Frilly and Funkie Challenge #2; Vintage Valentines... My HEARTS will go on!

   February always makes a person think of hearts. Well...for myself, it does, anyway. In fact, there is not a room in our home that does NOT have hearts all over in it in some way. That's because this Primitively Americana decorated home relies on the Red, White, and Blue, along with stars and hearts. Some people say my décor never changes, but others will notice small changes take place very often. It's the furniture, basically, that changes much less often- partly due to having more basic primitive items (or Colonial, if you are so inclined to note in several places here) that are considered "stay put"s. After taking so many years of flea markets, festivals, bargain hunting and yard saleing to find these items...as long as I am this home's decorator; it will all stay put. As often as we have been keeping our eye open (most savvy homeowners will always keep an eye open for a real-estate bargain they cannot refuse because land is always a good investment)… I have never wished to move to any other home. I LOVE my own home and we are always doing something more to add to, or change it, to just what we want. I guess while others think their 'dream home' is out there somewhere and they MUST find it; this homeowner/crafty chick has been happy just to make her own. So, then.....HEARTS it is! Now, I am not about to be silly enough to demand that (should we both perish sooner than we hope- GOD forbid) our children MUST keep all these things we have now. Since our likes and treasures throughout our home run into what I've always called "eclectic" (Tim Holtz stole that from me, I tell ya!), and each of our kids has their own likes and treasures, there is just no logical reason for them to save all we have collected in our lifetime. Some Parents/Grandparents DO expect that, and most of those would probably be disappointed to know how rarely their 'wishes' are carried out after they are gone. We have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to choose from our Grandparents' treasures; real hand-sewn quilts, holiday baking do-dads and pans, cookbooks, and especially photos! And those photos have kept me VERY BUSY on the computer for very literally YEARS; scanning for copies so that everyone can have them- not just some or even one person, as often happens. ALL family members have the right to see who they came from, in moho. I think it is just awesome when youger people in the family want to learn about their family members who lived before them- and even more so if they want to keep track of who is who! Afterall, GOD always comes first (in everything) since HE is LOVE itself, and FAMILY/PEOPLE are all about LOVE!! And LOVE is what brings us to think of hearts- with Valentine's Day as the most thought-of day that represents those.
         "Vintage Valentines" is the perfect theme for Challenge #2- so that we crafters can share our makes and then get them out in time for that special holiday. Immediately, what comes to my mind when I make Valentines...my KIDS and Grands (Cole's Baby Sissy is due in March, so I'm entitled to use the plural form here). The "empty nest" thing never sat very well with me. And not being able to have more kids was something I had to work hard to get through. My ChiefHubby and our 2 sets of married kids (we consider each Son's Wife as our Daughters- not Daughters in Law, but we often say DiL for clarification when explaining to new people we meet, or folks we catch up with) are my very LIFE. My own schedule being at home is often catering to all of their schedules. Momma is intent to just 'always be there' in case they need me for anything. So when the boys first each moved out (the older to his own rented house and work/school at age 18 &1/2, and the younger to Purdue), that emptiness hit HARD. Over the years as they grew- and it's still so- I always "did" the Birthday things, the holiday things, and any other 'thing' that came up- all the way up to age 18 in their Senior Years of HS! Yep- SpongeBob SquarePants was a theme and cake and I can remember still making special Hershey Bar wraps for to go along with ice cream bars for the entire class. The teachers knew me well, since I was a Helper Mom, Room Mom, Cafeteria Aide, and just about any other title if they needed someone for it. And I loved A LOT of kids in there, helping them feel loved and treasured as much as my own kids. Holidays were Party Days and I usually had something for each of them, as well. So if you think I am 'missing that part of life'...Nah!!! Because now it's THEIR turn!! I get to be just Meemaw and finally sit and watch it all!!

           But no one ever said I had to stop making things for my kids..... VALENTINES!!
                                                                       So, let's go...

I started out with some plain tissue paper (from a roll given to me quite a few years back).

