Monday, 22 July 2019

Masquerade...

Hello friends and Happy Monday!

Another week has flown by and it's been a particular busy one here as I've been locked away in the craft room making some super secret makes for Tim Holtz, that I can't show you just yet but are coming soon! But in between all these makes, I've also created my latest project for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week our theme is all about making anything but NOT A CARD!

For my project, I decided to use my favourite shape, a tag and inspired by so many Halloween makes that are appearing on social media at the moment, I created a piece full of mystery that uses the new Masquerade die set from Tim's Chapter 3 Sizzix release, together with a few of my left over bits and pieces from last year's Halloween idea-ology (I'm sure we all have those in our collections, right?!?!) and combining them all with some of Tim's regular idea-ology products!
So, I invite you to the Masquerade Ball, a place that isn't quite all that it seems and hope you love the project I made!


To begin with I took two Etcetera tags, small and medium size and covered the small tag with some of my Halloween Wallpaper from last year and covered the medium sized tag using some paper from the Etcetera Paper Stash, all adhered into place using Matte Collage Medium. The paper in the 8" paper pad isn't quite long enough to cover the entire length of the tag, so to cover the bottom section, I used a strip of Halloween Wallpaper and placed this along the bottom of the tag. Apply a coat of medium over the top of each tag, I used a blend of the clear medium and the Vintage Collage Medium, and then allow to dry.
Once the medium is dry, I then added some Crackle Paste around the edges, and also randomly over the surface of the tag. You know when the paste is dry when the lovely crackles appear and once that happens, I applied my Gathered Twigs Distress Crayon over the top and used a damp water brush to push the colour into the crackles. Use a kitchen towel to wipe away any excess colour or blend it over the surface of the tag with your fingers.
Adhere the smaller tag onto the centre of the medium sized tag using Matte Collage Medium and then, using a splatter brush and Black Soot Distress Paint, gently flick the paint across the two surfaces.

Moving onto the scene ~ I wanted to create a really layered piece, packed full of dimension and drama and so I took a small Vignette Panel and adhered another panel of the Halloween Wallpaper Stash over the top. I then took one of the Keepsake Ephemera pieces and attached this to a baseboard frame before attaching the frame to my covered vignette panel. You can see how I built up the layers and the dimension this gives, in the photo below.
Obviously, there is an aperture in the frame ~ so to overcome this, I placed some foam pads onto the back to build up this area and therefore create some support to the piece once it's been adhered onto the vignette panel. 
Once the panel is set in place, I then attached some Botanical Layer pieces, again supporting them with foam pads to create varying layers of dimension. I then added some moss in-between the layers.
Below the panels, I placed some Scallop Etcetera Trims ~ these are the largest length trims in the pack but I used two different widths. I painted the wider trim using a combination of Ground Espresso, Antiqued Bronze and Black Soot Distress paints and then painted the narrower trim with Old Paper, Picket Fence and Pumice Stone Paints before layering them and attaching them beneath the panels.
Now to create the masks and I used the large mask die to cut two pieces of Mixed Media Heavystock Card which I layered together to create one substantial die cut. Which I painted with Black Soot Distress Paint. I also cut one of the smaller sized masks from black card which I added to a Paper Doll, colour tinted with Distress Marker Pens.
I just love that you have all these different sized masks to use on the paper dolls, it's like being a child again and dressing up all my toys ~ how much fun is this going to be for Halloween and Christmas! I attached my paper doll to the right of the vignette panel.
Taking the larger mask, I then inked up the Lace Stamp with clear embossing powder and stamped directly over the top of the die cut. Sprinkle with Rose Gold Embossing Powder and heat emboss until molten. At this stage, I also slightly shaped the mask whilst the powder was still warm. I then added some pearls and black adhesive gems to the mask.
For the ribbons on either side, I cut a piece of Crinkle Ribbon from my stash, and dyed it with Antique Linen Distress Spray. Once the ribbon was dry, I then attached a piece to either side of the mask.

