Frankenstein portrait

Well the lockdown is stretching out far longer than I imagined. I am finding creating and gardening are making it bearable. The weather here in Ireland is still surprisingly sunny. I dont do hot weather so I neglected the garden today and went to the attic where the breeze it cool and I can still hear those lovely summer sounds. Ive been playing with lots of textures using paste, stencils and distress crayons - more Tim Holtz Live prompts.

He uses Idea-ology frames in lots of his demos. I love the look of them but I am always more tempted by inks and stamps when I shop. The packs of frames seem expensive in the UK and I think I would be too tempted to hoard rather than use them. I do have an old disintegrated photo album which has old frame windows. I took the plunge this week and covered it in paste and crayon. I had no idea what I might do with it when I started out. When it was finished I decided I wanted to frame the anatomised head. I cut  the page into two and got out one of my favorite stamp sets, "Cadaverous," yes they are all my favorites. I love the anatomised head and he does remind me of Frankenstein. I also used a prompt from an ephemera pack and made an advertisement for an old imaginary bookshop window, propped up infront of stacks of leather bound dusty books. Everyone creates in a different way often what I make is based on a story in my head.

The backgrounds for the stamped images were made with mixed media paper. I sprayed a little  distress ink stain in frayed burlap and antique paper and then spritzed it with water and blotted the centre to create space for the foot and head.

The images were stamped with embossing ink and embossed with walnut stain glaze and then watercolored with reinker. It makes it easy to wash colour over an image. the gloss repels the ink and it settles into the white spaces.

As well as using the album pages for the first time I used some tiny 'mini metal fasteners' screw heads to attach the booksellers sign. I didn't do much to the images as the frame was so textural and colourful. I left the images simple and understated.

I loved the way the crackle paste worked along with the distress crayons it was fun to do and so forgiving if you dont like a colour it just wipes off and it blends beautifully. There are lots of oil/wax colouring sticks Gelatos, Scribble Sticks and others but these are a joy to blend with and the colour stays perfectly vibrant. I love using them.

My garden will get attended to tomorrow but today I enjoyed the studio. Hope you are all enjoying your creative space and your gardens! Thanks for visiting and stay safe and creative xox

I think this qualifies as a "A Man Thing," as that is the theme over at Simon Says Stamp this week I am linking up with their Monday Challenge.

I am also linking up with Creative Artiste's Challenge which is Anything Goes.

Seth Apter Mini Book

This week I have been working on a tiny book. I joined in with an online workshop with Seth Apter.  With the current situation so many classes are now online. living somewhere without local craft shops and venues offering bookbinding and other paper craft workshops this is one positive effect of the virus. Opened up possibilities for me. Nothing is all bad. It is strange learning online but it is good to make something new.

I have made books before but the binding system was new to me and Seth is amazing at loosening up your inhibitions and encouraging experimentation. His class was very reasonable and he is such a gentle and clear teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the two hours sped by. I have enjoyed collaging lots of tiny pieces onto the pages. I have used lots of tags, cards and backgrounds that 'failed' now these torn into tiny pieces are proving treasures and can shine in their new life.

I made an effort to use papers that I tend to hoard. The endpapers are old Graphic 45 Nature Sketchbook paper. There are some tiny snippets of Stamperia paper too. I bought it ages ago and have not used any.  I also used paper from 7 Gypsies Mariner paper. This book is only 2.5 inches square so it is easy to find places for lots of small scraps.

I also cut into my rub ons (Tim Holtz Idea-ology 'Remnant') I also tore up a beautiful illustration from an old dictionary or encyclopedia. it had illustrations of birds eggs in lovely subdued colours complete with fig numbers. I am not sure what is so satisfying about fig. nos. but I know I am not alone in being drawn to them I think I must have at least 5 stamp sets with them in.

 I used Izink Ice by Seth Apter, that golden colour is it. It is translucent gel like paint. Very satisfying to use. Its in a bag like cake frosting and you can put it on with a spatula. it drys really quickly and goes on easily over everything so its great to use on collages to pull elements together. I tried to play with some mark making and stamped  pieces of text or patterns to add details over the layers. It is very mediative making abstract work without a set outcome in mind.

