Tag 10 quick quick

first of all, i love Ti'ms colourful tag!!!i only have one fillable pen with cranberry in it so i went for the one colour on my tag which makes it totally diffferent than with the colour blocks. i did go back in the end with some wild plum on a felt but it isn't so easy cos of he thickness of the grungeboard letters so i got a real random look which is actually pretty but does not show on pic at all. i went with an espresso dabber instead of the black, just felt a little too harsh with my one colour. i wanted to add some stickles somewhere... hummm might still rub some on.

i have been playing with Ten Second Studio metals for a while now but i didn't have the metal foil so i had to use cheapy narrow metal and put down strokes of it! and it was way too thin and ripped so i needed to put down a second layer, you see, a tag with issues lol but still fun even with my limitations of materials. we did something like this at Ranger U and i loved it then too! In 2010 it will be turning up on some of the classes so watch out. there is something relaxing about embossing metal... aaaahhh

well, anyway, my tag much prettier in real, pic is not doing it any justice at all but i am not going to take a new pic lol i am in painting mode!!! painting ANGELS!!! maybe that is why the tag is a quick quick version. i want to paint!!!! what can i say? i'm having fun with the big wings and the soft faces and the light coming from all around... ok you get the picture, you know what kind of mood i'm in lol

oh and angel in the ba&ck is nowhere near finished so don't judge her apperiances just yet :)

off to my physical therapist for some pain and suffering no doubt! thne back to painting

hope your day is a supercool one! xxx

checking in

it's been a few days, i've been busy, i've been lazy too! i had another Rangerized workshop and it went well, some total beginners who had never even used embossing powders before, this is fun really! they are amazed when i show them the difference between clear embossing, frosted crystal and distress embossing powders for example! it's like magic to them. i like beginners, gives me so much pleasure educating and helping them. they all went home with a finished portfolio of 13 techniques using distress inks, powders and perfect pearls. i was totally proud of them all! yes you too Anna!

today i had a day of rest, had a wonderful long msn chat with my friend j who is miles away again for the next few months. i'm going to try and squeeze in a visit combined with a trip to Milton Keynes to go to Linda Brown's store to get myself some kabukas and big daddy moulds and some beautiful ten seconds studio metal and tools to play with, i could get everthing sent to me but i love to feel and touch what i buy and it'll be a great roadtrip for me to do on my own, just getting a hold on things and thoughts, feeling a bit stronger, feeling British soil under my feet, doing something for myself and meeting up with j for dinner, walks and talks, i'll book a little bed and breakfast and come home the next day,sounds like a good plan! don't you think?

it is great to talk to that someone who really gets my Soul, my thoughts, my not so hidden fears and things i won't even admit ot myself at times. it is nice to have that listening ear and a voice that is not scared to disagree with you and tell you so! true friends are irreplacable.

but first i will be off to Spain for a few days of girly fun with my great lovely friend Sue, we met at Ranger U six months ago and got on straight away, from the very first second we spoke! it doesn't happen often that i make friends so easily, i'm an outgoing person at first sight but i never really let people get too close, with Sue i feel totally comfortable and i am soooooooooo looking forward to my visit. i hope we are lucky enough to have some sunshine it'll go well with the cocktails we are planning hihi! and the trip to the antique market.

my friend Micheal posted on his blog (see jack & cat) and i was happy to read his update, i've been missing the news from Arizona. Micheal was one of the Ranger U attendees last October, now nearly six months ago, looking back on it i still think it was a great experience! i met great people and i still have contact with most of them. I still have contact with Tim and Suze and Claudine at times and the wonderful other Ranger girls like Patti, Michele, Jackie!!!, Debby, Bonnie,... and i've been lucky to have been able to do quite some Ranger educating since i got my certificate. i love doing it, i love educating all things Ranger.

