Tammy Tutterow

The Crafters Workshop Blog Hop: Leaf Grid Faith, Hope, and Love tag

I am so excited to be participating in The Crafter's Workshop / Balzer Designs Spring Blog Hop!  I really love The Crafter's Workshop Stencils and Julie Balzer's designs.  It is such a thrill to me to be invited to participate!

This week the blog hoppers are featuring the Leaf Grid Stencil.  I used the 6x6 version for a tag.  You can check out the Leaf Grid stencil and more of Julie's designs at: http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/The_Crafters_Workshop/New_Products.html .

The design of my tag is reminiscent of a framed print I remember in the church I grew up attending.  The print featured a quilt design with each block of the quilt featured a virtue of love from 1 Corinthians 13.  While thinking of that print I focused on the words faith, hope, and love and on using the Leaf Grid design to bring in the quilt feel. 

On a scrap of smooth cream cardstock, I stamped a script text design.  To stamp (Hero Arts La Letter), I misted the stamp with Vibrant Turquoise Dylusions Ink Spray.  (To clean the spray ink off of the stamp, I misted it with water and used a rub-it scrub-it stamp scrubber.)  After stamping the text on the paper, I placed the template over the paper and used an ink blending tool to apply Peacock Feathers Distress Ink over the stencil, using it like a mask.  I used only part of the design so that I had three blocks.

I tore the edges of the strip around the three blocks.  After tearing, I misted the piece with Perfect Pearl Perfect Pearls Mist.  I applied Vintage photo Distres Ink to the edges of the strip.

For the tag base, I misted a kraft tag with Cappuccino Perfect Pearls Mist.  After drying the tag, I used the stencil as a mask to create a border around the tag.  I used an ink blending tool with Vintage Photo Distress Ink with the stencil.  I love the tone on tone effect it created.

I added a light touch of Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink to the center of each of the quilt blocks to add a touch of color and highlight.  I then adhered the torn strip to the kraft tag.

I tore three strips of the cream cardstock and added my three words to each using Hero Arts Printer's Type letter stamps with Coffee Archival Ink.  I inked the edge of each strip with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I adhered each word strip to the tag centering each over a block.

I added machine stitching over the end of each strip.

At the top of the tag I added a velvet millinery style flower and leaf, both souvenirs from a recent visit to the downtown Los Angeles garment district.  I love that the flower works so well with the touch of yellow I added to each of the stenciled squares.

Please be sure to visit the rest of the hoppers to see what they created with the Leaf Grid stencil!

• Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
• Wilna Furstenberg
• Dion Dior
• Joanne Sharpe

And be sure too to visit Julie's blog with links to all of the spring blog hops: http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/stencil-hop-spring-2012.html

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Cocoa Daisy Picnic in the Park Event

I am so excited to have been invited to be a part of the Cocoa Daisy Spring Crop Designer Challenge!  The team at Cocoa Daisy is throwing a fabulous online crop packed with activites all weekend long.  It is sure to be a ton of fun so please go check it out!

For the designer's challenge, I received The Crafters Workshop 6x6 Mini Blazonry stencil.  I used it to create a background for a tag. 

I actually made my tag in my hotel room last weekend when I was in Indiana to teach.  I grabbed a few supplies out of my classroom supplies and sat at the desk in my room expirimenting.  It was torture to watch everyone get inky hands all weekend and not get to play along, so spending a little time with a handful of supplies was a perfect way to end a great weekend.

I began by inking my manila tag with Bundled Sage Distress Ink using an ink blending tool.

I placed my stencil over the tag and dabbed Bundled Sage Distress Stain onto the tag.  After removing the stencil I had a very fluid looking version of the design.

I placed the stencil back on the tag, lining up the openings with the design made with the stain.  I used my Bundled Sage Distress Ink pad to tap ink onto the tag directly from the pad.  I twisted and turned the pad as I tapped.  By twisting and turning the ink pad as I applied it to the tag I was able to achieve a cross hatch type pattern from the lines and edges of the ink pad.

After removing the stencil, I had a cross hatch type pattern on the stained areas of the design.

I inked a large cling mount rubber stamp (Hero Arts Leaf and Floral Background) with Forest Moss Distress Ink.  I placed the stamp on my table face up and layed the tag face down onto the stamp.  I ran my fingers over the back of the tag lightly focusing mostly in the center of the tag to transfer the design onto the tag.  

