CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT BUT COMPENDIUM OF CURIOSITIES III BROUGHT HIM BACK!

Hello all of you Tim Holtz and Compendium of Curiosities junkies!

The wait is over and it's time for a NEW Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge with your host Linda Ledbetter.  This will be a bi-weekly challenge focusing on more of Tim Holtz and his amazing techniques and products. 

Linda has put together a smashing Curiosity Crew to introduce you to the various techniques from Tim's new Compendium of Curiosities Volume III and share some inspiration and helpful hints with you. I am honored to be a part of this curious team!  If you don't already have your Compendium of Curiosities Volume III, click on the red link above or click HERE to be whisked away to Tim's blog to order your copy now!

Are you ready to get started?  Let's GO!!!

Our first challenge is all about Paint Marbling.  This technique can be found on page 43 of Tim's Compendium of Curiosities III.  While we will not show you the actual technique of the paint marbling (that's what the book is for), each of the Curiosity Crew has created a project for you including the marbling technique.  Be sure to check those out for some added inspiration.  Then join us at the challenge where you can share your art and also win fabulous prizes from our most generous sponsors.  Tim and Mario are also joining in on the fun by sending Linda lots of products to use as prizes for each challenge as well.  So a HUGE thank you to Tim and Mario for their generosity and for allowing us to even have MORE prizes to give away!  This first challenge is being sponsored by the wonderful folks at Inspiration Emporium. And get this ... their prize is a $50.00 gift certificate to Inspiration Emporium!  How's THAT for motivation?!?

I created this fun triptych from Tim Holtz' Arch Frame die cut, some chipboard and some manila tags that I experimented with while doing the Paint Marbling technique.

Here is a list of supplies that I used in creating this triptych:

Distress Paints: Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Salty Ocean, Barn Door, Picked Raspberry and a touch of Tarnished Brass, Distress Inks: Mustard Seed, Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry, Gathered Twigs, Archival Inks: Jet Black, #8 Manila Tags, Tim Holtz Stamps: Papillon, Classics #11, Classics #17, Glossy Accents, Compendium of Curiosities II, ITissue Tape: Sketchbook, Elements, Ideaology: Small Jump Rings, Detailer Water Brush, Collage Glue Stick,  Tim Holtz Ideaology Design Ruler, Tonic Craft Pick, Miscellaneous Metal findings, wire and chain, Small Square Turquoise Glass Beads, Treasure Gold: Green Amber, Florentine 

I had so much fun experimenting with Tim's Paint Marbling technique.  It is a very free flowing technique where you can manipulate the colors with water and moving the paper as the paints flow and blend.  When they are dry, the colors are set!  Even if you add Distress Inks over them, the colors remain with a beautiful matte but vibrant finish. 

Way fun!!!  

Here are a bunch of #8 Manila tags that I created using the marbling technique. I picked my three favorites and they became the backgrounds for my triptych.

Next I glued the marbled manila tags onto some chipboard and ran them through my Vagabond to get three arched pieces.  I painted the backs and edges of the chipboard with a Salty Ocean Paint Dabber. (You can see where the tag didn't completely cover the chipboard in a couple of places.  No matter....I just covered those with Tissue Tape!)

I stamped the center panel with Jet Black Archival using Tim's beautiful butterfly from his Classics #17 stamp set.  Then I stamped the butterfly image again onto a piece of vellum.  I heat set it and colored the backside using a Detailer Water Brush and some Mustard Seed Distress Ink. Later I added some more shading towards the center of the wings with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink. 

I added wire antenna for the butterfly and then attached the "floating" butterfly directly on top of this stamped on at just the body area using Glossy Accents. 

I added some Sketchbook Tissue Tape at the top and bottom of the arch and distressed it with Mustard Seed and a touch of Peacock Feathers. "Field Notes" is stamped onto a scrap of Gathered Twigs distressed manila cardstock and then added to the arch. 

I had some little metal squares that I thought might make a cool top piece on each arch.  So, I cut out one section of the square and used the daisy center of the square as the top for each arch. They are attached by using Glossy Accents.

This is the completed panel to the left. I added the tissue tape to the outer side and distressed it with Mustard Seed and a touch of Peacock Feathers.  I stamped the butterfly trilogy from Tim's Papillon stamp set onto the center.  Then I added more bits of black Tissue Tape from Tim's Elements collection in various spots.  I love the contrast between the black Tissue Tape and the colorful marbled background. Then I added some Florentine Treasure Gold around the edges to give the arch a subtle metallic sheen.

The right panel is finished off much like the left panel.  I stamped this side using the smaller butterflies from the Papillon set and stamped the sentiment from Tim's Classics #11 between the rows of butterflies.

