Shabby Chic Paris

I wanted to finish the last STAMPlorations challenge for the month and realised it's now or never as the deadline is today. You can find the cards I've submitted to the two other October challgenges here and here. I can't believe it's November tomorrow. Where does the time go?

I used the STAMPlorations sketch as the starting point for the card. I used the second colour combo from the Colour Me...! Challenge (my card using the first colour combo is here). I was also inspired by the Make My Monday Challenge where the theme is Chabby Chic. 

I cut a oval mask, and used it to sponge Walnut Stain and Worn Lipstick Distress ink onto the card. I stamped the Eiffel Tower from the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous I See Paris stamp set in Walnut Stain. I also stamped the Stampin' Up En Français stamp in Walnut Stain after first stamping off some of the colour through an oval mask. Last, I stamped the tickets from the Tim Holtz stamp set The Journey in Broken China and Worn Lipstick, and inked and distressed all edges. I added some lace as a finishing touch. As I didn't want to try and cram a sentiment on the card, I stamped it inside the card instead.

Cardstock: Leonardo Stationery 300 gsm white card, Tim Holtz Core'dinations Worn Lipstick, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamps: Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous I See Paris CMS009 and The Journey, Stampin' Up En Française
Ink: Tim Holtz distress inks Broken China, Walnut Stain and Worn Lipstick 
Other: Lace and lace washi tape from my stash

Be Grateful

I don't know if this applies to most crafters out there or just me, but most of my cards turn out a bit disappointing. It's just because I often have such a clear idea in my mind of what they are supposed to look like, and then they never do. But you have to learn to live with your limitations and not kick yourself too much about it. And then, from time to time, you do get a very surprising card that actually turns out much better than you expected. Maybe it's because I had very low expectations for this card, as I'm not a big fan of autumn colours. Or maybe because I don't usually like the fall themed cards with leaves. Or maybe because there is a lot of brown in this card, which I usually find a bit stuffy. But I have to admit I think it turned out rather nice. It's the distress inks, I love playing with them, and there is always some magic happening when they blend. That Tim Holtz is truly a genius, what more can I say. 

The basis of today's card is the colour challenge over at My Favourite Things, and I was very skeptical when I started as these colours just don't do it for me. But I thought I would go with them anyways, if for no other reason than learning new things and creating something I wouldn't have otherwise. Over at RetroSketches they are running a "pick your favourite" challenge, and I poured over the great sketches, having a really hard time deciding but ended up with sketch #49 from February last year. I was also inspired by this month's theme over at STAMPlorations which is Stamping & Embossing. I used emboss resist for my card. I'm also entering the card in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is fall, Craft Hoarders Anonymous where the theme is Happy Fall Y'all and Shopping Our Stash where the theme is fall colours. My stash items were using leaves from stamp sets I already had, instead of buying new ones. Also, I think this is the first time I have ever used my Forest Moss Distress ink despite having it for ages. Thinking about it, I also have had that pad of Core'dinations card stock for at least a year, and although I have used up my favourite colours from it ages ago, it's great to find some use for the other colours as well.

For the background I stamped small leaves from the Lawn Fawn Critters from the Past set in Versamark and heat embossed using clear powder. I used Tim Holtz Distress inks Fired Brick, Forest Moss, Spiced Marmelade and Walnut Stain to ink the background. I love how the embossed images appear when you layer the ink onto the paper. I used Tim Holtz Distress Core'dinations cardstock for the green panel, and lightly distressed it with sandpaper and inked the edges in Walnut stain. I stamped the large leaves from the Hero Arts Layered Flowers set again in Versamark and heat embossed using clear powder and applied inks before fussy cutting them. Last, I stamped a part of a stamp from Penny Black Life's Messages in white ink onto the brown cardstock and added tow red adhesive gems.

