Never Stop Exploring Mixed Media Card

Hello friends and visitors! It's time for a new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique challenge blog, and this time Suzz is hosting. She calls her challenge Groundhog Day, and you will want to be sure to read her description completely before tackling this one!

"This challenge is inspired by the movie Groundhog Day.  In the movie Bill Murray is forced to repeat the same day over and over again for 10 years.  This past year has been a little challenging and people have felt like they might be in a little bit of a Groundhog Day time loop.  I am challenging you to create a shabby chic or vintage project that uses a technique, stamp, ink, or any other consistent tool that you find yourself using over an over in your art.  Think of this as your opportunity to share what you find yourself repeating in your art frequently.  Be sure to share with us in your post what it is that you keep repeating in your art!"

The Design Team will choose their four top picks, and the overall winner will receive the $25 gift certificate to go on a spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. All four top picks will receive badges to display on their blogs in recognition of their outstanding contributions. Be sure to stop over to the blog to see all the details of the challenge and the amazing inspiration shared by my teammates.

Initially Suzz' challenge really stumped me, because quite frankly, I have been all over the place with my makes this past year. But I had a look back and saw that one thing that almost all of my projects had in common was the use of premade backgrounds that for one reason or another were not usable at the time I made them, leftover bits, Tim Holtz products and Distress inks. You will find each of these common items on my simple card. First, I'll share a couple close ups of my card, and further on I'll show how I made it.

 I dug into my backgrounds box and found several panels that caught my eye. I also rummaged in my scraps/bits and came up with a sizable scrap to make my focal butterfly from. By themselves, these 'rejects' can look pretty scary, but I saw potential. This card came together quite quickly from there.

I ended up choosing the darkest background of the three. This panel was originally made when I made this project, and there are instructions there on how to recreate it.

 

Next, I used my stamp platform and stamped the butterfly from Tim Holtz Specimen on the scrap with Black Soot and Mermaid Lagoon Distress Archival inks. I poured a bit of shaken Cracked Pistachio Oxide spray onto my mat, and using a paint brush, I used the spray to color in some of the spots on the edges of the wings and on the body then dried. I fussy cut the butterfly, cutting off the legs and antennae and set it aside. This is my first time using the Specimen stamps, and I was surprised by the size of this butterfly.

Gosh, I love Cracked Pistachio, especially in the oxide version! Doesn't it just bring this butterfly to life?

I die cut two of the same variety of the Wildflower Stems #3 and one of the older Wildflower Stems #2 from white card. (I could say this also is a repeat in my art, because this set #2 was used quite a bit in 2019.) The wildflower from set #2 is colored with Ground Espresso ink after I glued the little bits in from the back--I wanted a more solid silhouette for relief from the busy background. After stacking and gluing the two new wildflower stems together, I colored it with Fossilized Amber ink and sprinkled  just the 'flower heads' with coordinating Distress Embossing Glaze powder and heated to melt. So there's my second favorite Distress color. What's yours?

After giving my card a layout test, I decided the background needed more blues/greens to balance out the butterfly, so I blended it randomly with Cracked Pistachio ink and dipped it in watery puddles of Peacock Feathers ink.

After gluing down the wildflower stems, I decided where the butterfly would land, and using my stamp platform, stamped it directly on the background in Black Soot Distress ink. Notice that I inked only the edges of the butterfly and made sure the legs and antennae were inked. I did this so I could make a shadow by blending the ink at the bottom with a water pen, thereby making the butterfly die cut stand out more. I also created shadows around the stems with Black Soot ink and a water pen.

Lastly, I heat embossed the sentiment (Tiny Text) with Black Soot ink and black embossing powder, blended the panel with Antique Linen ink and edged with Black Soot. I blended the edges of a kraft panel with Ground Espresso ink and layered the mixed media panel on that. I then glued that to a  sanded blue Classic Kraft Stock panel and that to a card blank. 

Wasn't that easy? Now it's over to you! I can't wait to see what you find yourself using over and over again in your artwork! Big crafty hugs to you! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Country View Challenges February 2021 - First Signs Of Spring

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes

The following products were used and can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Sizzix Chapter 1 Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set - Wildflower Stems #3

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Antique Linen, Black Soot, Cracked Pistachio, Fossilized Amber, Ground Espresso, Peacock Feathers

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray - Cracked Pistachio 

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Mini Ink Pad - Black Soot, Mermaid Lagoon

Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze - Fossilized Amber