The Pretty Little Birds Chirped -- A Vignette for A Vintage Journey

Welcome friends! We start the newest challenge at A Vintage Journey today and our theme is Tissue Paper chosen by talented Creative Guide, Astrid. Here's what she says about the challenge:

There are many different ways you can incorporate tissue paper into your project - create texture by scrunching it up, stain it, paint it, wax it, stamp on it, emboss on it. You could use cheap tissue from the supermarket, recycle gift wrapping tissue, or even use old dressmaking patterns. Just remember to create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

I used Tim Holtz Plain Tissue Wrap ( the old kind) and his newer Collage Paper-- to make the embroidery hoop focal point of my vignette. It's been so long since I made it, the details are a bit fuzzy, and I only have one process shot. I'm happy I have that one photo, because I would have never guessed what I used to get that crackle! I stretched  the plain tissue wrap through the embroidery hoop, trimmed the excess and applied clear gesso to the surface. Next I gave it a coat of DecoArt Crackle Glaze and allowed it to dry to make those lovely cracks.

Using Distress Collage Medium Matte, I applied the birds which I had torn from Tim's Aviary Collage Paper. From here the details of completing the hoop get's a little fuzzy. I'm fairly certain I sealed it with Vintage Collage medium (not Matte) before using Distress Crayon in Walnut Stain to highlight the cracks.  Recently I added Broken China and Twisted Citron crayons to give it much needed color. Finally I smeared Antique Linen paint around the edges. I aged the tightening mechanism with Smolder Alcohol Pearls, splattered the crackled tissue scene with watered down Ground Espresso ink and added text with a Clippings Sticker.

I originally planned to take advantage of the transparency of the tissue wrap and have this hang alone, but somewhere along the line I lost sight of my original plan. The hoop has auditioned several creative 'homes' this past month. In it's final destination of the vignette box, I thought it needed a light colored backing to make it stand out more. I used a Tim's Stitched Circles die to cut a coffee filter circle which I adhered to the back of the tissue. I love the encaustic appearance of the finished hoop element.

The frilly edging was made with Tim's Crochet Thinlits die cuts. It's easy to give them the perfect vintage hue with a spritz or two of Antique Linen Distress Oxide Spray. I apply Vintage collage medium to the reverse side of the hoop's edge and adhere the strips of lacy paper while they are still damp, crimping as I go along. I'm using the vintage collage medium where ever I can, because I'm down to the last bit of my matte and need to save it for where transparency is needed.

I prepared my vignette box by giving it about 4 coats of gesso. It was black and gold in it's former life as a piece of cheap block wall art (not real wood) for a child's room similar to the one shown above.  I pick these up at garage sales for a quarter whenever I can just for this purpose.

Next, I adhere little scraps of various Tim Holtz Collage Papers to the interior side walls and a few bits to the interior back wall and seal with collage medium. I save these bits left over from other projects in an envelope with my complete rolls of paper just for this purpose.

I smear the inside walls randomly with DecoArt Crackle paint, because I want a chippie effect, and this stuff always chips a bit. Sadly, my 1/2 full jar is almost hardened, so I didn't exactly gets the results I was hoping for; perhaps a little too chippie. Does anyone have tips for reviving this stuff?

While that's drying, I paint the exterior with DecoArt Media Fluid Raw Sienna. I mix DecoArt Matte Medium with Burnt Umber to work as a glaze and brush that on. When it's dry, I water down Picket Fence paint and smear that on. A final step to make this look like authentic aged wood is to add some Vintage Photo crayon.

 After the crackle dried, I highlighted the cracks with DecoArt Patina Green Antiquing Cream and colored the interior further with a spritz of Broken China Oxide spray thinned with a squirt of water. I chased the color around  the interior with my heat tool, and when dry adhered an advert cut from Vellum Wallflower paper stash, again sealing with collage medium. Allowing that to dry just to touch, I held my breath and gave it a short two squirts of Twisted Citron to the backing where I thought it might show in the end. Sadly, those oxidized droplets are all but covered up. You might catch sight of a drop or two peeking out from behind the Nest and Eggs ephemera bundle. And there's the green ghost shadowing up at the top where I blotted back some of the green from that squirt. All in all, I love the subtle coloring.

With my finger, I smear Ranger Opaque Crackle paste on the lip of the frame and when dry, highlight the cracks with Walnut Stain Distress crayon.

To finish off my vignette, I adhere corrugated waste packaging to the back of the hoop to give it dimension before adhering to the box.

I made a nest from some natural packing material and a collage of scraps cut from a Journal Card, held together with a clothing tag perfectly distressed by trips through the washer and dryer (oops!) and fastened with my Tiny Attacher. Thank you for the inspiration, Jo!  I've had this tag in my junk drawer for years, but my soon to be 22 year old son still has a size 18 boys waist! A Story Stick is colored with Smolder Alcohol Pearls and Picket Fence paint and a tiny egg from my stash is dropped in the nest. I just realized, I used this egg as a photo prop in this post.

 An Ideaology Label Pull and a couple of brads from my stash colored with Smolder holds a scrap with a Remnant Rub. The brads were red and green to start; I first painted them with Black Soot paint before adding a drop of Smolder.

I'll leave you with a few more photos of the completed vignette.

That's it for me! I hope you'll travel over to A Vintage Journey and see what amazing inspiration my fellow Creative Guides have prepared for you!  Perhaps you will be inspired to join in the fun and link up your own Tissue Paper project. Hugs and blessings, Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Bleeding Art May Challenge - Anything Goes
We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles Challenge # 6 - Anything Goes Mixed Media Creative Challenge
A Inky Mess CHALLENGE 31 Anything Mixed Media Goes

Scrapy Land Challenge #115 Anything Goes I used two Sizzix dies.

Links to products used and available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:
Tim Holtz Thinlits Crochet
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Collage Paper Aviary
Tim Holtz Stitched Circles
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Remnant Rubs Halloween
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Journal Cards
Ranger Opaque Crackle Texture Paste
Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Pearls - Smolder
Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint
Ranger Distress Oxide Spray
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayon
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte
anger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Vintage