Compendium of Curiosities 2 Challenge #31 Ink Palette Distress

I'm participating in the 31st Challenge from Tim Holtz's book "Compendium of Curiosities 2"  on Linda's blog. This week the technique is  Ink Palette - Distress  on pg. 51  of Tim's book. Following the instructions I made this background:

I like how it's possible to get a variety of shades with each of the colors of Distress Ink re-inkers with this technique, so much variety!!!
To finish the atc, I added a game piece arrow and attached with a fancy brad. Added a ribbon to the bottom.

Compendium of Curiosities 2 - Challenge #29 Texture Fades Techniques

I'm participating in the 29th Challenge from Tim Holtz's book "Compendium of Curiosities 2"  on Linda's blog. This week the technique is Texture Fades Techniques on pg. 64  of Tim's book. I did the first of the two techniques in the book. This is the background I created with one of Tim's Texture Fades (a type of embossing folders). It's hard to tell in this photo, but the dark brown is the recessed area and the honey yellow is the raised area.

 Added rock candy Distress Stickles to the raised areas and let it dry.

 Added a word and part of a score from a music sheet. Added an image of a cemetery angel. Glued some lightly colored tissue paper behind a butterfly charm and attached it to the atc.

Doodle L ATC

Used watercolor paper to pick up left over ink from another project. Cut to ATC sized pieces to be the background for this project.

 Outlined a large L with a black Glaze pen and added highlights with a silver and white Gelly pen.

 Wrote the word "LIGHT" with the main part of the L.

Doodled K ATC

For the back of my doodled atc, decided to play with my new Gelli plate. Brayered on purple acrylic paint and used a trowel tool to create squiggles.

 Pressed watercolor paper onto the gelli plate and got this design.

 Placed sequin waste over this and sponged on pink acrylic paint.

 Doodled around the circles with either a black Micron pen or a white Gelly pen and did the center dots in the opposite pen.

 For the K, cut out the letter from a piece of Gesso Resist background done similar to the ones in this post.

 Used a white Gelly pen to create a scribbled outline to my K.

 Layered the K on to a black card stock outline for the K and then on to the doodled background.

J Doodled ATC

Decided to use Tim Holtz's Industrial Faux Riveted Metal look for this ATC. Started by adhering a chipboard j to a piece of thick card stock.

 Covered all with ventilation tape and smoothed down with a bone folder.

 Used various objects to create the industrial faux riveted edgings. Used a ball point pen to doodle within each section. Adhered some metal bits to the "dot" on the j.

Used felt to color with alcohol inks.

 Then used steel wool to rub off most of the alcohol inks.

Doodled I ATC

For this ATC, started with an Ink, Spray, Smoosh background. Outlined a large I and some flowers and dots with a black glaze pen. Colored some of the areas with colored Sharpie pens.

 Added more colors with Stardust and Glitter Glaze pens and some more black outlines.

 Added more colors and a larger outline.

Fabric & Fibers ATC

The theme fro 9ATC group this month is Fabric & Fibers. I found a fabric I liked and cut it into ATC sized pieces with a zig zag edge.

 Stitched on some fibers and added some detail to the twigs with gold filament. Stitched a simple border with beige embroidery floss. Added some gold floral bits with red fibers.

"U" Technique ATC

December is going to be a crazy month, so I worked on my "U" Technique ATC for the ABCs of Techniques ATCs for the ArtVentures group this month. Started with the UTEE Marbled Backgrounds I made earlier today. 

Placed the background on foil in a craft designated electric frypan and heated to 350 degrees F. Decided to add some turquoise embossing enamel to one portion of the background and re-marbled that area.

 When the embossing enamel over the entire piece of cardboard was re-melted, pressed a rubber stamp into the melted embossing enamel. Stamp must be rubber and not polymer (that would melt in this heat and destroy your stamp). Carefully lifted it all out by the foil and let it cool.

 Once the embossing enamel had cooled, pulled off the rubber stamp. You can see the design  imprinted in the embossing enamel.

 Used gold metallic rub-on to color the edges and one side of the raised design.

 Added a gold metal clock bit with mini black star brads and added a purple "gem" to the center. Also added two turquoise brads.

"Undiscovered Universe"

U is for UTEE Marbled Background

U is for UTEE Marbled Background. I found this technique on Wendy's blog, she has a couple more UTEE background techniques in that same post.

