Grungy Monday 34: We're Cracking Up Over Here!

Happy Monday, blog friends! It's a rainy day here in Boise, but I'm not going to let it get me down-- there's too much awesome going on! Have you been watching Tim's blog, where he's previewing all the new products debuting at CHA next week (that's the Craft and Hobby Association trade show)? Holy cats, the man has outdone himself... and then some!

Meanwhile, how 'bout we revisit an "oldie but goodies" using of of Mr. H's classic product lines?

Tim Holtz Crackle Resist!

For this challenge, use the technique Tim demos in the video linked above to create a tag, card, scrapbook page-- anything you wish.

I've been using Distress Crackle for years, but I still learned a couple of important tips from this video. Plus, it's always fun to watch Tim create.

Background: Peeled Paint Distress Crackle and Worn Lipstick Distress Ink.

Grungeblocks: Fired Brick Distress Crackle on the numbers; Milled Lavender on the blocks. Inked with Black Soot Distress. 

Stamps: Heart from the Love Struck set; Lace from the Purely Random set (both by Stampers Anonymous). 

Grungy Monday 34 is a SUPER-SIZED challenge-- you have two weeks to submit your entry! Here's the lowdown:

1. Create a work of art utilizing Tim's Crackle Resist technique from the link above.
2. Post a photo of your creation on your blog or at an online, public photo-hosting site like Flickr or Photobucket. You can enter anytime before Sunday, February 5 at 8pm MST.
3. Be sure to include a link to the post on Tim's blog where you found your technique. 
4. Finally, please include a link to this Studio L3 challenge post
5. Link your art below using the handy InLinks button
6. Bask in your awesomeness!

Thanks so much, as always, for being part of Grungy Monday! I hope you all have a spectacular day, and remember to keep an eye on Tim's blog-- rumor has it, he'll be introducing something fabulous later today...

Hugs,

Linda

P.S. I'll be at CHA next week and will be Tweeting live from the trade show. If you'd like to follow along, my Twitter feed can be found at https://twitter.com/LindaLedbetter.
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E-Team Special Mission: Faux Crazed Porcelain

I think it's impossible to be a crafter and not love Wendy Vecchi. I know the entire eclectic Paperie E-Team feels that way, which is why we're celebrating one of the Divine Ms. V's brilliant design techniques for our January challenge!

Wendy has been doing some really innovative things with glass and metal using Ranger's Matte Glue N' Seal, Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, and inks. You can see her sweet Faux Crazed Porcelain here, and her gorgeous antiqued glass here.  Daisy from eclectic Paperie asked us to try out Wendy's technique, and this blog hop will give you a tour of our results. I used an inexpensive star-shaped glass jar for my piece:

EXTREME CLOSE UP!

I used Ranger Distress Stain in Faded Jeans to colorize the cracks. The sparkly button is from the Ideaology Fanciful Accoutrements set by Tim Holtz. 

eclectic Paperie has three $25 Gift Vouchers up for grabs, and will randomly choose 3 winners for this blog hop! To be eligible to win, simply leave a comment on each blog between now and this Sunday, January 22. The winners will be announced late Mon Jan 23rd. 

The eclectic Paperie E-Team is:

Daisy Sparks, our Fearless Leader

Broni Holcombe

Linda Ledbetter (That's me!)

Micki Harper

Sherry Cheever

Starla Nelson

Thanks for visiting, and enjoy the gorgeous art my e-Teamates created!

Grungy Monday 33

Happy Monday, friends, and welcome to "Episode 33" of Grungy Monday! You guys did a spectacular job re-interpreting your favorite piece from "12 Tags 2011" last week, and I can't wait to see what you do with this one:

Tim Holtz Technique Challenge, August 2008

This is another of those "magical" techniques-- your piece won't look like much while you're making it, and it may take a few tries before you get a feel for it. But, all of a sudden it will come together and you'll end up with something really, really cool. It's great for card making, scrapbooking, home decor.... and jewelry!

Watermelon, Wild Plum and Cranberry Alcohol Inks. 

Keep in mind, the Alcohol Ink Metallic Mixatives don't work very well for this particular technique. Stick with the translucent AI colors for the best results. And, if at first you don't succeed, wipe off the ink with Blending Solution and try again!

To join this challenge:

1. Create a work of art utilizing Tim's technique from the link above.
2. Post a photo of your creation on your blog or at an online, public photo-hosting site like Flickr or Photobucket. You can enter anytime before Sunday, January 22 at 8pm MST.
3. Be sure to include a link to the post on Tim's blog where you found your technique. 
4. Finally, please include a link to this Studio L3 challenge post
5. Link your art below using the handy InLinks button
6. Know that you are appreciated and wonderful!

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Thanks to the wonderful folks at Simon Says Stamp for sponsoring last week's challenge. They'll post the winner on their blog shortly, and I'll add the info to this post when I have it. 

I hope you all have a magnificently grungy Monday and a beautiful and creative week!

Hugs,
Linda
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Grungy Monday 32: A Little 12 Tags Review!