I even managed to use some postage stamps. I have hundreds of them but I hardly ever think of using them. There is some gold embossing powder scattered throughout. I have been drawn away from my favorites
by Tim Holt's new glazes and all the techniques from his weekly demos but I had a lovely time drizzling and dipping into gold,  Rangers Antiquities - verdigris and Seth Apter's Baked Textures (Beeswax and Aegean sea).

That amazing bright green is more Izink Ice it really does look jewel like. Ive a tiny piece of one of my favorite tapes here too from Tim Holtz Design Tape - Remnants.

On some pages I ran some paper through the big shot to emboss it to add even more texture. I love the look of the gold embossed torn edge
on this page.

The final page and endpaper. I took my time and enjoyed each page. I am probably going to go straight on to making another one now this is finished. If you are interested in the workshop I will put a link to Seth Apter's page. I think it will be available soon or maybe even now.

Here is the spine, heavenly embossed in all the colours above.

The back cover (left) and front (right) The front was actually my first page but I decided the beeswax embossing made it to stiff so I used it as a cover and made another page for inside.

It is an age since I made a book so I am linking up with Mini album makers for their June Challenge.

As I have used up all my old background papers I am linking up with Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Somewhere else I have not been for a while. They are challenging us to make your own background.

Thank you for visiting hope you are staying safe and well and enjoying your creative time.

Creative Life in lockdown

The buzz created by the Tim Holtz LIVES is such an inspiration. Tim and Mario are creating a community during this difficult time. I have been mixing up the live demos with the Creative Chemistry classes. I have enjoyed the encouragement to play and experiment without any need to resolve into a "project." Its fun to let things slide a little, bit like working in your PJs, which is turning into the new norm these days. I have been working with tags, cutting them out of a range of papers. I have also been using instagram for quick posting but a blog seems to offer much more time to reflect on what you are up to.

Ive started to jump about a bit using the techniques I wanted to revisit rather than days in order. This is "Nostalgic Batik and then on the right Paint and Ink Monoprints from CC102. I have been playing with my stencils lots recently. I have got into the habit of using stencils to create subtle background layers by blending through them with regular distress ink but they are so versatile and can do so much more. Switching to paint or mono-printing with the negative of the stencil has been losening me up and showing me lots of new possibilities. Playing more is opening up lots of new possibilites.

The other thing I have tried to do is to revisit and try techniques I was not happy with first time around. Tim's Spritz Sparkle and Smudge Demo encouraged me to retry Smudge stamping and I was much happier with the results this time. I made one first following CC102 using regular distress ink but I also made one with distress oxide, (on right) so I could compare them. Not sure which I prefer? I actually stamped the bird in red originally and it did not stamp well so I went over it in archival black ink. It gave it a hint of 3D which I quite like. It was just stamped with a regular grid block not a platform. Some mistakes are discoveries!

I also had another go at Shabby Chic and Stencil Stamping techniques from CC102 and both of them were an improvement on my early attempts. I enjoyed playing with the skeleton from the Tim Holtz/stampersanonymous Cadaverous set. Remember the anatomised man in my last post? This was one of those sets I bought as I loved it but never made anything with. That is another good result from all the demos playing with lots of my neglected stamps. I think I used 3 sets on the yellow tag.

My favorite evening was spent stamping and watercoloring with distress markers. I got out another admired and under used TH/Stampers anonymous set,"Tiny Things." I made rows of ballerinas, fishes and birds. I loved this technique and became totally absorbed and entranced like the best of times at your studio desk.

I loved the wispy unpredictable effects of ink and water on your stamp. I would have happily carried on into the night but try not to work after midnight! Even writing this post I am thinking 'Oh I want to do more of that right now!'

I am sure for creative crafters the lockdown has given us much more time to create and all of the online inspiration has definitely been encouraging me to explore new techniques and play. I do hope you are all being inspired too.

Thank you for visiting, I love being connected and appreciate all your comments.  I have not been posting here as much but I have been posting on Instagram if you want to see more.

#timholtzdemo call to action.

