Graphic 45 ~ Unique Papercrafting

***Update***They won the award for Best Booth!! Told you it was good!
This booth was definitely one of the most beautifully decorated of all at CHA. It was jam packed with altered projects of all kinds. Lamp shades, boxes, trunks, bottles, frames...all done with paper!
Extremely wonderful! Hats off to this talented artist and her style. I'm not a scrapper, but I LOVE paper, ribbons, metal, glue, and ink. This company combines them with remarkable style for that warm vintage look of long ago. Graphic 45 ~ Simply stunning!

Can't think of any more TLFT, but if I do, I'll bring them back!

Friends at CHA - 2 posts in one day!

I LOVE it! Had to share!!!! Tim, Wendy, me, Linda, Lisa and Margaret!!! The group from Scrapbook Friend'z. I will be teaching there on Aug. 10th. A Bind-It-All book (learn how to use it). And it will have Grungeboard, Idea-ology bits (whoo hoo!) brads and pearls from KaiserCraft, and of course DISTRESS INKS AND STAMPERS ANONYMOUS STAMPS!!!


(for those who know the story....yes, I'm screaming!!!!!!)


Here's a sneak peak...I know I profess to hate them...but what can I do. This was so much fun to do. The little books are just way too fun and right up my alley.
Ink, ink and more ink. The original paper is somewhere under there!

The flower is much more of a red, since it's with Worn Lipstick, but the day is rainy here, and the picture needed better light. The ribbons and paper really do go together...trust me. Where have you heard THAT before? Honest.

Stampers Anonymous~ the Ultimate in Stamps

Stampers Anonymous has always been the Premier Imager of the stamp world. When first starting out, just to find a SA stamp was thrilling!!! You could spot them a mile away by their detail and composition. Tim's new stamps are my new favorites of his...of course!

This is a new one by Teresa Collins. Cecile drove us up to More than Memories so we could shop and talk to Kasey...what a knowledgeable gal!! You have to buy something if you're going to a convention!! GEEZ!

Anyway, don't you love this little work of art?? TOO COOL. I just had to stamp my new ones, got a few more from SA, and decided to share it with you. Nothing special, just a really neat image on great KaiserCraft papers.

I met Lisa Pavelka there giving a class on polymer class. She is so sweet, and such a talented lady. The girls in the class were wonderful. Loved my bracelet.

And here's the pitch. Go and see Wendy Vecchi's new line Studio 490 at SA. The storage binder is wonderful, and all sorts of ideas are printed on the back of each stamp package! Genius!!

One more ~ TLFT:

When using Distress Inks over Masks or if it gets on the back side of your unmounted stamps, they won't stick well. Clean with water and they are good to go! Simple, easy, but maybe you didn't know this....

Jenni Bowlin

Jenni Bowlin....you have GOT to love her stuff!!! Of course the picture did not do it justice, but the vintage bottles, labels, and baubles were wonderful, as were the people in the booth and Jenni Herself.

TLFT: Maybe you all know this, but I figure if I didn't know it, someone else might not either. Here goes: If your Crackle Paint has thickened up and gotten globby, it can be thinned with water. I did have one friend ask why it was so thick, and now I know she can thin it if needed!

There you go!

Linda

Nasty Day in the Midwest

Know who these lovelies are? Two very cool chicks! Jennifer Perkins and Traci Bautista. What a duo. They were having a great time doing make and takes. My granddaughter loves to watch Jennifer!

Monday was NOT a good day to be in Central Illinois! At 5:40AM the sirens woke me blaring! Now, the other day, my cell woke me at 6 in my hotel room, and I was out like a ROCK! I didn't know where I was or what was ringing.

Today, I KNEW the sound was the tornado warning....but I didn't know where I was (I was actually in the guest room as DH was snoring) and I could not find the door out!!!!! It missed us, but was on the ground and very close by.

My daughter and family were hammered! No power to 180,000 people in the Quad Cities area of Illinois. 92 mph straight line winds, trees ALL OVER the place, one on their truck.....they are fine, but no power for 5 days. What do you do when there's no TV, AC, iPod, X-box, Guitar hero,etc, and 2 teens.....you go to bed. They were all asleep by 10! It's going to be a long 5 days, but many have had it much worse.

Tiny TLFT......it's not really a tip, but an interesting fact. Embossing Ink from Ranger smells good. Tim smells it every time he opens it to use it. What does it smell like? YOU TELL ME!

Take care.....and be safe,
L

Distress Stickles from Tim

This picture was the best I could get from the new terrific product Distress Stickles from Ranger. The color is Spiced Marmalade (hi Rachel from Tim) and after it has dried, you add Worn Lipstick and Fired Brick Distress Inks to the background. I suppose you could do it the other way around, but that's what I did. It is like colored rock sugar to look at it, and it feels the same way. VERY cool!!!!

