See The Garland, Gleaming Red - a Christmas ATC

Happy night before Christmas Eve! Can you believe it? Whatever happened to this month? I am finally getting in the Christmas spirit now that my cards are sent out and the cookies are made. Mixed with the cheerfulness of the season is the sadness I feel over A Vintage Journey closing down their blog. Having been a fan of this inspiring challenge blog and the very talented team members just about since they started it back in 2014, it was a huge day for me when Brenda asked me to join the team. I had to cut my time there short after just three years last year due to life getting in the way, but my life has been made richer by being a part of a genuinely close-knit and supportive team and making wonderful friendships. It was very important to me to join in with their last challenge, and so here is my Christmas ATC to play along, taking one more opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ.

I don't have much in the way of how this came together. It was more or less just things that were leftover on my worktop after a flurry of Christmas card making and DT projects for The Funkie Junkie Boutique challenge blog. All the little bits and pieces seemed to work so well together, this ATC practically made itself.

While I've been using a newer poinsettia die by Sizzix all season long, this old Tim Holtz Layered Poinsettia Bigz die holds a special place in my heart, especially paired with the coordinating Poinsettia embossing folder. A bit of Diamond Dust and Stickles makes this poinsettia sparkle.

I've used a new favorite addition to my stash to serve as the background--Knitted 3D Embossing Folder by Sizzix. I just smeared green and red ink pads right over top the embossed card and then, topped it with a smear of Prima White Gold wax. What could be easier? 

This year's Tim Holtz Stunning Snowflake cut from his Metallic Kraft Stock adds some elegance and glamour to the festive seasonal colors.

After choosing this Tim Holtz sticker for my sentiment, (already inked, but sidelined from another project) I had to tuck in a snip of red tinsel ribbon from my stash (the only thing that I actually didn't have leftover on my desk). After cutting the knitted panel to regulation ATC size and rounding the corners, I added it to a sanded scrap of Metallic Jewel Kraft Stock. Just to make it interesting, I left those corners sharp.

se

That's all for me today! I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to play along in A Vintage Journey's final challenge, and hopefully, I'll have a chance to make and link up a second ATC, this time, to meet their 'farewell' part of the challenge. 

I'll have a couple of cards to share with you over the next couple of days, so I hope you'll have a chance to have another peek in later this week. If not, have a very Merry and blessed Christmas, and I'll see you in the New Year! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

A Vintage Journey December Challenge- Festive/Au Revoir ATC

Simon Says Stamp Monday -Celebrate!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Sparkle and Shine

Country View Challenges December 2020 - Anything Christmas

Bright and Merry!

Hello! It's time for a new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique challenge blog and Cec is our hostess. She names her challenge  'Celebrate', and here's how she describes it:

"Your challenge is to create a shabby chic or vintage project to celebrate someone or something special. Since celebrations are happy occasions, your project should be made with lots of happy, bright colours. Keep your dull or neutral colours to a minimum please because as winter approaches we will have lots of that naturally so your bright colours must be predominant."

As always, the winner will earn a chance to be a Guest Designer at a future date at The Funkie Junkie Boutique challenge blog, and everyone who enters and follows the rules will go into the draw for the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. There are also Top 3 Badges for three additional outstanding entries, chosen by the Design Team. Please see the blog for details. While you are there, be sure to check out all the amazing inspiration by my talented teammates.

Well, I could not think of anything more bright or happier than the upcoming Christmas season, so I decided to make a tag to Celebrate! I think my tag looks even brighter (although busier) with the contrast of an old rusty metal grate in the background. What do you think?

Below, I'm sharing some close up photos followed by a brief tutorial on how this tag came together. You'll see I used just the teensiest bit of white on the Christmas word tag seen directly below, otherwise it's bright colors and gold and silver everywhere you look!

So  let's get started...I started by coloring white yupo paper with red alcohol inks and pearls. You'll see the colors I used two photos down. While  I'm not one to look at videos and just tend to do my own thing, I'm sharing  a link to this video that gives some great tips for using alcohol inks. 

For my red panel (and then green panel further below), I just dripped the inks starting with the lightest and kept adding and dripping with alcohol blending solution and occasionally spraying with isopropyl alcohol. In the end, I placed a silver foil sheet over the panel, burnished it and removed to leave some silvery spots and veins.