well, i have a pretty normal week this week, some things to do, workshop as usual and seeing a new specialist about my ankle on Thursday, hopefully i'll get some anwsers and a solution for my pain and constant swollen ankle, i wouls so love to be fully back on track again and go maybe dancing!? i so miss being able to move around freely without pain.

art: not much art done, i did draw a few dolls and did some face shading and some painting, i'm still progressing on this and i love it.

i got myself all the colours of Claudine Hellmuth's studio paint! i'm in love with this paint, i've said it before i know. but it is great paint. i gor some more of her brushes too, they are brilliant and i love the sticky back canvas and got some more of thet too. it was a treat!

i really have to clear my studio! i've been on the move so much, alot of my things are spread all over in boxes and bags, so i'm hoping to get everything back nice and neat some time this week so i can work and play a bit easier and more organized. it is a mega mess believe me!

well, off to do some preps for tomorrow, a day of photographing step by step storyboards and some filming of techniques, it'll be fun!

talk to you all soon! have a great week! remember that every moment is filled with love and joy! try not to forget even if you are having a tough time or an off-day or whatever!

xox

just checking in!

hi! just checking in!
it's been a good few days
my Ranger workshops at Kars are all done! Tim was pretty impressed about the amount of techniques i put in! cool huh! Alain loved seeing all the Ranger stuff on the tables! i had done my best to get loads in to show and educate everyone! Chantal an i make a great team i can tell you that! i'd work with her again any day!!! it was good!
Tim was great too! loads of new stuff to show! his new stamps are to die for! really truly to die for!!! the Grungepaper is brilliant! i can't wait to get my hands on that! i already have ideas of what i'm going to use it for!
Mario was super! he even helped with the preping of the paint dabbers! so for a short while i had my mario hihi! Rangerettes will get me on this one :-) he is so goooood! i like mario heaps! and he wore his hat all weekend like me! we were setting a trend haha! trendsetters mario and me haha!
tomorrow i'll be joining them for the education day!! and according to tim this is actually the follow-up of Ranger U! i mean!!!! hoooowwww cool is that! i'm kind of in an over the moon freaking out kind of mood! i'll hardly sleep tonight i imagine.
anyway! i'm on a stupid scratch card for internet now so i'll go and leave some time to chat to my kids!

talk to you all when i get back!
ohh just for the record! the rumours about me were not spread at Croptime! some of you thought this but no need! it was not there hihi! okay Bep!? xxx

oh and one more thing!! i recieved a really lovely comment from someone anonymous! i would so love to know who anonymous is! i was so pleased and touched by the comment, thank you!!!!

okay! bye for now
xox tanya

sticky-back canvas book

ohhh it's such a dull day, a day to stay inside and drink hot drinks and create or play! howereven this morning i had to go to the doc for a check-up on my ankle. It's a really slow healing process but i'm getting there, i'm off work now till the end of January 2009 and i got another 20 visits from the pysichal therapist, i am soooo looking forward to that! (read with plenty of sarcasme!)

but no complaining from this end! at least it is getting better, slowly but surely!

i went Xmas shopping on Saturday and am pleased to announce that i did well! all the gifts for the kids are under the tree! and i bought myself 2 books for Xmas! yes i ahve to buy my own gifts, comes with being alone! i got myself the TWILIGHT book the whole world is on about! and i got the book following "the pillars of the earth" i didn't even know there was a second book so i was like a littke kid in the bookstore! i had the mgiftwrapped so i can't read before Xmas! aren't i good?!

this weekend i finished my littke canvas book i made with Claudine Hellmuth's sticky-back canvas! great stuff!