I then attached my mask to the project, allowing the ribbons to flow out from either side but attaching them with small amounts of Matte Collage Medium, just so they're secure.
As a finishing touch to the mask I added a spider hanging down on a piece of thread, something that was inspired by a recent fun trip to the Dior exhibition at the V&A ~ if you can see this exhibition, it's worth it!
To complete the piece, I attached a Halloween Quote Chip, Masquerade and some Halloween Clippings Stickers, 'the young girl became possessed', both taken from last year's stash!
I then attached a number '31' clippings sticker to the top of my larger tag and finally attached one of the resin skulls, again from last year, to the top of the smaller tag, placing it where the hole reinforcer piece would be attached.
So, that completes this week's project ~ a tag that if you're not into those black, dark pieces that we associate with Halloween, then this is something a bit different for you to make and be inspired by! Hope you love it...
Have fun creating your projects and don't forget, you can find more inspiration from my talented teamies over on the challenge blog and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....







Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope to see you again soon, love Emma xxx



Recipe for project:

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Tuesday, 16 July 2019

The Haunting...

Hello friends...

Today, I'm sharing my second project from Tim Holtz's Sizzix Chapter 3 release and this piece is called The Haunting! I decided to make a canvas panel using a combination of dies from the Frightful Things set and combining them with the Cauldron die, Handmade and Bat Crazy! I just thought it would make a fun piece that can be either displayed on a stand as part of a Halloween display or hung on the door as a welcome sign for a party, or maybe as Tim suggested in his FB live, which you can see HERE, you could turn this into a book cover ~ it's entirely up to you how you use my inspiration to create something cool of your own!

So, let's get started and here's how I created this project...
As my base, I used an 18 x 24cm canvas panel and I created my own background using Distress Paints and crayons ~ Picket Fence, Antique Linen, Pumice Stone, Hickory Smoke paints, with a top layer of Peeled Paint and Rusty Hinge Crayon ~ all combined, layered and blended to create this wonderful aged look. For those of you who are first time visitors to my blog, when I layer my paints, I always start with the lightest colour, building up to the darker layers and always drying the paint between each one before I then apply a final layer of the Picket Fence, applying it randomly over the surface. Once I'm happy, I apply the crayons, blending out the colour with my fingertips.

To complete the background, I applied some Ranger Ink Crackle Texture Paste and just allowed it to crackle before I added some die cut spider's webs, that are cut from mixed media card using the web die in the Frightful Things set and then embossed with Bone Embossing Powder. I then cut the spiders from black card, painted little red backs onto each of them and hung these from the webs.
I absolutely LOVE texture and dimension on my work and in this post, I'm really going to concentrate on how I created all that delicious texture that you can see on the cauldron just using Tim Holtz mediums, paints and some chipboard.

1. Die cut the cauldron and the handle, cutting it twice from thick chipboard and layering the pieces over the top of one another to create one substantial piece. At this stage also cut 6 flames, together with the handle.

2. Apply a coat of gesso to the surface of all the die cuts to prime it for the layers to come.

3. Once the gesso is dry, add Grit Paste to the surface using a palette knife to apply it randomly over the top.

4. Allow the paste to dry thoroughly and as soon as it's hard and set, paint the cauldron with Black Soot Distress Paint.

5. Gently heat dry the painted surface. Taking a dry paint brush, apply a small amount of Brushed Pewter Distress Paint to your glass mat and pick up the paint with the brush. Remove any excess paint from the brush by wiping it onto a kitchen towel and then gently apply the paint across the surface, just allowing the brush and paint to kiss the texture. If you feel you've added too much, don't worry ~ just add a touch more black over the top. Heat dry this layer and then repeat the technique using Antiqued Bronze Distress Paint.
6. If you feel you need to add more of any of the paint colours, just keep going but always remember ~ less is more, just build the layers up gently.

7. Taking the gessoed die cut handle, dab the surface with a clear embossing ink. Sprinkle Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder over the top and heat emboss until molten. Once cooled, repeat the process three times, adding clear embossing ink, followed by the powder and heat between each layer to build up the enamelled look on the handle. On the final layer of powder, sprinkle a small touch of gold embossing powder over the top and once again heat emboss.
8. Attach the handle to the cauldron.

