That's Life: framed panel

Showing posts with label framed panel. Show all posts

Monday, 24 April 2023

We're All Mad Here....

Hello everyone...

It’s the start of a bran node week and to celebrate, I'm actually going to be sharing two posts and my first post is something that I made using the Sizzix 2023 Everyday die collection by Tim Holtz. This project is actually a make that I started to think about as soon as I got my dies way back at the beginning of the year, and today, I finally get to share it.

Now some of you already know that I’m a big fan of the Tim Burton version of Alice In Wonderland, and I LOVE the Mad Hatter character that Johnny Depp portrayed but this particular make was inspired by the whimsical and colourful world of the Disney version of Alice, and of course in this version, the Mad Hatter has white hair and a green hat and jacket. So with this in mind, I thought about how I could recreate the tea party scene from the movie, and after a little play, I decided to use the Abstract Elements Thinlits die set to create many of the elements on this project, including the Mad Hatter's hair, the toadstools and the foliage, and once I’d combined this die with Alpha Emporium, Papercut Cafe and the Tailored die sets, my version of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party came to life.

So let’s get crafting because it's time for tea and you definitely don't want to be late....

I used one of Tim's idea-ology Framed Panels for this make ~ they are now sadly discontinued but I had some in my stash. If you don't have this frame, then no worries because any frame or canvas will work, or you can create these ideas on a card or vignette box.

FRAME

This frame comes in two separate pieces, the back panel and the frame itself and I began by painting the frame and the edges of the panel, with Black Soot Distress Paint.

Once dry, I lightly sanded the pieces and then applied a light coverage of Gilded Foundry Wax over the top of the beading to accentuate it. Heat set the wax with a heat tool.

Once I was happy with the frame, I cut a panel of paper from the Backdrops Vol 5 pack and adhered this to the back panel with Matte Collage Medium.

I then used Design Tape Trim around the edges, so that once my wooden frame goes over the top, you can see a border of the trim tape.

I fixed the wooden frame into position using Matte Collage Medium and then clamped the two pieces together with bulldog clips until it was completely dry and the adhesive had set.

BACKGROUND

With the frame completed, I moved onto my background and started by adding the checkerboard across the bottom section of the frame.

For this I used the smallest die in the Stacked Squares Thinlit set and cut the tiles from black kraft card, sanded around the edges and Mixed Media cardstock that I had inked with a combination of Antique Linen, Old Paper and Lost Shadow. Ink each square with Walnut Stain Distress ink and then attach them with matte collage medium, placing them alternatively across the bottom section of the frame.

Above the checkerboard I attached a Scalloped Etcetera Trim. I added Crackle Paste to the trim, top and bottom and then once the medium was dry and the crackles had appeared, I attached the trim to create a ledge, directly onto the background using Matte Collage Medium to secure it into place.

Around the top section of the frame, I applied crackle paste, just adding it around the edges and once again, allowed this to dry before colouring the paste with a combination of Speckled Egg, Walnut Stain, Gathered Twigs and Black Soot Distress Crayons, blending out any harsh line of colour using a damp paint brush.

Finally, I added some clouds to the background and for these I used the Christmas Cutouts Die Set to cut three clouds from watercolour card. I added a light wash of Speckled Egg Distress Ink over the top and then attached the three pieces to my background with Matte Collage Medium. TIP: If you don't have a cloud die, then clouds are really easy to cut by hand. Just draw a shape in pencil, onto the card and cut with scissors before rubbing out the pencil line.

We're now ready to create the trip to wonderland.....

TOADSTOOLS AND FOLIAGE

For this I used dies from Abstract Elements and panels of Mixed Media Heavystock card coloured with Distress Spray Stains.

Toadstools: Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany

Greenery: Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn and Shabby Shutters

Stalks: Lost Shadow, Frayed Burlap, Pumice Stone

Below are the dies that are in the Abstract Elements Die Set and to make the toadstools, I used four sizes of the domed shapes (all on the right hand side of the photo), including the largest dome that has the cut out dots, (the yellow shape on the right of the photo below). These will create the toadstool caps and are combined with the teardrop shapes that I used as stalks.