i'm pleased with my little book, happy even, it's a bit of a healing journal kind of thing, well i don't know what to call it, i did make it pretty personal, random thoughts, things that i relate to at this time in my life kind of thing. does it have to have a name? :-)

my daughter thinks the cover is a bit "nude" haha! but one needs to feel a little nude once in a while to get to the bottom of the matter... or am i just strange? :-)

i used Claudine's paints and matte Multi medium! i sooo love this medium! i even used it to adhere the goldleaf, it worked like a charm! i mixed the paints with Perfect Pearls and watered them down, i monoprinted with them, i splashed and brushed on, i dabbed them on with Cut 'n Dry foam! do i love these paints? they mix, they hold their colour! they are semi-gloss!
translucent!! which is wonderful for collage art
i used Ranger Distress Inks, Distress Embossingpowder, Goldleaf, Ranger Stickles, Paper Artsy stamps!(thanks Leandra!) i love them! ohh and i painted the flowers! they were all different colours to start wirth, all left-overs. Yes with Claudine's paints, watered down and mixed with perfect pearls and dryed with the heattool, they turned out great! i added little charms i bought in NJ, i know the flowers look a little out of place in my book, they are bright! but that is who i am! pink one day and dark the other! it's my book! i collaged with stamped tissuepaper, book pages, Grungeboard, wrapper of my fav Cadbury's chocolate! Tim Holtz' tickets,... i loved working on this book!





ohh you should see the shimmer on this red page! it is magnificant! really it is!

I never thought i would love Claudine's line so much and i never thought it would fit into my style bit it has and i am soooo pleased with her joining the Ranger Crew!!! aren't they all great!?!!! and then you all only know the designers! there are some pretty great insiders there at Ranger! Merry Christmas to you all!!! you all really made my year 2008 a happy one! especially in October hihi!

what will i do next? i think i'm going to get my Utee and Melting pot out and play!!!

hope you all have a wonderful day!

29 days of giving!

oh dear i accidentally deleted my whole post when it was nearly finished, bummer!

okay so again....

hi everyone!

fisrt i would just like to tell you about http://www.29gifts.org/, it's a 29 day giving challenge i joined, i came across it while blog hopping and signed up straight away! i like to think i give every day anyway, as a mother we do give every day but that doesn't really count, it does, but you know what i mean. it's not all about money, giving is also letting someone come on to the road in front of you, letting someone pass you in the line at the supermarket, making someone a cup of tea, holding doors open, picking up a lost glove, going out of the way of a mum with a stoller, .... little things that might just makes someone's day! and be honest, it does feel good to give doesn't it! well i joined this challenge just to be a bit more aware, it is important to give, that is my belief anyway.

I still feel the flu in my body, my head still aches, my throat still hurts, my joints ache and my ear is still thumping but okay i suppose it will pass and i'm hoping it was a good flu aznd will be so kind as not to come back all this Winter!!! i 'm hoping!!!

i haven't been very busy, i've actually done a bit of reading, watched some tv, that doesn't happen very often!

but i did make this layout with the December sketch for Hobbyfarm where i'm a designteam member

i finished all my Xmas cards for my list, it was a long list so i made lots of similar cards yet not one the same! and i'll be sending them all out this week, well nearly all of them, i still need a few addresses. i'll be putting all the names in a hat this week and letting my youngest draw a name for the Xmas present, who knows? it might just be your name! i don't know if i will announce it on my blog or let the lucky person just be suprised, hummmm what shall i do?

i also made this single ATC, not much of a job hihi! but a hint of my Xmas cards!!!!

i'm working on something with Claudine Hellmuth's sticky-back canvas! it's cool but i'm not showing until it's finished and i'll be giving it in workshop soon!

ah before i forget, i have a few dates for my workshops at Hobbyfarm!!! the first will be on 21st of February 2009 we will be doing this decorated teabox, covering 8 great techniques on Adirondack Alcoholinks, Dye inks, brayering, metal embossing,... really worth joining! it's a brilliant workshop even if i say so myself hihi! if you would like to join don't wait too long, some places are already taken and i know that my workshops fill really fast once the word is out at Hobbyfarm, so you are warned, sign up now if you want your chance to join me on this "Be Rangerized" journey!!!

also 21 of March i'll be doing a Clearbook filled with techniques on Alcoholinks, blending, mixing, details, different methodes of applying and loads of ideas for layout, embellishments and so much more, too much to mention and too much to miss so sign up as soon as you get the chance!

