Tammy Tutterow

Curiosities Charm Necklace featuring UTEE Shrink Charms

A while back I shared a pendant I made using shrink plastic and UTEE.  Today I am sharing another shrink art and UTEE piece that I like to think of as the mother of all charm necklaces!  I made this piece for CHA-Summer for the Ranger booth and just got the ok to blog and share it.  It has been killing me to not share it!

When I was working on samples for CHA, I had an assignement to work with Shrink Art Film.  I hadn't used it since I was a kid playing with Shrinky Dinks in the kitchen.  The second I stamped, colored, cut, and shrunk my first shape I was hooked all over again.  There is just something that feels like magic while watching Shirk Film do its thing.

Not only was I shrinking, I was also dipping.  Dipping?  Oh yeah, dipping my little shrink charms in UTEE.  I had been talking with Tim Holtz about Shrink Film when he shared a tip with me about dipping charms in melted UTEE.  He told me I would love the result.  Love was an understatement!  I was wow'd and amazed and totally addicted.  Doesn't it remind you of art glass?

When I say I stamped every single stamp I own on shrink film, it would not be an exageration.  I made charms for days.  I simply could not stop.  After I made a charm out of every stamp, I looked at what I had done, and while they made me super happy, I wondered what to do with them all.  I am pretty sure every single sample I sent to the show had a UTEE shrink charm on it.  Still I had a huge pile of them so I decided and hodge podge junk charm necklace would do the trick.  So there it is, a necklace chock full of total randomness.  It is quite a curious thing!

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Bitty Grunge CMS089 and Curiosities CMS104

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Mini Classics CMS062

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous The Girls CMS020 and Hero Arts Printers Type Lower Case.

Stamp Set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Purely Random CMS088

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Bitty Grunge CMS089

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Oddities CMS083 (I think this is my favorite one!)

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Mini Classics CMS062

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Visual Artistry Stamps: Life's Possibilities

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Curiosities CMS104 and Hero Arts Printers Type Lower Case

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Oddities CMS083 and Curiosities CMS104

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Mini Classics CMS062

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Curiosities CMS104

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Mini Classics CMS062

Stamp Set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Purely Random CMS088

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Bitty Grunge CMS089

Stamp Set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Purely Random CMS088

Stamp set: Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Stamps: Lost and Found

Intrigued? My plan is to do a tutorial for Tuesday to share how I made these.  I might even bust out the video camera and do it as a video!  So if you love this look and want to know more, Tuesday is the day to be here!

InLinkz.com

Tim Holtz CHA-S 2011: Emma's Halloweens

This post is now located on my new website: http://tammytutterow.com/2011/07/tim-holtz-cha-s-2011-emmas-halloweens/.

Thanks!

Tammy

Be Merry, Be Bright, Be Flabbergasted!

Flabbergasted: verb: Surprise (someone) greatly; astonish, mystify.

I suppose to some using the word "flabbergasted" in a holiday greeting would seem odd.  In our family though, it makes a lot of sense.  I don't normally share many personal photos or stories here, for me this blog is just about the art, but in this case, you need to know the story to understand the art.

Year before last, my youngest daughter Emma (now 6) got a glow-in-the-dark skeleton from her trick-or-treat bucket. She loved that silly little rubbery skeleton and played with it all the time. When we were decorating our Christmas tree that year, you could see she suddenly had a bright idea. She got super excited and ran to her room. She came back with that little skeleton and announced that she wanted to hang it on the tree. We tried telling her no, that you don't put skeletons and Halloween stuff on Christmas trees but she insisted. She said that Santa would be "flabbergasted" when he saw it. She wanted him to have a surprise and wanted to make him laugh and she was sure that seeing that skeleton on our tree would do the trick.  Who can argue with that?  So we obliged.

That little skeleton hung there and glowed among the lights and ornaments and gave us each a giggle as we walked past.  The anticipation of what Santa would think made Emma so excited for Christmas.  She kept asking us all what we thought Santa would say and if he would laugh.

When Emma went to check out the tree on Christmas morning she was surprised to find a note from Santa telling her how flabbergasted he was. She was delighted and so proud that she could surprise Santa and make him laugh.

When it was time to pack the tree away, she insisted the skeleton be put away with the ornaments, that Santa would expect to see him on our tree next year. And so last year when it came time to decorate the tree, the little glow-in-the-dark skeleton took his place front and center among the more traditional ornaments and again, we all giggled at the sight of it there. 

And so the tradition continues that we hang that skeleton on our tree and anticipate the giggles and surprised responses from all who see it there.  I think even more than what it means to Emma to give Santa a good laugh, it means a little something more to us. It is about the magic in a little girl's heart in wanting to give something back to Santa and that we should all take the time to be flabbergasted with the wonder and joy of the season more. Sometimes it takes something simple like a little rubber skeleton to remind you of that.

