Designer Challenge: Distress To Impress

Hello, my crafty friends!

It's time for another designer challenge from

This month the designers were given Distress Crayons Set 9 to create and inspire with.

Until the end of the month all sets of Distress Crayons will be 25% at Scrap 'n Stamp so its a great time to try them out or to complete your collection.

Be sure to leave a comment on my blog for a chance to win a set of Distress Crayons. Increase your chances of winning by visiting all the designers blogs and leaving some love.

Here is my finished project:

I started by gathering up my Distress Crayons, a couple of tags (covered in white gesso) 

and a couple of stencils. These stencils are the Autumn layering stencils from Tim Holtz. 

I used both the large and mini sizes.

Distress Crayons Set #9 includes these colours: Barn Door, Ripe Persimmon, Pine Needles, Faded Jeans, Dusty Concord & Brushed Corduroy.

I started by scribbling Dusty Concord, Ripe Persimmon, & Brushed Corduroy randomly over my gesso covered tag. I find the colours blend best over gesso. I sprayed some water on my spalt mat and used my finger to blend the colours on my tag.

Next I took the large Autumn tag and with a baby wipe removed some of the crayon.

I repeated this technique with the mini Autumn stencil.

For my second tag - I used the same colours of Distress Crayons and stencils bu changed my technique. This time I used a blending tool and a slightly damp blending foam to apply the crayon through the stencil. Again this tag has been covered with white gesso. 

These were both tags at this point - one very bold & the other very subtle.

Before continuing I finished the edges of the tag with Distress Crayons - Dusty Concord on this one an Ripe Persimmon on the other (sorry, no pic)

I used my Bird Crazy & Crazy Dog stamp & die set for my focal points & coloured them in with a water brush pen and Distress Crayons. 

 I used the coordinating dies and cut out my images in black fun foam.

This game my stamped images a bit of dimension when adhered to my tag.

For my foliage I created a third tag using the distress crayons & the Bubbles Mini Stencil.

I used the small smallest dies from the Fall Foliage die set to cut out a bunch of leaves.

After adhering the leaves and stamped image to my tag I finished it off with a Small Talk sticker from the occasions pack.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! Now head over to Karen's blog for even more Distress Crayon Inspiration.

Don't forget to leave a comment - you could win a set of Distress Crayons from

Design Team:

Tara Nixon Cox

Amber Trubiak

Amy Rysavy

Julia Chupik (you're here!)

Karen Warner

Nancy Frustaci
Karla Yungwirth

Products Used:

(This blog post contains affiliate links)

Part 2 - November Kit Reveal for Scrap Shotz

Welcome back!

I am on the Scrap Shotz Snap Shotz blog today for part 2 of my November Kit reveal.

Click on the logo to see the full reveal - 

Here is a sneak peek of the project - 

November Kit Reveal for Scrap Shotz

Hello crafty friends! Today you will find me on the Scrap Shotz Snap Shotz Blog 

with the premiere of the November Kit Reveal.  

Click on the Scrap Shotz logo to go check it out and the loveliness of the Novmeber Kit.

Here is a sneak peek for you.........

Selfie.....Technique Remix Tag for November

November is quickly coming to a close so I made some time to get my Technique Remix tag done.

This month's technique remix is a combo of rub resist & dimensional coloring.

 Click on the pic below to see Tim Holtz's tag.

Here is my version - 

Remnant Rubs are pretty cool & I need to use them more - especially with this resist technique.

I chose 3 colours of Distress Stains for my tag - Wild Honey, Seedless Preserves & Rusty Hinge.
I decided to ink the edges with Wilted Violet & Ground Espresso.

For my focal image I went with a stamp from Brett Weldele. These steampunk gentlemen are so cool!

I watercoloured my image with Distress Inks then fussy cut it out. I inked the edges with Ground Espresso & Black Soot.

Tim Holtz - 12 Tags of 2016 November

Grandma's Roses

Hello! Today I am here to share a layout I made featuring a photo of my 

Grandma when she was a teenager.

I bought this sheet of paper from Treasured Memories during the Great Canadian Scrapbook Carnival in September. It is part of their exclusive dark edged paper line.