2 more dates are set for my workshop at Hobbyfarm: 18 April and 13 June, i don't exactly know what we will be doing then but probably a beeswax collage and altered art, i will work out more details and come back on it.

so!!! i'm off to do some TIM tags!!! you know what TIM tags are? if not!!! ooooh dear!!! go check out his blog befoer you do anything else!!!!! and see the most beautiful techniques on Xmas tags ever! he is genius!!! he really is! i still feel so honoured and blessed to have spent two full days of learning from him at Ranger U, and from Claudine and Suze!!!!

it's been a good year!!!!

ps if you see typos!! !well it's because my hands are kind of letting me down, they are aching and i can tell when i'm typing that my fingers react later than they should ans letters get switched or i even hit the wrong key with funny word as a result, please read through them :-) i try to fix them when i notice but sometimes they slip my sight...

have the most wonderful day!!!!

my Ranger U collage!

if the boot fits!!!

pfff the boot is still on my foot! i had hoped to loose the boot today when i went to my surgeon for my check-up! but no such luck, my ankle is healing but not a quickly as he had hoped...
so the boot is on for at least another three weeks! i can take it off to sleep however , yeah for that! and... i can take it off 3 times a day for 15 minutes, well twice a day and once for the therapy and massage and exercises, starting tomorrow for 4 weeks! hopefully after all that i'll be okay to walk without crutches and maybe be able to drive my car again!

this isn't fun! i'm quite an indepentant person and not to be able to drive and go wherever i want is driving me up the wall!!!
however, i am getting alot of time to play and design and that is precious time really so i should be grateful, maybe my tendenitis is a blessing? yeah sure!!! i'm not that la...di...da... haha! it totally sucks!!!

but hey, a day at a time and before i know it i'll be on the road again!

this is Sue!!
I'm busy making presents for a great lady! someone who i met at Ranger U! she sent me goodies from her shop in Spain , yes! you SUE!! and she really put soooo much thought into what she sent me! all things i love or needed! i was overwhelmed really! it felt like Christmas come early!
so, i'm making presents and enjoying it because i know they will be accepted in joy.

oh and Sue also sent me lots of my lost photo's of New York, we were there together so they are almost like i took them myself! i'm so happy!

Lindy Andersen and me outside of Ranger

Sue and me waiting for the train to New Yorki did take pictures!!!!hoestly! 560 pictures! still stuck on my coffee-smelling harddrive!!New York
here in New Jersey they had wonderful lemon merengue pie!!!!

my first real petite doll

I think i'll call her ruby
maybe you like her maybe you don't! probably all a matter of taste. and that's fine.


i kind of love my little doll! my first attemp to draw on wood, i couldn't find the wood i wanted so i went with what i could get, it wasn't easy getting the face shading right! i did it a million times up to a point i had to stop so not to ruin her little face all together! i haven't got a blending pencil yet so it's a bit difficult, but one is on it's way!!!
i was getting all anal about it and then decided, hey! it's my first, it's not perfect! and that's okay! we are happy with that, tim would say! embrace the imperfections, tim would also say! get over yourself, mario would say! (tim's wonderful, beautiful assistant!) so i did !!!
i got over myself and feel happy with my petite doll!!

you can tell i've been to ranger!!! i used claudine's paints! they are soooo wonderful mixed with glaze!!! they keep their colour! don't go all light and pastel on you! they become translucent and wonderful! i like i like!!! t hey are not just another paint!!! they are beautiful!! and i'm not just saying that! i was sceptical about them at first i really admit!!
but believe me they are worth trying in mixed media!!!
i also used ranger inks of course, when do i not use ranger inks??? anyone who knows me i use ranger inks!!,perfect pearls to mix and i used them on their own, so much detail they gave to my piece!!, stamps, dabbers, i used suze's bedazzles!!! love the tiny little sprinkly thingys

the hearts om my art are with gold dabber, i simply dabbed them through a stencil, pretty thick dabbing and dried with my heattool to keep them all bubbled and textured, as tim taught us to!!!
i think they are really neat (awesome for the US readers!)

