Saturday, October 25, 2014

COMPENDIUM OF CURIOSITIES III CHALLENGE ~ COLORED CRACKLE

Hello blogging buddies!  It's that time again ... for another new challenge from Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities Challenges.  

But first, let me just say that our Curiosity Crew has been talking recently about the wonderful quality of art that you guys are posting each challenge.  I am blown away week after week at the beautiful art that is being made and then shared on the Compendium Challenge blog.  Are you guys having fun?  I know that I am!  

The challenge is such a great place to share ideas, new ways to use Tim Holtz products and techniques. I thank each of you who join us bi weekly, leave inspiring comments and share your art with all of us.  It really is a community of sharing and I am thrilled to be a part of it!

Turn to page 53 in your Compendium of Curiosities book and check out "Colored Crackle".  Isn't it beautiful? Such a perfect picture in the book to illustrate the technique. Right??

Okay ... you know how sometimes you do a technique exactly how it is explained and it just doesn't seem to be as perfect as the picture in the book?  Yep ... that happened to me on this challenge.  But you know what, Tim says "Embrace Imperfection!"  So, that is EXACTLY what I am doing this challenge.  

I'm embracing the fact that I made not one but TWO different examples of Colored Crackle for my project and while the crackle is there, it's so tiny that unless you look really closely, you'll miss it.  I think maybe I should have used a darker base color and the crackle would have shown up better. I'll be interested to see and hear what you think after doing this challenge.  I can't say anymore or I'll be giving away the technique!

Moving on ...


Here is my finished project.  It is the front cover of a Christmas album that I will be putting photographs in from Christmas 2014.

 
I began with Wendy Vecchi's Small Art Journal Covers.  These are very sturdy covers made out of some sort of press board.  It is such a great size!  They measure 9" x 7 1/4" and come with two 3" metal rings to use as a binding. So, you have a lot of space on the inside to add dimensional pages if you choose to do that.  Wendy had these at CHA and she stores her stamp sets in them. She customized her covers and they were unbelievably cool! You can see a pictured example of finished covers on the packaging in the photograph above. REALLY NEAT for mixed media work!!


For my covers, I began with an image of vintage Christmas tissue paper. I copied and printed the tissue paper image onto regular printer paper on my computer.  Then I brushed Matte Medium on the front cover of my album, laid the paper down and glued it in place. Then I brushed over the paper with Matte Medium to seal it.  

 

Next I tinted some Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste with Fired Brick and a touch of Barn Door Distress Ink Refills and thoroughly mixed them together. I taped Tim's Holiday Knit Stencil in place and using a palette knife, I randomly scraped the red embossing paste over the stencil, creating the raised pattern on the cover. Be sure to immediately wash your stencil and palette knife before the paste has a chance to harden! 
After that dried, I added some Pine Needles Distress Ink to the predominantly white background and painted the edges of the album cover with Fired Brick Distress Paint.


Across the top and bottom of the cover, I added strips of Tim's silver metallic Industrious Borders and then painted inside of the scalloped area of the border with Fired Brick Distress Paint and a Detailer Water Brush.  The basic cover was now ready to be turned into a fancy, glittery vintage Christmas album cover.

I began with Tim's Plain Grungeboard and die cut a large and a smaller poinsettia from Tim's Tattered Poinsettia die cut.  (In creating the smaller poinsettia, I did not cut the largest petals; only one of the middle ones and two of the smaller ones.) Then I die cut a pair of ice skates from Tim's Ice Skates die cut.  While I can't tell you the steps I used in creating the "Colored Crackle" exterior, I will tell you the colors that I used. I did a basecoat of white gesso ... and as I was saying earlier, I'm not sure that was such a great idea for this technique because I was beginning with a light base rather than a darker one for the crackles to be more evident.  Anyway, that's what I did.

I used a combination of Scattered Straw and Fired Brick on the poinsettias and Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs and Brushed Pewter on the ice skates. Even though the crackling is not real evident, I still love how the poinsettias and skates finished out. Remember..."EMBRACE IMPERFECTION!"  

I put the poinsettias together using a "bling" brad for the centers and then I lightly went around the edges of the petals with Platinum Stickles to add a bit more of that wonderful vintage "glittery" look. 


 I laced the skates using some fairly thin string and a needle to go through the holes already die cut into the skates.  Then tied a bow at the top.  I later attached a gold and a silver jingle bell that dangle and "tinkle" when the cover is moved. 