And then went through all my stamps until I was satisfied with the ones that would make a cute collage to use as a background for the front sides of each Tag. I would need 6 Tags,

and of course; each would have a Front and a Back.

Tim Holtz's Stamp Platform ( the regular larger one) came in VERY handy for this project!

I started with the Red Rubber stamps- from various TH Stampers Anonymous Sets.

NOTICE: In the upper left corner, you can see the words RUBBER in red lettering.

If you can read it (the cover is right side up and the lettering is left to right readable), 

then you have the correct side of the 'glass'. 

I chose the places for each stamp and then placed a blank tissue sheet on the platform's base.

I used Archival Ink in JET BLACK for all of these stampings.

Yes- I DID need to restamp a few times to make the ink stand out clearer on the tissue,

so the Platform did an AMAZING job helping me make 6 copies of the same collage!

Here, I re-situated the first tissue (already Red Rubber stamped) onto the Platform base,

then set the CLEAR STAMPS onto the tissue where I wanted them.

Now, it's time to turn the 'glass' cover over and switch to the red lettering readable as

"CLEAR" in the same left upper corner you saw "RUBBER" last time.

Closed the lid and the clear stamps (again- from various TH S's A sets)

stuck to the 'glass' cover in just the right places for each tissue!

I never had to touch any of the stamps until I was completely finished with all the sheets.

They were all inked in, BEAUTIFULLY SO!

All I needed to do was place each  tissue onto the Platform's base, moving the tissue

around just to match up the spaces where  the stamps would meet perfectly!

Note: After about the 3rd sheet; I found the crown clear stamp was looking "messy" and as I feared- it was backwards! Since I didn't want to tangle with more time; I decided this was one

of those "embrace your imperfections" time. Indeed: that was one of the TH Word Bands

I had already picked out to use on my own Tag copy!

These are shown as only all- Tim stamps...

Then I added one more Tim stamp (on the glass block) and 2 more by hand.

The TH Filmstrip Stamp was only 3 frames, and I repeated it to make it longer.

The other 2 stamps were 'wiggled' so they gave some 'motion' to the backgrounds.

What's Valentine's Day without the DATE?!

I stamped this randomly all around several times on each sheet.

If you have a Martha Stewart Scoring Board...

you'll find a corner helper (envelope maker) on the Board- nestled neatly into the backside.

I used this to help me make each slant and fold to be in the same place on each of my Tags.

NOTE: I cut extra-long Tags by folding my 8 1/2x11 manilla cardstock (using the scoreboard to fold) and settling the folded edge as close as possible to the cut edge of the TH Tags and Bookplates Die-

but not allowing the bottom edge to cut the folded paper at all.

This gives you a Tag that is extra long- but the bottom is folded upwards to double it somewhat.

I didn't double the entire Tag...just a few inches from the top. 

Now, another straight fold at the end of the slanted fold,

having two straight folds connected by one slanted fold.

This is what I ended up with, before...

...folding the first time...

...then folding again to make a slanted pocket.

It is fully open on the right side of this photo. 

On the left side- that back tab is adhered to the front of the longer tag's 'back'.

This is what I ended up with … 6 of them. The completed FRONT bases of the Tags.

Here, 6 more Tag cuts (die cuts as usual from my TH Thinlits Tags Set),

using a random number of heavier cardboard die cuts from the two TH Alterations Dies (Movers and Shapers Hearts, and Bigz Love Stuck) making a few different patterns from different sizes of

hearts- and in 3 different LAYERS!

Set those aside and make more die cuts from the...  

TH Alterations Love Struck Die: to make 3 sets of Cupids for each Bookmark.

(The Bookmarks will be the gift inside the Tag for each of my avidly-reading family members.)

Making MORE die cuts from TH Dies (the crown comes from the TH retired Heart Wings die).

Piling them all up, got me organized for 'mass production'.

(I later tossed the die cuts of the arrows from the Love Struck Die, and decided 

instead, to add some TH IdeaOlogy Arrows.)

