The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #25 "A Time To Be Grateful".... and A Vintage Journey Challenge; November "Sets"...Memory Books

 November seemed to just steam-roller over me and December is only a few days away. During the first few weeks of COVID19, when authorities were saying it might last until July, I was one of the first to drop my jaw with the feeling of "Noooo! It just CAN'T last THAT long!" Hahaha....silly me. I'm hoping that the flow of vaccines will move smoothly and by the time Summer 2021 gets here- yeah, I'm not holding my breath for sooner than that- we will be getting back to some semblance of 'normal'. I know, I know; it will still be a new kind of normal because I doubt we have seen the last of a Coronavirus. But, I can hope, right?

Meanwhile, I have always had at least 3 things going on at once- never a dull, idle moment here at home. And I have been doubly busy as I have been trying out quite a few crafty ideas I've had for a long time. It's kind of vaulted  me ahead a bit. But, there's always the blogging to do, so here I am in the wee hours of Thanksgiving, and getting these 3 latest makes posted. While I feel 'early' for once in my life, I am actually late again; this (as well as one more make) is for my "ChickCousin" (my nickname for her since she is not only the ChiefHubby's 1st Cousin whose younger brother was a Best Friend, but she's been one of my very closest Besties my entire marriage)- her birthday was earlier in November and I was not quite finished....as usual. Cindy lost her Husband Roy, a couple years back. And I have NOT been a very good

Bestie in spending time with her. We've been on the same time-line with my 2 boys and her younger 2 boys (who grew up as close as neighbors, cousins, and friends), but different time-lines with Grandkids since her older 2 boys have Grandkids of their own who are the same age as my Grands. I have a plan, though... this make is for me to spend an evening with her- while she quilts (her passion) while I fill this book with her favorite photos.

                   So let me show you what I did here... 

This is something I've wanted to try for some time, now;

instead of doing a "tea dye", I wondered if you could get darker, more varied stains

with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks....dropped into water, as if it were steeped tea bags??

I chose Ground Espresso... yeah- it's kind of funny... tea... coffee...lol.

I did use gloves for this- not wishing to stain the crevices of my nailbeds.

The ink's reactions in the water is VERY COOL to watch!!!

And yep- it worked VERY NICELY!!

I played around with more kinds of paper- cardstocks, etc.

And then I also did more play- flicking water, dragging a few pieces through droplets leftover, etc.

Then I cut my 2 sets of covers and layered them together in order to make

2 books with 3 signatures each.

I totally admit my dependency on Tim Holtz items...LOL!!

The ideas of decorating with just the PAPER are unlimited!

Here's the results...

I did a couple of pages in mine- just to show her a couple of cute ideas for her pics!

I'm entering this set of Memory Books into the following challenges:

 

A Vintage Journey 

based on their November theme "Sets" in which we are to make anything

that is a set of 2 or 3 things (cards, tags, etc.).

and

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique

with their theme "A Time To Be Grateful" in which we are to

craft something that shows our thankfulness to someone or thankfulness in general. 

My Bestie, Cindy has always been there for not just myself, but for my family-

and just about everyone in our extended family.

And she shares her AWESOME talent in making quilts and quilted items for everyone!

(More on that in another post yet to come!)

Meanwhile, it looked to me as if she LOVED her Memory Book- and 

began texting me photos for printing to use on our evening visit in December!

Next post coming up soon! Meanwhile...

Stay SAFE, Wear the MASK, Wash the HANDS, &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #24 Celebrate!...We Three Kings

 

   When it came time for this Funkie junkie Challenge, I can honestly blame this make on them- lol! For real; Linda Coughlin, whose shop -The Funkie Junkie Boutique- likes to pack along little fun freebies with each order. Linda gets to know her customers and what they like, and she goes out of the way to get her hands on what you want- if she doesn't already have it in stock. I recently ordered a few things and her freebies were the inspiration for this Tag. You can say I was obsessed with this Tag once I got going. I still have my $25 GC I won from a previous Challenge. It's RANDOM- so YOU can win also!! But you can't win if you don't MAKE something and ENTER IT. Come and join in on the FUN!!! I'll be making my next order and just Keep On Crafting!

