Faux tea roses

I love these roses and grabbed the chance to use them again in this fortnights Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge . Sponsored by The inspiration Emporium.

I revisited Tim Holtz April 2014 tag as I really enjoyed my first attempt but wanted this time to make it bigger.  I used a layering stencil as a template for the tag. The sentiment is from a stamp by Clarity stamps.

12 tags of 2014 - May

My May tag for the 12 tags series by Tim Holtz is pretty big!  Created following Tims guidelines here I drew round a layering stencil as I wanted to include elements that were too big for my regular size.  I used layering stencils to create the background.

I used various papers from Tims collections as well as embossing folders and alterations elements.  The escutcheon is from the sizzix alterations Hardware findings die, cut from grunge paper, distress inked then coated in a verdigris embossing powder to give it the antique look.  This is as you can guess a 21st birthday card for someone special.

I'd also like to enter this into the Wow Embossing powders May Antique themed challenge.

Compendium of curiosities 3 challenge 2 - Glitter

I made this little row of 'beach huts' out of thick card using the Alterations Artful Dwellings die and decorating them with Graphic 45 by the sea papers and distress paints.  I have stood them on some thick card painted with distress paints, I then coloured some texture paste with the paints to get the sandy colour and created the beach.  I added clear rock candy distress glitter for a really sandy effect and some objects I found on the beach plus a little message in a bottle.

Message in a bottle partly buried in paint tinted texture paste with glitter applied to give a more sandy effect

Tiny found objects from beach

I would like to enter this into the Compendium of curiosities 3 Challenge  sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique

CC3C Challenge 1 Marbling

Here is my entry to the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge sponsored by the Inspiration Emporium Marble onto a smooth kraft type card.

12 tags of 2014 - April

My first attempt at Tim's april tag.

Mixed Media - Altered journal cover

At the end of last week I saw a fab idea over on The Altered Page and spent some time in the wee small hours wishing I could attend Seths workshops before considering what I could do to alter an A5 size journal I was given recently.  The next day Cheryl Baker mentioned in a Facebook group that she had just finished a canvas and done a tutorial on her blog (click her name to visit).  WOW I was then really fired up to give it a go and THEN Hels Sheridan posted her Sunday stamper challenge which this week is 'stitch in time' and I had already planned to put in some big cross stitches somewhere on my piece.  It was meant to happen!

The Layers

I started with a piece of fine muslin torn slightly over sized and adhered it to the book front and spine using a good coat of adhesive I had left over from a diy project.   I used this was because I had previously tried to use it as a texture paste on cardstock and discovered it dried with a crackled chalky finish.  I put another coat of adhesive over the top of the muslin leaving some areas uncoated and laid down my second layer, a bit of torn packaging with a corrugated core.  I clamped the card in place and left the whole thing to dry overnight.

I was a little disappointed to find when it had dried there were no cracks but I was already loving the texture.

I then added another layer with die cuts using Sizzix Alterations dies and twine ensuring I did nothing to prevent the book from opening properly when finished.  I painted over the entire thing with gesso and left to dry before adding another layer.

While waiting for the above to dry I painted the other embellishments with gesso and stitched a huge cross into the piece of hessian.  Once dry I added texture paste through a Tim Holtz layering stencil and adhered the other pieces.

Finally came the scary bit because I wanted to paint over the entire piece.  I had tested various combinations on a piece of card and decided to go with an assortment of distress paints including a metallic.  Once the paint was on daubed fairly randomly I spritzed the whole thing to get some marbling going, then while still wet sprayed very lightly with some colorwash spray, some great chemistry happened at that point as the spots of spray bleed into the paint. Before drying I used a mica spray to add some sheen.  At this point the paint was very wet, using a heat gun moved it around more than I liked so I left it to dry in the sun.  

The back of the book using crackle paints as well as distress paints and colorwash and cosmic shimmer spray.

12 tags of 2014 - March

Here is my take on Tim Holtz March tag.  I didn't have any of the stamps he used this month so decided to stick as close as I could to his layout and method.  I used Sheena Douglass and Graphic 45 stamps and a stamps away mask.  I love the second generation smudge stamping this would make a fantastic background.