This is almost too fun to be a class.  Plus it keeps my mind off of other things.

Oh, and to anyone who thinks, “I can’t do it! You need to be coordinated!”  Nothing could be further from the truth.  These are mostly messy techniques that are pretty forgiving.  The key is that Tim Holtz is all about Distressed Art Objects.  That means that if you make a goof, you use something else to make it art.

Today we learned three more techniques –  plus why Tim never cleans his stamps. He believes that just wiping with baby wipes, or such, is cleaning enough since stamps are tools.  And he seems to think that it is beneficial for folks to actually leave a permanent-type ink on their acrylics so they stamp better.

Now for the techniques we learned:

• Alcohol Ink Agates
• Archival Resist Technique
• Stamping with Reflections (Embossing Folders Involved)

I need to get some sort of yellow in the Alcohol Inks and remember my high school art class color mixing.  I might just have to hit up some of my artist friends for a refresher tutorial.  This technique was a lot of fun –  even if I screwed it up a couple of times.  You only get to see the most successful card.  When did I screw it up?  Stamping on glossy paper.  It is soooooooo easy to slip when stamping on glossy paper, that, well, I did. 

The successful card for Alcohol Ink Agates is the first one displayed in the photo below.  I used lots of reds and greens and both mixatives from Ranger.  Then I used a Great Impressions Christmas stamp or two to complete it.  I think I’m in love with the Archival Ink colors Viridian and Emerald Green.

The next card was the Archival Resist Technique.  I decided I wanted a nature scene, and by gum if it took me all day (which it seemed to), I would make the scene in my head come to fruition.  I used a variety of Tim Holtz stamps for the background.  I stamped in the Archival Ink colors of Pale Ochre, Viridian, Chrome Yellow, and Sap Green.  After drying the ink, I used Ranger Distress Ink Stormy Sky.  Dried that, and then stamped the sentiment from Whimsy Stamps in Cobalt Archival Ink.

Please forgive the lack of color correction.  I haven’t really gotten the hang of that on my camera –  or in my various graphic programs.

The third technique, Stamping with Reflections, I used a embossing folder I got off of a clearance sale at of all places, Meijer’s Thrifty Acres.  I stamped the Harlequin background stamp from A*Muse in Coffee with the Archival Ink.  I then used a Gray Wolf Graphics (love supporting such a wonderful local artist) old truck stamp. 

Personally, my favorite is the second one.  It really doesn’t show up as pretty as it turned out.  I really need to get my Brother-in-law to give me a crash course in photography.