The stamped image turned out very light around the edges and more concentrated in the center.

I used an ink blending tool to add additional (Forest Moss) ink to the edges of the tag.

I love the finished look of the background.  It has so many layers and so much depth.  I love that it was created with only two ink colors.

To embellish the tag, I added an ornate plate that I painted with a Snow Cap Paint Dabber.  I applied the paint to the plate and let it set for several minutes.  I used a dry cloth to wipe away some of the paint.  After the plate was fully dry, I tapped the surface with my green ink blending tool transferring some of the green ink (Bundled Sage and Forest Moss) from the foam pad onto the metal.  I heated the piece to dry the ink.  

I colored a piece of Crinkle Ribbon with Bundled Sage Distress Stain.  After misting the ribbon with water to blend the stain, I dried it with a heat too.  I tied the plate to the tag with the ribbon.  I added a trinket pin and a bauble which was colored with Lettuce Alcohol Ink.  

Finally, I inked the edges of a Journaling Ticket with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  I slipped the ticket behind the frame and stamped the word "renew" on the ticket through the opening.  The word renew seemed quite appropriate after spending so much time at the computer and not enough time with ink on my hands.  It felt like a renewal to get lost again for a even just a few minutes with stamps and ink.

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Sunday Stamping: Take Your Sweet Time

Happy Sunday!  I am checking in today with a stamped tag to share.  I absolutely love this bird stamp (Hero Arts Timely Bird) and have been so excited to use it since I got it.  I love how it stamps!

To create the background on my tag, I laid the clock stencil by The Crafter's Workshop on my craft sheet and misted it with colors.  I used Bonny Blue and Lemonade Mister Huey mists by Studio Calico.  With the colors puddled on my stencil, I laid my tag into the mist and lifted it off quickly.  The negative of the stencil design along with some puddled areas transferred onto my tag.

After drying the tag, I applied Picket Fence Distress Stain over the entire surface to mute and soften the color.

After drying again, I misted the surface generously with Blue Raspberry Perfect Pearls Mist.  I blotted away the excess and again dried the tag.

I stamped the bird/collage image on my tag with Jet Black Archival Stamp Ink.  I again dried the tag with my Heat It Craft Tool.  Next, I used an ink blending tool to apply some Scattered Straw Distress Ink to the ledger part of the design.  It is very subtle but I like that it adds background image so that it looks a bit different from the rest of the background.

I stamped the bird collage image again three times on heavy white cardstock (PTI Stamper's Select White Cardstock) using Coffee Archival.  I cut out three flowers, one bird, and one large clock.  I outlined the original clock on the tag with a Black Glaze Pen by Sakura.  I applied Gathered Twigs Distress Ink on the white clock that I cut out and adhered it to the tag over the original black stamped clock.

I colored the bird using Copic B41.  I love that it is a really light color that blended so nicely with the brown stamp ink.  I applied the color in a very sketchy way so that some of the white cardstock would peek through.  I used Copic Y32 to add color to the beak and legs.  After cutting out the bird, I added Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to the edges.  I love the way the color from Copics blend with Distress Inks.

Finally I colored the three flowers with Copic R83, RV13, YR12, and Y35.  After cutting them out, I applied Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to the edges.  On the background, I added color to the stem and leaves with Copic YG03 and E37.  I adhered the flowers to the tag by adhering one half of each flower with glue stick and the other have with a small adhesive foam square.

To add another textural element, I die cut white cardstock using the Tim Holtz Alterations Weathered Clock die.  I used Gathered Twigs and an ink blending tool to color the cardstock.  In a happy little accident, I got a bit of glue stick along the edges and on the front of the die cut.  The glue stick dries with a bit of texture and darkens the color of the ink.  One day I think I will apply some to the front of a piece on purpose.  It creates a nice effect.

Finally, I added a phrase with my favorite letter stamps (Hero Arts Printers Type LC).  I originally stamped the phrase with Coffee Archival Ink.  I felt like it didn't stand out so I stamped each letter again in Jet Black.  I matched up the letters fairly well, but a few are off.  I kind of like the effect, it reminds me of off register printing (which is explained great by Claudine Hellmuth on her blog here).