             No time to waste; deadline looming and it's been busy in this house.

The Tim Holtz Alterations Thinlits Die Wise Men became a thing I just had to HAVE-

once Linda (or her Helpers) put one of the cuts in a pkg.

It was all started with that sheet music ephemera!

So I googled an image exactly like it and that became Side 2 for my Wise Men Tag.
 

I can't keep track of all the GOODIES I have ordered from The Funkie Junkie Boutique,

but they sure do know I am a Tim Holtz Addict- through and through!

Swiped through a mix- heavy on the Chipped Sapphire.

Heat dried and then coated THE POINTS ONLY side of the

TH Crackle 3D Embosslit and quickly coated the tag with plain white embossing powder

and reheated. It came outy exactly as I hoped and I was encouraged to go the full mile for stars!

Here, you can see the obsession build: Just got the Embossing done.

REQUIREMENT for A VINTAGE JOURNEY CHALLENGE BLOG- "Sets"

While the rest of the Tags will look the same- it's the BACKGROUNDS of Side 1 

that will all be unique...and I made sure to take pics of all 9 backgrounds together.

The 8 on the side will be Christmas Tag Gifts for my Besties (I make these every year for them).

Then, I chose to coat over each with Glossy Accents and sprinkled all over with 

TH Ranger Distress Glitter in Clear Rock Candy.

Here's just a peek of the Background for Side 1- before anything else on top.

Like millions of stars that fill the sky!

My hope was to make it look as big a sky as nighttime in Joshua Tree National Park.

(Not yet: get COVID19 over with and it'll be the trip we take NEXT!!)

Cuts of flowers to layer as a Poinsetta (I'm still not sure if I am going to add this element

to the other Tags- I really dislike the "glittery" stuff. 

But for just ONE Tag- it took me out of my box a bit, and filled

the "Bright Colors" REQUIREMENT for TFJB Challenge "Celebrate!"

Here- I am TH Distress Glazing with some Fired Brick (Ink and D-Glaze) on the flower,

and some Oxide Vintage Photo Ink with Antique Linen D-Glaze.

REQUIREMENT: TFJBChallenge "Celebrate!"- glitzy, glossy, and bright colors.

What better than TH Stickles!!!

Making the faux stained glass...

I used plain vellum sheet and alcohol ink!

WOWZA!!

And, I got THIS:

Side 1

Side 2

And B-b-b-b, phft! That's all for now, folks!

I have plenty more makes to post, so stay tuned!

THANKS!! for the kind comments and taking the time to peek in!

Please check out the rest of some super COOL entries on 

where I am entered:

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog

Until next time...

Be SAFE, Wear the MASK, Wash the HANDS, &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!!

.

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #23 Home Is Where Your Heart Is...Longing For HOME!

 The election is...over?? I'm hoping that honesty will win out. Somehow. But, no matter who wins; my hope and faith is in GOD- nothing less than. And my faith is that GOD is still in control.  So that's my inspiration for this- my 2nd entry- for "Home Is Where The Heart Is" . My plan all along was to show both my Earthly home ( CLICK HERE if you missed it), and my REAL home. What made this project the most fun is Tim Holtz's new Alterations Bigz Die Cathedral Window. Being a Sizzix Bigz Die means this will cut into very thick materials, which gives you much more choices in how to use it. With Christmas and Easter- this die is going to not only be fun, but very useful in decor and children's crafts as well. I can't get enough of everyone's photos of what they have done with this die so far, and I;ve already laid out plans for my next make with same. Meanwhile...let's just get to this and make this a fast post so we hit the deadline...argh!

Beginning with several items- including some recent orders from The Funkie Junkie Boutique -

The Cathedral Window was going to be the center of attention- the "home" part.

I was digging through my drawers of large stash items when my hands landed on this!

It was from a bargain trip to Tuesday Morning very early this year

before COVID19 took over... ahh...those were the days, huh?

And guess what fit this size of frame PERFECTLY...

... the CATHEDRAL WINDOW DIE CUT!!

I started out by cutting 2 windows from Mat Board, then gave each piece here a bit

of gentle sanding where needed (the frame is in GREAT condition on its own, but I did

get one little tiny splinter off the side- and got rid of it with one fell swoop of the sander.

