This is my first post to a Tim Holtz challenge, The 12 Tags of 2015. January has been so cold, frigid actually, that all I can visualize is snow and ice so the tag took on this personna with some sparkle and glitz, peace and love added in.
Starting with a #8 Ranger Inkssentials black Craft Tag, I used a music-themed tissue paper to cover the entire tag, front and back, using a collage adhesive to adhere it. I crumpled it like Tim showed us, before glue dried.
Using a stencil with swirl pattern (reminded me of snow), I used a modeling paste to build up the next layer around left side and bottom borders. When dried, I spritzed tag with Ranger Dylusions (vibrant turquoise) Ink Spray, Tim Holtz (broken china) Distress Paint, and sprinkled some white glitter overall before inks dried. After drying it needed more white so using the Tim Holtz Blending Tool and a pad of white ink to dab splotches of white on top of blues. After drying with heat tool I used Ranger Basic Clear Embossing Powder to create shine and build up the swirl elements (love this stuff).
Next layer was a full panel of glitzy swirls that was perfect size for this tag. Then came a photo of vintage ice fairy and metal flowers to embellish. The upper left has small cursive "JAN" and on the right is the numbers 1 and 5 from Tim Holtz's idea-ology Mini Numerals. I used Ranger liquid pearls to paint a small apostrophe upper left of "1".
On the back, I used a turquoise marker to color block a background for the white Tim Holtz idea-ology ChitChat words, and Ranger Glossy Accents to adhere them. I also added a strip of globe tape (world peace!!!!).
There were hooks on end of flowers where I took it off chain so I used a split ring to attach silver-toned tiny tags (Peace, Love). Finally, I found this great chenille ribbon at Christmas, which I split into two narrow strips to make a snowflake-like bow at the top.
SHOULDA/WOULDA/COULDA:
- I couldn't find a few things at our local craft stores and I wanted to get started so need to order online for future projects:
- distress paint - picket fence
- tissue wrap - postale
- matte glue n seal
- splatter brush
- need more clear embossing powder
- I should have used white gesso on front of card but forgot (because I was using a black tag it's darker than the back side where I did use it).
- figure out how I could have made the Jan stickers in upper left corner of tag pop out more (used the black marker outline technique Tim showed in blog?)
2015 is a year of self-compassion, self-expression, self-acceptance for me. My family is becoming more self sufficient as they get older, and I find myself alone with myself. It was scary at first to think I had no one to take care of anymore. When you spend your life taking care of a a housebound mother, a child, teams and projects at work, elderly parents, and then grandchildren - it's a mind-boggling moment of self-awareness when you are alone.
One of my selves is a silly person, loving whimsy, fairies, ghost stories, and Victorian children prints. Another self is a computer geek, loving mechanical and technical toys, and always wanting the latest gadget. A spiritual self looks to expand my ability to find peace within, accept this phase of my life with graceful and happy serenity.
With that said, some of what is on this canvas speaks to those selves ...
I used a 12x16" wrapped canvas but I worked on the reverse side, which shows the wooden framework, and provides a shadowbox type environment allowing a build-up of layers. I got this idea from Monika, one of Finnabair's design team members.
I started with two coats of Liquitex white gesso and then collaged the canvas with torn papers. The Buddha image is a blow-up of photo found online (no copyrights could be found and it shows up a lot within Google images). I printed it on plain paper so it had no sheen, and covered it with cardboard to keep it clean during ink spraying and modeling paste use.
I will list supplies used shortly, at the bottom of this posting.
The carved wooden figure with tassels has been sitting in my "junque" drawer for decades so it was time to put it to use.
At first I was buying embellishments at Michael's, ACMoore, and Joann's Fabric Store, which can get expensive even when you only buy with a 50% off coupon. So over the summer I started going to flea markets and yard sales, and even one junk yard, looking for cheap pieces I could use as embellishments.
I ask vendors for broken watches, and some had them under their tables or in the house. At the junk yard I found a broken camcorder and clock radio, which I am trying to take apart to get to gears and computer boards. I had to order special drill sizes tiny enough for computers. Recently I discovered you can buy metal flowers and leaves on eBay for $1 or less with free shipping (from China, of course).
