The Journey

 the Journey awakens the Soul... 

 The Vintage Journey's Blog challenge for July is for using Dies and Distressing- in the Tim Holtz influence.
Since I dig Tim Holtz, I love distressing and I just got my first die!   I thought I would play along!. 
The main requirement of any of Vintage Journey's challenges is that your piece is Tim Holtz inspired.


  Let's get to it...
For my substrate, I used the thin card that comes inside of the Tim Holtz Layering Stencils- I used this because it really had a nice pattern on it and if you know me, I love to re-use, recycle, upcycle, ect! 

 My main ingredients used were Tim's-Sizzix-Alterations Die&Embossing Folder~Layered Dragonfly , and Ranger/Tim Holtz -Stampers Anonmynous~Classics #1.
                                 Other products used are listed below

   To begin,I stamped vintage text across the card paper as well as added a few scrolls (which are now covered)
   For the die, I cut  the dragonfly from a patterned paper and then ran it through the embosser.

   On the left hand side of my card,I stamped the Classic's#1 Odonata~Dragonfly,stamping it off the page,only using the right side of it. 
   Next, I placed the right side of the cut paper over the stamped image and glued it in place.
(I really wish I taken in process photos!! Battery was dead! ARGH!) 

  Again,using the same dragonfly stamp, I stamped the whole image on a vintage piece of newspaper- then colored it in with distress markers. Gently, I tore off the edges and glued down most of the main image as well as the word -ODONATA 
(from the stamp- which is the scientific name for Dragonflies)

  For the previously die-cut  dragonfly, I colored it, using Distress Markers. After that I added Distressed Embossing Powder~Peeled Paint,to the veins of the dragonfly,as well as for the antenna.

 For the distressing with inks, I used the Broken China toward the center of my subjects and the Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo toward the edges.

 In the next photo,here,I added a bit of Glossy Accents to the wing's edges and also used it to adhere the "found wing" at the top of my substrate. 
disclaimer-(No insects were hurt during this creation- the wing was found in Nature) ")

   Around the edges of the card, I first distressed them using Ranger/Tim Holtz'z Distressing tool.Then, I edged with Antique Bronze before I used the Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel in Bronze to give a bit more of a finished look.

  And finally I stamped Tim Holtz' stamp~ 
"The Journey Awakens the Soul" on the right hand bottom corner.

 

As you can see from my worktable, there is a pile of products I used on this piece. I will try and put them all in with links- if I missed something you would like to know about, please ask! ")

Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Products:

Distress Stain~Tarnished Brass

Distress Paint~Antiqued Bronze

Distressed Inks~

Broken China

Ripe Persimmon

Rusty Hinge

Vintage Photo

Distress Markers~

Peacock Feathers

Bundled Sage

Evergreen Bough

Mowed Lawn

Salty Ocean

Distress Embossing Powder~Peeled Paint

Ranger/InkEssentials Embossing Pen~ Black

Tim Holtz "Journey"Stamp is from an older set which I do not know the name of- sorry"(

Aleen's Quick Dry Tacky Glue

Suze Weinberg's Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel~ Bronze

(to the best of my knowledge the above is now owned by Ranger-mine is pretty old! )

Paper Artsy Minis Stamp~MN44 (vintage French text)

and 

 Sizzix/Tim Holtz Alterations

Layered Dragonfly Embossing Die &Folder

 

                          Stampers Anonymous Classics#1

 Thanks so much for stopping by - I always love to see you have been here and love to hear what you have to say!!
Jackie ")



Linking up to
Vintage Journey Challenge Blog-Dies&Distress #48
I am also linking up to
 Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge-Emboss It! #33
Pretty sure I have both challenges covered! teehee

Ding Ding Ding -Clang Clang Clang goes the dinner bell!

   Fridays gal, Jackie ,here with a quick fun Upcycle!

Our house is quite a distance from our pole barn so instead of one of us hollering or walking out leaving the cooking dinner unattended- simply ding ding ding, or clang clang clang goes the dinner bell!

