Distress Stain Spritz

Tim Holtz recently released Distress Spray Stain. I think this is awesome — I am much more apt to use sprays over the original stain dauber bottle. However, I really didn’t want to buy one more thing.

When I saw the replacement tops for sale, it gave me an idea … I wondered if I could pour the stains I already have into an empty spritz bottle.

I e-mailed Tim and he assured me that it was the same formula and it should work to pour them into a spray bottle.

So, I ordered some empty bottles from Ranger and went to work.

The hard part is getting the little dauber top off of the bottle of stain. I used my thumbnail to wiggle it out … working slowly and going around and around the top.

It is important to work the top off evenly. When I did the Forest Moss, I was watching the birds and wasn’t really paying attention to what I was doing. I lifted one side too high and when the dauber went, so did a lot of stain — on the desk, the floor, my hands and me.

Fortunately, that was the only one I had trouble with!

I poured the stain into the bottle. Then I printed off Distress Ink labels from Ranger’s website. You can print your own set, here.

Then, I cut them out and ran them through my Xyron Sticker Maker and adhered them to the bottles.

Here’s my little collection.

Note: I did not do my metallic ones, since I am not sure how the bottle mixers will work. I decided I would rather buy the spray versions of those. But for the regular colors, it works perfectly!

 

Got Wood?

September is a special month at Scrap It Girl.

In addition to the back-to-school challenge, we are also having a wood challenge. And, to get your mojo going, each of the girls on the design team created a project using a wood book from Genuinely Jane Studios.

Prior to this challenge, I had not even heard of Genuinely Jane Studios, nor seen any little birch books, so I was eager to try it out.

This is the little mini book I received. It’s made in Missouri, a definite plus!

Anyhow, there were a few tiny chips around the edges, so I took my Tim Holtz sander and went around each edge, then wiped it with a microfiber towel to remove any dust. It was easy and only took me about 30 seconds per page.

I pulled out my Distress Stains to color the book. I wanted to give it the look of water, so I added a variety of blues and greens.

Then misted them with water and let them blend on their own.

I then dabbed off the excess water/stain and dried with a heat tool because I am always impatient.

Once I got the background how I wanted it, I added a bit of metallic stain to it and dabbed it around with a paper towel. It created a beautiful effect — much like frost on a window. Click on the photos for a larger picture to see the details.

I wanted the cover to resemble a port hole, so I coated it in Tarnished Brass Distress Crackle Paint and let it dry. (heat tools and crackle paint do not mix)

Once I had that part done, I got to decorating the cover and filling in the book.

I filled the book with inspirational quotes I found with a nautical theme. I added buttons, twine and stamps as well. (click on the pictures for a better view)

This is my favorite page … a ship on one side and a Michigan lighthouse on the other!

On the back page, I added a bit of fiber to soften it up a bit.

I added lots of little things on the cover … Dew Drops, metal and a tiny compass.

Here’s a look at the front again …

Now it’s your turn. You do not have to create an entire mini album. Just use a bit of wood on your scrapbook page, card or layout and post it here. One person will win an amazing prize package filled with woody goodies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sketch Challenge

This month’s challenge at Scrap It Girl is a sketch challenge, designed by one of the girls on the team.

I decided to create a layout featuring Matt on his 42nd birthday … tasting five different types of beer at an Irish pub in Holly, MI.

 

I used paper I have been carrying around for quite some time, ribbon from my stash, some bottle caps that have got to be at least 5 years old and some chipboard letters. I painted the letters in Antique Bronze Distress Stain and then went over the tips with Picket Fence Distress Stain … I was trying to capture the look of the foam on the beer. Corny, I know, but sometimes it still escapes!

I hope you will participate in the sketch challenge at Scrap It Girl this month. You have until the end of May to make a page, card or altered item that follows the sketch. And, the prize package is amazing! I wish I could win it myself!

Here’s the link with all of the details.

http://www.scrapitgirl.net/index.php/2013/05/01/its-a-sketch-challenge-time/

 

It started with a little inspiration …

Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.

It is a special, and somewhat serious, day for us as we both celebrate our love for each other and remember the most important vow we have ever taken. My husband usually gets me a gift and a card and sometimes flowers. There is often great meaning behind everything he gets for me — yes, he actually looks up what the color of roses mean and what gifts are traditional on specific years. He really does put a lot of thought into it.

Anyhow, I wanted to make him something that let him know how special he is to me. Although CHA products slowed me down and I did not complete the project until yesterday evening, it did not diminish the thought behind the gift.

So, it all began with a little inspiration … this time in the form of some stickers from K & Co.