Let dry, then gave each a second coat. (TH Picket Fence Distress Paint).

The paint dries fast, but you can help it along with heat tool.

Using a TH IdeaOlogy Vellum Scene- ocean with sun going down-

I cut the vellum to fit just the bottom half of the window.

But don't glue yet!

Glossy Accents (by Ranger) spread all over the top window panel,

and some TH Rock Candy Distress Glitter gave the white some "Oomph",

then refit the vellum in between the 2 panels using the Glossy Accents again.

GA dries very fast, so this set of steps is quick and easy.

After the coating of Picket Fence was finished - and completely dry- 

on the window part of the frame set, I coated it with Multi Medium Matte.

Let this coat of MMM dry on it's own very well.

Meanwhile, I drilled a hole all the way through the back base board of the frame set

so that only the lightbulb part of this tea candle. 

These smaller, new kind of tea lights can be found both

 at Hobby Lobby or Amazon- these are very tiny and run on just one of the same batteries that IdeaOlogy's Tiny Lights run on, but they give a singularly large 

'flicker' of goldish light such as a regular tea light.

Then I recoated in the area where the hole was made.

I should have waited...yeah, I know. *sigh*

This orange circle shows how the light bulb only just barely comes through the base board.

After fitting my background paper onto the board, it was easy to just add Glossy Accents

to both the topside of the tea light (which was flush up against the back of the frame set- I can replace the battery by just opening the tea light case as usual),  and the bulb showing through.

What you see here is the frame set sitting on top of the tea light- which sits flat on the table.

The scissor sets are all just holding the frame set down- 

to keep the spring down, as the bottom of the tea light is not yet on.

Finishing the outer frame was easy-peasy:

Those TH Distress Crayons !!

I made sure the coat of Multi Medium Matte was completely dry,

and then scrubbed the Crayon (Hickory Smoke) over the bumpy parts.

Then dipped a paintbrush in water and just glazed the water over the Crayon to spread it more

into the cracks and crevices of the frame. (The sides of both pieces in the frame set have 

also been covered in Picket Fence Distress Paint- for side viewing.)

I just got this TH Alterations Movers and Shapers Set; Crown and Fleur-de-lis

finally added to my collection! (I'm still on the lookout for the Mini Old Jalopy.) 

Making a more dimensional crown is easy- layer it up in odds!

Although I do have TH Alterations Bigz Die Layered Wings...

I thought these were more fitting. And cuter, to boot.

I did replace the heart from the TH Alterations Die Heart and Wings (retired)

with a Mini (larger of the 2) Heart from the M&S (retired) set above.

That.. Distress Glaze!!!!

I love this song by Building 429 ("Where I Belong")

and it's one of the songs that is easier for me to hear since they are huge on bass.

So I looked up some images of the sheet music, shrank them and made

my own ephemera for the title resting place

(title made from TH IdeaOlogy Clippings Stickers).

Results are; me doing my Happy Dance...

~LONGING FOR HOME~

One Day, those of us who are deaf, will be the first to hear Him coming back!

The blind will be the first to see Him,

and the lame, handicapped, and afflicted- as well as all the children-

 will be the first to be caught up to meet Him!

GOD is LOVE itself.

His crown has 7 points for perfectness, but three ruby crystals

(from stash but given a top shine of  Ranger TH Alcohol Ink in Watermelon) represent the Trinity (GOD The Father in middle, JESUS The Son on the right side of GOD, & The Holy Spirit on left of GOD).

Glossy Accents on the backsides of the song sheets give it more durability.

Edging the IdeaOlogy Clippings Stickers- Regular Distress Ink in Fired Brick.

She holds an IdeaOlogy Gumdrop Heart- which is JESUS in us.

Lit up- it says it all.

The tea light makes the vellum sun look like a REAL sun!

THANK YOU!

Everyone, for peeking in , and especially all the nice comments

(I consider "like"s and <3 s to also be a comment),

as they always give the Crafter a warm, fuzzy feeling. ;)

If you get a chance- stop in to see the other AWESOME makes

that get posted for each Challenge !

Until next time...

Stay SAFE, Wash the HANDS, Wear the MASK,

and

HAPPY BLOGGING!!!