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Sunday Stamping: Imagination is Boundless

Hooray!  It is time for Sunday Stamping. . . on Monday night.  At least the stamping was done on Sunday, even if the posting wasn't.  Sunday's daylight got away from me before I could photograph this tag and then I spent the day at the courthouse waiting to testify, one of the "perks" of my job as a 911 dispatcher.  So finally after the wee one is tucked away for the night I am finally tackling this post.

The tag this week is a pretty simple design, but very striking I think.  I had new inks (Tim's wonderful new seasonal Distress Inks) and new stamps (Hero Arts Wildflower Garden) calling my name this week so I really wanted to focus on using those rather than technique.

The background of the tag is a combination of two favorite Glimmer Mist colors, Blue Skies and Yellow Daisy misted over The Crafter's Workshop Chicken Wire stencil.  I originally planned on adding an image of a bee to the tag.  The chicken wire design reminds me of bee hives.  I didn't end up using a bee after all but I still love the use of the chicken wire in the background.  I love that it adds a hint of design but is very thin and subtle.  After the mist was dry, I added Broken China, Peeled Paint, and Gathered Twigs Distress Inks to the edges.

I inked the large flower stamp with Ripe Persimmon, Gathered Twigs, and Peeled Paint Distress Inks.  While the ink was still wet I added clear embossing powder and heat it.

I added a wildflower design along the bottom of the tag stamped in Gathered Twigs.  I stamped my phrase on a piece of Sticky Back Canvas.  I inked the stamp with a layer of Gathered Twigs and a bit of Jet Black Archival Ink.  I like the variation of color it gives to have two inks on the text.  I inked the edges of the canvas with Gathered Twigs, adhered it to the tag, and then added two stitching lines.

I love the effect of the random bits of embossing powder that adhered around the edge of the tag.  I think they add a great distressed effect despite being totally accidental!

Aged Mahogany Distress Stain	Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous: Spring Sprung	Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous: Stuff to Say	Hero Arts: Wildflower Garden
The Crafter's Workshop Chicken Wire 12x12	Claudine Hellmuth Studio: Sticky Back Canvas white	Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs	Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Ripe Persimmon
Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Peeled Paint	Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Broken China	Ranger Archival: Jet Black	Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist: Blue Skies
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist: Yellow Daisy	Ranger Ink: Clear Embossing Powder	Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Grid Blocks	Ranger Inkssentials: Ink Blending Tool
Ranger Inkssentials: Heat It Craft Tool	Ranger Inkssentials: Craft Sheet

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Sunday Stamping: Look Ahead

Happy Sunday everyone!  I am checking in for this week's Sunday Stamping with a tag featuring a favorite stamp set by Wendy Vecchi.

I began this tag by misting it with Bonny Blue Mister Huey's over a Crafter's Workshop 6x6 Spirographica stencil.  I misted some branches from the Birds of a Feather 6x6 stencil along the top left using Bluegrass Mister Huey's.

I then stamped over the stenciled background with the cluster of stars stamp from the Celestial Art stamp set using Dried Marigold Distress Ink.  While the Distress Ink was still wet, I added clear embossing powder.  After heating the embossing powder, I misted the cluster of stars using Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls Mist.

I stamped the stars again on a scrap piece of paper using Spiced Marmalade.  I cut the star out and the clear embossed it.  I misted it with the Perfect Pearls Mist.  The mist puddles a bit on top of the embossed surface.  I heated the puddles with a Heat It Craft Tool to dry them.  To accent the background stars, I used a fine tip black pen to outline them along the embossed edge.

I added a strip of Kraft Glassine with a phrase stamped on it to the lower part of the tag.  I colored a torn scrap piece of paper with Peeled Paint Distress Stain.  After inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, I adhered it to the lower left corner, overlapping onto the Kraft Glassine.  I adhered the stem of the single star using a glue stick.  To lift the star up off of the surface, I used a 3D Zot.

(Quick tip- I love using 3D Zots to raise elements off of the surface.  They are clear and a little less noticeable than foam squares.  I prefer the Zots in the Singles packs because each Zot has a piece of clear plastic on the top and bottom of the Zot.  I use my non-stick Tim Holtz scissors to cut the Zot through the plastic liners to the size I want.  I save the other partial pieces for other projects.)

I was really loving the embossing powder so I decided to use a  Perfect Pen to add a few accents to the tag.  I drew lines of ink over some of the stencil lines and along some of the edges of the tag.  I then added clear embossing powder over the ink and melted it.

