So Lucky with Theodore and Ranger Ink

March 15, 2021March 14, 2021audreypettit 1 Comment

Happy Monday, crafty friends! It’s St. Patty’s week! And although I don’t do anything special to celebrate the holiday, I do always love a good excuse to do a little crafting and decorating. So today I thought I’d re-share my favorite St. Patrick’s Day project from last year, an altered home decor frame that I made for the Ranger Ink Project Page featuring the adorable Tim Holtz Theodore Colorize die set.

I’m always on the lookout for inexpensive home decor items, and this 5×7 thrift store desk frame was an awesome score at less than $2. It was a plain wooden frame to begin with, which didn’t match my project or decor, so step one was to give it a whitewash of Picket Fence Distress paint and a coating of Distress Crackle Texture Paste, followed by a sanding for that perfect shabby finish. I used Oxide-inked patterned paper for the background, and it, too, was doused with Crackle Paste and sanded. The finished product is so smooth and cracked and aged, and totally reminds me of Venetian plaster. I was obsessed with this technique last year.

Theodore is so darn cute! Definitely a favorite from the Colorize line. His lucky clover was made by piecing four small heart die cuts together, and I tucked the clover into his mouth for a bit of fun. I added some Wildflower die cut greens around him, and the sentiment is a mix of alphanumeric dies with an older script word set (which unfortunately is retired now).

The full tutorial for this project is still available on the Ranger Ink Project Page, if you’d like to learn more. Happy St. Patty’s Day, and thanks for stopping by!

Sizzix Handwritten Celebrate die set- retired

2021 Christmas Card Project- Week 6

March 5, 2021audreypettit Leave a comment

Happy Friday, crafty friends! As I mentioned in a previous post, from now until December I am on a mission to make at least one holiday card a week during a crafty Zoom session with my friend, Kathie. It’s one way to stay connected to friends and family during these quarantine days, and a great way to build up my stash of cards for the year at the same time. I am calling this my 2021 Christmas Card Project, and each week I hope to share my progress with you.

For week 6, I made a pair of cards using Photoplay Paper’s two holiday collections from this past year, Christmas Cheer and Not a Creature Was Stirring. Although these cards really don’t “go” together, they do share one thing in common, which I didn’t even realize until I was taking the pictures…. they both have the same exact sentiment. So week 6 is the week that Santa Claus came to town.

The first card features the Christmas Cheer collection, and I utilized the 6×6 paper pad, the die cut ephemera bits, and the coordinating stamp set for this design. Crisp black cardstock and some older Sizzix die sets make up the foundation for the card. I stamped the sentiment directly onto the Santa Claus image, and added a popped up ephemera piece and my favorite twine tie to finish.

The second card features the Not a Creature was Stirring collection, and I used just the 6×6 paper pad and the die cut ephemera bits on this design. The main image for both cards are journaling cards taken from the paper pad, and I added a die cut for the sentiment. I’m always looking for ways to use up very small scraps of paper, and that’s what I used for the photo corners here. And then a corner rounder and twine tie finish the design.

That’s another two Christmas cards to add to my stash, bringing my total up to 9 so far for the year. Just a drop in the bucket, but better than nothing, right?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead!

The supplies I’ve used are linked and/or listed below:

Sizzix Stitched Circles, Stitched Ovals Framelits
Red Twine

2021 Christmas Card Project- Week 5

February 26, 2021audreypettit 1 Comment

For week 5, I made a winter-inspired shaker card using the adorable Winter Memories collection by PhotoPlay Paper and Deco Foil printed Toner sheets from Therm O Web.

Therm O Web Toner Sheets make the most perfect shaker windows, and they come in many different patterns and designs. For this card, I used a print that reminded me of falling snow, and used Opal Deco Foil transfer sheets to keep with a snowy feel. The sequin and bead mix is from Sizzix.

I love the sweet critters in this paper collection. One more holiday card to add to my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy weekend, everyone!

The supplies I’ve used are linked and/or listed below:

Heffy Doodle Stitched Slopey-Joes Border Dies

Waffleflower Crafts Special Delivery

February 17, 2021February 17, 2021audreypettit 2 Comments

This past holiday season, I had the wonderful opportunity to join up with Scrapbook.com for their 12 Days of Holiday sales event, and one of the products they sent me to play with was this Waffleflower Crafts Special Delivery paper pad. I made a couple of projects with it back then, but the paper has been sitting neglected since. This past week I went on a marathon crafting spree and challenged myself to use up the entire paper pad, and today I wanted to share my results with you.

Now the Special Delivery collection does include a matching stamp and die set, which I don’t have. But I still managed to end up with 7 cards and 8 tags using only the paper pad and a bit of white cardstock and twine. To mimic the postage stamp edges throughout the paper line, I relied on an older Tim Holtz die set and Fiskars border punch… unfortunately both retired now, but this scrappy project was a challenge to use what I had.

This is a smaller paper pad, with only 12 sheets of 12 designs, instead of the standard 24 papers you see in most small pads. Fortunately there were 3 sheets of images that could be cut apart for the focal point of the designs, and one sheet of tiny blocks that I cut into strips and squares, too.

