*

but seriously gals. This is a wonderful resource for numerous aspects of our lives...including...mixed media art. 

So as an example, today I'm going to show you how I took this image from Pinterest

as inspiration to alter some wood pieces I had lying around.

Here's a quick little video on how I made this lovely piece

I also wanted to share with you the new Cold Country Line from 7Dots

I just adore these papers!!! I also used flowers from the cartographer line and used my Tim Holtz stencil for some of the background. I adore the cool colors of this line and can't wait to use more.

  

Until next time...

{{hugs}}

Andiepants

You Know You Are Loved

Hi it's Lisa S  and I'm back for my second week as eP's guest designer. I started my home decor project by altering six playing cards with a light coat of Liquitex Acrylic Gesso and I set three aside for future use. The remaining three cards received various mixed media treatments using fab products you can find in eP's online store. I love to play with stencils so I grabbed Wendy Vecchi's Checkmake stencil, Tim's layering stencils-Hearts, Clockworks and Latticework, and The Crafter's Workshop 6x6 stencils-Mini Art Is,  Mini Time Travel , Mini Love Post to help build my backgrounds. 

Before

After

I spread a coat of Wendy Vecchi's white embossing paste 

over a Tim Holtz Heart layering stencil, dried it and spritzed 

with a coat of Dylusions Postbox Red ink spray.

On my second card I used TCW-Love Post stencil

and spread Wendy's white embossing paste over it,

let it dry and spritzed with Dylusions Postbox Red ink spray.

On my third card I used Wendy's Checkmake stencil

and white embossing paste, then I sprayed it randomly

with Dylusions Postbox Red and Marbled Black ink sprays.

I added more color and texture with Faber-Castell red 

and black Gelatos and silver and snow cap Adirondack paint

dabbers as well. To apply my red gelato I rubbed some on 

my non-stick craft mat, spritz some water, mixed it together and 

used a paint brush to apply. I wanted a pop of blue so

I dabbed Ranger's Perfect Medium in random places 

and brushed on Forever Blue Perfect Pearls. 

On this card Wendy's Checkmake stencil

was laid on top and Dylusion ink sprays-

Postbox Red and Black Marble was

spritzed over. Another layer was added with the 

TCW- Mini Clock stencil and embossing paste.

Adirondack paint dabbers {silver and snow cap}

highlight the raised stencil areas. There's a wonderful

text stamp in Tim's new Nature Walk set and I 

used it on all three altered cards. 

One more layer was added with a stamped heart 

from Dina Wakely's Collaged Hearts stamp set.

{love this set}

Again, I used Dylusions Postbox Red and outlined it

Black Soot Distress Ink.

Tim's Hearts layering stencils create fab

backgrounds for your mixed media projects.

I used one of his Word Bands to express

the sentiment of this art piece. 

Next I started work on altering the photo frame...

I stamped Dyan Reavely's Further Around the Edge border stamp

in Staz On Jet Black on white cardstock and blended 

Festive Berries Distress Ink over to create a border 

for each opening.

and here's my completed project again.

Key Supplies Used:

Tim Holtz Layering Stencils

Wendy Vecchi's Checkmake stencil and white embossing paste

The Crafter's Workshop stencils

Faber-Castell Gelatos

Dina Wakely-Collaged Hearts 

Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz-Nature Walk

Dylusions-Further Around the Edge

Thanks for looking at my project today! Don't forget to play along with April's eP challenge-Wood for your chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate to eclectic Paperie. I'll be back next  Wednesday to share my third project. 

Have a fantastic day!

Lisa