I decided my flower needed contrast between the layers so I inked this metallic paper I had in my stash, layered the two red inks by pouncing with an alcohol ink tool/felt. You can see the die cut on the left (shown below) has just the lightest red applied thus far, and I'm starting to build up the color on the other two.

I applied the pearls directly to the edges of the bracts. (These are actually leaves, but because they are colored, most people think of them as the flower.) In the end, but not shown, I pounced on some of the green alcohol inks and shaped the die cuts to give dimension to the flower. I tried shaping the yupo die cuts by heating with my heat tool, but this turned out not to be a good idea--the colored layer started to peel up, revealing white underneath.

I chose shimmery silver yupo for the green and yellow ink panel and cut a few green leaves and the cyathia from it. (More commonly known as the flower's center, but it's actually the flower of a poinsettia plant. Just sayin'...) I also cut some from gold metallic paper from my stash, but in the end cut a few from the silver metallic paper above and colored them in lighter shades of pink and green and used those instead.

To make the flower center, I colored some stamens with Alchemy Alcohol Pearls and Citrus Alcohol ink and cut off the wire stems. I adhered them through a hole punched in a burst die cut from Metallic Kraft Stock  using the Ornamental Birds die set.

The background is from my stash. I had written notes on the back for some reason, and this is what I had written:  "Print left by cleaning off a stencil inked with Evergreen Bough ink. (I didn't note which stencil, and it wasn't a clear print.) Blended with Mowed Lawn ink. Sprayed with Peeled Paint Oxide Spray." 

On choosing this background for my project, I decided it needed to have some yellows to brighten it, so I blended the top with Fossilized Amber ink and then spritzed the ink left on the mat with water. I  dipped the panel into the little beads of ink, and after drying, I blended with Cracked Pistachio ink to up the brightness. I had quite a bit of Alchemy squeezed out from dipping the stamens that I wanted to use up, so I dipped a paintbrush into that and splattered the panel with that, too.

The sentiment is a combination of die cuts and embossed stamping. I used Christmas Ribbon and Alphanumeric Tiny Type Thinlit die sets for Merry, Bright and "AND"  is from one of the stamps from Tim Holtz' Festive Overlay stamp set. The background was cut with a Stacked Tags die and layered over trimmed red card (stash) and gold Metallic Kraft Stock.

I keep a stash of the little dyed crinkle ribbons that have come off the little packages that come in Linda's orders, and I chose a few lighter colored ones and dyed them further with inks and alcohol inks that coordinated with the rest of the tag. 

The last detail to add is the silver colored metal word tag that says Christmas. I found this single tag in my stash, but had to alter it to work it into my color scheme. I used Picket Fence and Tarnished Brass Distress paints and some gold foil and attached it to the ribbon with a loop pin.

That's my take on the 'Celebrate' challenge! Remember there's more inspiration by the team on the blog--be sure to have a look. Then it's over to you! We would love to see your happy, bright colors on your vintage or shabby chic projects, so be sure to link them up here. I can't wait to see what you create! Happy crafting! Sara Emily

Challenge Shares:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Remembrance/Thinking Of You (at Christmas)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Thinking Of You (at Christmas)

Country View Challenges November 2020 - Anything But A Card

These products were used and can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Sizzix Chapter 3 Thinlits Dies - Elegant Poinsettia 

Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Yupo Paper, White

Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 7pk - Stacked Tags by Tim Holtz

Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set - Christmas Ribbon

Sizzix Chapter 1 Tim Holtz Thinlits Dies - Alphanumeric Tiny Type Upper

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Festive Overlay

Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks - Watermelon, Citrus, Botanical, Poppyfield

Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Pearls - Alchemy, Deception, Sublime

Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution

Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Mini Applicator Tool

Tim Holtz Idea-ology 8 x 8 Metallic Kraft Stock

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads - Evergreen Bough, Mowed Lawn, Candied Apple, Cracked Pistachio, Fossilized Amber, Black Soot Archival

Tim Holtz Distress Paint - Picket Fence, Tarnished Brass

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray - Peeled Paint

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte

Ranger Embossing Powder - Gold - Super Fine Detail

Artificial Flower Pearlized Stamen

Pack of Perfect Pins - 3/4" Mini Safety Pins

Rayon Seam Binding

Sizzix Foliage Wrap Die Saturday Showcase Tutorial for The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog

Hello! I'm over on The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog today with a Saturday Showcase Tutorial, featuring Sizzix Foliage Wrap Die. I have four samples for you using one die set, as well as  step by steps for the butterfly wrap card I made for our current challenge, 'It's a Wrap!',  and the poinsettia Christmas card, so I hope you'll join me there! Big hugs! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Grunge It Up Posting my grungy fall tag.

Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes #452 - #453 All four projects should work!

Christmas All Ready??

Hello friends!It's time for a new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique and Cec is hosting "Christmas in July"! 

"If you are like me, you are anxious for 2020 to be over and done with. To speed things up let's pretend Christmas is around the corner even though it is only July and get a start on creating shabby chic or vintage inspired cards. This challenge is all about cards so please save other Christmas creations for later."

As always, the winner will earn a chance to be a Guest Designer at a future date at The Funkie Junkie Boutique challenge blog, and everyone who enters and follows the rules will go into the draw for the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. There are also Top 3 Badges for three additional outstanding entries, chosen by the Design Team. Please see the blog for details.

I embraced this challenge as I'm tired of the heat of the summer and just thinking about Christmas cools me by 20 degrees. Like Cec, I'm also ready for the calendar to turn to a new year, hopefully a better one than 2020 is shaping up to be. But not before celebrating Christmas, so I also welcomed the challenge to get an early start on my handmade cards. Here are the steps I took to create my first Christmas card of the year. This was so fun and easy to make, I may just have to mass produce them. Let's get started...

Create the wood grain back panel by embossing card stock with Lumber 3D embossing folder. This folder is no longer available in the shop, so I've linked to Distress Woodgrain cardstock in the link list below. It will save you a couple steps. (wink, wink) Ink edges with Ground Espresso Archival ink, smudge with a damp finger and Walnut Stain crayon and then blend with Walnut Stain ink to accentuate the grain. Adhere panel to brown card blank.

Stamp plaid image from the Lumberjack set in Ground Espresso ink on water color paper using stamp platform. Clean the stamp while it remains in the platform and apply Distress Embossing dabber and repeat impression over first. Remove the inked panel from platform and heat emboss with Walnut Stain Embossing Glaze. When cool, spray with water and then Evergreen Bough Distress Spray Stain. Blend with more water and allow to dry.

After it's completely dry, remove shine from the glaze by buffing with steel wool. I added a bit more pressure with the steel wool than I usually do to get more of a distressed look to the panel. Blend edges with Walnut Stain ink.

To make the panel behind the deer, I inked the Holiday Type stamp (Tim Holtz Stripes & Holiday Type) with Ranger Resist ink (unused in my stash forever), making the impression on plain card. I sprayed the card with Antique Linen Spray stain and misted with water to blend, drying with my heat tool. Curiously, the ink seems to be attracted to, rather than resisted by the ink. Hmmm...I see possibilities! I cut the panel with one of the Stacked Archway Thinlits dies and cut a second archway from chipboard.  I edged both archways with Ground Espresso ink and adhered the stamped one to the chipboard die cut, offsetting slightly.

I  colored card scraps with Mowed Lawn and Evergreen Bough inks and sprayed with Tarnished Brass Distress Mica Spray. I cut two wreaths from the scraps using the Wreath &Snowflake Thinlits set. I cut a few more sections of the holly leaf portion and tucked these in between the two layers to make a fuller wreath. The berries and bow from the same set were cut from an inky red scrap from my stash. I used the Distress Embossing pen and Fired Brick Embossing Glaze to add some dimension and shine to the berries and set the bow aside. I assembled the wreath/berries and adhered everything with Distress Collage Medium Matte and then adhered the wreath to the ink resist panel.

I stamped the deer from the Yuletide set on the stamp platform, inking his antlers in Vintage Photo and the rest of his head with Ground Espresso Archival inks. I blended his antlers with Frayed Burlap and his face with Vintage Photo, both regular inks and used a white gel pen to add some highlights. Lastly I fussy cut him and adhered him and the bow on the wreath.

Using the Merry Christmas stencil from mini set 32, I blended Candied Apple ink through the word 'Merry' and Ground Espresso through 'Christmas' onto water color paper I had previously blended with Frayed Burlap ink. 'Merry' was then heat embossed with Fired Brick Embossing Glaze and 'Christmas' with Walnut Stain Embossing Glaze. Both were cut, edged in Walnut Stain and adhered to the card.

Here's one more look at the completed card. 

