Happy Weekend, Friends! I hope everyone is well and is able to spend some time relaxing this weekend! This card was inspired by Cheiron’s cards for the Uncharted Mariner release. Although this would not necessarily be considered a CAS card; this is about as CAS as I get. If you are need a card in a hurry, this layout is a quick and easy one.

Supplies:

• Papers: Nina Solar White Card Stock, Black Black Card Stock
• Stamps: Tim Holtz Stampersanonymous : Brush Strokes, Crazy Cats, Noteworthy, and a butterfly from a TH Hobby Lobby set (I can’t find it’s name)
• Distress Glaze: Picked Raspberry, Kitsch Flamingo, Twisted Citron, Wilted Violet, Broken China
• Inks: Archival Ink – Distress Ink in Black Soot, VersaMark Embossing Ink.
• Embossing Powder: Ranger White
• Embellishment: Silver & Clear Wink of Stella
• Tim Holtz stamping platform

Directions:

Cut the white card stock down to 4.0″ to 5.25″. Place it in your stamping platform. Use two of the brush strokes stamps alternating. Stamp with Versamark Ink and apply embossing glaze. Do ALL of your stamping and glaze placement first. Then, heat emboss all five brush strokes at the same time. I find that this helps minimize the warping of the paper from the heat. Stamp the Crazy cat on a separate sheet of white cardstock using Archival ink; align the butterfly on the cat’s tail and stamp with Archival ink. Fuzzy cut the cat and butterfly. Use Black Black cardstock for your card base. Retain a scrap piece for your sentiment. Stamp the sentiment with Versamark embossing ink and use Ranger white embossing powder. Simply mount the background and elements to your card. Mix clear and silver Wink of Stella on a glass mat, this gives a softer silver, and apply to the butterfly’s wings.

Have a great weekend! Stay safe and happy!

Challenges entered: Show Us Your Pussycats Challenge, Crazy Critter Challenge, SSS Monday Challenge,

Ahh. There you are! Just in time for some Halloween crafting! Welcome, foolish crafters to haunted inky goodness. Our little witch is here from Tim Holtz, she would love to cast a spell on you. Ohhhh. I mean, for you. If you insist on knowing the details, kindly look below.

Supplies:

• Papers: Arteza Watercolor Paper, Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black 140lb, Purple card stock, Black card stock
• Dies: Tim Holtz Sizzix Toil and Trouble #665561; circle die from stash
• Stencils: Tim Holtz Moon Stencil, MFT rain and hill stencil
• Inks: Distress Oxide Spray (Villaneous Potion, Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Black Soot), Distress Mica Stain (Hocus Pocus, Crooked Broomstick) Distress Oxide Stamp pads (Stormy Sky, Wilted Violet, Antique Linen, Villanous Potion, Hickory Smoke, Picket Fence), Distress Spray Stain (Villanous Potion, Black Soot)
• Pan pastels: Violet (470.5), Black Fine (013 Pearl Medium), Ultramarine Blue Tint(520.8)
• Acrylic Paint: Folk Art Dragonfly Glaze (Violet,blue,green shift), Violet Pansy
• Texture Paste: Ranger Translucent Matte, Distress Grit Paste Grit-Crypt
• Deckle Trimmer
• Typewriter (1920 vintage)
• Alphabet dies from stash

Directions:

