Tim holtz June tag

How have I missed these fun challenges all year??? 

The challenge is to make a tag and tim (as in TIM HOLTZ) shows you how to 

color an "antique" photo using nibs and your distress inks! 

This photo was perfect for the challenge!

No, it's not anyone I know... I found it at an estate sale a few weeks back.

 The background of the tag is distress inks, mottled with water, and then a stamp of flourishes in black distress.  Once that was done I went to work on the photo, which was originally black and white 

mounted on a piece of blue cardboard. 

I colored her top with barn door red, and her hankie around her neck I did a combo of Crushed olive and Peeled Paint.  

For the "2" I used a "bone button" that I had in my stash from way back, I embossed the 2 using vintage photo distress ink, and clear embossing powder.

The 5 came from a pack of vinyl letters I got on clearance last month.

Some more stamping, and I went to work on the placard. 

I used some paint dabbers, and some black acrylic to distress what used to be a shiny silver.  

I got to use my "new" typewriter to make the sentiment.  I added a little fabric flower underneath, held together with a sparkly brad. 

I really struggled to "fill the empty space" on the bottom of the tag, but I finally ended up adding a sixpence

left over from some of the wedding projects, and tied up with 

some twine from the twinery 

Finally what is a tag without a ribbon?? I colored some white ribbon using my distress inks, and added another piece of twine, added a pin and a rusted washer. 

 

I can't say how much fun I had doing this project!  It really was a labor of love to make all of this tag 

without running to the store to get this or that!  I've stood strong all month.... So far two weeks of not buying any new product!  I hope you enjoy this! 

Entering into:

Tim Holtz tag: http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2012-june/

 Shopping our stash, double the ribbon:  http://shoppingourstash.blogspot.com/2012/06/sos-challenge-55-double-ribbon.html

Flowers??? How thoughtful

Sometimes I find myself wandering around those big box stores admiring the pretty "spare parts" 

the wonderful flowers that look flawless.....

I pick them up and do my best to try to figure out how they were made....

I of course picture a big factory where these flowers are churned out by the thousands... 

I CAN do it! 

So I decided to try.... 

1. Pick out your fabric.... Satin seems to work best but you can use any kind you want.

2. Cut circles from your fabric.  These can be as big or small as you would like, but you want them to get progressively smaller.

3. Light your candle.

4. Burn just the edges of the fabric.  If you're using satin you will notice how the edges start to curl up.

5. Layer your burnt circles with the largest on the bottom.  There are many ways to finish off the flower.  You can glue the circles together, you can sew them, you could punch a hole in them and use a brad to hold them all together.

Voila!  You have a beautiful hand made flower to add to your art project! 

I like to make them while sitting on my couch watching my favorite show... then they are all ready to go when you start a new project!

Saturday finds

About two months ago I stopped working the graveyard shift, and now have to be up at 4:30

in the morning 3 -4 days a week.  

However I'm off on Saturdays! 

So at 6 am I get up, make a cup of coffee, and head out to see what I can find to use in my art!

Today I ventured up to a 55+ community and ran into a couple of estate sales.

Sometimes they creep me out.. but I'm in search of maps, and vintage metal findings,

books, ect...

Today was a bit of a treasure trove!

Maps, pictures, a copy of "Little Women" with a signature and date of 1949. 

The pictures are all old black and whites, 

 

 

 

and there are actually about 5x's the amount of 

postage stamps as you see...

The maps are from Germany, and most dated in the 80's

There was also this little hand held scorecard for Bridge

All are enough to get the creative juices flowing...

The bonus is that the stamps I found have some value... I paid 50 cents for them, and I found one worth 15.00!  I'd say that's an investment... If I could find anyone to buy it of course!!!

What do you look for at yard/estate sales??  How do you plan to use them in your future projects?  

Please feel free to post your pictures, or link up to the treasures you have found!  T

Thanks for looking, and come back soon!

What is vintage??

Do a google search for Vintage and you will come up with about 100 different styles of what is vintage. 

The last few days I have been working on an altered composition book. 

The only parameters I was given is "Vintage please."

I was floundering... I had even turned to hubby for some help! 

Then as I was leaving Hobby Lobby tonight I saw this....

and I knew I would be doing something using this as my inspiration....

As much as I hate to leave you all in blog world waiting, I haven't even yet begun the altered composition book... so there will be no pictures of that listed here...

Just a little more eye candy from this beauty...

Which were all shot from my ipad in the parking lot of Hobby Lobby, and were slightly altered using instagram!  Enjoy

She's a beauty, and what inspiration for vintage...

What do you think is vintage??  If you had to alter a composition book what would you do??  No really, any ideas are welcome!