Music Unlocks the Heart

Here again with another Valentine's Day card post.  This one is for my daughter.  As you can tell by the card she is a lover of music.  It is where she goes to escape the hectic pace of a teenager's life.

I made the background of my card with a piece of  a manila folder covered with Glue n' Seal and Melange Tissue Wrap...scrunched in places.  I combined Antique Linen, Fired Brick, Spun Sugar, and Walnut Stain Distress Paints with a few mists of water to finish my background.  My heart tag background is colored with  Victorian Velvet and Frayed Burlap Distress Ink misted with water.  The heart stamp is from Dina Wakley and I gave it some sparkle using the Rock Candy Distress Glitter technique found on page 55 of Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities Volume III,

I added a computer generated sentiment on distressed brown paper, a bit of Paper String-Brown Stripes,a piece of ribbon, a gold embellishment with a pink gem and of coarse a key to unlock the heart.

I wish to enter my card in the Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge #21 hosted by the lovely Linda Ledbetter and inspired by Tim Holtz's book of the same name.  This weeks challenge is generously sponsored by Inspiration Emporium.

I would also like to enter the following challenges:

Frilly and Funkie-Be My Valen-Twine  Paper String Stripes

 Mixed Media Card Challenge-LOVE  Tissue Wrap, Rock Candy Distress Glitter , paper string, metal embellishments

Our Creative Corner-Tic-Tac-Toe...Let's Have Some Fun!  Embossing Powder, Stamps, Lace-Ribbon-Twine-Cord

Thanks for stopping by :)

A Mother's Love Part 2

I am back to share the Valentine's Day card I made for my Mother-in-law.  I shared my Mom's card a few posts back.  We were not able to find a portrait of my Mother-in-law's Mom, but did find a couple of candid snapshots.  I picked this picture because of her sweet smile and gentle expression.

I would like to enter this card in A Vintage Journey's-Challenge 24 Love is in the Air.  I used all kinds of Tim things while making this card.  The trellis is made of  the wood grain paper from the Resist Paper Stash Motif and the Lattice Frameworks Die.  I then painted it with a thin layer of Antique Linen Distress Paint, roughened the edges and distressed with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

I used the Latticework stencil with Fired Brick and Victorian Velvet Distress ink to add some interest to my background.  I even brushed in Wendy's Tea Rose Archival Ink to add a more peachy tint. My cupid was shaded with Fired Brick, Victorian Velvet and Frayed Burlap and a few mists of water.  I used  a technique that Tim shared in his December 2014 tag tutorial to add a little sparkle with Rock Candy Distress Glitter.

I finished  with a tag covered with paper from my stash, painted lightly with Antique Linen paint and stamped with a Valentine's Day stamp.  I added a piece of green twine tied in a bow.

 I would also like to enter my card in :

Inspiration Journal-Love is in the Air

Frilly and Funky-Be My Valen-Twine

Thanks for stopping by :)

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2015-January

I know...can you believe two posts in the same day!   I'm back to post my version of Tim's January Tag.  You can see his step by step here.   I love the sparkle of Tim's tag but varied my tag to incorporate blues and violets. colors that remind me of winter.

 I started following Tim's instructions using Postal Tissue Wrap (thanks to Tim and Mario for the December tag prize stash) and Glue n' Seal.  I finger painted with Salty Ocean, Pumice Stone, and
Dusty Concord Distress Paints.

I still don't own any Distress Stain Sprays, so I used Vintage Photo Distress Stain misted with water.  I really didn't like the yellow tones that resulted so....

I added more distress paint and then used Broken China Distress Stain....much better.

I followed the rest of Tim's instructions, substituting Brushed Pewter for Tarnish Brass Distress Paint and Pumice Stone for Tarnished Brass Glitter.

I loved using the Chitchat Stickers to convey my thoughts about the New Year.  A stamped clock with clock hands made from Game Spinners and 3 Mirrored Stars tinted with Mermaid Alcohol Ink rounded out my tag embellishments.

Looking forward to February's tag...just a day away.  Thanks for stopping by :)

CC3C # 20 Distress Watercoloring Part 2

Time again for another Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge...can you believe #20 already!  Thanks to  Linda Ledbetter, our gracious hostess, and to Linda Coughlin at The Funkie Junkie Boutique, our generous sponsor.  Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities Volume III is the inspiration for this fun challenge.  The current challenge, Distress Watercoloring-Part 2 can be found on page 40.

