Leap Year 2012

Today is the last day of February in a leap year. One extra day to take advantage of all those extra hours we've been accumulating each year since the last leap year. For me it's one extra day to enter Tim Holtz monthly challenge for February 2012. So here's my tag. You can see Tim's original tag here

I usually follow Tim's tutorial when I can so I can learn the techniques. I usually have to modify the tag somewhat when I don't have something he uses.

For this month's tag Tim used a stamp with matching embossing folder and it is a great technique. Since I did not have an appropriate set, I used one of his embossing folders and a Snowcap paint dabber  to go over the raised area. Once dried the paint works as a resist to the distress inks. I applied the distress inks with  a blend tool and then spritzed a paper towel with water and removed the ink from the raised areas.

The Cherub and hearts are from Tim's Seasonal Grungeboard package. The Be Mine is cut from paper in his Seasonal Paper Stash. The rosette is diecut from his tissue paper with an added layer of tissue tape and foil tape. The button at the top was part of a give a way that I won the first year of 12 Tags of Christmas.

I was sad to read that Tim has "decided to officially retire the "12 tags of christmas" as we know it, and begin the 12 tags of the year." He discussed the new direction he has decided to take along with the monthly challenge for February.

I do want to say I support him fully. Tim has given so much time to us not only with the 12 Tags of Christmas, but everything he does on his blog, at Ranger Industries and no telling what all behind the scenes. Before he releases a new product, he takes time to make sure it is a quality product. Then he takes time to promote it by sharing with us his wonderful videos and tutorials showing all the amazing things it will do. He is constantly traveling (I love his travel videos) giving classes and keeping us up to date on his class projects. I have seen him promote fellow artists and often refers us to other blogs to see what others are doing. Not only that but he enjoys randomly giving away product to those who post on his blog.

I will miss the Christmas tags and getting up every morning and with half open eyes, stumbling to the computer to see what magic Tim did overnight. But I follow Tim's blog and I'm not about to miss anything he shares, whenever he decides to share it. And as always I will still be able to ask all my friends "Did you see what Tim did on his blog?"

Grungy Monday 35

Linda Ledbetter's  Grungy Monday 35 challenge this week is to create a Holtz-ian ATC card. I had a lot of fun and created 2 ATCs. I started with Tim's Vintage Shabby Paper Stash. Tim's paper stash pads have a page with the various pattern papers reduced to ATC size. Once I quickly trimmed out the ATC cards I then moved on to some of Tim's Texture Trades embossing folders. I selected the Wing for one card and the Umbrella Man for the other. These smaller embossing folders are the perfect size for ATCs.

I blended some distress inks onto the cards and then added Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint. I first heard about this technique when Tim posted about it on his blog. He directed us all to Tammy Tutterow's blog and of course I loved what she did. She calls it Frosty De-boss and has a great tutorial here.

Another favorite of mine is Tim's Vintage Lace Alterations die. I used it to diecut lace from the pink Vintage Shabby paper. I painted  2 different lace patterns with Brushed Pewter Distress Crackle Paint. It gave it a nice finely crackled shimmer.

The pink and blue cogs were die cut from grungeboard using movers and shapers dies and then painted with Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and inked with Worn Lipstick and Faded Jeans Distress Ink. I used Jet Black Archival Ink for stamping, it works great on the Rock Candy Distress Ink. Then I added the Idea-ology elements for embellishments.

I also used the Frosty De-boss technique for my second ATC. I blended Dusty Concord Distress Ink at the top and Shabby Shutters at the bottom. The middle blue is from the Vintage Shabby Paper. "RAIN" is die cut from Chip Block Alterations, inked with Chipped Sapphire, water splashed, heat set and then covered with glossy accents.  The letters for "Singing in the" are from my stash. I glued the letters to printer paper and punched them out with a basic hole punch. You may recognize the music notes from the Stampers Anonymous Feative Sounds DMS 048 stamp set. It's the one with the lamp post. Tim shared a "ghost stamp" technique with us during the 12 Tags of Christmas 2011. I used the idea and rolled the stamp on the ink pad so I had just enough ink for the area I wanted to stamp.

I really like the glossy shine on my ATCs. You can't really see it in my pictures, but I wanted to capture the color. Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint is a wonderful product. My little jar has lasted a long time and adorn many projects, but it is almost empty now. It is definitely on my shopping list for next time I buy supplies.

Distress Ink Storage

front and back view of my distress ink case.

I started working on a project for Linda Ledbetter's Studio L3 Grungy Monday 34 challenge but didn't get it finished in time for the challenge deadline. It is still a work in progress but here it is so far.

Drawer with foam pads                          Handle

I had made a small storage box for my distress inks but I outgrew it. This is my new storage case. I made it from chipboard and covered it with paper from Tim Holtz's Vintage Shabby paper stash. I've used crackle distress paint (see Tim's video here), distress inks, grungeboard for flowers and flourishes, fragments, acetate with alcohol inks, stampers anonymous stamps, tissue paper, glassine, idea-ology, an embossing folder and Alterations die cuts. While the challenge was to use the Distress Crackle Paint after watching Tim's video, I wanted to decorate my case using much more of my favorite Tim Holtz products and techniques so it would be a reminder of all the different techniques I have learned from Tim's blog over the years. My reminder to be curious and try new things.

The drawer holds a foam pad for each of my Distress Inks. The shelves have a felt strip to help hold the inks snuggly  in place. I made a handle using Tim's ball chain and grungeboard to make it is easy to take with me when I go crop. The case is not a deep as the ink pads. I designed it so the pads stick out about 3/4" which makes it easy to grip the ink pads to slide them out of the case.

I don't have all the colors available in the pads but I also have quite a few of the Distress Stains. Between the two I do have a pretty good selection. I love my Tim Holtz Distress Inks!