Happy Saturday!
Welcome to my blog and the next challenge at
Compendium of Curiosities III. Linda Ledbetter and the Curiosity Crew invite you to play along with us as we explore the products and techniques of Tim Holtz.
This challenge is all about the Remnant Rub Resist Technique. What a fun way to use those miscellaneous rub on pieces or even create a fun background using a brand new sheet of Remnant Rubons. So turn to page 51 in your Compendium of Curiosities III book and check out Tim's instructions for this technique.
The inspiration for my #8 Manila tag is from Tim's new Life Quotes stamp set. The second I saw "NOT MY CIRCUS, NOT MY MONKEYS" I knew I HAD to have that set! How many of us can totally relate to that sentiment?
While I cannot show you the technique in creating the background for my tag, I will share as much as I can with you about products used and other techniques I used to put this whimsical tag together.
I used various images from some of Tim's Remnant Rubon sets ... ones that I thought sort of coincided with a "circus" theme. And speaking of the rub ons; Tim just released a new Remnant Rub Tool at CHA.
Here is a picture of it and let me tell you, it's AWESOME! Are you sick of trying to transfer rub on images using the popsicle stick that come with almost all rub ons? Well, here is your answer! This is a METAL tool with a stylus point on one end and a large flat angled surface on the other. I used it when doing this technique and I am SO GLAD that I bought one of these bad boys!
Here is a picture of it and let me tell you, it's AWESOME! Are you sick of trying to transfer rub on images using the popsicle stick that come with almost all rub ons? Well, here is your answer! This is a METAL tool with a stylus point on one end and a large flat angled surface on the other. I used it when doing this technique and I am SO GLAD that I bought one of these bad boys!
I found some vintage circus monkey images online, sized them to fit my tag and cut them out.
I used an old Vaseline Resist trick to make sure a few of the Rubons remained clear and the manila tag would show through after applying the inks.
I used an old Vaseline Resist trick to make sure a few of the Rubons remained clear and the manila tag would show through after applying the inks.
I used Ripe Persimmon, Mustard Seed, Evergreen Bough and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks to colorize my tag background. I chose these colors because of the areas on the vintage monkeys images. They had those colors behind them so I carried that color theme to my tag background.
The images I stamped onto the tag are "Cirque" from The Big Top stamp set, the eye from Oddities stamp set, and the artsy butterfly from the Urban Chic stamp set.


And here is a look at the finished tag background. Granted, much of it will be covered by the embellishments that I layer on top but it was so fun to create and parts of the subtle "chaos" that is the background will still show through. Finally, I added black to the outside edge of the tag to sort of "frame" the tag and pull everything together.
Since this tag will have a sort of "circus" theme, I decided to create a big top effect for the top of the tag. I used a piece of scrap cardstock and stenciled "BIG TOP" stripes using the fabulous Wendy Vecchi's Yikes Stripes Stencil. I mixed a combination of Wendy's White Texture Paste and some Carnation Red Archival Reinker and scraped it through the stripe stencil. Perfect BIG TOP!
Next I die cut the bottom edge of the BIG TOP using Tim's Postage On The Edge die cut and sized it to fit my tag. I left an extra 1/2" at the top of the BIG TOP and scored two 1/4" stripes across the top. The first would be my fold back line to secure the BIG TOP to the back of my tag. The second scored line would allow the BIG TOP awning to push out and create some dimension to the tag.
When I laid the monkeys on top of the background, I noticed that they seemed to sort of get lost in all of the pattern and color. To soften the colors just to the right side of where my two monkeys on the bicycle would be, I swiped a bit of Picket Fence on top of the tag and gently rubbed it in. I repeated this process a couple of times until I was happy with the more muted background area. Then I went over the Picket Fence with Antique Linen Distress Ink to dull the white. That worked really well to help my monkeys stand out against the background.
When I laid the monkeys on top of the background, I noticed that they seemed to sort of get lost in all of the pattern and color. To soften the colors just to the right side of where my two monkeys on the bicycle would be, I swiped a bit of Picket Fence on top of the tag and gently rubbed it in. I repeated this process a couple of times until I was happy with the more muted background area. Then I went over the Picket Fence with Antique Linen Distress Ink to dull the white. That worked really well to help my monkeys stand out against the background.
Now for the inspiration of this tag ... the "NOT MY CIRCUS, NOT MY MONKEYS" sentiment. For this tag, I wanted a sort of old fashioned sign to hang from the BIG TOP displaying the sentiment. So I stamped it onto a piece of cream colored cardstock using Jet Black Archival Ink. I then cut between the lines of the saying and glued each strip onto a piece of chipboard; to resemble boards or sections of the sign. I clipped the corners of each strip and distressed them using Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. Once they were all finished, I glued them together onto a scrap piece of cardstock (on the underside of the sign).
Next I pierced holes into the sign and also into the BIG TOP awning. Using three jump rings on each side, I created a chain and secured the sign to hang freely from the BIG TOP awning.
Finally, I heat embossed "AND SO THE ADVENTURE BEGINS" also from Tim's Life Quotes stamp set to place at the top of the tag. I heat embossed the sentiment onto black chipboard using Distress Embossing Ink and Ranger's White Embossing Puffs Powder. After it cooled, I added some light beige paint to the edges of the black chipboard using my finger. I then glued it in place using 1/4" Scor Tape.
This was an easy technique and honestly, I put this tag together in less than 3 hours.
Now it's YOUR turn to try your hand at Tim's Remnant Rub Resist and then enter your art into our Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge. There are two chances to win some wonderful prizes with every challenge.
This challenge is being sponsored by the lovely and gracious Linda Coughlin of
The Funkie Junkie Boutique. She is rewarding one of our winners with a $25.00 Gift Certificate to shop at her wonderful online store. Click on the image above to check out The Funkie Junkie Boutique!
Our other prize package is from those very generous guys who we love and celebrate with this challenge, Tim and Mario! They have sent a plethora (how's THAT for a fancy word?) of Tim Holtz Products for a very lucky winner each challenge.
So don't delay! Get out your Remnant Rub Ons and get busy!
Good luck!