Next I die cut some of Tim's new Thinlets Paper Snowflakes and Holiday Greens. Both were cut from a shimmery cardstock; the snowflakes on a cream colored, the holiday greens on a deep green with a gold-ish fleck.  


I used my new little Spellbinders Tool 'n One and Foam Pad to get rid of the little pesky cut away paper pieces and it worked like a dream! I didn't have to sit and pick out each little piece. Awesome! 


 Then I gave my snowflakes a quick spritz from my home made Picket Fence Distress Stain (since I don't have the newly released Spray Distress Stains yet) and then I sprinkled a dusting of glitter over the wet stain.  I heat set that and then added a light mist of adhesive spray and sprinkled the snowflakes with some vintage Mica "Snowflakes". Finally I added a rhinestone center to each of the snowflakes and they are lookin' very vintage-y. Love it!


I decided to add some of the mica snowflakes to the poinsettias and skates as well because I love that look.  But...right before I did that, I was rummaging through Tim's new Christmas Ephemera pack and happened on THE PERFECT embellishment for the center of my cover...The Santa Claus Mica Snow Flakes box lid!  THANKS TIM!!! Perfect for my piece!


 I also picked out a round December 25 Christmas Day piece that worked perfectly with a snowflake.   I used my Glossy Accents to add dimension to the December 25 circle and the "SNOW FLAKES" lettering on the box lid by simply tracing inside of the lines with Glossy Accents and letting it dry.  It dries clear and glossy and raised and gives a nice subtle dimension to those embellishments.


Next, I glued my holiday greens in place in the upper left corner. Those greens are amazing! They give such a light, airy touch underneath the heavier poinsettias that I glued on top of them. I added a small bow made from silver metallic-ish ribbon. 


I glued the raw edges of two silver straps that I attached to each of my skates to the upper right area of the cover and popped a large snowflake over the raw ribbon edges.


Then I popped the skates into place.  


Next I popped the lower left snowflake in place followed by the snow flakes box and snowflake/December 25 circle in the center of the cover. Finally I added the smaller snowflake at the lower center of the cover and using Glossy Accents, I added a few rhinestone dots here and there for a bit more sparkle. 

I will finish off the back cover with the same vintage Christmas paper image and either line the interior covers with Christmas paper or just simply paint them with Fired Brick Distress Paint. 

I hope that I have inspired you to join in on the Colored Crackle fun at Compendium of Curiosities. Just create your piece, be sure that you follow the simple rules in your blog write up and then post your art to our challenge blog.   

There will be two lucky winners selected to win fabulous prizes.  This challenge's sponsor is the lovely Linda Coughlin of The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  Her store is filled with all kinds of "goodies" for your crafting pleasure. She is giving away a 

http://www.thefunkiejunkie.com/
   
 $25.00 gift certificate to shop in her store!  Trust me ... you will have fun with that! 

Then, as an added bonus, Tim and Mario have so generously donated all sorts of products to be given away at each of our challenges to one lucky person.  No doubt this array of products will excite and inspire you to continue to create his wonderful vintage style art!

So, come join us and share your art and your experiences with this technique!


  

62 comments:

  1. Fabulous album cover. I love your crackle, btw.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My goodness Candy what a beautiful cover for your photo album! All that delicious glitter and Christmas Joy is wonderful. I love those skates and you have decorated them beautifully. Karen.x

    ReplyDelete
  3. This piece has such lovely texture, I would love to pick it up and look at it more closely.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Candy!!! This is absolutely exquisite! Your folder cover has some of the most beautiful details and I love everything about it! Your creativity amazes me everytime! Thanks so much for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love the book cover, Candy! You've got a great start on preserving your holiday memories.

    ReplyDelete
  6. WOW this is SPECTACULAR, I love the red stencil pattern its fantastic, love the sparkly skates and the snow flack pkg, the gorgeous poinsettias, all the glitter and sparkle has my Magpie eyes all googly, this is a brilliant creations, thanks for sharing, hope you have a wonderful weekend, ((( BIG HUGS )))...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Candy thank you for your honesty...I struggle with crackle and don't know why. I see everyone else's and wonder what I did wrong. I'm gonna give it a go though because I'm no quitter lol. Your cover is so magical and I just want to touch those snowflakes. Love how you capture the holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Absolutely stunning Candy! Love the total vintage feel of this!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can always tell your work Candy! I love the retro look of this project. It's as always full of detail and fabulous nooks and crannies. I love seeing your name bump to the top of my Blogs List! Can't wait to get cracking!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Not only will you treasure the holiday photos you put inside your gorgeous album but the album cover itself will bring you lots of happy memories as you remember how you created it. Fantastic display of holiday warmth and merriment!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is just gorgeous !!!! I love how the colored embossing paste with the stencil really makes it look like a flocked material... Gorgeous !

