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 

   

 $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!