Cut the black watercolor paper down to slimline card size. Spray Distress Oxides in Villainous Potion, Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen, and Hocus Pocus until happy with the result. Allow to dry. Cut the witch, cauldron, and mouse out of scraps from the black watercolor paper. Spray the witch with Crooked Broomstick; if she is too light, color with Distress spray stain in villanous potion to darken. Color the mouse with Hickory Smoke. Mix Black Soot and Crypt paste and apply to the cauldron. Once the background is dry. Decide where the cauldron will sit and position the rain stencil (upside down) to allow the drops to look like they are bubbling out of the cauldron. Tape the stencil in palce. Mix the translucent paste with the two acrylic paints and apply through the stencil; allow to dry. Cut the moon out of Arteza watercolor paper. Apply Stormy Sky, Milled Lavendar and Villainous Potion and spray with water to achieve desired look. Then use the moon stencil along with Antique Linen, Hickory Smoke and Milled Lavender spraying as needed. Apply Picket Fence to moon to lighten result as needed. Apply Villainous Potion to the edges and smudge with Picket Fency. Glaze the left side with the Acylic Glaze. Allow to dry. Punch out your sentiment in black card stock and glue to the moon. The remaining sentiment, type on card stock and cut the card stock down with the deckle trimmer; grunge the edges with Villainous Potion and smudge as needed with Hickory Smoke and Picket Fence. Using the MFT hill stencil and black pan pastel, draw in a hill. Use purple pan pastel to create a “smoke” from the cauldron. Glue all the pieces to the background. Cut the right side of the moon off to be even with the card. Use the ultramarine pan pastel around the edges of the moon to give it a glow. If needed, use Villanous Potion mixed with Wilted Violet and water and apply to the edges of the black sentiment on the moon for dimension. Use purple and black cardstock for a base.

Hurry back! Hurry back! No death certificate, to join us. We’re dying to have you!

It’s June, crafters! I can’t believe almost half of the year is over??? Geez.. time is flying by! It’s a new month and that means there is a new challenge over at the Colorful Options Challenge this month. And as you might have guessed, the featured color this month is PURPLE! My favorite color!!! When I think of purple and cards, I can’t help but think of Rosie and Bernie from Stamping Bella. Here’s the recipe for this cute pair!

Supplies:

• Papers: Arteza Watercolor Paper, Purple card stock, purple fun foam
• Stamps: Stamping Bella’s Rosie loves Bernie, Tim Holt’s Ledger Script CMS241, SSS Good Reading Background
• Dies: Sizzix thinlits #664224
• Inks: Distressed Oxide Ink Stamped (Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry, Villanous Potion, Dusty Concord, Vintage Photo, Seedless Preserves, Victorian Velvet, Tattered Rose), Archival Inks (Black Soot, Villanous Potion, Kitsch Flamingo), Versamark Watermark, Distress Ink Spray (Villanous Potion, Kitsch Flamingo)
• Embossing Powder: Emerald Creek’s Black Cherry Aroma
• Acrylic Paint: Folkart Color Shift Orchid Flash (mixed with water to form a spray)
• Distress Micro Glaze
• Distress Crayon in Hocus Pocus
• Gauche: White
• Embellishments: Deco Hearts Sprinkletz, Lavendar Gel Pen, DecoArt Metallic Lustre in White Frost, Perfect Pearls Perfect Pearl
• Stamping Platform: Mini Misti

Time to make – 2 days, Craft time – 3.0 hours.

Directions:

Stamp Rosie and Bernie in Archival Ink twice and then with Versamark. Emboss with Black Cherry powder. Color using a water brush and Distress Oxide Inks “smooshed” onto a working surface. Allow to dry and place micro glaze over Rosie and Bernie. Spray with water and the Distress Ink sprays and Acrylic paint color shift spray until you are happy with the color. Heat dry or air dry. Splatter with Villanous Potion. Randomly stamp with Archival Kitsch Flamingo using SSS’s Good Reading stamp. Randomly stamp with Archival Black Soot using Tim Holt’s Ledger Script CMS24. Paint Bernie with white gauche if desired (I felt that he needed to be whiter to add more contrast and interest.) Color the top third of the edges with Metallic Lustre and the bottom two-thirds with Distress Crayon blending into each other as possible. Add sentiment and hearts. Color hearts with Perfect Pearls for some shine. Mount to purple fun foam and add to the card front.

Hello Friends! Are you doing any traveling or making this June? I’m working on “collections” myself to help stave off the heat down south. My first collection is A Herd of Unicorns. This was inspired by the June 2022 Colorful Options Challenge, purple. You can join in over on the Colorful Options blog.

What little girl wouldn’t love this assortment of unicorn friends greeting them on their special birthday? Honestly, I’m not so little anymore, but I’d fall over sideways if someone thought this much of me to use this collection! This herd consists of two gift bags, a card with a matching envelope, and a tag to place on a purple wrapped gift.

This is truly a combination of Stamping Bella meets Tim Holtz, with a sprinkle of Craft with Sarah and Cricut for fun! The primary source of purple is Villainous Potion by Tim Holtz.