How many times do we all watch inspiring stuff online but then never get round to using all those exciting new techniques or ideas? Just as we horde our growing stash of craft materials, we store the ideas away "for later." But 'later' often fails to arrive. I was delighted to hear Tim Holtz say he wanted everyone to go make, create and most important of all play with their materials and techniques. He emphasised it should be fun and not limited to finished or perfect projects.

last summer on my beach walks I picked up eroded bits of tiles as I wandered around, unaware of the luxury of my liberty! Of course the collection of ceramics was stuffed into a drawer and forgotten for months. After watching the inspirational Tim Holtz demo I got the forgotten ceramics and my neglected alcohol inks out to play.

Tim did a previous demo on alcohol ink which I watched and stored but I was inspired to action. Alcohol inks are a liberating medium for play as you can wipe off the results you dont like and start over.

I also used my newest stamp set 'Field Notes' by Tim Holtz and Stampersanonymous. I knew this set would be really useful but once it arrived I was overwhelmed by the possibilities and it sat neglected for a while.

I have started small, one single stamp on these lost fragments. Nothing monumental just tiny treasure.

During these difficult times life has changed for all of us. For those of us on lockdown one of the advantages has to be time to play, explore and create. I hope you are lucky enough to be home, safe, well and free from some of the terrible burdens many of us have to carry these days. If so I hope you play.

I am linking this up with the latest Simon Says Stamp Challenge which is Anything Goes

insect in a box

Just a quick post to join in with the latest Paperartsy Topic. I am sure I must be in good company with many crafters when I remember all the tiny things I made for and with matchboxes as a child. I was delighted to see the Challenge on the Paperartsy blog was Matchbox art this fortnight.

Of course I was busy and this is a last minute rush to enter. I made a new bug box with some Graphic 45 Nature's Sketchbook paper, Seth Apter's Vintage Beeswax embossing powder and Tim Holtz stamp sets.

I used one of the beetles I had made when my new Entomology dies arrived.

I love this nature themed paper and have been saving it for special project. This little box is perfect way to use a little of it. I was so happy to see it's shine once the embossing layers were built up. It makes the paper seem even more precious, like jewels and without any gold for once! I really enjoyed this little break from the Christmas card making.

Link to the Paperartsy Challenge #21 Matchbox art
also to:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which is Anything Goes this week.

Imagine Autumn

It feels much longer than three weeks since I had inky fingers. I had to look after my Mum for a while so normal life was on hold. Very strange not blogging or even getting time to check in with everyone blogs. Back to normal now so straight into stamping again Yay! I love Autumn, I still swish through all those crunch leaves. I have got back into the swing with a card for A Vintage Challenge's Autumn Splendour.

I made the background with heavy watercolour cardstock and used oxide inks to add a base colour. Then I used several Inkylicious plant stamps which I clear embossed to give some texture. Ive also inked some speckles and text and of course used some gold embossing powder. This is Ultra high Wow and Ive added a little Paprika to it (also from Wow) The background is mounted on a Kraft card base.

Next I made a handful of Autumn leaves using Sizzix, Susan's Garden 'Woodland leaves' dies. I cut out a few sets in Kraft, yellow and rust card and then smooched them in lots of browns and greens and some Spiced Marmalade inks I used both oxide and regular distress. I scrunched them up a bit to add shape to them. Once they were dry I stamped veins randomly onto them using my old Tim Holtz Falling leaves stamp set.

I then tried a paper doll but I was not happy with it as there was no contrast for all the brown tones. I  have taken out all my Christmas supplies this week. After rifling through them I decided these two fairy sisters would add a little colour and allow me to bring out the magic of this season full of change and beauty.

Even better all the work to create them was already done. I made these for our tree two years ago. They were created on the computer then printed out onto card and the wings decorated in Stickles.
These two were one of my favourites. It is nice to give them a special woodland setting all of their own.

Now my fingers are really colourful and I am a happy bunny. Off to visit all my neglected friends in the blogosphere now.


Linking up with:
A Vintage Journey Challenge Autumn Splendor
The Artistic Stamper  8th year Challenge Inktober
Country View Crafts Plant-tastic

Entomology stamps and framlits card

This is my first card using the Tim Holtz Entomology Framelits and stamps.

