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

Bone Collector for Frilly and Funkie Haunted Halloween Challenge and Giveaway Winner Announcement

Welcome friends! Today I'm sharing my altered frame as one of the Funkie side of the Frilly and Funkie team for our current challenge,  Haunted Halloween. Jenny is hosting this challenge, and here's what she says:

 It's time to get your freak on and go all out for Halloween. We want to see your ghouls and ghosts and things that go bump in the night. It's going to be spooktacular!!!

I hope you'll stop over to the blog and see what my talented Frilly and Funkie teammates have cooked up to inspire you. Hopefully you'll be tempted to play along! As always, the Design Team will choose their top four favorites, with the winner being invited to join us in a Guest Designer spot at Frilly and Funkie, and the next three will receive Top 3 badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

I really had some fun, going all out with some of Tim Holtz' newest Halloween products. I charred a wood frame from my stash with Prima's Impasto paint in Pitch Black. I scuffed it with a sanding block to remove some of the paint and sealed with Distress Collage medium matte along edges and under eaves. I heat embossed randomly with Rocky Road Baked Texture and sanded to take off the shine.  I thought it needed a little more texture, so I got out my hoarded Black Soot Crackle Paint (sadly no longer available).

 I cut strips of Halloween Paper Stash for the sides of the house and embossed with Lumber 3D Texture Fade. These were adhered and coated with Collage medium and smeared with Black Soot crayon. Tangled Twigs were cut from kraft card. These were painted with black crackle paint and Ground Espresso ink and wrapped around the edges. I love this die, and it's useful for not only for Halloween and Fall projects, but you can see how I've used it for a Winter/Christmas card HERE.

Around back, you'll see some eerie bare trees. I used more of the paper from the new Halloween stash, traced the outline of the frame and cut the shape. Using my stamp platform, I inked the branch from Mr Bones in Black Soot ink and heat embossed with a mixture of one of my old brown embossing powders and Rocky Road. Using my stamp platform, I was able to bend the branches a little on the second tree. I also got a good impression, stamping each tree three times. I smooshed Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ink onto my mat and spritzed with water 'til it beaded up and pressed my paper onto the beads of color. While wet, I sprinkled on more Rocky Road powder and heated until just melted.  I dipped the paper into a puddle of Ground Espresso oxide and adhered the panel to the back of the frame. I gave the entire back a coat of collage medium and when dry, smeared Black Soot crayon around the edges. Lastly,  I applied black crackle paint randomly on the edges.

 The roof is shingled with Tim's Planks die cuts. They were colored with Ground Espresso and Antique Linen Distress stains and Weathered Wood ink and smeared with Ranger Opaque Crackle Texture Paste randomly. I highlighted the cracks with Black Soot crayon and adhered with collage medium.

I cut Distress Mixed Media Heavy stock to fit in the eaves and heat embossed one of Tim Holtz Tangled Webs. I blended with  Hickory Smoke, Black Soot and Ground Espresso ink and splattered with Hickory Smoke oxide. I stamped and embossed the cobwebs two more times on scraps and colored them in the same way. I fussy cut them and layered them in the eaves using foam scraps to give the scene dimension.

For the bottom room 'wallpaper', I cut Heavy Stock to size and colored with Antique Linen oxide and Pumice Stone, Hickory Smoke and Black Soot ink. I inked the Ornate stamp from Ornate and Lace set with Hickory Smoke oxide and misted with water before stamping. Splashed with a little water and heat dried.

My Halloween and original Paper Dolls were scuffed and colored with Antique Linen and Ground Espresso oxide and edged with Black Soot crayon.  I cut out the female hands with a craft knife to place the Ideaology Boneyard bones. The  little boy had a bilateral below the knee amputation so he could sit comfortably in the confines of the attic. His sister, scared stiff, thinks she might be the next victim of the evil two below if she doesn't do a little bone collecting of her own.

The  copper toned Ideaology Halloween Word Key was colored with alcohol inks and tucked in with a shred of Mummy Cloth. I was really skeptical about these strips of creepy cloth, thinking I could achieve the same effect with cheesecloth, but this stuff is really so much stiffer and easier to work with. I think it provides a better look and dyes perfectly every time. Not to mention, there is a generous supply within the pack.

The plastic spider ring is colored with alcohol inks, Snow Cap and Mushroom. The smaller bones and Ideaology Skulls were colored with Black Soot crayon. One of the Ruler Pieces was colored with Vintage Photo Distress stain, given a coat of Rock Candy Crackle Paint and cracks highlighted with crayon.

 Three Halloween Clippings Stickers and a Halloween Word Band tell the story. A faux bone from my stash is a great place for a Bone Collector to sit.

I crackled an amber bottle with clear and black crackle paint and highlighted with Antique Linen and Black Soot crayon. The broom is from my stash and colored with alcohol inks and Distress Spray stain in black. My broom doesn't have the detail that Tim's Ideaology brooms do, but I had to use these up.

Whew! You made it through to the end! I hope you enjoyed my fun and just a bit creepy Halloween frame, and that you are inspired to play along with Frilly and Funkie's Haunted Halloween challenge. The random winner of the Tim Holtz Halloween Remnant Rubs is Kate Yetter--congratulations! I will be in touch with you by e-mail to get your snail-mail info.

Happy Crafting!

Sara Emily

Challenge shares:
Country View Challenges October 2018 - Plant-tastic Sorry, but my plants are dead.
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything But A Card

Artistic Stamper October's Creative Challenge - Inktober
Dies R Us Challenge #107 - Anything Fall I used Sizzix Tangled Twigs Thinlits die.
Love 2 Create Challenge #13, Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes
Die Cut Divas Halloween or Autumn
Creative Artiste Challenge #43 "Anything Mixed Media Goes"
Let's Craft and Create Challenge #142 - ANYTHING GOES
Scrapy Land Challenge #100 Anything Goes I used 2 Sizzix dies.

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

Sizzix Bigz Die - Planks by Tim Holtz	Sizzix Thinlits Die Set - Tangled Twigs by Tim Holtz 663086	Sizzix 3-D Texture Fades Embossing Folder - Lumber	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Mr Bones	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Tangled Webs
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Ornate & Lace	Tim Holtz Stamp Platform by Tonic Studios	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Mixed Media Heavystock 8.5x11 inches - TDA53842	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Stash - Halloween	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Word Keys, Halloween
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Clippings Stickers, Halloween	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Halloween Word Bands	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Dolls Ancestors	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Dolls	boneyard
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Skulls	Tim Holtz Idea-olog Mummy Cloth	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ruler Pieces	Seth Apter Baked Texture - Rocky Road	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Snow Cap Mixative AL31611
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Mushroom	Set of 6 Amber Bottles	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte TDA47933	Ranger Opaque Crackle Texture Paste	Prima Art Alchemy Impasto Paint - Pitch Black
Ranger Tim Holtz Ground Espresso Distress Spray Stain TSS44161	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Spray Stain- Antique Linen TSS42136	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Vintage Photo TSS42594	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Black Soot TSS42167	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Black Soot TIM19541
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Weathered Wood TIM20257	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Hickory Smoke TIM43232	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Pumice Stone TIM27140	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Hickory Smoke	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Antique Linen
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Ground Espresso