
This year I'm joining in with Ali Edwards' One Little Word class. I've thought about signing up for the last three years, and decided the time is right to jump in now. Choosing a word to keep close for a year becomes an interesting excursion in thought, intention, and desire. I auditioned quite a few words before realizing "Focus" is the right one for me for the coming year.
I bought an unfinished top hat at Michael's last month (didn't you?) thinking it might be fun to alter for the New Year. Yesterday Simon Says Stamp and Show announced a Mad Tea Party theme, and I remembered the hat... bingo! I used Tim Holtz's Tissue Tape and several Sizzix dies (Harlequin border, ticket, and Carnivale alphabet strip.)
Here it is soon after I got started:

And later in the process, when I'd figured out how best to deal with the brim:

A thin coat of Ranger's Glue & Seal was perfect to provide a little 'stick' for the TT. I've taken classes with Tim where he's explained why it's low-tac ~ it comes on a roll, so it has to be low-tac or else it would stick to itself.
I thought Dylusions Ink Sprays would be the easiest colorant, but the TT resisted, so I went with Color Wash, and it still resisted... but Ranger's Archival Inks did the job. I applied Manganese Blue with an Ink Blending Tool, using various degrees of pressure to vary my color.
I really like how the TT layers look, and the way the Harlequin border formed my hat band:

I dyed a trinket pin with Pitch Black Alcohol Ink to hold my ticket:

Fashionable Stamping Challenges has a "Surprise Us" theme, and I'll put my hat over there, as well as at Artful Creations and Creative Every Day.
On a housekeeping note, this month marks my 2-year anniversary of blogging, and I'm just three posts shy of 400 posts... yikes! I'm working with a web designer to switch my blog over to my own website, so more news to come on that in the coming weeks.
Thanks, always, for visiting. Happy New Year!
Marjie
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