I also edged all of the sides of the tags with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

At the top of the tag, I ended up with a heavy spot of ink that I really didn't like.  To fix it, I tore the top off of another tag (that was in my ugly pile), inked the edges with Walnut Stain, and then glued it to the top of my tag.  I really like that I was able to salvage a bit of a tag that had some great coloring on it and also cover up a boo-boo on the tag I was making.

Although I ended up coloring most of it, there is an awesome grid pattern from the stamp set stamped on the lower part of the tag with Peeled Paint Distress Stain.

Wendy Vecchi Studio 490: Celestial Art	Aged Mahogany Distress Stain	Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Kraft Glassine Stash	The Crafter's Workshop: Spirographica 6x6
The Crafters Workshop: Birds of a Feather 6x6	Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain	Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Peeled Paint	Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Spice Marmalade
Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Dried Marigold	Ranger Archival: Jet Black	Tim Holtz Distress Stain: Picket Fence	Tim Holtz Distress Stain: Peeled Paint
Tim Holtz Distress Stains: Broken China	Ranger Ink: Perfect Pearls Mist Sunflower Sparkle	Mister Huey's: Bonny Blue	Mister Huey's: Lemonade
Ranger Ink: Clear Embossing Powder	Ranger Ink: Perfect Pen	Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Mini Paper Clips	Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Grid Blocks
Ranger Inkssentials: Ink Blending Tool	Ranger Inkssentials: Heat It Craft Tool	Ranger Inkssentials: Craft Sheet	Tim Holtz Tonic: Non-Stick Micro Serrated Scissors
Therm O Web: Zots 3D	Therm O Web: Super Stick

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Sunday Stamping: Make Each Day Count

One thing that I have loved most about my Sunday Stamping challenge is that when I start I don't have a clear goal of where I want to end up.  I just go around my room and pull out things that I want to work with and go from there.  This week's tag is no exception.  I started out with a set of Tim Holtz stamps and a Crafter's Workshop template that I have been itching to use and went from there.

I began by misting my tag with the Chicken Wire stencil and Lemonade Mister Huey's mist.  I love how subtle the color and design turned out on the manila tag.  Next I added stamping in Olive Archival ink.

After stamping my leaf design, I added a layer of dates/numbers using Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  I used an ink blending tool to add Library Green Archival ink to the edges.  Because the ribbon I planned to use was a mix of green and purple, I used a bit of Deep Purple Archival Ink in a few spots along the edges.  I finished off all of the edges with a bit of Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Next, I accented some of the leaves and stems with Star Dust Stickles and Glossy Accents.

Once both were dry, I stamped the butterfly in Monarch Orange Archival Ink.  I used a wet paint brush to pick up a bit of color from the Saffron and Venetian Orange ink pads.  I brushed the colors on in my stamped design.  I also used a wet brush to add some pink accents to the flowers with Rose Madder Archival Ink.

I added a phrase by stamping on a piece of glassine paper (from a sack) with Library Green Archival Ink.  I tore the edges against a ruler for a straight edge and brushed on a bit of Vintage Photo.  I folded the strip around to the back of the tag and adhered it on the back with adhesive.  I secured it on the front with a staple.

Aged Mahogany Distress Stain	Tim Holtz Stamps: Ultimate Grunge	Tim Holtz Stamps: Fairytale Frenzy	Hero Arts: Playful Flower Letters
Hero Arts: Printer's Lower Case Alphabet	The Crafter's Workshop Chicken Wire 12x12	Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Vintage Photo	Ranger Archival: Library Green
Ranger Archival Ink: Olive	Ranger Archival: Deep Purple	Ranger Archival: Rose Madder	Ranger Archival: Venetian Orange
Ranger Archival: Monarch Orange	Ranger Archival: Saffron	Mister Huey's: Bonny Blue	Mister Huey's: Lemonade
Ranger Stickles: Star Dust	Ranger Inkssentials: Glossy Accents	Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Tiny Attacher	Ranger Inkssentials: Ink Blending Tool
Ranger Inkssentials: Craft Sheet	Therm O Web: Super Stick

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Sketch Support: Fully Alive Art Quilt

It is one page week at Sketch Support this month.  Today I am sharing a fabric project I created based on this week's sketch.