9. To add some highlights to accentuate the texture even more, I then ran the Tarnished Brass and Brushed Pewter Crayons around the outside edge of the cauldron and over the top of the textured die cut, blending away any harsh lines with my fingers.

10. For the flames, I coloured one of the die cuts with a combination of Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn and the remaining flames with Candied Apple and Black Soot. To take the brightness off the die cut pieces, I applied Black Soot Distress Crayon around the edges and then blended out the colour with my finger.

You now have all the cauldron pieces ready to go...

...and can move onto the other pieces.

To create the little shelf that all this sits on, I took the largest size of Pinked Etcetera Trims, and crackled them. You can see how I did this in a previous post, HERE.

I attached the shelf directly onto my canvas using Matte Collage Medium and allowed for it to dry.

Once the shelf is set and solid, I then started to build up my cauldron scene, attaching the cauldron using foam pads, adding the red flames around the base and then tucking the green smoke into the slit in the top, together with some sisal fibres.
To create the 'bubbles' I used Bauble Adornments which I coloured with Lettuce, Botanical and Mushroom Alcohol Inks. I then just attached each of the baubles, arranging them to cascade out of the cauldron and onto the shelf.
I added some dried moss around the base of the cauldron and placed a few of the Boneyard Findings in and around the base and the top of the pot.

To complete the shelf section, I cut another of the webs and once again embossed it with Bone Embossing Powder and attached this beneath the shelf, together with a Halloween Quote Chip.
For the ghosts, I used the Frightful Things die set, (I have so much love for this set, it's one of those dies that everyone needs as it has so many useful images) and just cut these twice from Mixed Media card, layered them over the top of one another and then painted them with Picket Fence Distress Paint. Once the painted surface was dry, I 'dirtied' them up a little with some Pumice Stone Distress crayon around the edges, creating depth and shadows to the die cuts. Behind their open mouths, I placed a piece of dark grey card...
 and then attached each of the ghosts to the canvas using Matte Collage Medium. I also placed a Bat from the Bat Crazy die set, and placed this between the ghosts, shaping and lifting the wings so it appears to be in flight.
Finally, we come to the wording and I used the fabulous Handmade die to create this, cutting each of the letters twice from chipboard, layering them over the top of one another to create dimension and then painting them with Black Soot Distress Paint. To add a hint of shimmer over the top, I ran the Brushed Pewter Distress Crayon around the edges, again blending out the harsh lines with my fingers.
Attach the lettering beneath the shelf using Matte Collage Medium.
To complete the panel, I added some Hardware Heads to either side of the shelf, which I 'rusted' with Ground Espresso, Rusty Hinge and Antiqued Bronze Distress Paints and then added four more in each corner of the panel....

...and that completes this project, which I hope you love and find inspiration from all the techniques that I've used!

Thank you so much for visiting today and see you again very soon!

Recipe for project:

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Monday, 15 July 2019

A Kind Of Magic...

Hello friends and welcome to the brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge! This week our theme is called Animal Magic and the DT are also showcasing Tim Holtz products within our projects. We'd love for you to join us and play along and can't wait to see how you will interpret the fun challenge theme ~ have fun!

For my project, I couldn't resist being inspired by one of the most famous animals of all time, the one and only Mickey Mouse and I created a framed panel, inspired by the magic of Disney and 'the mouse that started it all". I hope you'll love how I created this piece using products from Sizzix, Tim Holtz and Ranger Ink to bring Mickey to life!
So let's get started ~ it's time to begin...


I started by painting the frame and I used one of Tim's Framed Panels, which comes in two pieces ~ the frame and baseboard. I applied a coat of gesso to the frame and also around the edges of the board and allowed it to dry. Once the gesso was thoroughly dry, I applied Candied Apple Distress Paint over the entire frame and sides of the baseboard. Again, allow it to dry before dry brushing the surface with Black Soot Distress Paint. I apply a small amount of the paint to my glass mat, pick up some of the paint with a paint brush and then brush away the majority of the paint onto a kitchen towel before then applying it over the top of the frame. If you feel you've added to much, then just add some more red but always remember to dry between each painted layer.