I LOVE all the techniques that Tim Holtz has shared over the past year! One of my favorites is the use of embossing glaze on silver metal. I used Villaious Potion on this silver unicorn charm. Isn’t it charming? 😊 To watch the how-to, click on Tim Holtz and go to 42:22 for this technique.

Rosie and Bernie from Stamping Bella always bring a smile to my face. Their background is a fusion of colors and stamps.

I think envelope art is special! It brings a smile to all those who come in contact with your work. Some of the masters of envelope art include K Werner, Juicy Christian and Jillian Kaye. Even if you can’t create like the masters, you can still spread a smile to all those who see and receive your envelope. Honestly, my postal workers smile and wave me over to see what I’m sending. Can’t have too much happy!!

Don’t forget to join in the fun this month at the Colorful Options Challenge! I look forward to seeing the makes and projects everyone has worked on!

And the winning card?…..

Good morning makers! I have a fun and festive make to share today……. a gift bag!

I found this adorable layered SVG on Craft with Sarah and just had to have her. If you are unfamiliar with her, check out her work on the link. She has easy to download and use SVGs. I used my Cricut to cut her, the black heart and butterflies. My background was, of course, some inky fun. As always, the supplies and directions are below:

Supplies:

• Papers: Arteza Watercolor Paper, Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock, Black cardstock
• SVG: free svg from Craft with Sarah Unicorn
• Stamps: Tim Holt’s Ledger Script CMS241, SSS Good Reading Background
• Inks: Distressed Oxide Ink Stamped (Seedless Preserves, Picked Raspberry, Villanous Potion, Dusty Concord), Archival Inks (Black Soot, Villanous Potion, Kitsch Flamingo), Distress Ink Spray (Villanous Potion, Kitsch Flamingo)
• Acrylic Paint: Folkart Color Shift Orchid Flash (mixed with water to form a spray), Folkart White Pearl
• Distress Crayon in Hocus Pocus
• Gauche: White
• Embellishments: Deco Hearts Sprinkletz, Lavendar Gel Pen, DecoArt Metallic Lustre in White Frost, Perfect Pearls Perfect Pearl

Directions:

Challenges entered: SSS Monday Challenge, Critter Crazy Challenge, The Fairy and Unicorn Challenge, Pearly Sparkle Challenge, Double D Challenge

It’s throwback Saturday here in Houston! I was able to purchase the Tim Holtz TV die a few months ago and finally came up with an inspiration for it. Craft Roulette had the perfect options for this: project of artist’s choice, 2 colors, wood and flowers. When I thought of the wood, I couldn’t help remember the old TV sets with the wood frames, ours always had flowers sitting on top. I decided to place WandaVision episode 1 inside my tv. The tv does turn on as well. I have the supplies and directions below. Enjoy!

Supplies:

• Papers:  Arteza 80lb watercolor paper, chipboard, Gold card stock, brown card stock; laser jet safe transparency, white vellum.
• Sizzix Dies: BigZ 665371(tv) BigZ XL/Framelits664419
• Embossing folder: TH Woodgrain 3D
• Distressed Oxide Spray: Walnut Stain
• Distress Glaze: Salvaged Patina
• Distress Paint: Speckled Egg
• Distress Oxide embossing dauber.
• Distress Oxide Ink: Tea Dye, Stormy Sky, Walnut Stain
• Distress Oxide Crayon: Speckled Egg, Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Ideology: Bouquet, Petit Lumieers, Bottle
• Sizzix plastic domes for tv

Directions:

Use a piece of watercolor paper and apply embossing fluid with the dauber randomly. Sprinkle the Distress Glaze on top and tap off excess to give a rand appearance. Heat emboss. Then apply Walnut Stain and Speckled Egg crayon and blend with water until you achieve the desired result. Allow to dry. Cut three sets of the tv out with this paper. Emboss brown paper with the folder and cut the legs out with the tv die. Cut the ananea out of gold card stock. Cut 2 tvs out of the chipboard. Cut a framelit box out of chip board. Print an image onto laser safe transparency paper. Paint the bottle with paint and the flowers with speckled egg crayon and set aside to dry as you assemble the tv. Glue the pieces of the tv together, layering as desired. Assemble the box, it will not have a cover. Glue the box to the back of the tv. drill a hole through the back and the box. Thread the lights through the hole and secure the battery on the back with glue and the lights in the box with tape. Cover the box with 2 layers of white vellum. On the front of the tv, glue the dome in place. Glue your printed image under the dome. Glue 2 more layers of vellum in back of your image. Glue the front of your tv to the box. Glue your flower vase to the top of the tv; I used hot glue. And set your flowers in place. If desired, you can put hot glue inside your vase and add your flowers for more security. Whew! Done. This would be a cute Halloween or Marvel addition.