TLFT: Tips Learned From Tim

Did you know that all blacks are a shade of green, or blue, or brown( I think those were the colors he stated). Anyway, they, the chemical gurus at Ranger, told him that there was no real TRUE black except in coal. So, he said, that's the color he wanted. The color from coal.....hence.....black soot. Rub any black ink on white paper and it has a shade of green, or blue or brown. Rub the Black Soot ink across white paper and it is BLACK. The truest black of them all.

So if you want a really black, black.....use Black Soot! .......Tim says!

(good thing this was his idea...)

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And a wave of the hand to the girls at Cloud9. A really terrific group of people there, too. I LOVE their stamps. I used one of the clear stamps on my cards that I handed out at CHA. Really had fun with those. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their boxes. The new punch out stickers and transparencies are fabulous with their new papers! Beautiful colors.

Great work Amy and Nancy. Hope to talk to you soon.

Linda

More Pictures and another TLFT

I have to tell you about an amazing person I met at CHA. This is Melissa Kennedy with KaiserCraft. She wanted this little black and white button from another booth, but couldn't get away to get one. They were all gone, so I had to barter one of my cards with Amy Teets to get her one. Sometimes it takes so little to please us. What a hoot! (Please excuse my hair, it was raining in Chicago and it definitely contributed to a bad hair day). The album pictured is one of their displays. Too cool, heh?

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Of course, Melissa is as talented as she is warm and friendly. How she kept 8 people going in a Make and Take at one time was unbelievable. But the papers and pearls, the rhinestones and brads were just drop-dead gorgeous!!!! Truly a treat.

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Their wooden books, flourishes, albums, clocks and all around projects are right up my alley! WOW! Something very new and unusual. Loved it all.

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I will be using their flowers and rhinestones in one of my upcoming classes.

Thank you Melissa for a very fun-filled class from a really classy gal!

Linda

*****UPDATE****

Forgot the TLFT~Tip Learned from Tim

OK, this will be a short one. When you mix the Perfect Pearls, water, and re-inker inks in your mini-mister you must shake it immediately. The binders in the PP will activate in the water, as they should, and will make a solid ball if not shaken up. Figures, right?

TLFT ~Tip Learned From Tim

Well, I have slept! But I'll tell you, that hotel bed was so comfortable at the Embassy Suites, I have no idea how late I would have slept if Cecile hadn't called and woke me up at 6!

Met so many wonderful people...Linda Brown from the UK, Catherine Scanlon-Art from the Heart, Traci Bautista, Jennifer Perkins(what a hoot! my granddaughter could watch her forever) Teresa Collins, and Melissa Kennedy from Kaiser! That woman is a riot, how she keeps a class going and under control is amazing.

Here is a shot of the Make and Take from Advantus using Tim Holtz Idea-ology pieces. What a great project. Too much fun, and of course the people were remarkably helpful. Now you can add whatever you like to the other rings to make it your own. Got to get one of those rings you wear that opens jump rings....brilliant!

TLFT: Day 2
Did you know ~ you can put a few drops of alcohol inks in a watercolor disk tray and let them dry. Each little bowl having a different color. You can then paint the color onto the back of a transparency. You pick up the dried color with a water brush filled with the Blending Solution and brush it on like a painting.
You know what's next.....How cool is that? WAY COOL!

WOW!!! CHA!

Hi everyone!

What a great time we had at CHA! Wendy Vecchi debuted her stamps from Studio 490, and they were a knock-out!!! WONDERFUL presentation from Ted and Michelle (Mr. and Mrs. Stampers Anonymous.) They are so terrific! You MUST get these stamps....you won't regret it! 2DYE4! (get it..DYE ink???)

And soooo much fun watching the demos. Wendy, Tim, Claudine, and Suze. What a team. The Ranger people are just TOO great for words. OMG...yes, they all work so hard and do such an outstanding job. I learned so much, from the Great One. Lots of tips!!!!!

I will delve them out to you...a bit at a time.

1. Did you know, and this is one of my favorites, that if you thump the bottle of Glossy Accents on the table when done using it, the bubble of glue that inevitably CLOGS your bottle will pop up and you won't have a clogged glue tip when you use it next!!!! HOW COOL IS THAT? Who says that.....anyone know? The Master.

I probably spent at least 4 hours this time watching Tim demo. And Wendy was my second most watched demo-ee. Is that a word? My theory is: Why spend time with the amateurs when you can watch the Masters? You can quote me if you like!!! HA! So, yes, I didn't walk around as much as other people, but I sure learned as much as they did!

And the Make and Takes at Advantus using Tim's Idea-ology pieces .....Geez....too much fun! The talk of the show. I'll send some shots tomorrow, after I've slept.

Tomorrow, another Tip learned from Tim! It was his idea about putting them on my blog, so I took it and ran with it.

Good night, and Good Luck.

Linda

The Bag is ready to go!