Sponsored by our wonderful friends at

You know, I love hosting Grungy Monday, and before that, I loved hosting the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge. In all those many challenge themes-- this week makes 67!-- I've never enjoyed one as much as I did last week's Tim Holtz Birthday Card event! So many incredibly talented artists joined in, and every single one of those cards you guys created is magnificent! What an honor it is to play hostess to such generous craft artists. Thank you all!

Now, it's a whole new week and I hope you'll enjoy this challenge as much as the last! I don't know about you, but I found the 12 Tags of Christmas 2011 to be absolutely chock full of awesome, new-to-me techniques that I barely had time to explore beyond the rush to make the tag of the day. So, now that things have (hopefully) calmed down a bit, how 'bout we take a more leisurely approach and explore:

Your Favorite New Technique from 12 Tags '11

The link above will take you to a page on Tim's blog that lists all 12 of the tags, and your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to find one particular technique that intrigues you and try it in a non-Christmas-y work of art. This is time to experiment and play and just have a complete blast, so find something you really want to do. Fun, huh?

I fell in love immediately with the delicate Tissue Wrap flowers Tim demo'ed for Tag #12, and wondered how well the technique would work for a large-scale Valentine's piece.

I followed Tim's instructions, but used larger squares Tissue Wrap (5 - 6 inches), and tinted it with red tones of Distress Stain and Ink. I cut leaves using the Tattered Leaves die and tinted those with Evergreen Bough Distress Ink. (If you use ink on the Tissue Wrap, give it a blast with your heat tool to set the color.) There are photos of each individual flower below.

Excited to play? I hope so! This week is extra special, because the amazingly generous folks at Simon Says Stamp will be giving a $25 gift certificate to one of our Grungy Monday participants! They have EVERYTHING-- it's such a cool online store!

To enter this challenge:

1. Create a work of art based on any technique from Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, 2011.
2. Post a photo of your creation on your blog or at an online, public photo-hosting site like Flickr or Photobucket. You can enter anytime before Sunday, January 15 at 8pm MST.
3. Be sure to include a link to the post on Tim's blog where you found your technique. 
4. Also, remember to include a link to our sponsor, Simon Says Stamp (www.simonsaysstamp.com). 
5. Finally, please include a link to this Studio L3 challenge post
6. Link your art below using the handy InLinks button
7. Know that you are AWESOME!

Speaking of awesome, the lovely Gloria at the All Things Tim group has a special photo album where you can share your fabulous Grungy Monday art. If you're not a member, join up! They're such nice people and you'll learn a TON of great stuff from them!

Okay, friends, go have yourselves a magnificent and creative week! I can't wait to see what you come up with, and I thank you sincerely for being part of Grungy Monday!

Hugs,

Linda

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Grungy Monday 31: Happy Birthday, Tim Holtz!

Happy 2012, my dear Grungy Monday friends! I hope your January began with a smile, and that this entire year brings you nothing but the absolute best of everything.  

While the official holiday season may be over, for us crafters there's yet another holiday coming later this week, one I'm very grateful to celebrate: Tim Holtz's BIRTHDAY! That's right, guys: January 7 is the big day, and we're throwing a Grungy Monday party to commemorate this auspicious event. Grab your Distress Inks, your Alterations, your Idea-ology, and/or your favorite Stampers Anonymous stamps, and create:

A Birthday Card for Tim!

Background is white card stock with Distress Inks in Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Barn Door and Seedless Preserves. Alterations Weathered Clock was die cut from a Ranger Foil Tape sheet, colored with Alcohol Ink in Espresso, Black Soot and Copper, then sanded. Alterations Umbrella Man was cut from Grunge Paper and colored with Faded Jeans and Picket Fence Distress Stains. "Success" letters were cut from the Idea-ology Lost & Found Paper Stash and glued behind Idea-ology Filmstrip Ribbon. The Filmstrip was secured using the Tiny Attacher. The background card is a sheet of Kraft Resist paper smudged with Faded Jeans Distress Ink. 

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To join this world-wide celebration, create a birthday card for Tim using at least one of his signature products, upload it to your own blog or online, public photo album, then add it to this post using the InLinkz button below. Please be sure to tell us which of Tim's products you used, and don't forget to include a link to Tim's website (www.timholtz.com) in your post or photo description. Submissions will be accepted through next Sunday, January 8 at 8pm MST.

If you'd like to send your card to Tim and need his address, please let me know and I'll email it to you one you've linked in your photo. Please understand that I'm not comfortable giving out his address until you've uploaded a card to this post. I don't want to just hand it out randomly! :-)

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Remember to share your photo at the All Things Tim group, where Gloria, List Mom Extraordinaire, has a special album just for your Grungy Monday masterpieces. If you're not already a member of this awesome group of Tim fans, well, get on over there and join up!

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Thanks to everyone for joining the party!


Updated January 3 to say CONGRATULATIONS to Michelle Reaves, winner of the Simon Says Stamp shopping spree for her GM30 entry!!!

Have a blast with this challenge, and a completely wonderful week!

Hugs,
Linda
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