The first step of tissue collages is to make sure you've got a GOOD amount of Ranger GlueNSeal

on the base, and then as you crumple the tissue for a worn look, use that wonder tool: 

TH Remnant Rub Tool, to help 'shape' the paper to the forms of die cuts adhered to the base Tag.

That tool makes this step easy and SO FUN!! 

After I cut around the edges, I noticed I still had some of the fave parts of the stamped

areas leftover. Waste not; want not! So....

I clipped as much as I wanted and just layered it on!

I LOVED this look!!

You can add another coat of GlueNSeal, if you wanted, but I chose not to....

and went straight away into adding COLOR.

The thing is: each of us has a "color code" that I know is not only their favorite color,

but in both Sons' case- it was the color I always chose when it came to purchasing TWO of the same things. They could automatically know which belonged to who- by color.

And most of the colors are also their Birth Stone color, so I mixed in a bit of that, if it didn't already have that color as the basic background.

Then, instead of that GlueNSeal coat which I skipped....I put on a coat of the 

Ranger Collage Medium in Vintage.

Cutting the crowns out of soft cork sheets...coating them with Gold Distress Paint and 

some Collage Medium Crazing... then some various gems from my stash boxes- including TH IdeaOlogy Roses- to mix in their fave colors and Birth Stone colors.

I was all finished, but for the last main item...

Finally on January 28th- yep; MONDAY:

my order of the TH Thinlits new addition of Faceted Hearts got here just in time!

This is what I ended up with for everyone...

The mix of our colors always makes me smile- we truly do represent colors of the Rainbow

(Aka: GOD's Promise) !!

My own crown in October's Pink (or Opal) Rose Zicron.

That Tim has done it again: these new dies just ROCK!!!

 I can't wait to get the rest of the ones that will perfectly fit for my Mechanical/Electrical Older Son,

and my Nuclear Engineer Younger Son- they really DO match those!!!

I added some rust, because my love for my family may be 'old' but each day, it 

really DOES refresh anew for them!

That wooden heart is from my Niece's wedding last fall. Her Dad (my oldest Brother on my Dad's Rush side) died just before her wedding. It was a bittersweet time. I saved 2 of those tiny

wooden hearts from the middle of our table waiting to use them specifically for this Valentine's Day.

I found these little treasures on clearance for just over $1 from 

The Funkie Junkie Boutique (the Sponsor of the FF Challenges)!

I also ordered several other sets of different embellies- esp a set of TH IdeaOlogy Pinecones

as well as TH Snowflakes for the same bargain prices !! 

Here's a closer look at that little wooden heart from my Niece's wedding.

The Bookmarks have a frontside and a backside.

The finished full look of my own Tag...FRONT...

… and BACK.

All packaged up -with my 'signature' yearly Americana Tags- and ready to:

1) mail the Younger Kids Set (Brett and Holli) to Red Wing, Minnesota

(where it's been LESS of a winter up there than down here in Indiana).

2) pass on the Older Kids' Tags during one of our drop off/pick ups for Wittle Peanut.

(Cole already has a Valentine gift appropriately for a Grandson- 

waiting for him in Meemaw's hideaway spot.)

3) Give the ChiefHubby his before he takes off for work-probably on another

Ch-ch-chilly-willy day on Valentine's Day at 4 am- his wakeup time.

You'll find several other awesome makes - and meet their talented

Crafters, along with some WONDERFUL Designers who lead these Challenges

at The Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog .

You are more than WELCOME to join in and have a shot at a Badge for your Blog,

or even be chosen for the $25 Gift Certificate Drawing from

The Funkie Junkie Boutique - Sponsors of each Challenge.

I'd like to thank all those who have been checking in on my Blog and yes- I see the counts!

Those counts all help spur on my Muse to create more things, and even go outside my 'usual' 

neutral/tan likes into that great color wheel unknown....lol!

I also wish each and every one of you:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Please

Be Safe &...

HAPPY BLOGGING!! 

The TAGS are back!! New takes on Tim Holtz's "Tags of" gets the fun rolling all over again!!