Tim would be so proud. I used my Perfect Pearls that I won from him, my Golden Acrylics, foam stamps, and my black Sharpie pen! The bag has been around for awhile and needed some jazzing up, so the large pocket on one side got some decoration, and the stars are hung with the little pins from Idea-olgy. LOVE them.

One more night to sleep after tonight, and we are on our way to the Big Show!!!! Hope to get to the 2Peas Social on Saturday and meet some old friends!

See you there!
Linda

Two More Days til CHA!!!!

I couldn't help myself. I HAD to make a necklace with the dragonfly. Here is the results. I think it turned out OK with the beautiful turquoise crystals...it will go with a new top to wear to CHA. Did I mention, it's only 2 days until I go?????

The large bead is one I've had for years from a trip to Galena, Illinois. And the Dragonfly is from Vintaj. They have many of their beads right here in my hometown of Morton at Pumpkin Glass, and I didn't even know it!
How cool is that? And the owners are soooo nice. The shop is HUGE and beautiful. Stop by and take a look at their wonderful things.

Be well everyone!

Necklace ReDone

Took some time tonight to redo a "necklace." I don't know what else to call it...."way big something you could hang around your neck."

It was fun. Lot's of Grungeboard and Idea-ology pieces. Ink of course. And wire. I had done this piece earlier, but it needed more. You know how that goes. So I added 11 more things, and some white dots. Just for kicks!

Two more days til CHA!! But who's counting?

Good Day for Garden Pics! Ugly Bug...

This might be the last time I bore you with garden pictures. Then again, if something really beautiful comes out...I might bore you again!

Does anyone know what that black and orange critter is on the Agastache bush? YUCK...I don't like the looks of him!!!

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OK...here's some fun news.....TIM HAS NEW STAMPS ON HIS BLOG!!!!! Go look at them. He released the images early so you can drool!!! His link in on the right, so go check them out. Can't wait for CHA. And don't forget Miss Wendy will be at the Ranger booth doing demos!!!!! YEA!!!!!!!! Ask her about her very own new line of stamps with Stamper Anonymous, too!!!!! WOW!!

***Hey, Donna said the "bug" is probably a digger wasp, and it won't hurt me or the grandkids! Thanks Donna! It is UG~LY! And such a bright orange. ***

The Star - Other Side!

Since I don't seem to be getting anything else accomplished...as in making books...I decided to put the harder, shinier metal on the back of the star from yesterday. This is 36g and the other is 40g from Ten Seconds Studio, the higher the gauge, the softer the metal. This strip is the Aluminum, it also comes in copper. (Someone correct me please if this is wrong.) So, since this is harder, it requires more pressure, and a bit more work to accomplish a piece, in my opinion. But, this was done with one tool, and one mold for the middle. The rest is doodles.

We will be using the 40g colored metal in the class, but I will demo this gauge also. I have my favorite, but what do you guys like the best? Come on...post a comment...it doesn't hurt at all...REALLY. They also have pink, brown, moss green and red in the soft metal. My fave, of course, is black.

A few pieces of Grungeboard, a couple of stamps, one of the great pieces of Idea-ology from Mr. Holtz, a couple of brads, and that's the star of the evening!

Did I ever tell you guys that my maiden name is Holtzer, so my nickname is Holtz. Maybe we're distant cousins somehow.........or something.............NAH!

Getting Class Together

Talked to Nancy W. today at For Keeps Sake store. And the metal class is going to be great!!!! Cheryl and Megan at Ten Seconds Studio are so easy to work with, and the products will be there for us.

You guys are going to LOVE this metal. I've been using it for years, but this new softer metal is sooooo cool and easy to work with, it makes you look like a pro in 20 minutes!!! I SWEAR! And isn't that a terrific backgrounder stamp Open Plaid by Cornish Heritage Farms on the red paper??? Their stamps are wonderful and big for ...backgrounds!

Here is a Maya Road star coaster covered and using the Big Mama molds. It's not the class, but I thought I'd tease you with a picture of what you all will be able to do.

FUN~FUN~FUN!

Can't wait for CHA. I'll see the FKS girls there and hope to meet up with several other talented gals from all over. If you're going, I hope to see you there, too!

Time for sleep.....

Maya Road Flowers

I had fun yesterday. I told you I loved the Maya Road metal Blossoms, and these Scallops are too terrific when you put them together!

I bought the cute stamps when I was at For Keeps Sakes. They are in a wonderful set by Cloud9. Many, many terrific sayings in it!

The scroll stamp is Printworks. I think their stamps are to dye for! Ha!

TONS of Distress ink and pen marks.....but it kept me off the streets. Must go shopping today for something to wear to CHA!!!! YEA!!!!!!

Can't wait. I have several people I hope to meet up with there! I am really excited and can't wait to see "you know who" doing demos at RANGER!!! Yep, Wendy will be "gettin' inky" just for all of you to see!