inky inky 4x4, hanging on the kitchen door...

I've been making gifts for people. I know the people these are going to are of religious persuasion, so I figured I'd make something to help them celebrate their beliefs.

These are 4x4" ceramic tiles I bought from Home Depot, in 'Almond' color. I colored them with Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Inks, then stamped and heat embossed them in silver. I trimmed them with plumbers' foil tape I also purchased from home depot. I'm making wire frames for them, that will be twisted into scroll work and embellished with Czech fire polished beads in complimentary colors. I made 4 of this design, (the other 2 are in speckled pinks and striped purples.) I'm making about 10 of these tiles, 6 of which will have various stamps and embossing colors.

I have also been playing with my Utee, so I'm going to post my Utee experiments next! Stay tuned!

Tribal Leftovers

I've been working so hard to get my cards and various gifts made, that I'd been neglecting tutorials I've had in the works! While I am still nowhere near finished with my holiday rush, I just have to take time out to share what I've done with left over rubber from mounting rubber stamps. A couple months ago, I started buying my first Stampin' Up unmounted stamp sets on Ebay. The rush I got from assembling my own stamps was awesome! But my goodness, there was so much waste! I sat there, my cogs turning, wondering if there were other applications for these rubber 'leftovers'. And it came to me: I would cut them down to various sized blocks, and save them for later.

At first I had the idea of making my own tile background for stamping. I got out one of my huge wood stamps that I knew I'd never sell, and started fitting and mounting the leftovers together on the top of the stamp, to form a pleasing pattern. I then put it away until last week. A friend of mine decorates his home in 'tribal' design. So I went on the internet, and drew inspiration from some very lovely examples of African tribal art to make something unique for him. That's when the gears finally fell in place, and I had a use for the leftover rubber! Not only that, I found some very creative uses for other items in my crafting supplies.

As you see, I used a handful of supplies to make the stamped picture. I made a small rectangle stamp using a piece of the leftover rubber. I simply peeled it up off the large stamp I'd made, and stuck it to the 'top' edge of another wood stamp in my collection. For ink, I used Opaque Stazon in Cotton White, on the black paperboard background that came with this 16x20" frame. Working from the outside to the center, (stamping from top to bottom) I used a long ruler to butt the bottom of the stamp against to keep my patterns even, as I worked one stripe at a time, from top to bottom.

To make specific patterns for this tribal look, I used the 'I' and the 'O' letters of the Jive alphabet by Stamp Craft. You can see their respective patterns just under the 'I' stamp, and to the left of the 'O' stamp. I also used a stamp from the Stampin' Up set 'Artifacts'.







I then took a foam stamp I bought at Walmart many moons ago, and I cut it down to get abstract line patterns. (See the deep red, Oriental foam stamp? The round center stamp is what it looked like before I release the tribal patterns from it. You will see remnants of the actual foam stamp I cut up with a craft knife to the top, bottom, and very left if it. Notice the pattern right under the very left stamp for which it was used? Cool, huh?)



:::This is the final product! Isn't that just cool looking? I made a monogram in the middle to match my friend's name. For the overall pattern, I used 4 various sizes and shapes of leftover rubber, 2 quirky alphabet stamps, 1 cut up foam stamp I hadn't otherwise used in 4 years.

While I was making this, I also realized the design potential for this technique to be EASILY modified to look like tire tracks. I thought of it, because this also fits my friend, as he rides a motorcycle. See, wherever you take this technique, the point to this tutorial and a great tip is to think twice before you throw those scraps away!!

Before I go, I want to share with you another blog that I found to be absolutely fantastic, that has a tutorial similar to this one. While I stayed blocky, she took her leftover rubber to a whole new level. Please check it out for more ideas on what to do with those scraps!

Bookmark card

Every year, I try to make a Christmas card for my mother and closer acquaintances. I usually spend hours designing something, that often takes as long to make. But this year, I took my card a bit further. For the people who read books, or want to throw something interesting on their refrigerator, there is a removable bookmark inside the card. Otherwise, it just looks really interesting and unique when left as is.

Front: Paperbilities 'Naturals" paper and other cardstock, colored with
Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Inks in Antique Linen, Vintage Photo,
Walnut Stain, Pine Needles, and Aged Mahogany.
Stampin' Up set 'Nature's Secret', snowflake stamped in
Stazon opaque Cotton White ink.
Handmade tag, wrapped with hemp,
natural weathered jute, and placed on dimensional foam.

Inside: Bookmark colored with
Distress Inks in Antique Linen, Vintage Photo,
Walnut Stain. Kitty and clock were stamped with Brown Timber Stazon ink,
the gears and clock numbers were heat embossed with
Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Embossing Powder in Walnut Stain.
An 'Autumn Leaves' ribbon yarn by Lion Brand Yarn was
tied to the top of the bookmark, and strung with a
square yellow AB finish acrylic bead.
A length of copper wire was twisted into a coil and
attached to the ribbon where it's threaded through the bookmark.
It was further embellished with a tiny watch gear,
a rhinestone, and gold eyelet.

This is the bookmark when taken from it's tabs,
which were just cut right into the card with a craft knife.
The sentiment was affixed to the inside with a small craft zot.
Aside from a signature, date and personal sentiment
written in dark ink on back of the bookmark,
I left the overall bookmark design
ambiguous for year round use.

Thank you kindly to Rachel Greig, for inspiration.
I was really taken with your tag card posted on Ranger Ink Link,
and this is what evolved from it.

Domino domino on the wall

Domino domino on the wall;
please hold tight or you will fall!
If you should fall, the art might break;
And that would make my sprockets ache!

I am not exactly 'done' with this first phase of my Etsy project, as I am currently fiddling with glosses, finishes, and coatings. I plan on turning these creations into pins or magnets upon request. I used Ranger/Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink, Stampin' Up! Stamp sets 'Artifacts', 'It's About Time', and Autumn, Limited Edition stamps 'Background Script' and 'Clock Face', Rubber Soul stamp 'Winter tree, (positive)', embossing powders in gold and silver, Krylon Kamar Varnish and Judikins Diamond Glaze.

I am processing many others, and will post pictures as soon as I get them done.

Here's wishing you a lovely evening!