--------------------

So now, a few details about the project. . . 

The base of the project is a piece of patterned paper (Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby Paper Stash) adhered to a piece of Grungepaper.  I stitched around the edges and then inked them with Ranger's Archival Jet Black.  This was the ink that I had sitting out on my desk but you could use any.  I rubbed on a light layer of Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles to the background paper to give it a frosty look.

I ran a thin piece of silver metal through my Vagabond (ohhh how I love this machine!) in the Holiday Words Texture Fade.  I used an assortment of green alcohol inks to ink over the surface in a couple of layers.  I then added a layer of Red Pepper randomly over the top of greens.  Once they were dry, I rubbed my Jet Black Archival Ink Pad directly onto the raised surfaces of the metal.  I love the effect that creates because it really defines edges on the embossing, removes some alcohol ink, and also deepens some of the existing color.  Once the ink was dry I filled the recessed areas with Star Dust Stickles.  Once dry, the metal piece was adhered to the paper/Grungepaper piece.  I added a few Tiny Attacher staples to each side as embellishments.

I adhered a seasonal Tim Holtz Salvage Sticker to a piece of Grungepaper.  I sanded the edges and inked them with the Jet Black ink.  For the journaling strip, I typed my phrase on a scrap piece of Basics Manila paper using my typewriter.  I adhered it into a Tim Holtz Memo Pin which was tucked into a cluster of flowers (Petaloo) and greenery (snipped off of a wreath in my house).  I added a line of Star Dust Stickles along the top edge of the sticker and journaling strip to make it look like ice.  I added a few light touches of Stickles to the greenery and flowers for a frosty effect.

The skeleton is plain white cardstock that was embossed with the Halloween Night Texture Fade.  I rubbed the surface with a Adirondack Brights Citrus Dye Ink Pad.  After cutting out the skeleton I added a second layer of ink to deepen the color and also cover any excess white that showed after cutting him out.  I then used a piece of Cut-n-Dry Foam dabbed in the Jet Black Archival to add a few bits of shading to him. 

Each element is adhered directly to the base at the bottom and then lifted off of the base up above with adhesive foam squares and strips.  I really love using adhesive foam pieces because they create so much dimension in a project. 

I hope you have a wonderful and beautiful holiday full of magic, wonder, and even some flabbergasting laughs!

----------Supplies----------

• Paper: Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby Paper Stash; Grungepaper; BasicGrey Manila Basics 6x6 paper pad
• Sticker: Tim Holtz Salvage Seasonal Stickers 
• Embossing Folders: Tim Holtz Texture Fades Holiday Words and Halloween Nights
• Metal: Making Memories Slice Thin Metal Sheets for Embossing
• Alcohol Inks: Willow, Lettuce, Meadow, Pesto, and Red Pepper
• Ink: Ranger Jet Black Archival , Adirondack Brights Citrus Dye Ink Pad
• Stickles: Star Dust and Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles
• Embellishments: Petaloo Velvet Poinsettias; Tim Holtz Idea-ology Memo Pins
• Tools: Tiny Attacher, Alcohol Ink Applicator, Vagabond
• Adhesive: Helmar 450 Quick Dry (embellishments); Super Tape (metal to paper); 3D Foam Squares and Strips

Febreze Luminary: Frosty Snow + Tutorial

 

This tutorial is now available on my new website.  Please click on through to view it there: http://tammytutterow.com/2010/12/febreze-luminary-frosty-snow-tutorial/.

Febreze Luminary: Leaves

I have one last luminary to share with you before I share the tutorial for these tomorrow as part of the Helmar blog hop.

Up today is an old favorite.  I actually made this shade several months ago.  I have carried it to a few stores as part of an alcohol ink demo.  In the process it got pretty beat up so I disassembled it and reassembled it with new adhesive and foil tape.  It is looking better than ever now!

This shade features one of my very favorite alcohol ink techniques.  After inking one side of the acrylic, you flip it over and stamp on the other side.

Once your stamped image is set, you go back to the alcohol ink side and use blending solution with a paint brush or fillable pen to remove the ink from inside the stamped image.

The technique is so easy and looks so amazing!

Okay, tomorrow is the big day for the blog hop and the tutorial.  There are a ton of images in it so get your mouse scrolling finger some rest and come back tomorrow ready to scroll and hop!

Febreze Luminary: Little Houses

On Sunday December 5th the Helmar Design Team will be having a holiday blog hop.  I have been invited to take part as a guest artist.  I am really excited about the project and tutorial (of course) that I plan to share, a fun luminary project.