The inspiration for this piece came from a watermark on a photo I saw on Facebook.  The photography buisiness is called Fully Alive.  I love the thought of those two words together.  This year I have been really trying to work on being healthier and trying new things, to be more fully alive.  I decided that it would be fun to make an inspiration piece to remind me of this new motto.

For this piece I used fabric to create a quilted piece.  The background fabric is plain creme muslin that I misted with Daisy Yellow and Blue Skies Glimmer Mist.  I also brushed the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The next layer above the muslin is Sticky Back Canvas.  The next layer is printed cotton in a robin egg blue color with small brown random dots.  I love this fabric!  I found it at Joann's in their quilting fabric area.  It comes in several colors.  The top layer, the one with stamping, is Sticky Back Canvas.  Each layer of fabric has a layer of batting under it and is edged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

On the top layer, I added several layers of stamping and colors.  I started by stenceling a branch using the Crafter's Workshop Birds of a Feather stencil with Lettuce and Meadow Adirondack Color Wash.  I added spritzed of Daisy Yellow and Blue Skies Glimmer Mist to the background.  Next, I added stamped flourishes with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and a stamp from the Tim Holtz Fabulous Flourishes stamp set and then stamped over it all with the Slight Alterations stamp set.  I followed up with my favorite Hero Arts letter stamps for the phrase which I stamped first in Vintage Photo and then a second time in Black Soot.

I added a additional color to the flourishes with my Letraset Promarkers.

The border is vintage handmade lace with a layer of plaid ribbon over the lace.  I brushed both with Vintage Photo Distress Inks.  For embellishments I added a die cut Grungpaper bird colored with Distress Stains.  I did it as a bluebird as a nod to happiness, which is my word for this year.  (Incidentally, alive was my word for last year, but it seems to keep creeping into projects this year.)  I added flowers, stars, and leave from Prima.

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

• Fabric: Printed cotton and muslin: Joann's Fabrics; Claudine Hellmuth Sticky Back Canvas
• Ribbon: BasicGrey
• Lace: Vintage
• mists: Adirondack Color Wash Lettuce and Meadow; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Yellow Daisy, Blue Skies, and Vanilla Breeze
• stamps: Tim Holtz Slight Alterations and Fabulous Flourishes; Hero Arts Printer's Type Upper and Lowercase and Playful Letters
• stencil: The Crafter's Workshop Birds of a Feather stencil
• markers: Letraset Promarker Primrose, Powder Blue, and Burnt Siena
• stains: Tim Holtz Distress Stains Wild Honey, Broken China, Faded Jeans
• ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Black Soot and Vintage Photo
• flowers,stars, and leaves: Prima Homespun Bittles, Galaxy Stars, and Fabric Leaves
• misc: Tim Holtz Grungepaper

We Were Born With Wings {fabric art journal}

I have been daydreaming of making this fabric book for a long time.  I just seemed to be bogged down with so many other things that I hadn't found a chance to sit down and do it.  Finally I did it and I am so in love with the way it turned out!

For this fabric tag shaped book, I decided to center it around lyrics of a favorite song on my workout play list.  It is a song called Alive by Superchick.  If you are curious, you can listen to it on You Tube here.  The part about "we were born with wings, we were made to fly" always sticks in my head.  I love the thought of being strong, taking charge, and using my wings to fly.  As I sat down to make this little book I decided to make it very art journal like and use the song lyrics for the text.

I started out with a tag shaped book that I made from muslin and my own pattern.  The great part of making this book from scratch is that I could stamp, stencil, spritz, and get all sorts of inky on a flat piece of fabric rather than trying to do all of that to a premade book.

I decorated the cover with several different elements.  I stamped a background using Tim Holtz's Papillon and Slight Alterations stamps with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  I added a tree branch with the Birds of a Feather stencil by The Crafter's Workshop.  I used Lettuce and Meadow Color Wash for the the green on the branch.  I added a spritz of Yellow Daisy and Blue Skies Glimmer Mist to add a bit of background color.

To embellish the branch, I colorized pieces of Tim Holtz Idea-ology Foliage with multiple colors of Distress Embossing Powders along with a touch of Ranger Bridal Embossing Powder.  I added glitter stars, velvet leaves, and crystal dangles by Prima to the clusters of flowers.  I also added a Tim Holtz Idea-ology Philosophy Tag with a Memo Pin.  I dabbed the metal tag with an Adirondack Snow Cap Paint Dabber and then melted Bridal Embossing Powder onto it.  