    Yep, it's true; the Tim Holtz "12 Tags of 2019" are officially back on again! In order to see them, or take part, you will need to join the Facebook Group; Tim Holtz Addicts. The group/group page focuses on projects of crafted and altered items using mainly Tim Holtz products. Since almost everything I make comes from this designer's line, I am having a lot of FUN in there! The Crafters range from the very best Designers, to those who are just starting out, so there is quite a bit of tutorial bits to help a newbie along as well as show off things made by experts. Keep in mind, though: TH products almost exclusively. So it may, or may not be your cuppa tea. It sure is MINE- and gimme seconds, please!! Starting at the first of 2019, the page's Administrators have chosen to try out a monthly challenge theme, and those most-beloved TAGS of Tim Holtz has been welcomed in a HUGE way. My own excitement has boiled over each time I take a look in on the page and see new projects and especially the Tags posted. Way back when I participated (for 5 of Tim's total 10 years), those Tags were my VERY  FAVE Challenges of all! So, it's a no-brainer that I'm all in with this- definitely!!
           Thinking of a design for the first chosen Month & Year of Tag play is not too hard for me. I even took a look back at the Tags I made for that very Monthly Tag back then. I'll post those each time I join in (to be tagged as #THA_Jan for this one) just for the added fun of seeing what I did then as compared to now. There are also so many new TH items out on the market than there were then.

                  Here's a quick look at what I posted for Tim Holtz's Blog January 2015

The rehash of TH Tag from the original posting on Tim's blog.

Oh my: I made THREE!!

These are the FRONTS (I always make a 2-sided Tag)...

...and these are the BACKSIDES.

If I remember right: the first one on the left was just to make a copy for myself

of Tim's very COOL take on the Tag- it does match up to his.

The one in the middle was my chosen Tag for entry (shown as entry Tag in the next photo below),

and that last one on the right....had to be a gift for someone. Anyone remember it??

This one was done in honor of my ChiefHubby's years from 1989 to 2015

as a Firefighter Class II, Firefighter Class I, Hazmat etc, First Responder,

and most of the last 10 years he spent as an Assistant Fire Chief or Fire Chief.

WOW! I can't believe he hasn't been called out of bed in the middle of the night for FOUR YEARS!

Now...THAT'S a LOT of changes we got used to!!

PS: Both Sons are now 'retired' as well- the older is no longer on VFD since he works

50 to 60 hours a week at his paying job (mandatory). And the younger Son no longer 

has to be a FF on his Nuclear Facility's Fire Brigade since he is one of 4 Engineers who RUN the plant and its workers. (Hello, white collar man!)

I really enjoyed posting those memories here instead of sending you back into my blogposts

with a click. My Tags generally show a part of my life. If they are simply 'quirky'...

well,.. that happens, too. But not as often. So when you see a Tag from me; you'll usually get an explanation about what was going on in my mind or in my life at the time I made that Tag.

That's what makes crafting so fun, to me, anyway; sharing!

So let's get on with the rehash of this Tag technique:

The first thing I did: make about two dozen blank dies of Tags.

I plan on being in the THA monthly Tag Challenges throughout 2019, GOD willing, of course!

I chose to make a design that was a bit different than the first take Tim did that used just basic paper

or simple IdeaOlogy items. For this: TH Alterations Movers & Shapers Pocket Watch Frame Die

and the coordinating circle cuts that fit into the space allowing creation of different sized "windows"

or a frame for the front of the Pocketwatch. Since I had some of the new TH IdeaOlogy Clock Hands,

I could make those work with my idea. 

The other items I needed: TH GlueNSeal by Ranger,

Some TH ChitChat Stickers, Wallpaper (in a baby girl color theme),

some die cut TH Tags, and some TH Tissue Paper...

said Tissue Paper is no longer made, BUT; you CAN still find it at JoAnn Fabrics,

and some Hobby Lobby stores where they still have a few rolls left.

OR, you may be like ME; and still have a roll of TH PLAIN TISSUE

that you used back when Tim was showing off the new tissue and how to make it 

your own style by stamping your choice of stamps using Archival Ink!!