I used one piece of design tape on the left of the cream card front the whole surface was then covered  with brown Paperartsy fresco finish paint. I rubbed it back a little to allow the tape to show through in some areas. Next I used the crackle glaze over the whole card, let it dry and covered it in a coat of eggshell fresco paint. Once the paint had dries and the crackle effect was visible I stamped images onto tissue paper and collaged them on top of the painted surface. I wanted more crackle so I added decoArt Media crackle Glaze over the stamped areas. When this had air dried (after dinner) I rubbed over antiquing cream in Raw Umber and Red Oxide. I removed most of this colour and then used regular distress ink in Forest Moss, Vintage Photo and Rusty Hinge to create an aged wood look and bring out the crackle more. I intended to cover most of the centre of the card so all my attention was given to the edges.

I layered the card with; some of the label embellishments I made earlier and some of my new coloured bugs.

I love the luminescent colours on the largest bug.

The text stamp is stamped onto a piece of old book paper. I folded, rolled and scrunched it up a little inking the edges to suggest a page from an old note book. The card is matted onto some rust coloured cardstock and a brown card base.

I am linking this up to the current More Mixed Media Challenge Anything Goes + Brown

Tim Holtz Entomology dies and stamps

I was excited when Tim Holtz brought out the Entomology stamp set not only did it have a really useful text stamp it had lots of insect that look like they were taken from vintage engraved illustrations. I have posted a  bug box project made with the set. I was quite happy to fussycut this single bug but it would have been very easy to chop off a leg or two so I am delighted Tim has brought out a set of Framelits to go with this set. I have been playing and experimenting for most of this week in my spare moments. I thought I would share a few tips and lots of lovely bugs before they crawl off into a project.

I tried the bee first as who doesn't love bees. I wanted to see if it worked with just the normal two plates in a single pass. As I expected it did not cut cleanly but you are recommended to use a precision plate with intricate dies and these are very intricate. Next I used my Bigshot and a Cherry Lynne metal precision shim plate.  I cut all of the bugs in a single pass. They all cut perfectly with no difficulty popping them out.

I cut out eight more bees and each one worked perfectly. The dies are amazing my best buy in ages.

To get the best alignment for all the legs and antenna use the tiny holes at the end of each one and try and line them up so you see black through every hole. This worked perfectly 98% of the time. Any tiny white edges can be inked with a touch of distress black soot. I wanted to see them coloured so I got out lots of different paints, and Perfect Pearls. On a piece of cream card I drew around the dies and painted lots of the bodies. Once they dried I stamped over them and ran them through the big shot using the framlits. It is hard to colour them this way and achieve perfectly placed colours but I did want to try out lots of the materials I had.

A more precise colouring is possible if you stamp in black archival ink, heat emboss and then colour with markers or use a fine brush with inks or nice fluid paint.

Now I have a bug collection to play with.

Robin Egg Embossed Card

I was playing around with embossing this week and made a couple of cards. In the first I finally used the egg stamp Yey!

I have also used an embossing folder that I have had for ages and never tried out. I was prompted by both Paperartsy's Baked texture challenge and Vintage Journey's resist challenge. It all turned into quite a stash project. I started with patterned paper from my stash. I stamped some text to add detail to the green and cream open spaces on the paper. I embossed with the folder adding a little extra embossing with the folder at the bottom to make a longer piece. I used 2 coats of versamark and clear embossing powder to create a resist and then inked it with gathered twigs DI. I love the grungy, gritty effect created where small particles of embossing powder have stuck to the debossed areas and resisted the ink.

The snippet of book paper is from an old encyclopedia. Luckily I still had the bird entry

I avoided the bottom section with the embossing powder so the ink covers it all and creates a darker area giving a different effect. The card is finished off with my stamped fusycut egg, a coloured scrap of book paper and a pensive young lady from Tim Holtz Paper dolls. These colours all relate to the colours of the egg and the card is mounted on cardstock called - "Robin Egg." How appropriate was that!