I took one of the black and white moth stickers from the Crowded Attic Salvage Sticker book and adhered it to a smooth piece of white cardstock.  I trimmed the moth out, cutting away the extra border space on the sticker.  Because the antenae really couldn't be cut out, I cut them off and replaced them with a thin piece of floral wire.  I also gave the moth color by using my Letraset Promarkers, which are excellent for coloring on slick surfaces like stickers.

I have a mad and serious love for these letter stamps by Hero Arts.  They are single letter wood mount stamps.  I love that they are a classic typewriter style font.  I love to stamp and make the letters akew a bit.  They seem perfectly imperfect that way.

In addition to adding the distess embossing powder to the metal leaves and flowers, I also added Distress Embossing Powder to the metal grommet that I added to the book cover.

I finished off the cover with a Tim Holtz Idea-ology Swivel Clasp embellished with a Chain Tassel, pearl Baubles, and a Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden butterfly clip and some crinkley dyed seam binding.

Tomorrow I will be back to share the inside of the book.  I think it is kind of a different look for me, kind of more random and artsy.  I can't wait to share it!

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

• book: my own pattern cut from creme muslin and spritzed with Walnut Gold Glimmer Mist
• stamps: Tim Holtz Papillon and Slight Alterations; Hero Arts Playful Letters, Printer's Type LC, and Printer's Type UC
• stencil: The Crafter's Workshop Birds of a Feather
• embossing powder: Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powders- Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmelade, Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick, Broken China, Faded Jeans, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Antique Linen; Ranger Ink Bridal Embossing Tinsel
• ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Vintage Photo and Black Soot
• mists: Adirondack Color Wash Meadow and Lettuce; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Blue Skies, Walnut Gold, Yellow Daisy
• paint: Adirondack Snow Cap Paint Dabber
• markers: Letraset Promarkers
• embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Foliage, Philosiphy Tags, Memo Pin, Swivel Clasp, Baubles, and Chain Tassel; Prima Marketing Galaxy Stars (I used white), Velvet Leaves, Holiday Lights Crystal Sprays; Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden Metal Charms; Dritz Grommets
• stickers: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Crowded Attic Salvage Stickers
• ribbon: dyed and crinkled seam binding

Art Journal: Acts of Kindness

Today I am sharing another recent page from my art journal.  The phrase stamp is another from the Suzanne Carillo collection from Art Gone Wild.   It arrived in my studio at the same time I was reading about kindness.  I admit, I am the worst about thinking about and meaning to do kind little things for others but not getting to them because of the stuff in every day life, letting the moment pass without following through on the kind deed.  For me, I have felt both the joy of recieving an act of kindness, and the disappointment of being on the recieving end of someone's never followed through grand intention.  As I continue to think about happiness in my art journal, I was inspired to create a page to feature this quote because I believe a great deal of happiness can be given and recieved through acts of kindness. 

The base page is one of the pages with printed dots on it that came in the binder I am using for my art journal.  I applied bands of Ranger Adirondack Color Wash in blues and greens across my page.

Because of the light in my studio, they look really bright here.  I blotted away the excess with a paper towel.  I used a heat gun to help speed up the drying.

I placed a stencil (The Crafter's Workshop) over the page and applied more Color Wash over the page, applying greens over the leafy area of the design and blue over the bird.  I used the heat gun again to dry the ink quickly.  

Next, I used Ranger's Jet Black Archival Ink to stamp a flower design (Suzanne Carillo Noel Medallion) randomly on the stenciled area.  I used the Perfect Pen and an assortment of Perfect Pearls to add some shimmer the flowers.  I added some freehand lines with Stickles to create a vine connecting some of the flowers together.

I added embossing powder to several metal flowers and brads (Tim Holtz Idea-ology Foliage).  To add embossing powder to the metal pieces, I hold a piece with a pair of tweezers and heat it with my heat gun.  Once it is hot, I dip it face down directly into my jar of embossing powder.  I then heat the piece again to melt the powder.  If I like the effect, I stop, if not, I dip it again.  I really like the Distress Embossing powders for theis because of the texture they create.  I like to add a touch of sparkle to the pieces, so after I have the pieces covered, I lay them on my craft sheet and sprinkle them lightly with an embossing powder with sparkle in it (Ranger's Bridal embossing powder).  I then heat the pieces on my craft sheet until the powder melts and blends with the Distress Embossing Powder.  For the brands in the center, I used Bridal only and just held them with my tweezers, heated, dipped, and heated until I liked them.