I had a mix of TH Stamps that I used to make this TH Plain Tissue Paper

into a few feet of my own kind still stashed away in my odds&ends paperie drawer.

If I cut out a part where there were no "Tim Guys" in there...it was totally perfect!

Here is where I already GlueNSealed once then Tissue Paper, then another GlueNSeal coating.

It was time for some COLORS: TH Distress Paints in Spun Sugar, Salty Ocean, and Mustard Seed.

The BACKSIDE of the Pocket Watch got a coat of Spun Sugar. 

And, then it's time to add some shading for depth- using TH Distress Ink in Victorian Velvet.

"2019: It's Time for a GIRL!"

Our Older Son and Daughter are completing their family by adding a baby SISTER

for our Grandson, Cole, in March !

It's the first GIRL to be born on this side of the family in 54 years- the last was

The ChiefHubby's Sister (who is a twin with her other Brother)!!

9 boys were born in that time and not one girl until now, so we are both excited- and a bit nervous!

If I remember right...from at least 14 Neices and 7 Nephews on all my sides 

(plus our own 2 who are the only boy/boy combo out of all boy&girl or both boy/girl)

...girls can be expensive! Although...it was really COOL to get those two Daughters our Sons brought home, so I think it'll be alright. And, we still have the chance for TWINS...

(Several sets of twins run in both sides.)

that'll end up being our Younger Set of Kids, I am betting on it!

The BACKSIDE

I've added some closeups, as usual...

The TH Clockhands and Paper Doll shown here.

Both have some Distress Ink blended around the edges for some depth: 

Victorian Velvet around the Pocket Watch,

and some Distress Oxide Ink in Vintage Photo around the Paper Doll.

A TH Long Fastener and some Glossy Accents holds the Clockhands in the

1 and 2 (5 minutes and 10 minutes) positions symbolizing Child 1 (Wittle Peanut Cole)

and Child 2 (Wittle Sissy Pistachio on the way). 

There are only 2 elements to the entire Tag that are NOT Tim Holtz brand:

the Matboard used for stiff middles for the Tag itself and the Pocket Watch.

and that little camera charm shown here. I dabbled some TH Distress Paint Spun Sugar 

inside the 'lens' of the camera, and then scratched at it after it dried- to distress it a bit more.

The TH IdeaOlogy Word Stick "season" means it's time for a new season for us: we're adding

another Grandbaby to the one we have now. And I look forward to more as time passes.

This is definitely a GOOD age to be!! 

TH Chit Chat Stickers shaded with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink, 

adhered with GlueNSeal, then outlined with a TH Distress Marker in Spun Sugar...

give some 'Girly' details of what baby girls are like.

The TH Alpha Parts (Numeric) and a couple of TH Typography Numbers spell out the year 2019.

Yes, you will notice that the 1 is backwards! I thought it looked cuter that way for some reason.

When I first laid it all out to see what it would look like, the 1 seemed to act together with the

TH IdeaOlogy Rose (with a spattering of Spun Sugar Distress Paint) more than looking like it was together with the 9 to make a 19. So I turned it around and for whatever reason- it worked.

And that TH Crinkle Ribbon.... colored with Victorian Velvet & Picket Fence Distress Inks...

PLEEEEEASE, TIM, get that manufactured again!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE that ribbon!!

I would be the first to admit that this Tag is way outta the box for me. I am usually

drawn to the neutral colors- especially the tans and browns- more than bright colors. 

While pink is- and always has been- my favorite color, it's not a fave shared by our Daughters.

The Older one likes Blue best and the Younger favors shades of Purple. It's pretty much a given: 

pink girl things are likely going to stay here at Meemaw Larimore's house. 

And I'm fine with that... and I'll be as happy as a LAD Fan- as long as I can get a couple of

 GIRLY pink LA DODGER shirts made for them to match my Chase Utley jersey!! lol

Thanks for stopping by and sharing this time with me!

Please, feel free to ask to join (you must ask the Administrators for joining)

us in our Tim Holtz Addiction; CLICK HERE

Until next time: Be Safe &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!