Since there were pairs of images, I replicated each design where I could, simply switching out the background papers here and there. And I really did use every square inch of paper, even the smallest of strips which became small banners or tabs. And if a scrap was too small to reach across the card, I cut it in half and hid the gaps behind other items.

When it came down to the final two images, which were a bit too small all on their own, I combined them onto one card. And although I could have stopped at this point, I moved onto tags from there.

For the tags, I adhered whatever strip or small block of paper I had remaining onto cardstock, and then die cut the tag shapes. I started with a medium-sized Photo Play Paper tag die, and worked down to a smaller tag die for the final two. They are a real patchwork of piecing, but I like that about them.

This was such a fun project, and probably the first time I’ve managed to use absolutely everything from one pad or one kit in it’s entirety. 7 cards and 8 tags (sorry, I’m noticing that one small tag didn’t get its close-up… but you can see it in the top photo) feels like a pretty good accomplishment from one small pad. Plus I have a bonus post with two additional cards, if you’d like even more Special Delivery inspiration.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

The supplies that I’ve used are linked and/or listed below:

Sizzix Tim Holtz Stacked Postage Framelits die set
Fiskars Postage Edge border die

Tim Holtz 2021 Sizzix Chapter 1- Carrot Bunny

February 15, 2021audreypettit 3 Comments

Happy Monday, crafty friends! Hope you all had a lovely weekend, and enjoyed your Valentine’s Day and perhaps an extra day off today for President’s Day. Today I am excited to share my last project made for the Tim Holtz 2021 Sizzix Chapter 1 release. A fun and happy springtime card made with the new Carrot Bunny and Bubbling die sets.

This Carrot Bunny set is simply adorable! I love how the arms are notched so that you can tuck the carrots underneath… or in this case, one of my rabbits is holding the ribbon and one is popping out of his little hidey-hole. I added a trio of carrots to my arrangement, slipping them into the framework of the card. The Bubbling background is layered onto Tim Holtz Dapper patterned paper, and I used a craft knife to cut through one bubble as a window for the rabbit.

I used a Big Chat sticker and the new Alphanumeric Bold die set to create a spring sentiment banner for the inside of the card.

I had such fun making projects for the Chapter 1 release! There are just so many fabulous new sets to play with. Already looking forward to Chapter 2!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

The supplies I’ve used are linked and/or listed below:

Stampin’Up Ribbon

2021 Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 1 Release- Funky Nature

February 8, 2021audreypettit Leave a comment

Happy Monday, crafty friends! Hope you all had a lovely weekend! Today I am back with another project that I created for the 2021 Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 1 release. This is a domed gift-topper ornament that I made with the fabulous new Funky Nature set.

As you can see from the photos, it is difficult to capture this project without the glare. And that’s because of the awesome Sizzix Shaker Dome that I used to create this sweet nature assemblage. I knew Sizzix made tiny domes, but did you know that they also make several other sizes of domes as well, including this larger 3.5″ circle dome I used here?

I love this larger dome size for making package toppers, and how perfect are these for ornaments for your tree? I used the new Funky Nature die set to create an assortment of natural elements to tuck inside the dome. There are feathers and leaves and branches, and a trio of the most adorable speckled eggs. I absolutely love the detail on those eggs. The second layer has all those amazing and intricate cut outs that give it such life-like detail. Blows my mind what can be done these days with dies.

To create this topper, I used two circle die sets to create the scalloped outline and inner window, and layered the background with beautiful older Tim Holtz paper from the Wallflower paper pad. The nature elements were die cut from a mixture of kraft stock cardstock and watercolor paper that was inked in beautiful neutral colors of Distress ink. I also tucked in some real feathers, twigs, and moss, gathered along my woodland walks.

So pretty for spring! I’m SO ready!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you an awesome week ahead!

The supplies I’ve used are linked and/or listed below:

Stampin’Up Ribbon

Save

Valentine Love with Ranger Ink

February 3, 2021audreypettit 3 Comments

Happy Wednesday, crafty friends! February is all about the love, and some of you may have noticed by now that I’ve been on quite the Valentine heart kick here on the blog lately. Today I have another heart to share with you..this time, a lovey-dovey Valentine card project that I made for the Ranger Ink Project Page featuring a fun mix of Distress products and Tim Holtz dies.

I wish you could see the texture on this die cut heart in real life, because the finish you get with the Distress glaze is just amazing. Love how you can see the layers of oxide ink colors underneath the Tattered Rose Distress Glaze I used on this sweet Heartbeat die cut. I layered the heart with lots of die cut leaves from the new Chapter 1 Brushstroke Flowers set, and added one contrasting pop of color with a flower from Bloom Colorize. I think this card has a definitely cottage rose, English garden type of vibe, and I quite like that.

I used Distress oxides and glaze and kraft stock cardstock to get a mix of textures here. The leaves were arranged at different levels with pop dots to create depth, and of course a big, crinkly bow on top adds even more. The background was made with a new stencil from Simon Hurley Creates, and I think that is my favorite part. Looks like garden lattice in a pretty country scene.