Cover a thin piece of cardboard with embossing or VersaMark ink. Cover with black UTEE and heat set with a heat tool. Repeat two more times, so you have three layers of embossing enamel covering the cardboard. I did try to coat the thin cardboard by dipping it in black UTEE that was melted in a melt pot, but that gave too thick of an application.

 While the last layer is still hot, drop on some metallic (or other color) UTEE.

 Use a wooden toothpick or small skewer to marble this colored UTEE into the black layer. I found I needed to continue to heat the embossing enamel to keep it fluid.

 As desired, add another color(s) of embossing enamel (I choose purple), heat and stir as above.

 Here's how my background turned out. A little hard to see with the light reflection.

Outside my comfort zone

Yesterday I pinned a quote "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone", little did I know how soon I'd be there! 

Today, I went snowshoeing. It's been over 20 years since I've gone snowshoeing and I only went 3 times before. DH and I had planned the hike, but I didn't realize there would be few trail signs and for most of the hike no tracks to follow. We only saw people near the parking lot at Paradise lodge. It was about a 6 mile hike in the mountains with several climbs of 500 feet and a descent of 1100 feet.  We did have to do a little back tracking at times, but we were never in "danger" and the scenery was gorgeous. Now I'm hooked, it is possible to go "hiking" all year. Well, as long as there isn't any avalanche danger (I'm not an adrenaline junkie).
Hopefully, I'll be back in the craft room tomorrow.

"T" Technique ATC

We're up to the letter "T" in our ABC's of Techniques ATC swaps in the Art-Ventures group. I'm using the Twisted Alcohol technique for the background. Placed Copper Mixative Metallic and assorted colors of alcohol ink on a craft sheet, then squirted on alcohol blending solution.

 Placed glossy card stock down in the inks and twisted several times before lifting off the card stock.

 There was still ink on the craft sheet, so I squirted on more blending solution and used more glossy card stock, to pick up the inks for a future project.

 After the inks had dried, stamped a tree image with black archival ink.

 Used a toothbrush to splatter more of the copper Metallic Mixative over the backgrounds.

 Stamped an autumn flourish over the background with sepia Archival Ink.

 Next "T" technique, Taped Off Stamping. Used masking tape to cover areas of a stamp I don't want to stamp on the card. Ink over with black Archival ink, remove the tape then stamp on the background.

 I used this same technique to tape off another area of the same stamp to stamp on the card with black Archival ink. I like how this technique creates a more collaged look of a stamp.

 To finish the ATC, I "T"aped on some black ribbon and "T"ied on some fibers.

Tree Trembles in Torrent of Time

Compendium of Curiosites 2 - Challenge #28 Reflections Stamping

I'm participating in the 28th Challenge from Tim Holtz's book "Compendium of Curiosities 2"  on Linda's blog. This week the technique is Reflection Stamping on pg. 65  of Tim's book. One lucky participant will win a gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp.

Tim gives two different techniques with these stamps in his book. I choose to do the one using the embossing folder.

 Went back and sponged on some gold StazOn metallic ink over the raised wings.

 Added a vintage image and colored the edges with a silver metallic pen. Cut out definitions of dark and desire from a dictionary and added to the ATC. Added a small black rhinestone to the vintage image.

Reflection stamping was a great technique to use on this "Call a Dark Angel" ATC.

ATC Based on Tim's November Tag of 1202

I love the look of the faux batik embossed resist technique Tim Holtz demonstrates in his November Tag of 1202. See his blog for the details with lots of photos.

I decided to try this technique on an ATC.Stamped a wheat image on manila card stock with embossing ink, covered with clear embossing powder (ep) and heat set.

Stamped words on left side with black Archival ink and let sit for about 5 minutes.
Then lightly spray the card with water then apply various colors of Distress Stains, blotting the ink with a cloth (I used a paper towel) between colors.

 Use a hot iron with newsprint over the card to melt the ep and soak it into newsprint. While the ep is still hot, lift off the newsprint.

 You can add more color to the background by applying Distress ink, I used some wild honey. Color the edges of the card with brushed corduroy Distress Ink. Next, splatter water drops on top, then heat set.

 Use the ink and roll technique to add stamped images to the background. I used three different background stamps with walnut stain Distress Ink.

 To finish the ATC I added die cut greenery and 3 "gold" leaf charms.