Tim Holtz Addicts; March Tag.... Springing Up!

     Oh my; there's that TH Paper Doll little blondie girl again! But this time, she's up to getting spring going! While I meant to get this posted yesterday, the first day of Spring, I'm pretty happy just to make it in the same week. Too early and it was still Winter. And LORD does know we have all had quite enough of Winter 2018-2019 already. And enough with the illnesses it brings with it, as well. (My inside voice was yelling "DIE, Winter, DIE!!")
      When we did this Tag the first time around, I didn't have everything that was needed in order to do all the same steps that Tim did on his. I think that's what is the most fun about these "re-dos"; the fact that we can not only make a different take, but we also can fulfill the steps with the necessary listed items. Just three years ago, the stores I usually shop at didn't have very much in TH products. Both they, and I, have come a long way since then; during a visit Monday to my Hobby Lobby, I found both the TH and Sizzix areas stocked to the gills! So I managed to get the Alterations Mixed Media #2 Thinlits Die. Yes, sometimes in the Midwest, it can take a longer time to get the same items in stores. 

                                             Here's the original Tags of 2016- March...

Tim's March 2016 Tag

You can find the details on my March 2016 take HERE

Here's the new Tag #THA_MAR...

These are what I got out to start with.

Gesso is soooo fun!!

The two different bases I made- the lower left is TH Alterations Thinlits Die Mixed Media 3,

which is the only one I had at the time I started, but that trip Monday gave me Media 2! 

I'd had the lighter TH Distress Crayons Set #5 just a few weeks ago (joining Set #3

in my drawer), but had yet to use them. And then, the very day I get them out-

another order came with the Set #2 in it!! It's all timing, babes...heheh!

Here's the smudge going on- in the pic I posted on FB page "Tim Holtz Addicts" (THA)

Seriously; HOW DID I DO WITHOUT THESE CRAYONS?!?

Two of the Distress Crayons from the pastel set and the bright set

made some ocean for the planet Earth (TH Alterations Thinlit Die Globe

was used and layered over this later).

After smudging, I sprayed a bit of water on part of the blues...

...and got perfect 7 seas!

TH Globe die topping off the oceans.

I fussy cut this, just following the rim around the Earth.

Front sides weren't enough. I needed backsides to have more Distress Crayon fun,

plus use that new Media 2 Die!!

Here in Indiana, the Spring weather can still be -shall we say- surprising?

Our Older Son was born May 2, 1989, on a perfectly shorts-worthy, sunny Spring day.

Four days later; it snowed. Frost can still happen even on nice days.

So Tim's Frosted was a perfect addition for the wings on these Paper Dolls.

The Thinlits Dies cut almost all the way through, more like slotted cuts,

but with my TH Shears...they cut through like cutting on perforations.

Not too shabby!

You know me and my Shrinky Dinks by now.

These cut out VERY NICELY with the TH Alterations Thinlits Die Set:

Mini Detailed Butterflies.

Here's the end results...

Tag 2 is on the left and is for our Older Daughter, Ashley.

She celebrates her 28th Birthday this Saturday on the 23rd,

and is expecting our first GrandDaughter on the 29th!

There's my own Tag 1 on the right side.

Both Backsides- backgrounds done just like the front side (the March Technique used)

and then die cuts of the TH Alterations Thinlits Set:Wildflower Stems #2

and adorned with TH IdeaOlogy Quote Tokens.

Some Closeups...

Yes; Ashley's Paper Doll is sprouting a flower out of her head!!

I figured the placement of that was cute since she herself will soon sprout. *smile*

Those Shrinky Dink TH Butterflies are soooo CUTE- and EASY to do!!

I tinted them with TH Alcohol Inks in Sail Boat Blue...

...and Watermelon.

Tim Holtz items used:

Alterations Dies:                                                                     

              Thinlits Sets: Globe                                                      

             Mini Detailed Butterflies

Mixed Media #2

Mixed Media #3

Tag Collection    

      Wildflower Stems #2

TH Ranger Distress Products:                                                                        

Distress Crayons (Set #2 and #5)                   

                  Distress Oxide Inks (Antique Linen and Vintage Photo)

TH IdeaOlogy:                                                                       

Spinners                        

Quote Chips                   

Quote Tokens                 

Long Fasteners             

Wire Pins                       

Jump Rings                   

Charmed                       

Number Brads              

TH Paperie:                                                       

Frosted                        

Paper Stash- Classic Kraft

Paper Dolls                  

That's it for now. Have a great weekend, and as always:

BE SAFE &

HAPPY BLOGGING!