This lower left section has a Mambi Stick high relief scroll sticker. Surface is stamped with partial quote and a "love" sticker. The computer board is from the same camera as the other board above but this one is connected with a strap to an abacas. The ecru lace is from Joann's Fabric Store. Did you know you can buy as little as 3" of lace so when it goes on sale for 50% off I pick up a lot of different pieces.
After painting the frame, it looked like a rectangular easter egg, pretty pink, tangerine, pale green, and blue. I wanted to beat it up a bit so I applied Ranger Distress Crackle Paint as a white wash. It didn't crackle as much on some parts of the painted frame but it really happened on the bottom section, and it was better than I expected. This was my first time using this product so maybe I didn't use enough in other areas. This section looks like old painted barn wood.
(*** Post-Post Note - I just found out you shouldn't use heat gun on this product, that it will crackle much better if left to dry naturally.)
The triangular pattern is Liquitex Modeling Paste over a Heidi Swapp stencil. I cleaned the stencil and repositioned it on same grid so when I painted the surface it looks like each section is painted separately. I topped it off with little crystals, which increase in size with every other row.
The branch was made using a stencil and Liquitex Modeling Paste, applied over the first layer of paper collage. It was painted along with the rest of the surface but it didn't stand out so I used a copper leafing pen (Krylon) to highlight the embossed branch and leaves. Then I applied Ranger Liquid Pearls in silver and gold to colorize the birds. A fine point #01 black Pigma Micron pen was used to color the little stick legs and an eye for each.
The turtle is a bobble-head so it does move. It's eating micro watch parts glued into a matchbox that I covered with Recollections Rhinestone Borders.
The scroll work is a white plastic high relief sticker from MambiSticks, which was painted along with the surface.
Products/Supplies:
- Artist Loft 16x20" Gallery Wrapped Traditional Canvas
- Liquitex White Gesso
- Liquitex Clear Gesso
- Liquitex Modeling Paste
- Ranger Glossy Accents
- Heidi Swapp Stencil - 6"x6" Argyle
- Heidi Swapp Color Shine - Citron
- Heidi Swapp Color Shine - Primrose
- Heidi Swapp Color Shine - Seafoam
- Imagine Crafts - Fireworks - Dandelion
- Jaime Stencil - 6"x6" Bird Cages
- Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Pumpkin Spice
- Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - Picket Fence
- Krylon - Copper Leafing Pen
- Pigma - Micron 01 Archival Ink pen - Black
- Ranger Liquid Pearls - Gold
- Ranger Liquid Pearls - Silver
- Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist - Perfect Pearl
- Ranger Perfect Pearls - Forever Green
- Ranger Perfect Pearls - Forever Red
- Ranger Perfect Pearls - Blue Patina
- Ranger Perfect Pearls - Perfect Gold
- Recollections - Rhinestone Borders
- mambiSTICKS Me & My Big Ideas - White Scrolls
- Moments Metal Sticker
- Timeless Traditions - Paper Flowers
- Stampin' Up! - 2000 - "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Ranger Archival Ink - Black
My sister wanted a headdress canvas created for her granddaughter, Madelyn, similar to Phoebe's (Finnabair inspired headdress in earlier post). I did a background then took it to her along with embellishments so she could place them and get a feel for mixed media work. We didn't have enough so off to Michael's we went where she enjoyed picking out pieces that meant something to her for her granddaughter. My favorite places to get embellishments though are flea markets and garage sales where you can find interesting (and wierd) little pieces and usually pay from a quarter to a dollar.
This is the finished piece:
Here's the base canvas, created with gauze, swirl and birdcage stencils, and lots of vibrant green, turquoise, purple, pink, and yellow inks and powders.
Products used:
- Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Leap Frog
- Dylusions Ink Spray - Crushed Grape, Vibrant Turquoise
- Heidi Swapp Color Shine - Citron
- Ranger Perfect Pears
Happy New Year
I managed to do two new pages in the Altered Spelling Book because they are quick and fun to do. I have so many ideas for a new project but I can't quite get started. Time flies so fast, and I can't believe 2014 is over and done with.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and that your new year is the best yet!