Cut a selection of the shapes and assemble the toadstools. On the the three sizes of the smaller toadstools, I added the white dots using Vintage Nuvo Drops in Chalk and once these are dry, I attached all of the different sized toadstools along the ledge, adding foam pads to the backs of some to create different dimensions.

Dotted in and around the toadstools is some greenery, again cut using the Abstract Elements dies and I chose to cut these pieces from various shades of inked green card. Attach the greenery, together with moss, placing some tiny idea-ology Bubbles and die cut daisies along the ledge. These tiny flowers are from the Bunny Games die set.

On the right hand side of the arrangement, I added a playing card. This piece is from the Junk Drawer Baseboards set and I just peeled away some of the layers to cut down on the thickness of the playing card, so that I could position it behind my toadstools. Ink this piece to make it look more grungy and vintage before tucking into behind the arrangement.

In the centre of the arrangement on this ledge, I placed a tiny clock. This is from the Mini Flair set and I just grunged it up with a little Walnut Stain and Black Soot Distress Crayon.

ALPHA TEA TIME

Cut the lettering once from gold metallic kraft card, and a second time from black kraft card.

Attach the gold lettering over the top of the checkerboard and then inlay each letter using the black die cut pieces. (Keep the remaining pieces to use on another project).

The ledge and background is now finished and it's time to move onto the star of the show, the Mad Hatter himself.

CIRCLE

The circle that sits behind the Mad Hatter, is actually the waste from a previous project and comprises of the cut out from one of the Etcetera Facades, which I painted black and then I layered a circular panel of Backdrops Vol 4 paper over the top, applying a coat of Matte Collage Medium over the surface to seal it. This piece is stamped using the alpha typography stamp from The Inspector. If you don't have the Facades, then a die cut circle of mountboard will do equally as well.

After applying Walnut Stain Distress Crayon around the edge, I attached the completed circle using foam pads.

PAPERCUT CAFE

Cut all the layers to create two teacups. I used Mixed Media Heavystock and inked each of the elements using Kitsch Flamingo and Fossillized Amber, Wild Honey and Mustard Seed. Assemble the teacups, ink the edges with Walnut Stain and attach them to the centre of the circle with foam pads. Add small dots to the yellow teacup using more of the Vintage Nuvo Drops.

MAD HATTER

The Mad Hatter is cut using from the Tailored Die Set and each piece is coloured with a blending tool and Oxide Inks.

Hat and Jacket: Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness

Band: Vintage Photo

Bow Tie: Broken China

After I assembled the Tailored die cut pieces, I attached two dressmaking pins from my stash into the hat and then added the 10/6 label, (a tiny square of inked card and a handwritten price tag), which I tucked into the hat band.

I attached the pieces top and bottom of the two teacups using foam pads to add height.

For the mad, wild hair, I used the leaf sprig from the Abstract Elements die set and cut four pieces from white card. I then trimmed them down slightly and placed them on either side of the top hat.

We're nearly there and all that's left is the finishing details....

I added Hardware Heads to either side of the circle, and painted them for that vintage touch, using a combination of Black Soot and Crackling Campfire.

Finally, I adhered the 1/2 teaspoonful snippets ephemera piece along the top of my frame.

I really hope you love this make because it's been such a fun piece to work on. As always, I'd love to se if you've been inspired by my trip to Wonderland and if you do make anything, then please tag me on social media and I will be right over to take a look because I love seeing them all!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back later today with my regular Monday post for Simon Says STamp.