Joining in with
Vintage Journey's challenge How Can you Resist
Artistic Stamper's challenge Anything Goes

Embossing folder used is Anna Griffin 'Aviary'
Stamp set Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous 'Bird Feather'
12 x 12 patterned paper by Bo Bunny 'Et Cetera - Watermark'
Robin Egg cardstock is by Kaisercraft

Using your Old Stamps Up

I truly think stamps are addictive. Once you get the bug you cannot stop coveting or simply buying the next one. Several times a year there are new stamps released and there will always be those that you decide you just cant do without! It is easy to spend hours chasing down some stamp used in a project you have admired on someones blog or Pinterest. There are always new exciting products coming out. You could easily spend your days shopping rather than making. Often I find myself looking at a stamp and thinking of all the things I could make with it. Its so easy to persuade yourself that the new shiny stamp will make the best ever project and forget the multitude you already have.

Often your own stamps become invisible, you forget them amongst the thousands. Lets be honest, it probably goes beyond the hundreds. I think it is important to spend more time experimenting and creating than shopping and using what we have I will exercise our imagination. I will certainly be richer! I do not like to think of the amount I have spent on stamps since I started using them.

I am setting out to use more of my stamps. To be creative with what I have. It will be my own personal challenge. I am sure I am not alone in having many stamps which I have not used in years or even some which remain in their cellophane waiting for their first taste of ink.

Four months until the end of 2018 I will try and go cold turkey with the shopping and use as many of my virgin or neglected stamps as possible. For fun I will post the total in the New Year. Please feel free to join in!

To start off I am using a set lusted after for over a year and finally bought, in January! Bird Feather by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous. This lovely set has 2 birds, eggs, a beautiful twiggy nest and a large feather. Ironically the stamp that pulled me in most was the smallest, the row of Fig 1-7. This is the only stamp I have used since I bought the set.

I haven't made a clean and simple card in ages so I am trying to keep this nice and easy. I did use watercolour cardstock as a base because I have run out of white cards.

The larger bird from the set is stamped on the edge of the card. I have stamped a bit of nest so he appears to be sitting on the edge of his nest. The figs 1-7 are stamped in the same sepia archival ink. The stamped image is heat dried so I can wet the card. The final element is a quick spritz with water then a little sprinkle of infusions in "Slime." I mounted the finished card front on green coloured cardstock.  I have added no sentiment to the front as I can stamp whatever is appropriate inside when I use the card.

I love the infusions splatter and I do love this stamp. Not sure what the fascination with figure numbers is. Perhaps it comes from hours poring over old botany and other books with beautiful engraved black and white illustrations.

Im linking this up to Crafty Creations challenge #372 which is Anything Goes

Insect in a Matchbox

As soon as I saw the Entomology stamp set by Tim Holtz I wanted to make a shiny embossed beetle to put into in a match box. I made the beetle a few weeks ago but I wanted to use the label and the matchbox die to make him a box. Finished it today and I love him! The beetle was stamped in black archival ink on heavy card stock and then coloured with distress ink. Once he was dried I did several coats of Seth Apter's Emerald Creek vintage beeswax embossing powder which produced a fabulous hard shiny beetle with texture and depth.

I used a piece of paper from Time Holtz Wallflower pad the plants were just black line drawings so I coloured them with some distress markers. I gave the finished box a coat of Seth's beeswax embossing powder.

It gave the box strength, shine, texture and a rich vintage colour, I love this stuff so much. The way heat embossing transforms is like magic. It is definitely my favourite material to use. It would have to go to my desert Island with me! I finished off the box with one of my labels and the bug was mounted onto another which I filled in with my own 'notes.' The pin is an entomology pin cut down to fit the box. these pins have great golden heads but black shafts they add an authentic touch.

The paper was perfect it had bugs on the design and I folded it so there was a bee on the outside.

I love this paper collection and it was great to find a project that used it so perfectly and its tiny so even in my stuffed studio I can find space to keep it.


Stamp sets used:
Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous "Entomology"
Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous  "Classic #12"
Entomology pins from   Blade Rubber
Good info and demonstration of beeswax powder Here

I am entering this into the As You Like it Challenge which is about your favourite embossing!
also Craft Stamper Magazines Take-it-make-it challenge for June which is anything goes.