    ReplyDelete
  12. OMG, this is a fantastical Christmas project!! LOVE IT!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is amazing!! the details like the sparkling snow on the crackled skates and the way you used the embossing paste. I have to try this. Really inspiring!!! Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow Candy, love your Christmas album cover. The ice skates are incredible looking and I adore all the sparkle. Gorgeous inspiration as always.
    Have a great weekend, Julie x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Enjoying the challenges? I am totally loving them! It is fantastic to see all of you doing the same technique but all so differently - loads of inspiration all in one place, what more could we ask for. I am so pleased that you actually have issues - it makes me feel so much better... thank you for telling us that.

    This is a stunning creation, I love everything about it, the stencilling, the poinsettias, the little Mica Snowflakes packaging is a superb finishing touch, but my favourite by far is the ice skates, my most favourite of Tim's dies - ever! Beautiful work.... Anne xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. This book is gorgeous! It will be the perfect place to store your Christmas memories for future enjoyment! I love love love everything about the cover! Fabulous work doll...it is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, Candy you have added all the perfect touches to your holiday theme cover! I love
    this and the fact you took the Vintage tissue paper and saw a bigger vision for it! Love what you did here in bringing all of your elements together. Absolutely beautiful. Love it and all the details to boot!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh, my goodness! How do you do this every single time? To say this is spectacular is an understatement! I love every single bit. So many amazing details. I can always tell your project, Candy and it's always my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Candy, Your book cover is so beautiful and so very festive. Thanks for sharing that the techniques don't always come out as planned and yet you have created a piece reminiscence of Christmas past. I love your ice skates and how you made the snowflakes sparkle.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What a beautiful cover, packed full of interest, you have inspired me to make one for my granddaughter. I love how everything fits together. X

    ReplyDelete
  21. Stunning! I just love seeing how you put it all together!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Candy, great idea for storing the stamp sets... Love it... I will scrap lift it ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  23. WOW, Candy!! What a fun and festive way to keep this year's Christmas memories!! You are waaaaay too organized ;) :) This latest CC3 challenge is one of my fav Tim techniques and all of the wonderful creations that you and the Curiosity Crew made show the endless possibilities for this fun technique!! Thank you for showing us your steps :) XOXO-Shari T.

    ReplyDelete
  24. absolutely stunning! I love the Tim dies and stencils that you incorporated--the knit stencil is perfect for the skates.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Loving the project Candy, so much detail and a great idea for using the tissue paper.
    Happy crafting, angela x

    ReplyDelete
  26. Your Christmas pieces always shine, you do such an amazing job with the vintage Christmas look. I really really love that Holiday Knit die and it looks amazing on your journal cover. The ice skates are beautiful really enhance the "yesterday" feel of the piece. I love this Candy, your work is always a joy.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh my goodness, Candy! This album and all the details on it take my breath away! It will be so perfect for storing all those wonderful Christmas photos! The crackle technique turned out wonderfully on both the poinsettias and the skates!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Candy, Your work is so pretty and vintage, every single time! You amaze me with your ability to make each piece you create perfectly sweet and takes me back to a more serene, simple, time. Yet, back in the day, everything was made with such care, and this, too is reflected in your work. Having a hard time getting the proper words out here...that happens when I'm trying to comment on such a lovely piece of art! I LOVE this, and I think the crackle came out fine on those skates! Just the right amount!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I am always totally amazed at your work! What a transformation for your cover. So many fantastic details. TFS!

    Hugs,
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  30. So sparkly and cheerful!
    By the way, I had the same problem with very fine crackling...wondering if the chipboard pueces I am using soak up the crackle paint and inhibit the cracking. Probably, next time, I'm going to gesso that chipboard first and see what happens...