See you soon and take care...love Emma xx

RECIPE FOR MAKE

Tim Holtz for Sizzix: Tailored, Papercut Cafe, Alpha Emporium, Abstract Elements, Bunny Games, Stacked Squares, Christmas Cutouts, Tim Holtz/Sizzix Big Shot Foldaway

Distress Spray Stain: Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany, Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn and Shabby Shutters

Distress Paint: Black Soot, Crackling Campfire

Distress Inks: Walnut Stain

Oxide Inks: Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers, Wild Honey, Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Kitsch Flamingo, Vintage Photo

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Backdrops Vol 5, Design Trim Tape, Hardware Heads, Mini flair, Framed Panel, Junk Drawer Baseboards, Bubbles, Numbers Snippets

Mediums: Foam Pads, Black Soot Archival Ink, Vintage Nuvo Drops, Matte Collage Medium

Surfaces: Mixed Media Heavystock, Watercolour Card, Black Heavystock Card, Metallic Kraft Stock

Glass Media Mat

Blending Brushes and Blending Tool

Tim Holtz Rotary Paper Trimmer

Heat Gun

Pins from my own stash

Monday, 15 November 2021

I Believe In Santa....

Hello friends and Happy Monday!

Today, we have a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week's theme is all about TREES! So, with Christmas approaching quicker than you can blink an eye, I thought it would be the ideal time to share this project that I made using some of the new Christmas dies from Tim Holtz and Sizzix! If you want to see the entire release, which is available now from SSS, then don't forget you can catch up with Tim's YouTube live, where you'll also be able see all the amazing projects from the makers... just click HERE!

So back to my home decor make and I created a hanging framed panel, and on this project I'm showcasing plenty of trees, because that fabulous Woodland Santa (which is definitely my favourite Santa die that Tim Holtz has ever bought to us), is loaded up with a sack full of treats and that gorgeous Christmas tree over his shoulder, and is getting himself ready for Christmas, by walking through a winter wonderland packed full of Tall Pines.

So let's get started and here's how I created this piece...

To make it easier, I'm going to break this down into sections so that it's easy to follow and I'll start with the frame.

FRAME

For this I used the large sized Framed Panel which comes in two separate pieces ~ the backboard and the wooden frame itself. I painted both pieces with white gesso before then painting them with a blend of Picket Fence and Antique Linen Distress Paints. This creates a really soft white colour, which I find isn't as stark as plain white and creates more of a soft, vintage feel.

Once both pieces were dry, I then applied some Crackle Paste around the wooden frame, adding it to random areas, not all over.

When the paste has crackled, I used Walnut Stain Distress Crayon over the top, blending out any harsh lines of colour with a damp finger or a damp paintbrush and just allowing the crayon to accentuate the cracks.

Setting the frame aside, I started creating the background...

BACKGROUND

After cutting a panel of Mixed Media Heavystock card, slightly larger than the aperture of the frame, I spritzed it lightly with water before applying the sprays. I used a combination of Antique Linen, Evergreen Bough, Tumbled Glass and Speckled Egg and also added a touch of Speckled Egg Oxide Spray into the mix.

Spritz the card once more to blend the colours and then heat dry.

Once the panel is thoroughly dry, I added the snowflakes and for this I used two stamps, the sparkles from Christmas Magic and the dots of flakes from The Poinsettia stamp set, both by Tim Holtz. I stamped the sparkles first, using clear embossing ink and adding them along the top of the panel and then I heat embossed them with white embossing powder. I then stamped the dots beneath the sparkles, again in clear ink and again, embossing them in white.

With the panel complete, I attached it to my backboard using Matte Collage Medium and then placed the frame over the top, again using Matte Collage Medium to adhere it. I would recommend clamping the frame until the medium dries, I usually use bulldog clips for this and clip them right the way around.

When the frame is dry, I added my hooks to the top for the chain. I used 2 Screw Eye fastenings from the Vignette Findings set and just screwed them into the wood before fixing my chain to each fastening.

CREATING THE SCENE

Starting with the snow hills, these are cut using one of Tim's older dies, Home for the Holidays and I cut the hills from Distress Watercolor Card, cutting enough to fit across the bottom of my frame. I then arranged them, attaching the first layer directly onto the background and then attaching the remaining layers with foam pads to add different heights and slightly offsetting each die cut so they create the snowcapped peaks.