I’ve got the complete step-by-step tutorial for this card over on the Ranger Ink Project Page. And if you’re interested in adding to your Tim Holtz stash, there is a huge sale going on right now over at Sizzix.com! (Click on the highlighted link or on the photo below for a direct link).

Thanks so much for stopping by!

The supplies I’ve used are linked and/or listed below:

Stampin’Up Ribbon

Tim Holtz & Sizzix 2021 Chapter 1 Release- Harrison

February 1, 2021audreypettit 3 Comments

Happy Monday, crafty friends, and happy February! Today I am excited to share another project that I made for the Tim Holtz 2021 Sizzix Chapter 1 release, shared recently on YouTube Live. This is Harrison, another adorable critter just added to the popular Colorize line.

You all know that I’m a sucker for critters, so I truly adore all the sweet Colorize animals, and love that they are scaled to work perfectly together if you want to mix and match them. And now with this release, Tim has added a set of Funky Trees to create background settings for the animals, too.

I had lots of fun combining both new and older sets to make the jungle scene for Harrison to perch in. Of course there are the tall layered trees from the new Funky Trees set. And I used the previously released Media Marks and Circle Play die sets to create the bushes and the sun. Tiny Type letters and the Curio Box banner were used to create the start of the pun sentiment that was carried to the inside of the card.

For a big impact on a big sentiment, the new Alphanumeric Bold alphabet set is just the ticket.

This is a larger card design at 5×7, so you can see how grand these new Colorize and Funky sets can be. Perfect for cards or altered art or home decor. And now one more adorable animal to add to the zoo!

It’s an exciting day for fans of Tim Holtz Distress, because today a new color is revealed! I have no idea what it is, and cannot wait to see. I’m wondering if it’s a red, for the month of love. What do you think? Any guesses from you?

The supplies I’ve used are linked below:

Tim Holtz & Sizzix 2021 Chapter 1- Bloom Colorize

January 26, 2021January 26, 2021audreypettit 3 Comments

Hello, Crafty Friends, and happy Tuesday to you all! Today I am excited to share another one of my makes for the Tim Holtz Sizzix 2021 Chapter 1 Release, shared recently on YouTube Live. This is the beautiful new Bloom Colorize die set along with the new Alphanumeric Bold set, on a 5×7 desk frame.

I am a huge fan of Tim’s Colorize die sets, and was super happy to see florals now included in the line. This set includes a gorgeous stylized flower that reminds me of a rose or a camelia, as well as a branch of buds, berries, and greenery, too. One of my favorite things about this set is that the pieces look great in just about any color, so you’re not roped into a limited color palette or design.

I die cut my botanical pieces mostly from Kraft Stock cardstock, but did mix in layers that were inked with Distress Oxide. I really like the visual textures you get from mixing different mediums, and that’s a great way to add a bit of dimension to an otherwise relatively flat design.

I almost always remove the glass when I alter a frame, and that’s what I did this time, as well as removing the top of the frame in this case, too. For this project, I stamped and inked a watercolor cardstock background and layered it onto a green cardstock base. The base was then adhered to the back of a cheap thrift-store 5×7 desk frame, and topped with an Idea-ology frame that was painted and inked. I love creating my own frames and decor from my favorite Idea-ology pieces for a truly unique project design.

Here’s my finished frame with my Mr. Rabbit pillow. Definitely makes me ready for spring. How about you?

The supplies that I’ve used are linked and/or listed below:

Stampin’Up Ribbon

In the Meadow with Ranger Ink

January 22, 2021audreypettit Leave a comment

Happy Fri-Yay, crafty friends! Are you all ready for the weekend? It’s always such a happy day when Friday rolls around again, and what a beautiful day it is, too. I just got bundled into my winter coat and hat and set out to walk the dog, only to quickly find out that it’s actually about 60 degrees today. Obviously I didn’t bother to check before I headed out, and clearly, just like Bernie with his woolly winter mittens, I am prepared for winter.

And even though we’re far from any real snow around here, I do have some frosty friends to share with you today. These snowy tags feature some fun snowman stamps from Tim Holtz and Stamper’s Anonymous and lots of layers of Distress products, from Archival Distress to Distress Oxide to regular Distress Ink. Throw in some Distress Paint and Distress Grit Paste, and finish things off with a bit of Distress Texture Paste, for good measure. Each product brings its own unique qualities to the design, and I love how these simple tags look opaque in some areas and translucent in others, with a great textured tactile finish all over.

I used Tim Holtz Sizzix dies to cut the tags and add the crochet paper trim to the bottom. Simple ribbon ties were added to the top, along with some long-hoarded Idea-ology ice skate trinkets.

I’m very happy to have the full step-by-step tutorial for creating these tags up on the Ranger Ink Project Page, if you’d like to learn more.
Happy weekend, friends! And thanks so much for stopping by!

The supplies I’ve used are linked and/or listed below: