Inspiration Wednesday - Week 5

This week we were using Utee or Tar Gel as a resist.  Rather than use a stencil for my shapes I chose to use printed chipboard and Utee for my resist items.  I loved the way they turned out except that the length of time it took to heat the Utee wrapped my cutting mat.

Lesson learned keep the Utee away from my cutting mat.

Tim Holtz Tags of 2016 - March

I'm in love with Tim's crayons.

This month Tim used them to color the background of his tag. Creating backgrounds using multiple colors is not usually a good experience for me. It means muddy colors and many tries at getting something I'm happy with. These crayons are so easy to work with I was able to create my background in one take.

For the top layer of my tag first I used the black and dark brown crayons. Since I don't have Tim's foil I used bronze paint around the edges, and applied gesso using a palette knife.

Thank you Tim for another great re-mix!

Inspiration Wednesday - Week 4

Donna gave us a break this week. No modeling paste. That meant no dry time needed and the project would be a quick one. Just a small area of the pages containing "stuff" from my collection.

To start I covered my pages with pages from an old dictionary I found in an antique store in MI. My inclusion is covered with peacock feather paper I've been hoarding. For my collage I incorporated more hoarding paper and my "brown hole'. Then I topped it off with the wood and metal band that is wrapped around my favorite bourbon. A little paint around the edges, a saying, and done.  Another Inspiration Wednesday in the books.

Tim Holtz Tags of 2016 - February

This month's Tim tag remixed the Monoprint (2014) and Embossed Texture Paste (2015) techniques. I made tags using these techniques separately, and I really love the way they look together.

Those of you who know me know that I am not a 'Valentine Day' person. However, every year I consider the February tag a double challenge.  Not only am I challenged by Tim, but I'm challenged to find Valentine 'stuff' in my stash.

I'm considering this month's challenges a success. Bring on March!

Inspiration Wednesday - Week 3

This week was very messy week. My hands were covered in blue and yellow paint and that was just getting the background done. Then came the modeling past and magenta glaze. Of course by then the colors were spreading to my clothes. There were a few missteps but nothing a baby wipe couldn't handle.

Thank you Donna for getting 2016 off to a great start.

Inspiration Wednesday - Weeks 1 & 2

It's a new year with Donna Downey and her Inspiration Wednesday  classes. I'm late in getting my first two projects posted so before something else becomes a high priority in the house here they are.

I'm not at all crazy about  this piece. It's not something I would have been inspired to do, but last year I learned to try everything that Donna through at us. Being comfortable is what you are supposed to be in your Journal. The one thing I was not able to come with was my word for the year. That would have to wait...

Week 2 was much more fun for me. Collage was something I was never any good at.  I mean why would you want to cover up a piece of ephemera (junk), that you just glued down, with another piece of ephemera. After doing a few of these last year they are now one of my favorite projects to work on. There are no rules, not that Donna has rules to begin with. 

And, without even thinking about it I found my word for the year. It's originality. 

Tim Holtz Tags of 2016 - January

It's the start of a new year and this is my first of 12 tags for 2016.

This year Tim is calling his challenge a Technique Remix. For this month our tag was a remix of the Chalkboard & Industrious Metal techniques from 2013 & 2014.

I must admit when I saw this tag I wasn't crazy about it.  It's just not my style, but after getting started I really liked how it was turning out. I did make some modifications, but techniques are the same. A little surprise for me, this tag had me doing the happy dance. Even through this isn't something I would normally do it was fun to learn a new technique.

Thank you Tim for a great start to the new year.