Anything Tim Holtz LTC

All the Ranger/TH stuff
I used on this card

I use a lot of Ranger/Tim Holtz (TH) products so I was excited to join Jaybirders, "Anything Tim Holtz" LTC swap.  I didn't do anything new for this card but it was fun to make.  I will walk you through it starting from the bottom and going up.

I like using text papers on my cards.  I found a Tim Holtz book of scrapbook paper that I loved.  I cut the papers to size and set them aside.  

While I was out looking for TH stuff, I found the film strip ribbon.  I thought it was cool and if the Magi would have had a camera, they would have taken pictures of their trip.  I cut ribbon in strips vertically and horizontally and glued them to the background.  Once the cards were totally finished, I realized that I like the ones where the film ribbon lined up with the star in the stamp best.  

Then I took TH watercolor cardstock and cut it to size.  I did a resist distress ink technique.  I stamped a music stamp on the paper with a VersaMark embossing ink pad, and I embossed it with Ranger white embossing powder.  I rubbed the distress inks (Chipped Sapphire, Blueprint Sketch, and Wilted Violet) on my craft mat and sprayed them with water.  Then I tapped a piece of acetate into the watered down ink and smeared it on my card.  One color at a time; drying the paper in between the colors.   

HERE is the video that I am trying to copy.  I have used this technique before and I wasn't totally happy with it.  The problem is, sometimes less is more.  I struggle with that and don't know when to stop.  I think these cards are much better than the last time I tried this.  

When that was dry I lightly sprayed the cards with Distress Mica Spray Tarnished Brass.

I roughed up the edge with the TH edge rougher.  Lol, what is the name of this silly tool?  I don't know.  It made a fluffy mess.  I glued that to my background.  (I Googled it and it is called a Thread Cutter/Paper Distresser.)

Now for my stamp.  I wanted to recarve a TH stamp but so many of them have tiny text that I knew I couldn't do it.  I saw some cards on Pinterest using a Wise Men die cut.  I love the image and carved it right up.  I stamped it on grey textured paper using a black VersaFine ink pad and fussy cut around the outside edge.  I stamped the star using Dew Drop Brilliance Galaxy Gold ink pad and Wow! Metallic Gold Rich Super Fine embossing powder.  I attached the Three Kings with foam squares and glued the star on with a craft glue stick.  

Anything Tim Holtz: We Three Kings

I was very happy with my cards but thought they needed something.  The bottom area of the stamp is plain and I went back out to the craft stores looking for the perfect TH thing to put there.  I thought about adding a brad but the cards were completely finished and I didn't want to tear them apart.  I found some TH paper clips.  I asked my daughter what she thought and she said they looked good.  

So, they are in the mail and I am looking forward to seeing the other cards and maybe learning a new TH technique :) 

Product Review: I wanted to add that I am not a fan of the Ranger Heat It Craft Tool.  It is ok for drying areas of ink but it stinks at embossing.  I bought it after watching video after video of bloggers using it.  I totally prefer my pink Paper Studio Embossing Heat Tool for embossing.  I included it in the first picture because I used to dry ink and not to emboss. 

Magaly Ohika LTC and Stamp Platform Review

This card is for Linden Leafs "Magaly Ohika Art" LTC tracker.  Linden Leaf hosts many art related trackers and I usually don't join them.  I struggle to make a stamp from a painting.  I've said before that my brain doesn't work that way.  But after some discussion on the message boards I decided that I would try to join more of her artsy swaps.

I got online and started looking for an image that I liked.  There were a few that stuck out at me but this is the one I chose.  I don't know the name of it but I have 2 sisters and named my card "Sisters".

I carved my stamp and decided to try a new toy.  I got the Tim Holtz Stamp Platform on a cyber sale the week after Thanksgiving.  When it came I played with and didn't like it.  I stamped 3 hand carved stamps and every time I got a big white spot in the middle of the image.  I tried re-inking the stamp and it still didn't work.  Everyone on the boards was a buzz about the new product but I hated it.  I decided that this card would be a real way to test it.

I cut my paper to size and attached my stamp with rubber cement.  One of the issues I had with the platform is that the grid on the top is not transferred to the bottom.  It would be much easier to remake a card over and over if the grid was also on the bottom.  Then you were sure to get your paper in the same place every time.

Another issue I had with the stamp platform, was that the magnets moved.  Maybe my stamp was to big.  I ended up taping the card down with washi tape and not using the magnets at all.

The original image has writing on the girls dresses.  I knew I could never carve this and I didn't want to write on all the cards.  So instead, I glued down text pages.  I inked up the middle part of the stamp, stamped it on the text paper, and cut out the dresses.

Using the stamp platform I stamped the image once, glued the text paper down, and stamped again.  The second stamping was often not lined up with the first. 

I am not happy with how the cards turned out.  In the synopsis area on Atlas Quest I call my card, "My ugliest stamp & card ever!"  I should chosen a simpler image of just a face and not tried this one.  I was so unhappy with how they turned out, I posted on the tracker to see if anyone wanted my stamp.  Someone responded that they would plant it with their own and I mailed it the very next day.

Embossing Powder Test

Some of my kids were out of school on Friday for Parent/Teacher Conferences, two of my kids had dentist appointments, and I took the day off.  One of the many things I did was tested my embossing powders.  I like embossing my cards and I guess I have a problem because I just keep buying embossing powder.

I started off testing white.  I have 3 brands of white embossing powder- Zing, Ranger, and Reflections.  You can't see it in this picture but the Reflections bottle has a note on it that it is "Better than Zing".  Why didn't throw the Zing away when I made this discovery?  Why did I buy another white when I knew I had one that I liked?  I like both Ranger and Reflections and if I had to choose between the two I would pick Ranger.  It just seems to fill in better.

The next test was clear embossing power and you can see I have 4 of these-Hampton Art, Ranger, Reflections, and Zing.  Hampton Art was the first embossing powder I ever purchased.  I was not 100% happy with any of my clear embossing powders but maybe the problem is the ink pad I used?  The ink was Brilliance Graphite Black Pigment Ink.  I can't pick a favorite of this group. 

The last set of tests was black.  Again, I have 3 brands-Zing, Ranger, and  Recollections.  These all were about the same.  I would say Recollections was my least favorite in this group. 

I probably should have ran the test with a stamp that had finer lines.  I think that would have made a big difference.  At one time I bought an anti-static powder bag.  You rub it across the card before you start embossing and it helps the powder to only stick where you put the ink.  But I can't find it. 

Based on this test I have no favorite brand of embossing powder.  Hopefully I can stop buying it when I see it on sale :)

Ink Applicator/Blender Review

I have been using the old rectangle Distress Ink Applicator/Blending tool for a while now.  In my opinion the felt rectangles are too small.  But I make it work by using two of them or cutting my own.  If the Velcro underneath sticks out it can scratch your card.

But I recently noticed that many people are now using a round version of this tool.  I decided to give it a try and I do not like it.  The felt has been replaced with a sponge like pad that grips the paper and leaves big ink marks.  I had a very hard time getting the ink to blend and was not happy with the change.     

Sometimes I just use a piece of felt and not the tool part at all.  The long piece in the photo shows that I would use one color and then move down a little bit when I changed colors.  The next thing from Ranger/Tim Holtz will be little felt covers for your fingers; like a sewing thimble only felt.  You heard it here first ;) 

So, have you tired both?  Which do you prefer?