Happy Valentine's Day

My good friend Thelma (I'm Louise) introduced me to card-making and it's understood that the cards we exchange between ourselves can be an outside-the-box/anything goes kind of flavor. Because there are no rules it makes our tradition that much more fun.

This is the card she will receive tomorrow, made from an assortment of papers (mostly Authentique) including one called "Stitches Two" which is the band running through the center.

The card also includes a hand-colored printable (background heart border) that I distressed and embellished with dots of Scribbles (3D fabric paint). I used an assortment of gel pens for the coloring.

I have a very limited stash of sentiment stamps so this one was taken from an example found on the net. My technique is to print the example, rub a thick coating of graphite (pencil lead) on the back, tape it down with washi and trace over the top of it. This transfers most of the outline of the lettering and then I go back over it with a fine-tipped marker. The heart trio was stamped.

Wildflowers of America

I'm happy to be part of Richele Christensen's blog hop of artists who made show samples for the Tim Holtz booths at Creativation 2019.

This piece features Idea-ology and I used a Vignette Tray (large), new Vignette Divided Drawer, Worn Wallpaper, Butterfly Adornments, new Ephemera (Keepsakes), new/revised Layers (Botanicals), Bouquet, Mini Hardware, Corners, and Ball Chain.

I took the dividers out of the drawer, lined it with paper, anchored it inside a large tray, and placed 1/2" thick foam core around the circumference to make it less deep (underneath the Worn Wallpaper).

My technique for painting the butterflies is simple and all you need is a steady hand. I used thin acrylic paint and a tiny paint brush to apply multiple coats layering one transparent color over another.

The new/revised assortment of Botanicals (Layers) is really beautiful and was my inspiration for this piece. The mix of flowers is very different from the last release and much improved with lots of roses and lovely banner pieces all in multiple sizes of left and right versions.

Botanicals Layers - New Version

Botanicals Layers - Old Version

I also mixed in a few of the fabric-like flowers called Bouquet after lightly tinting the edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink.

The wire mesh in the background is made out of something called "hardware cloth." In my neighborhood, it's used as a fence around plants to keep the rabbits from chewing them.

I sponged on off-white paint and built a ledge for it to rest on from thin wooden strips painted to match the box's paper lining.

The Worn Wallpaper was distressed by placing torn strips over the top of one another and inking the edges to make them stand out. And yes, that's Ball Chain (it comes in three different metal finishes) which was used to embellish the border.

Here is a link to my other Idea-ology Creativation 2019 projects.

Good luck with the giveaway (comment by midnight PST February 9). The contest has ended, see winners announcement here.

I hope we've inspired you! If you are hopping in order, Cheiron Brandon is up next.

CREATIVATIONS 2019 BLOG HOP

AudreyPettit

Bobbi Smith

Beulah Bee  YOU ARE HERE...

Cheiron Brandon

Debi Adams

Emma Williams

Jan Hobbins

Jennalee Anderson

Joy Kennedy

Kath Stewart

Mae Nazareth

MouSaha

Paula Cheney 

Richele Christensen

Stacy Hutchinson

Tami Bastiaans

Vicki Evans

Zoe Hillman

Love Always

Tim Holtz (Idea-ology) came out with a new product this year called Baseboard Dolls and I received some of them to use on projects for the Creativation booth. The little girl on this tag was a Baseboard Doll that I converted to a regular one by peeling her off the substrate.

She sports one of Tim's new Transparent Wings and I used a flower from the previous version of Botanical Layers that also comes on sturdy paper which I peeled off to make more suitable for collage.

The background was part of the instructions from a needlework pattern that I tinted with Distress Ink.

I dabbed on a very small amount of alcohol ink to tint the wings (originally clear) with a combo of Butterscotch and Watermelon and some hand-sanitizer to help dilute it and spread it around.

They were attached with a drop of epoxy in the center of the girl's back and the remainder of the wing surface moves freely.

Click to Enlarge

For the first time, I also used a product call Nuvo Crystal Drops (Olive Branch) to make dots along the tag border.  Some of you probably know how much I like to use Scribbles (a 3D fabric paint) or Liquid Pearls to create a similar effect but that paint is opaque and this product is transparent, behaves like a tinted version of Glossy Accents, and I like it a lot!

I'm linking up to Simon's Monday Challenge Blog--this week's theme is Love is in the Air.