Card: Craft UK kraft card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card in Chocolate Brown, Tim Holtz Distress Core'dinations Forest Moss, Hobbycraft 160 gsm cream card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters from the Past, Penny Black Life's Messages, Hero Arts Layered Flowers
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Disterss inks Fired Brick, Forest Moss, Spiced Marmelade, Walnut Stain, Stampin' Up Whisper White craft ink
Other: Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder clear, Papermania Adhesive Gems Capsule Red Hot

Simon Says Stamp challenges - time and tags

Yesterday I spent most of the evening in my craft room working on this tag. I haven't done many tags before, but obviously I have admired all the amazing tags out there created by amazingly talented crafters. And one of my tag heroes is without a doubt Tim Holtz, and his grungy, shabby take on crafting. I also love working with the Tim Holtz craft supplies, and Vintage Photo is probably my most used distress ink of them all, it's just a perfect colour.

This time I was inspired by two challenges, the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge "tick tock", which is about time. With my holiday drawing to a close soon, I have been thinking about time a lot, especially about how it flies when you are having a wonderful time. I have enjoyed my time in the garden, kitchen and craft room, but these short one and a half week have just flown by, so I definitely wanted to participate in this challenge as it was so... timely... for my current situation. When I saw that the Simon Says Wednesday challenge was "tag it" and it also encouraged the use of Ranger product (for once something that I do have a huge selection of) I knew I wanted to combine the two challenges. I have been meaning to do a tag or two for quite a while, but halfway through I always give up as they don't turn out quite as I wanted them to. This time I was determined to get one done!

I only had one piece of crafting supplies with clocks on it for the time theme, and that was the Tim Holtz texture fades embossing folder Pocket Watches from Sizzix. Without a doubt this had to be the focal point of my tag. I started by inking a Ranger Inkssentials #8 Craft tag using Victorian Velvet, Seedless Preserves, Vintage Photo and Walnut stain to create a leathery look. I then embossed using my Sizzix and coloured the embossed areas using the Picket Fence marker. I used the Stampin' Up white pigment ink to stamp the Tim Holtz script stamp around the edges of the embossed areas of the tag, and used the Picket fence marker to draw some stitching to the top of the tag. I then distressed the edges of the tag.

Then onto the embellishments. I used the Tim Holtz Alterations Gadget gears die form Sizzix to die cut the gears, and inked with the same colours and added two layers of Ranger Ice Stickles in Coffee ice. I stamped the angels from Tim Holtz Stampers anonymous Regal Flourish set in Walnut stain and fussycut using scissors (this was definitely the most time consuming part of the tag) and then inked using Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain. I also stamped a banner from the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Sketch CMS131 set in walnut stain, fussycut it and inked. I wrote the sentiment free hand. Lastly, for that little bit of colour, I used the Tim Holtz distress paints in Picked Raspberry and Seedless preserves to stamp the adorable butterfly from the Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Heartfelt set onto vellum, fussycut it and inked around the edges with Vintage Photo and Walnut stain. As a final touch, I added some paper twine and a die cut lace border using the Tim Holtz Vintage Lace sizzlit which I inked using the same colours as the tag.

My first completed tag! I'm quite chuffed, although of course it never ends up looking as you wanted it in the first place. But I'm quite happy with this none the less, a good effort.

Card: Ranger Craft tags #8, Daler & Rowney 190gsm watercolour paper, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white cardstock, Dovecraft Premium Vellum 110 gsm
Inks: Tim Holtz distress inks in Seedless Preserves, Victorian Velvet, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Stampin' Up 
Stamps: Banner from Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Sketch CMS131 set, angels from Tim Holtz Stampers anonymous Regal Flourish, butterfly from the Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Heartfelt set, Tim Holtz script stamp
Dies: Tim Holtz Alterations Sizzlits Vintage Lace, Tim Holtz Alterations Gadget Gears
Other: Tim Holtz Texture Fades embossing folder Pocket Watches, Tim Holtz distress marker Picket Fence, Tim Holtz distress marker Black Soot, Ranger Ice Stickles glitter glue in Coffee Ice, Tim Holtz idea-ology paper twine