Distress Stickles

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So Much To Be Thankful For

Sometimes life is tough. It is easy to get caught up in the negativity that surrounds us. So, it is important to keep reminding ourselves what is the most important.

In my life, I am thankful that I have two beautiful children who are happy and healthy and starting their own adult lives.

I am also incredibly thankful for my amazing husband who does everything humanly possible to make me smile — even if it means telling bad jokes or doing silly dances — things he would probably deny if questioned.

To help keep me focused on the positive and important things in life, I created this 8×10 canvas to hang in my home. (click on the photos for a larger view)

I created the background with Glimmer Mists in oranges and yellows.

The paper is Authentique’s new Thankful line.

I used dies from Tim Holtz/Sizzix to cut out the leaves, then added a bit of Distress Ink and molded them with my fingers to be dimensional.

Then, I added a few acorns, cut out from the paper, and topped them with Distress Stickles. They give a soft sparkle without it being in-your-face bling.

The word Thankful is cut out with my Cricut and the smaller words are cut with a Lifestyle Crafts die.

The globe is from Globecraft Memories. I ran the frame through an embossing folder and then coated it with enamel powder. I made the family photo sepia toned to match.

For the final touch, I added a few Piccolos — tiny, laser cut pieces made from compressed chipboard — and coated them with enamel powder. I love the elegance they provide.

 

What are you thankful for?

 

 

 

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Technique Thursday: Distress Stickles

This week for Technique Thursday, we are playing with Distress Stickles.

Yes, these match the inks, stains and markers that are part of the Distress line by Tim Holtz and Ranger, but they also behave much differently than regular Stickles.

While Stickles are dimensional and filled with bright, sparkly glitter, Distress Stickles are more subtle. They have larger particles of glitter, are not as shiny and are not dimensional. When dry, the liquid that suspends the glitter becomes almost clear, leaving only the bits of glitter behind.

With Distress Stickles, less is definitely more. They are perfect to accent a portion of a stamped image or patterned paper or to give a little life to a die cut or tag. Think dew drops on a leaf or the shine on an antique Christmas ornament and you will have the sort of subtlety that comes with Distress Stickles.

They are easy to apply with your finger … just squirt some out and smear it around. Be careful … the tip is larger than regular Stickles and it comes out fast.

Of course, those of us who are impatient love that Distress Stickles can be dried quickly with a heat gun — Do NOT do this with regular Stickles. They will burn and you will not be happy.

Here’s a quick little ATC card I made using Distress Stickles.

I used Distress Stickles in Scattered Straw and Fired Brick to add to the fireworks on this piece of Tim Holtz paper, which I attached with dimensional foam. The card is made with Specialty Stamping Paper and inked with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink and Black Soot. I added a few eyelets for something a little different and then topped it off with stickers from Tim Holtz. I think it took all of 10 minutes — not bad, eh!?

Ready to try Distress Stickles out for yourself? Head over to Capture A Memory in Flint Township from 2-6 Thursday and check them out. I can’t wait to see you there.

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Fairy Magic

I decided to try my hand at one of the newer trends in cardmaking: 3×3 cards.

And, since the new challenge at the CMC Copic Challenge Group is winged things, I thought a tiny fairy would be perfect on a mini card. Here’s what I did:

The card is made with cardstock from American Crafts. The patterned paper is from Tim Holtz.

All four stamps are from Crafty Secrets — the fairy is attached with dimensional foam.

I colored the images in with Copic markers and added a few Liquid Pearl dots to the corners.

But, since fairies, in my mind, should sparkle, I added Distress Stickles to her hair, Stickles to her wings and Copic’s At You Spica pen to her dress.

She’s so cute, I just want to pick her up and hug her!