To be a little bit of a tease, I thought I would share some images of a few other luminaries using the same technique.  I normally share lots of project details, but this time I am saving them for the big post on the 5th.  Until then, I will be sharing a finished example each day until the 5th when I finish off with the holiday themed luminary and instructions.

The scene is created with alcohol inks on acrylic.

The border is a thin metal die cut with the Tim Holtz On the Edge Townscape die.

The base and light inside is a Febreze Luminary.

I love how this one looks both lit and unlit.  With the light off you can see the colors a bit more clearly, with green behind the house.  Just above the trees there is a clear space and then yellows and blues mixed together for the sky.

Be sure and check back tomorrow when I share a really elegant version using the Paint Dabber reverse stamping technique I shared last week.

Tutorial: Clearly for Art Tattered Floral Roses

This tutorial is now located on my new website.  You can find it here: http://tammytutterow.com/2010/10/tutorial-clearly-for-art-tattered-floral-roses/.

Thanks!

Tammy

Tim Holtz Design Team: Every Season

There are two parts of inspiration in this project, the first is a quote.  It came to mind as I was working one day when I was sitting in my studio.  I didn't know who said it or why it came to mind, but it seemed perfect to direct a project that was sitting on my desk with no direction.  I had made this flower (in blue for no reason what so ever and added Rock Candy Stickle to it for no reason), had pulled paper to match, and had a label cut and colored.  It all just felt like pieces and parts.

God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.  -James M. Barrie

I had a rose with snow and pieces in shades of blue that felt icy and wintry.  Suddenly I had the pieces to something that would not only be pretty but also have some meaning.

The wooden box is a shadowbox that I found on the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby.  I sanded off most of the finish so that it was pure shabbiness.  I covered the inside back with paper from the Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby Paper Stash.  I added Stormy Sky Distress ink to the edges.

I used Tim Holtz Nostalgic Tissue Tape on the inside shadowbox sides.  I brushed Stormy Sky Distress ink onto the tape using the Ink Applicator Tool.

On the outside of the box, I used a second pattern of paper from the Vintage Shabby Paper Stash using Mounting Adhesive Sheets.  I added Vintage Photo Distress Ink on the edges.

The shaped rose was created using Wendy Vecchi's Clearly For Art clear molding film.  I cut three flowers using the Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Florals die.  I colored the flowers using an assortment of alcohol inks in different shades of blues.  I then shaped and layered the flowers using the process I show in my Shaped Roses tutorial.  I then heated the piece to shape it.  (I am working on a tutorial with the step-by-step instructions on making this flower.  I hope to have it ready tomorrow, so be sure and check back for it if you are interested in learning to make these.)

I applied a thick layer of Rock Candy Distress Stickles on the flower in all of the areas that I felt show would collect. 

The flower is adhered to a label cut from the Tim Holtz Alterations Styled Labels die.  I cut two layers, one from Sticky Back Canvas and one from scrap chipboard.  I used Turquoise Blue Glimmer Mist to add color to the Sticky Back Canvas.  After it was dry I adhered it to the chipboard.  I added stamping using a stamp from the Tim Holtz Floral Tattoo stamp set using Jet Black Archival Ink.  I used Stormy Sky and Faded Jeans Distress Ink for some additional shading.  I adhered it to the inside back of the box using 3D Foam Squares.

 

For the final touch I inked a small crinkled scrap of paper using Stormy Sky Distress Ink.  I used my small single alpha stamps to stamp using Jet Black Archival.  Once the ink was dry, I rubbed on a layer of Rock Candy Distress Stickles and attached it to the label using an Idea-ology Memo Pin.

That brings me to the second inspiration.  I have had a really beautiful song on my mind lately that talks about the presence of God in every season.  It always seems that when we are at a season's change this song comes to me and plays over and over in my mind.  The song is called Every Season by Nichole Nordeman.  As I was working on this project and thinking about roses in winter I began thinking about the seasons and of course this song.  I love its message and the way it describes each season.  It just seemed fitting to borrow the song's title and include it in the piece.

Hopefully I will have the tutorial for making the flower finished up and ready to post tomorrow so be sure to check back if you are interested in seeing how it was made.

Tutorial: Alcohol Ink Crackled Metal Pendants {part 2}

This tutorial in now on my new website.  You can find it here: http://tammytutterow.com/2010/10/tutorial-alcohol-ink-crackled-metal-pendants-part-2/.

Thanks!

Tammy

Tutorial: Alcohol Ink Crackled Metal Pendants

This tutorial has been moved to my new website.  You can now find it here: http://tammytutterow.com/2010/10/tutorial-alcohol-ink-crackled-metal-pendants/.

Thanks!

Tammy