Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2014 July

 Excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe poem

The Raven

(Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.' .....

.....
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore.')

This is Tim Holtz Tag for July if you just follow the link

                                        

This was a tough technique for me today because I thought my lovely Big Shot Pro machine was going to break trying to emboss construction acetate (I didn't have Shrink film to hand)!!! Honestly I don't know why it didn't break!!

I have been trying to do his tag techniques in a way that makes my own appear pretty.  That's why I loved his June Tag so much.  But, I didn't do all the steps since I only wanted to do what would make something appealing. 

That is my comfort zone.  And I need to be pushed out of it.  Pretty is what I love, however, I think that's making me far too rigid in my arty expressions so I'm going to push my boundaries creatively and enjoy learning and executing new instructions.

So this time I was much more careful to follow each of the steps.
 
  









I am subscribed to Melinda Kelly's Scraps of Elegance and Scraps of Darkness scrapbooking kits, and her SOE kit for July is all about Marion Smith Designs, Mad Tea Party.  That is when I thought about the Mad Hatter's question from Alice in Wonderland "Why is a raven like a writing desk? That thought led me to the raven from Edgar Allen Poe and the word "Nevermore" and I knew what I wanted my tag to have.



That one word "Nevermore" scared the holy moley outta  me when I was really young and I'd come across poem.  I am aware now that it is about loss and the depression felt by those left behind and I believe for different reason why this poem is still able to scare me.

Supplies
TH Writing Desk Bigz Die
TH Raven And Scaredy Cat Bigz Die
TH Cobweb Decorative Strip
TH Movers and Shapers Die - Mini Bat and Skull Set
Graphic 45 Nevermore (Steampunk Spells)
TH Distress Paint Seedless Preserves, Black Soot, Tea Dye, Walnut Stain, Faded Jeans, Old paper, Dusty Concord,
TH Distress Stain Faded Jeans, Seedless Preserves,
TH Distress Ink-pads, Tea Dye, Walnut Stain, Black Soot, Picket Fence, Old Paper
TH Distress Pen Seedless Preserves, Black Soot, Faded Jeans
TH Spritzer
TH Grungeboard
TH Cracked Embossing Folder
TH Word Band
Clear UTEE
Adirondack Red embossing powder
Glossy Accents
Distress Glitter Rusty Hinge, Seedless Preserves
Construction Acetate
Size 12 Manilla Tag
Eerie Graphic 45 Cardstock
Black Ribbon
Crackle Accents
TH Staples/stapler
Golden Gold imit paint
Black Cardstock

Well I hope you like it and tell me what you think.

Hugs

Celina

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2014- A Technique That's So Much Fun for the Month Of June!!!

This is the technique that Tim Holtz posted for his 12 Tags of 2014 for June.

 

Normally because of the inclement weather I usually have to edit the dull look of the pictures.  Not This Time!!!  Yesterday the sun shone (I know it seems weird for Ireland), so all I needed to do was crop the photos. That means what you see here, is how vibrant and summery it truly looks!! I kid you not LOL :) 

I loved his tutorial so much that I've made 4 no 5 more tags of yummie-ness now!!!

To do this technique click on the 12 Tags link I've made above and it will go to Tim's blog where you can emulate him and post your own fab creations because it will give you fantastic results!!

It's essentially a watercolor letterpress technique and so simple that it's GENIUS!! 

Supplies

Wood-mounted Tim Holtz Change stamp
Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous Papillon
Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Pads - Mini Kit One (Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, Peacock Feathers & Spiced Marmalade)
Tim Holtz - Layering Stencils - Rays
My Stash Buttons, Metal flower
Junkyard Findings
Prima Resin Butterfly
Smooth Watercolour Cardstock
Kitchen Towels (to soak up excess liquid)
Scraps of Elegance Scrapbook Kit Club Clear drops & Hat Pins
Prima Large Clear Pebble
Foam Pads
American Seam Binding Ribbon White
Watermister
Beacon Quickgrip Clear Glue
We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper Green Deco/Stub 
Tim Holtz Watercolor Fine Detail Waterbrush
Ranger Heat Tool
Ranger Black Archival Ink Pad
3/16 WRMK Big Bite Punch and lilac eyelet

When I did this technique, it didn't take long at all.  The most important step, is to thoroughly dry, the watercolor card, with a heat tool.

As the distress ink pads have to be applied to the reverse side of the stencil directly, it works best with the mini ink pads as more color can be applied to it and then spritzed with water and applied to the cardstock.  I have used the larger ink pads to bigger stencils with good effect.

I love vibrant colors like those in 'Mini Kit One', which naturally, was the first set I bought and the results were wonderful I think.







I used the Papillion Stampers Anonymous Butterfly Stamp, but because I didn't have the one that can be used with the Framelit Dies, I had to fussy cut them individually after I'd watercoloured them as per Tim's instructions.

The butterflies had been stamped onto the smooth watercolour card itself and the cut out ones mounted on double-sided foam pads to give it plenty of dimension.









I stamped the Change sentiment as well as all the other stamping with Black Archival Ink and heat set it so the watercolouring wouldn't bleed the stamped images

I thought that because have to go through a metamorphosis and emerge anew. 













I had lots of fun searching through my terrifying stash (some say trash.  I say whatever!!) to add the finishing touches to my tag after the corners had been chomped off by my WRMK Green CC on the Deco side.

I am not sure what the metal pieces came from (at least 1 is a Junkyard Finding or Finnabair cog maybe) and then I used the Large Clear Pebble from Prima.

The smaller pebbles are part of the Scraps of Elegance Kit for this month (more to follow with that kit Woo Hoo!!

Then the hat pins actually came from the Scraps of Elegance Flutter April Kit from which I snipped the off the sharp needle-points 

To finish I pressed all the mini distress ink pads that I used and spritzed generously with water and then dragged a long ribbon through it and then dried with my heat tool (Ranger of course LOL!)

Be sure to check out Mr Holtz blog (follow the link at the top of this post) and try out this technique for yourself with all the stencils and inkpads and glorious funness you have to play with and see how something so simple is so wonderful and creates amazing results.

Tell me what you think as I love reading comments.  It means I'm getting better at what I'm doing.

Hugs for Everyone,

Celina