  Here is another score from a garage sale; this great clanging dinner bell-but I'm not fond of the present appearance...so out comes the gesso...

 two layers in fact and a third mixed with a wee bit of color

  

 next, stencil Artistcellars Steampunk Lace, WendyVecchi Translucent Embossing Paste and Stewart Gill ~Pauashell paint for some random stenciling

now,a layer of Stewart Gill~ Verde Gris color overall applied with a makeup sponge

  With a wet applicator, I wiped off color from the embossed areas to expose the previous layer of color

Another overall layer of Stewart Gill ~ Afterglow color, again wiping off embossed areas to reveal bottom color

Next I painted the clanger with Stewart Gill~Laurelius  and added a Hot Off The Press Pocket Watch stamp

 I continued random stamping of Ranger Ink/Tim Holtz Stamps-clock faces overall to the bell in black and sepia inks. Add a few more smudges of color here and there and a final spray coat of outdoor varnish.

    Hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial- get out to some sales this weekend and see what you can upcycle!

           Jackie ")

Poppies

 

  My inspiration came from a seed catalog which had the most beautiful poppies. Unfortunately, my own poppies never left the infant stage this year- fingers crossed for next year!


         
         I'm sharing with  FlowerPower at AJJ Monthly

One final birthday...

This is my sixth and final granchild's birthday card for this year-phew! Sorry, no step by step as I had to get this done before they came to stay a few days.
For Logan, who has a great imagination, a play theater! Recycling again, I made this Theater of Fun out of a tea box, turned inside out and decorated. 

 I simply glued on some fun papers with stars and banners,which I fancy cut. The paper already had stars- but not enough WOW! So out came the Stickles! 
      Those of you who know me, know how I love my Stickles!! 

 The letters came from a collage sheet by Nancy Baumiller ~ Crowabout StudioB

 

 I made these little figures from Les- Petites Whimsies stamps by Sandra Evertson . These were stamped onto heavy cardstock and the reglued onto a hardboard. ( I also attatched hardboards pieces to the backs to make the figures stand ) 

I added various scrap heads-and some bodies~all animals as you can see. And yes, there are a few that are roosters- Logan is our rooster's name- after our grandson! 

Silly, I know-but Logan(grandson)is just as proud as Logan(the rooster) is!

The little faces in the windows all have mustaches-why? I'm not quite sure what it is all about, but the kids are all into it! Logan says- "because we like it!"

   Behind these doors is a glassine envelope which holds Logan's treasure. There is a space between the wall and box that the cash slides into real easy! Logan loved the "secret hiding place"

And then we we have a few of the characters with I am "Happy" by Pharrell Williams- Logan's favorite song!                                    
(Secretly,I think he just like to sing it to annoy his older sister- as she claims to absolutely dislike that song!)teeheehee

On the other side behind the doors, Gramma and Poppa's birthday message to Logan!




Thanks for stopping in..I thought i would leave you with some colors from my summer garden- maybe some inspiration for your art!

Jackie ")

The matter of Heart

    Wow another Friday already! So glad you came to visit...
For this weeks Artistcellar's post, I pulled out a canvas to play on. 

If you would like to grab a cuppa, I'll walk you through my art...

After gessoing the canvas,the first layers of color were added-

 Dina Wakley's ~Turquoise and Art Anthology's Sorbet~June Bud

Next came Art Anthology's~June Bud with some modeling paste to move through Lynn K.'s Tracks from her new Marked Series.

                                        This was applied to all four sides. 
For more interest, I used a Lego*to stamp dots in the modeling paste while still wet.

 When all was dry, I sanded down any high spots and started adding layers of color washes to the top and sides~ 
Golden Quinacrodone nickle Azo Gold,  and 
Luminarte Silks ~Golden Monarch and Persimmon.
Also, I bubbled some dots(using bubble wrap) around the outside of the canvas using Luminarte Silks Teal Zircon 

 

                                       Now to the matter of heart. 

Here, I used Luminarte Silks Carmen mixed with Liquitex Pouring Medium to build up the heart. I let the mixture sort of flow into it's space to give it some of its own character.
Next I added and removed textures along the base and outside edges. 
(no photos? Guess I was too into what I was doing- oops!!)

Then came final coats of Carmen and Persimmon- I used Luminarte Silks for the transparency they allow and mostly for the rich colors they bring. I wiped away areas with a baby wipe to expose the layers underneath and when all was good and dry , I added my final layer, a overall coat of Golden Gloss Polymer Medium.

                                Reminds me of a candy apple!
                                  

           As always thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you are enjoying this summer!  And to my friends in others parts of this beautiful world, hope your fall or winter are just as enjoyable! 
Jackie ")


* The Lego I referred to earlier- belongs to my son- who is now 30!   I think he will get a kick out of how I used it!