I used the technique to make a card for my eldest daughter who is embarking on an adventure...can you guess where?

You guessed it....Mexico.  She is jetting off on an International Study Program at her university and I couldn't be more excited for her.  I made the background using Red Pepper and Meadow Adirondack Alcohol Inks and stamped the map from Tim's Air Travel stamp set on the colored strips with Ranger Achival Jet Black Ink (no pun intended).  I created the inset with the air plane stamp from the same stamp set according to Tim's instructions on page 40.  I included a sentiment from the Odds and Ends stamp set.  I popped the inset with some foam tape and tied the WANDER Philosophy Tag with red, green, and black Jute String.  To finish it off,  I  added borders from the Industrious Stickers-Frames and Trims.

My children continue to amaze me.  I love to watch them grow as they travel on their own journey!

Thanks for stopping by today :)

A Mother's Love

Ok...so I am really bad with New Year's Resolutions.  I have already broken all but one or two...make that one :)  I would like to put more effort into card making...creating something really special for the recipient.  I happened upon a portrait of my Grandmother at the age of seventeen and I was inspired by the challenge over at A Vintage Journey-Use A Portrait.  I created a Valentine's Day card for my Mom using that portrait as a reminder that our mother's love lives within us forever.  I don't have any step by step photos, because I was not intending to make a card Sunday night...I was just playing

I used texture paste with Tim's Gothic stencil and shaded it with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink when it dried as demonstrated in Tim's  Compendium of Curiosities, Volume III.  I distressed the edges of the background paper with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

  I made my Valentine's Day tag using  Frayed Burlap and Victorian Velvet Distress Ink along with a mist of water for the background and stamped the sentiment with Potting Soil Archival Ink.  I added a pink ribbon from my stash.  The sentiment is computer generated and then cut apart to resemble Tim's Chitchat stickers and distressed. I love how Tim's distress techniques and products produce a vintage effect.

I finished the card with  off-white photo corners and a piece of lace from my stash.  I plan to make a similar card for my Mother-in-Law with a portrait of her Mom.

I am also entering my card in the Fresh Start Challenge over at Inspiration Emporium as I endeavor to keep my card making resolution.

Thanks for stopping by :)

CC3C #19 Frayed Fabric

Running behind...so just a quick note about my entry to the Compendium of Curiosities #3 Challenge hosted by the lovely Linda Ledbetter and sponsored by the generous folks at Inspiration Emporium.
I was glad that Linda noted that a sewing machine did not have to be used because I don't own one.  I hand stitched my heart and frayed it according to Tim's instructions found on page 66 of the book by the same name.

That's all for now or I won't make the entry deadline...don't think I have ever run this close before.  Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by :)

Ring in the New

I loved the theme of Vintage Journey's newest challenge "Ring out the old...Ring in the New".  As I was looking over the pictures I took on New Year's Eve, I couldn't help but marvel at how grown up our daughters had become.  I pulled out an old pic from our 2000 New Years Eve celebration...seems like yesterday.  I remembered making snacks and dips throughout the day with my oldest, who was four years old at the time, while we watched the world enter the new millennium. By party time, the girls still looked fresh and Mom looked weary.

I followed Tim's background technique featured in the January tag tutorial using Tissue Wrap Melange glued and scrunched on an 8 x 8 inch piece of manila folder.

I then used Peeled Paint, Black Soot and Tarnished Brass Distress Paints blended with water to create my background.  I also borrowed a technique that Tim highlighted in his November tag tutorial with corrugated cardboard.  After I peeled off several layers, I used Black Soot Distress Paint to paint several areas and spritzed with Tarnished Brass Distress paint using an old toothbrush...I loved the effect.  I found the wooden frames in the Christmas closeout bin and painted them with Black Soot and Tarnished Brass Distress Paints.  

My project is dedicated to my daughters as they ring in the New Year.  I added a compass to guide them, a key to unlock the doors of possibility, and of course a bell to ring in the New Year.

Wishes for a Very Happy and Blessed New Year.  Thanks for stopping by :)