Now that the panels were complete, it was time to put them together. Each flat side of the arch measured approximately 3 inches.  So, I laid my Tim Holtz Transparent Design Ruler on the edge, measured up 3/4" from the bottom and 3/4" down from the top of the flat side and pierced a hole through the handy little holes of the ruler using my Craft Pick.  The line where the holes are measures 1/4" in.  It's really easy to get your holes to perfectly line up using Tim's ruler.  I repeated this process on each of the panels.

Next I threaded a thin bronze-ish colored wire through the holes and wrapped it through several times.

I twisted the wire in the center, added the turquoise beads (in keeping with the application I'd done on the butterfly's antenna).  I repeated this process on both of the top areas of the panels to join them.  On the bottoms of the panels, I simply wrapped some wire through them and twisted them off in the back of the arches.

Here you can see the finished joining of the panels with the wire through the pierced holes.  I also added some little metallic medallions that I found a long time ago at a flea market along the taped outer edges of the two side arches.

Once the panels were joined, I decided to add a piece of small bronze-ish colored chain to span the triptych.  I did this by cutting two pieces of 2 3/4" chain and attaching them to each of the three metallic daisy toppers with a small Tim Holtz Jump Ring.

So, there it is ... my paint marbled triptych using Tim's Paint Marbling technique from page 43 of his Compendium of Curiosities Volume III.  As you can see, the techniques in Tim's book can be used for all sorts of things, not just making a tag.  Won't you join us at the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge?  

Just create your artistic masterpiece and link it to our challenge.  Share your creativity with a community of others who love Tim's style and learn something along the way as well!  And ... you might be the lucky winner of products especially sent to Linda by Tim and Mario and/or the wonderfully generous folks at Inspiration Emporium!  And ... as an added kick off celebration, Inspiration Emporium is offering a 10% code to all participants of this Compendium of Curiosities challenge!  Coupon code is:  CC3C.  See what I mean about generous folks?  Thanks so much to Inspiration Emporium for their support!  

Happy crafting and have fun with this technique!

 

ARE YOU CURIOUS??

Hey everybody!!

The time to be curious is at hand! 

ARE YOU CURIOUS ???

I recently received my Tim's new Compendium of Curiosities Volume III from non other than the Master Of All Things Distress himself, Tim Holtz.  Yes, I ordered it directly from him and he autographed it for me with "Be Curious". That seems to sum it all up, doesn't it?  

And ... I got my book just in time for the NEW Compendium of Curiosities Challenges that are once again being hosted by the lovely Linda Ledbetter.  I'm a member of her "Curiosity Crew" along with some of my most favorite ladies on the planet and fellow Ranger U grads. I could not be more excited about that! 

 

Here's a sneak peek at my first challenge piece. 

Hmmm ... does this make you even MORE CURIOUS ???

The challenges will begin THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 26th!  They will be biweekly challenges concentrating on new Tim techniques from his book.  I hope you will be able to join us as the Curiosity Crew shares our artistic visions for each technique with you. Then YOU are invited to join in; posting your creations to the blog so we can see all of your fabulous ideas, too!

There will also be prizes given from our two most generous sponsors; Inspiration Emporium and The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  And ... Tim and Mario have been super generous by sending boxes of products for Linda to give as prizes, too!  So...some really fun times ahead with lots and lots of giveaways!

CHRISTMAS IN MAY! A RESCHEDULING OF DECEMBER CLASSES AT SCRAPBOOKS FOREVER IN BRANSON, MISSOURI

Hello my blogging friends!

Today I am excited to share a bit of news with everyone who signed up for my classes in December that had to be postponed TWICE due to the wintery weather.

Those classes for Scrapbooks Forever in Branson, Missouri have been rescheduled in what will hopefully NOT be snowy weather!  However, if you remember, we DID get some snow here in early May last year!  Please, Mother Nature ... cooperate with us this time!

~ The Lyrics Book Class ~

(Just one spread of several pocket pages that are in this book & will be taught in the class.)

This technique rich class will taught on Friday, May 2nd from 12 - 4.  At the moment, this class is full but you can always call Scrapbooks Forever at (417) 335-7904 and put your name on a waiting list.  I so love these papers and can't wait to share little tips and tricks for getting the most out of every sheet of 12 x 12 paper to create wonderful little books like this.

~ The Vintage Christmas Wreath Class ~

 I adore Christmas and I adore vintage pieces.  So, this class is sure to be a favorite of mine! The Vintage Christmas Wreath Class is an all day workshop.  We will explore floral techniques for creating a fuller more beautiful basic wreath. Almost every vintage ornament on this wreath is hand made using a combination of several techniques, Distress Inks, mixed media products, Kaisercraft's beautiful Christmas papers, Stickles, and other items reminiscent of vintage Christmas pieces. At the end of the class, you will have created a gorgeous vintage Christmas wreath that is sure to become a family favorite as you proudly display your labor of love in your home each Christmas.  This is a lighted wreath that measures approximately 22" across.

