Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Tags

Distress Inks, Distress Stains, Road Trip, Stampers Anonymous, Tea Dye, Tim Holtz, Vintage

Howdy-do, today I have a couple of projects featuring automobiles.  My husband and future son-in-law both love old cars, they both enjoy restoring and showing off their vehicles, so for my husband’s birthday I created a mini album for my husband to be able to tell the story of one of his restoration projects.  He takes pictures of the entire process so it will be fun to see this filled with pictures and journaling.

 

Fold Out Flap Mini Album

I created the design for this and a friend of mine wrote up the instructions, I will probably have the instruction for sale for a nominal price soon.  If you are interested in purchasing the instructions, please feel free to contact me by leaving a comment below.

The second project was for my future son-in-law’s birthday card.  I used Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Road Trip stamp set and created the following card.

Birthday card using TH Stampers Anonymous Road Trip stamp set

I stained the watercolor paper with various shades of Distress Stain that I rubbed onto a craft mat and then spritzed with water and smeared my paper in it until it was covered the way I liked it.  Then I stamped the vintage vehicle and the Route 66 sign in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, I created a mask for both images and then I stamped the tire track by first stamping it off and then applying it to the card, to create a lighter image.  I topped the tire track with the Road Trip stamp and then added the Journey sentiment over and below the Route 66 mask.  I trimmed the edges with my deckle edge blade and distressed it in Tea Dye in.  Then added it to a black mat and finally added that to a scrap of that fabulous automobile paper I had left from the mini album.  Voila!   I was happy with how these turned out since I struggle with masculine designs.

I hope you enjoyed todays projects.  Please click on the “Follow Me” link to the left and like us on Facebook so you don’t miss a thing.

Happy Scrappin’!

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Vintage Birthday Card with Mixed Media Bookmark

Tags

Authentique, Close To My Heart, CTMH, Distress Inks, Fiskars, Graphic 45, Memento Inks, Modge Podge, Peeled Paint, Stamp of the Month, Tea Dye, Teresa Collins, Tim Holtz, Vintage, Walnut Stain

Salutations one and all, today I will show you a mixed media technique that I used to make a vintage bookmark that was added to a birthday card for a gal that loves the colors gold and green, has a passion for books (not Kindles or Nooks) and all things vintage, so I came up with this.

Inside of card with bookmark tucked inside a vellum pocket

Front of Bookmark

Back of Bookmark…I thought this saying was appropriate for reading a good book.

• I created the tag using thin chipboard as my canvas.
• I then placed a Tim Holtz ‘burlap’ stencil over it.  I taped it down with some microspore tape (it is more easily removed than Washi or painters tape).
• Next I applied Distress ink in Peeled Paint.  I did this on both sides of the bookmark.
• Once the stencil was removed I then distressed both sides with Tea Dye Distress ink.
• In the next step I grabbed a paper cocktail napkin that has a vintage motif printed on it and tore around the edges to a size that fit on the front of the bookmark.
• I glued it down using Matte Modge Podge.  Once dried, I added a top coat on the napkin, making sure to ‘seal’ the edges down and let dry completely.
• I added a chipboard bird to the top front corner of the bookmark.
• On the backside, I stamped the days of the week in a border using Fiskars – Teresa Collins Calendar stamp set.  I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink.
• I then added word stickers from Authentique ( I am not sure what collection these were from, I have had them for a while).  I used the words WHAT.A.LOVELY.WAY.TO.SPEND.A.DAY.  I thought that sentiment was perfect for reading a good book.  I distressed the edges of the word stickers with the Tea Dye ink and put them in place.
• I used Walnut Stain Distress ink to distress the edges of the entire bookmark.
• I then painted on a final coat of Matte Modge Podge to both sides of the bookmark (making that two coats total for the front).  I set it aside to completely dry.
• I added a Graphic 45 key from their Staples.  I attached it to a bit of white ribbon using Close To My Heart Extra Thick Twine in Flax.  I just love the look of this twine.  It is more like miniature rope.