MARCH TAG; The 12 Tags of 2016

    March blew in and I'd gotten my Tag done that very first few days. Somehow, the 'winds of life' got hold and just kept holding me back from getting it blogged and posted. I'm not too upset about it, because I've spent a good bit of that time with my Dad. I will never have that time back, so it was well spent. I often think of all the time we spent with our children- Band, sports, Scouting, travels, and most importantly; church. (We don't just attend- it's a lifestyle 24/7.) The things we did as far as community leading and the Fire Dept was not just well-spent family time, but will hopefully inspire our kids to do the same things they saw us doing for others.
   So, anyway... I guess there's always an excuse, and then there's a GOOD excuse, for being late.
        Tim's Tag combo for this month is another awesome breath-stealer! That's why I had to dig right in on mine. There is never a shortage of people I can think of who need an uplifter, and this month's Tag gift was actually inspired early on from thinking of my Dad. The lady I did the second one for has been battling Alzheimer's (not what my Dad has, but he is 87 and does have memory loss). We took right to this special lady and her husband, Barb and Don Allison, when we first attended Church of Christ at Logansport in June of 2008 moving into town from a county church. Don and Barb just walked right up to us and were so WELCOMING! You'd say "Oh, yeah, for Visitors, they greet you and then that's it," but that was not true at all. Barb really took me under her wing, and she has so much to share with others and teach younger wives! One of the founding Elders there, Don did the same with David, and the couple actually were only the first of many couples we have gotten close to and can look to them as 'adopted parents'. That fall, Barb took me and one of my cousins (who'd ended up at this same church also) on a day trip north to Shipshewana; a very well known Amish area & flea/crafts market. I asked her what she was looking for and she answered "Oh, nothing for myself. I came just to bring you both. It's my way of getting to know you and help you find what YOU like,". Sherry and I were floored! We were very well and able-bodied (ok, so Sherry was) and here she was SERVING US. Another humbling find that day was when I found out she had two sons who'd gone to the same school system Sherry's boys and my boys all graduated from. I just about lost it when Barb told us one of her boys died in a car accident. She spoke highly of her blessings for having had him for the length of his life and told how the funeral had been on a Saturday, but on the following day- Sunday- they got up early to attend worship as usual. She told how she was so EAGER to go worship The LORD, and THANK HIM! Just from this, you can see how this humble, loving, gracious woman affected me. And her husband always gives such gentle care for her with his absolute adoring of her. He'd go to any length for her: her craft room, whatever she needed or wanted to make for others, and never failed to seek her opinion or advice if we came to him with a question or idea. So, this Tag was a "Thinking of you" gift to this wonderful woman who now lives in a nursing home with the daily care and visits of her loving husband. I miss her and hope to get to visit her soon. Meanwhile.... here are the pics of the Tags:

My idea was to use the Window Box Die again for this project. But to make it work, I was going to have to turn the die cut sideways in order to keep the flower box from cutting the tags also. The box would be added later, but the with the cut exactly how I wanted it.

After the die cuts were made, then I knew how muuch background space I'd have for the design underneath, and started choosing some embellishments for the idea my own tag (on the left) would look like first.

I needed to see where the clock would 'fall' at so I used a pattern to see where it would be viewed inside the window cut...

The next problem occurred with the Weathered Clock die; the hands of the clock would show through the window and I didn't want ANY hands on the clock... they would be 'growing' in the flower box. So I used my Diffusers to carefully keep the die onto the very edge of the cutting plates and help protect the under tag paper. It worked!

So, now I peeled the cardboard and got the undertag cut just how I wanted. I did the same with the pieces for the other tag, but I used a cloud and a sun. Both tags had the same theme (flowers growing in a flower box outside a window with colors shining from inside the window as if the outdoors and inside were mixed up. It's the way my imagination works!

Next; choosing the bottom layer. Not too hard to do- music to go with the 'normal' springtime  and word text to go with the clockworks springtime.

Now, I could add some shading and spray effect to the uppermost layer.

Gesso is way too much FUN!

Coloring was absolutely the BEST part, but I can't wait to get some of those new DISTRESS CRAYONS!

Inky hands means you're having creatively great time!

Now, for some needed embellishments...

Making a mechanical butterfly out of an ordinary brad backing is easy using the TH Tonic Scissors and a pair of pliers/tweezers. I had a miniature penny and came up with the idea of using the penny as the bf body as in "Time is Money and Time FLIES!" I can see my ChiefHubby's face: major eyeball! LOL!!! 

Hmmm....colors or jewels...?? I went for the "costly look" of jewels to go in with the "Money" of the penny.

This is a closeup of the finished mechanical butterfly. I really loved how it turned out!

The finished fronts of the 2 springtime tags for March Tag. I ADORE those transferable Foil Sheets !!!

Closeup of the "roses" made with the TH Heart Shaped Punch and glued together with  Glossy Accents. I added a couple of colorful butterflies with the TH Small Butterfly Punch- which matched in size perfectly. A few TH Mirrored Stars were needed since a cloud was chasing the setting sun- night was coming soon.  

Here are the finished BACKS of the same tags: I added some of the same theme using embossing folders, and some shapes  cut from the Alterations Movers and Shapers Die Sets. 

Closeup photo: BACKside of the "Clockworks Springtime" March Tag 1 

Closeup photo: BACKside of the "Springtime Love" March Tag 2

Both finished Tags bagged up; mine for display and Barb's gift tag.

    Once again, I thank you for checking in on my projects and I LOVE getting a great look at so many- even if I don't always leave a comment on every crafter's blog, FB or Twitter posting, or Pinterest Pin. But I DO take time to browse through during our driving travels, and that is one nice thing about driving that you can't exactly do while flying. (ME, anyway!) I have one more blog post to get up on here and it will contain some HEATED FUN...really under fire! :) Meanwhile...
                       Stay Safe and HAPPY BLOGGING!