I hope you will take some time to stop over to the blog to see what wonderful Christmas cards my talented teammates have made. Then why not take this opportunity to get a head start on your Christmas cards and link them up to the challenge. You will be happy to have a few already made before the real rush starts in December. I can't wait to see what you will make! Happy crafting! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Countryview Challenges - July 2020 - Do What Makes You Happy Just finding good quality time to craft this week made me happy, but combined with my favorite Tim Holtz products and Christmas card making is the icing on the cake!

Creative Artiste Challenge #62 Anything Goes Mixed Media

We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles Challenge #7- Anything Goes Mixed Media

Christmas 24 #13 Holiday Foliage

Die Cut Divas Christmas in July!

Dies R Us Challenge #148 - Anything Goes

These products were used and are available for purchase at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set - Wreath & Snowflake
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Yuletide
Tim Holtz Cling Stamps - Lumberjack
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Mini Layering Stencils - Set 32
Tim Holtz Distress Woodgrain Cardstock, 4 1/4 x 5 1/2
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads - Ground Espresso, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo, Candied Apple, Evergreen Bough, Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Mini Ink Pad - Ground Espresso, Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayon- Walnut Stain
Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain - Evergreen Bough, Antique Linen
Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Dabber
Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Pen 2pk - Bullet
Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze - Walnut Stain, Fired Brick

A Retro Christmas Etcetera Tag and Gift Card Holder for The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog

Hello and welcome! Today, we are changing things up a bit at The Funkie Junkie Boutique for our regular Saturday Showcase feature. Each Design Team member is presenting a holiday tag featuring some of their favorite  products from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, so you will have plenty of ideas to complete your holiday crafting. I hope you'll pop over to see their holiday themed tags and visit their blogs for details on how they came together.

For my tag, I've used Idea-ology Christmas Worn Wallpaper, Sizzix Radiant 3D Impresslit, and Fanciful Snowflakes Thinlits die set, all by Tim Holtz. Not only are these products perfect for Christmas crafting, I can use them for projects throughout the winter season.

 I'll share some close ups with you and then we'll get to the tutorial.

Here's how it came together; I did manage to snap a few photos before assembling.

1. Apply gesso to small Etcetera tag edges, front and back.
2. Trim white card stock to fit tag and emboss top and bottom with old Tim Holtz Snow Flurries Texture Fade.
3. Swipe gesso randomly over embossed surface with credit card. Dry.
4. Blend embossed card with Shaded Lilac and Stormy Sky Distress ink. Apply Stormy Sky direct to paper, by dragging pad downward over panel. Dry.
5. Apply Distress Opaque Texture Paste through the snowflake stencil from the Mini Layering Stenciling set #45. Do this on random 'empty' areas around the edges of the panel. When dry, blend over the stenciled snowflakes with Stormy Sky. Spritz with water and dry again.

6. Using the Stamp Platform, ink snowflake portion of Holiday Greetings image with Faded Jeans archival. Dry ink and clean stamp, but leave in place on platform. Ink sentiment portion in Versamark and heat emboss with Liquid Platinum embossing powder.
7. Stamp flurries from Into the Woods with Picket Fence ink and heat emboss with Flurries Speckles powder. Heat tag in this area with heat tool and immediately sprinkle very lightly with a mixture of Flurries and Frantage Shabby White powders. The heated surface will allow the powders to stick. Heat just enough to melt.

8. Adhere panel to tag with Distress Collage Medium Matte. (I used this adhesive throughout project.) When fully dry, trim and sand edges. Blend edges with Faded Jeans Distress Archival ink.