oh and i used the great ranger white pen to do the sparkle in the eye! is great for that! i'm so pleased with it!!!
you really should go check out all the ranger stuff, link in my list on the left<<<>

ohh my first little doll, i'm so happy!

never thought i could draw something and be happy about it!

life has so many suprises!

big hug!! tanya

jet lag

ohhhh dear, so this is what jet lag feels like! i felt okay up to now, i thought i would be back in my rythme in no time but ohh my! last night i just couldn't sleep! so today i've been stumbeling around like a zombie, still unable to take a good nap ( phone, shopping, ...) i think i'm going to install my self in the sofa, glass of wine, light the fire and relax and draw a little, i bought some wod to do my art on and am looking forward to getting back in to the swing of learning the petite dolls by suzi blu, they won't let me go.

i'm still full of Ranger U though, thinking of all kinds of ways to incorparate the new techniques and products in with my own "out of the box" style, i have a few workshops to figure out and of course they will all be Ranger U related, some of them are already sold out! good!!!

i will be designing some worklshops that can be done at my home, evening classes, if you want to be on the list to be notified just mail at wattstanya@skynet.be i will try(!!) to arrange dates and times to suit the people on my list, so sign up and i'll send details once i have things planned
the workshops will be limited to 4 attendees at a time so there will be lots of time for assistance

okay, off to have dinner and a relaxing evening

bih hug, tanya

Ranger U adventure

okay, here goes, i'm back from Ranger, my head totally filled with ideas and techniques, my book filled with comments, my address book filled with new friends, great people i met at Ranger U let me tell you!

Suze and Sue from Art y Fact, spain

Suze and Micheal from Jack & Cat, arizona!!
you must check out jack & cat's blog!!! beeswax art to die for!

i had a wonderful time learning all Suze Weinberg had to show on Utee! i just love ther melting pot!!! i'll be playing with that!

Claudine Hellmuth has the most wonderful paint! i was happy to play with this and i'm going to mix and make glazes for my canvas art! nothing stopping my playtime now!

and Tim, oh Tim! he is such a great educater, they all are, don't get me wrong! but Tim is really something! the way he went on for two full days! honestly, he's good! i learned a lot! i knew alot but i learned alot, i'm more than happy!!!

Tim and me! okay i am tired and it shows!!

we all went home with a beautiful frame filled with Utee examples, a box full of Claudine techniques and 51 tags with Tim's techniques! yes! 51!!! we were all so exhausted after three days! however, we could have happliy went on going, it was fun and we were a big happy family!

i was really lucky, everyone was so helful, getting me my supplies, cups of coffee, bottles of water, sweet(s when needed! i never had to walk around! i had my leg up all day and Jeanne even kept reminding me to take my painkillers :-)

we had a tour of the factory! it was fun seeing how it is all made! respect to the workers there! they are pricless!

we got to meet all the owners and got some of the Ranger history, we even got a look at the very first inkpad made by Ranger back in 1929!!

you know, it is all too much to post in one go so i'll probably come back and tell more when i get the urge

big hug! tanya

new blog address

hi there, dag iedereen,
i decided to change blogs, my old blog seemed a little boring and i had no room for all my links!
i'm not all that sure how it all operates here but i will figure it out for sure!
i'll be back to tell you all about Ranger U!!

ik heb besloten om mijn blog te veranderen, mijn oude blog leek me een beetje saai en ik had niet voldoende plaats voor al mijn links! ik weet nog niet hoe het hier allemaal werkt maar het lukt me wel om het te leren!
ik kom later nog terug om jullie alles te vertellen over Ranger U!!

creative hugs, tanya