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh my goodness, Candy, this is such an amazing album cover. Absolutely LOVE all those sparkly details and tips and techniques. I almost used the ice skates too. They're great, aren't they? I love the added bells and laces. You're one creative genius.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Candy, your Christmas book is fabulous and oh so festive! I love the stenciling and all the sparkly crackled details. Oh and those skates are to die for! Love this! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  33. "Burr -tiful " ( it made me chilly I had to go put something else on I got chilled ) cover ! Just beautiful ALL the details ; love the skates ... look so real ... brings back memories ( I ice skated when I was a kid ) !

    ReplyDelete
  34. Wow WOw and treble WOW! This is absolutely amazing and I love all the layers, sparkly and little touches. I am glad I am not the only one who has trouble with her crackles!!
    Fabulous.
    Hugs
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  35. Stunning work Candy - love the colours and the texture - the skates are fanttastic

    ReplyDelete
  36. Fantastic! Love the worn skates and the sparkly snow. Such a beautiful project!

    ReplyDelete
  37. What a wonderful cover for your holiday photos Candy! So sparkly just like a newly fallen snow! Your skates are lovely with the poinsettias and snowflakes!

    ReplyDelete
  38. So many awesome details to your cover ! I love those skates .. the tool you used on the snowflakes is pretty cool .. I'll have to find one of those :) You didn't leave anything out .. it's perfect !

    ReplyDelete
  39. 1) Your cover is all frosty goodness! 2)Skates perfect subject 3) everyone of you who lace those tiny skates are certifiable...just sayin'! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Oh my goodness all that 'snow' makes me cold! Loved all the holiday colors and the little bells are just darling...

    ReplyDelete
  41. Pure and utter awesomeness Candy. The whole of the festive season wrapped up in this delicious creation. LOVE it! Jenny x

    ReplyDelete
  42. so busy and so very beautiful Candy - I adore this! Just got the skate die and looking forward to using it for this challenge - hugs rachel x

    ReplyDelete
  43. Gorgeous! Ready for the holidays ahead of time!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Love your cover, and I like the tiny crackles - they turned out that way on my piece too :-)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hi Candy! Not visited in a while - another fab creation, wonderful composition and amazing details, Nikki xxx

    ReplyDelete
  46. Love your cover it looks like it is really snowing!

    ReplyDelete
  47. So very festive, I think the crackle on the skates makes them look like old worn leather. This is what Christmas is all about.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Love this Candy! Love the red embossing and such great textures all over! Wonderful spirit and gorgeous colors!~kim

    ReplyDelete
  49. Oh Candy. Love your projects! This retro project reminds me of an old fashioned wintery Christmas. I love to ice skate. Love the vintage wrapping paper and the sweater stencil. Love the textures and colors. Another beautiful and inspirational project!

    ReplyDelete
  50. I love all the sparkly vintage goodness in this project! Tell us more about that Spellbinders tool. How does it work? I hate poking out bits of paper from intricate die cuts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisa...that little tool is amazing and cuts out all if that picking out of little pieces of wasted paper in intricate die cuts. You simply lay the die cut on a slightly padded surface and just run the wheel if the tool back and forth over it. All of the little pieces just fall right out. It is amazing. There are also other little attachments that do other things to make die cutting little pieces easier. It is a great tool. One of the Top 20 new products introduced at CHA last winter. <3 Candy

      Delete
  51. I like the subtlety of the crackle effect on the skates -- it gives it a realistic vintage look. Also, the snow sprinkled all over the place just makes me feel jolly!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Absolutely stunning my friend as always your attention to detail is amazing. I adore your dimensional poinsettias and the dimension and texture you have achieved. The skates are fantastic and sit beautifully within your design. This is a fabulous classic vintage piece and I adore it. Tracy x x

    ReplyDelete
  53. As always : breathtaking! LOve love love so much this project! I love colors, details, design, glitter, every every little details! Amazing! BArbarayaya

    ReplyDelete
  54. What a beautiful holiday album with lots of bling!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Gorgeous Christmas cover Candy. Those MICA chips are beautiful and so are your skates. So much detail and so much texture.

    ReplyDelete
  56. This is amazing Candy! Love every little detail!

    ReplyDelete
  57. Stunning as always Candy, your work is always AMAZING! Your eye for detail is incredible!

    ReplyDelete
  58. What an amazing layered, full of sparkly goodness album cover. Reminds me of Christmas morning.

    ReplyDelete
  59. This book is amazing and is my favorite of all the DT projects for this challenge!!

    ReplyDelete

I am so happy that you stopped by my blog! I truly appreciate your time and thank you for leaving a comment! Have a wonderfully blessed day!