Rock Candy Distress Glitter

Hey, kids!!  How about another challenging challenge?  Not a fabric girl, not a glitter girl.  But not a whiner or a quitter, either, so here we go with Rock Candy Distress Glitter!  I actually do like a touch of glitter as an accent on some pieces and this super-favorite-stamp from way back did just that for me.  Dried Flower from one of Tim Holtz earliest collections.  I use it a lot with Distress Inks and a spritz of water for a colorful earthy effect.  It's so lacy, the glitter is just a pretty hint of sparkle on my tag.

Please forgive my lack of photos from the process.   It's just a wrinkle free distress background with Stormy Sky and Tea Dye Distress Inks.

It's subtle, so I've chosen a couple of close ups so you can see a bit of sparkle.  You can also see here silver micobeads sprinkled over some wet Ranger Matte Medium.  I saw something like this at the Prima Booth at CHA and thought it was charming.  My little bees are fussy cut and popped out from the same stamped image.

This movers and shapers mini flourish is another favorite and keeps me buying lots and lots of grungeboard.  Lots.  Cannot remember life before grungeboard, I'm sure it was awful.   Its painted with Antiqued Bronze Distress Paint and then I tapped a little Black Soot Distress Paint in areas, misted with water and tapped that out with a cloth for a tarnished look.

Truly, truly love these little corked vials with a message inside.  This one says "small" and on the other side "journey".  Maybe "small" is my one little word for this year.  I'm finding myself focusing and appreciating the small, the quiet, the still and the simple more and more and more.  Maybe that's the reason that more than the bling that glitter can bring, I'm attracted to just a bit of sparkle.  That's what this challenge has taught me and is one of the reasons I love this artistic journey we're all on together.

Join us?  Follow the guidelines on Linda Ledbetter's blog.  Visit each of the Curiosity Crew blogs below:

Linda Ledbetter
Anita Houston
Annette Green
Candy Colwell
Hels Sheridan
Marjie Kemper
Susan Mostek
Yvonne Blair

......and you're eligible!  Win a random draw and you'll receive a gift certificate from the generous and truly kind people at Inspiration Emporium.  The Curiosity Crew choice wins a FabGrabBag from Tim and Mario, you know you want that one.  If you've noticed a gaping and embarrassing vacancy in your library, its probably a copy of Compendium of Curiosities III, which you must own to participate in the challenges AND which is a simple click away.  So click away.

Signing off in Colorado and let me be among the first to say (today)....

Don't Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle!!!

Dream Everyday - CC3C #20

Hey, CC3Cer's!!  Just home from CHA catching up on chores at home and work, brimming with inspiration and glowing from being with good friends.  It is such an inspirational environment, I can't wait to get home and get in the studio and create.  I had gotten a bit of start before I left for California and finishing up this tag was a blast.

Tim's Distress Watercolor - part 2 tech is the feature for this challenge, found on page 40 of Compendium of Curiosities III.  Awesome technique for those of us who are not watercolor artists, but love the organic look that watercolor brings.  Want to learn the details of how to achieve it?  Here are the details:

^^$^%&  ^*(*&)  *)*)&(*  ^&*&%  &^$^%#  %$@$@.  %$$^&  *&^*&(&  (&(&)(_+((*&^%  ^#@@#$%^&  *(YT$%^?   &*()PKJB  GTYUJ,  HY^ygb  nht^&U  HGFR^  &Yhbn.

And that's all there is to it.*

I covered some of my butterflies with embellishments so I included a close up here so you can see more detail.  I've learned when working with technique challenges to prepare several panels to work with for my learning curve.  I learned on this one to be sure and heat set the ink before I add the last step.

I started my tag background with Wendy Vecchi Crackle Embossing Paste.  I knew where my embellishments and focal point would be so I made sure to add the crackle in the areas where they would show.  I spritzed the whole tag with Iced Spruce Distress Spray Stain.  I need this groovy stuff by the gallon.

I wanted to add some Antique Linen Distress Paint over the cracked areas to tone down the white color.  I picked up my spray bottle of water to thin it and Lo!! it was not water, but Iced Spruce Spray.   Oh, accidental yummy distress joy!!  Mixed it with my finger and rubbed over the tag.