This class will be taught on Saturday, May 3rd from 9 - 5, with a short break for lunch.

 There are only a few spots available for this workshop.  Be sure to call Scrapbooks Forever today for more information and to reserve your spot!  

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Spring so far. I am enjoying the sweet songs of the birds who have returned with the warmth of the April sun. Take time to look around you and celebrate the rebirth of nature. We are so blessed! 

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A VINTAGE MINI CONFIGURATION BOOK

Greetings vintage travelers!  Thank you so much for stopping by my blog.

Today I am hosting another creative adventure over at

Destination Inspiration brought to you by A Vintage Journey.

 
 What is on our travel itinerary this time?  

How about being whisked away into the world of Tim Holtz' Mini Configuration Books?

Here is my vintage Mini Configuration book that I have created especially for you. 

On this journey, I will give you the "road map" (tutorial) for creating this beautiful vintage piece. Besides the instructions, you will also receive lots of little tips and techniques that can be useful in all sorts of artful projects.

After you've finished your journey to Destination Inspiration, if you found some inspiration from this Mini Book, I'd love to hear from you at A Vintage Journey and also here on my own blog. I always love reading your uplifting comments.  They encourage me and truly do touch my heart. 

So what are you waiting for?  Click your heels three times and repeat after me ... "There's no place like home ... There's no place like home ..."

Wait a minute!  I'm getting my magical journeys all mixed up!

All you have to do is click the Red Destination Inspiration link above to begin your creative journey right now! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

A VINTAGE JOURNEY THAT'S A LITTLE BIT FRENCH

Are you ready for a trip to France?  Well, not literally, but creatively speaking.

Astrid MacLean is hosting our creative endeavor this week. It is "A Little Bit French".

This can have so many interpretations ... "Oui"? I invite you to pull out your creative passport and join in on the fun over at A Vintage Journey. The Creative Guides have some gorgeous projects waiting for you there.

Have you ever created something only to have someone say, "that's beautiful but what are you going to do with it?"  Being more of a mixed media artist, I get that question a lot more than probably someone who is primarily a card maker or a scrapbooker. Their art has an obvious purpose.  

But sometimes, don't you just feel like creating something purely for the artistic value and it doesn't necessarily have to have a purpose? I hope that I'm not the only one who feels that way from time to time. 

But I also like to create things that do have a specific purpose; usually a home decor piece.  Today, I took the "A Little Bit French" challenge and created this ....

a French shabby chic kleenex box cover. I'd never made one and thought it might be a fun thing to do.

Anyone can do this.  You just need to measure the sizes of your kleenex box and increase the numbers just a little bit before you cut your chipboard, so that your creation can easily slide over the kleenex box. In this case, my kleenex box sides measured not quite 4 1/2" wide and approximately 5 1/4" tall.

So, I cut 4 sides out of chipboard that measured 4 3/4" wide x 5 1/2" tall.  The top is 4 3/4" square and I die cut the oval in the center using the medium sized oval from Tim Holtz' Sized Ovals die cut. 

I created "structure strips" out of kraft cardstock cut into 1" strips then scored down the center at the 1/2" mark. Next add a piece of doubled sided tape (in this case I used 1/4" Scor Tape) on either side.

 Then you basically make a box without a bottom on it.  To do this, begin with your center section and adhere one of the structure strips cut to a 5 1/2" length to the outer edge of the chipboard.  Then line up a side piece (it doesn't matter which one is first) at a 90 degree angle and attach the side to your center with the Scor Tape. You will repeat this for all sides of the box. But before completing the square box, add the top of your box to what will be the front or back using the structure strips and attaching it in the same manner. Then complete the box.  At this point, all of the structure strips will be on the INSIDE of the box.

Apply more structure strips on the OUTSIDE of the box for more support. Cut each strip to fit the length of the joint and attach in place. Do the sides of the box first and then the top.  Now you are ready to cover your box.

Since this is a French themed challenge, I immediately thought of Tim Holtz' French Industrial Paper Stash. I cut these papers from the section that has the 6"x6" squares.  I cut them to fit my 4 3/4" x 5 1/2" chipboard sides.  Before attaching them to the sides of my box, I wanted to shabby chic them up a bit.

First I added some of Wendy Vecchi's Crackle Texture Paste through Tim Holtz' Harlequin Stencil.  I absolutely love this stencil for a french theme and also the Crackle Paste. It's creamy, easy to work with and you get great crackled results!

When that was dry, I lightly brushed some white Gesso over the papers.  Be careful to not cover up your images too much with the Gesso. It's fairly opaque if you brush it on fairly heavy. Then heat set it.

