The July 4th holiday is already upon us and that means all my kids and Grandbabies will be here for that first week. I'm going to really enjoy that time with them, but there's so much to get done before they get here. That includes a sweet night at an "America" concert!! ChiefHubby scored four tix so we could also take our set of Besties who have their 38th Anniversary just a couple weeks before our own 38th (we were married by the same Preacher in the same church as well). I'm very excited since their biggest hit, Sister Golden Hair, is one of my all-time faves! Yeah; I'm firmly a Beatles girl practically from birth, but those 70s hits are some of the bests I remember hearing. This is gonna be COOL! Frame me as a hippie and that's fine by me. With the last half of June, came the activity I've done since I was a little girl: picking wild black raspberries. I started out picking them with my Grandma (whom I share a middle name with) and picked them the years I lived out here in this same area well before I met the ChiefHubby and purchase of our home here. Our boys grew up picking them also. Our area is the "wild black raspberry capitol of the world" with so many bushes that regrow each year along all the roadways and in most of the tree lines. There's been years where I had 8 or 9 gallons of them in our large freezer- waiting to be jam or jelly, but mostly baked into hot, yummy pies for holding a scoop of ice cream on top of. I'll be making one for the kids on Saturday for a family cookout. I've always made at least one for our Besties camping on one of the 3 summer holidays, but not for this Monday. Baking one pie means a 5-inch-deep pan that is 13x9 and takes 4 crusts and 1 full gallon bag of berries (the bags hold more than a gallon, actually). It's a bit of work, but it's sooooooo good! We traded out our big family freezer for a chest that is for 2 older people, so my 8 or 9 gallons picked is now more like 2 or 3. The season lasts for about 3 weeks in a good year, and I pick every day since they ripen so quickly. At the peak, you'll start picking at one end and by the time you've gotten to the other end, the starting end has already ripe for picking again. The Grandbabies all love picking with me, but their picking is more like "one for me, (*munch-munch-munch*) two for me, three for me....gimmie yours, Memaw....etc," If I want to freeze any at all, I simply have to go pick ALONE, lol! It warms my heart that all three LOVE berries and picking them with Memaw, just like I did with my Grandma.
We're at another new challenge over at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog, and this one is a real challenge for me, Stencil Mania! Of course, you all know I've said before about how hard it is for me to figure out the how and where to use stencils. With this challenge, Teri's asking us to use at least THREE stencils...yikes! So, I plunged in and just did it. I think the color scheme is what helped me: Americana, with a little boost from the Professor! Let's start the scroll...
I started out with these things I wanted to use.
I opened my Tea Dye Distress Ink Pad to find it a bit dry.
Time to reink all of the pads.
I always buy new pads with their coordinating reinker- never run out in the middle of crafting!
While I had the Tea Dye out, I decided to use it to make "splooshes".
Place larger dots of ink around the glass mat and spritz with water.
Then take your tag and make sure it goes face down all at the same time.
Gently tap and quickly pick up all at once, repeating until entire tag is covered.
Heat dry, spritz again with water directly onto tag.
Heat dry.
This is the result. Those "splooshes" are kinda like fireworks- the ones that
go "poof.......BOOM!!!!" leaving smoke in their wake.
We always have fun with those; I can feel the "poof" take offs and they all
hold their ears for the "BOOM!!", lol!
I needed a mask, so this piece of trash will do.
Two techniques used with this TH Stars Stencil:
1) plain old blended directly onto the stencil, then hold down and roll over it with pressure.
I use a floor press- used for putting in wood floors- it helps me get firmly onto the tag.
The 2nd technique with the Stars:
Use blending tool to add ink to stencil, but this time spritz water onto the stencil.
Line up the stars exactly along the first time you stenciled- right on top of that.
Gently rub with your fingers for pressure this time.
You don't want the watered ink to run everywhere- just a few nice "splotches".
You can see the difference between the two; the left has only the first technique,
but the right tag has the added splotches to give a bit of depth to the blue.
Switch out the mask now- you want the stars covered up after you did the heat dry.
Technique 3 is easy- simply tape down the Stripes Stencil horozonally,
and rub the ink in with a Blending Tool, careful not to move the Stencil.
Tim now has Grip Sheets that work well for this, but I'm an old-school girl. :)
You get the idea here, now.
To add his hat without making his hair show through it and mess up the perfect stamping,
I cut tape along the hat edge...
...taped the top of his head before I inked him up,
and stamped the Professor where I wanted him...
...then added his hat where I wanted it.
No overlapping lines.
Now that the stamp is on;
I was free to do the 3rd technique with the 3rd Dot Fade Stencil as well.
Just a few random dots with the Distress Oxide Ground Espresso.
Just click on the items listed below for the link to take you to the product!
This was definitely the first time it's hit on me to use both the Star and Stripes TH Stencils
together like this- although I've had them both for years now.
Added some rustiness to this very old American holiday.
The Professor is decked out in atomic goggles so he can watch the fireworks.
So much rusty goodness and texture can be put into anything using IdeaOlogy !!
BACKSIDE
Blackberries are abundant around here as well, but I don't like them as much.
As for the BACKSIDE of my Tag... I'm loving all the IdeaOlogy!!
THANKS! for all the kind comments on my projects,
and for those who are passing them along to others for sharing!!
I really hope you'll take inspiration from this and join in on the fun for
Sponsored by:
I'll put this out there because I know it's been a bit tough for everyone.
It seems that we've had this "sudden onset" of inflation
with costs becoming almost rediculous in the stores- for just about everything,
but especially for gasoline and groceries.
I've felt the crunch as well, and while I'm still pretty comfortable,
I've cut back on some things so we can stay in that same zone.
It's not so for many, many people. My heart keeps hope and I keep up my prayers for these.
Especially those who find themselves facing dire needs,
and the animal shelters also (I just had an emergency myself- again- with strays dropped out).
Being summer, it makes it hard when we'd normally be traveling more.
Whatever has come about (or whomever has brought it about)
please know that you can simply get out your older crafting items and still play along!
When this has passed - and it WILL pass-
you'll be happy you kept up with your crafting passion.
Plus, cash in all those "Soon, but not right now" promises of purchase. ;)
You'll see me again this week;
Don't miss it, Maties!
Have a Happy- & Safe July 4th!
Happy Blogging!!