TREES

For the trees, I inked up some more of the Mixed Media Heavystock card, using Evergreen Bough, Rustic Wilderness, Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage. Just as I did for the background, I spritzed the colour onto the card and after a light mist of water, the colours blended to create just the right tone for the trees. I then die cut two separate images of the Tall Pines and inked the edges with a little Forest Moss.

For the tiny flakes that are on the trees, I used the same stamp from The Poinsettia set and stamped this in clear ink, before heat embossing in white.

I then attached my trees to the background with various depths of foam pads, cutting some of the trees into sections so that I could arrange them across the framed panel.

For the frosty finish, I smeared a small amount of Collage Medium over the surface of each tree and then tapped away the excess.

SANTA

Now for the star of the show, Santa and his woodland tree...

As many of you know, Woodland Santa is part of the Colorize collection of Time Holtz dies by Sizzix and you can make him in any colourway you choose, but I wanted him in his traditional red suit for this particular piece!

I cut all my red sections from the warm set of Kraft Stock card, his eyes, shoes and belt is from Blackout kraft stock and all the white pieces are cut from Distress Watercolour Card. Finally, I used Metallic Kraft card for his belt buckle and buttons.

For his face, I inked a piece of card with Spun Sugar, and then cut the elements from this.

I then assembled Santa, adding some grey highlights to his beard, using Polychromos Pencils.

For his sack, I inked some of the watercolour card with Frayed Burlap, Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Inks, and spritzed the inks with water to blend them before cutting the pieces to assemble together to make the sack.

The main section of the tree is cut from card inked with Peeled Paint and Forest Moss Spray Stains and the bough is made from the same card as I used for his sack.

Finally I cut the white snowy pieces for the tree, which I attached with matte Collage Medium and then glittered with Rock Candy Dry Glitter, sprinkled over some Glossy Accents.

Place Santa in the centre of the frame using foam pads.

ICY SNOW CAPPED HILLS

For the icy, snowy hills, I used Mica Flakes for some added texture and sparkle. I smeared some Glossy Accents over the surface of the die cut hills and then sprinkled the Mica Flakes over the top. Set aside to dry and if you need more Mica, just repeat until you have the coverage you desire.

To complete the scene I attached a few baubles.

HANGING PLAQUE

For this I used an offcut of wood that I had from a Vignette Divided Box that actually arrived damaged and shattered into pieces but it was one of those things and I knew it could eventually be used for something. I used the long side of the box and painted it with White Gesso but if you haven't got wood offcuts, then you can used mount board, chipboard or offcuts of cardboard boxes, it will all create the same effect in the end.

Once the gesso was dry, I applied a good coverage of Crackle Paste over the top, set this to one side to dry...

...and whilst this was happening, I cut my letters using the Bold Alphanumeric Die Set, spelling out BELIEVE. I cut them once from gold metallic kraft stock and twice from blackout card. I then layered the letters to create thick chipboard style lettering, slightly offsetting the black layer over the gold layer to create a shadow. Attach the letters to the crackled plaque with Matte Collage Medium.

Finally, I added some foliage pieces to either side of the lettering. I cut a selection of holly leaves from the Festive Bouquet Thinlits Die set and then arranged them on either side, completing them with berries in the centre and some Mica Flakes sprinkled over the top.

To attach the hanging plaque, I used Screw Eyes in both the frame and the Believe plaque and then linked them with chain.

So, that completes this make for this week's challenge and I hope you've been inspired by it...it's such a fun piece and would look perfect hanging on the door or in a child's bedroom, or in a big kid's room because obviously Santa visits everyone, whatever their age!

...as always, if you make anything, or been inspired by anything that you've seen here on my blog ~ then please, let me know by tagging me on social media or leaving a comment here and I will be right over to take a look!

Don't forget that every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp and you can join in up to 5 times, which means you could have 5 chances to win. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....