Once I was happy with the frame, I dried it and then added a touch of Vintage Gold Alchemy Wax over the top to accentuate the beading around the frame.
Next, I added the background, and for this I used the star design paper from the Etcetera Paper Stash and cut a piece to fit the aperture of the frame. I adhered the paper to the baseboard and then attached my painted frame over the top, attaching all the pieces with Matte Collage Medium and then adding a coat of the medium over the top to seal the paper and the paintwork.

Using the Gathered Twigs Distress Crayon, I ran the crayon around the inside edge of the frame and then blending out the colour with a semi dry wet wipe.

The frame is now complete and we're ready to move onto the central section and focal point of the project...

To begin with I started with the background and cut a panel of watercolour card, slightly smaller in size than the inside of the frame and applied a misting of Distress Resist Spray to the background.
NOTE: Always use the Splatter Box when using Distress Resist Spray as you don't want to cover the surrounding areas. Allow the spray to dry thoroughly and then spritz the card with a light mist of water before I then added some colour using Distress Spray Stains ~ Antique Linen, followed by Pumice Stone, Frayed Burlap and a hint of Iced Spruce.

Gently heat dry the surface area of the card and if you need to add more stain, just spritz away but I was happy with mine and just inked the edges with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink. before machine stitching a 'wonky' border around the outside.
I matted the background onto a panel of gold metallic kraft stash card, followed by a piece of black card, each time leaving a border showing and then mounted the matted layers to the centre of my frame.

Now for the letters/words for this quote, and this is actually one of those pieces that is great for using up some leftover die cuts which you always have when cutting out letters and words ~ the small letters that I used all come from the older Alphanumeric Thin die set and I also had some random letters that I had cut from the Traveler Words Die Set but if you don't have either of these, then I would recommend using the brand new Alphanumeric Label Set which would be perfect for this.

TOP TIP alert: Use adhesive sheets on the back of all your card, as this will really help you once you start to adhere all the letters I cut the majority of the letters for this quote using red classic kraft stash but you will also see that I cut one word, 'it' from black classic kraft stash. I then cut all the letters for a second time from gold metallic kraft stash and layered the coloured letters over the top, slightly offsetting them to create a shadow.
Placing my letters to one side, I then cut my larger font using my favourite die of the moment, the brand new Handmade Die.
These letters were cut from black chipboard ~ twice, layered over the top of one another to create a little more dimension to the letters and then, I layered over the gold metallic die cut letters to create the shadow.

Now that I have all my letters, I attached them directly onto my background to create the Walt Disney quote, "If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It".
For Mickey's silhouette, I used a combination of Tim's Stitched Circles die to die cut the face and for his ears, I used a 1" Circle Paper Punch ~ all cut from black chipboard. Once I had all three of my circles cut, I pieced them together to create the silhouette before adding foam to the back to create height and dimension and attaching Mickey to my framed panel.
In the corner of the panel, I added 1928, the year Mickey was born and used Remnant Rubs to create the date.
For the stars that I cut from yellow classic kraft stash, I used the Swirling Stars die and just cut myself a selection of star which I then adhered with Matte Collage Medium, directly onto the background. I added a hint of Black Soot Marker Pen around each of the stars, blending away any harsh lines with my fingers and then placed a few Pretty Pink Posh Metallic Gold Jewels in amongst the stars.

To complete the piece, I added some Hardware Heads, aged with a little Distress Paint ~ Rusty Hinge, Evergreen Bough and Antiqued Bronze and placed the painted hardware to each corner of the corners of the inner panel.

...and that completes my panel and project for this week and hope you've enjoyed how I created this little slice of animal magic.
Don't forget, you can find more inspiration from my talented teamies over on the challenge blog and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....







Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope to see you again soon, love Emma xxx



Recipe for project:

Distress Crayons: Gathered Twigs
Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
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