I also used some Fancy Frame chipboard and some tiny paper roses from Southern Ridge Trading Co.

First I coated the paper with matte medium. Once that was dry I applied a coat of clear gesso over the entire surface. (not shown). While I waited for this to dry I prepped my chipboard frames.

I began by painting the frames with two coats of Victorian Velvet Distress paint.

Next I tapped my Clear Embossing Ink pad over the surface of each frame and covered with Burnt Copper Leaves Embossing Powder from Emerald Creek Craft Supplies. Before heating the embossing powders I rubbed off some of it off so it exposed some of the pink paint underneath.

Next I took some of my white gesso and applied some on over a portion of my paper

 using a palette knife.

After the gesso had dried I applied some Distress Crazing Medium over the gesso. 

My next step here was to take some Distress paints in browns, grey and black and use my finger to apply it over the cracks left by the crazy medium.

Next I took a background stamp, some embossing ink & some Distress Powder in Aged Mahogany to add another texture over the focal area.

Just before assembling my focal point I decided to splatter some paint over the background too.

Peace ---- A Wild Whisper Christmas Card

I am so excited to be participating in a blog hop for Wild Whisper this week. 

Watch for the blog hop to go live at 6pm MT on Friday, Nov 18.

However, I was so inspired by this beautiful new paper that I decided to make a Christmas Card to share with you today. 

I started by trimming a 4"x 5.25" piece from this 12x12 design from the Holiday Style Paper pack. 

After rounding the corners, I sprinkled a bit of Pthalo Green Color Burst Powder

 & misted with some water.

The paper curled a bit but held up really well with the moisture.

This piece is a 3"x 4" card from the Holiday Style Card Collection. I rounded the corners and used my ink blending tool to apply some Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink to the edges.

Next I used the Stacked Snowflake Die from Sizzix to cut out some snowflakes in the Holiday green deco sheet. I also trimmed out one of the banners from another 3"x 4" card.

I added a pop of colour by cutting out the word PEACE from a piece of Holiday Red Deco sheet with the Holiday Handwritten Thinlit set from Sizzix.

Let It Snow....Christmas Gift Tag

Tis the season for gift tags! 

I absolutely love designing and making these mini works of art.

This gift tag was attached to a pair of treat filled Christmas socks for a gift exchange party with a great group of friends. Yes, we had a Christmas Party this past weekend and it totally got my in mood for Christmas. 

Here is my finished tag ~

I started by cutting out my tag in kraft cardstock and my blue base from Ranger Distress cardstock.

I started with the blue distress cardstock - I applied embossing ink to one side of my chevron embossing folder & embossed the cardstock. Next I sprinkled Weathered White Antiquities Embossing Powder (Ranger Ink) over the embossed cardstock and tapped off the excess.

Before I heat embossed the powder I rubbed the powder off the raised parts and in various spots around the edge.

I distressed the edges and applied some Walnut Stain Distress Ink to 'dirty' it up a bit.

To create my focal image. I first started by cutting out the Dashing Deer die cut from kraft cardstock.

I used a sponge to apply white acrylic paint to the Halftone background stamp from Stampers Anonymous and laid the die cut down on the stamp.

I laid a piece of copy paper over the die and stamp and gently applied pressure. I love the random pattern it made on the die cut.

I made sure the paint was completely dry before covering the die cut with Gathered Twigs Distress Stain. (Sorry - I forgot to get a photo of this step)

For the tag base I applied Ground Espresso Distress Ink over the entire tag, spritzed some water and made sure to dry it completely with my heat gun.

I took some ephemera pieces from the Festive pack and added some Vintage Distress Collage Medium over all them. When this dried I applied some Crazing Medium as well. 

I applied some Crazing Medium to the die cut word 'SNOW' as well. I just love those tiny cracks!

I finished off my Dashing Deer die cut by adding some lines with my Dylusion Paint Pen. It really helped define the edge. I brown sequin for the deer's nose was perfect for a small bit of bling.

There you have it - my finished tag for a pair of treat filled Christmas socks.