Here are pics from the side and back

Challenges entered: Double Trouble Challenge #111, SSS Wednesday Challenge, Tic Tac Toe Challenge (Floral, Free[not a card],embellishments[gold,embossing,lights])

Is it Friday yet, makers??? I am still having inky fun down here in Texas. This is an envelope for a gift card (or mini slimline card) for DD’s friend graduating 8th grade. She has an adorable little lab and thought this stamp would be a perfect addition. I am entering Tic Tac Toe’s challenge today. Layers: many layers of ink and paper. Blue: clearly Lace: a lace die cut border used to create a ground for my lab grad to stand on (also, hard to see but a lace stencil with the texture paste was used on the UL and LR)

Supplies:

• Papers:  Strathmore 117lb Mixed Media Paper
• Stamps: Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs, Crazy Things, Pennants, Correspondence CMS225
• Stencil: THMST046, Mini Stencil set 46
• Dies: Crazy Dogs, Lace Border Die from stash
• Distressed Oxide Spray: Prize Ribbon
• Distress Oxide Archival Ink: Prize Ribbon, Black Soot
• Distress Paint: Prize Ribbon
• Distress Oxide Ink: Tea Dye, Stormy Sky, Walnut Stain
• Texture Paste: Distress Crackle Paste Icicle
• Tim Holtz Collage Paper: Typeset Composer
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Acrylic paint: Folk Art Blue Color-shift, white gesso
• Tim Holtz – Sizzix Thinlits Crazy Dogs
• Embellishment: Wink of Stella Gold Glitter pen
• Stamping Platform: Mini Misti

Directions:

Cut your envelope out of mixed media paper and score. Glue the collage paper to the paper and allow it to dry. Cover with a light coat of white gesso mixed with colorshift paint and allow to dry. Paint with Distress Paint and drip water on wet paint, lightly dry paint, and remove paint with a paper towel until you are happy with the resulte. Apply the texture paste to the upper left and lower corners with the stencil. Once dry, spray corners with Distress Oxide Spray and add water allowing it to drip until happy with the result. Using Prize Ribbon Archival Ink, stamp the envelope with Correspondance stamps as desired; these stamps are difficult to see in the photo but add interest to the background in person. Paint the opposite side of the envelope with paint or use ink to cover the opposite side. Fold and glue your envelope. Stamp and cut the pennant, dog, graduation cap, and diploma using Archival Ink. Color the dog with Distress Oxide Ink and a water brush. Cut out the lacy ground and cover with Prize Ribbon. Cut the right paws apart to allow the dog to hold the diploma. Glue pieces to the front of the envelope. Add Glossy Accents to the nose. Enjoy!

Challenges entered: Tic Tac Toe Challenge, SSS Monday Challenge, Critter Crazy Challenge, SSS Wednesday Challenge, Double D Challenge

Happy Monday Makers! I was on a mixed media roll this weekend. I feel behind the times, I only have 5 Christmas cards done for this year. EEK! Oh well….there’s always tomorrow. Back to the card. As you might have guessed, this is another Tim Holtz extravaganza. Actually, no new products were used. LOL! I love the use of white gesso on a Christmas background; to me, it gives the feeling of snow. Enjoy!

Stash used included:

• Papers:  Azetca 110lb watercolor paper, Tim Holtz Brown and Green kraft cardstock, 80lb generic red card stock (?Hobby Lobby?)
• Stamps & Stencil: Tim Holtz Collection Mixed-Media Stampers Anonymous THMM131,
• Distressed Oxide Spray: Speckled Egg
• Distress Oxide Archival Ink: Hickory Smoke, Speckled Egg
• Texture Paste: Distress Grit-Paste Snowfall
• Tim Holtz Collage Paper: Christmas
• Ranger Liquid Pearls: Rouge
• Acrylic paint: White Gesso, Folk Art-Dragonfly Glaze #4335 (Green-Gold-Red Color Shift)
• Tim Holtz – Sizzix Thinlits: #66434 Funky Wreaths, #660058 Holiday Words Script
• Embellishment: Nuvo Clear Glitter pen
• Stamping Platform: Mini Misti

Directions:

Glue the collage paper to the watercolor paper and allow to dry. Cover with a light coat of white gesso and allow to dry. Apply the texture paste to the upper left corner with the star stencil. Once dry, spray the upper left corner with Distress Oxide Spray and add water allowing it to drip until happy with the result. Using Archival Ink, stamp the lower right corner with the transfer ticket in Speckled Egg and Santa in Hickory Smoke. Apply the Dragonfly Glaze to the edges of the background for more shimmer. Cute the wreaths out of green(2) and brown TH’s kraft cardstock. Paint the brown wreath with the Dragonfly Glaze. Cut the sentiment out of red card stock. Glue “Merry” to the center of the card. Then stack your wreath with green/brown/green layers. Add “Christmas” to the bottom of the wreath. Paint the sentiments with the Clear Glitter pen and add Liquid Pearl drops randomly. Mount image to cardstocks and base. The final card is 6.25″x 5.25″.

Enjoy your week!

Challenges entered: Peace on Earth Christmas, 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, SSS Monday Challenge

TFIF, makers!!! I have a Halloween card for this Friday the 13th! I thought it was fitting for today. This is a fully furnished Tim Holtz card. The only non-Ranger/Holtz products used were the gel pens and the pan pastels. Have a Happy 13th!

Supplies:

• Papers:  Azetca watercolor paper, Parklane grey and black 80lb cardstock
• Stamps: Tim Holtz Halloween Cut Outs,
• Stencils: Tim Holtz Typo Layering, Moon Mask
• Inks: Distressed Oxide Ink (Saltwater Taffy, Hickory Smoke); Distress Ink (Black Soot), Archival Ink (Black Soot and Hickory Smoke), Black Soot Ink – re-inker, Distress Oxide (Black Soot, Saltwater Taffy, Antique Linen)
• Distress Crayon: Black Soot
• Texture Paste: Crypt
• Distress Mica Spray:
• Perfect Pearls: Perfect Copper, Interference Red
• Distress Oxide Foundry Wax: Statue
• Distress Oxide Paint: Saltwater Taffy, Speckled Egg, Black Soot
• Embellishment: Gel pens and pan pastel (Burnt Sienna Tint, Pthalo Blue Ex. Dark)
• Stamping Platform: Mini Misti

Directions:

Get out the spat box and let’s begin. Place your moon mask on the paper with some tape. Lightly mist the Arteza watercolor paper and spray with Saltwater Taffy, Hickory Smoke, and Black Soot until happy with the result. Sprinkle the perfect pearls on when the paper is still wet but not soaking. Lightly mist with water if desired for the pearls to blend more. Remove the moon mask and mist with water to allow the wicking of some of the ink onto the moon. Allow to air dry or dry with a heating tool. Use the other moon mask and ink with Distressed Oxides until you are happy. Sprinkle with Saltwater taffy Distress oxide and Foundry wax. Emboss the foundry wax. Stamp the images with Archival black ink. I used the patterned side of the watercolor paper and used a small paintbrush with Black Soot reinker ink to fill in the images for a solid result. Mix the texture paste with the paint until happy with the color. Use the typo layering stencil to add the colored texture paste. With the texture paste wet. spinkle with Perfect Pearls and tap off the excess. Allow to dry. Using a small word stamp and Hickory Smoke Archival ink, randomly stamp background. Add Crayon the bottom of the image and Black Soot Oxide to the edges. Use the pan pastels to add a little more glow to the moon and dark haze to the background. Mount image to cardstocks and base. Final card is 6.5″x4.75″.

Hope you enjoy!

Challenges entered: Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge, A Perfect Time to Craft Challenge