Time to experiment! I wanted to add color to my sides; a teal-ish color because I LOVE teal.  But I wanted to do it in an unconventional manner. Experimenting is so much fun and sometimes you stumble onto the coolest things!  So, on my Non Stick Craft Sheet, I mixed some of Wendy Vecchi's new Archival Ink Reinker colors; Leaf Green and Forget Me Not.  (These are permanent inks and once they are dry, they will not react with water). And I added a little water to dilute the ink down and added a spritz of Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls Mist.  

The color was just a tad too green for me, so I softened it with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink and "Oooh La La" ... I love the teal-ish tone that I got!

The absolute coolest thing happened when I started adding my brown tones.  First (not pictured) I used my Ink Blending Tool and began adding Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to pull in the brown from the paper still showing underneath. Then the magic happened!! I used a make up sponge and started adding Wendy Vecchi's Potting Soil Archival Ink to darken the harlequin pattern and then began randomly adding it to the paper. I guess it was the Sunflower Sparkle that was in the teal-ish wash that I created; but when I started rubbing the Potting Soil ink over the colored paper, it started looking like a tarnished brass finish.  The coolest thing ever!  You really need to try that!  It's AMAZING!

  

Next I added some Black Soot Distress Ink using a small eye shadow sponge just to the raised harlequins and a touch around the edges of the paper.  That really added a lot of definition to the papers.

Here's a trick for adding stamped images to surfaces that are not flat ... I stamped some "french" images from Tim Holtz' stamp sets; Paris Memoir, Papillon, Mini Classics, Attic Treasures and Paris To London onto white tissue paper using Jet Black Archival.  I heat set the image and then tore out around them. Then I lightly brush Matte Multi Medium over the area I was going to apply the stamped image. I laid the stamped tissue paper in place. Then lightly brushed more Matte Multi Medium over the top. The tissue just "melts" into the background.  I actually lightly brushed over the entire paper with the Matte Multi Medium and let it dry.  Once dry, I added highlights to some of the images using a spritz of Sunflower Sparkle on my Non Stick Craft Mat and a Detailer Water Brush.  In the photo above, you can see the stamped images and also the subtle golden highlights.  I also used the eye shadow applicator to add some Florentine Treasure Gold Guilding Wax to the raised harlequins and randomly along the edges of the papers.  

Once all four sides had the stamped additions to them, it was time to attach them to the chipboard sides.  I did that with 1/2" Scor Tape.  When all of the side papers were in place, I added Tim's Tissue Tape to cover the edges. Then I inked the tape first with Peacock Feathers followed by Potting Soil and finally some random swipes of Florentine Treasure Gold.  

I created the top for the box in the same manner that I did on the sides.  I Tissue Taped the edges and it was time to finish embellishing each side.

  
Side One ~ I added Tim's Ribbon Flags cut out of scrap paper from the French Industrial Paper Stash. I distressed the banner with Picked Raspberry Distress Ink and a touch of black on the edges.  Then I stamped "REVE" which is the French word for "DREAM".  I then brushed Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint on top and let it dry. I gently pounced the banners with Gathered Twigs and glued them to a piece of black cording that I draped across the top. I added two small Ideaology Fleur De Lis (with their charm tops clipped off) from Tim's Adornments to cover the ends. Finally, I altered the two silver Pen Nibs with Gold Paint Dabber, some Florentine Treasure Gold and a little black acrylic paint to represent dried ink and glued them in place. 

Side 2 ~ I added Tim's Plaquette that I distressed with Potting Soil Archival Ink. Then I die cut the flowers from Tim's Tattered Flower Garland from more scraps from the paper stash.

I distressed the leaves with Evergreen Bough and Gathered Twigs Distress Inks.  The flowers were distressed with Picked Raspberry and Mustard Seed.  Then all were brushed with Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and left to dry. After drying, I edged all of them in black. I added a piece of vintage tulle behind the flowers and leaves and glued them in place.

Side 3 ~ I added the Prima resin picture frame that I had distressed with black acrylic paint then a Gold Paint Dabber and a touch of Juniper (greenish) Paint Dabber (for a patina look) and a touch of Florentine Treasure Gold. The metal crown at the bottom is from Tim's Regal Adornments It originally was a pewter color but was altered with Green Amber Treasure Gold, a touch of Silver Treasure Gold and Florentine Treasure Gold.  The decorative metal piece at the top was a little "treasure" in my stash of stuff.

Side 4 ~ I added Tim's Ornate Plate with a computer generated "AMOUR" which in French means, Love.

Once again, here is my finished very vintage/shabby French kleenex box cover! 

"Je pense que c'est très joli. Aimez-vous?"  
English Translation:  "I think it is very pretty. Do you love it?"

I'm glad that your vintage journey led you here today!  I hope you will join us at

A Vintage Journey with your own "A Little Bit French" creation.  You could be the lucky winner of our generous sponsor's £10 gift voucher at

Have a wonderfully crafty day and enjoy YOUR vintage journey!