9. Adhere Christmas Worn Wallpaper to Collage Frame. When dry, cut oval out with kraft knife and sand all edges. Blend edges with Pumice Stone and Frayed Burlap inks and some random areas on the paper to age. Adhere collage frame to tag.
10. Ink deer from Great Outdoors stamp set with Versamark and heat emboss with Liquid Platinum powder.
11. Using stamp platform ink tree from Into the Woods set with Shaded Lilac making impression on a scrap of card. Clean the stamp, leaving it in place on the platform. Re-ink randomly with Stormy Sky and make a second impression. Clean the stamp again, and randomly ink with Faded Jeans Archival, again making an impression. Clean the stamp thoroughly and using Versamarker Pen, apply ink to just the tips of some branches. Heat emboss with Frantage/Flurries powder mixture.
12. Fussy cut tree and deer and blend with Pumice Stone ink.
13. Using the Radiant 3D Impresslit, cut/emboss the large and smaller 'stars' from white card. Color with Frayed Burlap, Hickory Smoke and Pumice Stone inks. Apply HS pad directly to raised areas. I applied Prima White Gold Metallique Wax just to the ridges with my finger.
14. Die cut smaller of the two Fanciful Snowflakes Thinlits from water color paper. Spritz with Faded Jeans Distress Oxide Spray, spritz with water and dry with heat tool, shaping while drying. I love that these snowflakes are dimensional (a surprise to me!); they fold up quite easily using the score lines included on the die. Blend with Shaded Lilac ink and blend edges with Pumice Stone ink.
15. Adhere snowflake to larger star with a foam pop dot to maintain dimension.
16. Color 1/2 pearls with Smolder Alcohol Pearls and let dry. Adhere to star, snowflake and tree.
17. Assemble tag.

Here's the reverse side of the tag. I made a smaller, removable tag that hides a gift card and slides into a pocket. The tag was made from two cards from last year. I glued them together, facing inward and rounded the corners. I dipped each side of this tag into leftover sprays in my spray box (I line my box with waxy palette sheets that I can use over and over again).

 Using Tim's Sparkles & Christmas stamp set, I heat embossed one side of the tag with the sparkle image and white embossing powder. The other side is embossed with the greeting image and Winter's Mistake powder (very elusive from the camera). Using the Radiant Impresslit, I cut and embossed two of the large stars from gold and  silver Metallic Kraft Stock. I glued these together  and to the top of the tag to make a pull for the tag. I used Liquid Pearls to make the center on the silver one and to dot some of the embossed sparkles.

You can see in the photos above I've used Tim Holtz Christmas Mini Paper Stash to back the tag and to create the pocket.  Using scraps to make a V folded hinge on either side of the pocket allows a bit more room in the pocket. Just adhere one side of the hinge to the pocket edge and the other side to the tag.  Glue along the bottom and you've got a nice roomy pocket. Thanks to my good friend Kathy Clement for this easy, handy tip.  Be sure to check out her blog - Kathy By Design; not only does Kathy make the most wonderful cards, folios and journals, but she always gives freely of her useful tips and ideas. I finished off the bottom of the pocket with an old Tim Holtz Industrious sticker updated with Smolder Alcohol Pearl.

I hope this has given you some ideas for using your Christmas papers, die cut sets and embossing folders or maybe tempted you to add one of these products to your Christmas shopping list. Remember, there's still time to play along with our It's the Holidays challenge which is open until December 17th, 2019. Happy crafting! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stars

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Interactive Christmas (pull tag in back pocket)

Country View Challenges December 2019 - Stars

Scrapy Land Challenge #127 Anything Goes I used 2 Sizzix dies.

Do-Al (1) Creative # 36 - Shabby Chic / Vintage

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #62 Anything Christmas Goes

We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles Challenge #12 - Anything Goes Mixed Media

Crafty Cardmakers #247 Christmas

Simon Says Stamp Christmas Card Day

These supplies were used and can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:
Sizzix Tim Holtz 3-D Impresslits Embossing Folder - Radiant
Tim Holtz Sizzix Thinlits Die Set - Fanciful Snowflakes
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Worn Wallpaper -  Christmas
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Collage Frames
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Into the Woods
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Holiday Greetings
Tim Holtz Etcetera - Small Tag
Tim Holtz Mini Layering Stencils - Set #45
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads - Frayed Burlap, Hickory Smoke, Picket Fence, Pumice Stone, Shaded Lilac,Stormy Sky
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray - Faded Jeans,  Wilted Violet
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Mini Ink Pad - Kit #2
Ranger Texture Paste Opaque Matte
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte
Ranger Embossing Speckle Powders - Flurries
Ranger Embossing Powder - Liquid Platinum
Ranger Embossing Powder - White Super Fine Detail
Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Pearls - Smolder
Tim Holtz Ideaology Mini Christmas Paper Stash
Tim Holtz Ideaology Metallic Kraft Stock
Tim Holtz Stamp Platform
VersaMark Watermark Ink Stamp Pad
VersaMarker Watermark Pen
Prima Art Alchemy by Finnabair-Metallique Wax - White Gold
Emerald Creek Embossing Powders - Winter's Mistake