The remainder of the card was made using CTMH New England Ivy textured cardstock.  I cut it 9×7.  I scored the long end at 1″ and 5″.  I added a light green vellum pocket in the interior center, to hold the bookmark.  I then added another vellum panel on the right side of the interior of the card and stamped a sentiment from the CTMH Your Own Kind of Wonderful stamp set.  I used CTMH Topiary dye ink.

The belly band was made using American Crafts gold Washi tape wrapping a strip of cardstock.  I stamped the typewriter and Happy Birthday XOXOXO which came from April’s Stamp of the Month Typed Note from CTMH.  I used clear Distress Embossing ink and gold embossing powder.  Finally, I fussy cut that out and added to belly band with 3D foam squares.

Vintage style birthday card with mixed media book mark.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed today’s project.  Please click on the left to follow our blog and Like us on Facebook, so you don’t miss a thing!

Happy Scrappin’

Proof Positive That Albert Einstein Was No Crafter!

Tags

Close To My Heart, CTMH, Distress Inks, Distress Stains, Salty Ocean, Spun Sugar, Squeezed Lemonade, Tim Holtz, Vintage

Hi Tweety!  Today’s project is a card I made recently for someone who was somewhat forced into retirement and I thought the sentiment was sweet and appropriate.  It is Nature’s Moments by Tim Holtz-Stampers Anonymous.

Stampers Anonymous – Nature’s Moments

The background was created on watercolor paper with Distress Stains.  I used Spun Sugar, Salty Ocean and Squeezed Lemonade.  For this technique I use a small piece of plexiglass as my “palette” and I roll the stains in a haphazard pattern onto the plexiglass.  I then spritz with a bit of water and press the watercolor paper down onto the pooled water.  I have used this technique in a previous post, but that one had a more antique look.

Play around with various colors and you will see the different effects each combination has.  One of the other great things about this technique is every outcome is different. Which dispels Einstein’s popular and funny theory, “Insanity:  Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  He may have been a mathematical genius but he was no crafter!  HA!

This stamp set is so versatile, I have used it for many different cards and the stained watercolor technique can be used in endless ways.  I hope you try this technique soon!

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Happy Scrappin’ 🙂

 

 

 

Oh De Stress ;)

Tags

Close To My Heart, CTMH, Distress Inks, Stamp of the Month, Vintage

Salutations….We all have De Stress, and we all like to De Stress, and well this week is all about…you guessed it…Distress!

I have a couple of techniques to share with you for this one.  I have a vintage typewriter stamp set, complete with “type written” greetings.  This will be the April 2015 Stamp of the Month, but as a consultant for Close To My Heart, I was able to order it early.

I have a friend who was kind enough to place a large order for CTMH and she is so excited for April to come because she LOVES this stamp set.  I though it would be nice to make her thank you card using it.   Here are the pictures of the stamp set and card. I have also outlined the new techniques I used to achieve this look.

April 2015 Stamp Set of the Month

Completed Card

Close up of vintage postal washi and staple added.

To give the card that distressed “washed” appearance you need watercolor paper, two or three distress pads, inks or stains (I used Walnut Stain and Scattered Straw and Wild Honey ink pads) transfer a small amount of each on a craft mat, spritz with a little water and run the watercolor paper around in the wet colors.  I do several pieces at once so I have them on hand for other projects.  Be sure to let the paper dry completely before moving onto the next step.

Watercolor paper dipped in distress inks, stamped with clear embossing ink and black embossing powder added.

Bottom torn, embossed and note added.

Next I stamped the typewriter image with Distress Embossing Ink, it is a clear ink that stays nice and wet so you can add embossing powder in a color of choice.  I used shiny black.  Now to achieve the weathered look on the typewriter I only wanted the outline to emboss, so I had to “overheat” the center portion, both from above and underneath. The only thing to be cautious of is it gets super hot and you don’t want to scorch the paper.  Mine started smoking….so I thought it was time to stop.  HA!

Close up of distressed embossing technique.

So try one or both of these techniques soon.  Happy scrapping!!!