Although the stickers never actually ended up on my project, I pulled my colors and thoughts from them.

I used the Grand Rectangle Globeframe from Globecraft Memories as the base of my project, but I wanted to include more than just a photo, so I modified it a bit … Here is what I created:

(click on the photo for a larger view)

Basically, I took the back of the frame and the bottom mat and hinged them together. It looks like this inside …

The little “story” I wrote to go inside is filled with references to shipping and sailing. I used Distress Ink to tone down the white of the paper. The lighthouse paper is really old. I’m not sure who made it. The hearts are Piccolo parts I pulled out of card decor set and then enameled with Vintage Copper.

Here’s a look at how the hinges work …

I didn’t have any hinges, so I made these using the Tiny Tags & Tabs die from Tim Holtz/Sizzix. I cut them out of Grungepaper, since it is stronger and allows some flexibility.

Then, I used Piccolo Enamel Powders to cover the Grungepaper. I used Vintage Silver and then a hint of Mossy Glen to replicate algae in the water. I added a few brads so they would look more industrial and less like office supplies.

Now for the front …

The main background is created by applying layers and layers of Distress Stain in several colors: Chipped Sapphire, Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint and Picket Fence. I used spritzes of water and a heat gun and kept going until I thought it looked like the water. Then I spritzed a homemade mix of Perfect Pearls (Gold & Salty Ocean Reinker) in a few spots because sometimes water sparkles.

I wanted to add a fishing net, but I haven’t been able to locate one, so I improvised with the Chicken Wire Crafters Workshop template. I used the Piccolo Enamel Powder Adhesive through the template and then applied Vintage Copper Enamel Powder. It’s shiny, but I think it gives the feeling of a net.

The top mat I wanted to look like a ship, so I embossed it with a Tim Holtz/Sizzix bubble folder and then coated it with Vintage Silver Enamel Powder. Next, I added some Archival ink in black, did a little scraping with my fingernail and a bit of sanding, then some more powder and more ink until I got the look I was going for.

The middle layer, which I attached with Pop Dots, was painted black and then coated with a 50/50 mix of Glastique and water so it was a bit shiny — like the paint used in ships.

I added a few metal hardware parts (stolen from my husband’s tool box) and a metal star from a Bo Bunny accessory set that I thought resembled a starfish. The smaller gear is another Piccolo part, enameled in Temple Stone.

I added a couple more Piccolo gears (one in Brownstone) and a compass sticker (the only thing used from that pack of K & Co. stickers that inspired me) to the bottom corner. The keyhole was needed to balance the project, even though it has nothing to do with a ship. It’s from that same pack of accessories from Bo Bunny. I did add a bit of twine to it, since there is always rope on a ship.

And, my sense of humor forced me to add the little fish in the bottom corner. It, too, is a Piccolo part (enameled in 24K) as is the seaweed next to it (Mossy Glenn). I love to add a cute or unexpected element and what was better than a fish?

To tie it in, I enameled a brass washer (also stolen from my husband) in Vintage Silver to serve as a port-hole. I must warn you, if you enamel metal, be extremely careful when you touch it. It heats up and, depending on the metal, may take a long time to cool — 30 minutes after I heated this washer, it was still warm.

Enjoy the day on or off the water!

Back to scrapbooking

Somehow the days just flew by … I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I last posted.

But, I assure you, I have not been idle.

Like you, I am sure, I have been scouring the net for new products to be released at CHA. I am using Pinterest to keep track of my wish list. There are so many great new products … in addition to pretty papers, there are awesome new stamps and dies from Tim Holtz, Art Parts and stamps from Wendy Vecchi, Liquid Pearls from Ranger and much, much more.

I have also been working on some projects for an upcoming technique-based plan in the works. I can’t tell you all just yet, but I will probably have an announcement in early February.

Of course, I have also been crafting. This is a page I challenged myself to do …

This style — with a small grouping in the middle and a lot of white space — is a popular trend. Personally, I have trouble leaving so much white space. I figure if it’s not needed for journaling, you should add an additional photo or make the pictures bigger. So, following this style was difficult for me, but I think I managed to pull it off …

I used the Martha Stewart Around the Page punches to create the border. The patterned papers are from Memory Box. The green flowers are from Prima. The others are from Bo Bunny and the leaves are from Petaloo. I used Copic to airbrush the large blue flower and the green leaves. Then, I added a few gems and brads from my stash and some chipboard letters from Maya Road, stamped with a Wendy Vecchi background stamp, colored with Distress Stain and then highlighted with Distress Ink.

What do you think?