We Are Fearless

 Creativity is good for the soul. A healthy escape and cheaper than therapy. I made this mixed media card using many of Tim’s techniques from his demos. 

As I patiently await for the palette papers to arrive I had to get creative. Using recoiling scissors and palette collage strips cutting down in different sizes to make ephemera then collaging it to the card base. 

Building up the layers TH/Sizzix texture fade wood planks, swiping the embossing folder with distress ink in frayed burlap, once embossed swipe a mini cube of distress archival frayed burlap on the raised parts to create dimension. 

Chipped Sapphire is one of my favourite ‘old school’ distress inks/oxides. I used the oxide and smooshed it onto distress watercolour card stock, heating between layers. Next using the same oxide swipe the TH/Sizzix 3D texture fade Typewriter, run it through, then with a brayer and distress paint black soot lightly run over raised areas of embossed background.

 Bringing the flower and greenery to life. I love the thickness of chipboard. It’s sturdy and great for painting. I used lightweight chipboard and dies from vault wildflowers. They are the perfect size for this card. I tucked the banner behind the flower/greenery, using dies from vault bunny and chick. Distress paints to colour the dies. Tim and Ranger came up with these awesome label stickers for their line of distress. I especially love the distress paint stickers. It makes it easier to see what I have or to grab and have at the ready. lol 

Cello sticker tape from Tim’s idea ology line has been my go to for final touches on my cards. I added an extra cello sticker over the bottom part of the stems as if they were wrapped. You can have a closer look in the second picture.

Finishing touches. Tying a piece of twine from my stash around the stems ending with a knot. Tim’s idea ology chit chat sticker book has many sayings to choose from that are perfect for simple sayings on makes. I modified a saying to fit this card perfectly. Even though they are self adhesive I always like to add collage medium for extra tackiness.

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and that you take the time to make stuff. It’s a beautiful thing.

Christina

Hello Spring

 It's beginning of March, and I can't wait for Spring to come. It's still Winter where we live, with lots of snow, but that doesn't stop the birds from feeding. I saw a bird the other day, and felt inspired to make a card.

The Base:

Using distress watercolour card stock as a base, smoosh distress inks in weathered wood, tumbled glass and speckled egg on base. Heat set between layers, then dab into distress oxide speckled egg and heat set. Next emboss background with TH/Sizzix alterations texture fades snowfall.

It's all in the layers:

My go to for greenery is TH/Sizzix thinlits mini holiday greens and garden greens. They are so versatile and create awesome layering for wreaths and swags. For more definition, swipe or blend distress ink in walnut stain around edges of greenery. For the Spring bird, I used thinlits feathered friends and blended distress inks in scorched timber, walnut stain, rusty hinge, and speckled egg. The little branch that the bird is perched on, is a texture wood plank that I had on hand in my stash. I rolled the plank up to create a stick. The making of the planks is a lot of fun. My go to dies are 3D texture fades lumber and bigz die planks.

The finishing touches:

Next I machine stitched a border with cream thread, leaving the ends hanging loosely. Then to complete the card, I added a TH/idea ology word token and hi lighted the word 'hello' with distress crayon in picket fence. Then slid the token through one of the branches and adhered with collage medium.

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and it leaves you feeling inspired.

Christina 

Field Notes

 'With brave wings she flies'

Inspiration can come from anywhere, but somehow it means more coming from your surroundings. One of our Swedish Aspen trees in our backyard inspired me to make. This picture was taken a day before the snow storm hit.

......and this is what I came up with.

The Base:

Starting with distress watercolour card stock as a base, blend distress ink in lost shadow. Emboss with texture fades birch trees. Next swipe pumice stone distress oxide over top on the raised areas of the birch trees.

It's all in the layers:

Using watercolour card stock, emboss with 3D texture fades in cracked, then die cut embossed background with the thinlits die branched birch. This gives it a more wood like texture for the trees. Next swipe distress inks in old paper and scorched timber, overlapping on the trunks. Use pop ups and overlay on top of background to create dimension.

Making the birds into robins:

Die cut mixed media heavy stock in white with the thinlits dies in silhouette birds. Then blend with distress inks in rusty hinge, pumice stone and scorched timber. Next using a splat box, splatter brush and distress paint in picket fence is used to create the white dots on the birds. Added pop ups for dimension.

The finishing touches:

Machine stitched the two sides of the card leaving loose threads at each of the corners. Wrap twine around the card a few times and thread through a TH/idea-ology word token, then tie a knot at the end. To hi light the words on the token, rub distress crayon in picket fence over top, and gently wipe away excess crayon.

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and it leaves you feeling inspired.

Christina