I applied a thick generous layer of Clear Rock Candy Stickles over the sillhouette of the bird.  I love the way it dries so chunky and flakey looking and adds so much color variation and depth to the color of the bird.

The quote is stamped in Ranger Jet Black Archival ink on a scrap of paper from Basic Grey's Basics 6x6 paper pad.  The edges are inked in Black Soot Distress Ink.  I added a Tim Holtz Idea-ology Trinket Pin to the top to "attach" the strip to the page.

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

• stamps: Art Gone Wild Suzanne Carillo Collection- Acts of Kindness and Noel Medallion
• stencil: Crafter's Workshop Paradise (TCW186)
• patterned paper: Basic Grey Basics White 6x6
• Ranger Adirondack Color Wash: Denim, Sailboat Blue, Stream, Meadow, Lettuce
• ink: Black Soot Distess Ink, Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink; Perfect Pen
• stickles: Tim Holtz Distress Stickles Clear Rock Candy, Stardust
• embossing powder: Ranger Ink Embossing Tinsel- Bridal; Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder Antique Linen and Tattered Rose
• Perfect Pearls: Pink Gumball, Blue Raspberry, Mint
• embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Foliage and Trinket Pin
• adhesive: Therm O Web Superstick
• tools: Ranger Craft Sheet; Heat-It Craft Tool; 

Art Journal: Happiness is a Place

"Happiness is a place between too little and too much." Finish proverb.

I happened upon this quote while browsing through some quotation websites.  I love looking for quotes.  I keep a little notebook of them.  I love when good ones really speak to you where you are and give you an a-ha kind of moment.  This one did.  I am seeking happiness.  I suppose we all are, but after some rough spots in life, I am truly seeking more happiness in life and trying to teach myself to find it more where I am.  Too little happiness really leaves us hungry, too much makes us suffocate.  I want to be there right smack in the middle, not too little and definitely not too much.  I created this page for my art journal to mark and remember that a-ha moment that quote gave me and to remind me to strive for the center, the just right spot in the middle.

My base page has super small printed dots on it.  It is one of the precut pages that came in my binder.  I placed the Crafter's Workshop Daisy Doodle over the page and sprayed Adirondak Color Wash (Butterscotch, Sunset Orange, and Red Pepper) over the surface.  I applied three colors in stripes across the page going from light to dark so that the color would blend in a gradient pattern.

I used PhotoShop and some favorite fonts to create a piece of word art for the phrase.  I then created a stamp from the word art using the Teresa Collins Stampmaker.  The fonts I used were distressed style fonts.  I am still tinkering and playing with what kinds of fonts and sizes I think work best for making the stamps.  I kind of like the effect of them although it kind of makes it look they they weren't stamped well.  Next time I think I will use a more solid font to compare. 

I really love these fun circle stamps from Art Gone Wild's Suzanne Carillo collection.  I love the freehand look of the circles and that with the multiple rings on each circle, it fit perfectly into my theme.  I used a Letraset Promarker to add yellow to the stars and used a silver gell pen to accent the rings.

I also stamped some stars on the piece.  I filled in the smaller center star with the yellow marker and filled in the larger outer star with silver gel pen.

After I was finished with stamping and coloring, I added Black Soot Distress Ink to the outer edges of the page.  I feel like it gives it a nice finished look and kind adds to the symbolism in the page that it is brighter and happier in the center.

This page was a pretty quick and simple page.  I tend to get wrapped up in thinking that projects have to be complicated and full of technique to be interesting.  I think this page proves that thinking wrong because I really love it and love the thought that went into.  I love the bold color and crisp lines and the whimsy in the fun circles.  It is simple and happy and that, I think, is a very good thing!

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

• stamps: Art Gone Wild Suzanne Carillo Collection- Happy Birthday Yummy; phrase stamp created with Teresa Collins Stampmaker
• stencil: Crafter's Workshop Daisy Doodle
• Ranger Adirondack Color Wash: Red Pepper, Sunset Orange, Butterscotch
• ink: Black Soot Distess Ink, Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• markers: Letraset Pro Marker Lemon; Gelly Roll Silver Gel Pen