I sprayed my trims with Iced Spruce as well.  I've shown above the color of the teal seam binding I started with and how it changed.

"Everyday"  from Alpha Parts - Framed, backed with a scrap from Wallflowers Paper Stash.  I liked it without any paper backing but it didn't photograph well at all and was difficult to adhere without foam dots showing through.  I tried a couple of other dimensional adhesives but couldn't get that lovin' feeling.  Backing with paper and then building up grungeboard scraps did it for me.  Its a beautiful thing.

LOVE Tim's Gothic stencil and Wendy's Silver Embossing Paste.  LOVE coloring these beautiful metal Ideology roses with alcohol markers.

Loved this sweet little "dream" heart charm so I repeated the word for emphasis with die cut letters and also to balance the visual weight at the bottom of the tag.

Is that Electic Elements fabric I see peaking from behind the butterfly panel?  Why, yes it is.  I officially love fabric now.  I'm converted.  I sprayed this bit with Iced Spruce to unify color in the piece overall.

You have everything you need for this challenge!!  Go for it, super fun technique.  Our sponsor for this challenge is Funkie Junkie Boutique and the lovely Linda Coughlin.  I got to meet her at CHA.  You know that feeling when you finally meet someone and they are as nice as you hoped they'd be?  That's Linda.  Perfectly lovely.  As always. Tim and Mario have a super bundle of crafting candy for the Curiosity Crew Choice.  You know you want to win that one!

Follow simple CC3C guidelines and be eligible for you beautiful art to win.  Ready?  Go!!

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*Some instructional information may be encrypted to protect the copyright and work product of Professor Timothy Q. Holtz.  Please click here for a key to unlock encryption.

Frayed Fabric

Me:  Fabric?  Really???  I do paper, not fabric!
Tim Holtz:  Don't be silly, you can incorporate fabric into your art.
Me:  Well, yeah, but I really love paper and Distress Inks and Paints and Distress Spray Stain and Ideology, and did I mention I don't really sew?
Tim Holtz:  I think you're overreacting.  Eclectic Elements graphics will be very familiar to you and you'll love the textural dimension they bring.
Me:  My sewing machine hates me.
Tim Holtz:  Just grunge it!!  Even an unkind sewing machine can't stop you from using my Eclectic Elements fabric which has a grungy, distressed vibe.
Me:  Well, they are kind of awesome.  And I really do love texture.
Tim Holtz:  Go for it!  Encourage your hopes not your fears!
Me:  Okay.  I'm doing it.

(The preceding is an imaginary conversation with Tim Holtz, Creative Wizard.)

I have always said "If you think you think you see sewing in my work, look closer.  It's probably ink."    So this one is not a natural for me, but wow!  I love this stuff.  I think you're going to love it, too.

My sweet friend Yvonne Blair has designed a new art journal and she sent me one to try out.  I wanted to use the Frayed Fabric technique to make a cover for my art journal.

I was working with 8x8 swatches of fabric, so I sewed 2 together to make a piece large enough to cover the journal.  I misted it with water, wadded it up to wrinkle it and let it dry. 

Check out Compendium of Curiosities page 66 for the Frayed Fabric technique.  I added embellishments, covered the journal.  

I attached the word band and pen nib by sewing onto the cover with black waxed linen.  I ended up having SO much fun with this project.  Just like I was saying to a friend of mine....

Me:  Okay, you were right.  Eclectic Elements are completely cool and I even enjoyed hauling out my sewing machine!

Tim Holtz:  I told you!  They're great for mixed media.

Me:  They are.  I'm loving using some of the scraps on my art journal pages.  I'm loving this fabric more than ANYTHING!!

Tim Holtz:  More than Distress Ink?

Me:  Never.

Sew, are you ready?  Check out Studio L3 to see the Curiosity Crew projects for the 19th CC3C.   Follow a few simple guidelines and share your art with us!  Our sponsor for the challenge is Inspiration Emporium with a generous gift certificate for our randomly chosen winner.  The Curiosity Crew choice will win a stinkin' awesome prize package from Tim and Mario, shown here:

Now that the holidays are over I'm ready to get creative aren't you?  I feel like I say this every challenge, but every challenge it's true:

I can't wait to see what you're going to do with this one!!